Calling the Corners: Our Witches' Feast BEGINS!
All the bits and pieces you need to throw this party. (Except the recipes, 'cause those come in the next newsletter.)
Hey team! I’m back with the next installment of our spooky, witchy, Calling the Corners dinner party. INCYMI, here's the last post, where I break down the menu, give you a riveting history of witches, and explain my personal definition of magic(with a k). I always snag a co-host for these little shindigs, and this time we have Bo Djogo up to the plate. She really hit it out of the coven, people!
Bo and I met about a year ago, and we became fast friends. We connected over a deep discussion of the metaphysical, including astrology, tarot, dreamwork and Jungian psychology. She’s an astrology aficionado, and is currently getting her masters degree in spiritual psychology, so she knows quite a bit about the subject. When I told her about Ruined Table, she immediately said she wanted to have a dinner party, and specifically that she wanted it to be a witchy, metaphysical theme. I can’t argue with that. Sheer brilliance! (She’s also a fantastic tablescaper and flower arranger, which I didn’t know until we threw the party, and boy was I impressed!)
Decorations and games
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Remember, the simple act of getting together is the most important thing, so don’t feel the need to spend a lot of time or money on this. The only things you need for any party are flattering lighting, good music and tasty food. And even with just two out of three, it’ll still be great. So these are optional - take them, leave them, or use them as inspiration for your own ideas. (And if you do, let me know what you did!)
Decorate the table with items that represent each of the elements. Use seashells and pearls for Water; moss, wood and flowers for Earth; feathers and bells for Air, and burn candles or incense for Fire. And of course, use your best crystals - glassware and the other kind!
Start with a Tarot happy hour. Spread a deck of Tarot cards on a tray, and set them next to the Saltwater Martinis. Have your guests ask a question and pull a card. If there isn’t a tarot reader in attendance, that’s okay, reference a book or website for interpretations; there are lots to choose from. The Tarot Lady and Biddy Tarot are two great options. Everyone can use their intuition to bring their own meanings to the interpretations, as well.
End with a DIY spell-making station. If you read my last newsletter, you know that all ingredients carry special energies within them. With that in mind, print out the list below and arrange all of the ingredients on a table. Have guests fill a piece of cheesecloth with the ingredients of their choice, and tie it off with butchers twine. Add the sachet to a mug, and cover with boiling water to brew a spell. These personal tisanes are the perfect end to the evening, and they go great with the Black Sesame Spoon Pie for dessert. Everyone can follow their intuition on which ingredients to use. There is no wrong way to do it!
Playlist
I like to make playlists. Are they any good? Duh. But these things tend to be subjective. If you hate my taste in music, a) NEVER tell me, and b) go ahead and make your own dang playlist, see if I care. All I hope is that you take the music component seriously, because it’s important.
The rules of a Ruined Table playlist are as follows:
The songs are meant to be listened to in order, and the maker of the playlist (me) must genuinely like all of them, i.e. I can’t add any old song just because it fits the theme.
Each playlist should be approximately 1 hour long.
Artist repeats on any single playlist should be used sparingly, if at all. (Except for this particular party, because I get to add as many Stevie Nicks songs as I want.)
Song repeats across multiple playlists should be avoided.
The songs on each playlist must go along with the theme that it’s made for, wherein yours truly comes up with arbitrary, but well-thought-out parameters for what “going along with the theme” actually means.
So, without further ado, here is the official Calling the Corners playlist. Like it, download it and play it at your party.
Can you figure out the parameters for this one? Let me know in the comments. First one to get it right gets a shout out in the next newsletter.
Up for Discussion
It wouldn’t be a Ruined Table party without this part. For all you newcomers, I always come up with theme-appropriate conversation starters to help properly “ruin the table” at the end of the night. Sometimes the topics are a little cheesy. Sometimes they are a little deep. Sometimes they are a little scandalous. They are always fun, so long as everyone goes along with it.
The meal has ended, but the party hasn’t. Gather your buds around the table (preferably a ruined one), open another bottle of whatever you are drinking, and go around in a circle, taking turns answering each of the questions below. Remember to listen just as much as you talk, as most people just want to feel seen and heard. Once you give them that gift, they will give it right back to you. The trick is to speak from your heart and remain open. And of course, as always, to have fun.
Have you ever experienced anything paranormal or unexplained? Elaborate!
What is the witchiest thing you’ve ever done?
If you could master one witchy superpower, what would it be? Ex. precognition, healing, telepathy, mediumship, spell-casting, astral travel, etc…
Do you believe in witches? How would you define one?
Witches have been persecuted for ages, and many people have been killed over witch-accusations. Why do you think that is?
What do you think is the difference between a“good” witch and “bad” witch?
Are you a witch? :)
Thanks for coming through! Stay tuned for the recipes, shopping list, and prep plan, coming in the next newsletter, in two weeks. Don’t forget to follow Ruined Table on tik tok and instagram for more photos and videos from the party.
Stay messy,
McBroom