Crab Sexing!

"Crab Sexing" Or checking the sex of a crab.

I wanted to make a post about checking the sex of a crab.  I only learnt about this maybe two years ago.  And I thought it was really neat.  I always thought maybe you could tell by what size a crab was or something. But nope. The way you can tell a male and female apart is so easy!

So what you do is you flip the crab over onto his or hers back. And you want to look at the tummy area.

So when you flip them, you should see some kind of pattern on their tummies. This pattern will tell you if they are a boy crab or a girl crab.

(See picture below)

Male crabs are going to have the long kind of light house or triangle shape. While females are always going to have wide shape tummy.    Thats also all you do to sex a crab.   

Tools Of The Sea Witch

Shells ~
Gifts of the sea, they are used to represent the oceanic deities, Long, spiraled ones signify the Gods, while round shells symbolize the Goddesses. Cowries have been sued for centuries for the latter purpose. Many sea Witches and magicians place shells on their altars for this very reason when performing sea magic at home.

When spells are done by the sea shore, a protective circle can be marked out with a ring of shells. Shells are strung and worn to promote fertility, or to attract money, since they were once used as money.

Take a large univalve (one-piece) shell and hold it close to your ear. You will hear the voice of the sea. Let it speak to you. You may hear messages of the future or past; or the sound of the sea may still your mind for psychic messages to be received.

A special shell you find on the beach may be fashioned into a protective or lucky amulet. A shell placed at the entrance of the house ensures that luck will enter it. Conches or other very large univalves are blown at seaside rites to dispel negativity and to invite the Gods and good spirits to be present at rituals and spells.

Driftwood ~
Driftwood, infused with salt by the sea and dried by the sun on the beach, is the natural fuel for mystic bonfires, which often play a part in magic. Driftwood can also be used in spells. Take an appropriate piece, carve on it with a knife, and throw the driftwood into the sea, imploring it to grant your need. A smaller piece of driftwood can be adorned with protective symbols and worn as an amulet or talisman to attract or repel forces depending on your desires.

A wand can be made from a piece of driftwood; with this wand circles can be drawn on the sand in which magic can be performed. It can also be used to sketch runes into the sand.

Fishing Floats ~
Many years ago, floats, which are used to hold up fishing nets, were manufactured of glass, usually of a blue or green tint. The glass is thick and on the base of the ball is a slightly raised mass of glass, where the ball was sealed tightly during its manufacture. Most fishing floats today are plastic. If you do find a glass ball on the beach, you are extremely fortunate. If not, buy one in an antique or gift shop. Be sure the ball was actually used in the sea, as this charges and empowers it. Whether or not you find an old or new ball, take it to the sea at high tide. Dip it thrice into the water and say the following: “Orb of blue (or green) glass here I charge thee to be a psychic boon to me. When touched with salt your power’s free! This is my will, so mote it be.” Take the ball home, wrap in blue-green cloth, and store in a safe place. The fishing float may now be used as a crystal ball for scrying. Take it out, anoint its base with a dab of salt water, hold it in the cloth, and scry.

Holed Stones ~
If you find a stone with a hole piercing it through on the seashore, take it, for it is a valuable magical tool. the holed or holey stone (aka hag stone) is hung up in the home for protection, worn on a cord around the neck for the same purposes, and is used for many other magical purposes.

Take a holed stone, find a stick that fits tightly through the hole and lodge it firmly inside. Then throw it into the sea. Love will come to you.

To see the spirits of the sea, take the holed stone with you to the ocean at night, at high tide. Close one eye, facing the sea, and put the holed stone to the other. Look through the hole and you may see spirits.

For healing, place a holed stone into your bath water, and add salt. The holed stone is one of the most valuable tools of magic, and is a gift from the sea. Since it is a symbol of eternity and the female force of nature, it is not only a good luck piece and an effective magical tool, it is indeed sacred.

Seaweed ~
There are many magical uses of seaweed. For starters, it can be used in place of many herbs in spells.
Dry a small piece outdoors. When it is fully dry, hang it in the home and it will keep the structure safe from fire. Dried seaweed is also used for kindling the fires on the beach, and is hung as a weather indicator outside. When the seaweed is shriveled up, the weather will be sunny. However, when it swells and feels damp to the touch, chances are wet weather is to be expected.

A small piece of seaweed placed in a jar of whiskey, tightly capped and set in a sunny window, may attract money to your household. The bottle should be shaken everyday.

Fishing Net ~
Trapping evil influences. Draped over doorways and windows, fishing nets can act as a filter to capture harmful thoughts and intentions, and keep them from the living space.

They are also a convenient place to tie charms for timed spells, which is far better and safer than leaving a candle burning for the required number of days.

Sea Witch

Sea witches is a much different practice than regular witchcraft. They derive their practices from most Pagan belief and lore. A Sea witch is more than likely solitary and independent in practice. They embrace the elements of water and wind, also practicing moon magick as well. Why moon magick? Since they are Sea and water oriented they practice moon magick because it controls the tides of the seas.

As far as history is concerned the Sea witch liked to collect objects from the sea namely: Shells, oysters, sea glass, sand, driftwood, and sometime fish bones. They collected these objects to use in their spells and to make tools for their altars. Normally if you see a storm approaching you can bet that a Sea witch is running towards it to charge their tools. Their belief is that the strong energy of the storm charges their tools for the next spell, and the spells are normally cast and carried out at the shore for the mere purpose of being close to the sea to provide more energy and a greater effect in the spell.

Sea magick is considered to be grey magick. It is in between light and dark, this is because the intentions of the Sea witch are good and positive the majority of the time but what they control is a strong force of Mother Nature. Strong winds and storms as well as the tides. They are known for keeping the balance between good and bad magick for using chaos for positive effects and intentions.

Back during the peak of sea trade and sea exploration Sea witches were held in high regard. They were often called upon by Voyagers and Seafarers for a safe and protected journey. At the same time they did a lot of business with the witches. They bought cloth or handkerchiefs that the witches had magically tied in winds with three knots. The seamen would take these handkerchiefs with them on their journey and if they would find themselves stuck at sea with no wind they would use the handkerchief that they bought from the sea witches. Unraveling the first knot was said to give the a soft and gentle Southeast wind. Unraveling the second knot was said to bring a very strong Northern bound wind. The last and third knot was only unraveled in extreme situations for pulling it out was said to bring very violent winds, and gusts even storms.

The Sea witch is not as popular these days due to lack of demand for safe trips and worries of drifting with no wind. Overcrowded beaches also greatly contribute to this too. Sea witchery is not for everyone. A great level of inner peace and self restraint is need to deal and control with the forces of mother nature.

EK! I'm so happy

So I got to open up my birthday gift early this year. My birthday isn't until Nov 22nd.  But being me, I got to open up my gift early! I really adore and love the present I got. I also feel like this is going to kick up my interest again in the craft and re-interest me into researching and adding to my book of shadows. 

I also feel this over whelming feel of happiness and thankfulness. 

I was so amazed and glad when I got my gift.

He got me this Tarot deck! 

I've been wanting this deck for a long time now, I've wanted it since it came out. I feel like I might have saw it first in 2010 on peoples tumblr account being reblogged. And thats around the time I really fell in love with the deck. Its just so beautiful. 

There is something too about getting something you've waited such a long time for that really makes getting that item feel ten times more better.  But after we both carefully opened up the box and I moved the packing paper out of the way, I gave him such a huge hug. I hugged him so tightly.  I was like "oh my goodness. Thank you!" I also felt like my face was swelling up.  My heart was also pumping really fast with happiness.

I'm so glad this is my first Tarot deck. I'm going to treat it well.

Sands

Beach Sand: Use for calming or anxiety spells to gradually wash away and smooth out fear/negativity, for spells of change, or in magick for motivation or strength

Desert Sand: Use for cursing to “dry out” your target of wealth/luck/happiness/etc, or add to a resilience spell for the capability to grow through hard times or situations

River Sand: Use for spells that are focused on moving on physically or mentally, or for change 

and/or healing magick - Can also serve as an elemental water offering

Volcanic Sand: Use for destructive spells or curses, in magick to reveal deeper or hidden meanings/feelings, or for banishing magick - 

Beach Sand: Use for calming or anxiety spells to gradually wash away and smooth out fear/negativity, for spells of change, or in magick for motivation or strength

Desert Sand: Use for cursing to “dry out” your target of wealth/luck/happiness/etc, or add to a resilience spell for the capability to grow through hard times or situations

River Sand: Use for spells that are focused on moving on physically or mentally, or for change and/or healing magick - Can also serve as an elemental water offering

Volcanic Sand: Use for destructive spells or curses, in magick to reveal deeper or hidden meanings/feelings, or for banishing magick - Can also serve as an elemental fire offering

Heavy Mineral/Crystal Sand: (Sands with significant presence of Quartz, Garnet, Olivine, Hematite, etc.) Use in magick for personal growth, focus, or motivation. If you have a sand heavily composed of a specific gemstone (quartz, for example) usable as a substitute for that gemstone in spellwork.

Black Sand: Use for protection, banishing, or negativity-based spells

Biogenic Sand: (Sand composed majorly of bioorganisms - shells, skeletons, bones, corals, etc.) Use in magick for healing or protectionan also serve as an elemental fire offering

Heavy Mineral/Crystal Sand: (Sands with significant presence of Quartz, Garnet, Olivine, Hematite, etc.) Use in magick for personal growth, focus, or motivation. If you have a sand heavily composed of a specific gemstone (quartz, for example) usable as a substitute for that gemstone in spellwork.

Black Sand: Use for protection, banishing, or negativity-based spells

Biogenic Sand: (Sand composed majorly of bioorganisms - shells, skeletons, bones, corals, etc.) Use in magick for healing or protection

Tarot Cards

So because its halloween season. (fall) And because witchery items are going to be display in so many stores I thought I would post one of the things that are sitting my on witchy wishlist!

 I'm a witch - well a see witch. But one of the things I really want to get is a tarot deck. The deck I want is called the Wild Unkown and I really want it because its really pretty.

The art work is phenomenal! And I would love to have this be my own and only deck that I can read and work with.   I also feel really drawn to the deck, I think it would be really lovely to have this deck. I've also heard that your first deck should be a gift. 

BakaNeko

TRANSLATION: monster cat, ghost cat
HABITAT: towns and cities
DIET: carnivorous; fish, birds, small animals, and occasionally humans


APPEARANCE: Cats, feral and domestic, are found all over Japan: in houses as pets, on farms as exterminators, and in cities and towns as strays. When cats live to an old age, they begin develop supernatural powers and transform into yokai. Bakeneko begin their supernatural life looking almost identical to an ordinary housecat. Soon they begin to walk about at on their hind legs. As they age and their powers increase, they can grow to be very large, sometimes as big as a full-grown human.


BEHAVIOR: Bakeneko possess great shape-shifting abilities and frequently disguise themselves as smaller cats or humans – sometimes even their own masters. While in disguise, they like to dress up as humans with a towel wrapped around their head and dance around merrily. Many learn to speak human languages. They can eat things that are much bigger than they are, and even poisonous things, without any difficulty at all. It is even possible for a bakeneko to eat its own master and then take his form, living on in his place. If they do not kill their owners, they often bring down great curses and misfortune upon them. They can summon ghostly fireballs and are known to accidentally start house fires, their tails acting like torches on any flammable materials in the house. They also have the disturbing ability to reanimate fresh corpses and use them like puppets for their own nefarious purposes. They are generally a menace to any house they live in or near.


ORIGIN: Bakeneko can come into being as a result of a number of things, but the most common reasons are by living long-life (generally over 13 years), growing to a certain size (over 3.75 kilograms), by licking up large quantities of lamp oil. A telltale sign that a cat may be close to becoming a bakeneko is believed to be an exceptionally long tail. This superstition led to the custom of bobbing a cat’s tail at an early age to prevent it from growing supernaturally long and transforming into a yokai.


http://yokai.com/bakeneko/

Spring Equinox

Spring is coming everyone! I think I said that in my last post, but spring is going to be here soon. I'm really excited for another reason. My reason is the spring equinox is happening this weekend, which makes me excited. For once I'm aware of it coming. Which also then means I can finally properly celebrate! 

I'm a sea witch, so I have ideas of how I want to do my alter, make one for a temporary period of time.  I'm going to start googling some ideas for this years spring equinox and see what I can figure out to do. I have a lot of gem stones and I do have a bit of witch craft supplies. Its really going to just see what ends up happening. 

But yeah, I'm excited because I'll be able to do my first proper ceremony.  

Mini Ocean

Oh I miss this. This was my mini ocean I use to have in my old house with my ex. I'm thinking of doing something similar to this just on a smaller scale. Big flower pots are just really heavy to get up stairs with no elevator. So going small might also just be something I have to do.

I know I want to pick up some smaller pieces of drift wood in the spring and pick up some pebbles, use some of my sea glass I already have, I also wanna see if I can find some small each urchin shells too, to also add.

These are nice to make because you can then have a bit of the ocean with you. <3 I also do sea magic and I'm really attached to the ocean so it also helps me feel less like I'm away from home.

Runes

I really want a lovely rune set, I want to start doing rune reading and I think I might start to research more into runes.  I know I also want to write a section about runes into my book of shadows and I also want to print off a rune chart to tuck into my book of shadows.

This is the rune alphabet and meanings behind the symbols. The kind of rune set I would like to have is something made from either some stone or sea shell. I found this set on tumblr. Its made from rose quartz.

The set looks really stunning.

Dream Broom

I went to this place a few years ago, Its called "North Woven Broom" Its a really lovely little broom shop outside of Nelson. We had to take a ferry to go over to the area that had really cute shops, and this was a shop I was really excited to go to. They hand make brooms and they have brooms in different sizes, and there shop smelt to great. My goodness. Everything from what I remember was hand made and they were working on brooms when I was over in the fall, and thats what they do. Summer is suppose to be really busy for them. But the brooms are beatiful, the wood its self is so smooth and lovely to touch, and the brooms made me feel really happy. I want one for my alter, I feel like they are a beatiful work of art. (They also sell them out here at a local witchery shop!)

They also were the people who made brooms for Harry Potter. So if you are a Harry Potter fan, well you now know where to get your broom from.

The shop lady was really nice and I know I'm going to buy a broom from this shop one day. Maybe I won't be able to go to the location, but I know I want to support them somehow!

They also make super neat brooms with alters and stuff too. 

If you want to see more pictures for that shop you can find them here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.326523247503633.1073741829.325440194278605&type=3

Sea Witch

"THOUSANDS HAVE LIVED WITHOUT LOVE, NOT ONE WITHOUT WATER." W.H.Auden

I have two books on sea magic now, and I'm starting to feel really comfortable with the idea of doing sea magic. I've always been drawn to the sea, that explains why I moved to the coast and why I still stay out here, the ocean is beautiful and the sound the waves make is lovely, I also just love being able to go out into low tide and see all of the things that I otherwise wouldn't see hanging around.  The ocean is so beautiful and it has so much in it. When I did marine biology I did it to also further my scope and understanding of the ocean, and its help. I feel like its important more so when you get into things like witch craft to be really aware of the life that lives in the medium I'm going to work with. I know when I start to work on my book of shadows and add sea stuff I also will most likely also add the tradition uses and just the facts behind it. I feel like my beliefs go hand in hand with a lot of stuff. You know? Like just the traditional uses for sea weeds, and what they are used for witch craft. I also feel like I have a lot of knowledge of sea weeds because of my class.

But looking into the book I feel more confident and I will be thinking about looking for tools for my home alter now.  The two books I bought are wonderfully nice to read, and they even point at stuff like you should be aware of tide tables and really just research folklore in general with oceans, and have knowledge of the animals that live by you, ect.  I think for awhile I was really worried about how I would even be able to represent the different elements such as earth... ect when I'm just doing sea magic, but now I understand more. 

I'm also looking into making a rune set for myself with sea glass, or maybe my sea pottery I'm not sure yet. I do know I'm also interesting in sellling my sea glass that I don't use. So that'll be nice.  I just feel more eager and less lost and looking for guidence or dealing with the fear of doing something wrong. 

Spells seem to be interesting to and spell work. But first I want to just gather and make sense of what I've learnt so far. 

Gem stones I want

• Galena
• Star Sapphire
• Sapphires - All of them because they are pretty
• Star Ruby
• Halite
• Fluorite 
•  Rhobochrosites
• Malachite
• Rose quartz
• Citrine
• Spider web opal
• Rose opal 
• Labradorite
• Sugilite 
• Tourmaline 

octopus

So when I took my marine biology class, we got to look at some wet specimens. Which are dead sea creatures (Or should be) before they are put into a 50/50 solution that will stop them from rotting away. I was so excited when I saw we had an octopus. I really want one that has washed up on shore and is dead and has been preserved. So when I saw this I was really excited. I need one for my collection someday. But isn't this so cute? I thought it was. And it was neat too because you can still see all of its suction cups.

But yes, this is on my I need to get it some day list.  But I want enough space and know I can put it somewheres safe, and not in direct sunlight, or make our vegan roommate uncomfortable.

Dear Witchy Diary...

So on Friday I went to my local shop that sells witchy supplies. I mostly went in to get two totems for myself. I wanted to get this really cute manatee totem and I was hoping I could find a whale one. While I was there I also browsed and looked around to see if there was anything I should really think about getting for my witchy supplies and I found two really beautiful and nice smelling candles. 

I also went to grab some more ideas of what I should add to my little box for my alter stuff.  I think I am going to hand make a few items, as I said in my last post. Other things I'm going to still collect slowly. One of the things I did see that I really want is a pentagon necklace. 

These are the two totems I picked up. I want to get a book on totems. Its in the animal speak section. I feel a little weird going there because It feels like its really try to capitalize on native american beliefs. I mostly want to find a book that is written by someone with native in there blood and learn that way. I'm also native myself so I do feel that connection a bit being there. Although my ancestries are on the other side of Canada.

I also did buy myself these two candles. The blue one is for emotional balance and the purple one is for healing. I thought both were really good choices considering what I've gone through and my trauma and even just the passed few stressers my Daddy and I have dealt with. (He reads spells with me. Its so cute)  These are just nice to have. I'm still really new to magic and witch craft so I really like just being able to have some cheats here and there and just be able to read spells and get everything else set up and cleanse my mind and stuff. 

These candles are really wonderful. I would totally recommend them to anyone who wants them.  

Sea shells

I went to value village a few days ago and I ended up picking myself up a bag of sea shells.  I found one bag I found and it had a lot of amazing pieces in the bag. It had some coral and it also had some Sea Urchin spins.  I found a few things I've been wanting to get. 

I wanted to show you guys want I got:

Upcoming projects

School is starting and I haven't started any of my projects I wanted to do this summer. I've been so lazy and laid back. I have a few things I want to do.

I think writing them down might help me really think about doing them. So with out putting this off more. These are some of the projects I'd like to do.. :

(Not my picture) 

I really want to make my own goddess statue. I keep looking at my local wicca shops and I haven't found one yet that I really adore. So I'm thinking I might go and get some natural clay. (I found some one on of my beach trips. I'm just going to need to head back out there for it) and I'm going to make my own little lady.  I'm going to read a bit more about them before I start this project because I don't want to do anything wrong or bad. 

(Not my picture)

I also want to make my own magic wand to be used. I feel like my wand I'm going to make is going to feel more natural. I haven't found a athame yet around here. But I'm thinking a really nice wand might be better. I want to work on this project slowly.  I have an idea of what  I want it to look like. I still need to find a branch for it.  I also feel like it would be a lot more fun to make my own than to go off and buy a magic wand.

Nudibranch

In my Marine biology class I did back in the spring we got to see one of my favorite sea critters ever. Which is called a nudibranch. Nudibranches are really cute little critters. There soft skinned critters, and most of them are really toxic, but they are really cute little things.   People often call them sea slugs, and I think that might be another reason why I really like them. Because I adore slugs. 

I took the picture above, its of a clown nudibranch., Which we do have out here! There such little sweeties.  Its specificity name is Triopha Catalinea. 

Sea Glass and Sea Pottery.

These are my favorite pieces of beach glass and pottery I've picked up. This year I have found so much purple sea glass. I've also found some blue, and different blue colors. I also found a few small pieces of red and my friend gave me the very big piece of red.  I'm going to hold onto that. 

The pottery is beautiful and I love the colors. I picked up a lot.  I really like the pieces that have a bunch of color on them. I'm going to give the crackled ones to my friend because she really likes those ones. I just wanna keep one piece because I think its really neat.

But this is what I've been collecting my full summer. And my red bits are what I suffered a sun burn for! 

sea urchins

This is my collection right now.