Reaching Into the Universe Dedicated to creating an enlightened world: spiritually fulfilling, physically healthy, socially just, and environmentally sustainable.

Hiring a witch

Those who know me well know that I am very skeptical, have a strong rational side, and eschew belief. And yet it is that very avoidance of belief that allows me the flexibility to sometimes use systems and models that many actively disbelieve in. And so, recently, I found myself meeting with a witch for the purpose of obtaining a talisman.

You see, recently I managed to give myself the homework of finding a talisman to serve as a physical reminder of a new way of being that I am cultivating in my life. When I put the task down on my to do list, I imagined I would find some cute little toy that reminded me of my intentions, it would be easy, and I would be done. It was not that easy. Nothing I saw in stores caught my eye or seemed to fit—at all.

So the task began languishing on my list and the question, "Where the heck am I going to find a talisman?" took up residence in the back of my mind.

The lucky break came as a result of too many emails from the Bay Area Community Exchange Timebank. I signed up for the site after hearing about it at the Green Festival, but couldn't find much use for it. After too many irrelevant emails about "new requests in your category" I logged on to delete my account, or at least stop the email deluge.

Instead, I found myself poking around the Time Bank, filling out my profile, and coming across Tatiana Almendral, whose Time Bank profile (which you can only view if you sign up and log in) lists the following services: Clinical Herbalism , Aromatherapy, Intuitive Counseling, and... Talismans. Talismans? I'd accidentally come across a professional talisman maker? There even are such things as professional talisman makers?

This was exactly what I'd been waiting for. I sent her a message explaining what I needed and we set up a meeting at Samovar.

She was everything you could want a witch to be. "Did she wear black?" a friend asked. "She looked appropriately witchy, for a witch living in a city in 2010," I replied. But beyond appearances, she was laser focused, intuitive, and quick. With very few questions she got right to the heart of the matter and suggested an appropriate symbol to base the talisman on within the first five minutes. As the discussion went on, everything I brought up was able to be connected back to that symbol.

It was also fun to find out how well I was able to meet and work with a witch. I knew the name of the rune she drew for me, even if I didn't remember what it meant. I knew my astrological moon sign, even if I faltered a bit before remembering.

A talisman takes about a month. Cycles of the moon have to be taken into account, my dreams must be visited, and of course the object must be designed, materials acquired, and the entire thing built by hand. This is WAY better than buying some plastic hamster made in Japan.

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