Stephanie's Studio

Witches have captured the popular imagination through television, films and books. People say: Witches are ugly Witches have warts Witches sign pacts with the devil Witches are sorcerers And then, we all know, Witches must be stupid because they fly on their brooms on Halloween, straight into trees. In reality, the word witch stems from the Anglo Saxon language and means wise one or wisdom. In days of old, witches were considered founts of wisdom and were sought out for curing diseases of the mind, body and spirit. Often outcasts from the villages in which they lived, they were nevertheless brought into the fold in times of trial and tribulation. Witches can be green witches, meaning they practice herbalism, possibly magickal herbalism and work on healing. Witches are sometimes solitary. Solitary practitioners as it sounds, practice alone rather than with a group. Witches can be a part of a larger community of practitioners and practice with a coven. There ar...

Friday Natural Healing Corner: Dying, Death and Mourning In many quarters of the globe, the word death seems to burn the lips, particularly here in the West.  To utter death, we move our lips in such a way that bitter feelings, gruesome thoughts and the pain of finality is wrenched from the depths of the soul.  This dance with death begins clumsily yet with practice it can become increasingly more graceful.  Those of us involved with Hoodoo deal with various realms, including the "other-side" on a daily basis.  A gift of Hoodoo is that within its domain lies a plethora of jobs, tricks, rituals and incantations, inspired by the wisdom of indigenous and rural people.  Death, dying, grief and its attending depression and depletion are processes without an easy solution.  Using elements of Hoodoo can help you come to terms with the inevitable.  Hoodoo conjuration keeps you in touch with the spirit realm affording opportunities to glimpse and interact ...