Review: Witch Casket November box

I did a couple of reviews for the Witch Casket subscription box at the beginning of the year, but have not done any since. There are a few reasons for this: First of all I did not order all the boxes during 2018. I got the boxes for January and February, May, June and July, and then November and December. Because of a hectic summer I did not have time to review the boxes I got during Summer, but I will review the last two boxes of the year. The second reason I did not review the boxes I got during the summer is that I had some thoughts and issues I was going through in my mind. I will write a separate blog post about these thoughts at some point.

For now, however, I am back to reviewing the boxes. Also: I pay for these boxes myself, and no one has asked me to review them. All opinions expressed in these reviews are 100% my own, and I take full responsibility for them. So without further ado, here is the content's list for the November Witch Casket:

• Witch Casket Exclusive – Altar Bell
• Witch Casket Exclusive – Altar Cloth
• Witch Casket Exclusive – Charm Keyring with info card
• Witch Casket Exclusive – Magickal Spaces Parchment Scroll
• Witch Casket Exclusive – Crystal Ball Enamel Pin 
• Witch Casket Exclusive – Black Candle with spell card
• Witch Casket Essentials – Bay Leaves with info card
• Amethyst Pendant
• Purple Banded Agate & Info Card
• Lavender Incense Cones
• Berry Berry Loose Leaf Tea by TeaCakes of Yorkshire
• Square Art Print by TeaCake Art
• A6 Art Print by Ilinca Mitchell Art

In all the box contained 13 items plus the usual list of contents/monthly letter and Witch Casket business card. The theme of the month was the witch's magical space. The wrapping paper in the box was white and the colour theme was white and pink. This is one thing I have enjoyed with the caskets: the comprehensive colour-themes. 

So on to the items. I will not discuss every item in the box. First, here are some general thoughts: I liked the art prints, the pin,  and the stone included. The incense I will be giving away to someone since I already have a lot of Lavender incense in my stash. The amethyst pendant was a nice piece that I might use for something different than a piece of jewelry, we'll see. 

The black candle spell was nice. It is a basic spell that can easily be adjusted to personal needs. A good spell to have in your arsenal. The bay leaves were also nice. I love their smell and I have been using them a lot. However, I would not recommend burning them, as the once I burned did not so much go up in flames or smoke, but in sparks that flew everywhere. So do be careful burning bay leaves.

The tea was lovely and I really enjoyed the fact that there was a description of the content of the tea. I do not know if this was the first time Witch Casket added the content but it is something I have been sorely missing in earlier teas. 

The scroll had a really pretty artwork and a nice description of the witch's altar. As with previous caskets I feel the information could be even more in depth, but I also understand that this might not be possible considering the format of this subscription box.

The altar cloth.

The altar cloth was a nice addition to the casket, even though mine had a very chemically smell when it arrived. I am also worried about how the print will last if I need to wash it. There were no washing instructions included, but I would suppose that a mild temperature or even a hand wash would be best considering the print. 

The altar bell: I laughed when I saw this because a while back I had been looking at a silver-coloured bell for my altar. In the end I decided not to buy it as it felt like it was not the right time. So receiving a bell in the Witch Casket felt like it was meant to be. The only thing I do not like about this bell it that it has the Witch Casket logo printed on one side in quite big letters. I do not like keeping branded items on my altar so this bothers me a little bit and makes me feel like not using the bell at all. I am hopeful that I might be able to somehow remove it. 

The charm key ring has proven very useful. I like the fact that the container is waterproof thanks to the rubber ring on it. I used it during December in a ritual I will describe later. The fact that it was so easy to carry this with me really helped with the spell I was working with. Also I really like the fact that this is a reusable item that also looks discreet.

Lastly a few more general notes: I am happy with my box. It arrived during the second week of December, which is the latest I have received any Witch Casket. I think the large amount of mail and parcels arriving for the Holiday season is to blame for this. As I write I am also still waiting for my December box. I am expecting it to arrive next week, but I know that my friends in Vasa have already received theirs, so it might just be that the mail service in Kokkola is a bit on the slow side.

Review: Witch Casket February box

I finally have time to review the February box from Witch Casket. For those who do not know Witch Casket is a "vegan friendly, magickal witchy subscription box," according to their homepage. They are a mother-daughter company and make themed monthly subscription boxes. The February box is the second one I ordered, and this post will be my review of the box. So to start off, here is the list of contents:

The list of contents included in the box.

The theme of the February box is self love. This shows throughout most of the content, packaged in black and purple. In all I really like how nicely everything is packaged and how the color theme runs throughout the whole box. This creates a feeling that everything is well thought through. I will not comment on every product, but here are my thoughts on some of them. I will start with my least favorite things and move up from there.

Both boxes I have received so far have contained what I would describe as lifestyle, fashion or statement products, that do not directly have a magical application. Last time there was a badge and a hat. This time we get a keyring with the text "good witch", a badge with "mirror mirror" on it and a relaxation/meditation eye mask. These are the products I have spent most time pondering on what their function is in the box.

Don't get me wrong, these are really nice products, and things I can make use of. I love badges, for example, but I fail to see what this "mirror mirror" badge has to do with the box itself. Maybe I just feel that it could have said something relating more to the theme of the box, like "love yourself". The keyring has come in handy since I have been needing a new one.

The meditation mask with the text "Let me be, I'm meditating" is nice and edgy and it fits nicely. My biggest problem with it is that it is made out of cheap polyester (plastic), with no information about the material or how to care for it. I would appreciate it a hundred times more if it were made from natural fibers which would have made it more environmentally friendly. The thought behind the eye mask is nice and I will be using it on long trips.

Here are the contents of the February box.

The self-love bath/shower potion has been really nice. It is scented with a lavender perfume. The pentacle necklace from Curiology has to be one of the most unique pentacles I have ever seen. It is made from this holographic acrylic which makes it look pink, purple, green and some other colors at the same time. Not maybe what I would wear normally, but I am sure I will have a chance to include it with some outfit. To me it feels more like a fashion statement than religious jewelry.

The Blue Lady loose leaf tea was an interesting blend of black tea and maybe citrus? I don't normally like teas with lemon in them, so this is not my favourite tea. However, that is not my problem with it. My problem is that I would like to see the list on ingredients, which is something I could not find anywhere in the box. Especially for people with allergies or people on certain medication it is vital to know the ingredients of the tea they drink. Some herbs can counteract certain medicines and some ingredients might cause allergic reactions. I also like to know what is in the tea I am drinking.

Now moving on to the items I loved:

The self-love ritual kit, the art by TeaCakeArt, the candle snuffer and the affirmation card deck. Sorry for the glare that blurred out the text on the cards.

The candle snuffer is a practical tool I have been missing for a long time. I have been wanting to thrift one for ages but just have not found one. So when I found this black candle snuffer in the box I was thrilled. What is more, it is small and compact which is good if I need to travel with it.

The affirmation card deck has come in handy many times. I like that the cards are printed on sturdy cardstock and that they come in their own little pouch.

The self-love ritual kit was also very nice. The smell of rose and lavender that I was met with as I opened the bag was very pleasant. I am not a huge fan of tea candles so I have used some pink tapered candles dressed in lavender essential oil for the ritual included in the kit. It is a handy little ritual for learning to meditate and become mindful of the positive aspects of ones life.

In all I am very happy with the February box. Here is a compilation of the best parts and some thing I am missing or feeling thoughtful about:

+ I absolutely love the color theme and how it goes hand in hand with the content of the box. Most content seems to have a connection with the theme and the "side" products tie in with the themed products. The theme works and is well built.

- I would like to see some more background information for some products (and some ingredient lists for the tea). For beginning witches, especially, getting more instructions and information on how to use products and the symbology behind items, colors and herbs would be really helpful.

+ On that note I will continue by saying that the small information cards that do come along with some of the items are really nice and useful. They are a good introduction and I wish they came with more of the items. I have started collecting mine in the book that came with the January box.

-/+ I feel there is too much plastic in the box. I would feel better about the contents if they were packaged in paper as I am trying to reduce the amount of plastic I use. However, the box itself, as well as the small plastic bags can be reused. The bag for the tea and ritual kit are resealable, and what is even better is that they can be opened without tearing the top section off. So a big plus for that.

+ Even though I am not a fan of polyester, I do like the small organza bags that come with the badge and the keyring. These can easily be used to hold charms, gems or other things. I wish that the gemstone and the items from Curiology would also come packaged in small fabric bags instead of in plastic.

So that is it for the February box. All of the items have seen some use and will continue to do so. And I will continue ordering the box for as long as I can. It is not a hugely expensive subscription box, but I do not make a lot, so I had a break in ordering this item during March and April. The next box I review will be the May box, which just arrived.

If you have any questions or thoughts you can leave them in a comment below. I am not sponsored by Witch Casket. The opinions expressed are entirely my own. I pay for the box with my own hard-earned money, and the only contact I have had with the company is when I e-mailed them to change my address.

Have a blessed magical day!
~Stella

Review: Witch Casket January Box

It has taken me a while to get there, but I am finally ready to review the first box I got from Witch Casket. I will not talk about every item in it, but rather focus on the general impression and a few specific products. Disclaimer: This is my personal review and thoughts on this subscription box. I pay for it with my own money and I am not sponsored in any way by Witch Casket.

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Witch Casket is a small company run from Britain by mother-daughter duo Deb and Ella. The subscription box was launched in November 2016 and has subscribers in 20 countries. The box does not come with tracking so be aware of this if you consider a subscription. Deb and Ella are however very responsive to e-mail and are active on social media, posting pictures of their caskets shipping out.

At the end of 2017 I decided to order this subscription box. The boxes ship on the 15th of each month and I received mine on the 24th of January. I believe it took this long to arrive because of the Finnish post being very slow sometimes. Anyway, let's jump to the contents:

These goodies arrived in a nice white carton box.

The box was well packaged and the presentation was very nice. The contents were wrapped in a grey silk paper, which made it feel like it had been prepared with great care. The smell of Nag champa incense met me almost immediately as I opened the box. I will not list all the contents, but rather here is a list of the contents that was provided in the box.

The contents as listed on the note that came in the box.

The first two items I picked out of the box were the art print and the book mark, both of which are among my favorites from this box. The print by Tea Cake Art is simply stunning. And as I love bookmarks and Edgar Allan Poe, the bookmark with a quote by him was right up my alley. However, before I continue with other favorites, let me talk a little bit about some other products in the box.

The Witch-beanie is really nice, but I am not sure how much I will be wearing it. The material is listed as 100% acrylic (which I am sure that is not true for the embroidery which is sure to be polyester), and I cannot stand acrylic. I try to use natural materials as much as possible and acrylic is plastic. It is often used as a substitute for wool because it can be made to mimic the feel of wool. But as I mostly use beanies while out in the woods, on hikes and in camp life where my materials have to be able to withstand fire and weather, I would not be able to bring this with me. It does fit nicely however, so I will try to find use for it, or to find a nice new home for it.

Ginger loose leaf green tea.

I drink a lot of tea and always love sampling different teas. This was a nice sampling size: 8 grams of loose green tea with some ginger in it. What I did lack were brewing instructions. Green tea cannot been brewed in too high temperatures as it will turn bitter. But in too low temperatures you will not be able to taste the ginger. I brewed mine in a teapot at about 75 degrees Celsius. The ginger was very subtle, to the point where I could barely taste it, but that could also be due to the cold I am suffering (and ginger is good to drink where you've got that cold going on). In general a basic tea that could maybe have had a bit more ginger in it. Enough for four small teacups or one large teapot.

My favorites from the January Witch Casket.

I already talked about the art print and the bookmark. I also mentioned that the box smelled of nag champa incense. There are 12 incense cones in the package and a small burner to hold your incense. This is always a good basic incense to have and the smell for some reason reminds me of fresh, clean laundry.

The stone is a black line Jasper and is a new stone for me, so it will be exciting to start working with it. I love buttons, so the witchy themed button with "Wisdom begins in wonder" was really lovely. It came in a small organza bag which will surely find its use as a spell satchel.

Lastly there is the book, which is also the theme for the January box: Grimoires, spellbooks and witch's journals. The book is hardcover. It has a small strap for fastening a pen or pencil to it (this would by the way have been a great addition to the box), and an elastic band for keeping the book closed. There is a bookmark band and inside the back cover is a pocket for keeping small notes etc. The pages are cream paper and they are lines.

Notebooks are always good to have. I have not yet decided what to use mine for as I already have more notebooks than I could count. I do know, however, that it will come in handy and be put to good use.

So what are my final thoughts on this box?

• The box was very nicely packaged and the color theme and packaging throughout was well completed and thought out.
• Some of the products seemed more like lifestyle-products than as something to do with magic (eg. the beanie, sticker and skull spoon) but they do follow the general witchy theme.
• There could have been a bit more tea, but the amount included was a good sample size. Brewing instructions would be good to include.
• The emotional healing charm bag kit could have included more information about the separate ingredients included in it. Especially for beginners it would be good to know what qualities the ingredients represent. 

In general I felt like the products tied very loosely together with each other, and there was a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Some items clearly were linked to the theme of spell books/grimoires, but most felt like they were just products with a witchy theme. I am however positively impressed by the box and the quality of the contents. They provide inspiration to a magical life and to perform spells. Receiving the notebook at the beginning of the year inspires making notes about one's magical journey though the year of 2018. The bookmark begs to be used either to mark pages in that journal or in some book on magic one might pick up and read during this year.

In short, I am happy with the box and I am looking forward to reviewing the next one (which arrived earlier this week).

Many blessings!
~Stella

Some life updates

I hope your new year has begun in a nice manner!

Mine has been very hectic. I started a new job as a music teacher and between lessons and preparing the next day I have had zero time to think about blogging. I have tried to squeeze in some sewing during the weekends so I have a few projects I will show off here as soon as I have time to photograph them. If you want to follow me more closely you can find me on Instagram under the name @stellagreymoore.

Anyway, I love my new job. Yes, it is very hectic, but it is also very creative and challenging in a good way. I find myself pushing forward and challenging myself in ways I had not imagined possible. 15 years ago in school we all had to try playing the drums and the bass guitar. I have not tried them since, which I have always felt is a shame. I have never played the electric guitar. During the past week I have delved into all of these. I picked up my old acoustic guitar again and started playing at home, and I bought an ukulele because apparently that is the hip instrument to play today.

I studied to be a teacher for half a year as an extra part for my degree, but not as a music teacher. I have a degree in studies of religion. So getting my mind set to teaching music from kids age 7 to youngsters age 19 has been mental gymnastics. I am getting there, at my own pace. And I'm having a lot of fun with it. The only downside, as mentioned, has been that I have not had time to blog.

Hopefully that will change soon because I have a few things I have planned. I've decided to try out the Witch Casket box and once the January box arrives I am planning on doing a box opening and review of the content.  I'm also planning some other reviews, and I am planning on trying to put up a few more recipes and sewing tutorials.


That is pretty much all for now. Enjoy your tea and may your new year be productive!

~Stella