Updates From the Bhimsical Witch

Due to life circumstances there will be some changes in the way I run my website and plan events! I'll share more about that on a separate post for the upcoming Astrology Night 2.0, but I wanted to share a little about what my life looks like right now to be fully transparent with my business. For the last three plus years I have lived comfortably in Lewiston, Maine, in my own townhouse, working in the social field and coming home to my cats. I loved my home and my neighbors and was excited for whatever life was going to grow from that place. The photo above was taken unbeknownst to me until only recently, by a sweet neighbor, probably last fall.

Unfortunately, I didn’t do my research when filling my second bedroom the most recent time and in January I welcomed in a couple with a baby who had special medical needs. I moved my stuff from the living room to give them a family space and even ended up having to move my bedroom into the basement due to sensory overload from machines and smells in their room. It started out fine with weekly roommate meetings and agreed upon expectations, and we had conversations as necessary when things were unclear or unexpected. During their first few weeks they didn’t mention anything about him being on probation, but eventually I learned that he wasn’t allowed to live with his mother and he had a domestic violence charge on his record. I offered the benefit of the doubt due to him being a new parent and learning new responsibilities, but he started to respond aggressively to house expectations, as well as increased the amount of messes being left behind, regularly using my items and leaving them out of place. At that point, as I had been very clear and civil in my communication about respecting each others space and ability to use clean facilities, I let the couple know that things weren’t working out and they would have three months to look for someplace else.

Rather than take the opportunity for a good housing reference and time to look for another solution, the individual became increasingly volatile and continued to escalate their behavior. He slammed furniture around, punched and kicked the walls of my home when I dared to use the restroom or be in my own bedroom, and forcefully threw items or stomped everywhere in the house whenever possible. When this started happening daily I told the other partner that I needed a written confirmation that they would be out by a certain time, and the next day I was served a cease harassment notice and a temporary protection order by the LPD, the claims being that I was trying to kick them out of their apartment that they paid for and I was following them around their home. The LPD escorted me out of my own home and gave me some advice on what I could do to handle the situation. On the first court date the woman brought her baby and asked for an extension which was granted after I asked for permission to retrieve my belongings and cats as there was now an eviction on the house (the couple weren’t getting tenant information like texts about when to move for the plow and dumpster changes, et cetera). On the second court date, she didn’t even show up, which was just reconfirmation for me that they were working the system, but on the bright side I don't have to deal with any ridiculous court fees.

So for the last almost seven weeks and likely for the rest of the summer, I have been and plan on living out of my car and saving up money for a new place to live. I’m trying to trust that the universe is moving me right now, and I plan on making the absolute most out of my time this summer, doing things you can’t always easily do when you have to pay rent and upkeep a home (like taking community action, showing up to protest what's going on right now, and getting an up close and personal take on building community). I still have my job and my boss is incredibly supportive, but since I work with people it’s difficult to show up as a full time role model for participants or as a fellow employee without reliable access to hygiene facilities, food, and water, which is causing me to look for other ways of generating income in between relief shifts at the studio.

I’m not looking for any hand outs, but I would appreciate if you'd consider supporting my business as the Bhimsical Witch through this time. I did host an Astrology Night a few weeks ago which was an amazing experience and we have our next one planned for May 1st, and I'm also planning the return of paint nights with my business partner at ChromaZone! But it's been a while since I was a full time self-"employed" individual, way back in 2019 and for the two years before when I was making most of my income from illustrations, portraits, pet art, and paint nights, and I could use any boost sent my way. At this point in my career I'm taking art commissions based on various sizing available in the Shoppe. If the moment arises, please think of recommending my services to your friends, favorite local event space, or following and supporting on social media as I create more goodies.

Other ways you can support me right now:

-Share my creations on your socials!

-Buy a print to gift to a friend!

-Book an astrology or tarot reading!

-Commission a: pet/people portrait, boudoir portrait art, character/setting design, etc.

-Order a personalized astrology workbook designed and sent out by yours truly!

-Ordering a custom handmade Hag's Bag (for crystals, tarot decks, or other witch-ly tools)

-Ask me about ordering a fabric or metal-tin portable altar with custom designs and inclusions for your portable reverence convenience.

-Commission a felted animal or deity/idol for your altar

If you read all the way to the end, thank you! If you want to, feel free to share the post! I appreciate any and all support, thank you for being a part of my online community and personal world, and please consider subscribing to the Blogrimoire to stay updated on my journey this summer.

Yours in community, blessed be. <3 :)