#while typing this up i realized i use/reference metronomes a lot in my writing

[savventeen]

mr. sandman, bring me a dream

pairing: woozi x gn!reader rating: T (for one f-bomb lol) wc: 0.8k warnings: unhealthy sleeping/working habits, vague mentions of mental health issues, mentions of self-esteem issues, confessions tags: is this considered angst??, emotional h/c??, i honestly don't know how to categorize this, it's not fluff but it's still soft?? i think???, idolverse summary: jihoon overworks himself (again) and gets secretly cuddled by reader (i don't know how to summarize this either i'm sorry) a/n: this was originally a namgi drabble i wrote for the prompt 'things you said when you thought i was asleep'

A weight dipping down on the bed behind him drags Jihoon into a reluctant semi-consciousness.

He's vaguely aware of the fact that he's not entirely sure how he ended up here. The last thing he remembers is chugging his third (fourth? fifth?) diet coke slash redbull combo and pulling up the track that's been driving him insane for the last thirty-six hours, and then... nothing.

If he were anyone else, he would probably be concerned about the apparent lost time. But this isn't the first time he's woken up in bed after passing out at the studio. Both he and Soonyoung are no strangers to being forcefully dragged home by worried members finding them having worked themselves half to death.

Though "woken up" is a very generous term in this instance. He's still mostly in dreamland, and he's tempted to let himself tilt all the way back into the warm and comfortable darkness, but something keeps him from drifting off completely.

Whoever's behind him sighs, long and heavy. It's the kind of sound someone's lungs make when they're filled with a helpless kind of worry — the kind that doesn't come with an easy fix and so it steadily rises inside them, a slow and murky flood.

If Jihoon were more awake, he'd be worried. And he is worried, but his body and mind are still so exhausted that it's taking every ounce of willpower to hold onto his thin sliver of consciousness.

It's quiet for a while, long enough that Jihoon wonders if the person behind him fell asleep. And then — there's a touch so gentle that he thinks he's imagining it at first. Furtive fingers trace barely-there patterns into the base of his neck, and then they slowly trail up to curl in the ends of his hair.

Something within Jihoon both warms and freezes at the touch.

It's not that the touch is unwanted. In fact, the touch is very much wanted, craved even. But— but. The part of him that's always so angry and sad and confused, the shadow that lives inside him and begs him to sabotage every good thing — it is so very good at convincing him that he doesn't deserve that kind of softness. That his edges have become too sharp, too jagged.

While the shadow sleeps, Jihoon lets himself soak up the feeling like a sponge.

The fingers leave after a few moments, only to be replaced by a warm hand curled around his sheet-covered shoulder. A thumb moves back and forth across the fabric, a comforting metronome that almost sends Jihoon back into a peaceful slumber. But then the thumb pauses, and he thinks he hears whoever's behind him whisper fuck it, and then someone's nose is tucked up against his back between his shoulder blades and an arm is wrapped over his waist and tucked up near his chest.

Suddenly, maddeningly, Jihoon finds himself being held.

And it's nice. So nice. He can't remember the last time he let himself be held like this, let himself be cradled without overthinking every square inch of touch.

The person sighs again, the weight of the world fanning out across Jihoon's back in a warm breath that seeps through the thin layers of fabric and directly into his skin.

"I wish you'd let us love you, Jihoonie."

The voice is a murmur, barely audible in the silence of the bedroom, but Jihoon hears it. He hears it and knows it and he realizes — it's you.

Then the words process in his sleep-addled mind, and his heart aches. It whispers, I don't think I know how.

"I wish... I wish you'd let me love you. Let me take care of you." The words keep tumbling near-silent out of your mouth, a secret only barely given breath. "And not just when you're asleep. You—" You hug Jihoon tighter against your chest, and Jihoon's never felt so conflictingly filled and hollowed out, exhaustion swirling everything up inside him. "If you aren't going to take care of yourself, love yourself, then you have to let us do it for you."

I don't think I know how, Jihoon thinks again, helplessly. The melancholy in your voice hurts him, but he's held onto consciousness too long already, and he feels himself slipping back under, his thoughts falling away like sand between his fingers.

"I love you so much, Jihoonie." A vow, one you must think is swallowed by the silence for no one else to hear.

Jihoon hears.

"Please let me."

Before sleep is able to completely overtake him, he clings to one last thought. I think I want to learn how to let you.

[writing-in-april]

The 5 Stages of Grief

Stage one: Denial (1/5)

Spencer Reid x Gender Neutral Reader (Spencer POV)

Summary: Spencer going through each of the stages of grief after the death of the reader. Stage one is denial.

A/N: Hi guys this is my new series!! I’ve been working on this for like the past two months and I’m excited to start sharing it with y’all! This is based off of my own recent experiences with how I acted in my grief and this fic is just based on one model of how grief can present itself. This story is gonna be sad throughout and there’ll be a lot of trigger warnings as a heads up. This is also written different from my other works and is very sporadic at times because of Spencer’s mind set. There’s a lot of repetitive thoughts by Spencer so some sentences are repeated two to three times. And, there’s lots of rhetorical questions. I’m going to post a chapter once a week and sprinkle in other fics in between- other chapters are gonna be longer this is just the establishing chapter. Also let me know if you want the playlist I used while writing this- some Billie eilish references definitely are in here...And thanks to @zhuzhubii for helping me with the original idea and inspiring me (they write amazing angst). Requests are open and thanks for reading!

Warnings ⚠️: Reader death, Gunshot wound, Unreliable narrator, Spencer spiraling, Spencer getting violent, Unhinged Spencer, Talks of schizophrenic break

Main Masterlist | 5 Stages of Grief Masterlist

Word count: 1.2k

This was not happening. There was no way this was happening. This was just some sort of alternative reality or maybe a dream. Maybe I’m having a psychotic break- those were common with people who have early signs of schizophrenia right?

I wasn’t sure of anything in the few minutes that had passed since I had seen the light go out from their eyes. I was still cradling their body covered in blood, they had been shot by the unsub they had been pursuing down a back alley. I didn’t really care where the unsub had gone all my mind was focusing on was the fact that they wouldn’t wake up.

“No no no… You’re fine- stay with me! Please!”

I hadn’t even had the privilege of hearing their last words, they had closed their eyes before I had even pulled them to my lap. They still had words left in the brain that I admired, it didn’t matter that they hadn’t said anything, that they didn’t get their ‘last words’ because they would awaken again. I had to believe that.

My breathing was heavy and shaky as I laid them down on the ground to start CPR. It was the only way they were going to survive the trip to the hospital once the rest of the team got here. I wonder if they could have understood the situation with how distraught I sounded on the phone. When I started the chest compressions my hands wouldn’t stop trembling, I could barely keep the compressions at a steady pace. My mental metronome was fracturing as I started to become more frightened for the love of my life.

“Fight, please! Don’t give up!”

I felt their ribs cracking as I tried to continue my steady pace of the CPR despite my alarm. I looked for a pulse, there was a faint fluttering heart beat. Right? Yes, there was a heartbeat, I was sure of it. My ears rang like there were church bells in my ears which were soon joined by faint sirens I could hear barely in the distance as I begged for them to stay with me. I wanted to tell them that it was gonna be alright and remind them of less painful times, but the only things I could manage to say in my distressing state were pleas.

A sharp cry of No! that sounded like it was my voice rang out in the air when I started to feel myself being pulled away by a set of hands. When the hands still refused to budge I fought hard, seeing only red. I thought it was the unsub coming back to finish me off. Another set of hands joined the original pair to try and haul me away from the one I loved. Did the unsub have a partner? How could we have missed that? I had to get back to them, what if they hurt them more? What if they killed them?

“Spencer! It’s me! It’s Morgan!” The words shouted at me by someone that sounded like Morgan seemed so far away. It felt like my head was underwater, drowning in the panic and sorrow that was filling up my lungs. Everything else fell away as unimportant with only one goal in my mind crawling to the forefront.

I had to help them.

“SPENCER!” A female voice shouted hoarsely, which made me focus somewhat. Why were they yelling at me? Why weren’t they helping them? I wasn’t the one that needed help.

My eyes unblurred as I forced my rage to dissipate slightly in an attempt to figure out what was going on, the figures of Morgan and Emily then became recognizable to me. I registered that it was actually their hands on me. Both of them were in defensive positions and Emily looked frightened of me? Why would she be frightened of me? Why weren’t they helping them?

I still wasn’t confident that this wasn’t some elaborate alternate reality concocted by my subconscious. There was no reason for Emily to be afraid of me, we were colleagues and more importantly friends. All I was trying to do was help and I seemed to be the only one who cared enough to help my injured partner.

But, I realized there was in fact a reason for Emily to be scared of me. She was trying to prevent me from helping the most important person in my life, who was bleeding out on the pavement, close to death. And, the whole team knew I would fight like hell to protect them, she’s lucky I didn’t fight her and Morgan off more. They were lucky they’d only get a possible faint bruise from my thrashing, rather than what I really wanted to do to them in retaliation for preventing me from helping them.

Though, I had now realized that the hands tugging me away from their hurt body did not in fact belong to two unsubs, I started to try and fight them off again.The paramedics would need to know their medical history- especially their blood type.

I had to help them. Why weren’t they helping them?

A soft voice filled with sorrow then joined the rest that I knew belonged to JJ, “Spencer, I know you want to help, but the paramedics are the best thing for them. I already gave them their medical history.”

My body relaxed some at JJ’s words, glad that the paramedics now had the proper tools to help them. However, my mind was still racing, analyzing everything that had happened so far at a rapid pace. My mind then fixated on JJ’s tone of voice- Why did it sound so resigned? Why did she sound like she was resigned to the fact that there was nothing the paramedics could feasibly do? I may not have been in the best mental state, but I could still read the underlying meaning in her voice.

No they couldn’t be gone.

I had to help them.

Why was nobody helping them?

One of the paramedics moved forward to check their pulse as was routine and I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, someone was helping them. My hope was dashed when I saw them shake their head to their colleague, panic rose even higher within me. I was sure I was going to drown to death soon myself, all breath had completely left my body at this point.

They couldn’t be gone, I refused to believe that.

I couldn’t believe it.

I couldn’t be left alone again. When I first met them they helped me from plunging into darkness, they had pulled me from the edges of the abyss. I would be weaker than ever before if they left me, I don’t think I could survive it. My mind begged for them to fight, maybe my reasons were selfish, but the water was going to drown me soon.

As I saw the bag zipped up that held their body my blood ran cold when reality hit me hard. Morgan and Emily both had to hold me back again from racing back over to their body that was being put into the coroner’s van. I screamed in desperation, begging and pleading for them to not give up, that there must be something that they could do. But, the cold harsh reality hung over me like a dark cloud that rained over my head, fully submerging me underwater.

There was no denying it anymore.

They were gone.

—-

Tag list (message me if you want to be added):

All works:

@shotarosleftpinky @oreogutz

Spencer Reid/CM:

@calm-and-doctor @destiny-tsukino @safertokiss

5 stages of grief series:

@joonie-centric @tatesimper @half-blood-dork

[ahysopae]

The Gifted episode 1, or how to start introducing 15 characters without overwhelming the viewer

The Gifted first foundation are the characters: each of them is beautifully flawed. They're close enough of archetypes to give to the viewer references (it's very important to have elements to link them to another character or to yourself - 'I see myself in them' is the best and easiest way to get you to love a character), but also each one of them has their identity clearly defined. But we have 15 characters in total, and even if some of them are mostly in the background (looking at the twins right now), it was not possible to introduce all at once (luckily, because I would never remember all their names in this case). I suppose it's one of the reasons for the switch of main character between the episodes (and since I'm a sucker for this type of thing, I'm in awe).

The first episode focus on Pang (of course it's our protagonist, our Percy Jackson - maybe I should dive in this later), but also introduce us, at least in the surface, to Nac, Wave, Namtarn, Ohm and Pom and give us hints on almost all of the others. Pang is at first shown to us as a voice-over, solidifying him as the narrator, even if we realize soon that what he says is for his webcam. The bit before the opening presents him like someone charismatic and determined, a teenager speaking about something than most people know, because they live or lived it. For the sake of this analysis/words vomit I will forget the introduction of the episode, with all the teasers for what's soon to come. So the Pang we meet later see himself as dumb: we saw him as a quick-witted boy, good to play innocent, a bit impertinent, not good at test and a bit pouty when he fails - but kind, at heart. A good kid. Through him we discover the school system in all its unfairness, and even if it's shown kinda jokingly, already the horror of it start to be apparent.

Pang for this bit is our introduction to the universe of the show, because we discover the rules with him. It's a pretty common way to lead the viewer or reader in a new universe (in Star Wars, the movie starts with Luke leaving his farm and discovering something else in the galaxy, Harry Potter is literally introduced to the magical world, the hobbits in lotr leave the little Shire to travel in the rest of the Middle Earth, ...). The important part it's that we can link the two: Pang, like the Gifted program, is more that we think at first. He is mostly more dangerous, and we have some clues of that with his first use of his potential - already in the first episode, already on Nac.

Pang's existence is also the first break in the system: him being both gifted and in 8th class is a paradox, and almost everyone seems not sure what to do with him (except Pom, maybe) him the first. He believes that he hasn't his place in the gifted program, and is really insecure about that.

Nac seems at first a nice friend. He is okay too help Pang with his plans (helping him with the phone and lying for him about his class at meal) and to share his room with him. He is also favorable to the school system (clearly because he is in the good side of the fence), even if he haven't a issue to bend or break the rules for his own advantage. His mask breaks when his friend (his dumb friend, to be precise) has better than him.

Nac has two uses in the narrative: he is an opposite mirror of Wave (in words and in attitude - where Wave is prickly, Nac is charming, but both of them use the same insult, leech, on Pang about his relationship with the other) and he is a trigger to Pang's potential. In fact he is probably the one Pang controls the most in the season (I don't remember if he uses his potential two or three time on him, so don't quote me on that, I will probably realize my mistake later on).

Wave - well, Wave is Wave. The first thing we see of him is in the classroom while Pang runs with the phone he takes back (remember, I don't cover the introduction's part here, because the first thing we see of him is, in fact, a background for a second during an exam and him punching Pang). He looks extremely bored, almost sleeping on his table (in contrast with Nac, on the same line than him, who drinks the teacher's words), until Pang literally break the studious ambiance, proving again that he is here to disturb the established order. Already we know that Wave doesn't feel the need to hide when something bore him, even if he is in a social situation where he should. He comes out like not good socially, arrogant and not the type to try to please.

His first interaction with Pang is a disaster (like no Wave, it's not how you flirt make a friend), and could place him on the school's side (symbolized by the ominous Ladda) even if we realize soon enough that the only side Wave chooses is his own. It leads again to a confrontation Nac/Wave, where Wave is defined as a solitary kid, in contrast with the sociable Nac. Nac himself establishes Wave as a mathematical/computer genius who takes pride in his intelligence (and the flashback, by focusing at first on Punn, gives us an hint of him as almost as intelligent than Wave - he raises his hand almost as fast but more politely - until we realize Wave doesn't write his answer. It tells us that Punn is clever, well-mannered and hard-working, and also that his relationship with Wave will be competitive but they are linked in a way or an other).

Him reveling the meaning of potentials just after Pang understood it and seemed ready to give the answer (even if it was in fact to ask to leave), is a proof that they could form a good team -or be the worst of enemies.

For Namtarn, lets first address the elephant in the room: I don't believe one instant the "romantic" interaction between Pang and her (cut to my mum telling "if it's how men and women interact in Thailand, their birth rate must be really low"). It's worst again in contrast with Claire and Punn, who are almost glued to the hips, or the friendship between Korn and Claire or Mon, or between Namtarn and Ohm. They tried romance, I see clumsy awkward people, and I can't believe it's not voluntarily.

Aside from that, Namtarn appears like perceptive, guessing who is Pang and that he is in the gifted class, a bit curious and nice, even if socially she's not the best (and I mean, yeah, they're 15-years-olds, so it's normal, like it's normal if some of them are cocky to the extreme). It could give us some clue about the fact that she grows up pretty sheltered, but it's maybe a stretch for my part.

Ohm first phrase is for asking a pen (does someone counted how many pens Ohm loses? It will be a fun statistic). He comes as the smiley-go-lucky kind of guy, telling everything that crosses his mind, putting his feet on his mouth every time he speaks. Also for the enigma posed by Pom he clearly doesn't know the answer and only raise his hand to follow the group.

Side question but why no one give him tissues? Boy nosebleeds every two minutes.

The first we see of Pom is when Pang and Nac try to steal the exam's results. His face stay in the shadow while we discover he is in charge of the exam. I feel obligated to point that we see his face a bit more after he drops his pen, and we know how much this pen is important for the rest of the plot (I'm realizing right now that it's in fact, a Chekhov's gun) . For his first apparition before the class, he has an image of a nice teacher, asking his students to call him by his nickname. Already we can link the metronome to him, since its in the classroom (since it's shown while Ohm has a nosebleed trying to resolve the rubik's cube, we can say it's linked to the potential too, but it's maybe a stretch).

To ends that, I want to point that the first plan where we see all the gifted class, when Pang enters, gives us a lot of information about the characters and their relationships together (It also puts us in Pang's shoes). We have the group Mon-Korn-Claire-Punn: Korn smile to Mon and Claire, Claire speaks to Mon and Korn before turning her head to Punn, her body already directed to him, Punn is separated to them since he sits on his table, but his body is turned in Claire's direction too. Namtarn is ready to take note, her back straight, while Ohm is slumped on his table and looks around. When we have a plan on each of them watching Pang, Mon's face is open and curious, Korn kinda shy away, Claire is disdainful, Punn is attentive, the twins gauge him (and already they have matching band-aids and Wave rolls his eyes so hard he clearly make it voluntarily.

[wiccawisdom]

Creating Your Altar - Make it Personal

A lot of people just starting out on the Wiccan path (or other spiritual path that uses altars or shrines) get this book or that one and start obsessing over following the directions in it exactly - finding the perfect items for rituals and their altar. But what they often fail to realize is that the most powerful altar is one the means the most to you - altars are very personal objects so don't worry if you can't or don't want to follow directions in some book. Do what feels right to you. 

What is an Altar?

An altar is really just a working space set with objects that reflect you, the purpose of the altar, or the ritual or season you are celebrating at it. There are many types of altars - an ancestral altar, meditation altar, or moon phase altar are all great supplements to your main, working, ritual altar. Perhaps you will want to create your ritual altar fresh every time you need it (practical if you don't want everyone in your house to know what you are practicing) instead of being set up permanently. Decide what the main focus of your altar will be (and don't be afraid to change it as your practice evolves). 

Before you go hunting for all those items you want to buy for your altar, relax! First decide the best location for your altar. It should be one that is relatively "safe" - meaning a place that isn't in the main traffic zone of your home where it might be bumped or disturbed (or become a place to dump mail or keys) or where your children or pets will think its the perfect spot to play. If you have a spare bedroom or unused space you can use, awesome but even a small closet or a corner of a room can work well. Need to keep it away from children or pets? A wall shelf can work wonderfully! And remember, you can have more than one altar depending on your path and what you want to use them for.

How to Create an Altar 

Once you find a place and decide the purpose of your altar, start with a simple altar cloth - measure the flat surface you are planning to use and take a trip to the fabric store. You can often find remnants of very beautiful fabrics for just a dollar or two. Get some fabric paints, beads, feathers - whatever you like and decorate it if you want. Get several fabrics of different colors if you want to set up a seasonal altar. Let your intuition guide you and have some fun with it - your altar doesn't have to be serious!

Now that you have a cloth, most altars have one item for each of the elements of the Craft - Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Spirit and is usually referred to as an Elemental or Basic Altar.

Look around for things you already have that mean something special to you - they will already have great energy. Traditionally a chalice or cup is used for water, but perhaps your grandmother's candy bowl is perfect or that beautiful sea shell you found on your trip last summer could represent water. Small fountains are also perfect adding the beautiful sound of water to your rituals. Candles are wonderful, but not always practical depending on where you set up your altar or if you have cats that can knock them over (one of my cats set herself on fire by brushing against my candle at the wrong time - I freaked more than she did and she only singed a few hairs thankfully). Perhaps a night light or electric Christmas candle would be a better fit for fire for you or the more traditional witches dagger known as an Athame - or even a photo or painting of flames. Air is usually represented by incense or a wand, but a feather found on a spring walk would do as well, especially if you cannot have the smoke incense create. A pretty potted plant or found rock or pine cone works as well for Earth as the traditional pentacle. Spirit could be represented by a candle, a pentacle (how about one made from twigs from the nearby park!), or any image of a God or Goddess that you like. Don't feel like you have to stay traditional or use tools that may not feel comfortable to you. The more personal the items you use, the more personal the energy of your altar.

Altars also often contain a sacred statue representing your patron diety or statues of both your favorite God and Goddess. Don't stress out though if you haven't decided on the form of God/dess you prefer yet - just go with a more generic symbol of spirit such as a pentacle or one black stone for God Energy, one white stone for Goddess Energy. Add flowers or other seasonal touches as offerings if you'd like.

The altar in my office (right) has changed many times over the years, but is always a point of peace and calm to me. Turning on the fountain and lighting the candle every morning centers me and lets me focus better. It is filled with things I love.

Beyond the basics, add special objects depending on the purpose of your altar.

Ancestral altars are great to make and pretty easy - photos or mementos of members of your family in pretty frames with a candle or offering dish is all you need. I have a lovely wooden box on mine (which sits on a table that once belonged to a great Aunt) that I use as a memory box. On the birthday or another special date of the person that has crossed over, I sit down and write out one of my favorite memories of them or find a photo or make something that reminds me of them adding it to the box. On Samhain, I read thru those I've written in the past year remembering each person in turn. 

Moon altars can have any shiny, round object to represent the moon such as a silver tray. For years I have used a silver blown glass Christmas ornament with the hook and cap removed sitting in a tapered crystal vase - I cover it with a black cloth completely during the dark of the moon, partially for other phases and let it shine uncovered during full moons. It currently sits on the window sill of my temple room absorbing the energies of the moon.

Meditation altars can have anything that helps you focus - a statue, incense, candle or mirror are some ideas. A metronome that musicians use to keep the beat, a fountain, or small mp3 player could all be used to help you get into the meditative state. These altars can also do double duty for divination being the place you spread your runes or tarot cards for a reading or the place you journal after meditation and rituals. 

Creating an Altar for Spells and Rituals

If setting an altar for a specific ritual or spell, again take a look around and figure out what represents the purpose of the ritual best to you - it will automatically be more powerful and just the process of considering objects and designing your altar can be magical. If you are not going to let the altar set up permanently, find a pretty box to store everything in when not in use. Craft stores have inexpensive plain wood boxes of all sizes you can get and paint or decorate as you'd like. Perhaps you'll want to get several and store seasonal altars in their own boxes for when you need them. This would also make them portable if you want to practice while on a trip or in a local park instead of at home.

Spell altars should focus entirely on the purpose of the spell so take the time to consider correspondences of color, candles, oils, herbs and anything else you want to use. Set up the basic Elemental altar first to balance the energies of it and then add whatever you will need for your spell or items you want to charge or cleanse. 

Keeping A Secret Altar

Do you want to set up an altar where others don't appreciate or don't follow your beliefs? Keep it simple and secret. For years I kept a potted plant in a large dish on my desk at work to represent Earth and a small fountain to represent Water. Around the base of the plant I had stones for each of the other elements and tiny statues (fantasy gaming type) from a hobby store I painted by hand to represent the God and Goddess. No one but me knew what it truly meant, but I found it very centering and calming even during the most stressful days. I know someone that has created an altar charm bracelet with charms and stones on it that represent the elements and God/dess to her. She wears it every day and always has her altar with her! Prayer beads or malas can serve a similar function bringing your focus back to your spirituality whenever you need it. 

Books are wonderful, especially when just starting out, but don't get too bogged down in what they say you "should" do - treat them as guidelines and let your own intuition be your true guide. Don't be afraid to mix things up and change them from time to time either. Enjoy the process and your magic will be that much more special.

from All Wicca Store Magickal Supplies http://www.allwicca.com/index.php?route=news/article&news_id=61

[wiccawisdom]

Creating Your Altar - Make it Personal

A lot of people just starting out on the Wiccan path (or other spiritual path that uses altars or shrines) get this book or that one and start obsessing over following the directions in it exactly - finding the perfect items for rituals and their altar. But what they often fail to realize is that the most powerful altar is one the means the most to you - altars are very personal objects so don't worry if you can't or don't want to follow directions in some book. Do what feels right to you. 

What is an Altar?

An altar is really just a working space set with objects that reflect you, the purpose of the altar, or the ritual or season you are celebrating at it. There are many types of altars - an ancestral altar, meditation altar, or moon phase altar are all great supplements to your main, working, ritual altar. Perhaps you will want to create your ritual altar fresh every time you need it (practical if you don't want everyone in your house to know what you are practicing) instead of being set up permanently. Decide what the main focus of your altar will be (and don't be afraid to change it as your practice evolves). 

Before you go hunting for all those items you want to buy for your altar, relax! First decide the best location for your altar. It should be one that is relatively "safe" - meaning a place that isn't in the main traffic zone of your home where it might be bumped or disturbed (or become a place to dump mail or keys) or where your children or pets will think its the perfect spot to play. If you have a spare bedroom or unused space you can use, awesome but even a small closet or a corner of a room can work well. Need to keep it away from children or pets? A wall shelf can work wonderfully! And remember, you can have more than one altar depending on your path and what you want to use them for.

How to Create an Altar 

Once you find a place and decide the purpose of your altar, start with a simple altar cloth - measure the flat surface you are planning to use and take a trip to the fabric store. You can often find remnants of very beautiful fabrics for just a dollar or two. Get some fabric paints, beads, feathers - whatever you like and decorate it if you want. Get several fabrics of different colors if you want to set up a seasonal altar. Let your intuition guide you and have some fun with it - your altar doesn't have to be serious!

Now that you have a cloth, most altars have one item for each of the elements of the Craft - Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Spirit and is usually referred to as an Elemental or Basic Altar.

Look around for things you already have that mean something special to you - they will already have great energy. Traditionally a chalice or cup is used for water, but perhaps your grandmother's candy bowl is perfect or that beautiful sea shell you found on your trip last summer could represent water. Small fountains are also perfect adding the beautiful sound of water to your rituals. Candles are wonderful, but not always practical depending on where you set up your altar or if you have cats that can knock them over (one of my cats set herself on fire by brushing against my candle at the wrong time - I freaked more than she did and she only singed a few hairs thankfully). Perhaps a night light or electric Christmas candle would be a better fit for fire for you or the more traditional witches dagger known as an Athame - or even a photo or painting of flames. Air is usually represented by incense or a wand, but a feather found on a spring walk would do as well, especially if you cannot have the smoke incense create. A pretty potted plant or found rock or pine cone works as well for Earth as the traditional pentacle. Spirit could be represented by a candle, a pentacle (how about one made from twigs from the nearby park!), or any image of a God or Goddess that you like. Don't feel like you have to stay traditional or use tools that may not feel comfortable to you. The more personal the items you use, the more personal the energy of your altar.

Altars also often contain a sacred statue representing your patron diety or statues of both your favorite God and Goddess. Don't stress out though if you haven't decided on the form of God/dess you prefer yet - just go with a more generic symbol of spirit such as a pentacle or one black stone for God Energy, one white stone for Goddess Energy. Add flowers or other seasonal touches as offerings if you'd like.

The altar in my office (right) has changed many times over the years, but is always a point of peace and calm to me. Turning on the fountain and lighting the candle every morning centers me and lets me focus better. It is filled with things I love.

Beyond the basics, add special objects depending on the purpose of your altar.

Ancestral altars are great to make and pretty easy - photos or mementos of members of your family in pretty frames with a candle or offering dish is all you need. I have a lovely wooden box on mine (which sits on a table that once belonged to a great Aunt) that I use as a memory box. On the birthday or another special date of the person that has crossed over, I sit down and write out one of my favorite memories of them or find a photo or make something that reminds me of them adding it to the box. On Samhain, I read thru those I've written in the past year remembering each person in turn. 

Moon altars can have any shiny, round object to represent the moon such as a silver tray. For years I have used a silver blown glass Christmas ornament with the hook and cap removed sitting in a tapered crystal vase - I cover it with a black cloth completely during the dark of the moon, partially for other phases and let it shine uncovered during full moons. It currently sits on the window sill of my temple room absorbing the energies of the moon.

Meditation altars can have anything that helps you focus - a statue, incense, candle or mirror are some ideas. A metronome that musicians use to keep the beat, a fountain, or small mp3 player could all be used to help you get into the meditative state. These altars can also do double duty for divination being the place you spread your runes or tarot cards for a reading or the place you journal after meditation and rituals. 

Creating an Altar for Spells and Rituals

If setting an altar for a specific ritual or spell, again take a look around and figure out what represents the purpose of the ritual best to you - it will automatically be more powerful and just the process of considering objects and designing your altar can be magical. If you are not going to let the altar set up permanently, find a pretty box to store everything in when not in use. Craft stores have inexpensive plain wood boxes of all sizes you can get and paint or decorate as you'd like. Perhaps you'll want to get several and store seasonal altars in their own boxes for when you need them. This would also make them portable if you want to practice while on a trip or in a local park instead of at home.

Spell altars should focus entirely on the purpose of the spell so take the time to consider correspondences of color, candles, oils, herbs and anything else you want to use. Set up the basic Elemental altar first to balance the energies of it and then add whatever you will need for your spell or items you want to charge or cleanse. 

Keeping A Secret Altar

Do you want to set up an altar where others don't appreciate or don't follow your beliefs? Keep it simple and secret. For years I kept a potted plant in a large dish on my desk at work to represent Earth and a small fountain to represent Water. Around the base of the plant I had stones for each of the other elements and tiny statues (fantasy gaming type) from a hobby store I painted by hand to represent the God and Goddess. No one but me knew what it truly meant, but I found it very centering and calming even during the most stressful days. I know someone that has created an altar charm bracelet with charms and stones on it that represent the elements and God/dess to her. She wears it every day and always has her altar with her! Prayer beads or malas can serve a similar function bringing your focus back to your spirituality whenever you need it. 

Books are wonderful, especially when just starting out, but don't get too bogged down in what they say you "should" do - treat them as guidelines and let your own intuition be your true guide. Don't be afraid to mix things up and change them from time to time either. Enjoy the process and your magic will be that much more special.

from All Wicca Store Magickal Supplies https://www.allwicca.com/blog/creating-your-wicca-altar

[wiccawisdom]

Creating Your Altar - Make it Personal

A lot of people just starting out on the Wiccan path (or other spiritual path that uses altars or shrines) get this book or that one and start obsessing over following the directions in it exactly - finding the perfect items for rituals and their altar. But what they often fail to realize is that the most powerful altar is one the means the most to you - altars are very personal objects so don't worry if you can't or don't want to follow directions in some book. Do what feels right to you. 

What is an Altar?

An altar is really just a working space set with objects that reflect you, the purpose of the altar, or the ritual or season you are celebrating at it. There are many types of altars - an ancestral altar, meditation altar, or moon phase altar are all great supplements to your main, working, ritual altar. Perhaps you will want to create your ritual altar fresh every time you need it (practical if you don't want everyone in your house to know what you are practicing) instead of being set up permanently. Decide what the main focus of your altar will be (and don't be afraid to change it as your practice evolves). 

Before you go hunting for all those items you want to buy for your altar, relax! First decide the best location for your altar. It should be one that is relatively "safe" - meaning a place that isn't in the main traffic zone of your home where it might be bumped or disturbed (or become a place to dump mail or keys) or where your children or pets will think its the perfect spot to play. If you have a spare bedroom or unused space you can use, awesome but even a small closet or a corner of a room can work well. Need to keep it away from children or pets? A wall shelf can work wonderfully! And remember, you can have more than one altar depending on your path and what you want to use them for.

How to Create an Altar 

Once you find a place and decide the purpose of your altar, start with a simple altar cloth - measure the flat surface you are planning to use and take a trip to the fabric store. You can often find remnants of very beautiful fabrics for just a dollar or two. Get some fabric paints, beads, feathers - whatever you like and decorate it if you want. Get several fabrics of different colors if you want to set up a seasonal altar. Let your intuition guide you and have some fun with it - your altar doesn't have to be serious!

Now that you have a cloth, most altars have one item for each of the elements of the Craft - Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Spirit and is usually referred to as an Elemental or Basic Altar.

Look around for things you already have that mean something special to you - they will already have great energy. Traditionally a chalice or cup is used for water, but perhaps your grandmother's candy bowl is perfect or that beautiful sea shell you found on your trip last summer could represent water. Small fountains are also perfect adding the beautiful sound of water to your rituals. Candles are wonderful, but not always practical depending on where you set up your altar or if you have cats that can knock them over (one of my cats set herself on fire by brushing against my candle at the wrong time - I freaked more than she did and she only singed a few hairs thankfully). Perhaps a night light or electric Christmas candle would be a better fit for fire for you or the more traditional witches dagger known as an Athame - or even a photo or painting of flames. Air is usually represented by incense or a wand, but a feather found on a spring walk would do as well, especially if you cannot have the smoke incense create. A pretty potted plant or found rock or pine cone works as well for Earth as the traditional pentacle. Spirit could be represented by a candle, a pentacle (how about one made from twigs from the nearby park!), or any image of a God or Goddess that you like. Don't feel like you have to stay traditional or use tools that may not feel comfortable to you. The more personal the items you use, the more personal the energy of your altar.

Altars also often contain a sacred statue representing your patron diety or statues of both your favorite God and Goddess. Don't stress out though if you haven't decided on the form of God/dess you prefer yet - just go with a more generic symbol of spirit such as a pentacle or one black stone for God Energy, one white stone for Goddess Energy. Add flowers or other seasonal touches as offerings if you'd like.

The altar in my office (right) has changed many times over the years, but is always a point of peace and calm to me. Turning on the fountain and lighting the candle every morning centers me and lets me focus better. It is filled with things I love.

Beyond the basics, add special objects depending on the purpose of your altar.

Ancestral altars are great to make and pretty easy - photos or mementos of members of your family in pretty frames with a candle or offering dish is all you need. I have a lovely wooden box on mine (which sits on a table that once belonged to a great Aunt) that I use as a memory box. On the birthday or another special date of the person that has crossed over, I sit down and write out one of my favorite memories of them or find a photo or make something that reminds me of them adding it to the box. On Samhain, I read thru those I've written in the past year remembering each person in turn. 

Moon altars can have any shiny, round object to represent the moon such as a silver tray. For years I have used a silver blown glass Christmas ornament with the hook and cap removed sitting in a tapered crystal vase - I cover it with a black cloth completely during the dark of the moon, partially for other phases and let it shine uncovered during full moons. It currently sits on the window sill of my temple room absorbing the energies of the moon.

Meditation altars can have anything that helps you focus - a statue, incense, candle or mirror are some ideas. A metronome that musicians use to keep the beat, a fountain, or small mp3 player could all be used to help you get into the meditative state. These altars can also do double duty for divination being the place you spread your runes or tarot cards for a reading or the place you journal after meditation and rituals. 

Creating an Altar for Spells and Rituals

If setting an altar for a specific ritual or spell, again take a look around and figure out what represents the purpose of the ritual best to you - it will automatically be more powerful and just the process of considering objects and designing your altar can be magical. If you are not going to let the altar set up permanently, find a pretty box to store everything in when not in use. Craft stores have inexpensive plain wood boxes of all sizes you can get and paint or decorate as you'd like. Perhaps you'll want to get several and store seasonal altars in their own boxes for when you need them. This would also make them portable if you want to practice while on a trip or in a local park instead of at home.

Spell altars should focus entirely on the purpose of the spell so take the time to consider correspondences of color, candles, oils, herbs and anything else you want to use. Set up the basic Elemental altar first to balance the energies of it and then add whatever you will need for your spell or items you want to charge or cleanse. 

Keeping A Secret Altar

Do you want to set up an altar where others don't appreciate or don't follow your beliefs? Keep it simple and secret. For years I kept a potted plant in a large dish on my desk at work to represent Earth and a small fountain to represent Water. Around the base of the plant I had stones for each of the other elements and tiny statues (fantasy gaming type) from a hobby store I painted by hand to represent the God and Goddess. No one but me knew what it truly meant, but I found it very centering and calming even during the most stressful days. I know someone that has created an altar charm bracelet with charms and stones on it that represent the elements and God/dess to her. She wears it every day and always has her altar with her! Prayer beads or malas can serve a similar function bringing your focus back to your spirituality whenever you need it. 

Books are wonderful, especially when just starting out, but don't get too bogged down in what they say you "should" do - treat them as guidelines and let your own intuition be your true guide. Don't be afraid to mix things up and change them from time to time either. Enjoy the process and your magic will be that much more special.

from All Wicca Store Magickal Supplies http://www.allwicca.com/blog/creating-your-wicca-altar

[wiccawisdom]

Creating Your Altar - Make it Personal

A lot of people just starting out on the Wiccan path (or other spiritual path that uses altars or shrines) get this book or that one and start obsessing over following the directions in it exactly - finding the perfect items for rituals and their altar. But what they often fail to realize is that the most powerful altar is one the means the most to you - altars are very personal objects so don't worry if you can't or don't want to follow directions in some book. Do what feels right to you. 

What is an Altar?

An altar is really just a working space set with objects that reflect you, the purpose of the altar, or the ritual or season you are celebrating at it. There are many types of altars - an ancestral altar, meditation altar, or moon phase altar are all great supplements to your main, working, ritual altar. Perhaps you will want to create your ritual altar fresh every time you need it (practical if you don't want everyone in your house to know what you are practicing) instead of being set up permanently. Decide what the main focus of your altar will be (and don't be afraid to change it as your practice evolves). 

Before you go hunting for all those items you want to buy for your altar, relax! First decide the best location for your altar. It should be one that is relatively "safe" - meaning a place that isn't in the main traffic zone of your home where it might be bumped or disturbed (or become a place to dump mail or keys) or where your children or pets will think its the perfect spot to play. If you have a spare bedroom or unused space you can use, awesome but even a small closet or a corner of a room can work well. Need to keep it away from children or pets? A wall shelf can work wonderfully! And remember, you can have more than one altar depending on your path and what you want to use them for.

How to Create an Altar 

Once you find a place and decide the purpose of your altar, start with a simple altar cloth - measure the flat surface you are planning to use and take a trip to the fabric store. You can often find remnants of very beautiful fabrics for just a dollar or two. Get some fabric paints, beads, feathers - whatever you like and decorate it if you want. Get several fabrics of different colors if you want to set up a seasonal altar. Let your intuition guide you and have some fun with it - your altar doesn't have to be serious!

Now that you have a cloth, most altars have one item for each of the elements of the Craft - Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Spirit and is usually referred to as an Elemental or Basic Altar.

Look around for things you already have that mean something special to you - they will already have great energy. Traditionally a chalice or cup is used for water, but perhaps your grandmother's candy bowl is perfect or that beautiful sea shell you found on your trip last summer could represent water. Small fountains are also perfect adding the beautiful sound of water to your rituals. Candles are wonderful, but not always practical depending on where you set up your altar or if you have cats that can knock them over (one of my cats set herself on fire by brushing against my candle at the wrong time - I freaked more than she did and she only singed a few hairs thankfully). Perhaps a night light or electric Christmas candle would be a better fit for fire for you or the more traditional witches dagger known as an Athame - or even a photo or painting of flames. Air is usually represented by incense or a wand, but a feather found on a spring walk would do as well, especially if you cannot have the smoke incense create. A pretty potted plant or found rock or pine cone works as well for Earth as the traditional pentacle. Spirit could be represented by a candle, a pentacle (how about one made from twigs from the nearby park!), or any image of a God or Goddess that you like. Don't feel like you have to stay traditional or use tools that may not feel comfortable to you. The more personal the items you use, the more personal the energy of your altar.

Altars also often contain a sacred statue representing your patron diety or statues of both your favorite God and Goddess. Don't stress out though if you haven't decided on the form of God/dess you prefer yet - just go with a more generic symbol of spirit such as a pentacle or one black stone for God Energy, one white stone for Goddess Energy. Add flowers or other seasonal touches as offerings if you'd like.

The altar in my office (right) has changed many times over the years, but is always a point of peace and calm to me. Turning on the fountain and lighting the candle every morning centers me and lets me focus better. It is filled with things I love.

Beyond the basics, add special objects depending on the purpose of your altar.

Ancestral altars are great to make and pretty easy - photos or mementos of members of your family in pretty frames with a candle or offering dish is all you need. I have a lovely wooden box on mine (which sits on a table that once belonged to a great Aunt) that I use as a memory box. On the birthday or another special date of the person that has crossed over, I sit down and write out one of my favorite memories of them or find a photo or make something that reminds me of them adding it to the box. On Samhain, I read thru those I've written in the past year remembering each person in turn. 

Moon altars can have any shiny, round object to represent the moon such as a silver tray. For years I have used a silver blown glass Christmas ornament with the hook and cap removed sitting in a tapered crystal vase - I cover it with a black cloth completely during the dark of the moon, partially for other phases and let it shine uncovered during full moons. It currently sits on the window sill of my temple room absorbing the energies of the moon.

Meditation altars can have anything that helps you focus - a statue, incense, candle or mirror are some ideas. A metronome that musicians use to keep the beat, a fountain, or small mp3 player could all be used to help you get into the meditative state. These altars can also do double duty for divination being the place you spread your runes or tarot cards for a reading or the place you journal after meditation and rituals. 

Creating an Altar for Spells and Rituals

If setting an altar for a specific ritual or spell, again take a look around and figure out what represents the purpose of the ritual best to you - it will automatically be more powerful and just the process of considering objects and designing your altar can be magical. If you are not going to let the altar set up permanently, find a pretty box to store everything in when not in use. Craft stores have inexpensive plain wood boxes of all sizes you can get and paint or decorate as you'd like. Perhaps you'll want to get several and store seasonal altars in their own boxes for when you need them. This would also make them portable if you want to practice while on a trip or in a local park instead of at home.

Spell altars should focus entirely on the purpose of the spell so take the time to consider correspondences of color, candles, oils, herbs and anything else you want to use. Set up the basic Elemental altar first to balance the energies of it and then add whatever you will need for your spell or items you want to charge or cleanse. 

Keeping A Secret Altar

Do you want to set up an altar where others don't appreciate or don't follow your beliefs? Keep it simple and secret. For years I kept a potted plant in a large dish on my desk at work to represent Earth and a small fountain to represent Water. Around the base of the plant I had stones for each of the other elements and tiny statues (fantasy gaming type) from a hobby store I painted by hand to represent the God and Goddess. No one but me knew what it truly meant, but I found it very centering and calming even during the most stressful days. I know someone that has created an altar charm bracelet with charms and stones on it that represent the elements and God/dess to her. She wears it every day and always has her altar with her! Prayer beads or malas can serve a similar function bringing your focus back to your spirituality whenever you need it. 

Books are wonderful, especially when just starting out, but don't get too bogged down in what they say you "should" do - treat them as guidelines and let your own intuition be your true guide. Don't be afraid to mix things up and change them from time to time either. Enjoy the process and your magic will be that much more special.

from All Wicca https://www.allwicca.com/blog/creating-your-wicca-altar

[wiccawisdom]

Creating Your Altar - Make it Personal

A lot of people just starting out on the Wiccan path (or other spiritual path that uses altars or shrines) get this book or that one and start obsessing over following the directions in it exactly - finding the perfect items for rituals and their altar. But what they often fail to realize is that the most powerful altar is one the means the most to you - altars are very personal objects so don't worry if you can't or don't want to follow directions in some book. Do what feels right to you. 

What is an Altar?

An altar is really just a working space set with objects that reflect you, the purpose of the altar, or the ritual or season you are celebrating at it. There are many types of altars - an ancestral altar, meditation altar, or moon phase altar are all great supplements to your main, working, ritual altar. Perhaps you will want to create your ritual altar fresh every time you need it (practical if you don't want everyone in your house to know what you are practicing) instead of being set up permanently. Decide what the main focus of your altar will be (and don't be afraid to change it as your practice evolves). 

Before you go hunting for all those items you want to buy for your altar, relax! First decide the best location for your altar. It should be one that is relatively "safe" - meaning a place that isn't in the main traffic zone of your home where it might be bumped or disturbed (or become a place to dump mail or keys) or where your children or pets will think its the perfect spot to play. If you have a spare bedroom or unused space you can use, awesome but even a small closet or a corner of a room can work well. Need to keep it away from children or pets? A wall shelf can work wonderfully! And remember, you can have more than one altar depending on your path and what you want to use them for.

How to Create an Altar 

Once you find a place and decide the purpose of your altar, start with a simple altar cloth - measure the flat surface you are planning to use and take a trip to the fabric store. You can often find remnants of very beautiful fabrics for just a dollar or two. Get some fabric paints, beads, feathers - whatever you like and decorate it if you want. Get several fabrics of different colors if you want to set up a seasonal altar. Let your intuition guide you and have some fun with it - your altar doesn't have to be serious!

Now that you have a cloth, most altars have one item for each of the elements of the Craft - Earth, Fire, Air, Water and Spirit and is usually referred to as an Elemental or Basic Altar.

Look around for things you already have that mean something special to you - they will already have great energy. Traditionally a chalice or cup is used for water, but perhaps your grandmother's candy bowl is perfect or that beautiful sea shell you found on your trip last summer could represent water. Small fountains are also perfect adding the beautiful sound of water to your rituals. Candles are wonderful, but not always practical depending on where you set up your altar or if you have cats that can knock them over (one of my cats set herself on fire by brushing against my candle at the wrong time - I freaked more than she did and she only singed a few hairs thankfully). Perhaps a night light or electric Christmas candle would be a better fit for fire for you or the more traditional witches dagger known as an Athame - or even a photo or painting of flames. Air is usually represented by incense or a wand, but a feather found on a spring walk would do as well, especially if you cannot have the smoke incense create. A pretty potted plant or found rock or pine cone works as well for Earth as the traditional pentacle. Spirit could be represented by a candle, a pentacle (how about one made from twigs from the nearby park!), or any image of a God or Goddess that you like. Don't feel like you have to stay traditional or use tools that may not feel comfortable to you. The more personal the items you use, the more personal the energy of your altar.

Altars also often contain a sacred statue representing your patron diety or statues of both your favorite God and Goddess. Don't stress out though if you haven't decided on the form of God/dess you prefer yet - just go with a more generic symbol of spirit such as a pentacle or one black stone for God Energy, one white stone for Goddess Energy. Add flowers or other seasonal touches as offerings if you'd like.

The altar in my office (right) has changed many times over the years, but is always a point of peace and calm to me. Turning on the fountain and lighting the candle every morning centers me and lets me focus better. It is filled with things I love.

Beyond the basics, add special objects depending on the purpose of your altar.

Ancestral altars are great to make and pretty easy - photos or mementos of members of your family in pretty frames with a candle or offering dish is all you need. I have a lovely wooden box on mine (which sits on a table that once belonged to a great Aunt) that I use as a memory box. On the birthday or another special date of the person that has crossed over, I sit down and write out one of my favorite memories of them or find a photo or make something that reminds me of them adding it to the box. On Samhain, I read thru those I've written in the past year remembering each person in turn. 

Moon altars can have any shiny, round object to represent the moon such as a silver tray. For years I have used a silver blown glass Christmas ornament with the hook and cap removed sitting in a tapered crystal vase - I cover it with a black cloth completely during the dark of the moon, partially for other phases and let it shine uncovered during full moons. It currently sits on the window sill of my temple room absorbing the energies of the moon.

Meditation altars can have anything that helps you focus - a statue, incense, candle or mirror are some ideas. A metronome that musicians use to keep the beat, a fountain, or small mp3 player could all be used to help you get into the meditative state. These altars can also do double duty for divination being the place you spread your runes or tarot cards for a reading or the place you journal after meditation and rituals. 

Creating an Altar for Spells and Rituals

If setting an altar for a specific ritual or spell, again take a look around and figure out what represents the purpose of the ritual best to you - it will automatically be more powerful and just the process of considering objects and designing your altar can be magical. If you are not going to let the altar set up permanently, find a pretty box to store everything in when not in use. Craft stores have inexpensive plain wood boxes of all sizes you can get and paint or decorate as you'd like. Perhaps you'll want to get several and store seasonal altars in their own boxes for when you need them. This would also make them portable if you want to practice while on a trip or in a local park instead of at home.

Spell altars should focus entirely on the purpose of the spell so take the time to consider correspondences of color, candles, oils, herbs and anything else you want to use. Set up the basic Elemental altar first to balance the energies of it and then add whatever you will need for your spell or items you want to charge or cleanse. 

Keeping A Secret Altar

Do you want to set up an altar where others don't appreciate or don't follow your beliefs? Keep it simple and secret. For years I kept a potted plant in a large dish on my desk at work to represent Earth and a small fountain to represent Water. Around the base of the plant I had stones for each of the other elements and tiny statues (fantasy gaming type) from a hobby store I painted by hand to represent the God and Goddess. No one but me knew what it truly meant, but I found it very centering and calming even during the most stressful days. I know someone that has created an altar charm bracelet with charms and stones on it that represent the elements and God/dess to her. She wears it every day and always has her altar with her! Prayer beads or malas can serve a similar function bringing your focus back to your spirituality whenever you need it. 

Books are wonderful, especially when just starting out, but don't get too bogged down in what they say you "should" do - treat them as guidelines and let your own intuition be your true guide. Don't be afraid to mix things up and change them from time to time either. Enjoy the process and your magic will be that much more special.

from All Wicca https://www.allwicca.com/index.php?route=news/article&news_id=61