qedavathegrey:

The Removal of the Heart

When I created this process, I had been through a very rough
period in my life. A dear friend and ex-lover of mine went missing and, if that
were not enough, I – as a witch – had a very hard time dealing with the fact I
was not able to find him. At was at this time, I made the choice to drink
Morning Glory tea and seek him out – what I found was all the more
heartbreaking. I knew he had gone from this life – and lo and behold, months
later the news arrived. It was at this time – because, even though I knew he
had perished, there was a touch of hope that perhaps I had misinterpreted the
signs, misunderstood the message – that I decided to remove my heart.

So, I sat down and worked out the specifics, knowing well
what I was doing. When the time came to do the ritual, I prepared. I had
crossed every “t”, dotted every “I” – but as I began, I knew this was not what
it seemed. I had written it to free myself of the heartache by means of
metaphorically removing my heart. What I found was all the more placating. As
the ritual proceeded, I knew I would not be removing my heart – but memorializing
it. I penned out a lengthy letter, in which I tied up all loose ends – not just
with the aforementioned, but all loose ends of my life. I wrote them all out
and folded the paper inside the heart, let the wax seal it in and I had done what
needed doing, and made an oath then and there:

All these things, I
will carry with me always, but no longer might they hold me back. They have
been sealed in the past, so that I may move forward – but forever, all of them
will remain, tucked away in my chest.

I sealed up that heart, wrapped it in cloth and then stowed
it away in a miniature, wooden chest (Word
of wisdom, though, make sure you remember where you stash it, because I spent
20 minutes searching all over for the damned thing so I could take a photo or
two!).

---

So, if you are ready to allow the past be the past, and seal
up the memories – I have brought to you the ritual.

---

Things You’ll Need:

For the Heart –

• Air-Dry or Oven Bake Clay – however, if you have a kiln, by
  all means… – also, as a last ditch, you can use clay-rich soil/dirt, I talk
  about the process here

• Wax – you can use candlewax or paraffin, which can be found
  at most supermarkets (you’ll have to ask someone, because no place puts it in
  the same damn section [I’m not still bitter])

• (Optional) Paint – I used red and pink wax, so I forewent
  the painting process

For the Rest –

• A Box/Chest/Bag or other Storage Option
• Time (& other supplies of your choosing) – as I said, I
  sat down and wrote everything out, but that isn’t the only way. If you want to
  burn some things, scream, do a little crying, do what you need to do, just make
  sure you have something to stuff into the heart!

---

1. The process is relatively simple, but somewhat time
   consuming. Begin by sculpting your heart – as you can see, I went the more
   anatomical route, but the symbolic heart is perfectly fine – it’s your heart,
   sculpt it however you damn well please. However, you’re going to want to hollow
   it at least partially out. That’s where you’ll be shoving all the memories and
   tokens and whatnot. After complete, allow it to cure – through air drying or
   oven baking. This can be a timely process, don’t rush it.
2. Once completely dry, in a double boiler, melt your wax. It’s
   not recommended to melt paraffin in the microwave, as it’s a minor fire hazard.
   If you don’t happen to have a double boiler, a bowl that snuggly hugs the sides
   of a pot will work just fine – though not plastic, that would be another
   hazard. Once the wax is thoroughly melted, remove it from the boiler and allow
   it to cool momentarily. On a nonstick surface, such as wax paper or aluminum
   foil, place your heart hollow side up. Pour the wax into the hollow and turn it
   so that it evenly coats the inside. This may also take some time. After a few
   moments, the wax cools enough to touch – so you can work it with your hands.
3. Once the inside has cooled enough to remain solid, cover the
   rest, following the same procedure, allowing it to cool and then working it
   with your hands. This seals any cracks and also gives the added bonus of a
   nice, smooth, shiny coat once hardened.
4. Once the heart is complete, the rest is very much up to you –
   however you wish to go about it. I went through a lengthy process of setting up
   an entire table for the working – covered in photos, keepsakes and the like
   (which I then boxed separately for safe keeping, out of sight and out of mind).
   After having written the very long letter, I folded it up and placed it inside,
   then melted a bit of wax over it to secure both it and a candle – which I lit
   and let burn down so that it would seal it the rest of the way.

As seen above, I keep
mine in a small cedar box, wrapped in a handkerchief on a bed of Sulphur – but your
choice of storage is entirely up to you.

---

As a word of warning, since the “removal” I become a witchy-nun – vows and everything, so that could be a possible side effect, I’m not entirely sure.