Not-so-imaginary Friends

As a child I always saw spirit. Sometimes that feeling of being watched made me scared. I couldn't find the words to the grown ups, most of whom didn't want to listen anyway. As a mother of a mini witch, if you have a child bothered by the things they see, feel or know I would suggest.

Talk about it. 
Children are smarter than we give them credit for. Make it a story.

"Once upon a time there was a boy/girl who was magickal, and they could do anything in their dreams..."

Songs and Games
Kids won't remember, especially when scared complicated protection spells. Here are some simple sing-song rhymes.

"Circle, circle, round and bright, keeps me safe day and night."

 "Shoo, Shoo, go away, I am busy! I can not play." 

"In my dreams, I did see [what they saw] I don't mind they can't hurt me."

"In the candle, I can see [what they see] looking at me. They say [what they say] and now I say I am done!" (blow out candle.)

Kids smell fear.
Any teacher will tell you that kids can tell if you are scared. In a schools setting this can be anarchy. At home, if you are scared they will be frightened. Accept that this little one is seeing things that are beyond their years and are overwhelmed enough! Let go of your own fear. Accept and love them for who they are.

Sleeping space.
   Soft music that plays all night, chamomile hot chocolate (you make up the chamomile tea then use it to make the instant hot chocolate) a lavender foot rub and an empowering bedtime story help settle the child that usually finds sleep frightening. I would often cast a circle around my daughter room if we were going to being ritual that night. I just wanted her to have a nice bubble of peace and sleep around her, so our ruckus wouldn't wake her.

Make a protection charm
It is important you don't just give it to them and that they help make it because this is about the child feeling helpless, which is frightening. Allow them to feel that this is something they can control.
You can chose something sparkly with lots of glitter and sweet herbs, or something ugly to scare stuff away.
You can use felt and they can draw the pretty faery, or gruesome goblin (or monster) and stuff it with glitter hearts for love, written "happy thoughts" (or awful thoughts like homework, sprouts and snot) you can add sweet herbs like rose petals (or St Johns wort which is "pongy"). Then you sew it all up and then get them to hang it in their room where it will only allow good to come in or where they will scare the bad things away.They will know "where the bad stuff comes in".

Keep talking
When things settle down grown ups tend to forget that kids will still need to talk about their dreams and their experiences. I learned as a child "these are things we don't talk about". All my family see or experience stuff but it left a gap between us. Keep those lines of communication open.

I hope some of this helps. Blessings xx      
I do not own this image it is Brian Froud. 

The Power to Harm, the Power to Heal.

Curses, and hexes and attacks OH MY! I am no saint, I am a witch and I think a witch should know how to curse someone when it is needed. I curse generally when someone is harming an innocent, a child, and animal, someone vulnerable and in need. I do not feel bad about this.

When the guy next door threw his wife down stairs and broke her leg (I did call the police) she didn't leave and neither did he. There were 2 children in the house at the time. I cursed him. I cursed him because all mundane ways to stop him were at an end.I cursed him because nobody else gave a crap. I cursed because I grew up around that kind of violence and nobody should know what that sound is through a wall.
The curse was a weakness curse. That the more violent he was the weaker physically he would get.
All is now quiet next door. Oh I hear music sometimes but that is all...
I have had friends recommend me for my curse work. When a friend of a friend had been ordered by the court to allow her kids to have visitation across state lines to a "man" who had put her in hospital three times. Now I could have used a protection spell. However that would not GET TO THE CAUSE. It only treats the symptom. I called on the Dark Mother. I cursed him to be seen as he really is and punished. Well he got loaded, got into a bar fight and ended up in jail (where he belongs.) Kids safe, Mom safe. Ta da! 

People curse themselves and others all the time. If you haven't a good word to say about someone and you send "healing" at them that is either going to just plain fail, or turn into what you really mean...which is probably really mean.
A well written curse makes the world a better place. Keeps the little chicks safe. Brings back the balance of power. It isn't about "getting even" or "showing off". When you did the super positive spell to get that job or meet that special someone, someone else lost out. That doesn't mean you can not use magick to make your life better. You should use all the energy, talents attention and joy to enjoy your life and not feel guilty about that. With power does come responsibility. With strength and compassion comes balance.
In terms of healing to harm ratio I am about 10 to 1. For every ten healing, positive, fertility, abundance work I do; I do one f*$k off, shut up,  go crawl under a rock. 
In truth I have been slow lately and I haven't done left hand work because I haven't needed to.
Oh and while I am at it a hex isn't always a curse it is a type of drawing/symbol spellwork which as always is neutral. They are often used to protect buildings and barns. 

Talking about me.

I am not the biggest fan of talking about myself. I hate C.V's and the like and worked based bios make me squirm in very uncomfortable way. I believe I call it crawling up my own arsehole. So the fact that I sat down, bit the bullet and wrote about me, all be it in the third person was a big achievement. To sweeten the medicine I asked students and friends to post comments about me. It was beautiful.
 So here is my new bio with some quotes from real people.

Lucy Drake is a psychic medium, witch, teacher and writer. She has been studying and teaching her Craft for over 20 years. She grew up in rural Wales and has always had a deep spiritual connection to nature, animals and magick. Her chaotic and unusual childhood was often brutal but it gave her great compassion and many skills beyond her years. Lucy has always done magick and tried to match her “knowing” with books. From a Welsh family with Irish roots Lucy has many creative talents, from painting, poetry, dance and music, none of which were especially note worthy in a very artist house hold. She started to meditate at the age of 9, reading cards at 14, and healing at 16. At 18 she began working with local mediums in small circles and learned how to control her gifts.

Lucy has done private readings, psychic  fairs, house clearing s, healings (of all kinds) weddings (handfastings), blessings and charms, as well as ritual Craft since 2000. She has run workshops of Inner Goddess work, healing with crystals and divination. She has run 2 covens and had many students and teachers. While her pagan Craft has very strong Gardnerian roots she has explored many other paths, especially Celtic Craft and working with Fae as she did as a child.

Last year Lucy started work on her first book which she is working at getting self published. 

The Key: Opening the doorway to Magickal Practice, is a book compiling many years of teaching practice to give people a tool kit for magick pagan practice. The Key, is a magickal manual to unlocking your own potential. It is practical, insightful and allows the student of any level to look at their path with new eyes. There are assignments, poems, prayers, mediations of many kinds with a support and warmth that a seasoned teacher gives. Regardless of your place under the pagan umbrella there is something within this book can teach you. It treats the student holistically to allow greater balance with both ritual and non ritual magickal life.
What others have said about Lucy Drake.

“The author of this took my casual curiosity and helped educate and guide me through my first steps into this wide world, personal strife and day to day nonsense. As a teacher and a friend I cannot thank her enough. A worthwhile investment for anyone hoping to take their first steps or push the craft.” Rosie-

“As a close personal friend of Lucy, I can vouch for this woman's amazing skills and gifts! I started my journey with her 6 years ago when she came to my shop to do a reading for me. That reading turned into an entire day of laughter and joy that quickly turned into a best friendship and sisterhood. She is a wonderful friend, mother, wife, sister and WITCH!” B-

“[Lucy is].. loving, fun, have a wicked sense of humour, super intelligent, generous, random acts of kindness, have a great way of teaching people things and helping them to figure things out for themselves..” Emily-


“This lady has a magik heart and magikal hands! If you want to know about magik. Real, practical, from the heart and from the head, Lucy is the person you go and see. Unless, of course, you just turned round and she was there already, because you needed her, because she knows. This lady doesn't just excell in her craft, she can help you to do the same. Nuts and bolts, wonderment, traditional craft or 'fly by on the seat of your pants' spur of the moment stuff. Lucy… does it all and she does it magnificently.” Angie-

“Lucy is an amazingly compassionate and caring person, clever and knowledgeable. l know there is a lot l can learn from Lucy and l know it will be at the very least a lot of fun.” David-

Books, Salt and a naughty dog.

I have been attempting to write more of book 2 today. I got to a mediation/assignment and I realized that a picture would be best (how to draw pentagrams and why you should). Now you know my dog isn't...bright, but certain things make her even more stupid than usual. One of those is the sound my phone camera makes when I am taking pictures, well phone doing anything makes her whine and bark. After several failed attempts due to general dog based butt nugget-ry she nipped my skirt. Mummy is not very happy. She gets placed in doggy time out. She has now come out. The photos came out well. Moon salt is lovely to make.

Mini witch was very good as my hand model.

 Dog has had her cushion taken from the sofa and put on the floor.

Honestly I have no idea how anyone could do anything without dogs, children and husbands making it difficult! I mean, where would the challenge be if you were just allowed to sit down and write!

Dancing in The Rain

I have spent the last few days running here there and everywhere. It has been the best fun. I have been filming the video for my Kickstarter project. Every night I collapse into my bed like the dead but it is just so good! I missed everyone at home, but most especially my dog.I know she isn't the brightest mutt but she always keeps me company while I am writing. I have got a fair chunk of the NEXT book done this week too. I am also fielding phone calls from the hospital who want a piece of my kidney and I am really not sure I want them to take any. Major surgery?! I'm BUSY damn it! *scowls*
Still I had a lie in this morning (well I got up and build an altar, cleansed and prayed while mini witch and big hairy witch slept). They are so sweet when they are sleeping. I gave cuddles and coffee to wake them up (no evil bean for the mini witch).
So it was just me and my dog cuddled on the sofa. Bliss. Not for long though I will be headed back to see my good friends for moral support and Vimto during the editing process. I need to chill a bit today though, I can feel my heart is not happy. My sister is coming over this week. I feel more at peace with that than I have in a long time. Today is all about surrender and love. I can lean into the support of my magickal friends and family. Just to held in TK's arms for a while will make me feel amazing.

I trust the good I am given and spread the love.

Being a Spiritual Teacher

Sometimes I irritate myself with the way I seem to step into "teacher". My Mam was a teacher and it always annoyed me when she "went into teacher". I suppose home educating doesn't help, I am ALWAYS teaching. I think maybe this comes from my love of learning. Nobody has complained, I am blessed with so many people who "get" me. Sometimes I look back at myself in the third person and try and analyse myself. Sometimes this is post-people paranoia, was I too this, was too little of that. Sometimes it is just a portal to allow me to look at myself and the world differently. I know a lot. Not as much as some, more than others. I study, I question, I quest. I see patterns and threads that link. Sometimes I can't quite join them, but I feel the pull like static between two or more ideas. I am pretty sure there is a link between the psychology of narrative and the use of the symbolic in ritual setting and context. I just haven't quite found the words yet. Maybe ritual and liminal places of the lucid allow us to re-write our narratives, move our frames of reference, not only in terms of group culture but on a personal psychological level. Maybe. (Reading Victor Turner and Dorothy Rowe/ Clarissa Estes)
You see, I am a girl who thinks really deep thoughts. Questions. Reframes. Analyses not only the words I have read but the ideas. I want other people to think too. Not that people who think are better to teach, they often fight their knowing more than most. You can not give them your ideas (I am not precious about that) but ask them questions.
I am not better than my students.I am no better than anyone (different) I have a natural talent for this way of life. I have a mind that turns trauma into a creative force. I push myself out of my comfort-zone. This doesn't make me a saint. I am an imperfect person walking along the road. This sometimes disappoints people. I have finally figured out that that is their problem. Not mine.That I am an ocean that doesn't like and is not easily confined.
Being a teacher by proxy (in a book) is harder and also less difficult. Less control, but less irritations.I want the lessons to be learned well before the student moves on, and I can not control when they turn the page, or even if they turn it! I want them to be challenged, delighted, to see the world and themselves with news eyes. I won't ever get to know the failures or breakthroughs, see that moment when someone "gets" it. Maybe this teacher mentality is exactly who I am, and what I am supposed to be.
 

Authenticity.

I am very lucky. I am a dog owner and I am sure that it keeps me grounded in real emotion and feeling. If I can meditate while the dog uses me as a piece of furniture, barks at the phone, cries because she isn't getting cuddles; then I know how to meditate in the quiet. I don't work under an exotic name (Lucy is what everyone calls me) not that a pretty names are wrong, I am just in a place where being me, is worthy. I don't want to waste my energy, mental, emotional or spiritual by needing to be the "perfect" version of myself. I have room to grow. I make mistakes. I get upset over stupid things and find odd things funny. How will my daughter ever be comfortable in her own skin if I am not? How will she feel herself worthy if she doesn't learn how? It is a process, and a moment. Right now, where and who and how I am is worthy, but I have an awareness of where there I can grow. I have to speak with an open heart, an honest one too. I am a witch, a psychic, a writer, but I am a woman, a mother, a friend. At the moment I am so blessed. Yet I can see that my blessing come from hard work, from thinking clearly, from letting go of "drama" patterns, it makes it hard to watch people, friends, family, drawing misery into their lives. It makes me sad. I see them focus on the bad, focus on crappy people and crappy behaviour, and then they mimic it and feel victimized. I do not always have the words. Sometimes even when I do, I am not always sure I should voice them. Change is a journey. It can be painful. They do not always thank you for their pain. Still this is me, trying to type something profound while the dog eats her ass against me. 

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