#also do you have to practise witchcraft as well or am I reading the room wrong? /genq

[upstartpoodle]

Evens for the WIP meme ask? Thank you! ❤️

Hi, thanks for the ask! Since the number of WIPs I have are well into double figures, I’ll probably just choose a bunch of random ones for these out of the ones I’ve got on my computer.

2. Post a line from your WIP without context.

Once they had returned home, he had wanted nothing more than to head up to his room and hide, but his uncle’s iron grip on his upper arm pulling him into the drawing room had thwarted that wish. He hadn’t dared fight against the man. Uncle Cary had made it quite clear upon his arrival back from school that he expected to be obeyed in all matters, and George knew his future was far too uncertain to risk provoking his only remaining family member with displays of defiance. 

4. Describe the setting of your WIP.

Hmm, I think I’ll go for my JS&MN AU for this one, an extract of which I have posted here. So this is basically an AU set in the universe of the novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell--for anyone who might be unfamiliar with it, it’s a book (and a pretty decent TV adaptation) set in a regency England where magic was once frequently practised but has declined after the Raven King, a medieval magician who conquered the north of England with a fairy army, left his kingdom behind to return to Faerie. The fic is set in Poldark’s s1 timeline, so about fifteen/twenty years before the events of JS&MN canon, featuring Dwight, Ross and Francis as magicians, George as a fairy nobleman from a neighbouring Faerie kingdom, and Elizabeth as a magician’s wife whom George ends up taking an interest in.

6. Search for the word “dream” in your WIP. If you find it, paste the line and explain the context.

I haven’t been able to find it in any of the extracts I have on my computer, but I’m sure it’s probably there somewhere in one of my notebooks. Unfortunately the majority of those are in a box over three hundred miles away so I can’t really check through them ha.

8. What is your biggest challenge?

Actually getting anything finished. Honestly, it depends on the individual fic but for a long time it’s been writer’s block. My undergrad dissertation took a lot out of me and I wasn’t really in the mood for writing for a long time afterwards. S5 airing gave me a bit of a kick up the arse writing-wise though, so I’d say my biggest challenge at the moment is trying to figure out where everything goes in my super long post s5 AU where George gets shot by Hanson. At the moment I’ve just got loads and loads of random bits with only a vague idea of what order they go in and how they join up to each other, and it’s getting to be so long I just keep putting off planning it out properly. Also finishing that last chapter of The Cornish Way damn I can’t even remember when I last updated that I feel so guilty about it ha.

10. How would you describe your WIP’s narrative style?

Well, as I’ve already mentioned I have a whooole bunch of WIPs, but I always write in 3rd person (1st person grates on me, both reading and writing, for some reason--I don’t know why). I’ve got several multi-chap fics in the works, some short, some long. Most of my shorter multi-chap fics tend to alternate between Elizabeth’s POV and George’s, but my long post s5 AU will feature the majority of the characters’ POVs at some point, depending on when they’re needed, though since the fic is George-centric, his perspective is the main one. When it comes to my one-shots, they’re usually either from George or Elizabeth’s perspectives, sometimes both if it’s a particularly long one. I tend to lean towards using Elizabeth’s POV for one-shots for some reason, but there’s a fair few from George’s as well, and a couple of angsty ones told entirely from Valentine’s perspective.

12. Which character do you have the least in common with?

Since my post s5 AU includes Merceron, Hanson and Dr Penrose, I’m glad to say that I haven’t the slightest thing in common with any of those three. But if we’re talking about a main character, I’d say probably Ross. The only thing I have in common with him is a tendency to get fed up at parties ha.

14. Have you chosen birthdays for any of your characters? If so, when are they?

Not really--tbh, I’m not sure how many of them, if any, were given birthdays by WG. I tend to headcanon George’s birthday as being in October, but that’s about it.

16. What would your characters be for Hallowe’en?

Well, I’ve got a couple of WIPs set in the modern era which this could work for, but since one of them is a modern witchcraft AU (in which Elizabeth, Caroline, Demelza, Morwenna and Verity live together in Truro as a secret coven of witches, Francis is a melancholy ghost who haunts the building and they’ve never been able to exorcise, and George, their landlord’s nephew, is their baffled neighbour who only puts up with their weird shenanigans because he has a soft spot for Elizabeth), I guess that’s appropriately Hallowe’en-y ha. For that AU, I reckon Elizabeth would probably dress up as something kind of classy, like as an Ancient Greek lady or a medieval queen, something like that. Caroline would dress up as a witch, I reckon, for the sake of irony (Horace, of course, would have a complementary costume :P). Verity, I think, would make a cute angel, and one of those wood nymph/woodland fairy costumes would probably suit Demelza. Morwenna might dress up as a Hogwarts student or something like that, and Francis insists that since he is an actual, literal ghost, there’s no need for him to dress up. George, on the other hand, absolutely does not do Hallowe’en, but they still manage to drag him down from the flat upstairs, put a pair of little Devil horns on him and make him watch scary films with them. Which he hates every minute of. Absolutely. Totally.

18. What’s easier, dialogue or description?

It depends, but I generally find description easier than dialogue. When I have dialogue-heavy scenes to write, I generally write them out in my notebooks basically in script form so I can figure out where the scene is going and once that’s out of the way, I find it much easier to add all the description in around it rather than having to constantly stop to figure out what the characters are meant to be saying to each other.

20. Post a brief excerpt.

So there’s a whole load to choose from, but I’ve decided to go with this one, which is from a ghost Elizabeth AU I’ve been working on ever since the end of s4 and have been really struggling to get on with because there’s so much bloody angst in it ha :--

The days leading up to Christmas dragged slowly on, and with each long hour that passed, George found himself regretting his decision to allow their initial plans for the festivities to go ahead with ever increasing certainty. The Blameys were neither unkind nor insensitive—quite the opposite in fact; their presence seemed to restore some faint but much needed cheer to Geoffrey Charles, and the company of another boy near his own age had restored Valentine to a fraction of his usual liveliness—but he, who had never been a friend to Verity, and was not well acquainted with her husband or stepchildren, felt the constant pressure of their scrutiny, alongside the horrible awareness of his own inadequacy as their host, whenever he found himself in their company. Verity, in particular, had taken to sending him at frequent intervals, whenever she saw him decline a meal, or else stumbled across him staring up at Elizabeth’s portrait hanging above the mantelpiece in the drawing room, what he had come to refer to in his mind as Looks. Verity had always been a kind and well-meaning soul, but there was a distinct pitying quality to those Looks which he had come to both resent and despise. He could have far more easily borne it if she had scorned his conduct. Her pity, however, wounded what little care he could summon for his pride in the wake of Elizabeth’s loss—he had no need to be reminded of the wretched creature he was fast becoming every time he met her gaze.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, the morning of Christmas Eve came. It had snowed once again during the night, and upon seeing the unblemished blanket of white through the window upon waking, Valentine and young master Andrew had rushed outside, accompanied by the Blameys Senior and Junior and Geoffrey Charles, in order to enjoy it. As the young Esther, whom it had not taken George long to discover was somewhat reticent in nature, had elected to break her fast in her room, that, unfortunately, left he and Verity alone together at the dining table, save for little Ursula, who was playing quietly and contentedly with her own feet in her cradle beside his chair. At barely a few weeks old, however, she was not quite an accomplished enough conversationalist to distract Verity from engaging with him. With a barely audible sigh, George reached for a slice of toast despite his lack of appetite in a vague hope of fending off another Look which he was sure was on the verge of rearing its unwelcome head above the horizon.

“I am glad to see that the boys have regained a little of their usual cheer,” she spoke up suddenly, causing George to pause halfway towards taking a bite out of his unwanted toast; a glance her way confirmed that, despite his best efforts, he was being treated to what could only be described as a Look. “It is a terrible thing to lose one’s parent, no matter one’s age, and certainly not a burden one should face so early in life.”

WIP Ask Game

[magg0t-bible]

✨some personal examples of basic/subtle witchcraft✨

so I’ve been researching witchcraft and magick a lot lately and practising it here and there where I can, but because of religious parents I don’t really have the liberty to take it as far as I want to yet. (My mum’s coming around but my dad still doesn’t know.) However, there are a few low-effort, easy-to-hide things I've been doing as a means of practising in secret, as well as maintaining my craft without dedicating every second of every day to a detailed spell. so hopefully this helps anyone who may be a fellow closeted witch, or who just wants inspiration for little witchy things that can be done. (bear in mind I am still a beginner, so these are still developing as I do 😊)

🔮 playlists. I use the music app on my phone but this can work with Spotify or other streaming services as well. I have a playlist dedicated to masculine energy, feminine energy, and just a general “witchy” playlist based on what kind of mood I want to get into.

🔮 nature walks. I am lucky enough to have a park near my house where I walk every day or as often as I am able, but I sometimes just go into my backyard (preferably barefoot) to spend some time in nature. 

🔮 crystals. I have a lot of crystals that I place around my room or take with me in my pocket, and I make rituals out of cleansing/charging them, particularly on the Esbats (New Moon/Full Moon). 

🔮 stargazing. it seems so basic but I enjoy it so much. I especially love looking for particular zodiac constellations or just other constellations I like, such as Orion (we get it you’re a Cliff Burton fan). I’ve also become accustomed to working out exactly where certain constellations are by doing it often.

🔮 apps. we live in a digital age where technology makes a lot of things easier. here are the apps I currently use for my spiritual practice:

Co-Star - not the best horoscope app there is but still pretty interesting as it goes off your whole chart, not just your sun sign, and gives detailed paragraphs

Golden Thread Tarot - the digital version of the tarot deck with the same name. good for subtle + on-the-go readings as well as studying the tarot

Moon - gives details on lunar cycles, moonrise/moonset, sunrise/sunset, etc.

Night Sky - super vivid + pretty map of space that works in real time based on your location

Sketches - not strictly a witchy app but I use it to design sigils

SkyView Lite - another night sky app, much less detailed but a little easier to work with by holding your phone up to a certain point in space. works indoors and during the day too

Stone - guide to crystal names/correspondences

Time Nomad - REALLY REALLY good astrology app, doesn’t do horoscopes but gives you detailed natal chart information as well as telling you the current positions of planets on any given day. you can also put multiple natal charts in at once, not just your own

🔮 cleaning. I add magic to my laundry by pouring the powder in an anticlockwise direction to banish negative energy, and adding rose-scented fabric softener for an extra charm. my washing machine is a front loader that alternates between spinning clockwise and anticlockwise, so I sit in front of it for a little bit and visualise the clockwise spinning invoking protection and the anticlockwise spinning banishing negativity. another way I incorporate the craft in cleaning is by drawing protective sigils on dirty dishes with detergent before washing them.

🔮 affirmations. probably the simplest one, practised by witches and non-witches alike. focusing on your intent and really driving it home can make a lot of difference in simple tasks. for example, when I tie my hair in a ponytail and I don’t know whether or not the hair tie will snap, I simply repeat the words “it is going to work” slowly over and over in my head while tying it. it’s always been successful, so I like to top it off with a little “I told you it was going to work”.

hope this was helpful/informative, blessed be 💕

[tipsycad147]

Why Not All Of Your Magic Works & How To Fix It

Avery Hart

Let’s be real, we all have spells that fail. Yes, even witches who have been practising their whole lives have spells that fail. It doesn’t matter how much practice, how much training, or how much power you have. Everybody has spells fail sometimes. And you know what, there’s nothing wrong with that!

Spells flopping is just part of the learning process and that process never ends. I still find things I’ve never even heard of even after a lifetime of being a witch. It’s all part of the fun!

If you’ve recently had a spell fail or if you’re suffering from chronic spell failure, this is the post for you. Today we’re going to dig into the biggest reasons why spells fail and what you can do about it.

Reasons Your Spells Fail

There are tons of reasons why your spells might fail but I find that most of them fall into 5 major categories.

1. You’re Trying To Do Something Impossible

This one should be obvious but I still get asked about how to do some crazy stuff on a regular basis so we’re just going to cover our bases here. If something is actually literally impossible, or even improbable in the extreme, no amount of magic is going to change that. You cannot physically change into a cat or a bat or a werewolf. You cannot shoot fire from your eyes. You cannot fly.

While those previous examples may seem flagrantly obvious, completely rational people still fall victim to this kind of thinking every day. Have you ever tried to win the lottery with magic? Or influence politics with magic? Maybe you’ve tried to turn a disinterested and dismissive partner into a loving, attentive one instead?

While all of these may be things that seem reasonable and possible, magic will very likely not have the effect you’re looking for. Why? Because these acts all require far more energy than one person has. While it may be possible to influence world events with an incredibly large group of witches working, it would be impossible as a single person and it’s important to remember that while there may be lots of people working magic for one outcome, there may be just as many throwing their energy behind the opposite outcome.

What can you do if this is what’s stopping your spells from working? Amend your expectations. It’s important to aim high and believe that you’re capable of affecting big change but some things are just going to be out of reach for anyone. Make sure that the spells you’re casting don’t require more than you have to give.

2. The Type Of Spell Is Wrong For You

A lot of times, when new witches start reading and researching the craft, they can become really overwhelmed. I mean, there are so many different ways to cast a spell, and so many different takes on how to do things “right”, and so many conflicting opinions! Inevitably, they end up feeling like they have to master every different type of spellcasting so they set about learning candle magic and herbal magic and bath spells and lunar magic and astrology and divination and elemental magic and green witchcraft and spells involving the ocean and, and, and…

It’s too much! Inevitably some of these spells are going to fail. Now, I’m not saying it’s wrong to try a little of everything, I actually encourage people to explore the craft as much as possible before they settle into one style but most people DO end up settling into a style. It’s just natural to be better at some forms of spell casting than others!

If your herbal spells never work, then stop doing them. If you can’t feel the magic when you’re doing bath spells, then don’t do them. If you can’t seem to get divination to work for you, then you don’t have to do it!

When you identify types of spellwork that really work for you, it’s ok to stick with that type when you really need things to work. Experiment with other styles of spell casting when it’s not a hugely important spell but you should know your own strengths and weaknesses and make careful use of them when the situation calls for it.

3. You Don’t Actually Want What You’re Trying To Get

This is also known as having a subconscious block. There are some things that, no matter how much you might consciously want something, your subconscious will not allow you to have it. Essentially what you end up with is the two parts of your mind fighting each other energetically. And let me tell you, in this fight, your subconscious will always win.

Say you need a raise at work so you cast a spell. Consciously, you’re putting your energy into receiving more money. On a subconscious level, however, something very different is happening. You have some belief that’s preventing you from getting more money. Maybe you felt like a financial burden when you were growing up or maybe you’ve had your work devalued your whole life so you don’t believe you actually deserve the raise. Maybe you simply can’t imagine yourself being financially comfortable and that unknown is causing subconscious fear to hold you back.

Whatever the reason, your subconscious is not about to let you walk straight into what it believes is a potentially devastating situation. So your subconscious starts throwing energy at NOT getting that raise. Since the subconscious mind is a whole hell of a lot more powerful than the conscious mind, it always wins.

What do you do if you find yourself running up against subconscious blocks? Check out the three blog posts below to learn about overcoming your blocks.

>> How To Do Shadow Work In Your Magic And Why You Need It

>> How To Set A Clear, Powerful Intention & Why It's Important

>> Removing All Negativity From Your Life Is Bad For You And Your Magic

4. You’re Worrying Your Spells Into The Ground

If you’re a chronic worrier, you could be running your spells into the ground without realising it. Worrying about the outcome of a spell a little is normal, everyone has the occasional nagging thought about “Man I hope this works” or “what am I going to do if this flops and X happens?” These occasional worries are no big deal.

If you’re the kind of person who’s plagued by regular anxiety and can’t stop your brain from running circles about the potential that your spell might fail, well, then you’re probably sabotaging yourself.

When you cast a spell, you’re loading the odds in your favour. You’re taking a whole bunch of your energy and you’re using it to move events in the direction you want. Think of it like casting a vote except all of the votes are cast by you and doing magic is casting a whole bunch of votes all at once. When you worry, you’re casting votes for the other outcome, the one you don’t want. You’re spending time and energy thinking about the very thing you do not want. In reasonable amounts, this won’t outweigh all of the “votes” you put down in your spell but if you worry a lot? You can absolutely outvote your spell, expend more energy on the unwanted result, and drive your own spell into the ground.

I know it’s easier said than done if worrying is a common state of being for you but you have got to stop worrying about your spells so much. Do whatever it takes to keep your mind from getting caught up in negative spirals around your spells, remind yourself that it’s up to the magic now, distract yourself, turn on really loud music, journal out all of those worries in a rush and the banish them, whatever you have to do to stop, do it. Your magic will thank you.

It’s important to note here that if you’re really plagued by negative thinking and worry, there’s probably a reason for it. Trying to simply “stop worrying” is not easy and often it isn’t even possible. It may be necessary to really dig into the root of these worries and see if you can transform your thinking by focusing MORE on your worries. I know this sounds completely backward but it really can work wonders. Check out the blog post below to learn why it works and how to make use of this technique in your life.

>> Removing All Negativity From Your Life Is Bad For You And Your Magic

5. It’s Actually Working, Just Not In The Way You Thought It Would

You know how in pretty much every TV show or movie involving a genie you know that the lesson is going to end up being “be careful what you wish for”? Yeah, that applies to magic too. Sometimes our spells can have unexpected results because magic can be very literal.

Thankfully, these results are actually pretty predictable when you know a bit about how magic works. Magic always takes the path of least resistance. Rather than doing something monumentally difficult to create the thing you asked for, it’s going to take the easy road and the easy road doesn’t always look anything like what you thought it might.

Take, for example, someone who casts a spell to make their lover more loving and attentive. As we mentioned earlier, this takes a huge amount of energy. Changing people is no cheap trick, some people can’t even manage to change themselves even when they want to! To change another person who might NOT want to is going to take some serious get up. And remember, magic wants to do things the easy way.

So what is it going to do instead? More than likely, it’ll wreck your relationship with the inattentive lover to make room for someone who matches the description that was used in the spell.

Imagine doing a love spell and then having your relationship collapse right in front of your eyes. That’s going to feel like a pretty big failure, huh? From the perspective of the magic though, it’s not! The spell is working exactly as it should, it’s bringing you that loving and attentive partner post haste. It’s just not the loving and attentive partner you thought you wanted.

So what do you do in this instance? Honestly, my best advice is not to do anything. If you do a spell for something in your life to improve and it falls apart instead, trust that that’s your magic telling you that was as good as it was going to get and it’s time to move on to something bigger and better. I know change is hard and losing things always feels bad but that dream partner, dream job, or dream life is absolutely worth a little heartbreak along the way. If it happens, accept that it’s for the best and roll with it.

Even knowing all this, you may still find that the occasional spell fails. It’s ok! Sometimes we cast spells when we’re not feeling great or when our minds aren’t in the right place. Sometimes we mess up in the middle of a spell and the break in concentration ruins it for us. Sometimes everything goes fine but for some reason, it still doesn’t work. It’s ok. Nobody has a perfect 100% success rate with their magic. Give these fixes a try and see if you can’t improve your rate of success but don’t beat yourself up over the occasional flopped spell. We’re all still learning and growing!

https://thetravelingwitch.com/blog/why-not-all-of-your-magic-works-how-to-fix-it

[unit17-19-15-6millie]

Unit 15: Final Evaluation

As a director, any physical skills used were mainly used for the actors, or myself demonstrating towards the actors what I would like them to try. Showing examples of what I am trying to get across. I would look for the physical skills as I feel this would really help with the characterisation. There was work on mannerisms from the character Parris, played by Oliver, as you could identify the actor more than the character. There was improvement needed on Evie’s facial expressions (who played the character of Abigail) as she needed to portray more as guilty and upset. With the actors in this scene, we also worked on action and reaction between one another, as the actors were not staying committed to their character when they were not speaking. They had to be wary of the staging and where they stand. To start with the character Parris should be on his knees next to Betty (who will be laying on a bed unconscious) when first starting the scene. Also Parris needs to be more aware of his positioning on stage, as he goes too stage left and needs to become a bit more center. In the performance I feel as though that all characters could improve a bit more on their physicality and their not talking. What also needed improvement was the scene when Abigail had to grab Betty before she “flew” out the window, the timing needed working on and physicality as it didn’t seem as hysterical as it was intended to be. This could be improved by doing a more rehearsals based on how the catching could be done and then start focusing on facial expressions and physicality, to make it more realistic.

Similar to vocal skills, I was using different tones in my voice as examples of what I am trying to portray. As a director, I also had to make my voice dominant however, sound friendly so I am heard but make myself sound approachable. In terms of actors, they needed to project their voices a lot more, as well as finding the correct time to speak instead of rushing it all. For example; needs to be a break when Parris finishes talking and Abigail enters. Then Abigail starts talking when she is between stage left and centre stage. Also, they need to make sure that they are all speaking from the diaphragm and not straining their throats. When it came to the performance I believe that they got the hang of controlling their voices a bit better however, I feel as though their could’ve been a bit more of a improvement on how they spoke, this could be done by doing a few vocal workshops and warmups throughout the rehearsal process. Also when forgetting lines, they were able to go straight to the next.

When the actors were first given their characters I did a bit of research so I had a deeper understanding on how the characters should be portrayed. For example, Betty was unconscious throughout the first scene, when she woke up she would be hysterical and everyone around would think that this has some involvement with witches. Abigail was more of a villian character within this play as she wanted the majority of people in Salem to be accused of witchcraft. Showing how she uses manipulation to turn people in, when she is close to being caught. In terms of Parris, he had to been a lot more angrier as a character, he was a priest however, he needed to show his protection towards his daughter but his niece was showing signs of witchcraft so he had to be wary of her being a witch, showing worries and signs of hysteria.

‘I see myself as a leader as I am able to give instruction/direction and give clear instructions for people to go by; however I am also open to hear other people's opinions and can work as a team. I also like to see myself as assertive, as I am not afraid to speak my opinion on specific scenes and give my honest opinions and what I want to change.’ I feel I have displayed these skills within this unit as I have given my opinion on how scenes should be done, as there have been direction given in a way that suited everyone.

‘As I was performing in this performance I found that it was harder for me to be completely committed to my directing role, as I was playing three other characters, wanting to make sure my characters were believable and that I knew all my lines. making myself more committed to my roles. I want too sure of what I wanted to see, I wasn't too sure on the end result. if I was just the director I feel I would be able to create something completely different.’

I still tried to direct roles the way I thought was best for the company, adding in opinions from others and making others feel comfortable. I overall thought that a few small things such a voice control and facial gestures, mannerisms needed improvement.This could be done by having a few more rehearsals that would focus on a variety of expressions that could be used for a range of emotions. I feel I have directed these scenes successfully and the way I imagined they would be. If I were just the director I would include different staging, having the ‘bed’ down the aisle so that it was based around the audience more.

When first directing my selected scenes, it was being rehearsed in the drama hall. The drama hall and the studio are both set up differently, whilst the sizing of the rooms are different. I believe, personally, that it was easier for me to direct in the drama studio in terms of trying to get my ideas and direction across however, when it comes to blocking and staging it was easier in the hall because I was able to see the whole stage clearly as one. The reason why it was easier for me to give direction in the drama studio is because the room wasn't as much of an echo than the hall and the stage is closer to the stage. However, because the studio has different staging to the hall we would have to adapt the staging to our surroundings whenever we changed rehearsal rooms. Overall, I found it easier to rehearse in the drama studio because that is where the was being performed and it was easier to be heard by all, as well as being able to have the performance being done in the audience, making the play more intimate and allowing us to explore experimental theatre. 

As a director I believe I had a good response from the actors when I was giving direction and they responded respectfully, in terms of if they didn't like the idea they would add in suggestions and test out what I have suggested. I treated all the actors equally and respectfully as they did the same to me as well. Some of the performers were my friends, I was still friendly with them however, I didn't let that effect the work that was going on and allowed myself to focus on directing the performance as we was all committed to it. Before we started rehearsing I did a few warm ups to get the actors ready and prepared for the work they were about do. As a role of a director, I had to supervise the actors and stay involved and committed/motivated to the performance, as this effect will bounce back to the actors.

Based on the performance and the directors I researched, I believe that I was inspired by the directors Duncan Macmillan and Joe Mantello. Duncan Macmillan because he did a lot of work based on Brecht, as our piece was a Brechtian piece. When it comes to Joe Mantello he did a lot of work on physical theatre, as we included a bit of movement in terms of the 'Girls' entrance and Betty and Abigail's scene when Betty is getting stopped from jumping out the window. As well as Joe Mantello using the Stanislavski method for the characters of his performances.

As I director, I did read-throughs with the cast at the beginning of the process of this performance, as this allowed them to get an understanding of their characters and The Crucible. I felt that throughout it was easy to bring the actors together as I was friends with the cast, and this meant that they respected me as well as being influential to the first years performing as I was in the second year, understanding how the company works. When it came to working on staging, blocking and characterisation I would be sitting in the audience so that I could see clearly from the audience point of view, seeing if we was able to see all actors at all times and have the action very clear to see and hear. When it came to working on characterisation, I would do workshops and used the 7 step method as well as using emotional memory to get the actors into their characters.

At the beginning I has Ore as my assistant director, and we were able to work really well and agree on artistic intentions and ideas we had. We both had similar ideas and images we created, and was both consistence with any feedback or critism we thought was necessary. We would also show examples of what we wanted the actors to do, so that they had some sort of idea what we were aiming for.

I was able to plan rehearsals and lead them. Which meant I would decide when it was the right time to do dress rehearsals, tech rehearsals and quick run throughs. Scheduling what scenes would we (as a company) would be practising and anything that I felt needed working on. This then lead to, my final decision, this means that I have the final say and get to decide when I think it is at a good standard to perform. Of course for this performance it was a part of another unit which meant there was a deadline however, I still had the final say and if there were some scenes that didn't work because they were not rehearsed enough, I would have them cut out and adapt the performance without those scenes.

[elyanherbwitch]

So Elyan.... Who are you?

Recently I realised that I'd posted two blog posts and I haven't told you anything about myself. Well, brace yourself! Here it comes this is going to be a long one!

My name is Elyan Black, or should I say, Lucas. Elyan wasn't the name my parents gave me at birth. It was the name I gave myself. Don't get me wrong my friends still call me Lucas, but Elyan is the name I choose to interact within my spiritual path. Don't worry if you're confused as to why I decided to do this, I will be addressing "spiritual" or "craft names in a later post but back to the topic at hand.

I was born and identify as male. I'm gay and am currently single. I am 6'1". My path is complicated. It's very eclectic and extremely solitary. I'm not a big fan of labels, but some call me a Celtic Green Witch. Some also call me a Hedge Witch. All I know is I follow the Celtic Gods and Goddesses and walk the green path. Herbs, plants, trees, and the spirits of the otherworld/Fae play a massive part in my practice, and I have a deep love for all of them. Finally mixed through all of these things is a bit of Shamanism sprinkled in to make things interesting. 

Recently I have come to understand that most of what I believe and practice falls under the umbrella of Druidry. So I guess I've been practising Druidry without even knowing it. So If I had to label myself, which I probably still won't, I would be (as far as I understand it) a "Hedge Druid". I've also been contemplating the idea of joining O.B.O.D or the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, but that is still undecided.

Now for some insight into my life so far. I was born approximately twenty-five years ago in a small Conservative manufacturing town in Southwestern Ontario Canada. A beautiful city, if a bit antiquated, but that never bothered me. It's one of those places that a group of people came together in the middle of nowhere, and through hard work and sheer determination, made something of it. So much so that it became the central hub for all the smaller farming towns in the area. I found this to be a joy as a child. You had the best of both worlds, all the luxuries of living in a suburban environment but within a five to ten drive you could be breathing the fresh air of the country; an activity my family spent a lot of time doing. We would take trips to the countryside and visit animals, day trips out to beautiful natural parks/monuments, and tromp through the forest trails. Those travels are one of the many things that gave me my love and respect for nature.

To the stuff, you wanted to hear. How I found my craft. I was ten or eleven when I realised that I was gay. This recognition hit me hard, and I soon became disillusioned with the Christian Church. I stopped attending services and found myself becoming very bitter towards all forms of organised religion. So, like all teenage boys, I began to rebel. I started reading all the books my parents had prohibited, like Harry Potter, and watching all the shows they didn't approve of, like Charmed. I consumed as much of these fantasy type shows and books as possible and became obsessed with the idea of magic, witches, wizards, and other worlds. Now I know what you're thinking! These are the textbook definitions they give not to join this path. For me, it worked, somehow I ended up on the right track even though I started out for all the wrong reasons.

In my rebellion, I kept stumbling across the Wicca. It peaked my curiosity. What was this word Wicca? Is it a real thing? Will it make me like these Pop culture Sorcerers flinging objects across the room? Will this allow me to take control of my life? So I did research. I studied online; devouring everything I could. Most of it misinformation but I gleaned pieces of the truth from it all. Then I took to the books. The late Raymond Buckland's book was the first one I picked up. "Big Blue" as it's lovingly referred to, although it's official title is "Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft". That book gave the first definitive look at real magicks and is still one I recommend for new beginners to this day. I read others such as "Drawing down the Moon" by Margot Adler and "Living Wicca" by Scott Cunningham. I soon forgot all of the junk I read on the internet and dove deep into Wicca.

For a time Wicca fulfilled my spiritual needs, but I soon felt disillusioned yet again. There were aspects of Wicca that I agreed with, but there was some stuff that just didn't jive with me. I say this next sentence with no disrespect to those who follow Wicca, but it's like the Catholic Church of the Paganism. There is nothing wrong with that, but it felt over structured to me, as well as seeming somewhat dogmatic. Having just left a religious faith like that I found the same sour taste in my mouth. So I began to feel out my path. I incorporated what I liked and left out what I didn't, asked the Gods for guidance, pulled from my cultural heritage, and added in practices from other paths that I studied. In the end, I found where I am now; I couldn't be more happy with my faith!