Well Met Everyone:

Welcome to the September issue of PaganPages.  Fall is upon us and we hope you all had a blessed summer.  Goodbye Heat!!

A few announcements:

All classes EXCEPT the following have been canceled due to unforeseen emergencies in the teachers lives:

• Astral Travel
• Household Magick
• Magickal Correspondence
• Principles of Paganism
• Spellwork Through poetry
• Wicca History

We are currently looking for more teachers on different topics.  If you are interested and have the time, email admin@paganpages.org

We are currently looking for writers for the following columns:

Herbs

Colors

The Moon

Oils & Incense

Faeries

If you are interested in any of the above, email us at admin@paganpages.org

We hope you enjoy this issue and have a wonderful Fall Equinox!!

]]> http://paganpages.org/content/2010/09/merry-meet-2/feed/ 0 http://paganpages.org/content/2010/09/hearthbeats-notes-from-a-kitchen-witch-15/ http://paganpages.org/content/2010/09/hearthbeats-notes-from-a-kitchen-witch-15/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:10:58 +0000 Hearthkeeper http://paganpages.org/content/?p=4199 Letting Go

Merry Meet all, and I hope you have all had a happy Blessed Summer in the Northern Hemi and Winter in the Southern Hemi…

Recently I have had to look deeply into my heart to deal with something I never thought would be hard.

Letting go… of my son. Not in death.. but in life.  Growing up and growing away.

As they grow..  They become independent, strong, opinionated (very) and educated. But we as parents do not grow the same way. We create this life, nurture it, hold it, teach it, and bandage it… but never do we think we will be cut off from it. But cut off we are, often very abruptly. Suddenly they become all that we have worked towards… but what then???

Suddenly we are cast adrift, loaded with things we have yet to teach, advice we have yet to share, help we have yet to give.

Still we have to trust that we have given them all of the tools that they will need. That all the time we have spent on them, shared with them will arm them to go into the world able to survive.

Letting them go can (and is) one of the hardest most painful moments in a parents life. But it is also one of the most joyful. Look at what you have done… you have spent a huge portion of your life guiding this wonderful person on the path he or she needed to be on to become all that they can be. You have brought love, religion, faith, joy, rules and the enforcement of them. And out of the cocoon of childhood here they are.

Remember that even though they are pulling away, pushing you away. All they are doing is exerting their independence. They do not love you less (even if it feels like it).  They just have not found a way to show you how much they love you without falling back into childhood. They are striving so hard to be adult, to prove that they can be on their own, they fear falling back into being a child. They fear that they will fail, be unable to be the adult that you taught them how to be. You have to trust in them, know that they will achieve greatness if they have enough of the support that they need. The invisible, strong support that only their parent can give them. Give them all the love you have, and remember that the older they get the smarter you get. They will come back asking for your advice, your help. Give it graciously when they do.. as if they never left.

You have to wait. Wait and see what wonderful things they will do with their lives.

My own son who is 18 ½ is moving out. He has already started on the path he has chosen; He is an EMT, he volunteers in the local fire Department and Ambulance Department. He is working, toward a car( to get a better job) and apartment which he will share with 3 others. He is going to do great things and be very good at them.

Even though this makes me amazingly proud of him.. I grieve the loss of my little boy.  I have invested ½ my life to him and now he has moved on, to hopefully create his own family, life and future. The image of him as a two year old, a five year old, a teen overlay the man he is now, making it hard to see him as he is.

While I still have my sweet daughter, who is only 14, I know she is running fast on the path out the door.. Even though she promise me she will never leave me.. I know I will go through this again in a few years. But I will cherish these year all the more knowing what is to come.

So , as the days go on and the moments of grief pass. The moments of joy and pride take over. And hope you live long enough to watch him or her go through this with their children.

My only advice is to cherish every moment that you have with them when they are young.. for you WILL miss them later on. When they are teens and all in your face, remember that you WILL miss it when they are grown. Hugg them and love them and teach them everything they will need.. And then get a box of tissues.. Because you most likely WILL cry when they leave.. Tears of sadness, of grief, of pride and of love.

Until next time
Blessed Home and Hearth
The Hearthkeeper

PS. If there is anything you would like to see here… Please email me at
theheartkeeper@gmail.com

Ghost hunting has gained increased popularity over the years due to recent movies and television series.  Paranormal investigation is no longer something strange or unusual; in fact it is becoming not only a hobby but at times a career choice.  There are several things to consider when entering the world of ghost hunting.  Many enter this field because they have unanswered questions regarding the afterlife, or just want to experience something that proves there is so much more out there than we as a society are led to believe.  Whatever the reasons, there must be an understanding of the rules and guidelines to paranormal investigation

First; pick your location.  Do the proper research on what the experiences have been and what type of entity you are searching for.  This will help you prepare for the actual investigation.  Always get permission to be on the property, never trespass under any circumstances.  If you are unfamiliar with the area you may want to visit the location during the day to avoid any potential hazards in the dark.  Try to avoid visiting locations alone, not only is it better to have multiple sets of eyes to review potential evidence but it is just safer.  Always make sure someone who isn’t going to be with you knows where you are heading and there is a way to contact them if needed.

Second; get prepared.  Be sure to dress comfortably and wear good walking shoes.  Try not to wear any cologne or perfume so as not to affect other people in your team.  Some experiences center around scent, such as an entity carrying the smell of roses, smoke, sulfur and so on.  Keep supplies to a minimum and have a comfortable and convenient way to carry them.  There are a lot of ghost hunting gadgets out there but some of these things can get pretty expensive.  Start out with the basics. A flashlight, a pencil and notepad to make notes or reference back to previous research, a camera ( either film or digital), a voice recorder, extra batteries,  baby powder (works great to capture ghostly footsteps), water, and of course a first aid kit.

Third; investigate. Once you have arrived at your location be sure to have a plan with your group and try not to separate if possible.  Make sure you have referenced what you are actually looking for but try not to narrow your focus.  Many times experiences occur that are different from previous reports.  Remember what type of entity are you searching for, is it a residual or intelligent haunting, is it known to be shy, friendly, or ill tempered, are there certain things you can say or do safely to increase the chances of it appearing, is there a language the entity understands best, and is it a human or non human entity.  Some people like to say or do something for protection before starting an investigation, this is up to you.  Make sure to take a lot of pictures, do not just click once if you hear a strange sound, point and shoot randomly and often, you will have a lot to review later but it will increase your chances of seeing something paranormal.  When using the voice recorder, be sure to speak clearly, any whispering done by you and your team may sound like potential evidence later.  Find a “hot spot” or a location known for heavy activity and use your voice recorder to ask questions, allow enough time for an answer.  You may not hear anything at the moment but upon review you may discover an EVP or Electronic Voice Phenomena.  Once you feel you have thoroughly investigated your location, make sure you clean up anything left over and head home.  Since many investigations are done at night, you may want to wait until the next day to review everything. Never look for evidence with tired eyes.

Fourth; review. This can be the most tedious and yet most exciting part of the process.  Examine your pictures and listen to your recordings.  If anything unusual is heard or seen, have a second or third person review it as well.  Take into consideration anything that may have contaminated the film or audio, was the investigation outdoors, and were there animals, traffic lights, or other people that could have made the picture or sound seem ghostly.  If the investigation was indoors, was it an old building, was there faulty plumbing or electrical outlets.  If none of these things are possibilities, you may even have to return to the same location to try and recreate what was seen or heard.

Most of all have fun, try not to go into an investigation fearful, sometimes our own imaginations can run away with us and everything seems spooky like some old haunted house film with creaking doors and screeching owls.  Just relax and enjoy the experience.  Do not be disappointed if your first few investigations turn up with no ghostly results.  Some experienced investigators have several occasions with no results.  Each ghost hunt is a chance to try new techniques, test new equipment, and see new places; it’s all about opening your mind to the unknown.

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about competitive people, especially when it comes to parenting and paganism.  Whether in your coven, circle or class we are faced with competitive people in our spiritual domain as well as the domestic/mundane one.

Not being very competitive for the most part I’ve found that being a parent has brought out that shred of doubt in me.   When I encounter another child at the playground that can already tie his shoes and my child of the same age hasn’t even attempted to try yet, there is a little pang for me.  A slight, oh, man should I be teaching my kid this?  Are they going to be lagging behind for not being able to do this already?  Wise ones have said to me in these times of doubt: Can the other child do this yet, like your child?  And usually the answer is, no.  That way of putting things into perspective has been invaluable to me.  No child is perfect, no child is better than another.  They all have their own time and place to learn and we must simply be there to help and guide them.

In the pagan arena I’ve felt little of the same pangs of competition.  I don’t mind if you’ve reached your 3^rd degree faster, dried lavender and written a chant this week and I haven’t even managed to have a morning meditation.  The spiritual journey is specific to the individual to me.  I’m not trying to be pagan of the year.  I just want to be true to my path.  A little competition isn’t always a bad thing though.  Reading about what other witches are trying these days, seeing examples of artwork dedicated to their gods, altars created for a season or books read for self exploration are inspirational.  A pang of hey, why aren’t I doing that, is good for you.  It is motivating and helps to keep your desires for your own path on track.

An extreme can develop in some people regarding parenting, paganism or anything really that is alarming to me.  Motives become only about competition and not about your child’s journey or your own.  You start to do things because the mother you most admire at your family coven does them like that.  You feel the need to be better, more pagan, more like a super mom than a real mom.  Because let’s face it no one is capable of being everything at one time.  Often we project ideals on to those we admire and think that they are accomplishing more than us.  Deep down though they probably have similar feelings of incompetence and are pushing themselves too hard, trying to be too much.

My philosophy of parenting and being a pagan is about honouring where I am in the moment and trying to accept what I can do.  My priority at this point is being a parent.  It is my full time job.  My spiritual life is secondary and I have accepted that for now.  Young children require energy and time.  I’m not capable of taking a class with a pagan leader or dedicating myself to a tradition.  I could try and do this but something would lag.  Something would fall through the cracks and my son is too important for me to risk.

The moral to this story is that support and sharing of our doubts is an important step towards keeping competition out of our spiritual practice and our parenting.  I won’t judge you for not having time to bring a snack for after the ritual, if you won’t judge my daughter for not knowing her ABC’s yet.  Let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt.  Let’s live in a community that embraces each individual’s journey to self.  That way we can leave the competitive feelings where they belong, in the boardroom or on the sports field.

Sculpting

Prying that top off of the Play-Doh container and jamming your fingers in, as you plunge to the bottom. Curling your hand into a fist the red clay with bits of green from the last time you played makes a sucking noise as it gives way and pulls free. Smiling you squeeze it hard and watch as it is forced between your fingers in thin ropes of clay. It is there to maul, squeeze, form, and shape, as you gather it back up to try again.

Remember those youthful days when you squeezed clay through your fingers. Making hand prints for Mom or getting fancy and making an animal or person that was only limited by your imagination, and how long you wanted to play.  Sculpting is for those that love to take the time to watch as a product matures from a slab of clay to a sculptured design.

Technology entered the sculpting field back in the 1930’s when a German doll maker Fifi Rehbinder had trouble finding supplies. She developed a plastic clay that she used to make her doll heads. In 1964 Eberhard Faber bought and made changes in it to create Fimo polymer clay and sold it in Europe. These new clays make life easier for the playful and experienced sculptor.

A finished piece can be baked in an oven instead of a kiln. Keeping the feel and creativity that is natural you love in clay, but dropping the temperature needed to cure the piece to 250 degree so if you have an oven you can fire your clay. This opens it up so that the amateur and professionals alike can get into the field of creating pieces of cherished art that can last a life time.

The tools in the picture are just a few of those in the work area for sculpting. There are also molds, pasta machines, hand rollers and cutting blades to name a few. Each giving that much more variety and ability to the sculptor. So get your hands dirty and join me in slinging some clay into a life of its own.

The more you play, the more you learn. The more comfortable the clay feels, the more you can do. The more you try the better you get and the more beautiful your pieces will become. For more information on using polymerized clay you can look at www.kskritters.com or do a Web search on Fimo, Sculpy or any of the other brand that you may prefer. Enjoy the experience.

All photos are copyrighted and used by permission of K’s Kritters & Kids

Faery Oils

Dryad Oil

musk (main  scent)
oakmoss (minor scent)
civet (trace)
vanilla (trace)
An  excellent blend for pursuing the arts of natural magick, this
preparation was  specially designed for contacting the elemental spirits of the
earth.

Faerie  Enchantment Oil

10 drops rose
5 drops thyme
1 drop evening primrose  oil

Faerie Fire Oil

(Useful  in contacting Faeries connected with the Fire element: Will o'
the wisps, Flame  Dancers, etc.)

1/4 oz. almond oil
12 drops peach oil
5 drops ylang  ylang
4 drops new-mown hay oil
4 drops dark musk
2 drops chamomile
2  drops poppy oil
2 drops dragons blood oil
chamomile  flowers
oatstraw
peridot
garnet

Gnome's Cap Oil

(useful in  contacting Faeries connected with the Earth element:
Gnomes,
Dwarfs,  etc.)

1/4 oz. almond oil
10 drops cypress e.o.
5 drops lilac  oil
25 drops Siberian fir oil
10 drops dark musk oil
2 drops narcissus  oil
cedarwood
fir needles
tiger's eye

Gossamer Wings  Oil

(useful for contacting Faeries connected with the Air element:  Sylphs,
Elves, etc.)

1/4 oz. almond oil
12 drops violet oil
20  drops lavender oil
10 drops lemon oil
5 drops cajeput oil
lavender  buds
clear quartz

Siren Song Oil

(useful in contacting Faeries  connected with the Water element:
Undines,
Naiads, Sirens, etc.)

1/4 oz.  almond oil
4 drops lavender
15 drops camphor oil
3 drops lemon
3  drops primrose oil
3 drops rose geranium
geranium petals
rose  buds
iolite
amethyst

Like fall or winter

I could go to the tropics

And never get cold

If death were a season

I could fly around the world

Visit all things warm

And never grow old.

If death were a season

I’d never stay in one place

Never know the people

Or remember a face

If death were a season

I’d see flowers bloom

But never a coffin, graveyard

Or tomb

Death as a season

I would not fear

For I could run and hide

Whenever it came near

If I seem frightened

You know it’s true

Death as a season

I could never lose you

In the season of death

And all things dear

I’ll feel the wind

And know you are here

Listen to the sound

Death on the wing

I know all the gifts

Her bounty brings

Season of death

Is always here

Under the covers

And in my tears

In this life

I’ve learned on thing

You can never go back

To summer or spring

“And now we stand here, within the shadows of the Fall.

Let me hold you just once more, so I can try to remember it all.

Sing to me my love this day. Sing to me as I fade away,

back to the shadows, where I’ll dream of you.”

With my eyes closed I alone stand apart from my coven sisters and brothers and feel the last waning light of the Autumnal Equinox’s setting Sun fade away. I know that the tops of the old conifers I stand beneath still bask in Summer’s last light, as the forest floor begins to hear the shadows awaken. The dance between shadow and light is always present and ever changing as the seasons we recognize ebb and flow around the Wheel. There are fleeting moments though when we are able to witness and truly feel the energies shift. I am sure that each of us has a special and sacred marked time upon the Wheel’s turning, that calls more deeply to the spirit within us. For me, this is that moment and with each passing year I am blessed to glean something more meaningful. It is said that the true journey of the witch is the path walked alone. I think about that as I stand within the forest envisioning the God. I can see the Lord of the Forest holding the Goddess, looking into her eyes, trying to understand how his seemingly endless time with Her has passed. He hears the ravens calling his name, reminding him that all things must change and that the Earth is waiting for him to return. “You can not out run the turning of the Wheel”, she whispers, “for the Wheel, it turns strong.” “The shadows within await your fires return to open the way for their claim upon the land”, she paused staring into his eyes.  “I need your fire to embrace the deep dark of the Earth and re-ignite the energy that lies hidden within all that shall soon fall back.” “It is your light that shall push forth the veil of the Crone I must become to rule the night”, the Goddess continued.  “Remember my consort that the Wheel still strongly turns back toward you and your days will come again. Until those days though, know that I will walk though forest and field cloaked in my dark mantle and set them afire with your colors to honor your sacrifice”, she passionately finished. The Lord of the Forest kissed her one last time as his tears fell to the earth and turned to walk away. The ravens grew silent in the trees that lined the edge of the worn path as the God began walking into the west and listened to the Goddess sing. With each step he faded further from this realm, until like the setting Summer Sun, he was but a memory.

The Goddess now stands alone. As this first night deepens I see her tears wash away the aspect of the Mother and summon forth the dark wisdom of the Crone. In my eyes, Her total transformation will take a while longer, until the heavy grey clouds gather and the smell of damp decay drifts over the forest floor. Until the shadows creep across all those forgotten by the Sun and the trees’ splendor fades to gloom, only then, when Her walks grow evermore long pushing night into the day, will she stand fully as the Crone.

As I slowly make my way out of the forest and back to our Circle, these are the thoughts and visions that stir my spirit. No matter how many times I enact this ritual, I am moved to tears. This is the only ritual of the year where I am not present when our ceremony is closed. After casting the complete Circle, calling to the Quarters and honoring the Goddess and the God we talk about all that has transpired since Imbolc. We talk about our Summer experiences and what we are looking forward to regarding the rest of the harvest. Then we ask to feel what the Goddess and God of Nature experience and do our best to reenact the visions I described earlier. When the moment comes, I ritually open a small door in the Circle and walk away. As I leave I trail a long piece of black cord behind me attached to the altar. When I have disappeared into the dark, my wife pulls back the black cord and opens the small pouch that I secured to my end. I have never seen this next part of our ritual but I have been told by those within our Circle that it is beautiful. My wife then sheds her red shawl as she pulls the dark veil from the pouch and places it over head. She turns back to face the Circle and says,” know you this, the God is dead. Let us keep his fire sacred within each of us until he is reborn at Yule. As it is willed, so mote it be”, she ends. For all that is given, something must be returned. There is always a cycle, a sacred journey of energy that moves through all, entwined with the dance of shadow and light. Mabon, to me, is so truly reflected in the movements of Nature. I see it in the way the Sun’s light now falls more soft and golden within the forest. I see it in the slowly dying Chinook salmon who have kept their long promise and returned home to give back all that remains of them. I see it all around me when I take the time to be still, to breathe, to remember to see with open eyes and to listen……….

“The Wheel turns and I feel my fire has burned away

I feel the Earth holding me tight

I know the Crone will rule through the night

And I know the Wheel still slowly turns,

Back to me to make me burn,

With the love I forever hold for thee.”

Blessed be

*Ask Your Mama™

The What, When, Where, Why, How, and Who of

Ceremony & Spirituality

by

©Mama Donna Henes, Urban Shaman

A Question of Intention

Dear Mama Donna,

I am looking for some information/advice. I consider myself a Goddess Worshiper and don’t really know anything about magic. The little I do know is that it has a lot to do with intention. I like the pentagram design; to me it is a symbol of the order and interconnectedness of the universe.

Recently I bought a walking stick/staff at a craft festival just because it seemed like a neat thing to have. The vendor offered to put a pentagram on the top of the stick I bought after I asked if he had any with one on. He must have known at least a little about such things, because as he was doing it he said something about turning two of the points inward if I wanted to use if for protection and two outward if I wanted to use it for something else (I can’t remember the word he used) He also had a lot of other sticks with Norse runes on them, and said he’s made them for people who use them in rituals.

It occurred to me that I don’t know what intention, if any, this stranger was putting into the staff I purchased. I remembered a conversation I had overheard about exorcisms and evil.

My question is: Is it possible to have brought an evil influence into my life by having made this purchase or to be “evil” unintentionally?

Thank you for taking the time to read my message. Bright Blessings,

-Concerned about Evil Intentions in Minnesota

Dear Concerned,

Don’t be. I wouldn’t worry that he was putting any evil intentions into your staff. Why would he? His intention was probably to make a great staff, to make a great customer and to make money.

But it is always a good idea to cleanse any sort of ritual tool that you purchase in order to remove the energy and influence of anybody else,

which might have been absorbed by the object. In this way you make it truly your own.

Why don’t you smudge it with purifying smoke? Try burning sage, cedar, juniper, copal, frankincense, myrrh or camphor and wash the staff with this holy smoke.

Then when you feel it is clean, put your own best intention into it. After that, you can draw it through the smoke of sweet grass. This invites in the sweet, positive, protective spirits.

It is very common to “dress” ritual objects — that is, to add decorative elements such as glitter, ribbons, flowers, fabric, etc., to enhance their beauty. You can also affix spiritual amulets of personal significance to charge the power of your intention.

Now bless your staff to be a partner to help keep you merrily walking along on your path. For this blessing you can use water or any special oil. Or you can put it outside to be blessed by moonlight or sunlight or whatever feels right to you.

You have thus erased all energy but your own and you have claimed this object as something special and holy. Now it is ready to serve your needs and intentions, whether it be for ceremony or simply to take a walk in the woods.

Blessings along the way,

xxMama Donna

*Are you cyclically confused? In a ceremonial quandary? Completely clueless? Wonder no more. *Send your questions about seasons, cycles, celebrations, ceremonies and spirit to Mama Donna at: CityShaman@aol.com

*************************************************************

Donna Henes is an internationally renowned urban shaman, ritual expert, award-winning author, popular speaker and workshop leader whose joyful celebrations of celestial events have introduced ancient traditional rituals and contemporary ceremonies to millions of people in more than 100 cities since 1972. She has published four books, a CD, an acclaimed Ezine and writes for The Huffington Post and UPI Religion and Spirituality Forum. Mama Donna, as she is affectionately called, maintains a ceremonial center, spirit shop, ritual practice and consultancy in Exotic Brooklyn, NY where she works with individuals, groups, institutions, municipalities and corporations to create meaningful ceremonies for every imaginable occasion.

www.DonnaHenes.net

www.TheQueenOfMySelf.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Henes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Queen_of_My_Self

Watch her videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MamaDonnaHenes

Follow her on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/queenmamadonna

Connect with her on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/#/donnahenes?ref=profile

Read her on the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-henes/

Read her on Beliefnet:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/thequeenofmyself/