Art Witch Musings: Sigil Magic, Scorpio Full Moon and a Creative Descent

A cream-colored desk with an open art journal featuring a white sigil, surrounded by art tools, crystals, and candlelight, evoking the energy of the Scorpio Full Moon.

Hello creative alchemists, and welcome to my 20th blog post!

The Scorpio Full Moon 2025 is upon us, and as always, my full moon report is up over on Facebook under Cycles of Craft if you're craving a deeper dive into the energies. This post, however, is more personal, part studio letter, part ritual space. As we move through this season of descent, the pull to slow down is strong. Samhain marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, and with Pluto now retrograde and Black Moon Lilith both present in Scorpio, it’s no wonder we’re being asked to pause and reflect.

Cuppa and Catch Up

This fortnight I’ve been busy finishing off my pieces for Creativa, my upcoming exhibition with Collective 24. As predicted in the last blog, there were some late-night painting sessions to get everything finished in time, but I’m happy to report they are now ready to be delivered to the gallery this week!

We’ve started promoting the show too, so keep an eye out for it on platforms like What’s On Melbourne. Collective 24 members have also been dropping flyers off to art stores and cafes around town. If you’re not already, please follow Collective 24 on the socials to stay in the loop.

Now that the work is done, I’m taking a moment to breathe. I have some important medical appointments coming up over the next couple of months, and I know I’ll need to pace myself and rest where I can. My body is asking for stillness, and for once, I’m listening.

This Full Moon blog will be the last of the fortnightly updates for now. I’ll be moving to monthly Studio Letters in alignment with the New Moon. It’s not a step back, it’s a deepening. A chance to go slower, but richer. To honour the rhythm of the darker months. To follow my own energy instead of trying to keep up with the pace of the world. It’s part of evolving my intuitive art practice and making room for more authentic, sustainable creativity.

I’ve pulled out an unfinished canvas that’s been tucked away behind my desk for months. No pressure to do anything with it just yet, but I’m enjoying seeing it again. I’m also feeling the pull to journal more, privately, intuitively. A quieter form of artmaking, and one that feels very needed.

Art Witch Musings: Sigils in Art Practice

I often include sigils in my art.

They’re usually subtle, drawn with white watercolour pencil or layered into the underpainting, but they become part of the energy of the piece. A way of weaving intention into the process. This week I made one for the Full Moon using the phrase:
“I release creative fear and express my truth with power.”

Once the letters were condensed and rearranged into a glyph, I sketched it onto the canvas I’m working on. It’s hidden beneath layers of glaze now, but I know it’s there.

Historically, sigils were used in ceremonial magic by mystics and magicians who would encode spiritual or magical intentions into a single visual symbol. These weren't meant to be read literally, but felt or intuited symbols of desire, transformation, or divine protection. Today, they’re often used in chaos magic and intuitive witchcraft as a way of personalising your spellwork. I love that they’re both ancient and adaptable, there's something powerful about crafting a symbol that feels uniquely yours.

If you’ve never worked with sigil magic in art, they’re a beautiful way to combine ritual and creativity. You can write your intention, reduce it down by removing the vowels and repeated letters, and shape what’s left into a symbol. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to feel right.

You can add it to your sketchbook, your canvas, your journal, wherever you create. Let it be a quiet spell, working behind the scenes.

A gold sigil drawn from the intention 'I release creative fear and express my truth with power,' set against a textured, moody background.

Art Journal Prompt

What creative fear are you ready to release this Scorpio Full Moon?

And what truth are you ready to speak with power?

If it resonates, try creating a sigil from your answers and including it somewhere in your art or journal this week. It can be hidden, abstract, messy, or precise. There’s no wrong way to do it, only what feels honest.

This is a deep and personal one. There’s no pressure to share it. Let it be something just for you, if that’s what feels right. This type of art journaling for healing is something I return to again and again.

An open art journal surrounded by paints, tea, and candlelight—capturing a quiet moment of creative magic.

Artist of the Season: Suzy Frelinghuysen

Born May 7, 1911, Suzy Frelinghuysen was one of the first American women to work in the abstract cubist style and one of the few to be taken seriously by the movement during her time.

Suzy studied art in New York and later joined the American Abstract Artists group, working alongside artists like Josef Albers and Piet Mondrian. She brought a distinctly lyrical edge to geometric abstraction, her compositions are bold and architectural, yet there’s a kind of flow to them that draws you in.

She was also an opera singer, performing with the New York City Opera in the 1940s and 50s. For long stretches, she stepped away from painting completely to focus on music. That rhythm feels real to me, the way we move in and out of creative phases. Suzy reminds me that it’s okay to take breaks, to return, to reinvent. That your artistry is never limited to just one form.

I love discovering women artists like Suzy who shaped art history in quiet, powerful ways. They’re part of the lineage I work within as a mixed media artist in Melbourne, exploring themes of identity, voice, and reclamation.

Cycles of Craft Update

Since the last blog, I’ve shared updates on Facebook about Samhain ritual ideas, Pluto retrograde in Aquarius, and Dark Moon Lilith in Scorpio. There’s also a Scorpio Full Moon report going live the same day as this blog.

With so much intense astrology happening in the fixed signs, I’ve been feeling it in my bones. The Scorpio-Aquarius tension is strong in my chart, and it’s asking me to dig deep, to slow down, reflect, and be honest about what needs to be composted in order for new growth to take root.

Even though the blog will shift to a monthly rhythm, there will still be plenty of updates on Instagram and Facebook, especially around moon phases, seasonal changes, and behind-the-scenes moments from the studio. Think of the monthly blog as a deeper exhale. A gathering of threads. A letter from the heart. A continuation of the Cycles of Craft journey we’ve been on for the last 6 months.

Soundtrack for the Descent

If you're like me, certain songs just belong to this time of year.

Soundtrack your descent into winter with these witchy studio tunes. A mix of moody instrumentals, dreamy folk, and atmospheric soundscapes to hold you through the quiet season. Perfect for painting, journaling, or simply brewing a strong cup of tea and sinking into the stillness.

🎧 Listen to the playlist on Spotify

Where to Find Me

I’ll be back with the new Studio Letter for the Gemini New Moon at the end of May. These monthly letters will continue to blend studio updates, seasonal energy, and a little bit of magic, just at a more sustainable rhythm for the dark half of the year.

Until then, you can:

• Catch the full Scorpio Full Moon astrology update on Facebook

• Follow Collective 24 on instagram and facebook for exhibition updates

• And don’t miss: 25% off everything in my Redbubble store from May 15–19

May this Full Moon help you release what’s no longer serving you and remind you of your power to begin again.

A quick note: Some of the images in this post were created using AI tools. As a disabled artist, managing my energy and chronic pain means I sometimes need to find alternative ways to bring my vision to life. These tools support me in staying connected to my creative practice, even when my body needs to rest.

Art Witch Musings: Studio Notes, Magic & Momentum

Hello Creative Alchemists,

It’s the full moon in Libra this week and while we’ve moved our deeper astrology dives to social media, I still want to take a moment to acknowledge the energy of this lunation. Libra brings themes of harmony, balance and beauty, and after the eclipse season, Venus and Mercury retrogrades, this full moon feels like a moment to catch our breath and consolidate all that’s shifted. Keep an eye out on the socials for the deep dive.

Cuppa + Catch Up: Studio Happenings and Collective 24 News

Cuppa Time

Grab your favourite cuppa, light a candle, and get comfy, there’s lots to catch you up on.

Let’s start with the exciting news from Collective 24: we’ve secured a gallery and exhibition dates! We’re beyond thrilled to be exhibiting at Kindred Cameras Gallery in Docklands during the term break, from May 25 – June 3, with our opening night on May 30. We knew this was a big ask, a newly formed collective requesting their own dates from a gallery is not the usual way things are done (typically, galleries give you the dates), but we asked anyway… and they said yes! Not only can the gallery facilitate our requested time, but they also offer a package to curate and hang the show for us. How amazing is that?

This gives us space to focus on completing our work and planning an epic opening night. And yes, it’s fully accessible, which was non-negotiable for us. Accessibility in the arts matters, not just for me as a wheelchair user, but for everyone who wants to create and engage with art.

In light of the exhibition announcement, I’ve stepped up our profile sharing schedule on socials from weekly to daily, so I can start promoting both our artists and the exhibition. Starting next week, we will start taking a deeper dive into each of the artists and find out a little bit more about their art. If you’re not already following Collective 24 on Instagram and Facebook, come join us!

Inside the Studio: Sculpture, Layers + A Juicy Workshop

Back in the studio, I’ve been continuing to explore texture and layers. I made a fun little paper mâché sculpture last week inspired by seed pods, I even shared a reel of the process, so if you missed it, head to the grid to check it out.

I also signed up for a 5-day mixed media workshop with Art of Flow. I know, I know… as if I wasn’t busy enough! But it’s all about juicy layers and mixed media magic, and I couldn’t resist. One hour a day, and by the end of the week I should have a finished canvas ready to hang. Or at least some new techniques and a very messy art table.

I also have one more piece to finish for the Incognito Art Show.

More big news, I’m honoured to share that my “Kintsugi of the Soul” torsos won Round 3 of Violence Prevention Australia’s “Stop it Before it Starts” art competition. Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award, and I would so appreciate your support if you can take a moment to vote for my work.

Accessibility + Advocacy: Life Outside the Studio

Outside the studio, things have been full on. I’ve had a stack of appointments with my healthcare team and have started seeing some new practitioners. My occupational therapist is doing all the behind-the-scenes advocacy work to try and get me an electric wheelchair, something that would make a huge difference to my daily life and independence. I’m dreaming of rolling down to my local café solo for a morning coffee. What can I say, I’m an Art Witch who lives in Melbourne, it’s the vibe!

Art Witch Musings: Colour Magic + Altar Building

Last week on the socials, we explored Colour Magic. As artists, we’re already familiar with colour theory, but colour has deep energetic and symbolic meanings too.

My palette has shifted naturally with the season, deep ochres, rusts, and warm ambers are showing up a lot. And gold. Always gold. Even when I try not to include it in a piece, it never feels finished until I add that shimmer.

Gold has long been linked to sun magic. It represents illumination, courage, and wisdom. It's also associated with divination, insight, creativity and happiness. In ancient cultures, gold was used in rituals and ceremonies, often symbolising divinity and the sacred.

This week, we’re looking at how building an Art Witch Altar can support both your creative and spiritual practice.

Here are some things you might include on your altar:

• Crystals for creativity (like Carnelian, Citrine, or Clear Quartz)

• A small candle to represent illumination

• Seasonal objects like leaves or seed pods

• A journal or notebook

• Tools you love, paintbrushes, pencils, or scraps of paper

• A tarot or oracle card pull

Altars don’t need to be big or fancy. A windowsill, a small shelf, even a corner of your desk will do. The key is creating a sacred space where you can drop into creative flow and honour your craft.

An art desk with Art Witch Altar items

Art Journal Prompt: Full Moon in Libra

This full moon invites us to reflect on the balance between caring for others and caring for ourselves.

Art Journal Prompt:

What does balance look like in your creative life? Where are you being called to restore harmony, between rest and making, between giving and receiving, between solitude and connection?

Let your page be a mirror.

Art Journal

Artist of the Season: Elizabeth Catlett

Our featured artist this season is Elizabeth Catlett (1915–2012), an African American and Mexican sculptor and printmaker whose work centred around themes of race, gender, motherhood, and resistance.

Catlett’s work was both politically engaged and deeply personal. She’s best known for her powerful linocut prints and sculptures that depict Black women with strength and dignity. Her career spanned more than 70 years, and her art often carried messages of empowerment, particularly for working class women and communities of colour.

Some of her iconic works include:

• Sharecropper (1952) — a striking linocut print

• Homage to My Young Black Sisters (1968)

• Mother and Child (multiple versions)

She believed art should serve the people and speak truth to power, a sentiment that still rings true in today’s world. Her influence can be felt across generations of feminist and activist artists.

Studio Tunes

I’ll leave you with this Autumn Vibes Playlist, a musical companion to this season of slow transformation and golden light.

Crafting Magic in the Mess

As the leaves turn and the light shifts, I’m feeling the rhythm of the season deep in my bones, that blend of letting go and digging deeper. Whether I’m layering gold leaf on canvas or shaping seed pods in paper mâché, I keep returning to this truth: there’s magic in the making, even in the mess. Especially in the mess. Thank you for being part of this creative unfolding, for showing up, reading along, and weaving your own threads into this ever-growing tapestry.

If you’d like to follow more of my daily art practice, studio rituals, and behind-the-scenes updates, you can find me over on Instagram and Facebook at @anges.studio. You can also check out my Redbubble store for art prints and goodies, or dive into more blog musings on my website at www.angesstudio.com. Until next time, keep crafting your own kind of magic.

With love and creativity,