Imbolc

As an apprentice witch, this is my first year going through and celebrating all the sabbats or holidays on the wheel of the year. I was familiar with some of them already. For example, Yule, which happens around Christmas was a pretty easy one to recognize. The word Yule is literally found in modern Christmas songs. Samhain, which is around Halloween, I was aware of as well because of Halloween and all the spooky associations with that holiday. However, Imbolc stumped me. I hadn't even heard of the holidays around it. The only thing that came to mind was Groundhog's Day, so I did my research and found out about this holiday. If you're a newbie witch like me, let me give you the low down on Imbolc.

Like the other sabbats, it has many names, because it is recognized in different parts of the world in some form or another. It's been called Brigantia, Oimelc, Feast of Torches, Feast of Pan, Brigid's Day, and many more, but for our sanity's sake, let's just stick with Imbolc. Imbolc means, "In the belly". This is the quickening of the year. The Mother has recovered from giving birth to the God at Yule and The Crone, who has been minding the newborn God, gives him back to The Mother. Basically it means the sun is coming back, the days are getting longer, and the Earth is becoming warm and habitable again. It's the light at the end of the tunnel after a long winter. Who wouldn't want to throw a little party?

Imbolc is a sabbat of purification and renewal after being shut in all winter and there are lots of ways to celebrate this time. You can do some spring cleaning. You can throw a big party while you burn your Christmas tree in your backyard. You can do a ritual of self-dedication or reaffirmation. You can even burn some white and pale blue candles on your altar. It's all up to you. I would highly suggest reading more about Imbolc or the various holidays associated with it to see what resonates with you. The two reference books I used for this blog post can be found in the shop: "Grimoire For The Green Witch" by Ann Moura and "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham. In the Grimoire, she has listed the various herbs, ritual items, altar decorations and food you can use for a ceremony. She also details a ceremony you can do, along with little activities associated with it. In Cunnigham's book, he describes more about what the holiday is about and he includes references to the type of rituals you can do at that time. Both books definitely give a lot of insight into the Wheel of the Year and its importance to the craft.

For those of you who don't wish to celebrate the holiday alone, please come and see us at ATL Craft on February 2nd. It is a donation based event and it is a potluck, so please feel free to bring something to share with the community. We'll have a ceremonial feet washing, and a small demonstration on making Brigid's Cross. Doors will be closed and locked by 7:30pm. Hope to see you there!

See what lies ahead

There are many moments in life where we seek guidance from something outside of ourselves. Some people rely on a good friend, a good therapist, or they rely on a higher power. There are many times where the path ahead isn't clear, maybe due to lack of choices or an overabundance of choices. And you just want to know what to do. That's where tarot comes in. A deck of 78 cards, depicting common human experiences that help you unlock your subconscious, engage your intuition and help you make heads or tails of what is going on around you. You just have to be willing to listen to what it is saying.

Reader: Lizzie

Deck: Hermetic Tarot

The first card of the major arcana, number zero himself, is the Fool. The Fool is the beginning of everything. He is the hero of every story. And like the hero of most stories, he doesn't know what's coming. He just walked out his door one day and there he was, smack dab at the beginning of an adventure. He is optimistic, carefree, and a really beautiful energy. When I see him pop up in my deck, he makes me want to go outside and see what trouble I can get myself into.

Across different tarot decks, the Fool is represented differently, but the message is generally the same. For instance, I read from the Hermetic Tarot. It's a black and white deck created by Godfrey Dowson in the '80's and it is based upon the esoteric workings of the secret order of the Golden Dawn. It's dark and twisty and complex and cuts like a knife. I love it because sometimes you need that friend in your life that slaps you across the face and tells you to get a hold of yourself. It also is beautiful and complex and has amazing imagery that alludes to astrology and Qabbalah. I've been reading from it for months and I can honestly say I still don't know all of its secrets. The other readers of ATL Craft read from vastly different decks and I asked them to write a little about their decks, in order to showcase the differences and similarities.

Reader: Elyse

Decker: Robin Wood Deck

"I bought the Robin Wood Tarot earlier this year. When I walked into Phoenix and Dragon it was the first deck that my eyes fell on, but I of course had to look at every other deck in the store just to make sure that it was the right one. It was a done deal when I pulled out the sample cards and saw the back of the deck. I love the colors, the black white and green bring such a bright earthy feeling to the deck. It seems to also literally attract dirt like nobody’s business.  I definitely feel that there are some serious berries and Woodland creatures guarding, playing, and participating with my deck.  When I first started reading Atl Craft I was an  apprentice, so my intention for getting this deck was to have a deck that I could read more easily and intuitively from. The Robin Wood Tarot is perfect for just that. The colors are bright and evocative, and the paintings themselves are incredibly vivid. They bring life to each card, helping to tell a story.  The fool in particular is a true delight.  Dancing merrily, playing his piccolo on some lush grass, mountains in the background, a happy little dog by his side. I love the use of the rainbow in the Fool, signifying the start of the new journey that he is about to begin. Each of the four elements are represented here in their own way. They hint at the great journey and mystery at that lies ahead. The fool, unaware,  is still filled with joy. It is this attitude that I believe needs to be brought to new situations and journeys. Too much worrying about the future or trying to control the situation brings us to depression, ingratitude, and lack of presence. The fool reminds us to be carefree, that we are not necessarily always in control of the situation, but that we should enjoy it and our lives."

Reader: Karen

Deck: The Mythic Tarot

"My favorite deck is The Mythic Tarot by Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene.  It was the first deck I’ve ever owned, and I have kept coming back to it for the last 35 years. It’s based on the mythology of ancient Greece, and all gods of the Greek pantheon are in it. I find it makes it much easier to explain some of the more complex meanings of the cards, like having The Fool represented by Dionysus who is the god of wine, revels and madness, and is a great stand-in for the elemental, instinctual nature of The Fool. The Fool isn’t weighed down by rules or knowledge or habits or culture. He is a blank slate, relying on instinct and intuition to get him where he is going.

They recently re-did the artwork on the cards, and they are now marketing it as The New Mythic Tarot. I really recommend it for anyone who loves mythology, anyone who wants a more psychology-based reading, or anyone who want to dive into a deeper understanding of themselves and how they influence all the things that are present in their lives."

Reader: VVITCH MAMA

Deck: Pamela Coleman Smith-Waite Tarot

"I love that my shop deck is soft and merciful when a lot of the time Tarot is not. Tarot has a way of bubbling up truths we may or may not be ready for. I use the Pamela Coleman Smith-Waite deck to read in the shop to ease new clients into the space of truth that tarot brings. This deck uses the traditional imagery of Rider-Waite but with kind sepia tones. I love the Fool card in this deck. It is traditional imagery of a dude possibly about to walk off a cliff with his familiar at his heels. I see the fool as a person who literally gives no fucks and is ready to take risks without thinking too much about it. The Fool can remind you to lighten up and make that leap of faith. And if you love this deck it is available at ATL CRAFT."

The Fool is just the beginning of the journey and there are many other cards to think about and explore. If you want to take your first step on your tarot journey, come by ATL Craft this evening and learn about The Fool's Journey with Karen. We'd love to see you.

I Put A Spell On You

A grimoire is a book of spells. Plain and simple. However, this community grimoire offers a lot more than that. It gives you the chance to tap in to the communal energy of the people who have come before you, whether it was someone adding their own spell or copying down a spell to take home with them. And in a very physical and real sense, you literally have a witch at your fingertips who can help answer any questions. You aren't just reading from a book at home or googling it on your phone. You are in a witchcraft store studying a spell. You literally have everything you need right in front of you.

Our grimoire sits on a podium in the middle of the shop, with a fountain pen and ink well right next to it, waiting for me to add my contribution to it…. And it's a little intimidating. So permanent and so powerful. Spells from seasoned witches (more seasoned than I am, for sure) and something that others would see. I definitely didn't want to be the one to mess it up. However, Witch Mama insisted that I needed to add a spell, so I began the process of finding my spell. I browsed quickly through a couple of the books in the shop, but nothing was hitting it for me. I kept feeling my eyes glaze over, or my attention would start to pull and I take that as a sign from my intuition to move on. Then I found it. It was in a book we sell in the shop called, "Moon Phases" by Diane Ahlquist. 

Writing that spell down was fun…at first. Then I found myself looking for ways to shorten each sentence, somehow, just to make it a little shorter, so I wouldn't have to write so Goddamn much. Then I even tried to concentrate and write a little faster. I thought about switching to cursive instead of print. I thought about suggesting to Witch Mama that we allow printed computer pages to be in here. You know, like, type it up, print it out and then glue it on a page in the book. It would be cute! Kind of all mismatched!

But I knew that wouldn't fly. I had to resign myself to the fact that this would take time, because sometimes….that's what is needed. I mean, isn't that a huge lesson I have learned in the past year? Now matter how quickly you get all the ingredients together, you can't shorten the process of time. If the cake has to bake for 45 minutes, it has to bake for 45 minutes. Just leave it be! Only thing you can do in the mean time is try to learn from the experience and make the waiting productive. So instead of focusing on all the different ways I could make writing quicker, I focused on the task at hand. I copied the spell neatly and efficiently. I focused on each letter and each word and let my mind go blank. Then I started to see myself doing the spell and reciting the words I was writing over and over again. Then I had another small realization; This, right here, was the power of a community grimoire. In this very moment, I was pouring my concentration and power into this book and into the spell I was writing in it. So I wasn't just helping myself memorize and learn a spell. I was also giving back to the grimoire by putting my energy and effort into it. And that’s what every other witch writing in this grimoire would do too.  Along with every witch that would come by and copy a spell out of this grimoire and into their own.

Where The Magically Minded Meet and Shop

I don't think there could be a more fitting tagline for our little witch shop on Edgewood. We are still relatively new to the area, but we have definitely made an impression, because this isn't just a shop. It's a meeting space, a classroom, and a safe place in an increasingly unsafe world. Unabashedly feminist and incredibly supportive of local artisans and women in business, you know any dollars spent here are going to support women and artists in the community. In our first year, we have already been included in Creative Loafing's "Best of Atlanta 2017".

ATL Craft is the manifestation of Haley Murphy (better known as WITCH MAMA) and Grant Henry of Sister Louisa's Church Murch. This is where the magically minded cannot only find supplies, but they can come in and ask questions and share their troubles without risk of being judged.  One of the first times I visited here, I literally came in, exchanged hellos and said, "I don't know why I'm here, but I felt like I needed to come." And Witch Mama accepted that without batting an eye. She even told me that I was not the first person to tell her that. Whether you're a seasoned witch, an energy worker, or just someone who thinks they're a little different and don't know why, this shop has a positive healing energy that is felt by all. It is a non-judgmental space and it lets people open up in ways they might not normally otherwise.

In the shop you can find your basic altar and ritual supplies, such as sage, palo santo, incense, cauldrons, feathers, and even locally made wands. There are also locally sourced crystals that can be worked with for their healing energy, or if you just want some really pretty rocks. Of course we also have your not-so-basic supplies. There are tinctures to help with menstruation pains, stress, and more, and there are also conjure powders that help attract money and banish negative spirits. For those looking for information, there is a selection of books to help get you started on your path. If you need some guidance from the universe, you can set up an appointment with one of our tarot readers.

In addition, our most important resource is Witch Mama herself. She tirelessly works to set up classes for the community in different areas of expertise, so the community can be constantly learning. As her apprentice, I have seen her personally advise people on anything from reigning in one's psychic abilities, to banishing a negative entity, to simply setting up a first altar. She greets you with a smile, a listening ear, and a genuine desire to help you learn and find what you're seeking.

If you have been thinking about stopping by and visiting (even though you have no idea what you would even buy here) please do. We're all about the "woo-woo" in this shop and if your intuition is telling you to do something, we say go for it.

Creative Loafing Interviews ATL Craft Owner Haley Murphy

ATL Craft Brings Witchcraft to Edgewood

This article was originally published by Caroline Cox in Creative Loafing Atlanta. 

From a young age, Haley Murphy recognized that she had what she refers to as “spiritual gifts.” Murphy’s the driving force behind ATL Craft, touted as Atlanta’s witchcraft store and community space. The new shop recently opened its doors on Edgewood Avenue in a shared retail space with artist/entrepreneur Grant Henry, owner of the elaborately named bar Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium.

Growing up Southern Baptist and being home-schooled the majority of her life, Murphy left home at 18 and embarked on her own mission of self-discovery, immersing herself in ancient literature and numerous walks of faith. “Nothing touched me like the ancient polytheistic pagan ways,” she explains. 

After a stint performing and touring in the local (and now disbanded) music/performance art group the Back Pockets, she returned to honing and expanding her love of healing arts and magic. This led to her hosting teaching workshops and online discussions on subjects such as herbalism, science, ancient literature, spell work, astrology, magic, yoga and mysticism. Once she decided to start teaching out of her home, the response was so overwhelming that she knew she needed her own brick-and-mortar space. “[ATL Craft] was born out of anger and love for human rights, women’s rights, and the acknowledgment of our own power,” says Murphy. “It was made in the fire of the belly of the beast and plopped right down into the Old Fourth Ward.”

The shop will stock what Murphy calls “everything you need for spell work” — candles, oils, crystals, ritual bath supplies, meditation masks, jewelry and more, along with Henry’s signature Sister Louisa hats, mugs, stickers, shirts and paintings. “We are also supporting our local artists and healers by providing a space to share and sell their work,” Murphy says. “The space is not only used for retail but as a center for magical activism and learning within our community.” They’ll also sell wares from local artists and healers, including Julie Goedekke with Goodness Gracious, Kat Shaw from Herbalista, Orion Crook, Maddy Baretto, Trevor Howell, and Fossil and Hide.

“My dream is that the shop brings hope, laughter and education and unifies our community with our diverse classes and resources,” she adds. “It is so important, especially in these tumultuous times, that we come together and encourage each other in our strengths and support each other through our weaknesses. There are so many hopes and dreams for the future, and I suppose my greatest one is to educate and inspire those to make this world a better place.”

To visit the original publishing of this post please click here.