Sun-Kissed Offerings: A Spirited Approach to Creative Work

Sun-Kissed Offerings: A Spirited Approach to Creative Work

Good morning Adventurer,

The sun has been shining lately, and while I'm writing to you on a cloudy morning, I wanted to share with you a sunny Monday morning in the studio, some of the magic residing within it and our animistic approach to preparing for the week ahead. 

A customer or follower or Lost World Candles for any amount of time likely knows this business is spiritually inclined. While I wouldn't classify it as a spiritual business, and we don't explicitly offer spiritual tools or any such thing, a lot of our work is spiritually aligned. We observe seasonal shifts and celebrate their energetic impact on our lives; we draw inspiration from historically spiritual themes such as pre-Christian deities, equinox and solstice celebrations, divination and astrology.

My personal spiritual path imbues the work of Lost World Candles with magic and auspiciously timed offerings. It was only a matter of time before my animistic beliefs and work with non-human spirits threaded itself through the daily ins and outs of this business. 



The shifting of the seasons is tangible now, and with this shift comes the inspiration to renew and refresh our work space. This led, a couple of weeks ago, to the introduction of a couple of spirits into the studio space. If you're not familiar with animism, death work or the concepts of land, house and ancestor spirits I would encourage you to explore the reference list at the end of this post. 

I had felt the business needed a little life injected into it, a little extra spiritual and energetic protection, and something to encourage my continued dedication to the work I've been disenchanted with since reaching exhaustion in July. My solution was to ask a couple of house spirits that were already present in my home, but that I had no clearly outlined relationship with, if they would assist me. Asking them meant literally asking them out loud, leaving offerings for them and using divination to gauge their answer; which was, as you can imagine, yes. 

These guys are housed in a rat skull and a small bird skull, respectively, that my husband at some point in the past cleaned up himself. They almost demanded to be kept together, and when I have used them in past workings I could never separate them. For this reason, there was never any doubt that I would be bringing them to the studio together or not at all.

Every practitioner has unique spirits and unique relationships to spirits with unique requirements of their work together. My studio spirits, if I could explain their role simply, are like spiders catching flies before they can enter my space. I set up a little altar for them beside the main door of the studio, which as turned out to be a source of beauty and inspiration in itself. I say hello to my spirits daily, and offer to them weekly.

A Monday morning tending to this relationship looks like:

  • Cleaning up old offerings, washing vessels and vases etc.
  • Sweeping incense ash and debris away with my adorable little altar broom from Enchantment Grove (pictured below)
  • Lighting some incense to cleanse the space and bring in abundance, focus and inspiration.
  • Setting new offerings; home made bread, wine, water, berries and flowers from the garden and seeds.
  • Pulling tarot cards for the week - asking for messages to focus on, what to keep in mind and the general energy to take note of. 

As I move through the week, I will light wish candles, incense and leave more offerings if I feel called to; especially as they serve as inspiration for myself as much as they are gifts for the spirits. 



In these photos you'll find: black nightshade berries, home made apple cinnamon bread, hawthorn berries, sunflower seeds, pepitas, barley, rowan berries, frankincense, jonquils and naturally fallen wattle in local spring water, scavenged treasures like woody mushrooms, a stonefruit pit that was still attached to the tree it grew from, an acorn and charcoal from the fire at my wedding ceremony.



In addition to this new relationship with these spirits, there are other trinkets, tools and talismans around the Lost World Candles studio space that serve a purpose outside of making the place look like a little witches hut. I will share two with you now:

I recently purchased a small broom, handmade around Byron Bay, NSW. I anointed it with some of my favourite working oils and it sits at the entryway of the studio, alongside a piece of blackberry bramble for protection. I use the broom to actually clean the studio in lieu of a vacuum (it just scrapes up all the miscellaneous debris from the carpet that is a result of my work way better than a vacuum does), and I use it to spiritually and energetically clean the entryways. 

The second item is a hanging charm I made of old metal keys to hang from the door - this has a few purposes: iron is known folklorically to be protection against fae spirits as it can't be enchanted or charmed. I enjoy sound cleansing, so as the keys clink together in the wind I feel a sense of stagnant and bad energy being rattled away from my workspace, and lastly, keys are a symbol of opening doors and unlocking opportunities. 



Incorporating elements of magical practice into my workspace has given Lost World Candles the sense of it being a living entity - one that requires continual attention and maintenance. That might seem like an obvious thing, as businesses always require maintenance and attention to continue to operate and grow; but injecting a little life into the space motivates someone like me to maintain a relationship with my business as a living spirit. This helps weave a tapestry of my animistic approach to work as an alternative to the formal and logistical mindset that scares so many of us away from our dreams.

Greeting the studio spirits every Monday, spending the time to refresh the space and share with them things that brought me joy as I found them or made them has been so fulfilling. This practice, alongside the other magical elements I've brought to my work, brings me joy and inspiration, gives me a quiet moment of focus and allows me to set intentions for the work week ahead. Not only this, but I don't feel alone when I work - which might be a terrifying notion for some, but as I work from home, alone in a separate studio every day, this is such a comforting feeling.


If you were one of those kids that had to treat all your toys fairly because you didn't want to hurt their feelings, if you are motivated by nurturing relationships and balancing the give and take aspect of life, then the concept of animism might be of interest to you. Below you'll find a resource list exploring modern understandings and practices of animism and spirit work in different formats. 

Happy exploring, and warm wishes to you dear Adventurer. May the spirits around you bring guidance and protection on your adventures, should you wish it.

 

 

Resources for animism, death work, spirit work, ancestor work, egregors and traditional and folkloric witchcraft

Books:

  • Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways. Gary, Gemma. (2012) 

  • The Black Toad: West Country Witchcraft and Magic. Gary, Gemma. (2008) 

  • Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South. Oberon, Aaron. (2019) 

  • A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft. Morgan, Lee. (2013) 

Podcasts:

Videos (Youtube):

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