• Monthly Columns

    Weyland’s Whey

         by Weyland Smith   Wey’s Predictions (He’s been wrong about everything else!) Pagans–especially Wiccans–won’t like using AI to construct spells, help write how-tos, or do magickal research.  An absence of flesh and blood humanity will be thought to  taint the effectiveness of supernatural dealings, and many will avoid all use of AI in their shadow work.  No real magick is possible in it, they’ll say.  (Two flaws in this logic: just how human are the entities and forces we’re dealing with already?  And aren’t these objections akin to believing you have to write out spells in longhand instead of using a keyboard to ensure success?)  This trend won’t…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Pagan Portals – Frigg: Beloved Queen of Asgard by Ryan McClain

    Book Review Pagan Portals – Frigg: Beloved Queen of Asgard by Ryan McClain Published by Moon Books 112 pages Publication date: February 1, 2024 Ryan McClain is back with his second book, Frigg: Beloved Queen of Asgard, published by Moon Books. Like his first book Abnoba: Celtic Goddess of the Wilds, his latest work is a deep dive into one goddess, exploring the origins, lore, roles and symbols, relationships with other gods and goddesses, and suggestions for those who wish to venerate the goddess. Frigg has been a large part of McClain’s practice for seven years and the book is a result of the studying he has done to incorporate…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

    Transformative Magick With Astrology and Alchemy

    My Dark Night of the Soul I think before I get along with my more practical explanation of what exactly I’m talking about here, I first need to explain why I chose to write this article, at this particular time. As an Astrologer, I firmly believe that humanity itself is on a threshold: evolve, or don’t. It sounds simple, but it’s much more complex, because we, as human beings, are more complex than duality of good vs. bad, or light vs. dark. The grey area is within us and around us. I mainly work in this grey area, believing that magick and spirituality are exactly what you make it. It…

  • Monthly Columns

    Lupercalia: The Ancient Pagan Roots of Valentine’s Day

    What is Lupercalia?   It’s a chilly February day, and snow is coming down in my neck of the woods as I write this. I look out my window, seeing the snow fall and am dreaming of warm summer days returning, and my trip to Southern California late last Summer. But, amidst my daydreams, I see a bit of hope; Imbolc is typically when Neo-Pagans celebrate the returning strength of the Sun, and the coming of Spring. For me, Imbolc is about healing, and reconnecting to your inner child/maiden, regardless of gender identity. Lupercalia, celebrated on February 15th, is more focused on love, in all its forms. In my personal…

  • Reviews

    Deck Review – Kitchen Magick: A Recipe Deck for Witches by Carla Torrents Murcia

    Deck Review Kitchen Magick: A Recipe Deck for Witches by Carla Torrents Publisher: David & Charles 52 Cards Release Date: June 27, 2023       This a very pretty set of cards with lovely pictures. The little pamphlet inside gave a nice, simple explanation of the wheel of the year and a nice measurement conversion chart. They are not without their problems however. The print is very small. I had to wear readers and use a magnifying glass to read the recipes. On some of the cards, the background colours and the text is too similar in shade and that makes it even harder to read. The cards are…

  • Monthly Columns

    Communing with the Essence

    The Layers of Awareness and Our Essence Coherence —   Communing with the Essence requires telling the truth. We must move with and through the layers of thinking, feeling, experiencing, believing, and perceiving in order to naturally and organically arrive at deeper states of awareness. We feel weight to feel weightless. We feel held to feel free. We feel alone to feel closeness. We sense the noise to sense silence. We become present to our life to feel present with others. Our Spirit embodies as a mortal human to know its immortality. We feel lack to feel full. We feel abundant to feel what’s missing. We forget to remember. To…

  • Divination Articles

    Tarot with Lady Saoirse

    Yule 2023 Bright Blessings! As Yule approaches, you might be thinking of which decks you would like to buy to give to loved ones as gifts- and you might be thinking of which decks you hope to get as Yule gifts yourself! Instead of focusing on cards this time, let’s set them aside and discuss the runes. Yule, is after all, named after Odin, and Odin was the one who gave mankind the runes. Some people say the runes are just letters of the alphabet some smart Heathen incorporated into a new form of divination at some point. Others say that Odin intended the runes for people to use to…

  • Monthly Columns

    Spiritual First Aid

    Magick for Dealing with the Holidays Last time I went over what to do in one of the many different spiritual emergencies you may find yourself dealing with. In this installment, I want to talk more about how to use magick to deal with the craziness that life throws at you. Since this is the Yule issue, I am going to do a deep dive into how to use magick to cope with what can be the most emotionally charged time of the year- the holidays. Holidays are usually joyous occasions marked by joy, frivolity, and feasting, but for many others the holidays can be extremely emotionally triggering or overloading.…

  • Monthly Columns

    Create a Mindful Life to Know Thyself

    The wheel of the year turns to Yule or Winter Solstice. In the Northern United States, we have watched the leaves fall, our daylight grow shorter while our nights have grown longer. Frost has covered the ground and remaining leaves. We may or may not have had snow and ice. But we have the return of darkness and the natural introspection that comes with this time of the year. Our ancestors would gather around fires and practice rites and rituals to encourage the rebirth of the Sun and the return of longer days. We can connect with our ancestral wisdom by honoring the old practices. Turning off the lights and…

  • Interviews

    Witch Hunt

      There are witches all around us. You can find them anywhere… The Witch on Wheels has been documenting her findings.   Meet: Elaine Lockhart Elaine Lockhart is one of very few hereditary witches I’ve met, and she is grateful to have had the opportunity to embrace all that is magical from an early age. Her family has been practicing the Old Ways for six consecutive generations. Elaine is the fourth generation of this oral tradition that stretches from her great-grandmother to her grandchildren. “We have our own moral and ethical codes,” she said. Yearly celebrations revolve around the cyclical nature of raising cattle (mating, birthing, changing pastures, etc.). In…