Friday, 1 January 2010

Resolutions successes and failures

Last year I made 10 resolutions of things I wanted to do in 2009. I managed to achieve about half of them. I suppose that's not too bad for a bad witch...

This is how I did in each one:

1: Improve my blog by adding extra features or pagesThis is something I did achieve. I added an extra page just for events. You can see it at paganevents.blogspot.com or follow the links on events information entries on A Bad Witch's Blog.

2: Interview at least one well known pagan figure for A Bad Witch's BlogI have no excuses for failing to do this. I visited plenty of pagan events and chatted to quite a few well known people, but didn't get around to interviewing them. I will definitely rectify this in 2010.

3: Learn tea-leaf reading
I'd count this as a partial success. I was given a book on tea-leaf reading for Yule and I have started reading it. When I've mastered the skill, I will write about it on my blog

4: Visit six places in London that are associated with paganism, witchcraft or the occult and write about them
I visited Greenwich Park, associated with goddesses of summer and winter; The London Stone, which is one of the city's oldest relics; the burial grounds of Crossbones Graveyard, Bunhill Fields and Brompton Cemetery; and the sphinxes on the site of the old Crystal Palace. All fascinating London sites with occult or pagan interest.

5: Visit somewhere rumoured to be haunted and write about it
All cemeteries have a few ghost stories, so I suppose the three mentioned above would count towards this resolution too. However, I didn't really write about the ghosts that haunt them. I'll count this as a partial success and include something a little more specific on my new list of resolutions for 2010.

6: Continue to read at least one book relating to paganism, magic or folklore each month
This is one resolution I definitely achieved. I've read lots of wonderful books on magic, paganism, folklore, witchcraft and the occult. I'm looking forward to reading more this year.

7: Go through my bookshelves and get rid of at least a dozen books (even if I then replace them with others)
Yes, I definitely achieved this although I didn't write about it on my blog. A few weeks ago I gave a big box of books to a friend who is helping run a charity book sale. They were mostly fiction that I had finished reading. I hope they sell at the fair and raise plenty of money for charity.

8: Feng Shui my home
Total failure. Anyone looking at my home could see it badly needs decluttering, let alone giving the full Feng Shui treatment! I think it is slightly less cluttered than this time last year, but I can hardly say I achieved my aim.

9: Learn how to make something that could go on an altar
Ignoring Mo's cheeky comment when I wrote about this resolution last year, I did learn to make something that could go on an altar - moon cookies. However, I have just realised that I didn't write about it on my blog. I did write about the Cookie Sutra - and I suppose you could put suggestive gingerbread figures on an altar if you wanted to. I am sure the God and Goddess would appreciate them.

10: Do a fire walk
Sadly, the opportunity to do this has not yet come my way. Maybe it will soon.

Here are my resolutions for 2010:
1: Interview at least 12 people for A Bad Witch's Blog
2: Continue learning tea-leaf reading and write about it on my blog
3: Learn about one other form of divination
4: Visit another six places with pagan or occult significance in London
5: Investigate the ghosts in a haunted house
6: Continue to read at least one book relating to paganism, magic or folklore each month
7: Write about mooncakes and at least three other magical or seasonal recipes
8: Learn to meditate
9: Make at least one improvement to A Bad Witch's Blog
10: Do a fire walk

Links
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2008/12/bad-witchs-resolutions.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/08/goddesses-of-greenwich.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/ancient-stone-heart-of-london.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/11/halloween-poll-and-crossbones.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/brompton-cemetery-time-machine.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/10/lost-sphinxes-of-london.html
http://paganevents.blogspot.com/2008/09/pagan-events.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2009/02/cooking-up-love-with-cookie-sutra.html

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