The Skill of Forgetting We often think of forgetting as a problem, something that only happens by accident, something that we want to fight against. Our memories are vital to who we are and how we live; loss of memory is one of the most feared aspects of aging for some people. But memory isn’t always a good thing. The traumatic, intrusive memories of PTSD are just one example of memory run amok. Think about what your mind would feel like if you could never forget anything, even the most trivial details, like the thousands of license plates you see on the road in the course of your life. Having…

Inviting in your Ancestors A good time to pay respect to your ancestors is at Samhain. While the veil between the world is at it’s thinnest you will want to gather at your altar or sacred space some black cloth, a black candle, a bowl of water, a feather, a citrine, amethyst or lapis lazuli crystal, and photos and mementos from your loved ones who have passed beyond. Place the black cloth on your altar or on the floor. Position the feather in the east, the candle in the south, the bowl of water in the west, and the crystal in the north. Arrange the photos and other objects in…

I’m very excited about being a part of Pagan Pages and being able to share my knowledge of the Tarot with readers.  Although I’m not an expert I have been reading cards for over 20 years and have also grown quite a collection of cards most of which I don’t use because I have a preference for the Traditional Rider-Waite cards myself however, the Tarot and its history have always interested me and so here I am to share a little of my knowledge with you. The Tarot is believed by some to be as old as ancient Egypt, but according to historians the tarot didn’t come about till much…

Urban Legends If somebody told you to be wary of something called “di hydrogen mono oxide”, that it was dangerous and you should avoid it at all costs, and you believed them and went around telling everyone you knew about it…well then you would be in the middle of an urban legend experience.  Urban legend? What’s that you say? Well you know that a myth is a traditional story or idea that centers on a hero, deity or event that isn’t exactly easy to explain naturally or factually. A legend is a story that has a teeny grain of truth that is wrapped in layer upon layer of story or…

Sunflower Sunburst Cookies Photo by Kazuhiko Teramoto, used with Creative Commons license Link to photo Now is the time to hit your farmer’s market to enjoy the Sun’s hard work! We are coming into summer squashes, corn, tomatoes, lettuces, cucumbers, peppers, as well as berries, citrus fruits, and melons. This is also a great time to indulge in some local wine or any frilly, fruity drinks. To honor the Sun, you can choose foods that are the colors of the sun–yellow, white, orange, and red. Cooking over an open fire or grilling tap into the Sun’s heat energy. Sun-dried foods also work in the same way. Spicy foods are also…

What is Celtic Shamanism? The two words are not synonymous together in fact the two words are nothing of the same together. The first understanding is what the words mean by themselves, and then we understand what they mean together. Celt, Celticism and Celtic: The Celts are a tribe of people that originated in Gaul (France) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celts ) . Many people who assume the Celts were the people “Blue People” of Scotland. The true “Blue People of Scotland” were the Pectish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picts ). There are many people who are miss lead by the movies and the romantic notion that the Celts were crazy lovers and a romantic people. This is…

Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica Stinging nettles grow in an awful lot of places – Britain, Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, South Africa and Japan.  They will grow in river valleys and on mountainsides, in farmyards, hedgerows, roadsides, woods, ruined buildings and any patch of wasteland. They normally grow around 2-4’ high but in the forests they can grow much, much higher.  The plant has square, fibrous stems and long, sharply toothed, heartshaped leaves, both the stems and the leaves are covered with coarse stinging hairs.  In summer nettles have bunches of small green catkins with male and female flowers on separate plants.  Several types of butterfly choose the nettle as…

The Ego and the Spiritual The ego plays an interesting role within each of us. Some believe it is our conscious and its role is to, in no better terms, look after us from/with the external world. Some call it the little voice in our head often telling us why we should, or should not, undertake certain actions. The American Heritage Dictionary defines ego as: “…the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behaviour, and is most in touch with external reality.” In terms of the ego and the spiritual, it is another aspect that makes up “self”. In using this perspective, ego can either…

Relaxing Facial Steam For this you will need the flower and or leaves of the following 4 herbs: Chamomile Lavender Peppermint Rosemary Put 1/8 cup of each herb and approximately 4 cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from the stove and pour into a glass bowl.  Take a towel and place it over your head and place your head 6-8in. above the steam.  Allow your head to remain this distance above the steam for no more than 5 minutes.  Rinse your face with cool water and apply a skin moisturizer if you feel it necessary. Caution: It is not recommended you do this more…

Peace for Family Spell This spell is primarily when you are wanting to restore peace within your family (immediate and/or extended); however, you can alter the words to focus on friends, co-workers, etc. should you wish. Items you will need: * Family picture of all people included in the focus of your spell (if not all in one picture, separate pictures is fine.) *4 White Candles * 2 Blue Candles * Altar or work space for setting up your spell * Incense (use an incense that has properties relating to peace – (see attachment to this spell, 2nd page, for list of scents that have peace inducing properties) * Chamomile…