Thursday, 7 September 2017

Pagan on a Budget

This is a list of my ideas and of ideas I gathered when I typed this in a search engine. The combination of this list is free, items you may already have, or cheap/discounted finds. I am sure I left a few things out but I tried to have as much as I could in this list.

Out in nature - water, sand, rocks, earth, leaves, twigs, seeds, flowers, herbs, shells, feathers (that have fallen off the bird), eggs from hatched baby birds, just be out there – spend time there and breathe it in

Dollar store - candles, candle holders, chimes, garden stepping stones (some have a sun or a sun moon combination), notebooks, pens, markers, pipecleaners, paint and other craft items, seeds, knife, cup, placemat, incense, tray (party asile at dollar tree), wood boxes and mini trays, frames, cards, seasonal items (ex halloween/samhain), organization options, salt, baking soda, organza bags (i found the ones I'm using – light blue colour with the easter stuff), mod podge (some have small containers), matches, chair cushions (for when your sitting in front of your altar), dowels (in craft section, to make broom or wand), some spices, lighters, battery operated candles, fake flowers (some really realistic), epsom salt, mirrors (use them in spells, decorate the altar, for scrying. Place them in windows and use them for protection) – also could be found at craft stores, String (or acrylic yarn). Colored ribbons or strings.

Library - depending on where you live and how big it is. You can borrow the book or sit down in the library and copy the information that you want. There can be a variety of topics you can look into like - tarot, wicca, witchcraft, crafts, gods and goddess, seasonal, cooking, gardening, green living

Thrift stores/antique markets/secondhand stores - trays, cauldrons, knives, cups, books, figurines, frames, mortar and pestle, fabric, seasonal (ex halloween/samhain), art supplies, chair cushions, books,  small tables or little cabinets, string (or acrylic yarn). Colored ribbons or strings. ramekins or little bowls meant for sauces. These make excellent little offering bowls. You can also find large bowls for cheap.

Used books stores - history, fiction, witchraft, wicca, tarot, crystals, afterlife, spirit, seasonal (ex halloween/samhain), cooking, gardening, candle making,

Reuse – candle jars, chair cushions, wooden trays, toliet paper tubes/ any tube, boxes, trivets (i have an pumpkin/autumn one propped up), cups, plates, bowls, candles, candle holders, notebooks, binders, pens, pencils, spices, baking soda, pennies, lock and key you're not using, herbs and other food grown at home (herbs to smudge sticks), salt, mason jars, ramekins or little bowls meant for sauces. These make excellent little offering bowls.

WalMart (if you got one near you) – candles (mainly white pillars – varying sizes, votive and tealights under ten dollars), some incense scents, possibly at least one style of incense holder, candle holders, lights, battery operated candles, placemats, seasonal items, craft items, fake flowers, stationary items, chair cushions, side tables that could be used as an altar, epsom salt, some locations have a small selection of essential oils if you don't want to go to green earth or a health food store. Craft clay can be amazing and cheap. Make votive offerings. Make items for magic work. Check clearance sections, not just at WalMart but at other stores as well. String (or acrylic yarn), knot magic is awesome. Colored ribbons.

At certain place you can find tumbled stones for a dollar each or up to three dollars like green earth and hobby and toy central. Sometimes you can find points that around twelve dollars at green earth but the selection is small. At Michaels in the jewellery section one can find a few crystals for the purpose of making said jewellery for under ten dollars.

There is meditation, for some it is easy and not so easy for others. With a simple search online or even in a book you can find guided meditations to help you start, or bring one in if you have done it before. They can be short or long depending on how long your need or want.

DIY what you can. If you have craft supplies and recyclables lying around you can get crafty. You can make different things from the items you already have. For example if you have pipe cleaners you can make a Brigid's Cross. A wooden tray that you do not use anymore can be used to make a portable altar.

Doodle/draw your own pictures. Write some poems. They do not have to be perfect.

Bond with your familiar. Whether yours is furry or scaly, take some one on one time to reconnect.

Check out a public ritual. There is a possibility that there’s one within 20 miles of you. Sites like Meetup.com and Witchvox can help you find “your people.” With the exception of women’s only groups or other specialty events, most public rituals welcome everyone and are usually free.

Share your knowledge and teach a workshop. Are you uniquely qualified in a particular branch of paganism? Maybe you know how to make brooms, or when it comes to the Nordic gods. Most event organizers are thrilled to have volunteers, and you learn as much, if not more, by teaching than you do taking a class yourself.

Memorize. It could be a song or chant. It could be information on a certain subject like numerology. Small or big, it could happen.

Get a potted plant, get a cheap dowel or paint mixing stick from a home improvement store, and draw your own godpole. (This is basically a pole version of a statue, for those who don’t know.) Put the little mini godpole in with the plant. You can bury small objects in the pot that you want to offer, or pour libations into the pot, and the plant will help with disposal (particularly if you are in the habit of offering fresh water on a daily basis).

Find stones outside. Get some cheap acrylic paint. Decorate your stones to take the place of statues, or elemental symbols if needed.

A word about cheap incense: often these are made with synthetic scents and chemical binding materials (to make it stick to the sawdust) that don’t fare well when burned. Heat changes both, and if you get a headache when burning cheap incense, you might not be smell sensitive, you might be sensitive to the changed bits of chemical that you’re not smelling but inhaling anyways. Be careful with super cheap incense if you have breathing sensitivities, or someone else in your household does. If you get headaches, don’t use that brand anymore.

 


Sites I looked at or got information from:

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