Not everyone is skilled enough to turn out intricate gold eggs in their spare time or beautifully sculpted marble figures to grace their altars, but making your magical tools isn’t about becoming a world-renowned artist or a craftsman.  It’s about learning the relationship between you and the tool. When I was initiated, I wanted an athame.  Not just any athame, I wanted a black handled, double-edged, a bright and shiny 6 inch blade athame.  The shape of the blade had to be just so and the handle had to feel right in either hand (I’m ambidextrous).  I had a mental image that was crystal clear and all I had to…

The Sun (19) “Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light but making the darkness conscious.” ~Carl Gustav Jung Image Description: The Rider-Waite deck depicts a nude child, both arms outstretched wide, riding a pony/horse beneath the rays of a glowing sun. In his left hand he carries a flowing banner. Behind him a row of sunflowers grow tall and bountiful along a stone wall. Symbols: Horse: Solar energy controlled without bridle or saddle Nude Child: Nothing hidden; open, honest, and realistic attitude Red Banner: Action and vibration Sun: Warmth and light Four Sunflowers: Sacred to the sun, the four elements, the growing soul Wall: Beyond limitations Key Words: Enlightenment, Glory,…

Heredity Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi has bestowed upon us his readers the inspiration to pass our own traditions on to the next generation. Trained in the Old Italian family tradition of Witchcraft Raven Grimassi has dedicated his life to passing on the wisdom of the old religion throughout his writings. Hereditary Witchcraft is a heartrending testimonial to what our past has to offer the future. ~ Michele Burke, Pagan Pages.org (2009) Courtesy of Raven Grimassi Interview with Raven Grimassi Pagan Pages: What were the driving forces that led you to write Hereditary Witchcraft? Raven Grimassi: The book was essentially an attempt to correct some misunderstandings surrounding my previous work on…

Abundance Abundance is the perfect theme for July! Gardens are flourishing. And those of us who are lucky enough to have one, are deeply engaged in their tending and keeping. In her garden, a woman can be a goddess! Whether she has a few miniature pots of herbs on her kitchen windowsill, a patio pot garden, or a BIG garden, blessed with trees, bushes and lawns to be mowed, she is the Goddess of Abundance. That’s why I chose a garden image to illustrate Dr. Wayne W. Dyer’s “Face of Abundance” from his inspirational book, The Seven Faces of Intention. This book was important to me. I kept it by…

Magic:  Made Up Scientific Explanations My last column was titled “’systematic’ scientific explanations” (for magic).  I wasn’t talking about explanations that followed a set of rules, rather I was referring to explanations that were, or claimed to be, within the “system” of science.  I suggested that there were not any explanations that worked in the context of actual science, as they would need to follow the specific rules that science has formulated for things like energy (and quanta) as well as the rules for evidence and verification.  This month I’m moving on to the next group of explanations for magic, those that do away with having to play by the…

Dear Reader, Welcome to ‘It’s In the Cards’ for www.PaganPages.org. At one time this column appeared in Finer Things Magazine in New Haven, CT, and I am very pleased to be writing my column again; this time for the Pagan Community. Every month, I will do a tarot reading for one person whose question I choose for this column. Also, by writing me, you will have a chance for a free tarot 10 minute reading on the phone. If you would like to contact me about purchasing a reading, please visit my web site at www.SubRosaMagick.com or write me at [email protected]. Since I first began reading for the public 13…

Fairy Summoning Spell The best times to do this is on the Sabbats of Beltane, Midsummer, or Halloween, but yo can use it anytime you would like. (best done outside in the yard at night) ~You will need powdered ginger and a small spoon. Set out candles at the compass directions: yellow in the east, red in the south, blue in the west, green in the north. Place a crystal or other stone beside each candle. Stand in the center of the room and send out thoughts of welcome to the little ones. ~Chant: “O spirits of plants and earth and trees, o little ones of every form, show yourselves…

7/26 Sleipnir’s Day: Aid with Meditational Journeys Even if you are not familiar with the Norse Pantheon, most likely you have heard of Odhinn, the All-Father.  Odhinn is the Shaman-King that travels through the three worlds on his eight-legged horse Sleipnir.  These three worlds are known to the Norse and Celts as the Upperworld (Asgard to the Norse and the Sky/Star World to the Celts), the Middleworld (our world that we call Earth; Midgard to the Norse and Surface/Stone World to the Celts) and the Underworld (Utgard to the Norse and the Ocean/Sea World to the Celts). Sleipnir could run on land, sea or air, which are the three worlds…