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The Modern Merlin’s Corner-November/December 2024: The Sorcerer’s Guide to Winter Magick
In my neck of the woods, the early part of the winter weather season has come upon us, reminding us to slow down, and cherish time with family & friends. Many people don’t like winter, and personally, I am among them; I much prefer the warmer climate of Southern California, but alas, I am, for the time being, as they say, “stuck in Ohio”. Paganism’s interwoven beliefs and traditions concerning the colder months of the year are well documented and today many modern Pagans still imbibe those traditions, hearkening back to a time before the Church and the more organized religion we see today. Aside from the spiritual lessons and…
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Weyland’s Whey, Grey Strega Interview, Part Two. November 30th, 2024
Last Father’s Day, my girlfriend Sparkle arranged Tarot card readings for us. I was very impressed with her choice of oracle–Cyn is great! But don’t take my word for it–see for yourself! The Frequency of Divinity, Part Two 8: Are you pagan or wiccan? I identify myself as a mystic. I find value in all religious pathways, and seek understanding in the threads that connect to the universal truths all religious pathways tap into. 9: Do you agree that the future branches off into diverse possibilities and pathways? And how can you determine which one is most likely? I believe all of us are on a unique lifepath: the path is predetermined as…
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Black & Blue Friday
Black & Blue Friday by Weyland Smith Weyland and Sparkle enter the store. It’s packed with shoppers. Sparkle halts, stares, and jabs Wey with an elbow. “Lookit the guy with the horns!” Weyland grins. “Lord Cernunnos!” He bows. “Wey, please, no salutations–you’ll attract attention.” Sparkle looks around them. Nobody else seems to find a big furry guy with a pair of horns and a snout out of the ordinary. “How can you walk around looking like that?” “Only believers can see me.” He scans the crowd. “Hey, have you guys seen Jesus? We got separated and I can’t find him anywhere.” Sparkle blinks. “You know Jesus?” “Oh, sure. We call know…
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The Modern Merlin’s Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius Survival Guide
Navigating Difficult Holiday Astro-Vibes, and More Cue the Star Wars Imperial March, as Mercury begins his backward spin in the sign of the archer, Sagittarius. Mercury has an interesting relationship with Sagittarius, as Gemini, one of the two signs Mercury rules, opposes Sagittarius, ruled by expansive Jupiter. We’re going to look at this interesting relationship, and how it all plays out with the usual Mercury Rx mayhem. Given that this transit occurs during the holiday season for many of us, there’s some precautions to take as well to make sure you’re prepared. Without further ado, let’s begin! Mercury and Sagittarius: A relationship built from two sides of the same coin…
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Book Review-The Poison Path Grimoire: Dark Herbalism, Poison Magic, and Baneful Allies by Coby Michael
Book Review The Poison Path Grimoire: Dark Herbalism, Poison Magic, and Baneful Allies By Coby Michael Publisher: Destiny Books 224 page E-Book Release Date; November 5th, 2024 The Poison Path Grimoire: Dark Herbalism, Poison Magic, and Baneful Allies by Coby Michael was a much-anticipated book for me and I very happily chose it for review when my publisher offered it up. For those who don’t know, I am an avid Poison and Psychedelic Witch, and I work with many of these wonderful plant allies in my spiritual practices, whether it’s for necromancy, deathwalking, spells/magick/rituals, or anything else. They truly help me, and many others, connect to the current of…
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Book Review-Ancient Goddess Magic: Invoking the Queens of the Heavens: A Sacred Planet Book by Vanessa Lavallée
Book Review Ancient Goddess Magic: Invoking the Queens of the Heavens: A Sacred Planet Book By Vanessa Lavallée Publisher: Destiny Books 160 Page E-Book Release Date: November 3rd, 2024 Ancient Goddess Magic: Invoking the Queens of the Heavens: A Sacred Planet Book is a fascinating exploration and examination, both historically, and in a modern Neo-Pagan sense, of Goddess Archetypes that were present in many classical and middle eastern ancient Pagan cultures. Ancient Goddess Magic explores deities from Hittite, Sumerian, Babylonian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and other ancient cultures and their goddesses. Ancient Goddess Magic also draws parallels to planetary and star worship in these ancient traditions, noting that deities such as Ishtar, Aphrodite, Astarte and…
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Book Review-Pagan Portals: Celtic Fairies in North America by Morgan Daimler
Book Review Pagan Portals: Celtic Fairies in North America By Morgan Daimler Publisher: Moon Books 110 page E-Book Release Date: November 1st, 2024 Those of you who read my reviews, and columns, have probably figured out that I’m a huge fan of the Pagan Portals series by Moon Books. Pagan Portals are short booklets, usually no more than 120 pages, that focus on a topic, deity, practice or something relating to paganism and/or witchcraft. They’re excellent for beginners and advanced practitioners alike, and I always find myself coming back to them for inspiration and reference. That said, Celtic Fairies in North America is the perfect addition to my library of works on Fairies and the Fae. Fairies…
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Book Review-Pagan Portals: Mestra The Shapeshifter: Ancient Heroine of the Sacred Grove by Dianna Rhyan
Book Review Pagan Portals: Mestra the Shapeshifter: Ancient Heroine of the Sacred Grove By Dianna Rhyan Publisher: Moon Books 136 page E-Book Release Date: November 1st, 2024 Pagan Portals: Mestra the Shapeshifter is another installment of the Pagan Portals series by Moon Books, and a favorite series of mine. Rhyan tells the story of Mestra from the literary sources that are available, and weaves these sources into a story of Mestra, from birth, to her eventual shapeshifting to flee the oppression of men wishing to marry her. She is the Heroine of the Sacred Grove, and can often be found in the forests, rivers and streams as a bird, an animal, the gentle breeze…
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Weyland’s Whey, November 17th 2024, Crystal Clear Preview
Crystal Clear by Mihos Hematite I’ve found hematite useful for grounding out negative energy and encouraging calmness. It’s so effective that it works even if I forgot I’m carrying a stone in my pocket or wearing the pendant. I find it much more effective than any “worry stone” or object that I must actively manipulate. I give it credence as a talisman when traveling: I’ve not suffered motion sickness for many years. Bio Mihos is a frequent contributor to the Weyland’s Whey column. He now also writes his own article, Crystal Clear, for Pagan Pages.
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Weyland’s Whey, Grey Strega Interview, Part One, November 14th, 2024
Last Father’s Day, my girlfriend Sparkle arranged Tarot card readings for us. I was very impressed with her choice of oracle–Cyn is great! But don’t take my word for it–see for yourself! The Frequency of Divinity, Part One 1. Wey: You utilize a unique (at least unique to me) Tarot spread for readings. Is it your own design? Grey Strega (Cyn): The spread I use most frequently for life path readings is an expansion of the standard Celtic Cross spread. However, the spread itself acts as a base in my readings: each reading tends to develop into a custom spread that evolves through intuition, connection with the querent, and channel 2: Are…
