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How to Create a TSA-Friendly Traveling Witch Kit, by Awyn Dawn

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Believe it or not, there are more witch-friendly items allowed in your carry-on than you might think. You can put together a witchy kit full of essentials and keep it in your carry-on so you're always prepared. First though, a little disclaimer. At the time of the creation of this list, all items have been checked against the TSA allowable list. As we all know, policies and regulations change over time. So, it is always a good idea to double check this list and your airline's policies to avoid having to toss something out when going through security.

To create an image of what this will and will not include, I want you to think of a make-up bag. This is about the size to aim for. This kit is just for your tools on the go. You can always bring things like a book (or five), your e-reader, and a towel to serve as an altar cloth, but they will not be included in the kit for space reasons. You also don't need to create a tool kit if you don't want. As I say in Paganism for Prisoners: Connecting to the Magic Within, all the tools you could ever need are already a part of you. But that doesn't mean that carrying a kit with some essentials won't help your mindset be geared towards magic when you travel.

Divination: I have some great news: your pendulum is fine to take on board, as are your tarot cards. But let's say that you don't want to risk damage to these tools. Well, you can improvise with a sewing needle on a string and a deck of playing cards. Sewing needles are surprisingly effective for those quick answers you need on the spot. Stick it in a little sewing needle box and voila.

Candles: As long as they are the solid type, e.g., solid wax or battery-operated tea lights, you can take these with you. I love using birthday candles because they come in many different colors and are small, so they don't take up much room. I also recommend a bar of soap or so Play-doh so you have an on-the-go candle holder.

Fire: You can bring a disposable lighter or matches with you on the plane. The conditions are that the lighter can't be the electronic type and the matches cannot be the strike-anywhere type. Keep it simple and stick with the ones you can get for a dollar at the store, and you'll likely be fine.

Earth: Color me delighted to learn that my bag of "writing stones" got to come with me on a recent trip overseas. That's right, you can bring rocks. You can also bring sand and salt. I would just caution to use a bit of common sense and not take large rocks. But that piece of Black Tourmaline, that beloved Citrine, and even that Bumblebee Jasper can all have a place in your travel kit.

Air: For the element of air, I like to bring a light essential oil like Sage, Pine, or Lemon Verbena. You can also use perfume or cologne. They just have to follow that 3.4 oz/100 mL rule. There are some lovely travel cases for oils, wooden covers, or you can put it on a cord on wear it on the plane.

Water: The simplest thing to do is carry a water bottle and fill it. Hopefully you are going to a place with running, drinkable water. If you are not, there are probably arrangements in place for drinking water.

Offering Libation: Alcohol is allowed in your carry on. No, this isn't to help you with your nerves on a bumpy flight. It is to serve as your traveling offering. The two guidelines to follow is that it needs to be under 140 proof and no larger than 3.4 oz. Juice of the same size is allowed, but here's a handy trick. Just buy a bottle of your preferred beverage once you get through security. It is a bit more expensive, although duty-free shops help offset the cost, but you get to carry more.

Offering Food: Yay for snacks! As long as they are solid you can take a lot of types of food with you. Some of my favorites for your witchy kit are crackers, dried fruit, and seeds. They will have a long shelf-life and are small enough to not take up all your room.

Athame or Wand: Nail care is important, but it is also practical because one of the easiest temporary wands or athames is a nail file, metal or glass based on your preferences. If this isn't your style, you can bless a wooden pencil, a knitting needle, or a crochet hook.

Thread/String: Depending on the type of magick you do, you may just need a spool of black, yellow, or white thread to sew protective symbols into your clothing. Or you may want a length of string or rope that is 4.5 feet long (this is a traditional method of measuring a 9" circle).

Mirror: A little compact mirror is great for scrying, reflecting moonlight, introspective magic, and for a great deal of other purposes. Mirrors are iconic in their ability to help one be transported to another world. With this in mind, having one can be helpful for trancework.

Bag: The bag, or box, you use for your supplies can be as simple or elegant as you would like it to be. I mentioned earlier that makeup bags are great, not just because of their size, but because if you pull a makeup bag out in front of people, everyone assumes what the contents are and go about their day, no questions.

You know the flavor of your magickal practice better than others. So this next part is a list of other items that might, in your mind, seem like magical necessities. For example, herbs, tea, and spices are allowed as long as they are dried. Who can't think of many uses for herbs? Also consider a scarf, bobby pins, corkscrew or bottle opener (without the knife), safety pins, seashells, small scissors (under 4"), tape, and a flashlight. If you have room, a small statue of your patron deity is also a welcome addition.

To sum up, you've got a little bag, and in it the following: A pendulum, box of birthday candles, soap or Play-Doh, disposable lighter or matches, stones, essential oil, water (that you get after security), offering food and libation, nail file, thread, mirror, and some miscellaneous items. This is all it takes to form a basic witchy, TSA-approved travel kit.

Blessed Travels!

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.

I have been having recurring dreams for two years now of a certain man. He was once famous, but at that time, I was not a fan. He came into my dreams one night and has been there ever since. I have tried to meet him through various connections, but as yet, have not succeeded. Astrologers and psychics have told me that we have been together in past lives and there is a strong connection between us in this one. Is it possible that we recognize past life connections to celebrities because they are so high profile? Does this feeling mean we're meant to meet in this life, or just that there is an old connection?
Marsha

Susyn:

Fame and celebrity aside, we can often be drawn to certain individuals for no apparent reason. In most cases, we have those strange feelings of attraction because we had happy experiences with them in a past life. It's true that celebrities have a higher profile than the rest of us, so even if we don't come into contact with them directly, seeing them in the media can trigger a deep knowing within us.

As with many people we cross paths with in this lifetime, past-life karma plays a role in whether or not those individuals will become a part of our lives. Those instant connections we make that develop into a relationship or lifelong friendship basically reveal themselves, through their longevity and specialness, as having a strong foundation on a soul level.

The most important thing to recognize in this instance is that you've been touched on a very deep soul level by this famous personality. Destiny will dictate if and when you will come together in this lifetime with little to no effort on your part. That being said, it is still very important to note the feelings of attraction this man evokes within you.

We can often be deeply affected simply by the idea of another person. Often we tend to idealize someone we do not know intimately, and so the purest form of this man's spirit is what is attracting you. He could represent all the qualities you'd like to have in a partner, or he could have been your husband or lover in a past life. The thing to remember is that currently, he is not in your life, so these feelings are Spirit trying to send you a message.

When we encounter someone who for no logical apparent reason has a profound effect on us, we're wise to note the changes we end up making, and how this shifts our focus. These stirrings can move us to strive for a higher sense of purpose or enlightenment in our lives, and in the process, convince us to let go of some old ideas. For example, if you were dating someone who was completely inappropriate for you, the awareness that you are strongly attracted to this celebrity could persuade you to get out of that bad relationship.

I suspect that when you think about this man, you feel more alive, more excited and more inclined to improve yourself. Using these invigorating energies to inspire ourselves is a good thing, so it may be just what you need to move forward on your life's journey. If he is destined to be a part of your life, Spirit will move the two of you closer together and make it happen. In the meantime, I suggest you capitalize on the inspiration this man evokes in you and continue to strive for your heart's desires.

*****

Oceania:

As is true of most obsessions, the man in your dreams serves two purposes. On a surface level, he is distracting you from something unresolved in your own life. On a deeper level, he symbolically holds the key to your healing.

When we repeatedly dream about or think of someone, that person serves as a diversion from some loss or other source of emotional pain, so it would be helpful to examine what was happening in your life at the time these dreams began. What was going on two years ago, or what changed at that time? Perhaps some newfound awareness surfaced that got set aside.

While this man's presence may be intriguing or comforting in the short run, it also shields you from addressing a deeper, more powerful issue. He's like a brightly-colored Band-Aid taped over an infected wound that distracts and consoles but cannot heal you. By examining what this man symbolizes for you, you may be able to heal yourself.

I suggest a free association technique called bubble journaling. Write this man's name in the center of a blank piece of paper and draw a big circle around it. Now draw smaller circles around the big circle, and connect them to the big circle with lines. Fill each of these satellite circles with a word you associate with this man. If you feel stuck, think of words that describe him, his strengths or weaknesses. Since he is not in your life and you don't really know him, all that matters is what YOU associate with him.

Now draw smaller circles around each of your satellite circles and connect them to the satellites with lines. Taking one satellite at a time, think of words you associate with the word inside and write them down in the smaller circles. For example, if one of the words you associate with your dream man is bold, you might put words like adventurous, courageous, daring, or fearless in the circles surrounding bold. When you finish, read through your complete list of words and see how they might reflect what preceded this man's appearances in your dreams in terms of a situation or solution.

I'd like you to do one other exercise called a role play. Imagine yourself to BE this celebrity and to possess the qualities you ascribe to him. Imagine yourself (as him) speaking or writing directly to Marsha. What would you say to her? What advice or encouragement would you bestow? Try not to edit as you speak aloud or write things down. The messages may not make sense at first, but as you mull them over, you will likely discover wisdom that will help you tackle your own life challenges and let this obsession go.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.