#disparatemind

[autumn-vale-academia]

Café at the Edge of Life and Death

Part 21

It seemed that I'd gone quite a long time without any changes in the cafe, save for the fact that the souls sitting in it were constantly arriving and departing, so Julie stepping behind the counter was kind of a big deal. And yet with as much as my mind had been pulled to Death's Door, especially recently, it seemed that change was inevitable… and long due.

I was doing my rounds yet again, and in between refilling orders I checked on Julie. “How are you doing?” I asked.

“I'm doing ok,” she said, looking up at me without pausing in her kneading. “This is helping a lot.”

“It helped me a lot too, when I first got here,” I said. “It's very soothing.”

Julie nodded, then glanced at the counter, which was crowded with ingredients, and smiled sheepishly at me. “I hope you don't mind, but I remembered a couple of things I used to make…”

A smile spread across my face. “Not at all! I'm excited to see what you make,” I told her. “I'm glad you're doing a bit b—”

The smile slid from my face and crashed to the floor right along with the coffee pot I'd been holding. Scalding coffee splattered my legs but I felt nothing, didn't hear a word of the concerned shouts around me. All I could do was stare at the soul sitting alone on the couch across the café, my entire body clanging like a death knell.

Couch sat staring straight ahead, hand hanging in mid-air like he'd been holding a cup that had fallen from suddenly-nerveless fingers, eyes wide and an expression of shell-shock on his face. Neither of us moved for what felt like ages, and only when his eyes locked onto mine did I feel my own breath come back to me.

“Couch…” I whispered, moving through the crowd surrounding me and stopping a few feet away. My hand started to reach out of its own accord but stopped halfway, unsure.

His mouth moved but no sound came out, and it took several more tries before he finally managed anything at all.

“It's… It's done. There's no heartbeat,” he said in a whisper. “I'm free.”

His eyes misted over and he said it again, louder and full of shocked joy. “I'm free!”

A smile more joyous than any I'd ever seen spread over his face, and he jumped up. “I'm free!” he shouted.

Cheers erupted from the patrons, the sound physically making me sway, and I stood staring. Couch was no longer among the living. His soul was no longer tethered to the earth, and he was free to move on. My eyes pricked with tears and I smiled at him, turning to go back to the counter.

Pulling out a batch of cinnamon rolls that Julie had finished baking for me, I took the best one and put it on a plate, grabbing a cup of fresh coffee and making my way over to Couch.

“Congratulations,” I said, my voice choking up even on just that one word, and I handed him the food and drink. He looked at it and took it from me, setting it down and then yanking me into a hug.

I froze in shock, and it took me a moment to remember I was supposed to wrap my arms around him in response. His shoulders shook with emotion, and slowly my arms tightened around him.

After who knows how long, he pulled back and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, didn't mean to… I just…”

He laughed helplessly. “Thanks,” he said simply. “I think I'll enjoy that cinnamon roll you brought me.”

I nodded and moved behind the counter, moving on autopilot with only one thought circling in my head like I just couldn't grasp it; Couch was finally free.

[breelandwalker]

I'd like your opinion on something if you don't mind.

A previous mentor who I was very close to (and has since passed away) taught me that I shouldn't sell my magic but give it freely. I've realized since then that it's really each individual's choice whether or not to do so, but I can't seem to shake the skeevy feelings when I think of selling my own work, even though the money would definitely help. That said, I am less sure that it's from that previous line of thinking and more to do with the fact that I have never been a sales person.

How does one start selling their magical wares and protect against burnout (from putting too much energy into what they make and sell), and how do you keep from someone using the energy you put into it to turn it against you?

This is a very good question and a good example of how it can be a difficult process to grow out of our first set of lessons. It's true what they say about first impressions - they're hard to get past, and it takes some doing to reset your thinking to adjust to new information. So it's good that you're already doing that reconsideration. Be patient with yourself and keep at it!

As for selling one's work, there's another old adage that holds true here - If you're good at something, never do it for free. Lots of witches make some kind of income from their craft, whether it's tips from readings or teaching workshops or selling physical wares. There's nothing wrong with it, but some witches do frown on the practice out of personal preference or a tradition-based perspective.

(Personally, I think the idea smacks of classism and elitism, since disenfranchised and economically-disadvantaged people have traded in charms and divination and other magical practices as a source of income for centuries and many continue to do so, but I digress....)

As for selling your wares, I'd suggest approaching things from a practical angle. Start small, decide what you want to sell, price your components, pay yourself for the time it takes to make things, and research similar items to get an idea of a fair price range. Don't go overboard with your first set of equipment or component purchases - it already takes a long time to make the money back, so don't put yourself into a huge hole right off the bat. (I made that mistake years ago with candlemaking.)

There are lots of options for selling wares online that don't require you to be a salesperson, but you will need to keep good records, stay organized, and do your own marketing. Be realistic about what you can handle as far as production, engagement, and shipping entail. I recommend selling from stock as opposed to doing custom orders. This naturally depends on what you're selling, but it's easier to sell from a pre-made stock of items than to get buried in orders you have to find time and energy to make after the fact.

Look into sites like Shopify and Squarespace and the like for your platform. Make sure you create accounts on several payment sites so your customers have lots of options. Take good clear photos of your wares that show them in the best light and give a good idea of color and size.

If you feel up to it, you can also look into live markets in your area. I've had a lot of success with witch markets, flea markets, and craft fairs, even though they require a fair investment of time and energy. If you decide to do this, keep an eye toward presentation, remember that visibility is key, and practice your pitch ahead of time so you can just spit it out like a recording instead of overthinking what you're saying.

As for the energy issue, it helps to pace yourself when you're making things. Don't try and do it all at once or you'll burn yourself out and it will become a chore. Starting small and not overcommitting definitely helps. If you're going to put a particular magical effect into an item, use small amounts of energy and intention and let the components do the heavy lifting.

For example, I make little bottle charms for various purposes. When I make them, I focus on a general good-will blessing for the pieces, allowing the herbs and crystals to retain their potential energy for future use. Whoever purchases the charm can then put their own energy into it for the designated purpose.

Think of it like using an eyedropper versus a bucket. You don't need to douse everything to make it work. Put just a drop or so of intention and potential into each item and let it brew. The person who buys it can take on the responsibility of fully charging the item when they're ready to use it.

I honestly don't worry about people using the energy in my wares against me. That's not really how that works. Energy can have a signature, but it doesn't work the same as a taglock. It's not like I'm handing over a lock of hair.

Also, I don't think most witches make a habit of buying things from people just to try and harm them through magic. Tiktok makes everyone paranoid with these claims of rampant baneful magic that can be aimed through pictures of workings or screen names or what have you. People simply don't have that much time on their hands and even if they did, they'd have a helluva time directly the magic effectively without a clear target.

In any case, if you're worried, a simple set of protective wards should take care of things. Include a reflective layer that turns away incoming magical harm or unwanted spells and you should be fine.

If you have any specific questions or would like recommendations for suppliers, let me know. Hope this helps and best of luck with your business!

[disparatemind]

My body is a temple. Do not presume to tell me who may worship at my altar.

[disparatemind]

I must ask my Love... what is this Mahbus Archives you've been posting so much about?

Hello love 😽

It all started when I came across this meme:

I laughed at it, taking it at surface value that the bear looks strung out and was seeing some things when he answered "ALL." I figured it was probably referring to something (this IS Tumblr after all), and the reblogged story addition about a group of DnD players screeching it at their DM kinda confirmed that, so I spent some 2+ hours at work between calls looking through the notes for a crumb of context so I could search online. The "hang on I have to look something up" has sunk deep into my brain apparently 😹 Searching the image itself just brought me back to the Tumblr post, until I came across someone's explanation of the meme; it just didn't include what the meme was referencing. I did see The Magnus Archives mentioned few times (and I can remember seeing it referenced elsewhere at least a couple of times) so I searched for that and found out it's a horror/paranormal podcast that's presented as a series of audio recordings of written statements of paranormal occurrences given to researchers at The Magnus Institute in London, and the recordings themselves are done by the Head Archivist Jonathan Simms along with two researchers, Sasha and Tim (technically three if you include Martin, but he's not expected to contribute anything but delays).

You find all that out at the beginning of the very first episode, and I've listened to three total so far but since I wanted to do a update-as-I-listen (requested by @crownamedblue iirc) I just started over with episode 1.

I think you'd REALLY like it, this is the YouTube playlist I've been listening to it on. If you start listening to it we're probably going to be blowing up each other's phones 🥰

[disparatemind]

Beatus Veneralia!🌹

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1485

What is Veneralia?

Historically, Veneralia was celebrated on April 1st in honor of Venus Verticordia (Changer of Hearts) and in conjunction with Fortuna Virilis ("Manly" or Virile Good Fortune). Venus was also a patroness of "profane" wine (that is, wine for everyday use), and the festival was an opportunity not only for both women and men to make requests of Venus within her normal domains of love and sex, but also to intercede on the petitioner's behalf to Jupiter for perceived divine offenses.

In Roman traditions, the most “sexually pure” maiden, chosen by vote amongst a committee of Roman matrons, would take the statue of Venus Verticordia from her temple to the men's baths and bathe it before draping garlands of myrtle (her sacred flower) around it. I choose to celebrate it in regards to Venus’ domains of love and sex.

If you are drawn to Venus, you can celebrate by drinking wine, wearing rose or myrtle perfume or burning incense or candles in those scents, asking her to bring love or a certain someone into your life or sex life, or by asking her to intercede on your behalf to Jupiter for anything you might have put out into the universe that you might wish to make right or make amends for.

Blessed Veneralia! 🌹

[disparatemind]

How did you enjoy the first ep of the Magnus archives? Do you think you’ll be listening to more?

Soooooooo I realize I'm 8 years late to this fandom but YES OMG

That first episode hooked me (haha) and I just finished episode three. I am currently VERY UPSET that I can't listen to ep 4 yet as it's the kiddos' bedtime and we use my phone for their music. And it's called Pageturner AND I'M A BIBLIOPHILE.

I also feel like the "hang on I have to look something up real quick" is a little extreme in this case since it was a meme that started it lol.

[disparatemind]

Idk how many of my followers read my writing, but I'm contemplating starting a side blog just for my WIP's so I can keep them more organized. I just know I'm not great at running more than one social media account at a time.

But the Writing Mood™ has struck and I spent a good amount of today working on different story outlines for concepts that have sat for months, if not years.

Thoughts?

[disparatemind]

Me to hubby: Here's your lighter back.

Hubby: Oh, what'd you need it for?

Me: A spell.

Hubby: Oh, ok.