When a pagan utters the word Craft, they usually mean the conscious governing of their life and influencing the world around them, controlling it in a way, and co-creating it. It really is a special skill and a craft to be able to control yourself and then in extension, your influence and coexistence with other creatures of the Universe, humans, plants, and animals. Craft includes magical practice, herbalism, and practical day-to-day creation of something new. It is physical as well as energy work. It is a union of creativity and control.
There are two major core points of paganism; connecting with nature, and evolving as a human being. The evolution of our being includes spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects. Am I a better person today than I was yesterday? Have I learned something new? How did I grow? This can often mean going outside our comfort zone and stepping into the unknown world of endless possibilities to acquire more knowledge and skill.
The day we stop learning
is the day we start dying.
Nothing is still in Nature. Since humans are a part of Nature, staying still is rotting inside. It is completely contrary to what our inner being is aspiring for. I am a strong advocate of there being no bad learners, only bad teachers. I can’t should be obsolete in your own personal dictionary. You don’t have to excel in everything nor is there a need for it, but you can cover the basics. You can know at least the fundamentals and basics of various things. Some of them will attract you more than others, and some will give you more joy. That is completely normal. On your way of learning and developing, you may even get surprised at the amount and diversity of things you are naturally skilled at.
What defines a craft?
It is very simple. Craft is about creation. Being crafty means you are good at creating something. That something can be literally anything. Cooking is a craft, so are writing and painting, sculpting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, making incense sticks and smudges and candles, herbalism and making plant products such as soaps, teas, and creams, working with wood or metal to create furniture, jewelry, or various decoration. And of course, let’s not forget spells and charms and wreaths and sigils and all the lovely magical things. Working with your hands and creating something in the physical realm is a perfect exercise of focusing your energy and attention to be able to create in the spiritual realms. I’ve broken down various crafts into three categories; art, practical things, and spells and charms.
Art
Writing, painting, sculpting, or any other method you choose or prefer, art is about beauty, creativity, and letting your inner creator shine brightly. Art imitates, challenges, provokes, and admires life.
Practical
Practical things are those which have a clear purpose once you create them. These crafts include cooking, creating furniture, jewelry, sewing, making candles, herbalism, etc. This is about creating useful objects.
Magic
This category is about creating and using different spells, charms, divination, and symbols when working with plants, Elements, deities, or any kind of Universal energies you use in your co-creation of life expansion.
“You need food and water to survive.
You need crafts to LIVE.“
Below you will find my regularly updated crafts of various kinds. In some things I am better than in others, so pardon the lack of beauty or professionalism. I try and learn along the way, but I cannot be perfect at everything 😉 Similarly, don’t feel threatened by projects that you find way above your skill level or capabilities. Every time you see something and think, “Oh, this is amazing. I could never do that,” just remember that there are things I suck at, really suck at. Tutorials are listed in alphabetical order. Enjoy the crafts, learn what you can from them, and allow yourself the inspiration to start something new.
Birdhouse tutorial
There are many designs to choose from. If you want to look at something adorable, google birdhouses. Some people are very creative, much more than I am, and extremely skillful. I wanted something relatively easy to make since it was my first one but also nice-looking. Yes, I was doing it for the birds, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t look pretty to me. Did you know different birds require different hole openings? Well, I didn’t. After some googling and reading various tutorials and articles about birds, I had to decide…
Clove/quartz rattles
It ain’t spring until music starts playing in your head as soon as you wake up. To go with the flow and to entertain your urge to move following the sacred rhythm of your inner being, having a pair of rattles can be quite useful. Rattling and drumming are the first prehistoric forms of music humans have developed, and it is no surprise those sounds have followed us since the caves we walked out of. Their vibration is…
IMAGE CREDITS:
– cover image is made with the photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
– first image is a Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
– second image is a Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash
– third image is a Photo by Letícia Pelissari on Unsplash
– cover photos of tutorials are my personal photographs
Towint 