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    Merry Meet and Welcome

    Welcome to the February Issue of PaganPages! As always, we have an amazing issue for our readers. Some highlights: We have some new columns starting this month!! Shadows from the Past by our new columnist Nicholas Haney explores our history as Witches and teaches us about its modern ways. Paranormal Investigations by Professional Ghost Hunter Tammy Wilson. Herbal Creations with the Crafty Amy Jung who will show us great witchy ways to incorporate herbs into crafts we can use. Animal Wisdom with Psychic Beckah Boyd will teach us how to bring our familiars and pets into our practice. Callie’s Cavern will explore a gemstone a month and show us its…

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    Interview With Author Kristin Madden

    Earlier in the month of January I was honored to speak with author Kristen Madden regarding her experiences, writing talent, her teachings, and where her path leading her in the months ahead.  Kristin Madden is a leader in the Shaman community not only as an author of several books, but also as the Dean of Ardantane’s School of Shamanic Studies, and a Master of the Avatar and a Druid, a tutor in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, and a member of the Druid College of Healing.  I found her to be a very remarkable and rememberable person who brought a spark into my life and while reading her…

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    Interview with M.R. Sellars

    I was fortunate enough to catch up with M.R. Sellars between book signing events, etc. to learn more about his latest release, Blood Moon, as well as where he’s headed with the Rowan Gant Investigation series as a whole.  Known by some as the “Pagan Stephen King,” his novels are filled with paranormal horror coupled with suspenseful storylines centering around his Pagan protagonist, Rowan Gant.  So, it should come as no surprise that Sellars is a member of the HWA (Horror Writers Association) and is himself a Kitchen Witch.  When not touring, Sellars spends family time with his wife, daughter and rescued felines. PaganPages (PP): I started with the sixth…

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    Arise From the Past: How Cannibalism, Sacrifice, and Burial Affected Vampire Folklore

    Belief in vampires or some form of the dark bloodsucking creature existed long before written record.  These creatures formed in each culture and each era as a result of religion and lack of scientific education.  Additionally, many practices of long ago fascinate us today because of the gory and vampiric nature involved.  Such practices include cannibalism, sacrifice, and how the dead were buried before modern advances.  Hence, one can safely gather that vampirism or vampires are a direct result of culture and scientific misunderstanding. Vampires are immortal creatures who feed off the blood of the living, and blood is the key factor in all origins of vampire folklore.  Some argue…

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    New to the Craft

    The Wheel of the Year One of the goals of any earth-centered spirituality is to attune oneself with the cycles of nature.  Before modern times this was in a sense automatic, as most folks worked directly with the earth for their basic sustenance.  The practice of agriculture demanded an intimate knowledge of the seasons and weather patterns.  To be out of touch with these cycles could mean disaster by way of starvation.  In today’s world most of us are not farmers.  Our food comes pre-packaged or processed in supermarket stores.  Those of us in urban centers are even more disconnected from natural surroundings, with little space set aside for gardens…

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    Door to the Beyond

    Getting CHEESy …and written over the Door are the words:  Choice.  Hope.  Empowerment.  Environment.  Spirituality. This is the door we walk through together this month. I spent two weeks in school this month (January 2009).  The class was called Peer Employment Training, and the end result was to be a certificate as a Peer Support Specialist, making the twenty of us in the class eligible for employment in the fields of mental health and substance abuse. The twenty of us walked in with our Superman capes and bulletproof Spandex, waiting to be empowered to lift and carry all our charges into a new world.  We were very disappointed, but in…

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    Let’s Spell it Out

    Rebirth Through Oya Spell: Yoruba/Santeria Feast Day of Oya-2/2 Oya is the Orisha of death and rebirth and spring is the season of moving from the death of winter to rebirth.  She is the Keeper of the Cemetery, her home is the graveyard and the spirits of the dead are her subjects.  Oya has a relationship with Iku; the Spirit of Death whom she precedes, accompanies and carries with her on occasion.  When death strikes, Oya is the last breath taken along with the spirit Iku. On a much lighter note, Oya is also the river goddess of Yoruba as well as the deity in charge of wind, lightening, storms…

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    Faeries, Elves, and Other Kin

    Faery Spells and Verse Tatiana Queen of the Faeries Artist: Howard David Johnson Copyright 1993-2008 Tatiana In Forest pines, and Oak tree hollows Amidst the acorns and the leaves Blossoms adorn her crown Gossamer threads form her regal attire Illuminating the air with a majestic glow Tatiana our Queen fill our hearts with ethereal delight ~ Michele Burke (2009) Faerie Magick Fairies and Pixies, elves and gnomes. Spinning some magic, spells for our homes. Their wishes are happy, of joys to share. Join in their revelry, if only you dare. Carefree of spirit, their happiness impart Sending you Magick, to store in your heart. ~ Unknown Faery Spells Fairy Summoning…

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    Ancient Echos, Sacred Sites and Windswept Landscapes- Ireland Tour

    Join our small group as we travel from Shannon to Dublin through the mystical heart of Ireland. Meet local Pagans/Wiccans and join in the Celtic Festival of Beltaine. Visit The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren and Brigid’s Well. Tour the Ring of Kerry and visit ancient ruins. Spend Beltaine at Charleville Castle with a maypole dance and ritual. Spend time in Historic Dublin and enjoy a Traditional Irish House Party with dinner and a show. Step back in time as we visit the neolitic sites of Newgrange and Knowth. Then join our local guide Gemma McGowan as she takes us on a tour of Loughcrew and other historical sites where…

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    Political Magic

    It’s 9:53 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2008.  I have just witnessed the swearing in of Barak Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America.  For some, this represents a major moment in a struggle for racial or class equality.  Others have different thoughts, perhaps ones of trepidation or doubt.  Maybe some even define this moment as a bitter defeat or failure.  And I’m sure there are even those who will see this as the beginning of the end for some ideology they have embraced and a threat to their way of life.  But I think that few would contend that it is an insignificant moment.  What…