Scorpio Season in the Studio: Creative Alchemy & Transformation
It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since I began this blog. My very first post was published on the Libra New Moon and now, here we are again, circling back to where it all began.
In the early days, I shared new and full moon reflections, but as we descended into the darker half of the year, I slowed my rhythm. I began focusing on the new moon, creating deeper, more intentional editions and so, The Art Witch Journal was born. The full moon updates continued over on Facebook through my Cycles of Craft deep dives, where I explored….
Abstract mixed-media: layered textures of paint, thread, and paper forming a circular mandala or spiral. One half is dark and moody (Scorpio), the other warm and luminous (Beltaine). Symbols of the moon, sun, and water subtly appear in the design.
Hello creative alchemists,
Welcome to the Libra New Moon edition of The Art Witch Journal and to a full turn of the wheel.
A year ago, I began this journey beneath the same sky, not knowing where it would lead. What began as a simple act of staying connected to my art through the cycles has become something deeper, a practice of creative alchemy, ritual, and remembering.
This edition feels like both a return and a renewal, a gentle invitation to begin again, with all the wisdom this past year has offered.
Cuppa & Catch Up: Reflections on a Year of Creative Alchemy
It’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since I began this blog. My very first post was published on the Libra New Moon and now, here we are again, circling back to where it all began.
In the early days, I shared new and full moon reflections, but as we descended into the darker half of the year, I slowed my rhythm. I began focusing on the new moon, creating deeper, more intentional editions and so, The Art Witch Journal was born. The full moon updates continued over on Facebook through my Cycles of Craft deep dives, where I explored the planetary movements and their influence on our creative and spiritual cycles.
This year also saw the birth of my Art Witch Musings, a seven-part series exploring my practice of Art Witchery: where art becomes ritual, resistance, and spiritual inquiry. Across each chapter, I journeyed through liminal spaces, symbolism, disability, alchemy, dreamwork, and the unseen currents that shape my creative process. It has become part memoir, part manifesto, and part spell for becoming.
I began this project after being discharged from hospital, as a way to continue my art practice when I could no longer pursue my studies. It became my way of staying connected, of working out what art looked like for me now, in this new body and new life. That’s still something I’m discovering.
Lately though, I’ve felt a disconnection from my art and my spirituality, a kind of creative numbness, so I’m tracing my way back to what once ignited that spark. I’m returning to the magical space where the occult, the esoteric, and creativity intertwine. I want to reconnect with the sense of wonder I felt at art school, when art and spirit spoke the same language.
I’m revisiting the artists who first inspired me: Hilma af Klint, Georgiana Houghton, Rosaleen Norton. I’m delving back into the teachings of Helena Blavatsky and Annie Besant, exploring the worlds of Occult and Symbolist Art. It feels like a return to my creative roots and, perhaps, the beginning of something new.
As this cycle around the sun comes to a close (my birthday is next month!), I’ve been reflecting on how much I’ve outgrown my old life. My body works differently now, and I’m learning how to fit into the world again, how a disabled artist, and Witch, shows up. First for myself, and then for the world. I’ve been exploring ways to infuse my everyday life with magic again, finding the small rituals that help me feel connected, grounded, and whole.
Alongside all this deep contemplation, I’ve also started venturing out more, which has been huge for me. I’ve begun using community transport for appointments, a big step toward reclaiming my independence. I’ve been learning how to navigate public transport and taxis with my electric wheelchair and adjusting to this new rhythm of movement.
I even attended an art workshop at the local community house, my first in quite a while, and it felt wonderful to spend time creating with others again. I’ve also made two trips to the NGV this month: first for the Kimono exhibition, and later to see the French Impressionists. That second trip was especially special, I took the train in, met friends, saw beautiful art, and went out for dinner before meeting my driver to come home.
I also had my first hydrotherapy session in months, I’d forgotten how much this Scorpio needs the water. In the pool, I feel free again; the water holds me, allowing movement that my body can’t manage on land.
Closer to home, our community garden is thriving. I love rolling down to pick something fresh for dinner or grabbing a handful of herbs to make a cuppa. These small moments bring so much joy and connection to my days.
I also have some exciting news, my new piece “Suspended” has been accepted into this year’s Summer Show! I can’t wait to share more about it soon. The work explores the theme of coercive control, and I’ve launched a petition calling on the Victorian Government to make it a criminal offence. I’d love your support in signing and sharing it.
It’s been a big month, and an even bigger year. I still feel like I’m in this liminal in-between space, unsure exactly what my next steps look like. But for the first time in a long while, I feel ready to start finding out.
What does that mean for The Art Witch Journal and my other offerings? I’m not quite sure yet. I can feel change is in the air and I’d love for you to come along on the journey with me.
Art Witch Musings: The Alchemy of Creation and the Turning of the Wheel
Chapter Seven
The artwork is not the beginning. It is the residue of a long alchemical process; the ashes left behind after something invisible has burned itself into being. By the time a piece reaches the wall, it has already lived a thousand quiet lives. It has been dreamt, dissolved, forgotten, reimagined, layered, and reborn. It carries every fragment of the journey that brought it here. In this sense, the finished work is not a product. It’s a record. A relic. A witness. The visible evidence of an unseen pilgrimage. What the viewer sees is only the surface; beneath it lies the compost of emotion, intuition, and ritual that shaped it into form.
I’ve always felt that art-making is a kind of conjuring, a process of calling something from the invisible into the material world. But what comes through is not always what I expect. The act of creation often feels like holding open a doorway, letting something ancient and wordless speak through pigment, thread, texture, and symbol. I do not control it. I collaborate with it.
Each work begins as a whisper: a colour that won’t leave me alone, a recurring dream, a line of poetry, a symbol that keeps reappearing in my periphery. These small obsessions become anchors. They draw me in. They ask to be made visible. I move through the process like ritual, slowly, deliberately, with reverence. Materials are chosen intuitively. I let them speak. Sometimes a piece demands to be rough, unpolished, unfinished. Other times it calls for precision and layering, as though each mark is sealing a spell. What matters most is that I listen. That I allow the piece to tell me when it’s ready, or when it needs more time in the dark. In truth, the artwork and I transform together. Every creation reshapes me, as surely as I shape it. We meet in the middle, me, the maker, and the work, the mirror. Between us lies the threshold where meaning is born.
When the piece finally leaves the studio, it carries with it the imprint of all that it has absorbed: my thoughts, my body, my breath, my pain, my tenderness, my resistance, my devotion. It carries the energy of the symbols, the moon cycles, the dreams, the spells, the long nights of listening. To stand before the work is to stand before the echo of all that unseen labour. I think of each piece as a kind of altar, something that holds space for what words cannot contain. They are offerings to the collective, to the invisible, to the great mystery that animates all creative life. They are portals through which others might glimpse what I have glimpsed. There is humility in this process.
Once the work is finished, it no longer belongs to me. It belongs to the world, to whoever meets it with open eyes. It continues to evolve in the gaze of others; in the energy of spaces, it inhabits. Like any living thing, it changes with time, light, and perception.
This is the strange paradox of being an artist-witch: the making is intimate, solitary, inward, but the result is an act of offering, a reaching outward. What was once private becomes public. What was once alchemy becomes artifact. To release the work is both loss and liberation, but that is the nature of cycles. Creation, transformation, release, rest. The wheel turns again. The artwork is not the end of the journey, but a threshold into the next one. Each finished piece is a seed for what comes after, a signal from the unseen that the conversation continues. So, it does.
Even now, as I sit with words instead of paint, the winter that wrapped around me like a cloak, I can feel the next work stirring beneath the surface. It waits in the silence, patient and knowing. When the time is right, it will emerge, carrying with it everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve shed, everything I’ve dreamed. When it does, I will meet it once again at the threshold, maker, medium, witness, ready to begin the ritual anew.
Epilogue:
The Turning of the Wheel, every cycle ends where it began, in the quiet. The threshold that opened months ago now begins to close, not with finality, but with a deep exhale. The words, the art, the slow revelations of this season have all been part of one long conversation with the unseen. Now, as winter loosens her hold, I can feel the faint hum of something shifting beneath the surface. This work, these chapters, this unfolding, has been an act of devotion. A listening. A mapping of the unseen landscapes that shape both art and life. Each piece of writing has been a spell of its own, a reflection of the cycles that govern not just the natural world, but the creative one too.
As I look back across this body of work, I see it for what it truly is: a record of becoming. Each chapter carried a piece of my voice, a fragment of my practice, a seed of my transformation. They form a constellation of moments that speak to the rhythm of living and creating in alignment with something larger than myself. Now, the energy begins to turn again. I can feel it in my bones, in that subtle stirring that comes before a new season, before a new chapter of life and art. I don’t yet know what form it will take, and that’s the beauty of it. Mystery is a necessary companion to creation. The unknown is fertile ground.
So, I close this cycle with gratitude, for the stillness that held me, for the magic that revealed itself through the quiet, for the way art continues to find me even in the dark. The wheel turns. The next season waits. And I, once again, stand at the threshold.
An Art Witches Studio
Little Witchy Things: Everyday Rituals for Balance, Renewal & Transformation
The Alchemy of the In-Between
This cycle invites us to linger at the threshold, that liminal space between endings and beginnings where art, intuition, and transformation quietly converse. Creation doesn’t always arrive as a burst of inspiration; sometimes it hums beneath the surface, asking only that we listen. The following practices are ways to honour that quiet alchemy, to nurture your connection with the unseen as it moves through your daily life.
Begin by noticing what is shifting within you. Libra season asks for balance, while Scorpio teaches us to surrender. Between them lies a subtle point of transformation, a moment to breathe before the next becoming. You might mark this by creating a small altar or workspace that mirrors that balance: light and dark objects side by side, soft and textured materials sharing space. Let it be a reflection of your own in-between state, a visual echo of your unfolding.
You can also tend your creative flame through acts of gentle devotion. Before you begin any creative work, pause to acknowledge the unseen labour already woven into your art, the ideas dreamt, the emotions composted, the invisible threads that brought you here. A simple bow of the head, a hand over your heart, or the lighting of a candle is enough. These small recognitions anchor your practice in reverence.
As the Sun moves into Scorpio, allow water to become your teacher. Creativity, like emotion, needs movement to stay alive. Stir a bowl of water clockwise before beginning your work, imagining it awakening your inner current. When you’re finished, pour it out under the sky in gratitude. This act reminds you that release is as sacred as creation, that every piece, every season, must one day flow back to the source.
Around Beltaine, when the air warms and the earth hums with new life, invite pleasure back into your process. Choose materials that delight your senses, colours you love, textures that feel alive beneath your fingers. Let joy be your offering to the fire of creation. Beltaine reminds us, that art, too, is an act of desire, a way of saying yes to being here, in this body, on this earth.
Finally, as the Taurus Full Moon rounds the cycle, return to your body. Rest your hands on your lap, close your eyes, and feel the quiet pulse of your own life. This is where all creation begins, not in striving, but in remembering that you are part of the rhythm. Let this be your ritual of renewal: a moment of stillness that says, I am ready for what comes next.
Artist of the Season: Claude Cahun – Transformation, Identity & Creative Rebellion
Claude Cahun (1894 – 1954)
Born Lucy Schwob on October 25, 1894, in Nantes, France, Claude Cahun was an artist, writer, and performer whose work blurred the boundaries between identity and illusion, masculine and feminine, self and shadow. She adopted the gender-neutral name Claude Cahun in her early twenties, signalling a lifelong rejection of fixed categories. From the beginning, her life and art were acts of transformation, a quality that makes her an ideal muse for Scorpio season, a time of shedding skins and revealing deeper truths.
Cahun grew up in an intellectual Jewish family connected to the publishing world, her uncle was the Symbolist writer Marcel Schwob, and her father ran a newspaper. As a teenager she began writing essays that questioned social norms and photographed herself in theatrical guises: a boy, a saint, a doll, a dandy. These early images foreshadowed the themes that would define her life’s work, metamorphosis, defiance, and the search for an authentic self beneath imposed identities.
In 1909 she met Suzanne Malherbe, who became both her life partner and artistic collaborator. Malherbe later adopted the pseudonym Marcel Moore, and together they formed one of the most fascinating creative partnerships of the twentieth century. Their bond transcended the boundaries of romance, art, and activism, an alchemical fusion of two souls devoted to freedom of expression. The pair moved to Paris in the early 1920s, immersing themselves in avant-garde circles that included André Breton, Man Ray, and other Surrealists and Dadaists. Although never fully embraced by those male-dominated movements, Cahun shared their fascination with the unconscious and the dream world, yet her approach was distinctly personal and political.
Her photographic self-portraits, produced mainly between the 1910s and 1930s, are now considered precursors to contemporary performance and conceptual art. In them, Cahun stages herself as multiple beings, androgynous, masked, vulnerable, confrontational, challenging the viewer’s gaze and dismantling the certainty of gender. Each image is a ritual of transformation, an invocation of the inner and outer selves in dialogue. Her written works, including Aveux non Avenus (“Disavowals,” 1930), blend autobiography, manifesto, and prose-poetry, rejecting the idea of a singular, stable identity.
In the 1930s, Cahun and Moore left Paris for Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, seeking a quieter life. Then, when the Nazis occupied the island during World War II, the two women turned their creativity into resistance. Using pseudonyms, they produced and distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, surrealist collages of text and image meant to demoralise the occupiers. Arrested in 1944, they were sentenced to death, but the war ended before the sentence was carried out. Their courage and subversive imagination exemplify Scorpio’s shadow-side strength: fearless, strategic, and transformative even in the face of destruction.
After the war, Cahun’s health declined, and she died in 1954. For decades her work was largely forgotten, overshadowed by the Surrealists she had influenced but never fully joined. It wasn’t until the 1980s that her photographs were rediscovered and celebrated for their radical exploration of identity and resistance. Today, Claude Cahun stands as a visionary figure whose work bridges art and activism, ritual and rebellion, a forerunner of queer and feminist art who made her own life a spell of transformation.
Claude Cahun feels like the perfect companion for this Scorpio season, an artist who understood transformation not as metaphor, but as lived truth. Through her lens, identity became ritual; self-portraiture became an act of rebellion. Scorpio teaches us to strip away illusion and confront what lies beneath, and Cahun embodied that descent with fearless devotion.
Her work invites us to ask: Who am I beneath the masks I wear? In her shifting forms, we glimpse a kind of creative alchemy, the courage to dissolve and re-emerge, again and again, truer each time. As the wheel turns and we emerge into the light half of the year, Cahun reminds us that the process of becoming visible often begins in the shadows.
Art Journal Prompt: The Threshold Between Worlds – Exploring Change & Becoming
The Threshold Between Worlds
This cycle invites you to explore the spaces between, between endings and beginnings, shadow and light, seen and unseen.
In your art journal, create a page that reflects your own threshold moment.
What are you shedding?
What are you stepping toward?
Use mixed media to layer these ideas, perhaps collage two contrasting images or colours to represent what was and what is emerging.
Write a single sentence or phrase that feels like your guiding spell for this next chapter.
Art Witch Desk and open Journal
Cycles of Craft: Libra New Moon to Taurus Full Moon – Astrology for Creative Flow
As the Libra New Moon rises on October 21st, we begin a new creative cycle under the sign of balance, beauty, and renewal. This is the Moon that asks us to soften into harmony, to find equilibrium between giving and receiving, doing and being. It’s a tender reminder that artistry, like life, flourishes when we move from a place of grace and inner peace.
That same night, the Orionid meteor shower lights the sky as Mercury and Mars meet in conjunction, igniting sparks of communication and action. Words become wands, thoughts become catalysts, and ideas rush forward with clarity and urgency. This is a moment to speak your truth, to write, paint, or craft from instinct, but also to pause before reacting. The stars are alive with movement; choose yours with intention.
By October 22nd, the Sun slips into Scorpio, guiding us deeper into the realm of shadow and transformation. Here, creation becomes alchemy, a descent into the underworld of feeling, mystery, and magic. Scorpio season asks for honesty and depth: to shed old skins, to honour what’s dying away, and to create from the raw, untamed parts of ourselves.
As Beltaine approaches, here in the Southern Hemisphere, celebrated on October 31st but astronomically falling on November 8th, the earth hums with life. It is a festival of passion, pleasure, and creative fire, the dance of desire made manifest. This turning of the Wheel celebrates fertility and the blooming of ideas sown in earlier months. It is an invitation to move, to make, and to celebrate the joy of being alive in your body and your craft.
On November 4th, Mars enters Sagittarius, shifting our creative flame from introspection to exploration. After Scorpio’s depth, this transit brings expansion and vision, a wild spark that seeks adventure and truth. Follow curiosity wherever it leads; it may guide you to new mediums, fresh inspiration, or unexpected collaborations.
Finally, the Full Moon in Taurus on November 6th steadies the pulse of all this change. Grounded and sensuous, this lunar light invites us to slow down and savour what we’ve cultivated. Taurus reminds us that art, like the body, needs care and consistency. Celebrate what has bloomed, your progress, your persistence, and the quiet beauty of your becoming.
We have a busy couple of weeks in the sky coming up, make sure you’re following me over on facebook for more in-depth reports.
A circular seasonal collage representing the journey from the Libra New Moon to the Taurus Full Moon. Half the image glows with warm Beltaine light, flowers, sunlight, and creative fire, while the other half rests in Scorpio’s mystery, dark water, moonlight, and shadow. Subtle symbols of balance, transformation, and renewal appear around the circle: the moon phases, stars, and botanical motifs. Soft, ethereal, and textured, blending earthy tones with gold, rose, and indigo.
Scorpio Season in the Studio: Witchy, Sultry, Moody Tunes for Creative Transformation
The vibe for this month’s playlist, Scorpio Season in the Studio, a potion of old and new to keep the creative cauldron simmering. Expect witchy, sultry, moody textures and a heartbeat you can work to: Fleetwood Mac’s steady spellcraft, Patti Smith’s raw incantations, Lorde’s lunar pop, Florence + The Machine’s fever-dream swell, and more shadows-and-spark in between. It’s music for thresholds and late night making, a soundtrack to slip you into deep focus, soft rebellion, and slow-burn devotion while the season does its alchemy.
Closing the Circle & the Cycle: Reflections on Transformation & the Turning Year
As we close this Libra New Moon edition of The Art Witch Journal, the wheel continues to turn. The air carries the first whispers of Scorpio’s depth, and the earth begins to warm with Beltaine’s promise. It’s a season of balance tipping into transformation, a reminder that endings are never endings at all, only doorways to new beginnings.
This cycle invites us to move slowly, to trust the unseen process of becoming. Whether you’re resting, dreaming, or creating, know that your art and your life are always in motion, even in stillness. Honour the quiet stages of your journey. Let your rituals be gentle, your intentions soft, and your creativity guided by curiosity rather than certainty.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll share more reflections and updates over on my facbook page with Cycles of Craft, where we’ll explore Scorpio season, Mars in Sagittarius, and the grounding magic of the Taurus Full Moon. Little Witchy Things will be continuing over on the socials too. I am experimenting with Substack at the moment so I will continue to share things over there but will keep you posted on the Instagram when I do this. You can also get 25% off over at my Redbubble Store too, there’s still time to grab something in time for Halloween.
Until next time, may your art be your ritual, your rest your devotion, and your days woven with quiet magic.
A Note on the Imagery
Some of the images in this journal are created using AI-assisted tools. As a disabled artist living with chronic health conditions, I use AI as part of my creative process, a way to visualise ideas that my body can’t always physically bring to life. It allows me to keep imagining, storytelling, and sharing my vision when traditional studio work isn’t always possible. Every image is still part of my craft, guided by my words, intuition, and artistic direction, another form of creative alchemy that helps me stay connected to my art and community.
October Art Witch Journal: Creative Symbolism
This season brings both balance and intensity: eclipses, equinox energy, super moons, and the steady hum of transformation beneath it all. It feels like standing at a threshold, one foot in shadow and one in light, asked to trust the flow while holding close what truly matters.
Wherever you are reading this in your studio, curled up with a cuppa, or catching a quiet moment between the busyness of life, may these words offer reflection, nourishment, and inspiration for your own practice.
Grab a cuppa and settle in….
Art Witch Desk covered in Art Supplies and Journals
Hello creative alchemists,
As the new moon rises and we step into October’s shifting tides, I welcome you into this month’s Art Witch Journal. This is our gathering place, a moment to pause, breathe, and align with the unseen threads that weave through art, magic, and daily life.
This season brings both balance and intensity: eclipses, equinox energy, super moons, and the steady hum of transformation beneath it all. It feels like standing at a threshold, one foot in shadow and one in light, asked to trust the flow while holding close what truly matters.
Wherever you are reading this in your studio, curled up with a cuppa, or catching a quiet moment between the busyness of life, may these words offer reflection, nourishment, and inspiration for your own practice.
Grab a cuppa and settle in.
Cuppa & Catch Up - Personal Reflections, Community Connections, and Studio Life
This past month has been a challenging one for me personally. I’ve been navigating a flare-up of symptoms that has kept me away from the studio, making it hard to show up for my own practice and live up to the routines I share here. Some days, simply being present with my art has felt like too much, and that has been a tough space to sit with.
On the practical side, I’ve finally managed to arrange community transport to get me to and from appointments in my wheelchair. The logistics have been tricky, but I’m hopeful that this will make life a little smoother going forward.
One bright spot has been the Gardening sessions at our Community Garden. These have been nourishing in more ways than one, feeding both my soul and my diet. There’s something deeply grounding about wheeling down to pick fresh produce and bringing it back to my apartment to cook on the spot. The chance to connect with other residents has been equally precious. Living with a disability and chronic health issues can be isolating, so this sense of community has been incredibly important.
I’ve also been planning a piece for the Merri-bek Summer Show. The theme is Love in Crisis. I had hoped to submit my Kintsugi of the Soul collection, but works must have been completed in 2025, so I’m now creating something entirely new. Watch this space!
I’m hoping to attend an Art Workshop at the local community house this week as well. Like the gardening group, it’s a space where I can connect with others, share ideas, and feel that sense of creative community that is so important. It’s one of the benefits of living in Women’s Housing; they recognise the value of community and connection.
On a more personal note, I had the joy of attending my granddaughter’s school play last week. It had been a while since I’d spent time with them, and it was wonderful to share in the fun and excitement of the production. With school holidays now underway, I’m looking forward to spending a couple more days with them later this week.
Art Witch Musings – Chapter Six
Navigating the Unseen: Symbols, Dreamwork, and Creative Alchemy
Even in months when the studio feels far away, the unseen currents of creativity are still flowing. Beneath the surface of everyday life, beneath the brushstrokes and the clay, the threads of the unseen hum steadily, insistently. They are currents older than time, older than thought, older than words. They move in cycles, in symbols, in the cadence of dreams, and in the alchemy of transformation. To step into them is to step sideways from the ordinary world and into a liminal rhythm where intuition, instinct, and insight are the only guides.
For me, these currents are both map and companion. Theosophy, the occult, and esoteric study are not dusty relics of the past, they are languages of connection, tools for navigating the invisible. They are lenses that allow me to read the patterns of the world and the symbols hidden within it. Although, I do not follow tradition blindly. I do not worship text over intuition, nor ritual over revelation. I enter these currents as a conversation: I bring my body, my energy, my attention, and I ask questions. Answers come not in lectures or words, but in images that appear in dreams, in repeated shapes, in subtle shifts of energy or light, in the pull of colour or texture.
Symbols are the language through which my work listens and speaks. A spiral scratched into clay, a streak of gold across a page, a thread twisted through fabric, they are both vessel and key. They hold memory, intention, and magic. I pay attention to how symbols appear, how they echo across media, across time, across the liminal spaces where my art breathes. In this way, my work becomes a spell of observation, a meditation, a translation of the unseen into form.
Dream work is central to this practice. Dreams do not simply inspire; they instruct. They guide the rhythm of the studio, the selection of materials, the shape of a piece yet unborn. Archetypes rise from the unconscious, bringing both comfort and challenge, and I engage with them as I would with a trusted companion. I transcribe, sketch, and mark their presence. I honour their messages by letting them shape the work without forcing clarity, without insisting on literal interpretation.
Spiritual alchemy informs every aspect of my process. Not the sort that promises gold or power in the worldly sense, but the inner alchemy of transformation, the transmutation of pain into image, fatigue into texture, isolation into communion. I work in stages of dissolution and recombination, layering and un-layering, allowing materials to speak their own truths. My studio is the alchemist’s lab; my hands, the instruments; my attention, the fire that transforms raw matter into something charged with meaning.
The sacred feminine flows through this practice as both lineage and guiding principle. I trace the unrecorded histories of women who practiced magic in secret, who wove spells into daily life, who left traces in textiles, herbals, and symbols. I do not attempt to reconstruct them; instead, I commune with their echoes, threading their presence into my work. It emerges in texture, in repetition, in rhythm. It emerges in the reverence with which I approach each material, each mark, each gesture.
Magic, in my practice, is inseparable from politics. To wield knowledge, to honour unseen forces, to embody a form of wisdom that refuses erasure, this is resistance. Every mark I make is a declaration that the unseen matters, that women’s voices matter, that disability, intuition, and devotion are not optional; they are radical. The magic of art is a reclamation of agency, a quiet revolution enacted in studio corners and liminal spaces.
Symbols, alchemy, and dreamwork converge to create pieces that are both talisman and testimony. Each work carries residue of the unseen currents, the layered conversations between self and other, visible and invisible, spirit and matter. A piece is never merely a painting or sculpture; it is a spell cast in devotion to insight, transformation, and the honouring of thresholds. It is a record of time spent listening, noticing, and translating.
Yet, even as the work takes form, the process continues. The studio is never silent. The currents keep moving. The symbols speak anew with every glance, every touch. I am always reading, always attuning, always engaged in the slow, recursive dance that is my practice.
This chapter of work, this weaving of occult, spiritual, and symbolic threads, is not an end, nor a revelation fully realised. It is a living continuum, a meditation, a conversation with forces that do not rush. It is devotion embodied, patience enshrined, and the subtle, profound acknowledgment that art, at its most potent, is not separate from life, magic, or the sacred.
To work in this way is to stand at a threshold. To be both maker and medium. To trust that the unseen will inform the seen, and that the act of creation itself is a spell that shapes not only the work but the artist, and perhaps, in some small way, the world around them.
Art Witch Desk with Oracle Cards, Journal and Cuppa
Artist of the Season – Faith Ringgold
Story Quilts, Resistance, and the Power of Visual Narrative
This season I’m honouring the extraordinary Libran artist, author, and activist Faith Ringgold (1930–2024). Born and raised in Harlem, New York, Ringgold grew up surrounded by creativity, her mother was a fashion designer, her father a storyteller and it was in this environment that her lifelong relationship with fabric, colour, and narrative first began. She went on to study art and education at City College of New York, later teaching while developing a practice that would weave together painting, quilting, sculpture, performance, and writing.
Ringgold’s work is uncompromising in its honesty and deeply generous in its vision. Her early series, The American People (1963–67), painted at the height of the civil rights movement, reflects directly on racial violence, social upheaval, and the fight for equality. Perhaps the most famous piece from this series, American People #20: Die (1967), is a searing portrayal of chaos, grief, and resilience. It remains one of the most striking works of the 20th century, a raw and urgent call to witness.
From the 1980s onwards, Ringgold turned increasingly to her now-iconic story quilts. Works like Tar Beach (1988) blend painting, pieced fabric, and hand-written text to tell stories of Black family life, dreams, and freedom. Quilting, historically dismissed as “women’s work”, became a radical medium in her hands, transforming domestic craft into political and spiritual art. These quilts are visual talismans, carrying both ancestral memory and imaginative flight. Tar Beach was later adapted into a children’s book, ensuring her vision could be shared across generations.
Her creative reach didn’t stop there. Ringgold wrote children’s books such as Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky and My Dream of Martin Luther King, as well as her memoir, We Flew Over the Bridge. Across every form she touched, the same threads run through resistance, storytelling, visibility, and transformation.
For me, what makes Ringgold so resonant this season is how her art stands at the threshold of the visible and invisible. She gave form to what was often silenced or unseen, the lived experiences of Black women, the resilience of communities, the power of dreams. Her quilts and paintings blur the boundaries between art and craft, personal and political, memory and imagination. They remind me that art is both a ritual of remembrance and a spell of becoming.
Faith Ringgold’s legacy is a reminder that our creativity is never separate from our politics, our healing, or our spiritual work. Her practice shows us that we can take the most ordinary of materials, fabric, thread, story and charge them with power, beauty, and resistance. This season, I’m carrying her lesson that art can hold memory, demand justice, and imagine liberation all at once.
Art Journal Prompt - Symbols as Thresholds
Exploring Your Dreams and Symbols Through Visual Journaling
This month, I invite you to explore the symbols that appear in your own life as guides and thresholds.
Think of Faith Ringgold’s story quilts, each image, colour, and fragment of fabric becomes more than material; it becomes memory, resistance, and imagination stitched into form. In your own journal, allow symbols to emerge in the same way: not as static images, but as living companions.
Begin by reflecting on a recent dream, repeated shape, or recurring image that has caught your attention. Don’t overthink it, it might be a spiral, a bird, a doorway, a piece of fabric, or even a phrase someone spoke.
On your page, translate this symbol into visual form. You could draw it, collage it, stitch it, or layer colours and textures until it takes shape. Let it repeat, fragment, or morph. Allow the materials themselves to guide you, just as alchemy transforms one state into another.
Once the image is there, sit with it and ask:
· What threshold does this symbol represent?
· What am I leaving behind, and what am I stepping toward?
· How does this image balance the visible and invisible in my life right now?
Write a few lines alongside your work, not as an explanation but as a conversation, the beginning of a dialogue with the unseen currents moving through your own creative practice.
Remember: this isn’t about creating a polished piece. It’s about listening, noticing, and honouring the subtle languages that want to speak through you.
Art Journal Prompt
Little Witchy Things
Practical Magic for Daily Life and Creative Connection
As we move into this new month, I’ve gathered a few small practices to help you attune to the subtle currents of life and creativity. These are gentle invitations to notice, reflect, and bring magic into everyday moments.
One way to connect with the unseen is by mapping your currents. Pay attention to recurring symbols, sensations in your body, or patterns in your dreams. Capture them in a journal, sketchbook, or with simple shapes and colours. By observing these threads, you strengthen your awareness of the energies guiding your creativity and life.
Another practice is embodying intention in ordinary actions. Whether you’re washing dishes, brewing tea, or watering a plant, infuse the moment with presence, gratitude, or a whispered intention. These small, mindful acts transform everyday routines into threads of magic, grounding you in the rhythm of life and creativity.
You can also explore symbolic offerings. Choose a small object, a stone, feather, leaf, or ribbon, that resonates with your current energy or aspiration. Hold it, notice its texture, colour, and weight, and place it somewhere meaningful in your home, studio, or altar. Let it serve as a reminder of the energy you wish to cultivate this month.
Finally, listen to your dreams as collaborators in your creative practice. Before sleep, set an intention or ask a question. Upon waking, note any images, symbols, or impressions. Allow these messages to inspire your art, journaling, or daily reflections. Dreams are guides that speak in a language of texture, colour, and subtle energy, pay attention, and they will inform your creative path.
Art Witch Desk
Cycles of Craft - Libra Season, Eclipses, and Astrological Guidance for October
We enter Libra Season with a bang! The month begins under the Solar Eclipse and Spring Equinox on September 21 and 22, a powerful alignment that invites both reflection and renewal. The eclipse asks us to trust ourselves and our inner guidance, while the equinox brings the balance of light and dark, marking a perfect moment to plant seeds for what we wish to grow over the coming months. Together, these energies set the stage for intentional creation, grounding, and alignment.
On September 24, Mars enters Scorpio, bringing a deep, focused intensity to our actions and desires. Mars in Scorpio encourages us to move with determination, dive beneath the surface of situations, and confront what we’ve been avoiding. This energy can fuel transformation, but it asks for patience and trust in the process, rather than forcing outcomes.
Looking ahead, October 7 brings a Super Full Moon in Aries, illuminating our passions, courage, and personal drives. This is a moment of heightened energy and clarity, a chance to release what no longer serves and step more fully into your authentic power. Around the same time, Mercury enters Scorpio, sharpening intuition, deepening conversations, and encouraging us to communicate with honesty, insight, and emotional depth.
On October 13, Venus moves into Libra, softening our relationships and interactions with harmony, beauty, and grace. This energy highlights diplomacy, self-care in partnership, and the art of finding balance within connection. It’s a gentle reminder that nurturing others begins with nurturing ourselves.
Finally, the New Moon in Libra on October 21 offers a fresh start in alignment with balance, fairness, and creative partnership. This lunar cycle invites reflection on where harmony is needed in our lives and what intentions we wish to cultivate as we move toward the light half of the year. It is a time to plant seeds, both in art and life, trusting that what we sow now will grow into meaningful, radiant expression.
New Moon, Eclipse, Equinox
Oracle Insights - Tuning Into Your Own Balance and Intuition This Month
This month’s energies invite us to pause, listen, and find balance within shifting ground. For October, I suggest a three-card spread that mirrors the themes of Libra season.
The Spread
· What do I need to surrender to right now?
· What is seeking to be nourished or birthed within me?
· Where am I being called back into balance?
When you lay your cards, sit with them as symbols and companions rather than rushing for answers. Note how they speak to one another, how they echo patterns in your dreams, your body, or your studio practice.
Keep this spread nearby throughout the month. You may find that the cards reveal new layers as the moon shifts, as planets move, as your own perspective changes. It is not a one-time reading but a map to walk with, a living dialogue between you, your intuition, and the unseen currents of October.
Oracle Card Reading
Seasonal Vibes & Studio Soundtrack
Music to Inspire Your Creative Practice and Inner Flow
This playlist is a kind of sonic altar, a collection of tracks that are guiding my heart, igniting inspiration, and holding space for the liminal, the slow, and the magical moments in my studio this season.
You’ll hear songs that echo both light and shadow, grounding rhythms and ethereal voices, songs that feel like dusk meeting dawn. They move with ritual, dream, longing, everything I need right now to lean into the unseen currents of creativity, trust, and transformation.
If you’re creating, walking, resting, or simply breathing, may these tracks feel like companions. Let them hold you steady, open space inside, and carry you forward.
Closing the Circle & Wrap-Up
Spring Equinox, Special Edition Blog, and October Studio Highlights
As we close this circle and step into the fresh rhythms of this new moon cycle, may you carry with you the balance, clarity, and courage to shape what’s next. October asks us to trust the unseen currents, tend to the seeds we’ve planted, and honour both the endings and beginnings that mark this turning of the wheel.
The Spring Equinox brings its own magic, a moment of perfect balance between day and night, reminding us that growth and stillness are equally necessary in our creative lives. If you’d like to explore the energies of Ostara more deeply, be sure to check out my Special Edition Blog Post dedicated to this seasonal celebration.
For more in-depth insights, you’ll find weekly Little Witchy Things and Cycles of Craft posts on Substack and over on the socials, guiding you step by step through the unfolding month.
And before I go, a little note from the studio, there’s currently a sale in my Redbubble store. If you’ve had your eye on my crow artworks, now’s the perfect time to bring one home, especially with Halloween just around the corner.
Until next moon, may your path be creative, your practice nourishing, and your days threaded with magic.
AI Image Disclaimer:
Some images in this post were generated with the assistance of AI. I use these tools to support my creative practice, particularly in ways that accommodate my chronic health and disability, helping me explore ideas and visual concepts when physical limitations make traditional methods challenging. These images are part of my process, not a replacement for handmade art.
Art Witch Journal: Cancer New Moon Rituals, Retrogrades & Creative Rest
I hope you are enjoying the new, slower pace journey we are sharing here. As we descend into the winter months of soup season and bottomless cups of tea, the Monthly journal feels right, especially for this Cancer Season. It is giving me the space to breathe and sink into this beautiful time of the year of long nights, short days, brisk mornings, sunny afternoons, fluffy blankets and slippers. Grab a cuppa and join me for some musings from my new studio.
Although in saying that, what an amazing, crazy, hectic, exciting cycle Gemini Season was. Where do I start? We had a hugely successful Creativa Exhibition with Collective 24. Opening Night was amazing, about
An Art Witch desk with candles, tea and open art journal on the night of the New Moon.
Hello creative alchemists,
I hope you are enjoying the new, slower pace journey we are sharing here. As we descend into the winter months of soup season and bottomless cups of tea, the Monthly journal feels right, especially for this Cancer Season. It is giving me the space to breathe and sink into this beautiful time of the year of long nights, short days, brisk mornings, sunny afternoons, fluffy blankets and slippers. Grab a cuppa and join me for some musings from my new studio.
✴︎ Cuppa & Catch Up ✴︎
Although in saying that, what an amazing, crazy, hectic, exciting cycle Gemini Season was. Where do I start? We had a hugely successful Creativa Exhibition with Collective 24. Opening Night was amazing, about a hundred people joined us at Kindred Cameras in the Docklands for wonderful night of Art, conversation, connection and celebrating the joy of Creating. On a personal note, I’m excited to let you know one of my Crow’s sold, Lunar Accent is flying to her new home where she can be loved and admired.
The other amazing news I have is that Kintsugi of the Soul, won the People’s Choice Award in the Stop it Before it Starts art completion run by Violence Prevention Australia. So, it’s with a full heart I thank everyone who voted for them. I am honoured that they have touched so many people and their message connected with so many. Thank you. There is some more exciting news that hopefully I can share with you next month about Kintsugi of the Soul.
If all of this wasn’t crazy enough, I have moved this month. I am now settling into my beautiful new apartment. I can embrace the Cancer energies begin creating my new, forever home. While I was packing, I came across some of my old New Moon Manifestations. Reading through these I realised that this is something I have been dreaming into reality for over 5 years. The safety and comfort of my own little sanctuary. It definitely hasn’t happened the way I would have planned or ever wanted but regardless, I am here. It is wheelchair accessible and I can live here, independently and grow as a disabled artist for many years to come. Next week I am having my electric wheelchair delivered. This is going to open the world up to me again. Giving me the freedom and independence to venture out into the community after over a year of isolation. So, watch this space for more art witch adventures
✴︎ Art Witch Musings ✴︎
Chapter Three: Art Witchery as Practice
Art Witchery, for me, is not a title. It’s a way of being in the world. A rhythm. A ritual. A relationship with the creative process that is intuitive, reverent, political, and deeply spiritual. It’s not something I perform. It’s something I live.
It begins with listening. Before the page, before the paint, before the idea, there is always a moment of tuning in. Not to what I should make, but to what’s already stirring below the surface. Sometimes it comes as an image in a dream. Sometimes it’s a phrase I can’t stop hearing. Sometimes it’s a texture, or a symbol, or a sense that something is waiting to come through.
I work slowly. Ritualistically. I don’t rush the magic. I let it unfold.
Tea is brewed. Music or silence is chosen with intention. A candle may be lit, or an altar cleared. I might draw a tarot card or reach for a stone I’ve been carrying in my pocket. These small gestures ground me, call me in, make space for something sacred to happen.
The studio becomes a liminal space in itself, part sanctuary, part cauldron, part dream chamber.
My materials are more than tools. They are collaborators. Paper, ink, thread, glue, bones, fabric, feathers, wax, each holds its own spirit, its own memory. I let them guide me as much as I guide them.
There are rhythms to this practice, moon phases, seasons, emotional tides. I don’t fight them. I follow them. I might sketch during a waxing moon, build altars at the full, rest and reflect as the moon wanes. I am always crafting in relationship to the world around me, the weather, the land, the cycles of my own body.
Art Witchery is not linear. There is no clear beginning or end. It spirals. It returns. It requires surrender. Some pieces take weeks; others sit unfinished for months until I understand what they were trying to say. Some never become “finished” in the traditional sense, they are offerings, spells in process, sacred scraps that don’t need to be polished to be powerful.
This practice is also deeply embodied. As someone living with chronic illness and disability, I’m always in conversation with my body, what it needs, what it’s holding, what it can or cannot do on a given day. Art becomes a place where I meet my body with gentleness. Where I honour its limitations and its wisdom. Where I can be both soft and strong.
And woven through all of this is a deep trust. Trust that what needs to be expressed will find its way. Trust that slowness is not stagnation. Trust that magic doesn’t always shout, it often whispers.
Art Witchery is not about producing. It’s about becoming. It’s about staying close to what’s real, what’s raw, what’s rising. It’s about remembering that creativity is sacred. That making is a ritual. That art, at its heart, is a spell cast in devotion to truth, transformation, and the unseen.
✴︎ Art Journal Prompt ✴︎
“What does home feel like to me now?”
Not the place, but the feeling.
This New Moon in Cancer calls us inward. It asks us to reflect on the spaces that hold us, soothe us, and witness who we are behind the scenes, without the mask, the pressure, or the performance.
In your journal this month, I invite you to explore the feeling of home. You might reflect on:
What makes you feel emotionally safe?
What rituals or objects bring you comfort and steadiness?
How has your sense of home evolved?
What does your inner sanctuary look, smell, or sound like?
Let your answers flow through image, colour, word, or texture. Paint your comfort. Collage your refuge. Stitch together the small things that bring you back to yourself.
There’s no right way to do this, just a gentle space to notice what’s rising and to honour whatever version of “home” you’re being called to create or return to.
Optional: Draw or paint a symbolic threshold, a door, a gateway, a curtain, and imagine yourself stepping through into the version of you that is most deeply held.
An open art journal with a response to what does home feel like to me now?
✴︎ Little Witchy Things ✴︎
Material Magic – Crafting the Sacred from the Everyday
This month, I’ve been thinking about the quiet rituals that hold my creative life together, the small, intentional acts that turn the ordinary into the sacred.
Cancer season has me nesting, softening, listening more closely to the whispers of my materials and the rhythm of my days. There’s something deeply magical about the way art-making becomes spellcraft, not through big dramatic moments, but through slow, repeated gestures: the brewing of tea, the strike of a match, the brushing of pigment across paper.
In Chapter Three of Art Witch Musings, I shared how I see my studio not as a workspace, but as a liminal space, part sanctuary, part cauldron, part dream chamber. It’s a place where every object holds memory. Every act is a kind of prayer.
This cycle, Witchy Little Things is a gentle celebration of material magic, how we tend our space, our tools, our bodies, and our rituals, and how these small things become the bones of our creative spellwork.
Here’s how I’m working with this energy:
Tending the Threshold
When I enter my studio now, I pause. Not to rush in and start producing, but to acknowledge the shift. To notice how I feel, how the room feels, how the light moves across the walls.
Thresholds aren’t just about crossing from one space to another, they’re invitations to become present. To arrive fully.
Light a candle. Sweep the floor. Offer a breath to the spirit of the space.
The doorway is where the magic begins.
Rituals of Beginning
Creating is never just about what we make, it’s about how we begin.
This month, try crafting a soft ritual to open your practice. Choose a sound, a scent, a gesture that welcomes you in.
For me, it’s tea in a certain mug, a few deep breaths, a playlist that holds me. Sometimes I’ll pull a tarot card or carry a stone from my altar to my desk.
Start small. Start sacred. Start with yourself.
The Body is the Spell
As someone living with chronic illness, I’ve learned to honour what my body needs, even when it asks me to do less. Especially then.
Your art witchery lives in your body. In your breath. In your heartbeat.
So this month, treat rest as a ritual. Nourish yourself like you would a tender seedling. Wrap up in blankets. Stir soup slowly. Let your movements be spells of care.
You are not a machine. You are a spell in progress.
Material Kinship
What if your tools were ancestors? What if your thread had memory?
This month, I’ve been listening more to my materials, letting the paper guide the image, letting the glue decide the composition. When I treat them as collaborators, the work flows more easily.
Try this: Choose one material you love. Spend time with it. Don’t force anything. Ask it what it wants to become.
Magic lives in relationship, with self, space, and the seen and unseen.
A journal, cup of tea and a candle burning.
✴︎ Artist of the Season: Tracey Emin ✴︎
Born: July 3, 1963, Croydon, London, England
Sun Sign: Cancer
Mediums: Installation, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, neon text, sewn appliqué
Notable Works: My Bed (1998), Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 (1995), The Last Thing I Said to You is Don’t Leave Me Here (1999)
Tracey Emin, born under the sign of Cancer, embodies the deeply emotional and introspective qualities associated with this water sign. Her art is a raw, unfiltered exploration of personal experience, delving into themes of love, loss, trauma, and identity. Emin's work is a testament to the power of vulnerability and the courage it takes to lay one's soul bare for the world to see.
Growing up in Margate, Kent, Emin faced a tumultuous childhood marked by hardship and adversity. These early experiences became the bedrock of her artistic expression, fuelling a career that would challenge societal norms and redefine the boundaries of contemporary art. Her confessional style invites viewers into her most intimate moments, creating a space where personal pain becomes a collective experience.
Emin rose to prominence in the 1990s as part of the Young British Artists (YBAs), a group known for their provocative and boundary-pushing work. Her piece Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, a tent appliquéd with the names of everyone she had shared a bed with, garnered significant attention for its candidness and emotional depth. Similarly, My Bed, an installation featuring her own unmade bed surrounded by personal items, offered a stark portrayal of depression and vulnerability.
Despite facing criticism and controversy, Emin's work has earned her a place among the most influential contemporary artists. She was appointed Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2011 and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2020 for her services to art.
In recent years, Emin has continued to evolve, both personally and artistically. After battling cancer, she has embraced a renewed sense of purpose, channelling her experiences into her art with even greater intensity. Her recent works focus on themes of love, healing, and the human condition, reflecting a journey of resilience and transformation.
Emin's art serves as a poignant reminder of the strength found in vulnerability and the healing power of creative expression. Her work resonates deeply with the Cancerian themes of home, emotional depth, and the nurturing of the self and others. Her raw, confessional style has influenced a generation of artists and continues to inspire creatives navigating their own emotional landscapes.
✴︎ Cycles of Craft ✴︎
July’s Astrological Weather for Creatives & Art Witches
This month, we’re deep in Cancer season, the most emotionally tender sign of the zodiac, and the cosmos seems to be asking us to slow down, reflect, and reassess. Retrogrades often get a bad rap, but really, they’re just cosmic invitations to pause and go within. This is especially true when multiple planets start their slow-backs during the same season.
Here’s what’s stirring in the stars this month:
Neptune Retrograde – July 4
“Let the dream reshape itself.”
Neptune, planet of dreams, illusions, and spiritual insight, begins its annual retrograde in Pisces. This is a misty, soft, intuitive energy, but in retrograde, it can also lift the veil. You might feel your illusions crumbling or realise something wasn’t quite what it seemed.
For creatives, this is a time to reconnect with why you create. What illusions about your art, your identity, or your path are ready to dissolve? What truth lies beneath the fantasy? Let your intuition be your compass and don’t be afraid to retreat inward for a while.
✧ Studio Spell: Journal or create around a dream that won’t leave you alone. What might it be trying to tell you?
Juno Direct – July 11
“Commitment doesn’t have to mean compromise.”
Juno - the asteroid of commitment, sacred partnerships, and soul contracts moves direct in Virgo after months of retrograde motion. You might feel clearer about what (or who) you’re ready to commit to, and how you want your partnerships to feel, especially the one you have with your creative self.
This is a great time to revisit your relationship with your art. Are your current rhythms truly supporting you? What boundaries or containers help you stay devoted without feeling depleted?
✧ Studio Spell: Write a love letter to your creative practice. What promises do you want to make to it, or break?
Saturn Retrograde – July 13
“Restructure with softness.”
Saturn, the cosmic architect, turns retrograde in dreamy Pisces yes, that’s a lot of Pisces energy. This retrograde helps us revise our structures, limits, and responsibilities but through a gentle, more emotional lens.
You might find yourself redefining what “success” means, questioning expectations, or feeling the need to build something more sustainable. Go slow. Saturn retrograde isn’t about pushing harder it’s about building with intention and care.
✧ Studio Spell: What creative commitments feel heavy or out of alignment? Release them with ritual, a list burned, a sketch left unfinished, a “no” whispered in candlelight.
Mercury Retrograde – July 18 to August 12
“Revisit, rewrite, reweave.”
Here we go again, Mercury retrograde returns, this time in Leo. Expect tech glitches, communication mishaps, and a general slowing of external progress. But also: a beautiful opportunity to return to unfinished work, forgotten ideas, or old journals and sketchbooks.
This retrograde can reignite your inner fire, especially if you’ve been creatively blocked. Let it be a time of revision, not rejection. Look again. The gold is there.
✧ Studio Spell: Pull out an unfinished piece and re-approach it with new eyes. What’s worth keeping? What’s ready to evolve?
Deep dives into these themes will be shared over at Ange’s Studio on facebook, so follow along if you’d like to explore each event more deeply throughout the month.
A hand drawn Lunar Calendar in a journal.
✴︎ Winter Studio Tunes ✴︎
A moody, magical mix for long nights and quiet mornings.
These are the sounds that have been swirling through my studio lately, soft, haunting, a little bit cinematic, perfect for dream journaling, slow stitching, or sipping tea while the world hushes around you.
Let it wrap around you like a blanket. Let it carry you deeper into the work.
✴︎ Closing the Circle ✴︎
As we close this month's circle, I hope something in these pages has sparked a soft kind of magic in you, the kind that starts slow and grows in the quiet.
Cancer season reminds us that we don’t always need to push forward. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is retreat inward, nurture what’s already stirring, and trust that the work is unfolding, even if we can’t yet see where it’s going.
Be gentle with yourself this cycle. Rest is sacred. Slowness is powerful. And your creative flame, however small, is still burning brightly.
Keep up to date with the seasons and cycles by checking in at Ange’s Studio on facebook for regular Cycles of Craft updates.
For more Little Witchy Things, behind-the-scenes musings, and studio magic, come say hi over on Instagram @angefosterart
And for all your wearable art and printed treasures, head to my Redbubble store, where my creations can journey from my studio to your world.
A note on imagery:
Some of the images in this journal were created using AI tools as part of my creative process. As an artist living with chronic illness and disability, these tools allow me to bring visual elements to life that would otherwise be physically difficult or inaccessible to create by hand. They’re not a replacement for my art practice, but a way to support and expand it — helping me tell stories, set mood, and share the magic of the seasons with more ease and consistency. Thank you for honouring the different ways creativity can flow.
Pisces New Moon: Embracing Accessible Journeys, Bold Art, and Cosmic Vibes
Hey everyone, welcome to my latest blog post! I’m super excited to share a slice of my life with you, filled with accessible travel adventures, creative ups and downs, and some pretty cool cosmic reflections under the Pisces New Moon. Grab a cuppa, get comfy, and let’s dive into…..
Hey everyone, welcome to my latest blog post! I’m super excited to share a slice of my life with you, filled with accessible travel adventures, creative ups and downs, and some pretty cool cosmic reflections under the Pisces New Moon. Grab a cuppa, get comfy, and let’s dive into what’s been happening in my world.
Life Update: An Accessible Family Adventure
This cycle brought one of those unforgettable moments, a weekend getaway with my family that really pushed my accessible travel game to the next level. It was the first time I took off in my wheelchair, and wow, the planning was something else! We had to figure out accommodations with a few tricky steps (thankfully, my trusty crutches helped out), reserve a table, and even book a water wheelchair for a two-day water park adventure.
Not only did we tackle all those logistical hurdles, but the grandkids made it extra special. My grandson, who usually hesitates around the water, surprised me by warming up and splashing around with pure joy. And my granddaughter proved she’s a real thrill seeker by taking on the biggest rides and slides she could find. These moments remind me that, no matter how challenging travel can be, the laughter and adventure of family make every extra effort worth it.
Studio Update: Creative Hurdles and Group Show Opportunities
Art isn’t always a smooth ride, and this cycle was no different. Amid the heatwaves and holiday buzz, my creative flow took a little break. However, I’ve been busy preparing for the upcoming Creativa Exhibition with Collective 24, a group show that’s all about pushing creative boundaries and celebrating the diversity of art. Our first gallery fell through, which was a bummer, but we’re now sending submissions to new spaces with plenty of hope and excitement.
Our Collective’s Facebook and Instagram are now live, so be sure to follow along to keep up with all our progress. We love sharing the behind-the-scenes moments, both the challenges and the wins, as we navigate this unpredictable yet rewarding artistic journey.
Social Media Updates: Where the Daily Magic Unfolds
Hey, don’t forget to stay connected on social media! Every day is a chance to dive into a bit of creative magic:
Mondays: Look out for #CyclesofCraft updates, where I share insights on working with the seasons and cycles in our lives and creative practices. It's all about aligning our art with nature’s rhythm.
Tuesdays: Join me for Studio Updates—I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes peek into my creative process, showcasing progress, challenges, and those candid moments that make art so raw and real.
Wednesdays: Get ready for #LittleWitchyThings and #ArtWitchTips. I’m dropping easy, everyday tips to sprinkle a little extra magic into your artwork, perfect for inspiring your inner art witch.
So, keep an eye on those days and join the conversation—let’s create, share, and infuse our lives with a bit of enchantment every week!
Artist of the Season: Celebrating the Bold Legacy of Pauline Boty
This cycle, I’m shining a big, vibrant light on the amazing Pauline Boty, a true trailblazer in British Pop Art whose rebellious spirit and fearless creativity continue to inspire me. Born in 1938 in London, Pauline burst onto the scene in the 1960s with a style that was as daring as it was colourful, and her influence still resonates powerfully today.
A Closer Look at Pauline Boty
After studying at Saint Martin's School of Art, Pauline quickly made a name for herself with a unique blend of vibrant colours, bold forms, and a no-holds-barred approach to social commentary. Her work was more than just eye-catching, it was a full-on statement against consumer culture and the outdated gender roles of her time. Every brushstroke felt like a declaration of independence, a bold challenge to the status quo that inspired both admiration and controversy.
What I really love about Pauline’s art is how it captures the raw, unfiltered essence of female experience. Her fearless exploration of identity, sexuality, and societal constraints paved the way for future generations of women artists. Even though her career was tragically cut short in 1966, her spirit of creative rebellion lives on. For me, as someone who’s always pushing against boundaries in art and life, Pauline’s legacy is a powerful reminder to embrace our uniqueness and keep challenging the norm.
Her art still sparks conversations around feminism, social justice, and cultural transformation, and every time I look at her work, I feel a surge of inspiration to break free from limitations and live my truth. In a world that sometimes feels too boxed in by expectations, Pauline Boty reminds us that art, and life are about bold expression and unapologetic authenticity. Read more about Pauline’s art and tragically short life here.
Astrology Update: Chill Reflections Under the Pisces New Moon
There’s something magical about this Pisces New Moon, a gentle nudge to slow down, reflect, and do some serious soul-searching. Unlike the usual high-energy manifesting vibes, this New Moon is more about looking back. Since this is the last cycle of the astrological calendar, it adds an extra layer of reflection to our journey. Instead of gearing up to manifest big dreams, don’t be surprised if you’re finding yourself reviewing the past and deciding what you’re going to leave behind to make room for the new astrological year.
We’re also riding the wave of a pretty epic planetary parade that’s been lighting up the skies. Make sure you check out my latest series on the social that highlight how this astrological event is affecting each sign. As we enter what I call the pre-eclipse shadow phase, with a Total Lunar Eclipse on March 14, 2025, and a Partial Solar Eclipse on March 29, 2025, here’s some tips to navigating this period of change:
Embrace the Unknown: Change is in the air, so try to let go of needing everything under control.
Trust Your Gut: Your intuition is your best friend right now; listen to it, even if it whispers.
Take Time to Reflect: Whether it’s journaling, art journaling, meditation, or just a quiet moment, give yourself space to process and decide what you’re ready to leave behind.
Stay Grounded: Simple grounding practices, like deep breathing or a bit of creative expression, can help keep you balanced.
Plan Small Steps: Use this time to think about small, actionable steps that can lead you toward a better tomorrow.
Keep It Flexible: With energy shifting, a flexible schedule means you’re open to unexpected opportunities.
The vibe of the Pisces New Moon mixed with the intensity of the pre-eclipse shadow phase is all about letting go, reflecting deeply, and then stepping into the new astrological year with a fresh, empowered perspective.
Pisces New Moon Art Journal Prompt
As we reach the end of the astrological year, Pisces invites us to dive deep into our dreams and inner worlds. What emotions, patterns, or stories are you ready to release before the new cycle begins? What dreams are quietly calling you forward? Let the fluid, intuitive energy of Pisces guide your creativity, use flowing lines, soft colours, or dreamy imagery to express what you’re leaving behind and the visions you’re making space for.
How does it feel to surrender and trust the flow?
Shop My Art: Exciting News on Redbubble
Before I wrap up, I’ve got some fun news to share! If you’ve been loving my art and want to bring a little piece of it into your everyday life, check out my Redbubble store. Don’t miss out on the upcoming 20% off sale storewide, so it’s the perfect time to snag something unique, whether it’s for your home, office, or as a special gift. I’d be over the moon if you joined me on this creative adventure.
Final Thoughts
As we wrap up this cycle, I just want to say thanks for coming along on this ride with me. Whether you’re into accessible travel, creative expression, or exploring the deeper cosmic energies, I hope you found a little something here that speaks to you. Life is full of twists and turns, and sometimes the challenges are just stepping stones to something amazing.
Stay connected with me and the Collective on Facebook and Instagram for more updates, behind-the-scenes peeks, and all the moments that make this journey so wonderfully unpredictable. Here’s to embracing every bit of change, laughing through the hiccups, and celebrating every victory, no matter how small.
Leo Full Moon February 2025: A Time for Boldness and Creativity
The Leo Full Moon is almost here, bringing its bold, creative energy to illuminate where we shine and where we might be draining ourselves unnecessarily. This lunation is an invitation to step into our authentic selves, embrace joy, and reassess where we are placing our energy. Before we dive into the astrology, let’s catch up on the last couple of weeks.
Moonlight from the Leo Full Moon streams through an open window, illuminating an art journal, paintbrushes, a quiet moment of magic and creation in the night.
The Leo Full Moon is almost here, bringing its bold, creative energy to illuminate where we shine and where we might be draining ourselves unnecessarily. This lunation is an invitation to step into our authentic selves, embrace joy, and reassess where we are placing our energy. Before we dive into the astrology, let’s catch up on the last couple of weeks.
Personal Update: Navigating Energy and Embracing Rest
The past fortnight has been a bit of a struggle with the extreme heat making everything feel heavier and more exhausting. Alongside my usual physio and hydro sessions, I’ve had several medical appointments, which has left me feeling more depleted than usual. The challenges of chronic illness and disability are always present, and it’s a constant balancing act between fulfilling necessary commitments and honouring my energy limits.
This has meant that I’ve had to lean into rest a bit more than I usually would, adjusting my schedule accordingly to avoid pushing myself too hard. I have also been digging into some old self-care techniques I haven’t used for a while. It’s been a reminder that listening to my body is just as important as the work itself.
Studio Update: Creative Exploration and Progress
Despite the heat and my medical appointments, I managed to carve out some studio time, and I’m happy to say that I had what felt like a successful experiment with texture and layering for my piece in the upcoming Creativa exhibition with Collective 24. I shared a reel over on Instagram showing my process—playing intuitively with different materials and techniques, letting the piece evolve organically. It was a much-needed reminder of how important it is to embrace exploration in art, even when the energy is low.
I’m excited to keep pushing forward with my work, especially as we move into the next phase of my Cycles of Craft campaign.
Layers, textures, and a little bit of alchemy!
Artist of the Season: Vivian Maier – Exploring the Unseen Through Photography
Born on February 1, 1926, Vivian Maier was a self-taught photographer whose work remained hidden until after her death. Working as a nanny for most of her life, she secretly captured thousands of street photographs, documenting everyday life with an incredible eye for composition and human emotion. Her work was only discovered in 2007 when a collection of her negatives was auctioned off, revealing an artist whose talent had been invisible for decades. Find out more about Vivian here.
Maier’s story speaks deeply to the themes I keep returning to in my own work—visibility and invisibility, the tension between being seen and unseen, the narratives that go untold. Her work captures fleeting moments of life, the beauty in the ordinary, and the quiet presence of those often overlooked. As I continue exploring these themes in my own art, I find her story both inspiring and haunting. She was an artist who created for the sake of creation, leaving behind a body of work that speaks even in her absence.
Leo Full Moon Astrology: Balancing Self-Expression and Collective Needs
The Leo Full Moon is a time of illumination, creativity, and personal power. Leo, ruled by the sun, is about self-expression, confidence, and radiance. This lunation asks us to check in with ourselves:
Where are we wasting energy that isn’t serving us?
What parts of our lives feel uncomfortable, and what can we do to nurture ease instead of forcing constant self-improvement?
What is out of our control, and can we release our grip on it?
Leo’s energy reminds us to take up space, to celebrate who we are without apology. But while Leo is about the self, the sun is currently in Aquarius, the sign of the collective. This full moon highlights the balance between personal needs and the greater good. It’s a dance between honouring our individuality and understanding how we exist within a larger ecosystem.
We might feel the tension between wanting to express ourselves boldly and the pressures of societal expectations. This is a good time to reflect on where we are dimming our own light to fit in or where we are overextending ourselves at the expense of our well-being.
Eclipse Season 2025: Preparing for Cosmic Shifts
Lunar Eclipse in Virgo – March 14, 2025
The Lunar Eclipse in Virgo is a full moon that calls for a deep cleansing and recalibration. Virgo energy is all about order, healing, and refinement, so this eclipse will illuminate the areas of your life that need attention, particularly around health, organization, and habits. It’s a time to release old patterns that no longer serve your well-being or your creative process. Whether it’s letting go of toxic work habits or clearing clutter in your physical or mental space, Virgo will guide you towards a more streamlined, balanced life.
This is a great time to reflect on how you’ve been nurturing your body and mind. Have you been paying attention to your self-care, or is it time to let go of habits that are depleting you? Virgo asks us to take practical steps toward self-improvement, so any work done during this eclipse will have long-lasting benefits.
Solar Eclipse in Aries – March 29, 2025
The Solar Eclipse in Aries brings a surge of fiery, bold energy that could inspire sudden changes or new beginnings. Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, is about taking action, being courageous, and embracing the thrill of the unknown. With this solar eclipse, the universe is asking us to look at where we need to be more assertive, take risks, and stand up for ourselves.
This is a potent moment for setting new intentions and creating a fresh start, especially in areas where you’ve been holding back. If you’ve been feeling like something in your life is stagnant or you’re ready to leap into a new direction, the Aries solar eclipse provides the perfect energy to break free of any lingering hesitations. It's a time to step into leadership, take charge of your creative vision, and assert your power in a way that feels authentic and aligned with your true desires.
Eclipses & Your Creative Practice
Even though the Lunar Eclipse in Virgo and the Solar Eclipse in Aries are still a month away, now is a good time to start preparing. The energy of eclipses tends to build up over time, so it’s worth starting to reflect on what you might need to release or what new intentions you’d like to set. This period offers us a chance to get clear on what we want to move away from and what we’re ready to move toward.
In the coming weeks, we’ll dive deeper into the themes of both eclipses and how they can influence your creative practice. We’ll talk about how to align with these energies in more practical ways and share some rituals and ideas to guide you through this transformative time.
For now, start considering what feels out of balance or stagnant in your life and creative process, and begin to gently let go of anything that no longer serves you. The time for big shifts is coming, and it’s a great opportunity to begin building the foundation for change.
Art Journal Prompt:
Under the glow of the Leo Full Moon, reflect on where you are ready to shine. What part of yourself have you been dimming? Use bold colors, expressive marks, or even collage elements to celebrate your authentic self. How can you take up space in your creativity and life without apology?
#CyclesofCraft Update: Lammas to Autumn Equinox
Last week, we celebrated Lammas, the first harvest festival, marking the shift towards autumn. If you missed it, I shared a special edition blog reflecting on this seasonal transition. Now, we begin our slow movement toward the autumn equinox, though Melbourne’s late summer heatwaves are making that feel distant. The land is shifting, even if it’s subtle, and soon we’ll start to see the first hints of seasonal change.
Lammas is a time of gratitude, of acknowledging what we have cultivated, both physically and creatively. As we move toward the equinox, it’s a reminder that balance is an ongoing process, not a fixed state.
Witchy Rituals for Creative Flow: Tea Magic and Intentional Art
I introduced a new series over on Instagram last week, starting with a simple tea ritual: taking a moment before beginning an art session to prepare a cup of tea (or any drink), stirring with intention, clockwise to invite something in, counterclockwise to release. It’s a grounding practice, a way to shift into creative space with mindfulness.
The idea behind these little rituals is to weave magic into the everyday, to make space for intention and presence in our creative practice. Whether it’s lighting a candle before beginning a painting or using a specific scent to mark the start of a work session, small moments of ritual can help us transition into a more focused, inspired state.
There will be more of these small rituals and creative prompts coming soon, so keep an eye out for #LittleWitchyThings and #ArtWitchTips on Wednesday’s. I’d love to hear any little rituals you have.
Redbubble Store Update: Shop My Art & Upcoming Sale
A quick reminder that my Crow Series and other designs are available in my Redbubble store. There’s another sale coming up—25% off from February 17-23—so if you’ve had your eye on something, it’s a great time to grab it!
I haven’t added new pieces yet, but I’m looking forward to bringing some fresh designs into the store in the coming months.
Final Thoughts: Embrace Your Power and Shine Unapologetically
As this full moon peaks, give yourself permission to rest in who you are, rather than constantly striving to be more. Take stock of where you’re directing your energy and whether it’s truly serving you. And, most importantly, be kind to yourself.
Leo teaches us to shine, to embrace joy, and to take up space. But it also reminds us that confidence comes from within—not from external validation. Take this full moon as an opportunity to step into your light, unapologetically.
Wishing you all a luminous and reflective Leo Full Moon.