Fall Bloggiesta 2015: To-Do List

It's time for another Bloggiesta!  It's been a couple of years since I last participated in Bloggiesta, so I'm kind of excited to join in the fun again.  I've been feeling the pull lately to start blogging more, so I thought I'd give it a go and see what inspiration arises and what I'm able to accomplish myself :)

I'm keeping my to-do list a bit light, since I won't have the entire 4 days free - I have to work tomorrow and Friday, and (health willing) I'm planning to be at DC Pagan Pride on Sunday.  I'm sure I'll still have plenty of time to dedicate to sprucing up my blog, take part in the Twitter chats and mini-challenges, and read all about what other folks accomplish with their weekend.

So, yes!  Here's my to-do list for this round of Bloggiesta:

• Participate in at least 1 mini-challenge
• Participate in at least 1 Twitter chat
• Finish and schedule my post (posts?) about tools for self-love
• Write and schedule another Witchy Pinterest Finds post
• Clean up my blog roll on Feedly - it's getting out of control!
• Read and comment on other folks' Bloggiesta posts

If you're wondering what Bloggiesta is, hop on over to Bloggiesta.com to see what it's all about, and don't forget to sign up for this round!

4th Blogiversary

Well, would you look at that?  Today is the 4th blogiversary of Stormy Heart!  Whee!

Fist bumps to all my followers!  (Ba-la-la-la-la-la)

Last year at my blogiversary I decided to re-brand my blog with a new look and a new name.  I haven't heard much feedback about it from you guys, so... I hope you've liked it?

It's interesting how much my blogging style has changed over the years.  When I first started blogging waaaaay back in 1999 over on DearDiary.net, most bloggers that I followed used their blogs as online diaries.  (If you want a laugh, go check out the emo ramblings of teenaged Stormy.  SO MUCH DRAMA.)

Now, it seems to me like blogging is much more about sharing ideas and entertaining your audience.  Sometimes that involves sharing your life, but it rarely seems to be with the intensity and depth it once had.  That may be for the best in some respects, given how we seem to share so much of our lives via social media already.

I know the changing blogging community has been on the minds of many bloggers lately.  What do you guys think about it all?

Anyway, thanks for stopping by to celebrate the anniversary of my little blog with me!

Witchy Pinterest Finds

In trying to find inspiration for my blog last night, I started scrolling through my Pinterest feed.  It gave me a thought - why not post some of my favorite witchy finds over on Pinterest?  (If you aren't already, you  are welcome to follow me on Pinterest here.)

If you like this post please let me know, and I will write more posts like these!

This beautiful sea-witchy necklace made of sea glass set on a curvy wire makes my inner magpie go all a-glow.  I feel like I could wear this to channel Mama Cocha.

Pinned by Stormy Heart // Originally found on CustomMade.com

"Spirit of the Lake" wand, which appears to be made from fishing net, crystals, driftwood, and deer antlers.  Be still my witchy little heart.

Pinned by Stormy Heart // Originally found at BDCrystals Creations on Etsy

Here's a fantastic statue of a raven perched on a skull.  It's not marketed as such, but it screams of The Morrigan to me.  I'm not normally one for statues of my gods, but man do I want this one!

Pinned by Stormy Heart // Originally found at isisbooks.com

Here's a delightful, utterly ethereal image of an air elemental.  I think I could just float away while meditating on this image.

Pinned by Stormy Heart // Originally found at http://cristinamcallister.blogspot.com

Plugging in to Deity

I've been thinking a lot this week about how we as humans connect to the gods.  It started at dinner with Jack the other night, when he got me talking about agnostic paganism and how it isn't necessary to believe a deity is a Divine Being in order to work with them.

I know for many agnostic pagans, they can still connect with the gods on a psychological level, as a construct within the psyche.  The Four Queens has several fascinating videos* on her YouTube channel where she talks about how as a pantheist she connects to her gods, who she sees not as discrete Divine Beings, but more as psychological archetypes.

"Moon Witch" by MotleyMitch on Deviant Art:
motleymitch.deviantart.com/art/Moon-Witch-153505544

I think that's a really powerful concept.  I feel like as a hard polytheist who does recognize my gods as discrete Divine Beings, as greater and wiser and "bigger" than me, I can still learn from that concept.  I feel like I can use it to better understand how I connect with them now and strengthen my connection in the future.

See, I've always recognized something of myself in my gods when I meet with them on the astral plane.  I always know when it's truly them, though, by a strong feeling of ...well, divinity (not sure how else to say it!  It's a feeling I don't really have a word for.)  How strongly I see myself in them is depends a lot on things like how open or "plugged in" I am at that moment and how strongly they have decided to (or are able to) come through.

I think that the "me" I recognize in them really is a part of me.  Like, a facet of my psyche or spirit that serves as an internal concept or archetype of that deity, and that piece of me connects with my god, and that combined/connected sort of being is who I perceive.  I suspect that internal archetype also allows the gods to come through better for possession, like something they can more easily fit in to and use to their Will.

I can't know if this way of experiencing deity is permanent, or maybe it's just in place until I am better prepared or able to experience them more fully without the more relatable filter of "me"-ness.

I'm curious how other people experience their gods.  Do you see them as Divine Beings?  Do you feel like you connect to them in a similar way?



*That's 3 separate links - I highly recommend watching all 3 videos when you have time!

Happy Mail from Uncustomary Art

Happy Summer Solstice, friends!  I am spending my Solstice by enjoying a quiet day at home, mostly cleaning and watching Netflix.

I'm also taking time today to spruce up my altars - with all the strong solar energy, it seemed like a good time to refresh things.  My altar cloths are in the washing machine now, and later I'm going to dust all my tools and set up my main altar and my ancestor altar for the second half of the year.

So a few days ago I got a fun "Happy Mail" package in the mail from my fellow blogger Mary over at Uncustomary Art.  The package was so much fun to open.  First of all, can we talk about the amazing glittery tape she used to seal the envelope?  I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE.  (Seriously, where can I buy some? :)

Inside I found all of these wonderful things.  Some of them, like that scrap of gold foil and the heart stickers, are definitely going to be used in my Book of Lore & Craft.  I'm not entirely sure what the dinosaur thing is - some kind of kid's game, I guess? - but the brontosaurus illustration is adorable nonetheless.

The silver foil sticker that says "You are beautiful" is my favorite item in the package.

Inside the package was... another package!  This mystery item was wrapped in some lovely rainbow stripe wrapping paper.

What I found when I opened delighted me - a small mirror, adorned with a sticker that says "You are beautiful."  So fun!  (By the way, it's really hard to take photos of yourself in a tiny mirror!  I couldn't seem to keep the camera from obstructing my face - oh well :)

Thanks again to Mary for sending me this delightful Happy Mail!!  

If you liked seeing all the fun things she sent me, you will probably enjoy reading her blog - I encourage you all to hop on over and give her a follow.  And while you're at it, why not give her page a like on Facebook - she's hoping to get 2,000 followers for her birthday, let's help this birthday wish come true! :)

Review: A Dream of Stone & Shadow by Marjorie M. Liu

I've read a bunch of books this year, and I'm finally getting around to writing reviews for the "witchy" ones I've been reading.

Here's my first review for the 2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge!  This book involves an evil witch who eats gargoyles.

FYI: Minor spoilers ahead.  Also, this book (and consequently and my review) are NSFW!


A Dream of Stone & Shadow by Marjorie M. Liu
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book started off with a very interesting premise, but it fails spectacularly in execution.

In the story, there are 3 separate lives intertwined:

- Charlie, a gargoyle, who with his 3 brothers is held captive by an evil gargoyle-eating witch.  (Apparently gargoyles in this universe have massively-good regenerative powers.)  Every time he "dies" he can travel about as a ghost until his body regenerates.

- Emma, a young girl held captive by a pair of twisted-as-fuck humans for the purposes of child pornography (thankfully, not described in much detail).  Charlie visits her regularly in ghost form to protect her as best he can.

- Aggie, a psychic woman working for a supernatural-esque detective agency (Dirk & Steel), who can interact with Charlie better than most because of her clairvoyance.

So Charlie and Aggie work together to free the young girl. That part was okay to read. The concepts about what gargoyles are, how Aggie uses her psychic powers to fight crime, etc. were also just creative enough to be interesting.

The witch was also pretty creepy.  I mean, through sheer magick she's holding four powerful gargoyles prisoner just so she can slice and dice them over and over, so she and her witch friends can eat them.  She turned Charlie's 3 brothers to stone because they wouldn't let her carve them up. Ew.

What was awful was the truly juvenile understanding of things like love and sex, and trust. First, these two fall in love at first sight, and it's implied that they're soulmates - even though he's in ghost form and won't show her his true form, they have an instant bond and she TOTALLY trusts and instantly loves him.  Riiight....  And then I nearly died of laughter when Charlie started having ghostly sex with Aggie in public, almost against her will (it didn't seem to be non-consensual, but he sure pressured her into it), first in her seat on a plane and then in the airport, and yet nobody suspecting because she could totally control her reactions. All of that right after they had first met and spent like 15 minutes in each others' presence. Riiiiiiight...

The writing style itself leaves something to be desired. It's also got a very unrefined, almost juvenile tone. Honestly, I'm not sure if the book is considered YA, but it might as well be the way it's written.

Read it for laughs, but certainly don't read it for its literary value!


This review and others can also be found on my Goodreads profile: View all my reviews

Review: Stolen Season by S.J. Tucker

A few weeks ago S.J. Tucker released her long-awaited album, Stolen Season. When she asked in her newsletter for bloggers to review her album, I of course jumped at the chance! I just adore her music so much - how could I resist?

I've been listening the heck out of this album ever since it arrived a couple of weeks ago, especially at work.  To sum up my feelings: j'adore!

Let's start with the artwork.  I mean, how gorgeous is this cover art? 

Source: sjtucker.com

The rest of the art in the insert is equally gorgeous, especially the Black Swan image, swoon.  (And in case you haven't seen it, the full version of the gorgeous drawing on the far right was used as the cover art for the unmastered release of the album.  According to Bandcamp, the artist, Chaz Kemp, also did the cover art for her Witchy Ways mix.)

Stolen Season is a bit of a departure from s00j's previous albums. It's got a bluesey, jazzy vibe that I am totally in love with. She uses a downright sultry voice for some songs, like "Believe in Lullabies."  One thing I noticed is the use of a bass guitar in several songs, including "Black Swan Blues," which I don't remember from her previous work (or if she used it, it's certainly not as prominent.) It sounds utterly gorgeous alongside her voice, though.

I like when artists take a risk and try something different, because we get to see them grow as artists as they find out more of what they're capable of and what drive their creativity.  It doesn't always work, but when it does?  Oh yes.  And s00j's risk with Stolen Season really pays off.

I think my favorite song from this album is "Girl Into Devil (I Belong to Me)."  The words and the song's progression speak so much about pulling yourself through hell and finding your own power, something I can really relate to.

The title track, "Stolen Season," is another song that really gets me right in the feels. It speaks so much of sad but inevitable endings. (Reminds me a little of "Neptune," in fact). The cello in that song (performed by Betsy Tinney) in particular is oh so gorgeous. And as a Jimi Hendrix fan I have to appreciate how she ends with, "There must be some kinda way outta here..." in a sad, breathy tone.

Though s00j may have incorporated a new sound into the ablum, Stolen Season still has that essential s00j-ness of brilliant storytelling, musical artistry, and a giving us a glimpse of her true heart that I love so much.

Take a listen to the album below and hear for yourself how beautiful this album is.  And then go buy yourself a copy so s00j can keep making such wonderful music, and because you (yes, YOU) deserve to have such beautiful music in your life!




Disclaimer: I received a copy of Stolen Season in exchange for a fair review.  All art and music from the album as shared are (c) S.J. Tucker.  All opinions are my own.

Chapel of Love

Last week, Jack and I finally tied the knot!!  SQUEE!


We kept it simple and private, and it was totally perfect for us.  On Thursday, we drove to Annapolis, all dressed up, marriage license and rings in hand, and said our vows in front of the Anne Arundel County clerk.  It was just us, the super-sweet clerk (whose name we totally forgot to ask in our excitement), and our awesome photographer Tanya Kang.

As a side note, I was super pleased that Tanya was able to photograph our day.  Not only have she and I been good friends (and sometimes roommates) since college, and not only has she known Jack since he and I started dating back in 2007 - she is really talented as a photographer :)

Saying my vows was totally surreal - like, how is this finally happening?  Is this even real?  It didn't really sink in until the next night that it really happened. 

After the ceremony, Jack, Tanya, and I traipsed about downtown Annapolis taking photographs.  It was rather chilly, so near the end of our photo session we stopped in to Starbucks for lattes and hot chocolate.  We posed for some casual photos, but mostly we had a nice relaxing break and finally had a chance to catch up with each others' lives.  (We should be getting the photos back from Tanya some time next month - I'm so excited to see them and share them with our loved ones!)

That night, Jack and I celebrated with dinner at Thai at Silver Spring, where we had our first date and where we still often go to for dinner.  It was a sweet, romantic night, but more importantly, after such a surreal afternoon - it felt like us.  Best wedding night a girl could ask for.

After knowing each other for more than 7 years and being together for most of that time, I am so thrilled to be married to the person who has always been in my heart through thick and thin, and who knows me better than anyone else.

And who's just as weird as me :)

Weirdos 4 life!

Some fantastic new music to delight your ears

First off, I logged on to Blogger this evening and saw that my blog now has over 20,000 page views!  Whuuut.  I still remember when 1,000 page views felt like a massive achievement.

So lately I've been coming across all sorts of fantastic new music - some witchy, some not - and I wanted to share the musical love.  So for your listening pleasure, here's a few of my favorites:

Sharron Kraus has a new album coming out soon called Friends and Enemies; Lovers and Strangers.  This album is based on the Mabinogion, and the song posted as a preview, "Blodeuwedd," is simply gorgeous.  Her voice reminds me a little of 70s folks singers like Joni Mitchell.  As a child of Rhiannon, I am super excited about this project (and so is Rhiannon)!



Ibeyi just released their debut, self-titled album, and from what I've heard so far, oh man, it is SO GOOD.  Some of their songs like "Oya" invoke the Orishas.



Chantilly released a new song called "Lovely" on her Tumblr.  It's got such a fun, jaunty disco beat.




And finally, take a listen to "Worker Bee" by Philadelphia blues-rock artist - and my old grade school classmate - Jason Ager.  That tuba!!  I went to school with some seriously talented people, ya'll.  (If you like the song you can download it for free from Philly Free Song Friday - click the down arrow button on the widget below).




What do you think of these songs?  Have any other new music (witchy or otherwise) that you'd recommend?  Let me know in the comments!

Asking the Wrong Questions?

In case you missed it circulating around social media earlier this week, Jason Thomas Pitzl wrote an excellent manifesto for the modern Neopagan community called Witchcraft Today - Witchcraft Tomorrow.  He wrote it for PantheaCon and then shared it on his website afterwards.  This work is truly glorious and resonates with Power.  I highly recommend all Witches read it!

As I read it, and in the days since, things in my head have started to click into place.  For years now - ever since I was forced to leave my former coven, and possibly even since before then - I've felt lost and stuck and unsure of my spiritual path, of my place in the world as a Witch and what I'm "meant" to do.  I've kept asking, "What is my true path?" but finding no real answers.

And I've been hiding in my uncertainty.

I think I've been asking the wrong questions.  And I've been seeking the wrong answers.

I need to find the right questions.  I'm going to start with questions like "How can I best serve my gods?" and "How can I best feed my spirit?"  And also, "What should I actually do with my magick?"  I will ask these questions of my gods and guardians, and of myself, and perhaps to others. I wonder what answers I will find - and what other questions, too.