Meet Libby, the Witch + Witches - True or False

 

There are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation out there about witches, so let’s debunk them and get some facts straight, shall we?

This was a post for my blog tour years ago that is no longer on the other blogger's site (which I had linked to on my website...bummer), so I am sharing it here on my own blog.

1. Witches fly on broomsticks at night.

False. Witches use brooms to cleanse sacred spaces and sweep away negative energy.

2. The pentagram is the sign of evil.

False. The pentagram represents the earth element and the feminine force.

3. Practical Magic isn’t just the name of a book/movie, but a type of magic.

True. Practical magick is the use of magic for practical means, such as for healing and medicinal use through herbs, tea, soap, candles, and aroma therapy.

Actually, I'm a Witch / Vlog

Hi, there! Thank you for stopping by for this edition of my vlog on Write with Fey!

I've got two videos for you dedicated to my short story, Witch of Death.

Enjoy!

Actually, I'm a Witch

Length: 6:21

Witch of Death Reading

Length: 4:34

Total Length for Both Videos: 10:55

Feel free to comment on my blog and/or on the videos on YouTube. To go each video's YouTube page, click on the title located on the video.

QUESTIONS: Do you enjoy reading witch stories? Who are your favorite witchy characters?


Thanks for watching!

Before you go, consider signing up for my mom's holiday blog hop to celebrate the release of her next picture book SLEIGH RIDE.

Blog Hop Day: November 15, 2019

Blog Hop Question for participants to answer in their blog posts: 

What is your favorite holiday memory? (This includes Hanukkah, Kwanza, Yule/Winter Solstice, Christmas, etc.)

All posts will include the cover art, blurb, and buy links for SLEIGH RIDE. As well as her author info.

Sign up here:

Abigail Owen / Meet the Muse / Bait N' Witch

Welcome to my new feature to support my fellow authors from The Wild Rose Press! I will be featuring one author for each letter of the alphabet. I also created a few new guest post options, which I hope you'll enjoy. For this one, I ask authors to tell us about their muse.

Please help me to welcome the author for A . . . Abigail Owen!

1. Tell us about your recent release.

Bait N’ Witch is the third book in my Legendary Consultants series of paranormal romance novellas. Each novella features different paranormal creatures, and this one focuses on witches…

Rowan McAuliffe has been hiding most of her life. Secretly trained in her powers by an unusual source, she’d been taught not to trust anyone. Especially other witches. However, after she was forced to perform a hateful act against her will, she now hides from the Mage High Council who seek answers, and possibly her life.

Greyson Masters is the Council’s best enforcer–a witch hunter who lays down the law. Despite the danger of his job, Greyson is also raising his triplet daughters. Alone. Budding new witches who display an alarming combined power no one understands. Too bad he hasn’t got a clue how to deal with them.

Little does Greyson realize that the new nanny sent to him by Legendary Consultants is the very witch he is hunting. When the truth is revealed, can these two opposing forces find a way to listen to their hearts? Or will Greyson have to follow orders and kill Rowan–the one woman who has made his soul come alive?

Buy Link:

Amazon

2. Who is your muse?

My muse for every story I write is my heroine. For Bait N’ Witch, that means my heroine is Rowan McAuliffe. Rowan and I met when I was working on Her Demigod Complex. Rowan showed up toward the end, and jumped off the page practically waving her arms in the air and shouting, write me a story too! Characters have a habit of doing that to me. Lol.

3. What does your muse look like?

Rowan has long, dark red curly hair and lovely grey eyes. Although, as a witch she can change her appearance. She once showed up with green hair and some funky colored eyes, each a different color. Of course, she was hiding from a demigod and some werewolves at the time.

4. Describe your muse’s personality.

Rowan is a witch with an interesting past. One which means hiding who she truly is in order to protect herself. But she just can’t hide her quirky personality and blunt opinions around Grey, the warlock she’s nannying for.

5. How do you tempt your muse to work?

I’m a bit of a slave driver. I work on a book every single day. My various muses (all my heroines) do get time off now and then, when I’m working with a different muse. When we disagree about working, my muse and I sit down and go over notes from old workshops, we brainstorm, and then we write anyway. Doesn’t always work, but it gets words on the page.

6. When/where does your muse inspire you the most?

At the most inopportune times, usually. Lol. My best ideas come in the middle of the night, or in the shower, or in the middle of a meeting when I can’t jump on it right away. All my muses do that. Maybe it’s a conspiracy to drive me nuts. J

7. Has your muse ever gone on strike?

Absolutely. Rowan got pretty irritated with how she kept getting bumped for other projects and deadlines. It took a lot of groveling to finally get her story finished to her satisfaction. But I’m happy to say she got her HEA!

8. What would your muse’s motto be to get your butt into gear?

Suck it up buttercup and write. Mama needs a HEA.

9. What was your relationship like with your muse while writing BAIT N’ WITCH?

Like any friendship, there’s a period of time where you get to know each other. Then a friendship solidifies. There might be some bumps here and there. But by the end of the project, you can practically finish each others’ sentences.

10. Are you and your muse working on something new?

It’ll probably be a little while before I work with Rowan on any new story, and even then it’ll just be for a few pages here and there. My muse at the moment is Holly Jensen. She is shy but has a great sense of humor. I’m trying to work out a HEA for her with Cash Hill in Saving the Sheriff and see if a publisher likes the changes. Fingers crossed!

Bio:

Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.

For the latest news and exclusive excerpts, sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/Lw2XH

Author Links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

Good luck, Abigail! And thanks for letting us meet Rowan.

Please leave a comment for Abigail. :)

Writing About: Magickal Spells

NOTE: I'm co-hosting over at Unicorn Bell. My post is about finding writing inspiration: Dear Uninspired Writer.

I love movies, TV shows (like Charmed and Witches of East End), and books about witches and magick. It’s one of my passions, so of course I wrote a short story about both titled “Witch of Death,” which involves witches and detectives.

If you ever want to write about witches, check out this post: Writing About: Witches, and follow the steps below for spells. Although there's no spells in "Witch of Death," I wanted to write about them to continue this series on witches.

Here are 5 tips if you want your character to say a spell and use magickal tools:

1. Do research to understand how spells are written, so you can create your own for your story. The purpose of the spell and what it’s supposed to do has to be clear in the wording. They usually call upon the four elements (earth, fire, water and air) in the beginning as well as a goddess or god. Then they end with “so mote it be.” The spell doesn’t have to rhyme if you don’t want it to, but it is a nice touch as it’s easier to read.

Check out this website: Basics of Wicca and Paganism for more help on how to write a spell for your story.

2. Know what kind of tools your character(s) can use. There are fire, water, earth, and air spells that use items associated with these elements. There’s also candle magick.

Items often used:

-       Incense

-       Oils

-       Herbs

-       Candles

-       Gemstones

-       Water

-       Salt

Some spells involve chanting or burning a piece of paper with your wish on it.

Colors for candle magick:

Red: Courage and health, sexual love and lust

Pink: Friendship, sweet love

Orange: Attraction and encouragement

Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, solar connections

Yellow: Persuasion and protection

Green: Financial gain, abundance, fertility

Light Blue: Health, patience and understanding

Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability

Purple: Ambition and power

Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings

Black: Negativity and banishment

White: Purity and truth

Silver: Reflection, intuition, lunar connections

3. Know how a character would cast and close a circle. A circle is a line of energy that creates a safe place for the witch to perform magick. This can be done with candles or an athame.

4. Describe your character as he/she casts the spell and what he/she does. Does he/she raise his/her arms? Does his/her voice rise? What does he/she do with the tools?

5. Describe what happens during the spell. Does he/she feel warmth or a sense of calm? For a thrilling story, does the wind pick up? Do the candle flames flicker? If you think about what the spell is supposed to do, you’ll be able to figure out what can happen while it’s being cast.

6. What is the outcome of the spell? Can the result be seen or felt? Does it work? If the outcome isn’t immediate, follow your character so your readers can see the impact the spell has on his/her life.

NOTE: Witches don’t like to cast spells that’ll manipulate other people or affect their free will.  They avoid it at all costs.

Again, do your research. I recommend reading “The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book” by Skye Alexander.

QUESTIONS: Did you ever watch Charmed? Although it’s canceled now, did you watch Witches of Eastend (on Lifetime)? What about the Good Witch movies on Hallmark that’s now a show? I watched all of them! :D

Writing About: Witches

AUTHOR NOTE: In this article, I discuss Wiccan witches, but I acknowledge that not all witches are Wiccans.


I love witches in literature and real life, and I love creating witch characters.The witches I’ve known are the kindest, brightest people. The witches I’ve written about run the gambit of my imagination from the fanciful witches you’ll find in books/movies (including dark witches) to modern-day witches who worship nature, beauty, and life.

If you want to write a book about a witch character, you can use these tips:

Modern-Day Witch:

1.    Research

Witches are not evil people who worship the devil and are part of a cult. They are kind-spirited people who believe in a creed (known as the Wiccan Rede) that says, “An' ye harm none, do what ye will.” Witchcraft centers around expanding one's knowledge and understanding of nature (trees, animals, lunar phases, seasons, etc.). It never involves harmful spells or potions. The spells witches may cast are for healing, love, wisdom, and creativity, and the “potions” they brew are tonics and other healing remedies. Witches believe in the Law of Three that states whatever you send out returns to you threefold, so they only do good things with their craft.

2.    Appearances

Witches don’t have a distinct look. You could pass a witch or two in the grocery store. But if you want to give your female character a look that could be for a witch, she can dress in long, flowing skirts and cotton sundresses, lace, and crocheted wraps.

Did you know? The Defense Department recognizes Wicca as an official religion and allows Wiccan soldiers to state their belief on their dog tags. As of 2006, an estimated 1,800 Wiccans served in the United States military. 

3.    Know the 8 Sabbats

If you’re going to follow a witch character for any given period of time in your story, you should know what the eight Sabbats are because they are all significant, especially for magic.

· Yule, Winter Solstice- marks the longest night of the year and the start of the sun’s return. 

· Imbolc, Feast of the Candles- celebrates the beginning of spring and the sprouting of seeds. 

· Spring Equinox- when earth awakens. Wiccans color eggs and plant seeds. 

· Beltane, May Day (May1st)- a celebration of the fertility of spring. 

· Midsummer- the longest day of the year. 

· Lugnasadh (August 1^st)- the first harvest. 

·  Autumn Equinox- earth prepares to die and Wiccans give thanks for the harvest they have received. 

·   Samhain, October 31^st- the Wiccan New Year that honors rebirth.

4.    Ceremonies

Ceremonies are very important to witches. Each one is done for a specific reason. I’ll highlight two that have the most meaning to Wiccans and can be great additions to any story:

· Initiation: When a witch is welcomed into a coven or, more to the point, becomes a witch for the first time in their life. 

Read this article for more information on initiations into covens. 

Read this article for information on a solitary witches self dedication ritual. 

· Handfasting- This is a Wiccan marriage where the couple’s joined hands are bound with a rope they created from three strands that represent the bride, groom, and their relationship. As they braid these strands, they discuss their lives and futures together.

5.    Magic

Modern day witches cast spells with the energy of natural things and their deities. They use candles, oils, incense, and herbs as well as these tools:

·         Athame (double-edged knife)- directs power and energy out of the witches body and into the world.

·         Chalice (cup)- holds water or wine for ritual use.

·         Broom- used to cleanse the ritual space before and after magickal work.

·         Cauldron (pot)- can be filled with water, fire, flowers or other items at a ceremony.

Witches don’t wield power with their hands. They don’t vanquish demons like on Charmed (my all-time favorite show) with potions. But they do have a...

·         Book of Shadows- a witch’s personal journal where they document spells, rituals, and magickal lore.

·         Altar- a space (table or shelf) where spell and ritual tools can be kept.

·         Pentagram/Pentacle- an encircled five-pointed star used as a symbol of the Wicca faith. Having your witch wear jewelry with a pentagram on it would be a nice touch.

Again, do your research. I recommend reading “The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book” by Skye Alexander.

Supernatural Witch:

1.    Appearance

If you want to create a supernatural witch, you have the freedom to get creative with his/her appearance. In my short story, Witch of Death, my heroine, Liberty Sawyer, looks like your classic evil witch with jet-black hair, ice-blue eyes, and moon-white skin.

2.    Powers

A supernatural witch can have any power you can imagine. Piper on Charmed could blow things up with her hands. Your witch could also harness power in his/her hands.

Here is a list of Supernatural Powers and Abilities. 

3.    Name

A witch in a fantasy or paranormal story can have any name from Sabrina (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) to Bellatrix (Harry Potter). Whatever name speaks to you for your witch character should be the one you choose.

Check out this list of female Pagan names.

4.    Magick

When a supernatural witch does magick, anything can happen. Lightning can strike around him/her, the four elements (water, fire, earth, and wind) can flow like streams and spin around your witch, and flames can burst from the ground like geysers. In Witch of Death, my witches can form burning orbs of energy with their hands that they used as weapons against each other.

5.    Blend fantasy with real life.

You can have supernatural witches in your story, even evil witches who dabble in black magic and still include some of the things I mentioned in the modern-day witch category.

QUESTIONS: Do you like reading books with witches as the main characters? If so, do you have a favorite book?

AUTHOR NOTE: This is not a post for people to leave hateful comments about witches/Wicca. If you do, it will be deleted immediately and not responded to. Thanks!