In this bite-sized episode we hear from Kacie, author Kate St Clair, and historian, Chrystalina. Kacie wraps up her year and tells us about a giveaway she's doing. We also get a couple sneak peeks of 2023 guests. First up is Kate St Clair, author of The Ptolemy Project.
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Snack Size 11.
Sneak Preview: author Kate St. Clair, historian Chrystalina, and a giveaway at Kacie's Corner
Welcome back to Your Average Witch, snack size edition. In this bite size episode we get a couple sneak peeks of 2023 guests, Kate St. Clair, author of the Ptolemy project, and Crystalina, the Witchy Historian. First up we hear from Kacie, who is going to wrap up her year and tell us about a giveaway she's doing.
Kacie: Hey y'all, like a bad Ouija board that won't stay gone, I'm back! 'Tis I, Kacie from Kacie's Corner, and I'm back for a snack size visit from my little corner of the world. I hope y'all are having as nice a December as possible, as we wrap up this turn around the sun and prepare ourselves for the next. I'm finally starting to come out of my own fall fog, as my big event season has come to a close with another successful year at the DFW Pagan Unity Fest. Admittedly, I've spent the better part of the last month processing that, and beginning to process all that has happened this past year. After all, this is the time of year we can't help but reflect upon what has come, as we dream of what could be.
For me, I decided I wanted to focus on the lessons I had to learn to thrive this past year. I know this year has changed my life in ways I can't possibly appreciate yet, but I can begin by appreciating the ways I've grown from the lessons I've had to learn. To start, my mind goes back to the first time I attended the Witches Ball in February this year. I had always wanted to go to an event like that, but never saw myself splurging on such a thing. In recent years, I learned I deserve to treat myself and belonged anywhere I decided to go.
I grew up in poverty, and that mindset gives a person a special kind of anxiety when it comes to money, especially when spending it on things certain people would deem frivolous- like a ball with fancy clothes and drinks. My husband taught me, however, that I deserve to enjoy the things I work hard to spend my money on, mostly by loving me through years of panic attacks whenever he tried to treat me to a nice night out. After all that, I decided it was time to treat him to a nice night out for our Valentine's Day this year by taking him to the Witches Ball, Hexes and Hearts.
Thinking back to how I felt when I purchased those tickets solidified that lesson learned: I absolutely do deserve to enjoy my life. Another lesson thoroughly learned that night is that it is worth it for me to be at an event early, in order to get the lay of the land and settle in. I know I was much more comfortable that night showing up for the early bird entrance than I had ever really been at an event.
My husband recently told me he heard that once triggered, it takes up to 20 minutes for the body to get the message that the fight or flight reaction isn't actually needed at the time. I don't know how accurate that is, but it feels pretty spot on to my own experience with my anxiety levels once I arrive at an event. I chose to be there. Rather ridiculous for my body to betray me with such a reaction, but I suppose it's looking out for our best interest, so touche, good on you body, I really do appreciate it. Last summer, I really put that "arrive early" lesson to the test when it was time for me to go to Anahata's Purpose.
This trip would be the first time I went anywhere without a family member to be my shield from the world, and the first without my children, my entire 20 years of motherhood. That quote "mom mode" made it possible for me to flip the switch that allowed me to do the things like talking to people, and traveling on long overnight bus rides to New Mexico with just a toddler and everything I owned in the world. When that toddler graduated high school, it occurred to me I would need to learn to survive living life without the safety switch of mom mode offered. I had to learn who I was and how I could possibly exist in a world that doesn't revolve around the needs of my children.
Their lives certainly were not going to be revolving around me soon enough, so I decided I had better start learning how to exist as Kacie, and not just Mom. That's just one of the many reasons I knew I had to face the fears I had in order to attend this year's Anahata's Purpose retreat. To give myself the best odds of actually enjoying myself, I volunteered to be there early for the event, and set up the day before it opened. Turns out that was a very good idea, because between leaving my family, flying on a plane for the first time, riding in the car driven by a practical stranger, and then arriving in a strange land and feeling all alone, my fight or flight must have been on overdrive.
Because it wasn't until 12 hours later when I was deep in the work of setting up the event that I finally felt like I made the right choice in going there. I had been able to flip that switch again, that allowed me to appear as if I was actually functioning as an adult. The switch that I have is another thing that I learned this year. And apparently is something my sister had noticed, because when I called her that first night at Anahata's in tears, she reminded me part of why I had volunteered in the first place.
I had learned early on in my years at the Unity Fest that volunteering put me in the zone, and allowed me to function in highly social situations like community events. This year I was given an astrological reason as to why that is, when I finally treated myself to a natal chart reading from the Theresa Mariesa from Love From Within and Two Geminis and a Leo podcast. It was something I had wanted to treat myself to for years but I hadn't felt I could justify the expense, until I learned the first lesson of the year: that I deserved to treat myself and sometimes and enjoy my life.
I began learning about my chart a few years back but it was all a foreign language to me. The bits I did understand got me excited to learn more as it gave me insights that helped me understand my own mental health in a new way. I took Theresa's class while I was at The Purpose, and I knew she had a way of communicating that I understood. So I decided she would be the reader I sought out. I also know her from the Witch Bitch Amateur Hour universe, so I knew she would be a safe person to get me through any anxiety issues I may have had before or after the reading.
I was right. She was, indeed, so very kind and patient through the whole process. One of the very interesting things I learned during the hour-long reading was that there really was a switch. Turns out my Aries is in Mercury, and that gives me that business switch I've always leaned on to get me through situations when I needed it. You know, like volunteering, and talking to bus people to get tickets and things. I always knew I loved my Aries sun placement, but shout out to the Aries Mercury for helping me tap into that part of me that allows me to do the things.
Like, you know, attend Witch balls, or organize event,s and record myself for guest segments on my friend's podcast. As we continue our march towards the winter solstice and the turning of the year, I suspect my reflective mood will continue as I take stock of the things I've learned, and prepare myself for whatever new opportunities that may come my way in the new year. I know I'm better prepared than ever to continue the work I love to do in my community, whether it's my day job grooming special needs dogs, or my work in the witchy world. Or most importantly the work of healing old wounds for myself and those who will live in the legacy I leave behind.
If you feel like sharing some of the ways you've grown this year, and how you are preparing yourself for the new year, or have an event you think I should shout out or visit next year, you can email me at welcometokaciescorner@hotmail.com, or visit my socials on Facebook at Kacie's corner, or on Instagram @killakc327. You can also check out my new logo there as well, and tell me what you think! I taught myself how to finally use my tablet in order to give birth to the image I had in my head, but was unable to communicate coherently enough to ask a professional for help. You can also check out my channel over on the YouTube's at Kacie's Corner, where you can see my footage from the events I mentioned in this episode and so much more. I've also opened up shop over on Kofi at ko-fi.com/kaciescorner where you can check out the spell kits, charms, and other goodies I have to offer. I'm not done yet!
Not only am I in a reflective mood, I'm in a mood for a year and give away. Just like the last giveaway from Your Average Witch, this will be held on Instagram. But this time I will be giving away one of my boxes filled with a combination of all the goodies you'll find in my Kofi shop, plus one of the pins styled after the ones I made for my forest witch costume that I wore to the October's Witch's Ball Masquerade. You can see that costume and more from the ball over on my YouTube's channel, Kacie's Corner. I will soon be selling these in my shop, but you can be the first to get your hands on one of these by winning this special giveaway.
I've also included a rabbit and snake clay charm, handcrafted by me with just a bit of fur and shed worked into the clay to give each animal more connection to the creature they're inspired by. Along with them, there will be a variety of items from my own collection that will help you get started crafting your own spell, including three types of herbs, three types of crystals, and three tea candles dressed and blessed by me with my summer wildflower mix to help you bring in that summer energy this winter. See the pictures and get all the details for the special end of your giveaway over on my Instagram @Killakc327.
That's K-I-L-L-A-K-C327. Just look for the green graphic with the Your Average Witch logo and my brand new logo for KC's Corner. Thank you so much for snacking with me once again, and I look forward to more Snacksized visits from my little corner of the world in the New Year. Thanks again to Kim for having me. Sending you and all the listeners so much love this holiday season, ffrom me and maybe my dog you may have just heard. And may the New Year find all our little corners of the world full of comfort and joy. Love y'all. Bye!
Kim: Next we hear from author Kate St. Clair.
Kim: Is there anything you wish was discussed more in the witch community?
Kate: Discussed more... Like I said, I don't think that the Brujeria and Cueranderia is discussed as much. I don't think that it is as well known as some of the other magics and I think that it should be. I think that those are really beautiful practices that even if you're not doing them, I'd like that... I would like for people to know more about them, but I do... Well. This is going to be like verging on problematic, I guess, and maybe I shouldn't say it.
But like, I would love to know more about indigenous practices, the magic that they use. I understand that as a white person, that is not accessible to me, and it is not something that I should ever try to recreate. But I love the snippets that I hear about it, and I wish that there was more sharing in that community. Just so that we could respect and understand that culture more. And I think there might be more respect in general for wanting to protect it. Because I think a lot of people right now are just sort of like, well, we don't know anything about, you know, the Lakota tribe. We don't know anything about the Cree.
So why does it matter that their land is being taken? Like why does it matter that we're losing this culture? Whereas like if you knew more about it and it was more mainstream and you understood how important these practices tied to this specific place are, I think there might be more outcry about it. But also like, it is completely their choice if they want to keep that private. I guess I'm just speaking from my own perspective. I'd be curious, if it were discussed more, if there were people who are comfortable discussing it more openly.
Kim: Do you feel like being a witch is a choice?
Kate: I think so, because you make the choice to live with intention. I think even if you were a hereditary witch, you could still make the choice to ignore that. You could still say, I'm going to make the choice to feel like I am disempowered and not in control of anything and just sort of like at the mercy of, you know, the like masculine, Gregorian world.
Kim: The way your voice is like, "Who would do that?"
Kate: I think that's sort of, in essence...
Kim: I'm going to choose to be ridiculous and terrible.
Kate: I didn't mean it like that, but...
Kim: I did. I didn't get that from you. That's where my brain was like "This is what she's saying."
Kate: It breaks my brain to a conversation. But yeah, it's like, I think you could still make that choice. So I think that being a witch, and like choosing to respect nature, choosing to look for these things, look for the magic. I think that's a choice.
Kim: Do you think practicing witchcraft is a choice? I do as well. I think that getting out of bed and saying, I'm going to do this spell and this practice. I think that's all... But I do think that some people are naturally drawn to it. I think that some people don't even really understand why they want to light this candle or they want to do this thing. So I'm arguing with myself on this question.
Kim: Can you not?
Kate: Not now. It's like not now that I've seen the light.
Kim: I feel like we're all addicts and we're like, no, I can't stop.
Kate: Oh, yeah. How do you give up this feeling?
Kim: Exactly!
Kate: How do you give up this feeling of Being connected to everything, you know? And like having power in your own life. Like it's so intoxicating. I just want more of it.
Kim: That's why for me, both of them are no. Okay, actually once, one time, is being a witch a choice, you have one chance to answer that. Once you answer yes, you can't say no again. You can say no several times and then say yes. But you can only say yes once, and after that, it doesn't matter if you don't want to call yourself one, but you are one to me, my super judgmental Taurus sun Aries moon.
Kate: Okay, so once you're, once you're initiated, you're in it is no longer a choice.
Kim: Yeah, and I don't understand to see this is me not being able to understand other people's points of view. Once you... I don't understand how you don't do witchcraft. I don't understand how that isn't part of your life all the time, even if it's unconscious.
Kate: I would think though...
Kim: I really don't understand it.
Kate: I mean, yeah, I would agree with you, but...
Kim: Calculus.
Kate: We're very different types of people, you know, like what if, if you stop, if you decide that like that was all... made up and you become Christian and you no longer do a spell anymore, like are you...
Kim: But do you? are you...
Kate: Well Christianity is still using magic. They use incense.
Kim: Do you still do... but I still think it would happen, whether I intended it to or not.
Kate: Yeah, that's very interesting.
Kim: I don't think I've answered that for myself. Yeah, either.
Kate: It's a really interesting question.
Kim: I mean, not here.
Kate: Yeah. Yeah, maybe it's not. Maybe it's not a choice. Maybe it's just, you know. You're going to bear the mark for the rest of your life.
Kim: I feel like it's like being gay or you're like, sexual attraction. I just feel like that's something innate, and you don't really have a choice about it; it is just what is.
Kate: That's such a good comparison.
Kim: You can choose not to act on it. But like if if you're Christian, you can say I'm not gay because you don't act on it, but you do still have that preference. Kate: Yeah, and I feel like you're, you're kind of right, in that you, that, I feel like we all kind of saw something that got us into witchcraft and immediately we were like, that's what I want. I want to do this or like, you know, it was just like a very innate pull that other people don't answer. Because other people, we all have the same experience, right? Like we're all on the same... planet.
Kate: Yeah, it's questionable these days. But yeah, it's like, but some people don't do it. So maybe it's not a choice. Maybe it is, you are just...
Kim: That's why I ask, that's why I like asking that question. It's just... I"m trying to figure it out fo rmyself.
Kate: Yeah. That's a good answer.
Kim: Finally, we hear from Crystalina, the Witchy Historian.
Kim: What is something you did early on in your practice that you don't do anymore and why don't you do it?
Crystalina: Yeah. So I no longer do TikTok and Pinterest like, rituals, without doing my own research. So I had a friend really, really early in my practice. I had just started practicing. They were dealing with a kind of like a binding that their ex had put on them. And so I helped them do what I thought was an unbinding, by looking at Pinterest and TikTok. Right? And nope. Turns out...
Kim: It just hit me what you're saying.
Crystalina: Yeah.
Kim: Oh no. Oh, no. Don't do that. No, please don't do that. If you're new, don't do that.
Crystalina: Ask for help. Ask for help. I should have asked for help right away, but I didn't. So what I actually ended up doing is binding us together, and creating a nice little spiritual feeder that was just eating all of our energy. And it was really sad because after, I finally did ask for help. And we undid the accidental binding. And we got rid of this little spiritual thing that was just feeding off of us that, whatever it was. Once we got rid of that, our friendship completely disintegrated.
Kim: Aww.
Crystalina: Which is really sad because this person was somebody that was very important to me. And I still wish them all of the best. Like there's no hard feelings on my part. And the last time I saw them in person, they were def- they were definitely doing much better, and they were nice to me and they weren't catty like they usually were. Which was good, which was good, but I think, I think maybe I was just meant to be in their life for a time. And that's okay.
Kim: Yeah.
Crystalina: So. But yeah, no more rituals that I'm not familiar with without help.
Kim: I'm going to jump up on a soap box for a moment and say to the more experienced witches, also: when new witches ask for help, don't just say "Do your research." Suggest where to find the research. Because I'm sure you thought you did your research.
Crystalina: I absolutely did. I mean, I looked at all of these videos, and I looked at all of these posts, and they were all saying pretty much the same thing. Turns out that's not how it works.
Kim: If you're so new that you don't know what to ask, then, then somebody help these guys. Help these new witches. I'm trying to figure out the correct term.
Crystalina: Yes, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. People who have just recently started reclaiming that, and stepped into their into their power. They're still trying to figure it out. I mean, heck, I've been doing this consistently for going on three years now, and I still don't know anything.
Kim: Me neither. Yeah, I mean, the universe is infinite. We cannot know it all.
Crystalina: Yes, absolutely.
Kim: But we can ask for and give assistance that isn't just "Google it."
Crystalina: Yes, absolutely. And I think that's the thing. I see a lot of, in the in the toxic spirituality groups? You know, where it's well, just do your research. Well, if you don't know where to look for it, then you're not meant to be in this path. I don't think that's right. I think that's not everybody.
Kim: UGH!
Crystalina: Yeah, yeah, I think everybody. Everybody has the ability to be a witch because it's a practice. It's not something that you're, it's not like a birthright, or a blood borne genetic thing. We all have the ability to do it, right? And it's going to be different for everybody. It's going to look different for everybody based on our cultural practices and all of those other things. So yeah, I just think it's really important to meet people where they're at and not gatekeep information. I think it's important that when people are, when it's their livelihood, to absolutely pump them up, and make sure that they're getting, you know, people are seeing them and what they do. But if you just want like a basic chart done... like go to cafe astrology, it's fine. But if you want a real reading? Go to Theresa Mariesa.
Kim: Yeah.
Crystalina: Yeah, 100%. So I think there's there's a balance between finding like, you know, telling people what to do versus guiding people. And I think that's the thing, that we have to strike that balance. And it's not easy to do.
Kim: Be sure you come back next year to hear the full interviews with Kate and Crystalina, and get over to Kacie's Corner to enter her giveaway. I also wanted to let you know that there won't be a snack size episode again until January. I am taking a little recording break for the holidays. That's it for today. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.