Six Crows, the Morrigan, feeding the homeless and the Pagan son of a Nun. The jam-packed August issue of Living Reciprocity!

I remember being a child and my grandmother would tell me how time went so fast, and I never quite believed her. I hope the summer is lasting as long for you as it did when you were young, but to me it has been a blur of events and gatherings, get-togethers and travels.

Not that I am complaining mind you! This past weekend my family and I attended Six Crows, a retreat and festival put on by Red Spider and named for the land in north western Michigan that hosts it. It was is an great event, with a beautiful location, talented speakers, and some of the friendliest people I have ever met. And it is free to attend, with Red Spider wanting to make it available to all. They have an auction to raise money for the speakers to attend, and everyone brings meals to share with the entire community. It is both beautiful and poetic. Don’t miss it when it comes around next year!

While there I was honored to be part of the “staff” of a Morrigan ritual put on by our new friend Andrieh Vitimus. Powerful is not quite a sufficient word to describe it; it was the ritual equivalent of a rock concert. I have often heard pagans lament the lack of advanced books and training. Andrieh’s book Hand-On Chaos Magic will change your mind on that. It starts out with some familiar subjects, but quickly turns into the advanced and challenging manual you have been looking for. Buy his book! And make sure there is a copy in your local metaphysical shop.

This month in Living Reciprocity we are lucky enough to have two interviews with pagans who really are making an impact. People who are putting themselves out there is a way that, if you are like me, you will find simply incredible.

Everyday Spiritual Warriors

I would like to introduce you all to Kerri also known as AmeRayn, a pagan from Pennsylvania who is drawing on her history, spirituality and connection to Mother Earth to bring fresh and wholesome food to those in need, and not just pagans.

Can you tell me about your projects?
We are going to farmers markets every week to purchase produce which we are delivering to people in need. We have about 15- 30 individuals that are homeless and are receptive to receiving food when we arrive, others not so much. After chatting with a few people we found out that they thought we were coming in to chase them away. Families with low income living situations have not been so keen to talk to us. We do however walk through some neighborhoods with boxes of produce and offer them to anyone. My living situation is the same as theirs and I can understand being wary of a strange person offering free food.

What area are you in? And where, generally speaking, are you distributing food at?
We live in Northampton county Pennsylvania. Our primary area to distribute is through out our county and Lehigh County which includes Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Once or twice a month we travel to see our family that lives in Ocean County, NJ and stop at farms/farmers markets along the way and deliver the produce to areas within Ocean County also. We are looking to expand which areas we cover soon.

You hope to start AmeRayn Acres to help with growing food, what are your goals with it?
AmeRayn Acres plans for the future:
1 Rent temporary land to start farming produce to lessen the need for farmers markets.
2 Find property for Acres.
3 Run a fully- functioning farm that sells to local markets and customers as well as a CSA. Selling produce will help the farm to continue. The produce for those in need will continue as it does now but reaching so many more people.
4 Offer jobs at the farm where anyone no matter what they look like can work. At one time I couldn’t get a job because I couldn’t afford a decent outfit and tried my best to put together something from what I had and was turned down for the job. No clean clothes, no job, no food, no rent. It’s the snowball effect.

What is CSA?
CSA is Community Supported Agriculture. People purchase shares of a farms harvest and receive produce on a weekly basis (usually depends on the farms policy). It’s a great way for the community to come together to support local farms.

Are you an official non-profit, or is that in the future still?
The paperwork is sitting on my desk to become an official non-profit… We need to look into non-profit status more and weigh the pros and cons of becoming an official non-profit.

Are you open about your religion while doing such public work? What has the reaction been like?
My pentagram has been a source of conversation starters. I now bring with me information pertaining to Paganism and give out clay pentagrams (I make them) for those interested in learning more.

Sadly our libraries don’t offer much in the line of books to learn more about Paganism. Every now and again we are able to locate a few well read books and hand them out to those interested.

What do other Pagans tend to think of your efforts?
The response is good. I have had a few that didn’t think people would be pleased to see my pentagram and were concerned about my well-being but in the same breath are happy to know that someone was out there helping others and showing non-Pagans that Pagans are compassionate caring people.

What led you to devote so much of your time and energy to others?
Watching a woman going hungry and losing her home while her child was receiving medical treatments in a children’s hospital in 1993. My daughter was there at the same time. All of her time was dedicated to her child and because of doctors’ meetings and surgeries she couldn’t continue her work schedule and therefore could not pay all of her rent.

Over the years of hospitals and pediatric facilities with my daughter I met many great people who spent all their time and money to care for their children and most would lose everything. Although I didn’t have much to start with, I lost everything when my daughter died. Six years of hospitals and her death threw me into a hole I didn’t want to come out of. I moved away from family and friends and although I had a roof over my head it was a struggle. When I tried to get my life back in motion I hit every wall that could block my way.

So many people are looked at as drug addicts or unstable because they are homeless or living in poverty but most people are where they are because bad things happened to good people.

 

 

My fiancée (Tommy) was homeless when I met him. I was taking a bus to the store when we met. After talking for a while and meeting his friends (also homeless) ranging in age from 21 to 56, I started inviting them over for dinners at my home. I didn’t have much to offer but we managed.

We all became very close friends…

I quickly made a decision to open my home to them. Food, shower, bed, or just a place to relax. It was theirs. That is when the “I ” part of the story became a “We.” Tommy showed me all the areas where assistance was needed and we began putting meals together. As we met others, we would ask what they would like to eat next time we saw them. Fruit and vegetables were the biggest responses we received. Many expressed how they missed a specific produce and how the churches/food banks offered OK meals but when ever they could get fresh produce they felt so much better.

Ever since that day we have dedicated every weekend to farmers market shopping and have never looked back.

Good nutrition should not be determined by your income. It’s a right that everyone deserves…

How did you get started on your Pagan path?
My family never went to church unless someone got married and religion was not a subject we spoke about. I started going to church with my neighbors for Saturday night mass but I didn’t feel right there. Honestly I couldn’t stand getting dressed up and the things they spoke of didn’t speak to me. When I was about fifteen I met someone that stated she was a Pagan. She explained very little but I was intrigued and wanted to know more but in a small town you can bet the library had nothing. She and I took a trip to NYC where I found loads of books. I peeked through a few and knew that was what I needed to learn more about. I have been learning ever since.

How can others help you?
Spread the word… I would love to see other people helping those in need. Drop off a bag of produce to a family up the street or around the block that you might not know but have an idea they need a little help. Donate food to a local food bank or shelter (churches also offer meals and could use food). Please check with the food banks and shelters before dropping off food. Some have policies against certain foods and produce is perishable so some won’t distribute it…it might not seem like much but every bit helps.

Although I go out into the streets and hand out food to homeless I do not encourage others to make that jump. It can be very dangerous. Contact a local agency to express your interest to help. They can offer ideas, SAFE locations to drop off food, or a family that has a case on file that could use some help.

As for helping directly with AmeRayn Acres, we sell domino necklaces, wreaths, refinished/upcycled items and any craft I can get my hands on to support our efforts. Buying a domino necklace or any of the crafts helps purchase a few more pounds of produce and also puts money in savings to purchase the property we require to make AmeRayn Acres go from 2 people buying produce to distribute to becoming a farm full of potential to help give good nutritious produce to many more people in need. Most of what we sell can be found on our Etsy page or on Facebook.

A nice hello and a friend request online is always welcome too. We update as often as possible on Facebook, Paganspace, and MySpace to let others know what we are doing and planning.

Simply amazing. I had to wait a few months for that interview, and I hope you agree with me that it was worth it.

Pagans In Business

But, how on Earth am I ever going to have a Pagans In Business interview that can hold it’s own and not get lost next to AmeRayne? Have no fear, for that I turn to leader, educator, showman, President of the Magical Education Council and, yes, business owner, Michael Wiggins.

You are quite well known among the Midwest pagan community. How did it start for you? What were the early days of the pagan path like for you?
Well if you want the VERY beginning…My mother went from being a Nun, to part of a Gardenarian Coven and I was Wiccan’d into the coven in 1965. Though I was pagan, I spent the first six years of my education in a Catholic School. In high school I was the one that had a “Talent” to make people feel better…Heal headaches, etc. To finish it off, I went to a private Lutheran College for Theology, with a minor in Music and Psychology. So to say the least, I learned it is all a choice, your path, your beliefs, they are all a choice. Learn all you can and do what feels right for you.

 

 

The early days were when Convocation was just starting, when there was a “Meet up” group at The Lavender Moon called “Meet your local witch night” located in Ferndale (Michigan). I told my mother about it and she said she wanted to go, but I had to go with her. We would go together and I would sit in a corner, watching everyone coming and going. My Mother on the other hand, would go up to them and ask if they were a “Witch”, and most were just looking for “Like Minded” people, so she would send them over to talk to me. I was fine being a solitary, but it seemed my mother had other ideas.

Any funny memories?
Well, one night at the “Meet your local witch night” I was sitting around talking with some people when this woman walked up and handed me an application to teach at Convocation. I thought to myself, “This woman doesn’t know me from Adam and here she is handing me an app. to teach.” I later found out it was Jane Pierce and she told me, “Just because someone fills out an app. does not mean they are excepted.” Jane was later the one who asked me to join M.E.C. to look after it when she took time off of the board to have a baby.

How would you describe your path?
Shamanism would be the best way to describe it. I am the last legal limit for recognition of Cree Indian from Canada and have always felt closer to the Shamanic path. It wasn’t until I was already following the path when I found out that Shamans walk between the worlds, usually due to a near death experience. It seems I have followed in that tradition. When I was 16, for a 2 week period, I fought off Chicken Pox, then from that Serum Hepatitis, finishing with Reye Syndrome. I ran a temperature near the end of about 104° for longer than a days period, so my mother took me to the hospital. I ended up being fine, just a little delusional. At the time, we were unsure of what I had, but later with a blood test I was diagnosed with each of the above illnesses. When asked how long I had been in the hospital, I told them I had just arrived and they were shocked; 90% of kids that get Reye Syndrome die, due to liver failure and brain damage after hospitalization. Well, overall I seem to be fine…but that depends on who you ask.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?
Have you attended Convocation? No really, have you? Well, having Opening and Closing Ritual draw upwards of almost 500 people, I would say that that is an accomplishment to have pride in. Have you ever had the opportunity to run a Ritual that large? There is nothing like leading that many people in a chant, raising that much energy, and then getting them all into one mindset, everyone headed towards one single image or goal. There is nothing more powerful and I get to do it every year. We use to have only about 100 to 200 people at opening and then about half of that at closing, but not anymore! I hope to keep building that number every year by always making it something no one has ever experienced. That is the accomplishment I am proud of for the pagan community. My personal accomplishment is my 10 year old son, Ian. He has attended every Convocation, even while he was still in the womb. Helping him to discover life day by day, helping him to believe he can do anything he can imagine, and be as great as he wants to be in this life has been my proud accomplishment as a father.

You are currently involved with M.E.C.; can you tell me about your responsibilities with them?
I have been involved with Convocation since 1997 and have been on the M.E.C. board since 2000. I am currently the President of M.E.C., (The Magical Education Council) and have been so for five years. As President, I am in charge of all other events that we put on (Pagan Picnic, Beyond the Veil, etc.). It is also my job to do all public appearances as well as interviews with the newspapers, T.V. and publications. Which, I think is kind of funny because I am so not politically correct.

Any upcoming events you would like to promote?
Well Pagan Pride was fun…we had about 180 Wet Pagans. You can see us at the upcoming “Michigan Witches Ball” on the 17th of October, as well as at OUR event “Beyond the Veil”, on October 24th, 2009. Of course, then there is Convocation, February 18- 21, 2010, which is the largest indoor pagan event in the Midwest. You can also always go to www.mec-mi.org and www.convocation.org for more information…Trust me, you won’t find anything else like this.

On to business matters, what is the name of your business?
My business names are Modern Knight Construction and Modern Knight Productions.

Your business deals with contracting, what sort of work do you do?
I mostly re-model kitchens and baths, but have also done every room in a house. I do plaster and drywall repair…and pretty much any work involving re-modeling/repairing a house.

Employees?
That depends on the jobs, but I personally know how hard this economy is, so I hire fellow pagans as much as I can.

How long have you been a business owner?
This one? I have been doing construction for about 10 years. Before that, I owned a restaurant/bar called Mr. Eds’ in Detroit for a couple of years in the late 80’s.

What geographical area does your business tend to work in?
In the Metro Detroit area mostly, but I have been hired to do jobs in Port Huron, Harsens Island and even in Ohio.

The economy has been rough on contractors the last few years, but I think there are reasons to be positive as well. What aspects are you most optimistic about?
Those who had money, still have money and are willing to spend it to get done whatever they wanted at a more reasonable price now due to the economy.

Have you dealt at all with any of the “green building” trends we have been hearing about?
Well I have installed radiant heat in rooms by installing water conduit under tile flooring. I am doing some work with people who are installing rain barrels, solar panels and even working with a commercial building to try to take it off the grid altogether…that should turn out to be fun. The most interesting job was building an Octagon house in Detroit, just south of the old train station. All of it was aluminum and compressed foam in triangle sections.

It seems out of the box in some ways, but I have found most pagans make a spiritual connection to almost any job they do. Is that the case for you?
Yes

How so?
I work with some people who help with “Fung Shui” and building special in-wall coves for statues and altars.

Any words of advice for other Pagan business owners?
Know your market and if you can make the customer happy, you will never run out of leads for new possibilities.

You can contact Michael at Wiggins.Michaelj@gmail.com for business or Mecpresident@gmail.com for anything pertaining to M.E.C. or Convocation, and please check out their web sites at www.Convocation.org and www.Mec-Mi.org.

Notes

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that witchmoot.com had some problems last month. We had a hacker attack the site, and add some code which attempted to load spyware to peoples’ computers. The moment we were aware the site was taken down until the problem could be resolved. If you have any further issues please feel free to contact the administrator.

Blatant and Shameless

While you are here at Witchmoot, make sure to sign up for an email subscription, so you will be the first to see new articles as they are posted.

And take a visit to my wife Spider’s ebay store at SpiderCreationsOnline.com, and find her profile on PaganSpace.

I Can’t Do It Without You!

Living Reciprocity won’t work without your help! Send me people to talk about. Send me businesses information to promote. This is a community building exercise and you are needed!

Please contact me using the comment link above, visit my MySpace page, PaganSpace or you can email me at twosnakes@witchmoot.com.

Tight corsets, couples massage and something to keep the kids busy! What else do you need for the January edition of Living Reciprocity?

Greetings all, welcome to the January edition of Living Reciprocity. I know I am a bit late with this edition. I try to have it published on the 16th of each month, but I simply failed this time, aided in part by a failing car. There is indeed a reason I am always saying we need more pagan mechanics. What exactly is a good spell for keeping an old car running with a long commute?

I want to encourage all of you out there to send me some emails. I am always looking for people in business, pagans on the job, and spiritual warriors to highlight. I think it is vital for the growth of the community that we all recognize the everyday goals and achievements of the people around us. In my opinion one of the best things you can do for those people is to point out what they are doing, so they can be praised by the community. Don’t you agree?

Speaking of the community, I have finally discovered the joys of PaganSpace.net. My hat is off to Starrfire Price for the great site. I am also very proud to announce that Witchmoot.com has been added to the blog roll of The Wild Hunt, the CNN of pagan news.

Everyday Spiritual Warriors

This month we are going to highlight the fine folks at Broomstix a pagan e-zine aimed at educating and entertaining the next generation of pagans. Broomstix is a non-profit spearheaded by Natalie Zaman and Kat (Katharine Clark), which just had it’s second anniversary, making it a fine time for an interview with Natalie.

 

 

What was your goal in starting Broomstix?
It was actually kind of selfish. Kat, Char (Charlotte Bennardo) and I had been writing for a while and getting lots of rejections–this is a sad reality of the publishing business, and one that can be incredibly frustrating. At the time, I was still working on alot of picture book manuscripts. I figured, I know theses stories are good–I should just publish them myself. I wanted to do some kind of community service and broached the topic with Kat about doing an ezine for kids. I had revamped our graven Images Oracle site myself (GIO is the predictive deck that Kat and I co-authored), and thought, how hard could it be to do another website? Plus the costs were low and we could work on things at the last minute–an important point, this! I wanted to cover all sorts of topics and offer it as a teaching tool. We wanted to feature sabbats, rituals and crafts, but in a format that children could pick up themselves. Char and I were in a writing group together and she always had good insight on how to fix things, so I brought her on board (our token non-pagan LOL). Funny thing is that we publish a lot more of other people’s stuff than our own–I think that’s awesome!

How many hours do you typically put in on an issue?
Loads! Seriously though, we’re always working on Broomstix, whether its building pages, writing, editing, or planning future issues. I’ve never actually tallied hours. As soon as one issue goes up, focus moves onto the next issue. Sometimes I give us a week’s break, but then it’s back to work.

Do you get donations to help, or do you manage on ad sales?
We don’t have ads (kids get enough of that), and we don’t ask for donations–there are loads of charities that save lives, feed the hungry and cure disease–those are the ones that should be getting the cash. Broomstix is funded through other projects that we’re working on. We’ve put money we’ve made through writing articles for other publications, and Graven Images Oracle towards Broomstix. We also have cafe press stores for both Broomstix and GIO–that goes back into Broomstix too. When we have contests, some places donate books for us to give as prizes. Amy Zerner and Monte Farber have donated some of their work, and Red Wheel/Weiser just sent us some prize books–they rock!

How many people on your “staff”?
Well, there’s me, Kat and Char, Aviva, our Kitchen Witch, and then we have super talented folks that write and illustrate regularly for us like Robin Ator, Lauren Curtis, Sue Miller, Steelgoddess, Zorian Cross, Claire Coleman, Claude Swinburne, Ame Dyckman and Goldie Brown.

What is your favorite part about running Broomstix?
Finishing an issue. Really! I feel a such a sense of pride and relief when a new issue goes up. Also, when things just “come together"–be it an idea, or artwork and a written piece. It really is magic.

What has the feedback from the community been like?
So far so good! Folks really seem to like Broomstix. We get lots of suggestions for books, and more and more folks are starting to submit work. Sometimes I wonder why we haven’t gotten more criticism–I don’t want to invoke it! But what that tells me is that we need to work on getting the word out that we exist. Marketing has been and I think will continue to be the hardest part of this project.

You have articles, arts and crafts among other things, where do you come up with all those ideas?
Sometimes I wonder about that myself! We’re always looking for ideas. Sometimes the kids come home from school with a project, and it’s a springboard. I’ve gotten gifts that inspired written pieces. People are the best source though–we get a lot of ideas–and hone a lot of ideas through talking and bouncing emails back and forth.

Broomstix can be a great venue for artists to showcase work, especially on the covers. How should people contact you to submit work?
Definitely through email–submissions can be sent to broomstixforkids@yahoo.com. Snail mail is Broomstix, PO Box 8139, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Email is better though, and please feel free to nugde if you’ve sent something in and we haven’t gotten back. Between the three of us we’re loaded with projects and sometimes it takes a while for us to respond.

What part of the country are you in?
New Jersey! Kat and I were born and raised here. Char is from Long Island, but we still love her

Tell me about your personal path. How long have you been pagan?
I practice a family Wiccan tradition. Kat is my elder. She was trained by her grandfather, but added a Celtic spirit to her practice (her mom’s family is Irish). By some strange twist of serendipity, Kat and I are related by marriage–but we didn’t know this before we met. The road to the Craft was not an easy one for me, but I would say that I have been practicing steadily for about 10 years.

Tell me a bit about yourself
Raz and I have been married for 19 years (19 years this year) . I’ve never met anyone so in tune with himself (he’s one of those people who has no questions, is satisfied with everything–you get the idea). We have three children, Asim, 16, Mari, 11 and Vincent 8. Whenever I can, I travel. I also write a regular feature for newWitch (link) magazine called “The Wandering Witch.". Raz is more of a homebody and likes to do organic gardening. I like this too, but it can get overwhelming. My goal for this year is to focus on the berries (we’ve managed to have several nice crops of raspberries and blackberries)–I can deal with those, but not the corn. You can’t grow corn in suburbia. Well, you can, but its not pretty!

Folks, these people are working their hearts out for your kids, and for the next generation. Spread the word about Broomstix, and drop them a line telling them how much you appreciate what they are doing!

Pagans In Business

I have a great double edition of Pagans In Business this month. No I know that as pagans we might not celebrate Valentines day officially. But I will bet many of you give a gift or make an effort on that day. Am I wrong? If so feel free to drop me an email. But if I am right, I give you the following gift ideas.

The Holistic Butterfly Studio

Based out of East Lansing, Michigan the Holistic Butterfly Studio is a self described “Center for Mind-Body-Spirit Health and Wellness” run by the charming Beverly Bates.

 

 

How long have you been in business?
I have been doing massage therapy since 2003.

What’s sorts of services to you offer?
I offer a combination therapeutic and relaxation massage that I call Integrated Holistic massage, clinical massage, chair massage, hot stone massage and couples massage.

What is your most popular?
The 90 minute Integrated Holistic massage is the most popular, esp. for people with a specific area of pain who also want a relaxing massage.

One of the services listed is couples massage. Is that popular, or are men too shy?
This IS a popular service, esp for Valentine’s weekend, anniversaries and birthdays. Most of the appointments for couples massages are booked by the female, however lots of men receive regular bodywork on their own.

Do people buy massages for loved ones, or is this more of something that someone indulges in for themselves?
Both, gift certificate sales usually increase at Christmas time, graduation time, Mother’s day and birthdays.

What are your rates like?
60-70 minute Integrated Holistic Massage: $60
90 minute Integrated Holistic Massage: $80
120 minute Integrated Holistic Massage: $110
30 minute Clinical Massage: $35
60 minute Clinical Massage: $60
60 minute Couples Massage: $120
60 minute Reiki/Energy Session: $60
90 minute Hot Stone Massage: $90

I hear a lot about Reiki but have never experienced it myself. What should someone expect?
From www.reiki.org: “A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well-being. Many have reported miraculous results.”

I typically integrate Reiki into my massage. The main result I see is that pain diminished faster. I’ve also witnessed and experienced emotional releases.

What’s sorts of benefits do they report?
A few of my most memorable and unusual responses have been:

• “I couldn’t do my job without you; You’re like my best friend.”
• “I actually hope that I get a headache on my massage day, because I know it’ll be gone by the time I leave you.”
• “I feel like a butterfly that just came out the cocoon.”

Generally speaking, results are increased mobility/range of motion, increased energy (not immediately of course), better digestion, improved sleep, decreased stress, decrease in pain and tension, improved mental clarity and a better sense of well-being, emotionally and physically.

Do you come to people, or must they come to your studio?
I travel when I do chair massages (also called onsite massage) and if the client has special needs that prohibits him/her from traveling. Otherwise, they will need to come to my studio.

Does being a pagan affect your work, or does your work affect being pagan?
ABSOLUTELY!! I am a Witch Doctor aka Medicine Woman! My bodywork IS Witchcraft, in its purest form! Once I realized this, a whole new world opened up to me! It became easier to hear Spirit directing me on what technique to use on what area. There are no words that can adequately describe how it feels to follow Spirit direction then either see the result, get verbal confirmation that it worked or both! It’s both humbling and greatly satisfying!

Tell me about your path
I’m a natural witch, a healer. First and foremost I must heal myself. So I seek words of wisdom, truth, inner peace, guidance from fools and sages, then share it! No one “religion” or path speaks the absolute truth to me. I study (as opposed to “practice") what Spirit leads me to. Currently I’m studying Shamanism and New Thought.

Tell me a bit about yourself
I’m 35, multi-tattooed, and I love music, singing (in private), drumming and dancing. Lately I’ve been a big movie fanatic…let me clarify…that’s FANATIC, as in borderline obsession. LOL
I also love food, cooking and eating! Most people eat to live, I live to eat!

What’s the best way for people to contact you
For appointments or business questions not answered here or on my website, phone is the best: 517-303-5849
Business website is: www.HolisticButterflyStudio.com
my personal sites are:
myspace.com/bevandroco
http://www.paganspace.net/profile­/BevButterfly

But perhaps you don’t live near East Lansing? Never fear, TwoSnakes still has you covered! Or maybe I should say I might have you love one covered…

Ties that Bynde Designs

Jessica Haering began making steel bones corsets at the age of 17, and has expanded that into Ties that Bynde Designs, offering corsets of all types, created with the personal touch of a master craftsperson.

 

 

What does the typical woman look for in a corset?
I have found that most women look for support and waist reduction when they are looking for a corset. Typically they are trying to obtain an hourglass shape.. When a women is looking for a corset, they are often concerned about the number of layers of fabric, the number of stays and what the stays are made of. But the number one thing is proper fit and comfort

How do you size people, do you have to meet them to measure?
I have a very small “off the rack” selection that is based on waist, bust, and hip measurements. Most of my corsets are custom made to my clients measurements and for this I take about 16 different measurements, depending on the style. I can have the measurements sent to me, I just recommend that someone else does the measuring.

Is there one style that is more popular than others?
Victorian era corsets seem to be the most popular, both under-busts and over-busts. However more and more people are asking about Edwardian or S bend corsets

Some women can be shy about their bodies, what advice would you give them?
I can understand being shy about you body, I hid under baggy clothing for years. I found for me that custom tailored clothing gave me the confidence to show what I had. I was able to design outfits that hid areas I was uncomfortable with and accentuate areas that I liked. My goal with Ties that Bynde Designs is to make every women feel beautiful, and confident.

What is the most unusual corset or costume you have made?
I cant say that anything that I have made has been all that unusual, typically because it has come out of my own head. I strive for every piece to be unique. Right now I’m working on a pair of saloon girl costumes, which when they are done will be very cool.

How many hours does the typical corset take to make?
My corsets take anywhere from 15-30 hours to make. This includes the time to draft a custom pattern

What are the price ranges?
My simplest corsets start at $200 and go up from there. It depends on what they are looking for, fabric, amount of stays and embellishments raise the price

How long have you been in business?
I just officially started my business in October. I have been sewing for 15 years and sewing for my friends and family for about 4 years

How did you get started?
I started sewing when i was about 10 to make doll cloths, and then before long I was making my costumes for historical re-enacting. I first tried my hand at design in high school so that I could have one of a kind dresses for our formal dances. I starting making and wearing corsets about 8 years ago. Then about four years ago my friends started asking me to make them corsets and other outfits

I know you mentioned being at ConVocation in February, where else can people see your work?
ConVocation will be my first event that I will be selling at. At Witches Ball I had 5 gowns there that I designed and made. I designed and made the outfits for opening ritual for ConVo this year, and I will have an elemental line being shown for the first time sat night at the masquerade.

Does being a pagan affect your work, or does your work affect being pagan?
I have not found that being pagan is directly affecting my work, only in the fact that it is who I am, and part of what lets me create what I do.

Tell me about your path
Right now I am still deciding on my exact path, I know that I am pagan but beyond that I am still exploring and figuring it out

Tell me a bit about yourself
I’ve been sewing for 15 years now. I first found my love of fitted bodices at the tender young age of 4 when my aunt made me my first Elizabethan. I have been involved in historical re-enactment since then and making costumes for that. Right now I work as a dog groomer to pay my bills and fund my corset addiction, till Ties that Bynde Designs takes off. I spend entirely too much time sewing, and researching patterns, and goofing off with my friends. My 3lb 11oz dog Zilla wards off all the evil fabric dust bunnies and is a constant source of amusement. I dabble in all kinds of fiber related arts; knitting, spinning, and of course manipulating fabric. I’m hopelessly addicted to horror movies. And when i can pull myself away from the sewing machine its typically cook. I love to cook and entertain. I’m always on the go and happy to be that way

What’s the best way for people to contact you?
The best way to contact me is my e-mail at jessica@tiesthatbynde.com, from the website www.tiesthatbynde.com or myspace www.myspace.com/ties_that_bynde

Blatant and Shameless

I would love to meet some of you in the coming month. My wife Spider and I will are planning on attending ConVocation ourselves this year for the first time. Goddess willing. If you see us, please come up and say hello. I love meeting new people!

On January 31st, we will be participating in the HLC Witches Imbolc, along with a family ritual conducted by the Crossroads ATC. Deatils on Motor City Pagans or PaganSpace.

Take a visit to Spiders ebay store at SpiderCreationsOnline.com, and find her profile on PaganSpace.

And while you are here at Witchmoot, make sure to sign up for an email subscription, so you will be the first to see new articles as they are posted.

I Can’t Do It Without You!

Living Reciprocity won’t work without your help! Send me people to talk about. Send me businesses information to promote. I would love to interview a pagan musician, a pagan truck driver, or maybe a pagan who has a job that should appear on Dirty Jobs! You can remain in the broom closet and still give an interview, come on, don’t be shy!

Please contact me using the comment link above, visit my MySpace page, PaganSpace or you can email me at twosnakes@witchmoot.com.