20 Ways to Simplify Your Life as a Pagan

20 Ways to Simplify Your Life as a Pagan

1.) Take time to enjoy the little things- stop and smell the roses, you never know what beauty you can find in nature or yourself until you embrace what is around you. The Goddess is in everything.

2.) Take time out to relax each day – 20 minutes in the tub to relax or just doing something you enjoy to take your mind off the stresses of the day is highly recommended to reduce stress hormones and can even help you lose those few pounds you keep wishing would fall away. Meditation is a HUGE HELP!!!!

3.) Eat Healthy- eating healthy not only gives you well nourished skin, but it also has been linked to better and deeper sleeping patterns to help you stay well rested and ready to go for the next day. Eat to the seasons too, this helps you stay connected with the changing seasons and eat a healthier diet.

4.) Get 8 hrs of sleep each night- although it’s very tempting to stay up all night and facebook chat with friends or doing that late night ritual, getting the recommended 8 hrs of sleep each night will help you de-stress and relax. It is also important for your skin as the tension of the day when it’s not released can cause tension lines. So get that sleep ladies!

5.) Surround yourself with positive people- although this one is a little tough, it’s not impossible. There is always someone in a worse situation than you, so stay positive and surround yourself with love. What you send out comes back. Positive energy brings positive changes!

6.) Always be honest- To yourself and others. This reduces stress and keeps you out of trouble. Being honest with yourself will allow you to change the things you can, and accept the things you can’t. This can also help keep emotional baggage out of your rituals.

7.) Let go of the past- Live in the here and now. Don’t forget the past, but leave the past in the past to help reduce stress and open yourself to love and new opportunities.

8.) Don’t buy things you don’t need- keeping a budget in this day and age is hard. So don’t spend any money on things you don’t need.  Don’t try to “keep up with the Blackhearts”. When you have too many materialistic items, you don’t control them, they end up controlling you. Remember that tools are just tools, too many of them can become clutter and unusable. Organize, Organize Organize!

9.) Take a day to pamper yourself and de-stress entirely- taking a whole day to just relax and enjoy yourself, or do something you love, helps to de-stress and can even allow you to start a new hobby you didn’t know you enjoyed. This is also a great time to pamper your skin too! Take a day to relax from all those spells you've been casting!

10.) Stay open-always stay open to new opportunities and ideas, they can lead you to new adventures and places you’ve always wanted to go or to places and things you love and enjoy. You never know when the Goddess will speak to you!

11.) Keep work at work, and home life at home- so many people forget this one. We are all used to bringing our work home with us, or our home life to work with us. Leave these stresses where they belong. It will make you happy and your family happy. No one at work needs to hear about your latest spell casting failure, and no one at home needs to know how weird your co-workers think you are!

12.) Just go with the flow- don’t sweat the small stuff. If something happens, deal with as it happens. Stressing and worrying about what could happen can lead to a highly unproductive environment. Sometimes it's better to swim with the stream than to fight against it's current ^_~.

13.) Simplify your belongings- Do a good cleaning out of things you no longer use or need, whether clothes or just things laying around the home. This helps keep a clean home and a happy home. For every 1 item you acquire set 2 free to someone else who may need it

14.) Keep things simple in relationships- be honest, don’t take things personally, Learn to say “No” (we are all guilty of this one, it’s hard to say no to your loved ones and friends, but sometimes it’s needed) and of course, set boundaries. Don't be casting love spells willy nilly on your boy or girl crush.

15.) Don’t let your fears get in the way of your success- we all have things we fear, so don’t let them get in the way of all the great successes you have accomplished and will accomplish. Face your fears and overcome them to live a happier and more successful life. Fear can be a motivator or a hindrance, but fear can lead to sadness and a lack of motivation. Face your fears and remember to enter your circle and home with Perfect Love and Perfect Trust!

16.) Get outside often- getting out in the fresh air is great for body function, and the sun is a great source of Vitamin D. Enjoy what nature has to offer to you. The Goddess is alive and magic is afoot! Get outside and dance in the rain!

17.) Finish old tasks before you begin a new one- this helps keep you organized and stress free because you know what you have to do and what has already been done. Don't start on a wand and leave it to start on something else. Focus, Focus, Focus!

18.) Focus on one thing at a time- this allows you to put your all into whatever it is you are doing. If you get frustrated set the task aside and return to it later with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. You’d be surprised what things you are capable of. We don't need cauldrons boiling over in the middle of a ritual, so delegate some of the tasks if you are in a coven to help relieve the pressure on your coven mates.

19.) Get away from the computer and tv- not only is this good for your own sanity, but it allows you to get your mind off the advertisements which can lead to you buying more things you don’t need or have room for.  This also helps get you out into nature to explore what the Lord and Lady have to offer!

20.) Every Day is a Gift- remember this and live life to the fullest. Don’t overwork yourself, take time to relax, and enjoy your spouse, children, family and friends. Live in the now and worry about the future as it comes. We all have a purpose, it just takes time for some of us to find it!

Love and Light,

Lady Silvervixen

Staff or Wand

So what many people inquire about are the tools of the craft. 2 tools I get many questions about are the Staff and the Wand.

Some common questions concerning these 2 tools are:
"Which is better?" (in the sense of functionality)
"Do I have to buy one or can I make one?"
"How do I make one?"
"Where can I buy one?"

Well let's start with the basics first.

Depending upon the tradition you learn from, or what feels right to you the Wand is usually the representation of the element of Air and the Eastern Direction, but will sometimes be a tool of Fire as well. The wand is a phallic symbol of masculinity.The wand is usually 13 inches or shorter. The common length to work with is from your wrist to your elbow. Wands are commonly used for infusing energy into objects such as candles, stones, or herbs. It can however be used to cast the circle. Again this will vary from tradition to tradition. If you are lacking in a wand you can always use your index finger of your casting hand to symbolize the wand. The wand is also easy to use indoors or outdoors.

The Staff is a longer extension of the Wand as the Sword is to the Athame. It has a lot of the same properties and characteristics of the Wand. The Staff's height however, is usually either equal to or a few inches shorter than your own height. The staff is used for all the same purposes of the wand, but due to it's height, it's best used outdoors. The Staff can be used to aid you in a spiritual walk, as a sign of status (such as in the reenactment of the battle of the Holly King and Oak King at Litha and Yule, though it's more common to just use long branches, some traditions will use plain staffs made of oak and one of holly to represent the two times of the year and the two kings).

So which one is better? That depends on you. If you like simple functionality and easy storage, the Wand is a great choice. If you like being in nature and taking long hikes, or just like that feeling of being a great witch from time to time ^_~ the Staff is the way to go.

So where can I buy a Wand or Staff? There are many places on the internet that offer decent prices and customization. Remember, Google is your friend. You can also check your local pagan and witchy based shops. They may not offer customization but they usually have gorgeous wands and staffs of many varieties.

Do I have to buy one of these? Nope, nature provides her students with everything they need. Go outside and find a lovely length of branch from a tree. Remember it's not wise to harvest from a living tree unless you ask the tree for it's help, and make sure to leave it an offering of water, or a crystal to help it stay healthy! Trees have feelings too!!!!

Are Wand's limited to just being made of wood? Absolutely NOT! Wands range from wood to copper, and even stone. You can find wand making kits for the copper and crystal kinds on the internet from different shops. For those interested in the copper wands, please remember that the oils on your skin and being exposed to air will cause the copper to oxidize, meaning it will turn green (kinda like the Statue of Liberty). Copper wands are usually used for healing, which is also one of the greatest things about the crystal wands as well. Crystals are directly from the earth so they will have a wonderful vibration to them and are great for healers. If you are looking for something more traditional, a simple wood wand made from Holly, Oak, Birch, or something of the like is a great way to go to. Wood wands are easy to take care of, easy to store and highly multipurpose if you personalize them with herbs and crystals, as well as little charms to make them your own.

How do I make a Wand?
Watch this short video for quick tips and tricks for making a wand.
Wand making 101

Instructions for general wand/staff making:

1.) Harvest your wand or staff on the Waxing Moon. Some prefer to do this when the waxing moon is on a wednesday (this varies from tradition to tradition and person to person).  Make sure the size works for you. If you plan to shave it and trim it up a bit, do an extra inch or two longer to be on the safe side.

 *Note* There is a little ceremony to this, which you can find on the internet but it is usually done by speaking to the tree from your heart.

2.) Let the wood dry for about a month and then soak in tea for about an hour then let dry again for approx 8 hours. (This is to kill bugs and other pests in the wood that you don't want in your home.)

3.) Shave the bark if you are choosing to.

4.) Decorate to your specifications (do your wrappings, crystal mounting, etc...)

5.) Let it sit in the full moon for 1 night.

6.) Consecrate your wand or staff during a ritual to awaken it's energies and program it to you. Remember that the more you handle your wand or staff the more of your energy it contains.

7.) You are now ready to start your magic :)

Most importantly here, have fun and instill love in your wand or staff. Use it as frequently as you need to, and always show respect to it :)


Brightest Blessings!

Lady SilverVixen


The pictures are of my wand that a very dear friend who is like family to me, made me for my birthday. This is a more detailed wand example, but it's a beautiful one.

What has Vixen been up to?

Hey there guys

Sorry I haven't blogged in forever. I have been learning how to use photoshop and a few other programs to help me find work. Here's a few examples of what I have been up to


Created my business card with my friend's company

I created a new business logos

And lastly, I've been playing with Gif animation software (this was my first attempt. The image was originally still and had no moving effects. I added in the smoke, the reflective water, the butterfly and the stars)

Please feel free to use these if you want, just make sure you give me credit for my hard work. These things were not easy for me to make and took a lot of my own personal time to fix up the way i wanted them.