• Monthly Columns

    Pagan Prompts: Journal Prompts for a Witch’s Self Reflection – No. 1

    No. 1: Environment is Everything   Environment has everything to do with your magical and mundane success & health. This month’s Pagan Prompt: what does home look, feel, sound, taste, and smell like for you? How can your home be more energetically receptive and conducive to your work? This prompt is great to do in your environment as an observational exercise. And you can take this as a step toward exploring ways you can make your environment more your own. In Ayurvedic medicine, the first step to healing is identifying the flaws in the environment. It’s not uncommon for an Ayurvedic healer to visit the home of a patient, or…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: The Beech Tree   The common beech, or Fagus sylvatica, is a majestically large deciduous tree, native to North America and Europe, and a vital part of the ecosystem thanks to being home and food to many forms of wildlife. There are other beech species, all in the Fagus genus, with some native to Asia, including Fagus japonica, the Japanese blue beech, and Fagus engleriana, the Engler or Chinese beech. In the U.K. where I live, we often see “Copper Beeches”, which have distinct, purple-bronze leaves and look like they’re straight out of a fantasy tale. Interestingly, this isn’t a different species, but a carefully cultivated…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: The Orange     Oranges: juicy, bright globes filled with vitamin C and sunshine. The orange is a citrus fruit that’s one of the most cultivated fruits in the world, and may have been cultivated by humans for around 2,500 years. The sweet orange as we know it today is a hybrid of mandarins and pomelos, and is very different from bitter oranges, the likes of which often line the streets of towns in Mediterranean countries. I once made the mistake of plucking and peeling a juicy looking orange while in Spain, only to have my mouth shrivelled by the intense bitterness! Sweet oranges, in comparison,…

  • Reviews

    Video Book Review – The Book of Altars and Sacred Spaces: How to Create Magical Spaces in Your Home for Ritual and Intention by Anjou Kiernan

    Video Book Review The Book of Altars and Sacred Spaces How to Create Magical Spaces in Your Home for Ritual and Intention by Anjou Kiernan 177 Pages   “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and nothing is more inspiring than the creation of an altar that speaks to your intentions. Ready to manifest your intention? Learn more in this video edition book review by Robin Fennelly.   The Book of Altars and Sacred Spaces: How to Create Magical Spaces in Your Home for Ritual and Intention on Amazon *** About the Author: Robin Fennelly is a Third Degree Initiate within The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition and serves as High…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary Special: Five Antiviral Plants to Eat at Home     *Disclaimer: Eating any amount of plants and herbs cannot protect you entirely from catching any sort of illness. Healthy eating is great and boosts your immune system but should complement, not replace, good hygiene, prescribed medication, and safe social distancing measures where appropriate. Take a holistic approach to your well-being and always follow guidelines from medical practitioners and qualified experts. Stay safe!   Even prior to the current pandemic, there has been a lot of scientific research into what sort of plants might have significant antiviral properties. Antiviral plants are plants which help boost your body’s…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: Jack by the Hedge I don’t get a huge amount of time to spend keeping my garden super tidy, but that’s ok, because I like it to run a little wild. Because of that, we get plants that come in from outside the garden, often spread by birds and small animals, or simply by seeds blown in on the wind. Once such plant which is a star of British verges and hedgerows is this lovely plant, pictured. It has many names, but my favourite one is Jack by the Hedge, Latin name Alliaria Petiolata. Jack by the Hedge is also called Garlic Mustard, or even Poor…

  • Monthly Columns

    Pagan Events At Home Online Events

      The UK Pagan Federation has put together a wealth of activities to join in with whilst safe at home. Every day of the week has had a different focus, with May looking to be the home for a range of Beltane themed “Garden Party” events, videos and talks. Over the last few weeks the Pagan Federation has run a mammoth schedule of daily events aimed at keeping the Pagan community engaged, supported and entertained. The schedule ran Monday to Friday as follows: Monday: Videos from various members of the Pagan Community Tuesday: A weekly online ritual to promote strength, peace, wellness, hope and resilience. Wednesday: Batty Nan’s Crafty Circle,…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: Celery     Celery (Apium Graveolens) is an easily recognisable vegetable, available in most supermarkets or grocery stores. It’s a relative of carrots and parsley, part of the apiaceae family. It’s loved by dieters thanks to its high water content and low calorie content, plus it’s amazing for dipping into hummus or salsa. But is celery a medicinal or magical plant? Let’s take a look.   The Kitchen Garden Celery can be grown from seed and in fact can be planted at this time of year (February-March-April) as long as it’s kept warm until frost has gone. It needs to be kept moist so is ideal…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Clearing Spaces: Inspirational Techniques To Clear Your Home by Khi Armand

    Book Review Clearing Spaces Inspirational Techniques To Clear Your Home by Khi Armand 128 Pages   When I first picked up this book my initial reaction was how beautiful and vibrant the cover art is; I did the standard flip through, and the pages are sleek, almost like photo paper (not a fan) but it looked like a quick read. Oh boy was I mistaken. It isn’t a quick read but it’s a GREAT read. There is a total of 8 chapters and 128 pages. The introduction discusses the authors beginnings, talking on folk magic and the authors own Shamanic preferences. The introduction gave a detailed overview of the chapters…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: Cow Parsley     Anthriscus Sylvestris or cow parsley is a member of the Apiaceae family, just like the carrot and hemlock. It has tall, hollow stems topped with a flurry of delicate white flowers. In Europe it is a common hedgerow plant, and a familiar sight to walkers and foragers. It’s one of the first flowers to appear by the roadside in spring. With many common names including the grand “Queen Anne’s Lace” and the morbid “Mother Die”, this plant is a piece of living history and an intriguing part of the British countryside.   The Kitchen Garden Encouraging cow parsley into the garden would…