⛤ September Q&A (Patreon)

happy almost October! we are so close to chiming in the spooky season it almost hurts! I'm already feeling the seasonal changes (mostly in the form of painfully dry skin - how I've taken the summer humidity for granted!) and couldn't be more stoked for harvest and squash season. even though I rarely prepare for and celebrate sabbaths, the energies of the season have a way of claiming me regardless. I've been so happy to cook and bake with seasonal produce and apples I've picked myself - and I want to share the celebratory vibes with all my friends (in the form of the most delicious apple elderberry pies) and infuse everything with magic. now if only my patience for cleaning up afterwards was as ripe as the urge to create! if you're on my discord, you already heard about my broken camera. sad day.  it arrived at the repair shop yesterday and we are impatiently awaiting a call about the condition of the card reader! a small corner on one of my SD cards had chipped and damaged the reader. yeah. I didn't know that could happen either! if you work with a camera, definitely make sure your SD cards are intact and replace them every few years. this happened in the middle of a spell, too, so I just take that to mean my intention was too powerful! the integrity of my SD card could not withstand such powerful magic. haha. I've always had chaotic energy. now more than ever it's important to focus it correctly, as mars is in retrograde in gemini (the sign of communication) and my natal mars is in aquarius... the sign that governs technology... the planet of war in the sign of technology... you see what I'm getting at, right?! it feels weird for me to be rambling about witchy shit. something about talking about my actual passions leaves me feeling entirely too vulnerable, probably because that's one of the things I used to get bullied for. I'm low key terrified of what people will think of me based on the things I enjoy, as I'm pretty much used to being ridiculed and written off as a loon for so much as implying that there's more to this world than meets the eye. but also I seem to find myself in situations where people inquire about my life and I struggle to summon a socially acceptable answer on the spot. and I think to myself... why not just be honest? why not let people deal with the answers I give them? that what I've been up to is changing the crystal blend for my water filter, baking pies for wisdom and health, making a herb infused glamour oil for my poor thirsty skin that also happens to make me look and feel like a pinup model, oh, and figuring out a way to cast humanitarian spells on viewers via video. instead I say... I don't remember. I don't remember means I can't think of anything I can share that would be acceptable enough to not alienate everyone in this room. because you can take witchcraft out of the conversation, but you can't take the lifestyle out of the witch. 

in other news, you've submitted some questions!

Sometimes the movies/series they remove do come back later on (and they do tend to warn you a bit in advance), but what were you watching on Netflix that was removed? The 4400. It was just starting to get good in S2! the next day... gone.

Do you like The Bee Gees? I can't say I do, as I don't even have an idea of sound attached to the name. I literally have no idea what kind of music they play. I did pick up that they play music though.

Ally I’m curious, how do you feel about Valentine’s day? not as good as I feel about discounted chocolate on February 15th.

Does Jack like to wear ties? no. he calls it a noose and refuses to wear one, ever. what are ties even good for? I struggle to see the functionality of having them as part of an outfit.

Do you like Lindor chocolate? yes, especially since it's some of the only good chocolate you can get in this country. my eyes water as I longingly stare at the $20 box of Lindt pralines I used to get for $7.99 in Germany...

Do you like marmalade? yes, orange marmalade is one of my favorites. especially on pancakes or as a filling in shortbread cookies!

Have you ever played Sid Meier’s Pirates? never heard of it.

I don't really have a specific question this time, but...how are you, Jack and Ash doing? we are doing just fine, thank you. a little bummed out about the broken camera and the cost of repair even in the best case, but I'm doing what I can on my backup cam until I get it back. Jack has been working a lot to pay our lawyers next month, as we're almost due to start applying for a permanent green card! because we were married less than 5 years before me moving here, they only give you a temporary green card for the first two years and then you can apply for a permanent one. then, three years after that, you can apply for citizenship! going through a law firm for this may be pricey, but from experience we know that it's pretty much the only way to guarantee being approved. the first time we tried applying ourselves and were ghosted by the USCIS for 2 years straight with inconsistent answers to our countless calls and emails about the status of our application. money buys a lot in this country, including freedom. I can't believe it's going on two years! 18 months have come and gone. it's true what they say - time flies when you are happy. and this picture should tell you everything you need to know about how Ash is doing.

Would a layer of Kevlar sewn into the lining of your tuxedo protect you from a 100W laser at a range of, say, 50 yards? Asking for a friend. maybe at least partially? did you friend piss off an engraver?

Does Jack like to grow facial hair? he likes his goatee (I think it's cute) but shaves his face regularly. he says it gets itchy. 

How many times a year do you dye your hair? I average about once a month. since I get bored of colors so quickly, I stick to semi-permanent dye which has the unfortunate side effect of washing out rather quickly. so I have to touch it up regularly to maintain a nice and vibrant mane. lately I've been loving the blue and people have been loving the blue on me (I think it suits my skin tone very well) but I am already craving a change. copper tones are really calling my name lately! but given that I've just dyed it blue again (for a video), it'll be a while before I can change it - and by then, who knows what color I'll feel like?

Have you ever dyed your hair lilac? no and not planning to.

Do you like shopping for tea? who doesn't like shopping for tea? I wish we had a proper tea shop in town. I miss the experience of smelling different teas and finding a new beautiful loose leaf tea to take home. that's how I found out I really like green tea with toasted rice (genmaicha). our local walmart has a tea that comes close to the flavor of the genmaicha I'm used to getting. I used to detest bagged teas because the quality I was used to from Germany was so inferior and masked with sickening aromas that you could smell but not taste. but over here, bagged teas got game! I really enjoy this green tea I regularly get, aswell as this jasmine tea I always brew in a bottle and enjoy iced that tastes virtually indistinguishable from the imported bottled teas, and of course the ever loved earl grey. I really would prefer taking my time looking at teas in the relaxed, classy atmosphere of a tea shop but I'll take what I can get.

Do you and Jack have any Halloween traditions? seeing as how this is only the second halloween we're spending together irl, I think it's a bit early to start talking about traditions. we are still exploring all that the land of OG halloween traditions and activities has to offer. 

Heya Ally, hopefully you're doing well. :> As someone with a budding interest in aromatherapy, but not quite sure of where to get started, what would you recommend / any common dos and don'ts? I recommend getting a diffuser, candle warmer or oil burner. they are rather inexpensive and a good way to try out aromatherapy by diffusing the fragrance into the air. you can use it at home, in your office or even in the bath to help you relax and wind down. make sure you aren't allergic to the plants these oils are derived from. secondly, less is more. essential oils are highly concentrated so start with only a drop or two in a little warm water until you can just smell it. diffusers have one added benefit over candle warmers and oil burners and that is humidity - especially if you live in a cold climate, the extra water diffused into your living space can be very beneficial. if you are interested in exploring topical use of essential oils, make sure you dilute the oil. some oils are more irritant than others, but they should never be applied directly to the skin. my favorite carrier oil is olive oil but different people are gonna swear by different oils. like with the diffusers, less is more. add only enough essential oil until you can just smell it. be aware that the scent of a pure essential oil will fade rather quickly, as it isn't formulated to stay on you like perfume is. you can wear it like perfume to get therapeutic effects, but the fragrance will be short lived. I like to make body and massage oil with my own essential oil blends and that is another good way to bring aromatherapy into your grooming and relaxation routine (in my case it's my husband who gets the massages). I apply body oils to my whole body after a shower to help moisturize my skin. there are certain oils, like sandalwood oil and copal oil, that are very good for the skin aswell. when it comes to fragrances, get scents that you actually enjoy. like I said in my aromatherapy video, nothing is quite as therapeutic as a scent you really like. you can treat the supposed benefits of any oil as secondary. if you don't know what scents you enjoy, you can start by figuring out what type of fragrance you are generally drawn to and go from there. do you like floral scents, sweet scents, woody scents, fruity scents, herbal scents, oriental scents or musky scents? maybe it's easier to imagine if you ask it this way: would you rather smell a flower garden, baked goods, an evergreen forest, a smoothie, freshly cut grass, a temple/church or pure earthy darkness? based on your preferences you can google what oils fall under that category. I hope that helps. have fun exploring the wonderful fragrant world of essential oils! 

that's it from me for now. thank you for submitting your questions and I hope this was a satisfying read. as always you'll be able to ask more questions next month and I will have more content for you soon. remember to moisturize your skin extra intensely as the seasons change and enjoy some plump squashes 🍸