Welcome to the Blogrimoire!

Welcome to my first blog post as Annemarie from the Bhimsical Witch! I've had the pleasure of doing lots of different kinds of work in my life, from flower shop to grocery store to library to pizza maker to gallery attendant back to pizza maker to paint night and portrait artist and illustrator to salon receptionist back to pizza maker and then to work with people (and I made pizzas for a bit there too). Every job I've worked has taught me skills that I could bring with me to the next one, and I'm very grateful to still be working with both art and people still today. According to psychology, work is one of the two things we derive our satisfaction and happiness from in life (the other being love), and Mainers especially love their work.

Since before I ever spent time working, I was reading posts from Sh*tTheSignsSay on tumblr with my cousin on nights we hung out, eating hint of lime tortilla chips and drinking those mini cans of diet 7up, playing the Escape series on arcadegames right after. Like many young folk, I was fascinated by the accuracy of the memes, but they also provided some form of group to belong to, goals to aspire to. Looking back, getting into astrology as a kid was almost a promise that you had kindred spirits out there somewhere, a balm for a kid who felt very much out of place most of the time.

As an adult whose work has given them the opportunity to develop into the person they wish they had had around them when they were younger, I have continued to adore all things astrology and tarot and witcheness. I find delight in the practice of making myself aware of whats going on around me, and when I do I am able to better support myself with compassion, understanding, and positive forward thinking. I sometimes think of astrology as more than just a social practice thats withstood at least 5,000 years of history, which is about as old as recorded history can be.

While astrology is definitely not a science as lots of critics delight in pointing out, I believe it is an ancestrally handed down coping skill that each generation of earth has inherited. While it may not be something you "believe in" like you might believe in scientific evidence or God, it is a vast resource of information that when used in context with one's life can offer valuable information for consideration. The main use I value of Astrology is in observing the journeys of the sun, the moon, and the planets through the socially-organized understandings passed down through millennia to orient oneself as a small part of a much larger picture.

For the babes with anxiety, this can remind us that we are not in fact responsible for everything that has ever happened or will ever happen, and that there are forces out of our control, and the sometimes the monthly or weekly or daily reminder is just the chicken soup our soul needs. For folk with depression, astrology can be a reminder that everything has its time: so does your rest, so does your healing, so does your growth. Being aware of astrological transits can give procrastinators the body-doubling effect when struggling to get something done, using knowledge of a window of time closing to motivate them. It can offer those with social differences a wealth of knowledge to study how they are not so strange, and a common language and interest to share with others. For those who are healing from trauma, which is most, Astrology can offer hope for change, options to consider in difficult circumstances, and community for healing when sought out.

Humans have likely been studying the cycles of the celestial bodies in earth's sky much longer than we can prove with evidence. Before there were TV's, there was the night sky. Before there were calendars, there was the moon. And every day the Sun inspires the term clockwork. Its no wonder to me why stars have been as consistent in our popular culture as they are in their position in our sky. While some would denounce its validity, the practice, or its practitioners, in my opinion it is one tool of many that humans have developed over time to cope with life's stresses, challenges, and diversity.

There have risen of course specialists in the field each century, and now in the age of the internet, one can have their pick of working astrologists to be of service in their quest in search of answers. I don't think I knew as a kid laughing hysterically about the silly astrology memes on the internet that I would one day be offering folks astrology readings on my own. And growing up as a Christian kid, I especially didn't think that would have expanded into an 8 years long love affair with the Tarot, but it has, which I'm grateful for.

For the past 4 years, I've been offering my friends, family, coworkers, and strangers readings using astrology, tarot, and oracle cards. I knew that I wanted it to become a form of work and income for myself. Therefore I have expanded my practice into having this website in order to do a little bit more work in areas that I love. I can't wait to share more about astrology, tarot, and magick in the hopes of empowering folks to take full advantage of their power while remembering not to take power from others. Please look around on my website and check out the offerings I have, and whether or not you partake, I wish you luck on your journey to happiness and satisfaction. Blessed be!