And a Happy New Year!

There's only a handful of hours left! We're reaching another magickal time in our lives... the passing of yet another year for our Mundane counterparts, and perhaps even ourselves. The New Year is perhaps the closest thing to a global holiday as the world will ever get... at least for now. Who knows what will happen during the mysterious year of 2012?

As with tradition, people come up with New Years resolutions! Do you remember what resolution you made last year? Did you keep it? I certainly didn't. The key to making good resolutions is to be specific and not be vague! Saying "I play to lose weight" leaves far too much wiggle room. Are you padding yourself for the fall of failure? Saying something like, "I plan to lose 5lb every month". And make sure you do the research before committing yourself to a plan.

"Wow!" You might be saying to yourself. "So what will you plan for the New Year?"

My resolutions are as follows:

1. Obtain a New Job. I'm going to need something that pays a but more (or at the very least, allows me to work full-time) in order to keep up the place Lore and I have. Also, something fresh and new for the new year is always a good thing.

2. Get a car. The public transportation in Texas is absolutely horrible. Going to need a car to get around. This can come into play anytime after I get a job. The new job takes priority.

3. Dedicate one day a week to University Witch. In the later months, I felt as if my activity was lessening. I don't love University Witch any less! I had originally put "dedicate more time", but I saw myself about to fall into that vague trap! I just need to make sure to get on the ball and keep up with it, and try and offer new, fresh things. And speaking of new and fresh things...

4. Start on the Clover Comic. I've been pushing it off, but the longer I do, the worse it will be. I am going to make the Clover Comic the first post of the new year. And this is a good resolution I can fill out immediately! So be on the look out!

5. Love Thyself. This is an important rule for me. Sometimes I feel as if I am not the greatest person, or sometimes even a failure of one, but I need to realize that, as long as I love myself, and that there are people who love me, that I shouldn't hate myself, or be afraid. As long as I think I can be something great, I can keep on living. And remember, for everyone else who may feel the same, that if anything, you can count on the power of magick to help you though! University Witch, and Magick Users University, can always be your home!

To all Witches and Mundanes in the world,

Have a Happy New Year!

With Love,

Soull Soothslayer, the University Witch

20th Spell - Behold! The Magickal Housewife!

The New Year was fast approaching, and I knew that I needed to work on some major changes in my life, and everything surrounding it. For instance...

Lets pretend I can draw for a moment and assume this is garbage.

...Oh, wait.

I really needed to clean.

I was waiting for the right opportunity, and it came to me on Tuesday, the 27^th of December. What luck! It was close to the end of the year, so this was the perfect time to begin my venture. Lore was going to be out for the day with her friends, so I rolled up my theoretical sleeves and started doing what I've probably been meaning to do since we moved into this place.

Really, really clean.

I didn't know where to start—that was how overwhelming the mess was. Since Lore's younger brother was going to be staying for a bit at our apartment come this week, I decided to start on the living room, since that was where he was going to be sleeping at. It only made sense that was where I planned on starting my Feng Shui journey.

As soon as I started cleaning... it felt awesome.

I could literally feel all of the built up negativity that had been lingering in the apartment vanishing. I ruffled up messy counter tops, deciding to start simple and just get rid of any trash. Now, when you think trash, you think, well... what goes into the bin everyday. No, we didn't just have garbage laying around everywhere. But at the same time, we did.

Old receipts, junk mail, the coupon circulars, old magazines, paycheck stubs, old sketches, directions to people's houses, business cards we would never look at, wrapping paper and tissue paper from Christmas... nothing escaped my purifying gaze as I plowed through the living room, dining room, and bar area. I was slowly becoming shocked about just how much crap was lying around!

After almost two hours, I finally eliminated all of the trash in the living and dining room.

I was the goddamn goddess of this condominium!

I sat down, taking a breather from all the work I had been doing. Just by eliminating trash, this place looked so much better! It seemed that the mess was really just clutter that had taken over everything. Now, it was a matter of starting in one place, and slowly filtering everything into the appropriate rooms. If I was able to get that done, I could target each room of the apartment individually, without worrying that books that needed to be on the shelves in the closet were strewn about the living room, or hairbrushes and the straightening iron was sitting in the living room when they needed to be in the bathroom.

I decided to start in the dining room, since there were things merely sitting on the dining room table... when that was supposed to be the table for eating or, sometimes working as we didn't have an office room or anything of the sort. I kept on stealing glances at the Christmas tree that sat innocently in its corner in the living room. I would have to figure out what to do with it later.

For now, I began in the dining room. I started sorting out things, before I realized the carpet was really catching my attention. The next thing I knew, I was on my hands and knees, showing no fear as I reached underneath couches and collect trash and tokens of livelihood. Sure enough, rubbish, rubbish, and more rubbish. I tossed them into another trash bag, now on my third. I even somewhere along the way took off the ornaments from the Christmas tree, moved chairs and vacuumed. I realized we needed a better vacuum than the one we had.

As I cleaned, and the space became, well, actually that, I felt... cleaner. Energized. The more I cleaned, the more invigorated I became. I was dispelling all the negativity that had latched onto my house... and it was glorious!

Glorious.

For some reason, as I kept on cleaning, its purifying abilities soared me to higher spirits. I couldn't wait for Lore to get home... maybe she would feel it too. Suddenly, the ability to succeed in everything I tried or did seemed to come soaring at me. Every moment I cleaned, I felt great.

Thinking of cleaning from a magickal perspective made it easier for me, as well. Imaging myself as some kind of scholarly mage utilizing my awesome techniques to purge the demons that dwelled in my abode certainly made it all the more interesting.

There's still a lot more to do, but, at least now, the living room and dining room are clean!

Happy Yule from University Witch!

Seasons Greetings from University Witch!

Here are a few words from the witches here at University Witch! May all of you Witches have a great Yule, and to all Mundanes, Happy Holidays! ♥

May all your wishes come true this holiday season.

Love,
Soull Soothslayer, Lore Sagemaker, and Clover ♥


Want to make your own holiday cheer like the ones above? Head over to Bonnie Games and create your own!

19th Spell - What Santa Stands For

This is a poem I wrote about what happened to me at work. I hope this can inspire you to make sure you have a happy Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah... whatever you celebrate, and to make kind choices this holiday season.

What Santa Stands For

Twas the night before Sunday

And all through the mall

All the people were shopping

Guest Services standing tall.

When the phone suddenly rang

And I answered it true:

“You've reached Guest Services

How may I help you?”

The woman on the line

Her voice cold, she would relay:

“I'd like to file a complaint.”

Much to my dismay.

I pulled out the paper and pen

To get started

And this was the story

She greatly departed:

On the mall's second floor

Where Santa Claus was

Where the children were lined up

For their pictures, all abuzz.

After a two hour wait

They finally got through.

The pictures were taken

But oh, what to do?!

She had left her purse carside,

No money to pay

So she whipped out her cell phone

For one right away

But one of the helpers

They laughed in her face!

And stepped in her way

Right in front of her place.

And humiliated, she left

With her child so sad

But there was still one last thing

That he wished to be had.

The five-year-old boy

With his smile so bright

Said: “May I have one of Santa's

Cookies tonight?”

So the mother, though miffed

Paused to let him take the treat

But this was the kicker

What truly rang defeat!

The girl with the plate

Smiled back and then said:

“Did you pay for a picture?”

And the mom shook her head.

And as the boy was reaching

For that glimmering tray

The girl did what I feared:

She pulled it away!

“Unless you pay for a picture

You can't have a sweet.”

And the mother with stunned eyes

Was glued to the feet.

I could hear the mother seething

Though she said nothing at all

And with these final words

She ended the call:

“Thank you for helping

I hope something can be done

To placate my still crying child

My son.

“I had said Santa stands for giving

And charity too

And his day with him was ruined

Don't you think so too?”

And she hung up the phone

What could I say? She was right!

Merry Christmas to all

And no cookies tonight.

Have a Happy Yule and Happy Holidays.

Love,

Soull Soothslayer, the University Witch

Magick in Everyday Life - Santeria Curse

This is a new segment: Magick in Everyday Life. While it is not a lifestlye post, due to the fact that it is not my own everyday life, these posts are. Well. You're about to see.

I found this news article on the Huffington Post. It seems someone wanted to use a little magick to get what they wanted... and it backfired... big time.

Here is the article itself: it is only being copypasted here in case the link above becomes broken or the article is taken down, and is in no way my own writing.

Two North Miami Beach Police Department employees have been fired

for plotting to put a Santeria curse on the city manager.

Officer Elizabeth Torres, a 24-year veteran of the police department, 

and Yvonne Rodriguez, an office manager for police chief Larry Gomer, 

were caught plotting to use birdseed to cast a spell to make Lyndon 

Bonner "go away" in August before a round of planned departmental layoffs.

Torres told Rodriguez she had previous success with the curse, having

 made her son and daughter move out by sprinkling it on the front porch

 of their home, according to the police report.

Investigators say the pair were upset with the "negative climate" in the

 department, and hatched a plan to similarly curse Bonner by gaining 

access to his office. Torres admitted to police that she brought the 

birdseed to Rodriguez, then approached janitor Esther Villanueva, 

asking her to sprinkle the birdseed in Bonner's office as she cleaned.

The two were busted when Villanueva reported the incident to a supervisor. 

Though Torres confessed to the plan, she told investigators it was just a 

superstitious idea and the pair meant no harm.

"It was kind of a joke, kind of a superstition," she said, according to 

interview transcripts. "It did have bases in religious knowledge I had from

before...As misguided as it may seem, this idea popped into my head, 

and I thought, 'Well, it can't hurt anybody.'"

"Ultimately, the city manager really doesn't have anything to worry 

about. In Santeria, you can't just spread bird seed and make the 

supernatural do what you want it to do," Michelle Moldonaldo, a Professor

 in Religious Studies, told WSVN.

The pair, who were fired last week, can appeal their terminations.

I say this in the best way: this is what makes being a witch worth it. Hearing about hilarious things like that.

I decided to post this article because it brought up something very interesting: the power of belief. The Professor was correct: you cannot make the supernatural do what you wish it to. Magick, spell work, etc, is merely a powerful, energy-enforced prayer to the God and Goddess to have the odds work in your favor. just like belief, these people were not tried because many did not have belief in the curse that the individuals were attempting to place--there found no real threat to it. But did you notice how their boss did?

Back in the day, as most witches know, being accused of witchcraft was a devastating crime, which would easily lead to being tortured and even eventually killed. However, it seems even things as horrible as curses can appeal to even those whom are not full-on believers of magick. It would seem like a great thing, wouldn't it? The ability to cast magick and do whatever you want...

I wonder if these two knew about the Wiccan Rede, huh? Hahaha~