Cairelle's Witchy Life

Quietly opening...

2009-03-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Since I'm still adding products and web content, I've decided to "quietly" open the cyber-doors of Witchy Living. TW members and a few close friends will get a sneak peek at what's what... and I'll blow the horns loudly in a few more days.

I am kinda disappointed in myself for not getting it all done in time, but c'est la vie and all... I guess being picky has its downfall, in a manner... but at least I know that what I'm selling isn't shit. :D

48 hours and counting...

2009-03-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

OMG can I say how nervous I am? I am trying to get the e-store to a reasonable fascimile of readiness for it to "officially" open on Saturday, and I still have so much to do.

*sigh*

YUM... inventory's arriving and my house smells lovely!

2009-03-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

I have gotten the first of my herbs and incense in today, and my home is just overflowing with good smells! I am so thrilled with the quality of the herbs - the suppliers have come through big time, and I'm excited that my customers reap the benefit of their goodness.

I am expecting the rest of my initial inventory sometime this week. I debated not opening on 3/21 due to not having all that I wanted, but I realized that I will never be 100% done with that. It's going to flux, and the only way I'm ever going to know what people really want is to get it open and get busy.

My initial inventory is small, but it's quality - and that is my goal. I refuse to sell junk and bullshit... and if it takes time to build a decent amount of stock then so be it.

I've been a good girl!

2009-03-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

I spent the better part of this afternoon catching up on overdue work for school. I must admit to feeling a great sense of relief in getting caught up, and this is my last week for this class, so almost done! I've got two assignments and a paper left to do by Saturday.

The website is coming along - I officially open in 7 days and holy shit do I have a ton to do! I still have about 40 products to list, purchase containers and labels, and a slew of other things that I can't wrap my head around right now. Even with everything I've got to do, I'm still super-hyped about being open. I may not have everything completed, though... but that's alright. I'm not going to sweat it.

SO not motivated...

2009-03-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

I have SO much to do in the next ten days and I have totally lost my motivation! I haven't worked on my store in > 24 hours - and I do have quite a list of things that I can be doing! I'm in the home stretch before the opening...

Just gotta get my focus back, I guess. My grandson's been home for the last week, and I'm also in school and have assignments that I have to catch up on... AND I've got some household maintenance stuff that needs to be done as well. I guess I'm overwhelmed a bit, LOL...

I'm sure I will get my head straight soon. The urge for perfection will kick in and I'll be cuckoo crazy trying to get everything done.

New Tattoo :-)

2009-03-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

I finally got another tattoo - this one is on my left inner wrist/arm. My mother is going to shit because I got it put there, LOL! She's all worried about me appearing "professional" - like that fucking matters anymore... and even if it does I don't care.

Anyway, I originally wanted just a spiral with my name as part of the swirl, with a few stars sprinkled around, but it's too tight of an area for that to have worked, and I didn't want a huge tattoo in this area. Jessi (the chick that did the tattoo) was doodling around and came up with the star and spiral combo. As soon as I saw what she was drawing I was like, "Yes!" and of course decided I wanted some purple in it, and so here it is. The wrist area was a bit tender for getting a tattoo, but it wasn't horrible.

I am very pleased with it. The more I look at it the more I like it. It speaks to me about the continuity of life and is a representation of who I am. :-)

Exhausted!

2009-03-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

Wow, I've totally worked my tail off this week on the website. It's a lot of work creating content, and I swear I just want to crawl in bed and stay there for a LOOOOONG time! However, seeing as I "cyber-open" on the 21st and still have tons to do - there will be no rest for weary me, except what I can squeak in during normal sleeping hours.

I must say that the site is looking pretty freakin' good! I can't wait to publish it and get some feedback. I don't know how successful I'm going to be with it, but it makes me feel good inside and that is worth a lot at this point in my life, especially after what I've been through since my hip injury.

:-)

WOOHOO!

2009-03-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

I am officially legal! I got my occupational license (for my home office) and my resale certificate - and also a business checking account - so I can now say that Witchy Living is indeed in business! Now I just have to get the site up and going... and that will be that. I know I'll be crazy busy, especially since I'm also in school... but I'm looking forward to it.

Yay!

YES...

2009-02-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

I am totally jazzed because my e-store is looking pretty nifty and while I still have TONS to do - I am excited about the upcoming "official" online opening on 3/21. I'm starting out with a small amount of stock because I am not finding the kind of quality that I want in my products - but I'll get more as time goes by. I just want to be sure to only sell things that I myself would get and use.

I can't wait for everyone to see it and give me some feedback!

Happy Mardi Gras!

2009-02-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today has been fabulous! Husband and I are fortunate enough to live on a street in New Orleans that has the distinction of being the starting point for the flamboyant walking parade "Societe' de St. Anne" - and we invite folks over every year to sit on our porch and eat breakfast while watching the street antics.

This year is Silas's first Mardi Gras - and here's a pic of my sweet'um sitting on the porch in his jumper - also known as the office. He thoroughly enjoyed the show and bounced away as the bands and people walked by in front of our home.

I love this little boy more than life itself... and I'm glad he is now with us to share days like today - a day of celebration - a day of good food - a day of communing with friends and family as we acknowledge and appreciate the most unique city in which we live - New Orleans.

Next year, when I can walk well enough again, we've decided that we will be parading with St. Anne ourselves. I can't wait!

Friends sure do make a difference!

2009-02-21T11:31:00.000-08:00

I have to give a shout out to a very close friend of mine - Arabi. I emailed her early this morning, completely infuriated and crying, after I discovered a very hurtful and conniving betrayal by someone I considered a friend. I can't and won't go into details because I've now got magickal work in progress toward this person - but let it suffice to say that Arabi's immediate return phone call, and words of support and understanding, were much appreciated and got my head set straight.

xxx

Can I tell you...

2009-02-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

... how jazzed I am about getting this store open? I am thinking that I will be mostly ready to go by the middle of next month, so I'm setting my official "grand online opening" for the Spring Equinox - 3/21/09. I think it's a great day to begin something new!

I've also decided that I'm going to put myself out there as well by offering readings. My grandmother was a fabulous cartomancist, and while it will be a long time before I feel that I am at her level, I must start to use the "Triple Deck" that she talked about to me in a dream. I'm excited about the whole idea but a bit nervous. It's one thing to do personal readings... but I'm sure I'll be fine. I've got excellent intuitive skill and I know my cards well, so...

Anyway... back to the HTML and CSS crap. I may rip my hair out of my head before it's all over with, LOL!

Searching for an online store platform.

2009-02-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

This is making me crazy. I don't have a lot of HTML or CSS knowledge, and finding a store that is easy to customize has been a total pain in the ass. Fortunately I've got Kirk to help me out, but still... I want to be able to manage everything on my own.

Cailleach gathers her firewood today :-)

2009-02-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

In Irish and Scottish mythology, Cailleach (also called Cailleach Bheur) was the "Mother of All". The word simply means 'old woman' in modern Scottish. I love reading about her.

Legend has it that February 1st is the day the Cailleach gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. The story goes like this: if the Cailleach intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on February 1st is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood to keep herself warm in the coming months. As a result, people are generally relieved if February 1 is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep, will soon run out of firewood, and therefore winter is almost over.

I wonder what today's weather will bring?

Where to start?

2009-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

I've got so many directions to go in to get the store going. I've got the domain name already - I've had that for a while - and I've got a lot of ideas, but putting them to fruition is another thing. Complicating matters is the fact that I've got this ridiculous hip injury (from work in 11/07 - long story) and it limits the hell out of me sometimes. There are days that it's all I can do to drag myself to the bathroom.

In addition, I've got school starting next month. I'm trying to get another degree in Adult Education so that I can have a better shot at getting some online teaching gigs. Being handicapped right now has shown me the importance of taking advantage of educational options. I am only as marketable as my skill and education.

However, that is a backup plan, or something that I can do in addition to the store. Witchy Living is my main priority. I've waited for years to do this and I'm not backing down this time.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T01:04:00.000-08:00

May each of you (and me) have a year filled with laughter and magick!

Okay, I'm going for it!

2008-12-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

I've finally decided that I am definitely going to give the e-store a go. I feel that I've got a lot to offer in several areas, and I would like to let the world know about it. Guess my Leo sun is shining! I'm very excited, but scared - I want to be successful, of course, but more importantly, I want to leave a mark on the world that is of some value.

Traditional Witchcraft: One Definition

2008-10-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

The following was written by Startella, who is a fellow member of a witch forum at which I am a moderator. This was written in response to another member's questions about how we traditional witches "believe" and I was so impressed with this that I've "stolen" it, with permission, to post here on my blog. It's a very succinct piece of writing and pretty much reflects exactly what a traditional witch is, and does - and how much our craft can differ from witch to witch. I have taken the liberty of editing it slightly to remove references to other members of the forum, but the content is pretty much unchanged. Enjoy!

"Our Craft is nothing that we ally with, it is us. Our Craft is what we do every minute of our waking moments, and some of our not so waking ones too. This includes trances, deep meditations, astral travel, lucid dreaming, etc. Most of us will add a little of our local environment and cultural background and customs, making it unique to us. That is not to say that we don’t “practice” our Craft too. We are drawn to it because it was born in us, some and most can find signs when we were children, some are able to follow through and continue – some have family to help, others are forced to follow what their parents tell them, some following without others knowing their secret, others as soon as they are of age to seek themselves find it coming out stronger and they then pursue it. Most of us here have not had family to guide them, or have a family line, and even if there is a family line, does not mean that they will be a witch.

For most of us, nature is very big. Most people think of nature as trees and animals, lakes and streams, but they don't think of every single natural thing on this planet, and the rest of our solar system, galaxy and universe as well. Nature encompasses all of these things, like a universal energy. We generally do not worship any entities, but we recognize the existence of them, commonly referred to as spirits. We believe in the equality of all beings in the Universe, seeing them all as different and separate but still equal. We revere and respect nature, however we do not worship it or its representatives.

Most of us here do not call on deities, (except those that accept deities) but many may call on spirits and their ancestors. Some of us use “deity” energies and aspects in our workings, if it is needed. Some of us may occasionally call on the elements as well; most do not have the same belief of the four elements that is taught in Wicca. When performing magic we will concentrate on our own power, or and we may call on assistance from a spirit in the spirit world and/or ancestors.

Magic, that’s a big mouth full! It’s an everyday thing. We work our magic into our day to day lives, in cooking, cleaning, little spells here and there, keeping ourselves, our family, and our homes - even work - safe and healthy. We also work spells (for lack of a better word) for doing something very specific. Some of us do it in ritual style, other times not. Some of us use tools, sometimes not. Our spells and magic depends on our backgrounds, what we are doing at the moment, all different elements come into play here, at any given moment when it comes down to it. I do not consider doing readings to be magic. I have a natural ability but that did not make it so I can just do them. I had to find what spoke to me, and from there I had to work at it, not as hard as doing something I don’t have a natural eye for, but it is work and takes time to develop. We all do things very differently, and some here don’t do readings at all, some maybe they haven’t found the system that speaks to them, or they don’t have the time now to work at it.

Love and intent - we all do things in love, like protect our loved ones, our pets, family, friends whatever. We send each other healing energies, good thoughts, etc out of love. We will protect our cars, homes, lands, bikes, boats whatever, to protect them and the ones in and on these things, to keep them safe, running good, and healthy as best we can. Intent - that’s a whole different arena. Our intent is to do what ever it takes for most of us to get the job done, usually as quickly as we can. Does it harm someone in the process, well it might, but what were the consequences to us if we didn’t? And we take full responsibility for what we do. We don’t do things without thinking about it first. Some of us, do hexes, jinxes, and we will even do curses, if the need arises. What is the intent here, well that is obvious. I kinda think of it as tough love. Sometime you just have to do it, because it will help in the long run, no matter how hard it hurts right now. And then there are the times its just the right thing to do to someone, because of what they have done to you or yours. It maybe hate, disgust, or anger as part of the intent, or because they paid me to do it. But all in all you will find that we have very strong ethics that we follow, and each one of us has our own.

Evil spirits - that’s fluffy Wiccan to me. When we die some of us believe we travel to the plane of existence called the spirit world. Our resting place. When we continue our journey we may be born into a new life, reincarnation being commonly believed in by many. However another alternative that some believe is that we meld with nature becoming one with it, becoming a land spirit, one of the reasons we always show respect for the spirits as they are the spirits of those that have passed before us. I think the vast majority of spirits will remain as themselves within the spirit world sometimes interacting, (or trying to,) with the living. Not all spirits are nice though.

We see all life, all nature, all space as sacred. Since we believe that everything is sacred it is perfectly acceptable to do magic or rituals and spells in our living rooms or bedroom as opposed to being outdoors. We do not need to cast any circles to make it sacred, we do not call upon the watchtowers or elements to guard us, if we need assistance we may ask a spirit or an ancestor with help or the use of the universal energies. At the same time this does not mean that we may not use a circle to do a working in, it all depends on what we are doing.

Some of us generally observe the sabbats as these days correspond to solstices and equinoxes, but not all relate them to a specific mythology. Some do, per their tradition, background, culture and customs. I honor the seasonal changes themselves, when I see them happen in my area, rather than on a calendar - but not the lives of any Gods or Goddesses. Some or most, not sure, observe moon phases and other natural phenomena also, with the full moon being the most significant. Others follow even older ways when the Sabbats were the full moons and the now called Sabbats were just the festivals of their culture and customs.

For most of us things kinda flow being a witch and our craft is just who we are, and we can't imagine not being. That doesn't mean that it is easy, it can be a very hard path, is a life long journey, and well rewarding. There are no hard fast rules - rather there are commonalities. Each one of us is different, our craft is as individual as we are, it is the commonalities that bring us together."

Just call me GiGi :-)

2008-09-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

My grandson arrived today! I was privileged to be in the room when he took his first breath - it was amazing, to say the least. He's beautiful, and I'm very proud of my daughter. She had a rough pregnancy fraught with medical complications. We're all very relieved that the baby's finally arrived.

Stats:

Silas Nathaniel
6 lbs 9 oz
18.25 inches
8:52 am

Silas, may you have a most fulfilling and happy life, filled with lots of love and laughter.

Love, GiGi
xxx

Happy Birthday to ME!

2008-08-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

I'm 41 today. This doesn't make me terribly sad, surprisingly. I'm nowhere near as firm and unwrinkled as I was 20 years ago, but I'm nowhere near as ignorant and confused either.

Life's good as a forty-something.

Fresh Start

2008-08-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've decided to abandon my old blog. It was filled with a lot of negativity - stories about and longings for the exhole, and Katrina memories, among others. There were happy entries as well, but they weren't as numerous. I'm all for fresh starts, you know? The old blog is disabled but saved - and maybe one day I'll delete it. Who knows.

What matters is that, right now, I'm here. I'm happy. I'm (mostly) living the life I want to live.

:-)