Creative Altars: A Witch's Rituals of Devotion
From the Desk of Caitlyn Holowaty-Barone
Creative Altars: From the Desk of Pointy Hat Press is a collection of musings, memories, and creative seeds from the desks of Pointy Hat Press co-founders, Caitlyn Barone & Kristin Lisenby. In this series, two witches share their current inspirations, works in progress, and other glimmers of everyday magick. Questions for Pointy Hat Press? Send a DM or leave a comment for Kristin and Caitlyn below.
From the desk of Caitlyn Holowaty-Barone…
The theme at Pointy Hat Press this month is Vintage Valentine’s Day, Nostalgia, and the Symbolic Heart. I love Valentine’s Day. The aesthetic is everything, romance is thrilling and sexy, and declarations of devotion and commitment make us feel safe and chosen. It’s a beautiful time for lovers. But this Valentine’s Day season, a muse you may be familiar with is asking me to reflect on the ways I show love to myself, and the ways I shroud myself from it.
Love and loss rub against each other in Aphrodite’s temple. The heart is her domain, and all matters related to it. She is the rose and the thorn. She is pleasure and grief. Lately, all of her facets speak so loudly to me.
Venus is “the incarnation of fear as well as love, of pain as well as pleasure, of the agony and ecstasy of desire. Venus is the summation of the complicated business of human-heartedness – of our burning drive to engage with one another, both for good and for bad. She oversees the intensity of our passions and of our relationships within, and beyond, our species.”
Venus & Aphrodite: A Biography of Desire, Bettany Hughes
Aphrodite’s multiplicity reminds me of what lurks in the absence of self-love. In the shadows of its light, I hear the harsh things I whisper to myself, and I see the way I neglect my needs and desires.
I realized that I can only show love to myself through intentional action. The very same action that I bestow on others I care for, I can also reserve for myself. I think in a way this deprivation of self-devotion can lead to isolation, or a broken connection to the Self. Through channeling and divination (as you’ll read below), the message I received was, more or less, to lean deeply into sensory experiences, break the isolation, and reach out for connection; to reach for things I can actually hold in my hand.
I’m attempting to achieve this through small rituals. By stealing time. Romanticizing. Showing myself some grace. Those are some of the most valuable gifts I can give to myself—and Venus demands we feel, we move, and that we engage in acts of love and rituals of devotion to attain the wholeness we all deserve.
“As our cosmic mother, Venus personifies wholeness, but not in the traditional sense. Like the moon, what we cultivate waxes and wanes. We move through periods of emptiness and increase. And even when we find ourselves in the fields of chaos, even when tears threaten to rain down, we remember—life is a garden, seasons are temporary, and harmony will always return.”
The Petals of Venus
My rituals of devotion…
Music, Movement, and acts to “enliven the senses.”
“Etymologically, ‘ab’ translates to ‘dancing,’ and gestures to the mystical pulse of life. Caged in the body, the beating heart composed the first song.”
Jenn Green is a dear friend and artist who appeared on Chapter 13 of the Pointy Hat Press podcast to discuss mediumship and journeying. She journeyed for me a couple of years ago and created this illustration based on what she saw. The belly dancer in the corner stood out to us. I recently signed up for a belly dancing class to revive my spirit and move my body (I took classes in college, and I loved it). I immediately thought of this image and the medicine it depicts.
Glamour Magick.
Another dear friend, Jess, asked if I left any ribbons out for the goddess Brigid to bless on Imbolc. I hadn’t, but said I was textured and ‘textiled’ in velvet and lace. Does that count? He said it did, and I trust him in all things magical. Glamour Magick is one of my favorite forms of ritual, it is true embodiment. A cat eye, an amulet, a lip the color of crushed blackberries—all portals; departures from the uniformity you can become. It quickly erases the ‘you’ who is overtired. The ‘you’ who conforms. The ‘you’ you sometimes lose sight of.
Stealing time with Fiction & Romance novels from the 90’s.
Fold the laundry later. Trust me. My daughter is six, and I’ve started a daily ritual called “Anna time” and “mommy time,” where we both engage in any activity of our choosing for a set amount of time. This is usually after bath (as a wind-down activity). It was such a simple, obvious solution that I wish I had thought of it sooner.
Spellscraft, The Petals of Venus, & the Pentagram.
You’re a witch, don’t forget that.
The Pentagram is my favorite symbol to work with for many reasons (you can learn more about it here), but currently, its symbolic associations with Venus, wholeness, and the rose are calling to me the most. I wanted to share this simple ritual from our article. Perhaps we can try this together?
“Consider the areas (of your lifestyle, body, creative practice, etc.) you would like reshaped with help from this sacred star. For the next week, meditate on this desire using your finger to draw a pentagram over your midsection. Imagine heat from the star spiraling out from your core to your fingertips. In place of your body, draw the pentagram in your morning beverage (using a spoon or toothpick), or draw it on the outside of your favorite drinking glass.”
Sensation: See, hear, taste, smell, touch, feel…
I like to pull oracle cards over my sketchbook, collages, and channeled artwork. I burn mugwort and ask Hecate to intercede on my behalf, as a herald who crosses over the threshold to bring forth cards that illuminate the shadow parts of the work I’m doing.
This card, Sensation, reminded me that sensation is a form of consciousness. To become more aware and feel more attuned, grounded, and alive, I need to connect with all my senses. Now more than ever, Sensation calls to us to break from isolation and reach for something that you can actually hold in your hands.
Kristin and I are going to talk more about devotion, sensation, and the symbolic heart this Friday, February 13th! Learn more and join us for an hour of crafting and conversation.
Thanks for reading Creative Altars: A Witch’s Rituals of Devotion by Pointy Hat Press! Pointy Hat Press is a place for fairy tales and folklore, reimagined. Follow us on Substack and Instagram, sign up for our Moon Letters, and consider adding our original fairy tales to your library. You can also find us telling stories and talking about our latest creative quests on the Pointy Hat Press podcast.
Thank you. This is gorgeous.
I was cleaning and rearranging my altar when I got this. How timely! Great work!