Warming the Hearth

hey Dawn,

I'm enjoying reading your blog and came across your post about cast iron; I too love my cast iron pots - using one to bake bread in (in the oven, with the lid on) always results in the best bread with just perfect crust. I just wanted to share a little tip about cleaning, which I hold from my own grandmother and has served me well. Once in a while, or if you find you have food sticking to the pot, pour a large handful of rock salt into the dry hot pan / cauldron (be careful not to burn yourselef obviously) and scrub the pot well with a thick cloth you don't mind losing… this will lift off the burnt food and also, according to my grandmother, prevent rust and will 'flavour' the pot. :-)
Hope you find this useful.

I have never seen the point of a low fat or low sugar cake ( unless you're diabetic and it's the only way you get to have any) Cake should be an infrequent pleasure, so I go the "whole hog" and bake something wonderful. I also know how much butter goes into it. As for sugar - oh my gods. Therefore, I eat less of it and enjoy it more. When I'm really feeling the love, I churn my own butter (takes moments in the food processor) and use the butter and buttermilk in the cake. This takes a half litre of cream, so I bear that in mind whilst tucking in! My idea of a "healthy" cake is one that has no preservatives.
Better to have no cake than compromise cake, in my view.

Just to let you know, Dawn, that as a newbie as yet unwise in the craft and therefore not sufficiently competent to know what the hell to do about The Tangoed One ( see adverts for Tango - "you've been Tangoed"..) I am praying to the gods to guide the president to do the right thing (like resign), and to guide those who have the power to decide on the Presidency to do what is right and just and to have the courage and strength they need. Hopefully my tiny feathers of spells in this direction will lend their weight to you and yours as they take wing. Aster xx

This is morningbird's site. She can say whatever she pleases. By the way, I agree with her.

I love this. It answers all my questions about "is my shoddy shortcut ok?" and "can I just make it up"? I find it really difficult to follow wording of spells, even to follow potions exactly. Also, with no disrespect to the people who take the time and artistry to make them up and follow them well, I'm not a fan of rhyming that goes on for long. A couple of lines to remember and use is good for me, a long poem loses its significance, especially if it rhymes. That's just me. Instead, I look at the list of ingredients, think about their purpose, maybe tweak it to my purpose or my personal spiritual comfort, and just go. My circle casting is wobbly, my candles go out, I don't really know what I'm doing, but I know my heart's intentions and I know the gods see that. Keep up the excellent work, Dawn, I love your writing and it brings me great comfort and inspiration. Aster xx

This is not a site about "The Craft", it's my personal blog. If you would like to get your own blog, you have many easy-to-use options to choose from and a whole range of price points. I encourage you wholeheartedly to make use of them. You can write about whatever you like.

There are many people of color in leadership roles, as well as serving many equally valuable supportive roles, in the Pagan and Magical communities. There are, in fact, quite a few traditions in which people of color are the majority. And even if they weren't, even if what your obviously biased mind perceives to be true is true; I do not base my own actions and beliefs on the actions and beliefs of other people. Running around bitching about what other people are doing doesn't accomplish anything. If you can't understand what it means, it's this: My tolerance isn't dependent upon the tolerance of others. It is mine. I also don't check in to see what the neighbors lawn looks like before I decide what to do about mine. My house, my ethics, my values, my aesthetics are mine. I am not at all sure how anyone practices magick if they can't even figure out their own values without holding them up in comparison to someone else's.

But thank you for demonstrating my point about the whole lack of empathy thing.

Your assumptions are very telling. You are clearly not "Pagan like me" and I am not "Anglo" like you.
Isn't reading comprehension part of the IQ test?

How tolerant do you suppose your beloved "people of color" tend to be toward people who practice witchcraft, by the way?

Do you suppose for one second, that they tolerate "pasty-white", to use your own turn of phrase, people like you, doing what they consider "devil-worship"?

Are you this terminally naive; or are you simply too low-IQ to make the connection between importing hordes of people who despise both Anglos like you and Pagans like the both of us- and then our suffering relentless problems from their intolerance as a result? Have you ever even thought about any of that; or is it all just safe spaces and feewings with your sort?

" Whatever you do, don't shut up. "

Believe me, I won't shut up. Every time you misuse a site about the Craft as a platform for cultural Marxist moonbattery, I'll call you out on it. Again and again and again.

Thank you, Jen. That means a lot to me!

Your perspective is refreshing and I believe you are making a difference. You should be thanked more often, so thank you!!

Nicely written and well thought out. I enjoy your blogs. :)