How To Build A Bookstore

WWPD?
What
Will
Pixie
Do?

Biggest question I'm getting these days, and for good reason.  I've asked myself the same thing many times over the last week or so, and have started compiling a list of things that I can do once the store is closed.  Some of them are total fantasy, others are completely grounded in reality.  But you know the greatest thing of all?  I have the freedom to dream again, and make reality any of the dreams I wish.

That's priceless!

So....

WWPD?

1. Get a job.
2. Make money that is MINE (after bills and debt)
3. Have weekends
4. Take holidays
5. Have days off that coincide with my sweetie's days off.
6. Clean my apartment!
7. Travel
8. Buy a new car
9. Take dance lessons
10. Go to spiritual retreats
11. Go to the beach
12. Have a summer where I get a tan!
13. Buy new clothes
14. Spend time with my partner
15. Get married
16. Put money away for retirement
17. Learn a new language
18. Knit
19. Partake in the activities I wish to and abstain from ones which I don't feel like attending.
20. Relax

Not a big list, but it's my list and it's a lot of fun to dream, isn't it?

Stay Tuned...

I've always marched to the beat of my own drum....and with the recent decision to close my store, it appears that that habit hasn't changed one bit.

I know that my decision has disappointed many, but it truly is the best way for me to go.  My landlord is raising the rent and unfortunately, the Pagan community just can't support the store....well, truth be told it never could.

Many people want me to relocate the store or have an online presence - but I'm not planning on either at the moment.  I'm up to my pretty little Pixie eyeballs in debt, so the only thing I'm planning on doing in the months/years to come...is alleviating that debt.  And truth be told, I'm really quite tired of the business.  I feel as if I've been climbing Everest with a yeti on my back for two years, and am now one pooped Pixie!  I have been shoving Grimoire's Books down the throats of everyone for years now, and I think it's definitely time for a rest!

So I'm moving forward with all sorts of plans and plots and schemes for the future.  Things that have been on hold for years now because of the store.  Time to brush off new ambitions and be excited again.  A new job, a new horizon, a new life!

Looking back, I'm very proud of what I've wrought in the community.  I always wanted to show the Pagan community just how diverse and rich it was, and I think I accomplished that on some small scale.  I hope that there will be others who value the community events as much as I have, and will take it upon themselves to continue them.  I know that Pagan Meet-up will be relocating, and I wish them the best of luck.  Same with the Norse Discussion Group and of course: YARNIES!  M&D Connection will most likely still be hosting Dragon nights, but it hasn't been discussed yet.

So, dear Pagans.....the ball is in your court.  I have done what I can to bring us all together in a safe, tranquil space.  I have shown you what diverse colours you have, but also what you have in common.  As I step back from the limelight, I hope that you will take it upon yourselves to cherish those lessons, and continue them.

Many thanks, and many blessings.

Pixie

Anyone familiar with the term "Qabalah" knows that this is not a concept which is learned in a day.  Hermetic Qabalah is a fascinating philosophy, but it can take years to consider it mastered.  It can be a dry, tedious subject full of many cross-referenced tangents from a variety of sources - most of them huge tomes.

So when I say that last night's Hermetic Qabalah class was engrossing and even.....FUNNY at times....I'm as shocked as you are!  Heck, I even went home and tried out some of my new funny Qabalah material on my sweetie....although I think the real humour was lost on him.  You really had to be here.

What can I say, teacher Troy Spreeuw certainly knows his stuff, and he knows his audience as well, so his class really hit home for a lot of us.  Suddenly an ancient dry philosophy was brought to life with great anecdotes, humourous analogies, and even (gasp) some dirty jokes!  I loved it, and I know many of the other attendees did as well.

Sure, there's a lot of digesting which needs to go on now.  It was a TON of information tossed out at us last night, but I think that it really gave me the solid foundation I needed to grasp the subject.  And I have an entire month to keep working on my new-found knowledge before the next bombardment hits on April 28th.

Thanks Troy!

Never a dull moment here at the store.....okay, well....maybe there are slow times when I'm kinda yawnish, but that's beside the point right now.  March has been full of great events and an endless parade of new faces, familiar faces, and fun times aplenty.

The Wicca 101 class taught by Holly Yau is in full swing, entering its 4th class tonight.  What a dedicated group!  Holly and I are constantly amazed at the fabulous insights and inspirations of these students.  They are a truly talented bunch.....and much hilarity ensues during each class.  I find that's such a nice way to end my work week - laugher & learning.

The Grimoire's Book Club had its second meeting this month, and again I found my socks thoroughly knocked off!  The topic was: What book(s) inspired you to follow a Pagan path?  Each person interpreted the topic a slightly different way, and it thoroughly enriched the evening.  I giggled when explaining my book choices.  Because I came from a more openly spiritual family, I was encouraged to be open-minded and therefore my exploration into paganism began at a very young age.  My favourite book was "The Ancient Egyptian Activity Book" which was purchased for my at the Royal Ontario Museum when I was six.  I STILL have it today, and it is STILL one of my most cherished possessions.  I was an Ancient Egypt nut from an early age, and the Egyptian pantheon was my first love.  *sigh*  We had one duplicate book: "The Wicca Spellbook" by Gerina Dunwich (which I also enjoyed during my earlier Wiccan days).  Others merely talked about how reading books about Wicca or Witchcraft had changed their lives at pivotal times, rather than bringing in the books themselves.  One thing I really liked was how many people discussed how the first pagan-esque book they read seemed to open something in their brains/hearts/souls which felt "right".  What an amazing night!

Next month we're reading Neil Gaiman's "American Gods".  I can't wait to hear all the contrasting opinions of our very first group read.  Hee hee.  For anyone interesed, we meet the 3rd Tuesday of the month, and are open to all opinions and interests.



Finally, I have something different to report.  Yesterday (Saturday), I took a field trip to Abbotsford with my Yarnies group (Grimmy's Gals - as we like to call ourselves) to attend Fibres West.  Oooooooh so much fun!  We skipped and frolicked through booths stuffed high with gloriously multi-hued fibre treasures.  We drooled over the many spinning wheels/drop spindles.  We craved a whole variety of fibre offerings: alpaca, silk, merino, cashmere, POSSUM, bamboo, soy, hemp, cotton.  We spent many happy moments at the Twist of Fate booth (ladies we LOOOOOOVE YOU!!!), and generally had ourselves a rip-roarin' good time.  For anyone interested in joining our happy gang, c'mon down every Thursday night here at the store from 7 - 9pm.  We promise you a good time *wink*.



Lookin' GREAT, ladies!



I did mention I'm shameless, right? ;)

Hello Dearest Readers,

Got a question to pose to you.

What do you think of pagan/wiccan themed magazines?  I've been thinking of getting a few titles into the store, but never thought to ask how interested my loyal customers may be.

Any thoughts?  Any favourite titles?

Lemme know.....

Had our very first meeting of the Grimoire's Book Club on Tuesday night.  I don't know why the concept of a book club was put off for so long, but regardless, it is ON!

First meeting went well, with 6 attendees bringing a number of their favourite books to recommend and share.  We tried to keep book recommendations down to 45 sec. Oscar speech timing, but quickly found out how impossible that is when talking about your favourite books.  Hee hee.  I think that Starhawk had the most nominations, with three books (one book even mentioned twice!), but in the end she lost out to another prolific and well-respected author.   (To be mentioned in a minute).

We also had the honour of determining how future meetings of the GBC would go, and how we would proceed with group book readings.  The group decided on a course of action that would save money, but not limit bookish enjoyment.  Soo.....here's what was decided upon.  Every other month we will discuss a book topic, with the off months being devoted to a group book.  Not bad, eh?  I'm rather happy with the decision.

So for those who wish to attend the GBC, next month's meeting is:  Tuesday, March 17th 7 - 9pm  And the topic is: What book inspired you towards the Pagan Path?

The following month will be a group read:  Neil Gaiman's "American Gods".  If you'd like to order a copy through the store, feel free to contact us.  We look forward to seeing more avid readers at the next GBC meeting.

Stay Tuned....

Allow me to plunk a loonie in my own rant jar for a minute.  I have to express my disappointment in last night's lacklustre turnout for a "sold out" event.  I had two people call and cancel, and SEVEN - count them - SEVEN no shows.  This is completely unacceptable. 

From now on, I will be requiring email/phone verification for event enrollment.  Successful attendees will receive a confirmation email or phone call.  Those who simply click "attending" on the Facebook page and do not email or phone will be turned away at the door if the event is full.  If this does not remedy the situation, I will be forced to implement a pre-payment policy, with no refunds for no-shows without cause or call.

I really enjoy being able to present amazing workshops and events here at the store.  I consider it one of the perks of the job.  But if people continue to abuse the registration process, I may be forced to cease offering after hours events.  My base work week is already 42 hours without workshops.  I don't mind being generous with my time, as I benefit from these events as much as any attendee.

All I am asking from people, is a little respect for my time, and the time of those putting on workshops, as well as the costs of materials which go to waste when anticipated people do not show.

End of Rant. 

In the Pagan community, if you brew it.....they will come! 

Forget the fact that the local bridge is out, and many people have to go quite out of their way in order to get to the store.  If there is mead being uncorked.....THEY WILL COME! 

Ignore that they have to sit for hours in bumper to bumper traffic, wasting expensive gasoline.  If there is mead being uncorked..... THEY WILL COME!

We had a MASSIVE turnout for last night's mead brewing workshop.  Wowie wow wow did we ever!  Pagans packed to the rafters!  Initially we had posted for 10 attendees, and had had such an AMAZING response, we doubled the capacity of the event to house 20 people.  I don't think there was a single complaint over the lack of elbow room.  Not a one.  And yet....I had no doubt of that fact.

The lovely Joy was our brewer of the evening, and she provided a truly excellent presentation on the ins and outs of home brewing mead.  There was a wee history lesson, some hilarious anecdotes and stories of personal mead tragedies and successes.  And then came the tasting.

*Rapture*

We were privileged enough to be able to sip some of the amazing beverage which Joy brews on a regular basis.  We began with a lovely Salmonberry Mead.  It was nice and dry with a refreshing crispness to it which was less acidic and more the bite of a just-about-ripe berry in the height of summer.  Divine!  This lovely drink was followed by a dramatically different Spiced Mead.  Much headier and sweeter, this mead combined the delicious richness of honey with the slight smokiness of cloves.  A fabulous dessert beverage, which deceptively hides its alcohol content behind a mask of innocent sweetness.  Our final offering from Joy's mead collection was a fantastic Pumpkin Spice Mead.  I really liked this one.  It tasted like a nice dry white wine with a wee hint of a pumpkin pie aftertaste - but only if you were looking for it.  Wondrously refreshing, this one was both surprising and most enjoyable.

And if that wasn't enough....another home brewer brought an offering from his own private stash, and the group was treated to a triple-fermented Blueberry Mead.  Another drier offering, this mead had the lovely aftertaste of both fresh blueberries and honey, but without the cloying sweetness to be expected from such a brew.  Much enjoyable.

What an amazing night!  Attendees followed the event with an hour mingling and mulling their recent mead experiences over a lovely spread of cheese, crackers, cookies, and more. 

For those who may have missed this event, I do believe that Joy is considering hosting another....but I'm not making any promises yet.  So keep eyes and ears peeled for more offerings.

CHEERS!

I came in to work this morning to the most disgusting and horrifying scene:

My willow trees are being killed.

The willow to the right of the stairs, the one which lost a branch last week is completely gone.  The one outside my window is shorn of all branches, just a gnarled trunk.

These were my friends.  We made offerings to them.  I greeted them every morning and said good night to them every night.  They helped me with spellwork, and they protected me from harm.

I mourn their loss.

Such a tragedy.

Pagans are crazy dedicated.  Yeah, that's it.

Happy new year everyone!  Is it too late in the year to wish people that?  I think we're still in the first week, so according to my personal rules, I am still okay to wish people a happy new year...but after today that's it.

Anyways, back to my earlier statement on the...er..."dedication" of Pagans.  Last Saturday we had our first Pagan Meet - up of the year.  I watched with increasing grumbles as the snow continued to fall all through the day.  I hardly expected anyone to show at all.  Heck, if I'd not been the organizer I would not have been crazy enough to be out in that weather.  And yet.....

And yet, we had a lovely turn out of crazy dedicated attendees.  Who would have thought!  I'd like to think that it is my fabulous presence and wonderful store that brings people in even in the worst of weather.  But who am I kidding?  I think it was more the fact that people were going stir-crazy with cabin fever after being cooped up through the holidays.  I was just lucky enough to have the first Pagan-related event of the season.  Go me!

Anyways, we've got lots of great stuff planned for January....because this is Grimoire's Books, and fabulous events are what we do here.  Hee hee.  So check out the website for the list, and drop us a line if you plan on attending.

Stay tuned....

Can you put a price on time?  Perhaps not on Time itself, but ask just about anyone, and they'll come up with an amount which their personal time is worth.  How much are you worth?  Does it depend on who is asking?  What about the nature of the task at hand?  Is there a price for everything?  Or are some things sacred?

I've put a price on my time.  Or more importantly, I've put a price on a specific aspect of my time.

As the Pagan Bartender, I spend many hours of my week sitting and knitting/crocheting while a poor soul pours itself out for my ears to hear.  Sometimes they want advice, other times they just want to unburden themselves.  Up until now, this has been a free service.  But truth be told, I'm beginning to grow weary of the parade of drama that is getting dumped on my threshold.

I'm not asking for much, merely a token that my time is respected, and that the service I offer is not being taken for granted.  And at this point, I'm beginning to feel a bit taken for granted.  I never get asked if it's okay that the person is going to unburden themselves.  People don't book time to make sure that it is convenient for me.  I don't have an option, as it's my store and I have to be here.

So for $1, people may rant and I will sit and listen.  And with a $5 donation, I will offer advice.  See?  Not expensive at all.  Merely a token for people to show that they respect my time and person.

And what do I seek to accomplish by this?  A winning situation, of course!  If people donate money, then I will get to have a lovely spa treatment as a reward and some much-needed self-care.  If people do not donate, and instead cease dropping their burdens on my doorstep, then I see that as a win.  And if people come to realize just how much they are dumping their problems on people instead of actually dealing with them, well that's most certainly a win.

So let's all win.  I know we can do it!

Stay Tuned...

It may not always be the "most wonderful", but it certainly is becoming "that" time of the year.  Malls have been wearing their fraying tinsel garments for about 6 weeks now (hideously inappropriate as it is) and carols are beginning to filter into regular programming on the radio.

It is also a time of fraying tempers, harried shoppers, and a general sense of f^&% you.

So I am getting this plea in early in the hopes that it may help stave off some of the nastiness which seems to be more and more inherent with the season.

Please please PLEEEEEASE do not kid yourself.  Mall staff do NOT care about you or your plight for the perfect gift.  As a former mall employee, I know this for a fact.  They are earning a paycheck and that's as far as their loyalty goes.  They are poorly trained, and not equipped to make miracles happen.  Yelling, cursing, demanding....these tactics do not work.  And that item which you REAAAAAALLY have to have, will now be irretrievably lost - guaranteed.

So have patience, and a back-up plan when shopping.  It makes everyone's season a lot brighter and less stressful.

That said, I will make a little disclaimer that I DO care about my customers.  I try my best to get things in before the big date.  But time is getting short.  So if you would like to special order something, let me know ASAP and we'll do what we can.  Unfortunately, I'm not always consistent with my miracles, so let's not leave things to chance, shall we?

Blessings!

There's a definite chill in the air, that lovely snap that makes apples taste amazing, and thoughts of curling up in front of comfy fires with good books and my fuzzy kitty a priority in my mind.  With Samhain just around the corner as well, there's that delicious spooky thrill of energy buzzing around making you jump and dart at imagined (?) shadows.

I love this time of year.  I was always a Halloween lover as a child.  I would count off the days with impatience, starting in August sometimes, waiting for the leaves to change, pumpkins to grin, and witches to fly!  I would plan my costume and pumpkin carving with meticulous detail, spending many hours labouring to bringing my Halloween dreams to life.  Now I find myself sitting back during the season, watching new batches of excited kiddies (and kids at heart) thrill to the season - picking out the perfect costume, planning the ultimate trick-or-treat route, heading to parties and the like.  I wondered recently, why I seem less than excited about Halloween now.  Have I finally grown out of my Halloween phase? (only took 28 years)...

But then I realized, no, I hadn't.  What I loved most about Halloween, was that it was the one time of year when I was "normal".  A time when other people saw the beauty in cemeteries and crumbling stone monuments, when magic was around every corner, and spookiness ruled supreme.  Now that I have my little spooky store, I find that magic is afoot everyday, and my amazing friends and customers keep spookiness alive.  Suddenly I don't have to wait until October 31st.  I get it EVERY DAY!

That makes me smile.

So if you come by the store on Samhain, I'll be in a costume.  There will be some treats, and smiles as always.  But even if you don't come by, know that I'll be enjoying myself, because for 24 hours, other people will be sharing in my private joy of all things spooky.

Trick or Treat!

You know, here at the store we have oodles and oodles of great events.  Seriously....OODLES.  This month seems particularly oodlesome (I just coined that word, and I think people need to take it up and spread it around cuz it's AWESOME).  But I have to admit a wee bit of favouritism for tonight's event:  Newbie Night.  I am sooooo excited for it! 

This event started as a whim, but seems to be growing in popularity.  People are thanking me in advance for hosting it.  Wowie!  I found that a large number of newcomers to the store had lots and lots of questions (oodlesome, if you may *giggles*), but didn't always have the time then and there to have a good sit-down chat about them.  Wicca 101's are great....if you're willing to commit to them.  But what if you aren't even sure Wicca is right for you?  What then?  Do you commit to the time and money only to find that it doesn't resonate?  And what do you do with the overwhelming number of books and opinions of how every single aspect of Wicca is conducted?  How does a Newbie even begin to filter the information? 

Ta-da!  Newbie Night!  Giddygiddygiddygiddy.  So very exciting.  I can't wait to hear the questions people have.  We're going to set up a typical altar in the centre of the space so people can just point and ask if they need to.  We'll have a question jar if people are embarassed to ask.  I think it's gonna be absolutely fabulous.

Can't wait!

Stay Tuned....

And because Pagan Pride wasn't enough excitement for one day...Saturday night, Grimoire's Books hosted members of BC SPIRITS as they conducted a paranormal investigation of the store and the surrounding building.

For those who may not realize it.....Grimoire's Books is located in the former BC Penitentiary Gatehouse.  Built in the 1930's this imposing "castle" housed the Warden and Deputy Warden's offices, administration staff, and (in my little corner of the building) the visitors' room.  Many people have questioned my choice in store locations (for several reasons), but I've always loved the atmosphere here.  Whatever moved in as the penitentiary closed, loves having people around.  It's a beautiful space with a little eerieness thrown in for good measure.  What's a witchy store without a little bit of atmosphere, eh?

Anyways, back to Saturday.  The crew showed up around 10pm and started setting up equipment.  There were trigger objects placed, temperature guages arranged, and the various cameras set up around the site.  I tried very VERY hard not to get worked up with nerves and excitement, but I think I failed miserably.  It was so COOL, and the potential to catch something on film had me seriously creeped out....but in a thrilling way.  I did my best to stay out of the way until everything was set up.  I'm kicking myself a bit that I didn't go down into the basement to help set up, but after the boys came back with slightly wider eyes, I'm kinda glad I didn't go.

I didn't stay for the entire event, as I had to be back in the morning to open the store, but my sweetie J stayed from beginning to end.  At 12:30am the group went out for a walk around the building.  Pictures were taken at different angles at various times.  Something possibly interesting was caught on film at that time, but until I get verification from the group, I won't tell you what was seen.  We had a medium checking things out, and some of the stuff he told us was quite creepy.  The sort of stuff you'd expect but never have verified from the goings on inside a prison.  *shudder*

I left at 1am, just before lights out.  Call me a chicken, but I had to get home to my bed.  Plus there's the thought that I'm the one who has to be here the most, the last thing I want is to be seriously CREEPED OUT by my own space!  So I'm waiting (patiently) to hear the results of the investigation, and will let you all know as soon as I do.  In the meantime, check out BC SPIRITS (www.bcspirits.com).  Sign up and you can get information about their investigations, see images, read about creepy encounters and the like.  They were a great team to have out.  THANKS GUYS!

Stay Tuned...

Saturday, September 13th was Pagan Pride in Queen's Park in New West.  I bundled up as many goodies as I could and headed down to vend, just like I did last year.  The only real difference this year was that it was OMFG BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!!!  Wowie!  What an amazingly fun day was had.  There were rituals and discussions and performances and amazing vendors and food and goodies and gifties and wowie wow wow!

The turnout for the event was better than could be wished for.  I saw lots of familiar faces, some less familiar, and some completely new.  There were AMAZING discussions with customers when the flow of traffic allowed chatting.  Can you tell I had a great time?  My voice was hoarse by day's end, and my legs were less than subtle about letting me know they'd been working all day (and performing, too!).

It was such a great event, I can hardly wait for next year!.....My sweetie and I've even signed up to offer our services as volunteers.

Blessings!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I'm sooooo excited!

This weekend I get to be a guest on the Ghostxm radio show: The Paranormal, hosted by BC SPIRITS.  Dunno yet what we will be chatting about - mostly the paranormal and witchy stuffs I bet.....but still....SQUEEEE!

So to tune it, all you have to do is go to:

• www.ghostxm.com
• poke the tab: Ghostxm shows
• find: The Paranormal
• tap: listen live
• (http://www.ghostxm.com/index.php/ghostxm-shows)

And voila!

I'll be on between 8 and 10pm on Saturday night (Aug 30th).  Hope to tickle your ears!

Stay Tuned....

First off I want to give big big BIIIIIG smooshy hugs to those who gifted me with not one, but TWO Dremels for the store's anniversary the other week.  J and I have been play- um, er...I mean WORK-ing very hard at our second set of runes over the past week.  Honestly, I haven't seen J so dedicated to a project in quite a while.  It's been an absolute blast!

Currently, we have a second set of runes to sell ($39.95), as well as 6 bind rune talismans($9.95 ea).  The talismans are the lightest colour wood, but are still as soft and smooth as smooth can be.  The dark burn of the bind shows up beautifully against the soft honey of the wood.   For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of a "bind" rune, it's a combination of runes drawn together as a single rune for a single purpose.

Here are our bind runes:



Protection            Health



Prosperity            Love



Luck                     Strength






Next is our second full rune set.  This one contains a 25th rune, Wyrd, for those who use it in divination.  Not everyone uses Wyrd, as it was a later addition (believed to have been added in the 1970's) to the Elder Futhark.  For those who do not use Wyrd, it is a nice spare to have around, in case a rune goes a-wandering.  (If that is the case, bring back the Wyrd rune to the store and we will burn in the missing rune for you no charge!)

As mentioned before, this set is lighter in colour than our first.  It still has a beautiful warmth to it, just not the aged patina found in the first set.  I like how the lighter hue shows off the rune burn.  A lovely effect!  They are triple-sanded and so soft and smooth to the touch you just want to rub them between your fingers all day!  (Trust me, I do that sometimes!)


Here the runes look a little honey-coloured, but in person they have a definite cherry-red heart.  You can especially see the redder colour on the runes in the right column ( most notably raido and naudhiz)

Again, very very proud of the results. (Can't you tell?!)

$39.95 for the set.










Stay Tuned....

On this day a year ago, I took the leap and turned the open sign on my door for the first time.  I remember being scared, confident, nervous, excited, and a host of other emotions.  I remember thinking to myself: If I could only see myself in a year.....

And here we are.  I look at the shelves, and I see the differences in my mind's eye.  I see all my hopes and ambitions of the time.  Everything I couldn't wait to put into motion - which are now almost routine. 

It's amazing.  It really is.

Part of me can hardly believe it's been a year.  Sometimes it feels like longer, and other times it feels like the blink of an eye.  I remember tears of joy, tears of sadness, moments of frustration, times when I told my partner: I hate it!  I hate it!  I can't do it anymore.  But I got up the next day, and I didn't hate the store.  I put myself in the car, drove myself here, and did what I do almost everyday - what I will continue to do for as long as the Gods are willing.

I look back at the great people I've met or gotten to know better over the year.  People who would not have come into my little sphere of influence if not for the store.  I am blessed by some of the most amazing friends ever. EVER.

My pockets may not be rich, but my life truly is.

Thank you all for Year 1.  Here's to Year 2, and 3, and 4, and 5....and.....and....and....

Stay Tuned...

2 or more years ago, my Papa gave me a box of wooden disks.  Okay, before you yawn, let me tell you something about these disks and why they are so special.

Approximately 13 or so years ago, we had two very sickly cherry trees in our backyard.  Both of them were too sick to survive, so my Papa cut them down.   My Papa's a carver, so he decided to store all of the wood from the trees.  Now and then, a bit of the cherry trees would appear and become something.  I cut my very first rune set with a branch of cherry when I was 16.

So now you've guessed what wood the disks in the box were.  And if I told you that there were 24 disks.....

Anyways, like most craft projects, the box of raw disks got put on a shelf and left alone.  Once in a while Papa would ask if I'd done anything yet, or I'd take them down and look at them only to put them back on the shelf in their same state.

Fast forward to this past Monday.

I finally did something.

My sweetie J and I sat at our dining room table, each with a scrap of sandpaper....and we sanded the bejeebers outta those disks. (Yes, bejeebers is the technical term for what we did).  Tuesday, I continued the sanding process with a finer grit...until the front desk was covered in a fine dusting of cherry.  My lungs hated the dust, my eyes were watering slightly, there were blisters developing on my fingers, and my right bicep screamed at me to stop...but the results kept fueling my passion to continue and work harder.  Maybe it was just so that I could stop the sanding, but I'd like to think it was because I saw something magickal in those little disks.

Tuesday night I got out my new wood burner (purchased specifically for this task) and changed those beautifully aged disks into a set of elder futhark runes.  I also made my apartment smell lightly campfire-esque....but that's not the point.

Wednesday morning I was back at my sanding (and growling at my sore arm).   Once finished, I used a food-grade wax to bring out the grain and the beautiful aged patina of the wood.  No chemicals.  No dyes.  Just elbow grease, beeswax, and some charring.




They will retail for $39.95.  They are sooooo smooth you just want to hold them and rub them for hours (I know, cuz I DID rub them for hours!)  I'm so proud of how they turned out, I sorta wanna keep them for myself.  But they are not for me.  I know that in my heart of hearts. *tear*

So come and get 'em.  There will be more sets later, but this is the only dark set.  The other cherry disks I have were cut more recently and so don't have this delicious patina. 

See y'all soon!

Oh yeah, and proceeds from the sale of this rune set will go towards Pixie's new Dremel....or an appointment with a physiotherapist.  Either way...my arm wins!


Stay Tuned...