Travel Log 8-20: Oh What a Strange Windy Road

Well sorry I have been MIA all week but life caught up to me in some pretty surprising and distracting ways. The Hubby's long unemployed string has officially ended and all the preperations for that have overwhelmed and swamped what time I have off from work.
So I have not gotten to check out some of my new followers pages like I should, or to update on here about the couple things I started on last week.
First things first- if you haven't then please sign up for my Giveaway!!!
Secondly if you are of a of a literary bent check out my idea for a tag, or pass the flashlight, story. You wouldn't have to write very much and I think it would be a whole lotta fun! Since the stories are invariably ghost or horror stories before they are over (never heard of a fantasy one, but hey that would be kinda cool too.....ok reigning in to one idea at a time, lol) it's perfect to bring that Halloween spirit into these dog days of summer! Already got a few participants so lets all have a lot of fun with it and send this story shooting through blogland (ok..delusions of grandeur over, but still the more people who participate the cooler the story comes out!).
But just as a tidbit for today let me share with you a quick set of instructions on how to make a candle ribbon that you can use multiple times for spell work:
    STUFF YOU'LL NEED-
     1. Ribbon (the length is dependant on the size candles you normally use, or what kind of marking you plan on doing on it and color should be matched to intent- whatever type of spell you plan to use this for pick the color that resonates most clearly to you about that subject)
     2. A marker (color should be contrasting to the ribbon in shade- if the ribbon you chose is light, the marker should be dark and vise versa. Also the type of marker should really be dependant on the size of the tip for ease of writing or drawing clearly on the  ribbon you chose's width).
     3. Beads of your choice. (I usually pick a stone dead based on the correspondence to the intent of the ribbon I'm making, or just default to quartz for clear casting).

     HOW TO DO IT-
   Step 1: Cut your ribbon to the length you want it and begin marking it with symbols, or text of your choice. I tend to pick words that fit with my goal for the type of spell work. Like for love I would put hearts and words like love and romance and passion. You repeat these up and down the ribbon and you can be as fancy or simple as you want.
   Step 2: attach your beads. Depending on the type of beads you chose there are a couple of ways to do this. If you can thread the ribbon through the beads because you had the foresight and general thoughtfulness to get beads with big enough holes to do this, you rock and get extra credit! Then you just have to tie a knot in the end of the ribbon, leaving enough tail to put on the beads and leave room to tie another knot, and you guessed it- slide on the beads and tie a knot beneath them to hold them in place and trim the end. During the knotting you can charge the knots themselves with intent, as well as the beads as you are putting them on ( or do as I do and charge them in moonlight or during a ritual).
              Or if you are more like me and pick beads for how pretty they  are and not for how practical they are for your project (it's not my fault all the really pretty ones aren't made with big holes!) then a second and just as easy process will attach those spectacular sparkly and obviously superior (lol) beads to the ribbon. Take some thread (color of  your choice for intent or expediency) and a needle and tightly sew the beads onto the ribbon. You can still put the knots in so that it will look similar to the original process as well as include the charging to both the beads and the knots.
      Step 3: Tie it around your candle of choice. I usually loop it a couple of times in a pleasing criss cross pattern and then tie it with the beads hanging down( simetrically, because as messy as I can be there are some things I'm anal retentive about). This is something your own intuition should guide and you'll come out with it perfect no matter what because it will be perfect for you!
     You now have a personalized and reusable candle ribbon that you can have for years to help strengthen and simplify your spell work. The more times you use the ribbon it becomes more charged with your energy and intent, much like a tarot deck does. I have found that I love these as it allows me to get plain candles in white or black to have on hand, and only really need to delve into getting the colors when I really need that extra oomph!

Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and someday I'll get some pictures of the process, no really I will-lol.