Rosemary essential oil [Rosmarinus officinalis]   Rosemary was one of the first herbs to be used for medicine, food, magic and healing. It was sacred in some civilisations. Used as tussie mussies in medieval England; to protect against evil and to heal from the plague. Sprigs of Rosemary were burnt in ancient Greece, at shrines. Used in soaps, cookery, detergents, cosmetics, cleaning sprays, perfumes and cologne, as well as soft and alcoholic drinks. When burnt, Rosemary is said to have strong purification properties and once seen as a good way of exorcism. It is one of the oldest Incenses. It is carried for health, and placed above a property to…

Hel, Goddess of the Underworld The Norse goddess Hel is one of the most misunderstood goddesses of all time, largely due to the incorrect association with her name and the Judeo-Christian mythology’s realm known as “hell.”  Through this misconstrued association, Hel is often represented as an evil entity looming in the darkness to steal lost souls. This is far from truth. The youngest of three children born to the god Loki and the giantess Angrboda, she and her brothers, Fenrir the wolf, and Jormundgand, the Midgard Serpent, lived with their mother in Jotunheimr, home of the giants. Having received prophecies that these unique siblings would cause great mischief and disaster…

JEWELED CAVE ~ Gift of Inner Beauty ~   Beauty is looking deep into your soul and knowing who you are inside.  ~ Renita Williams, Inspirational Writer: Quotes that Celebrate Inner Beauty, Beliefnet.com   Sheltered within the subterranean heart of Mountain Majesty lie hidden treasures to behold. Deep within the caverns, in a luminous grotto, exquisite stones of great wealth and beauty take shape. This is the Jeweled Cave, a silent revelation of sublime, infinitely sparkling gems. Throughout time, these beloved gifts of Mother Earth have been highly sought after. Since the discovery of these riches, mankind has explored every corner of the world through treacherous trails, scaling massive mountains…

Are you cyclically confused? In a ceremonial quandary? Completely clueless? Wonder no more.   *Ask Your Mama™ Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Spirituality and Didn’t Know Who to Ask™   by ©Mama Donna Henes, Urban Shaman     A Question of Mothering   Dear Mama Donna,   I’m enjoying reading your book, The Queen of My Self. I have a question, though. My own mother and both of my grandmothers were never the nurturing type of women. In truth, they weren’t the kind of people I’d care to be around if I wasn’t related to them. Both grandmothers have passed, and I try to have very little contact…

Necromancy and The Talking Board   Talking Boards, like the Ouija, are tools used for contacting the dead, which is also known as necromancy, and as a tool it is not in and of itself ‘good’ nor ‘evil’. It is a tool just like any other tool. Like a cell phone, for example, it can be used to make calls to those you love and care for or used to make prank calls to strangers. The Ouija Board acts as a portal to other dimensions allowing non-physical entities to enter this physical dimension. Many casual users do not understand who or what they are communicating with and would not be…

  The Astrology of Great Sex by Myrna Lamb © 2010 Hampton Roads Publishing (An Imprint of Red Wheel Weiser) ISBN: 978-1-57174-509-5 290 pages Paperback $17.95 (U.S.)   This is one of those books which is difficult to review, since it is intended to be basically a reference book, and therefore has no rhythm to get into. The only way to approach it to read the sections you are basically familiar with and see if that information appears accurate.   That presented a minor problem for me, simply because I have been happily married to the same woman for about 35 years. My memories of previous relationships is hazy at…

Samhain Peace   Our Celtic wheel has turned to Samhain.  This time of year seems like such frenzy and activity.  Time to finish up all outdoor work before the coming winter darkness. Time to plan for the upcoming holidays.  And yet it is a time to gather in our energies in preparation for rest.  Mother Nature shows us her example in hopes we will follow suit.  How many of us do follow what the season is teaching?   As each day gets shorter and the night hours longer we can move into a state of peace.  How, you might ask?  Life is going at breakneck speed and while our sacred…