Culture Blogs

The Musings, Writings and Fabric Art of an Urban Witch, from Wellington, New Zealand

  • Home
    Home This is where you can find all the blog posts throughout the site.
  • Tags
    Tags Displays a list of tags that have been used in the blog.
  • Bloggers
    Bloggers Search for your favorite blogger from this site.
  • Login
    Login Login form

Home They Say Is Where The Heart Is

b2ap3_thumbnail_new-home-026-2.jpg

So I had a half written post about using magic, specifically a magic spell to find a home, using a combination of Kiwiana, and perhaps other more ‘traditional’ magical stuff, but I stalled and have only written about one object, the 21st Key Mirror, a Kiwiana staple for 21st gifts, generally given to you by your family.  It has strong significance of love, family and independence, which is for most of us, what we are looking for when finding a new home, rather than just a place to live.  I was also going to include things like tiki’s, and teapots, but in actually that was nothing like what I actually did. 

What I did looked nothing like the spells in books or described in blogs, I did not wait for the waning/waxing dark moon, or other significant timing, I did not purchase a Mirror Key or make one myself, in fact I didn't really use any of the Kiwiana objects that I had been contemplating.  I also didn't set up an altar, with the correct red blue orange candles, and matching altar cloths, even though I do love my altars, and have quite the collection of wonderful altar cloths,   I didn't’t call on any specific deities who help with such things...  What I ended up doing looked nothing like ‘magic’ spell work, that you read about so often in those instructional spell books, actually what I did I have never really found in any book or blogs.  What I did looked like me walking into town one morning.   

 b2ap3_thumbnail_photos-101-533x800.jpg

I took the day of work for my birthday this year, I haven’t had much time off, over the last year, so I decided to take two days of for my birthday, Thursday and Friday whoot.   So when I woke up that morning, I didn’t actually know that I was going to be working and act of magic for finding a house, but for me this is generally how it happens.  When I need something or if something needs doing, I just do it, I don’t wait for the right time or day or moon cycle.  Instead I get an urge, message, prod, err a thing, which is actually difficult to describe, not just because it is often different, while also the same, or how else would I know, but because this is always difficult to put into words, as it is not until after I have acted that I generally understand what I did and how it all worked.   Anyway when this thing *waves hands* happens I know that it is time to work, and so, I do.  On my birthday morning I didn’t know that I would be doing this working, I had not even told my flatmates that I would be moving out soon, at that stage..  I think by the end of the day I did, tell my flatmates that I was planning on moving out.

After several cups of tea, morning showers, and a present of a Firefly DVD I was of out the house and walking down the path into town.  I have walked to work or caught train and or buses for most of my working life, and use this time to contemplate things. For me this commute is like between times, between my time and work time, and I am either going to or coming home from, so it is transitory in nature to.   I am often in a daze, or if you like trance like state, as I contemplate my morning, or think about things I have been reading about, dreams I have had, or I talk with the spirits and ancestors of place.   It is as I have come to realise, a party of my daily practice.  On that day I was actually thinking about how to write a blog post on how to find a house using kiwiana as spell components, but it was all seeming a bit flat, somewhat contrived, sure I could use a mirrored key but would that actually work for me?  Then I happen to look down and on the path in front of me was a small nest that had fallen out of the above tree during the spring wind storm we had been having the previous few days.  Spring for us here in Wellington, New Zealand is often rainy and strong winds as the Winter Southerly and the Warm Spring Northerly vie for airspace, the weather is very changeable and often wet and windy.  I then picked up the little nest and gently tipped out the little bit of bird poop, and carried on down the path.  This had triggered me into a light trance so as I was taking the next few steps I became a lot more aware of my surroundings.  That urge, message, prod, that thing that has no words but translates into ‘time to do work’ had happened, and while now looking back and trying to describe it, I can see when that happened, when it was happening, I probably would not of been able to tell you.  But I do know that from experience if someone disturbs me during this time I am often dazed, and it can take some time to figure out what happened?   

After a few steps further down the hill and at the beginning of the stairs, of one of the oldest pathways here in Wellington, I spotted a rusty twist of 8 gauge wire, (No 8 fencing wire) which I also picked up, and no sooner had I done that then I spied a rusty nail, both of which I placed in the same hand that I was carrying the nest, not in the nest but more under it.  As I neared the bottom of the first set of stairs, I glanced down and found a plated length of synthetic hair, someone's hair extension had fallen out while they walked up or down the path. I picked that up and looked at it in my hands for a while, then carefully, the thoughtfully, placed it around my fingers in of the hand where I carried all the other objects. 

I now had a handful of randomly found objects that were becoming more magical the more I focused on them with intent. The intent of finding a home, a place where I felt safe and at home.  Each found object now that I think about it has significance of its own, they all have meaning, a nest that feels safe that is protected by iron, a place where I feel at home and can let my metaphorical hair down, you get the picture right?  These objects where not planned, but because I was aware of my surroundings I could recognise the objects that would be needed. 

However I didn't want to take these objects to the place I was moving out of, as that would set the intention wrong, plus I was on my way to purchase a new sewing machine, so I ended up popping in at the place where I work, with a handful of strange objects, and placing them in a box, much to the amusement of my work colleges.  As the weeks passed I added to this box of strange objects.  I found the shell of a blue egg, that was no longer in use and added it, I also kept the kettle my mother gave me for my birthday for my new home, and the pink salt lamp, that I had brought with my new home I mind, and occasionally when I was staying late at work I would take the nest out of the box and sit it next to the lamp. 

And then when the time was right, after one false start, I went and looked at a place, and it is home

b2ap3_thumbnail_Brithday-2013-001-800x533.jpg

Last modified on
Kia Ora and Welcome, to my little corner of the interwebs, I’m Polly, a Tea Drinking, Urban Witch and Textile Artist.  This is where I write about being a practicing Witch in New Zealand, all the way  down here in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are opposite to that of the Northern Hemisphere and we cast our circles in an anti-clock wise direction as our sun and moon tracks north, not south.  That’s right we do a lot of things about face in the Southern Hemisphere, but I will tell you one thing, *whispers* your moon I noticed, when I was visiting Canada a couple years back, your moon its upside down.. just so you know. *winks* Here you will find musings on seasons, magic, sewing,  the sacred and tea,  as well as various reviews written about books, cards, and podcasts.  I hope you enjoy.  *sips tea*

Comments

  • Jamie
    Jamie Monday, 25 November 2013

    Mistress Polly,

    Thanks for sharing! As some who frequently incorporates found objects into my shrines to the Deathless Ones, I can definitely appreciate your story. I believe that these things we find often contain signsof Gods and Daemons, or 'sunthemata' as we call them.

  • Please login first in order for you to submit comments

Additional information