Spooky To Do List 2016

       This post was inspired by Sary Walrus's Halloween To Do List 2016 post.

       This year is really up in the air for me. I am moving across the country and going off to college. As a result, I am really not sure what my life will by like by this Halloween.

       Because of that, this list isn't exactly a Halloween to do list. It is a spooky to do list. In other words, this is a list of all of the spooky things I want to make sure I get done between now and Halloween.

• Halloween in Summer? Halloween in Summer! I want to throw a Halloween party for my friends before I move. That way I still get to celebrate with all of them.

• Pare down my wardrobe to better fit my look. One good thing about not being able to take everything with me, is that I can make sure I only take the pieces I really love or really need.

• Make a playlist of all of my current favorite spooky music. This just seems like a fun thing to do.

• Watch a ton of movies. I want to rewatch old favorites, like Silent Hill, and see some that I have never watched but have always wanted to, like Psycho.

• Up my makeup game. I finally got some white foundation, so it's time to practice. Need to get my gothy makeup on point in time for school.

• Catch up on Nightvale. I am so far behind.

• More art. Journal art? Photography? Poetry? All of it.

• Acquire a costume. The last few years my costumes have been really last minute. I want to put more thought into it this year.

• Make myself a pair of horns. I've wanted some for ages now, but I still haven't gotten around to trying any of the tutorials I have found.

• Stare longingly at new pairs of vampire fangs but probably not actually buy them because I need to save money.

• Look for Halloween, horror, or art events in the area around my college. I would love to find some horror film festivals.

• Failing that, spend more time supporting artists online. My art blog, here, is where I reblog artists' work on tumblr.

• Look for pagan groups in the area. I want to meet some people to celebrate Samhain with.

• Keep my nails looking nice. I particularly like the blood spattered manicure and burned paper nails.
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• Actually spend Halloween with my partner for the first time ever. They love Halloween just as much as I do (and coincidentally, they just sent me a picture of themselves in a cemetery).

"Be the Goth Queen you Were Trying to be When you Were 14"

Me at 14

 

Me Now

  

In other words, I think I'm succeeding. That inspiration came from this tumblr post. Check it out.

Favorite Feelings

Today I filmed a vlog about my favorite feeling. It's something a few YouTubers have done, namely Hank Green and charlieissocoolike. It seemed like an interesting idea so I gave it a try.

It was really easy for me to come up with ideas. By the time I was finished with the first version of my list I had about 23 items, including everything from being loved to sleeping well. From there I combined some things, cleaned up the phrasing, and came up with this.

Below is the final version of the list which is what I was reading from in the video.

Favorite Feelings:

• Excitement.

• The positive stress of working on a difficult project I'm passionate about.

• Knowing something I did helped someone.

• Having someone acknowledge hard work I did. People being proud of me.

• Feeling confident and bad-ass.

• Finding something I don't remember writing that is really good.

• Being part of a community I enjoy.

• Being able to tell someone anything and having complete communication with them.

• When you're so excited about a conversation that it's like you can't say things fast enough.

• Having someone include me in plans and make time for me. It shows that they appreciate me as much as I appreciate them.

• Seeing my date-person.

• Cuddles, hugs, and physical contact.

• Being correctly gendered and having people use my pronouns (they/them/their).

• Sword fighting and other fun strenuous physical activities.

• Being alone after a long day.

• Seeing the sky a half hour before dawn.

• Falling asleep easily and wake up well rested.

• Finding a book I know I'll love.

So, what are your favorite feelings? Feel free to share in the comments below, or even to write your own vlog post or film your own vlog. I'd love to see any responses.

Don't forget that you can also check out my YouTube channel or follow me on Google+.

Ritual Purity: Non-Binary Mysteries Prompt #5

I am extremely excited to start participating in the Non-Binary Mysteries prompts. Not only do the questions seem interesting, it also combines two important aspects of my identity: being pagan and being nonbinary.

That being said, let's get started. This month's theme is miasma and ritual purity.

What does your path have to say about the concept of miasma or ritual purity?

My practice is very eclectic. More than anything I lean towards urban witchcraft, which means that in an ideal situation I would be out and about for a lot of my magic. That doesn't always go hand in hand with things like ritual bathing.

However, I do draw somewhat from paths that place more of an emphasis on ritual purity. For example, I work with Djehuty and have some Kemetic aspects in my practice. Of course, even within Kemetic practices the standards for ritual purity are a bit fluid and can differ from person to person (assuming you're working solo rather than as part of a group such as Kemetic Orthodoxy) so...I suppose my path doesn't really say much about miasma or ritual purity.

How do you define ritual purity?

For me, ritual purity is just being in the right state (physically, mentally, etc.) to perform a ritual or interact with a deity. The exact requirements of ritual purity vary from situation to situation.

How do you feel about the traditional gendered implications of miasma and ritual purity?

Some traditions dictate that you are not ritually pure while you are on your period. That has never felt true to me so I haven't incorporated it into my practice.

How does your gender influence your ritual purity?

It doesn't really. Being agender has basically no effect on my view of ritual purity or the things I do to achieve it.

Does your worship and practice differ in the kind of demands they have on your ritual purity?

Whether I am worshiping or doing magic does not really affect what I need to do to be ritually pure. More often it depends on the complexity and formality of what I am doing. Generally the more formal the activity the more I will do to be ritually pure. Large formal rituals, celebrations, and works of magic often require a dedicated cleansing bath and clean clothing, whereas simply washing my hands and face is suitable for smaller works. If the activity is more spontaneous I might not do anything at all, depending on the situation.

One thing I do always need to do to be prepared is to be focused. Sometimes this means taking a moment to calm down. Other times it means feeling the energy and emotion associated with whatever I am going to be doing and just going with it.

Generally, anything I do regarding ritual purity is just meant to get me in the right state of mind.

You've probably noticed that I haven't used the word miasma very much in this post. That's because it's a concept I'm extremely unfamiliar with. I actually had to look it up because of this prompt.

The Darkling Tag

I found this challenge on tumblr and figured it would be a good introductory type thing to do since I'm just getting back into blogging.

Simple Questions:

What is your favorite candle scent?

Vanilla is my favorite easily found scent. Beyond that I like anything that smells like good cologne.

Do you have a favorite book?

-explodes while trying to choose-

Are you a tea or coffee person?

BOTH!

What is your favorite brand and color of lipstick?

Currently I'm loving Kleancolor's Cast of Spell. It's not the highest quality but the color is beautiful.

I was actually wearing it today. It works quite well with my predominantly black and purple outfit. In better lighting it looks more colorful. It almost seems to glow too, the same way white fabric does under a black light.

What is your favorite perfume/cologne?

I don't really have one. The only stuff I own is some off brand cologne I got for a dollar.

Do you have a celebrity crush?

No.

If you had to give up the color black, what color would you choose instead?

My first thought was purple, but grey would be more versatile.

If you could change your name to a stereotypical 90s/2000s gothy name, what would it be?

When I was little it would have been Thorn because of the Hex Girl by that name. Then for a while I was leaning towards Heather. Now, I'd have to go with Poe.

What are your top three tips for surviving hot weather while black clad?

Stay in the shade. Sunblock is your friend. Drink tons of water.

What song will always make you happy?

Point Counterpoint by Streetlight Manifesto or Lucretia my Reflection by Sisters of Mercy

Are you active in the arts?

Yes. Mainly I write and film. I'm even part of a multimedia academy at my school.

If you had a teacup or mug made inscribed just for you, what would you have it say?

They/Them

What is you number one non-gothy hobby?

Uh...I don't know. Is filming stuff a gothy hobby or not?

Thought Provokers:

If you could be a supernatural creature, what would it be and why?

Ok, so I'm stretching the word "supernatural" a bit to include mythological creatures as well. I want to be an elf. I like elves. A lot.

What horror monster-based super power would you have?

Uh...I don't know. I'm having trouble thinking of monster-based super powers at all. Maybe turning invisible? Then I could be out an about on my own without having to worry about my safety so much because no one would know I was there. I could actually go for solo walks at night. I'd just have to be really careful about crossing streets.

Do you feel confident or comfortable interacting with other goths or gothy people?

It depends. If I'm all dressed up and I look nice, then yes usually. If not then it's just like, "Wait, I can be marvelously gothy. Please believe me."

Which is more important for a look: great hair or great makeup?

Makeup.

Is there something you wish there was more of in your subculture?

I just wish there was more community in my area. I want to meet people.

Care to share and embarrassing story related to your "darkliness"?

How about the vast majority of my old website?

How are you at DIY?

I'm ok at it. It depends what I'm trying to do.

Quickly describe your ideal wedding.

I don't even know. I know I want to get married eventually but I don't know what I want it to be like.

True or False:

I love watching cheesy romance films: False

I always remember to wash off my makeup at night: True

I sleep with plushies: True

I wear non-black pajamas most nights: True

I still listen to a boy band that had disbanded years ago: False

I think Andrew Eldritch is overrated: False

I don't like vampires: False

I don't like clubs: False

I'm dating a goth/darkly-inclined person: Ehhh...they can appreciate dark things but they aren't goth.

I don't enjoy graveyards: False

Blood makes me queasy: True

I'd sooner faint than pet a spider: True

I don't like haunted houses: I'm really not sure

I still browse Hot Topic's clearance racks: False (there isn't a Hot Topic close enough to me.)

I've never read Dracula: True

I think "Bela Lugosi's Dead" is a long and boring song: True (though I like it better than a lot of Bauhaus's stuff)