COVID-19 Resources for Pagans, Wiccans, and Witches

Everglades Moon LC would like to share with you resources we have found useful for dealing with the coronavirus known as COVID-19 currently impacting the United States and our larger global community. If you know of a resource we have not listed, please leave it in the comments below.

Making Masks

Both N95 and cotton face masks are in short supply in many areas of the country. We have found these links useful in learning how to construct both of these.

Note: Not all hospitals are accepting home-made masks. We encourage you to call around to your local Assisted Living Centers, Travel Nurse offices, and other doctors offices to see if they will accept your masks if your local hospital declines for some reason.

Note ^2: DIY Masks will not prevent the spread of COVID-19 and are only meant to be used as a suppliment.

When creating your masks, keep the following in mind:

Use new fabric if possible
Wash the fabric first so that you get all the shrinking out of it before you start
Wash your hands before you start, and during the process
Clean and sanitize your machine and work area, as well as all rulers, scissors, and other tools you will use during the process
Consider wearing a protective mask yourself while you do this (this has the added benefit of allowing you to see if the mask pattern you are using needs adjustments for sizing/comfort, and if the material is actually able to be worn and breathed through)
Donated masks should be washed before donating
Take your time and do not rush – better to make fewer, higher quality masks then more, less usable masks
If you don’t have elastics, you can use additional fabric and make ribbon/ties instead. Some folks prefer to tie on a mask rather than have elastic

SewTheCurveFlat has some great patterns. And while homemade masks cannot prevent the spread of the virus, the New York Times details that they are an effective compliment to hand-washing, social distancing, and other measures. If you’re more of a visual learner, here are some videos.

Other Ways to Help

If you cannot sew (not all of us can) there are loads of other ways you can help those in your community! Here are just a few…

Walking Dogs – Start a community dog walk for those folks in your neighborhood who might not be able to get their dogs out for any reason.
Check on your Neighbors – Call, text, or pop onto a site like NextDoor to check on your neighbors and see if there is anyone in your neighborhood who might assistance. This could be anything from grass mowing, shopping, picking up prescriptions, or anything else they might need.
Organize a Window Party – Whether it’s teddy bears, silly hats, or anything. Click this link for more info!
We are Granny Weatherwax – If you’ve read any Terry Pratchett, you are familiar with Granny Weatherwax and Tiffany Aching: two of the most go-getter leader, helpful witches in his series. Another helper Witch has started We Are Granny Weatherwax to help you help those in your area. Click here to read all about it and to access the toolkit! (also, this would be a GREAT time to read some Terry Pratchett – we recommend “Wee Free Men” as a good introduction to both the world and Tiffany Aching)

Do you have more ideas? Let us know!!

Practicing Virtual Rituals

Are you a group, coven, CUUPS, Book Club, MeetUp, or just a bunch of folks who regularly got together in person but now can’t?

We can help you – no charge!!

Everglades Moon has a Zoom account, and we’d like to set up a free conference room for you. Our account allows up to 100 participants in a single Zoom conference, with an unlimited meeting time. (the free zoom account maxes out at 10 participants with a 45 minute time limit)

All information/chat/video is private. We don’t see it.

If you would like us to set up a conference for you, just let us know the date and time. We’ll send you all the information to log in.

Participants can use either the Zoom app (computer or smartphone) or use the telephone number to call-into the meeting. Click here to send the request to us (and make sure you enter your correct email address; we will send you all the information for your meeting via email)

It’s our way of helping our community stay together.

Now go wash your hands.

Witchy Media to Consume

Here is a general round-up of Witchy movies, TV shows, and streamable works available across Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Did we miss your favorite? Leave it in the comments below!

The Craft (streaming on Netflix)

After transferring to a Los Angeles high school, Sarah (Robin Tunney) finds that her telekinetic gift appeals to a group of three wannabe witches, who happen to be seeking a fourth member for their rituals. Bonnie (Neve Campbell), Rochelle (Rachel True) and Nancy (Fairuza Balk), like Sarah herself, all have troubled backgrounds, which combined with their nascent powers lead to dangerous consequences. When a minor spell causes a fellow student to lose her hair, the girls grow power-mad.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (streaming on Netflix)

The hourlong drama reimagines the story of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age tale that traffics in horror, the occult and witchcraft, naturally. The new iteration is described as in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist and finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature as a half-witch, half-mortal while fighting the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

Motherland: Fort Salem (streaming on Hulu & Freeform)

Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution nearly 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the U.S. government to fight for their country, “Motherland: Fort Salem” follows three young women from basic training in combat magic into early deployment. In this world, the traditional roles of gender and power are flipped, with the more dominant women on the front lines fighting looming terrorist threats that are familiar to our world—but with supernatural tactics and weapons.

Practical Magic (streaming on Netflix)

Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), born into a magical family, have mostly avoided witchcraft themselves. But when Gillian’s vicious boyfriend, Jimmy Angelov (Goran Visnjic), dies unexpectedly, the Owens sisters give themselves a crash course in hard magic. With policeman Gary Hallet (Aidan Quinn) growing suspicious, the girls struggle to resurrect Angelov — and unwittingly inject his corpse with an evil spirit that threatens to end their family line.

Ragnarok (streaming on Netflix)

Ragnarok is a coming-of-age drama building on and contributing to a new and surprising angle on Norse mythology. The series is set in the small, fictitious town of Edda, situated in the grand, breathtaking Norwegian nature. The story revolves around the inhabitants of Edda, who are perhaps not all who they claim to be. With them, we experience a drastically changing world: melting poles, warm winters, violent downpours. Some might say we’re headed for yet another Ragnarok. Unless someone intervenes in time…

More Diversions

More ways to distract yourself while you are spending quality time at home.

Little Acorns Coloring Pages – Pagan themed printables you can color at home.

Coloring Book of Shadows – offers both free and for-purchase coloring pages for your Book of Shadows or general Wiccan needs.

Take a Virtual Tour – many attractions, museums, and areas of interest (like the Winchester house!) have virtual tours for you to take from your sofa.

Storytime with Wendy Rule – Wendy Rule is putting up videos every day of some of her favorite childhood books. She started with “Finn Family Moomintroll”. Just look for the “storytime” posts in her Patreon (access to these is free and not restricted to Patreons only)

Pagan Podcasts

We know you’re always on the look-out for new Pagan, Wiccan, and Witchy podcasts. Us too! While we do have our favorites *cough*ReachingForTheMoon*cough* we invite you to also check out offerings from some of our friends. Click the logo to head to that podcast’s homepage to give a listen!