Rituals: Why, When, Where, Who and How? ‘Let’s do a ritual!’ These words are usually greeted with much enthusiasm. We Pagans do love our rituals! The opportunity to get together with like minded folk and honour our beloved Deities or celebrate the turning Wheel of the Year – what’s not to like? And yet how often do rituals fall short of our expectations, fail to hit the mark, fizzle rather than spark, leave us feeling unsatisfied or disappointed? We’ve probably all been there. Most rituals are the wonderful, moving, transformative experiences we hope for. Yet there will always be those which don’t quite work (and a handful that are outright…

People interested in the Craft nowadays generally regard it as a set of skills and formulae of words whereby they can lure magical energy to themselves, as it were, and so be empowered to gain their desires through casting of spells.  When one book of recipes fails to satisfy them, they do not lack a dozen others to choose from, and if none serves their purpose, most will repudiate the Craft as superstition and turn to other pursuits.  But some few seem to have developed the knack of achieving some sort of results, though what these are appear to be subtle and difficult of description, and moreover to have little…

Dream Goddess: Mari I’m tired this morning and it’s not because I didn’t sleep. I feel as if I was dreaming all night about doing Shamanic healing for people. It seemed in my dreams that many people needed help, especially extraction of dangerous and unwanted entities and soul retrieval. One person needed help to pass over. In my dreams I was using a jam jar with no lid as my Shamanic tool. I also looked really good in my new shoes! When we sleep our mind relaxes and processes our day. People would die if they did not sleep and all who sleep, even if they don’t remember, dream. Dream…

Spiritual Tools I have a store that sells ritual tools. I have a lot of conversations around ritual tools. Which kinds are “right” for this ritual, what is “best” for this practice? How to pick them? How to consecrate them? Does one even need to? For the kitchen witch, the athame that was in the kitchen drawer (and perhaps will be again) might be just fine. For someone wanting to do high ceremonial magic, something fancier might make more sense. But I don’t want to go on about tools. That’s not really my point. Perhaps a better discussion example would be tarot decks. Every now and then someone will talk…

Eating Plan For Beltane It has been a habit of mine to make eating plans for each Sabbat. It just makes life so much easier. This is my newest plan for the next six weeks or so, until Litha draws near. I am a lazy cook, and dread each minute spent in the kitchen. But dining out or on conveniece food is not an option, they just don´t provide the same freshness and nutrition as home made food does. So there is no way around cooking, but there are shortcuts! This Beltane I try to skip all the fuzz in the kitchen, but still eat lean and healthy.   A…

  ROLLING RIVER ~ Gift of Adventure ~   No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man. ~ Heraclitus This is a journey into the Gift of Adventure, a state of natural harmony with all life…and yourself…deep within the Universal Soul, of which you are a cherished and intimate part.  Allow yourself to go on this inner journey…into the Spirit of your Beautiful Infinite Self. For here is where you shall find your Truth.   Begin by getting comfortable. Find a space that feels at ease with your body, and allow yourself to get into a soft…

I started researching Ms Harriet Tubman and all I could say was, Wow. Just Wow. She was born into slavery, somewhere between 1820 and 1825, in Maryland, one of nine children of Harriet Green and Ben Ross. Oh, and by the way, her parents were owned by two different people.   By all accounts, Harriet’s childhood was a rather violent one. Not only did she endure the indignities of the concept of slavery, she also suffered the daily realities, mostly in the form of whippings – even as a child.   When Ms Tubman was in her early teens she suffered a severe head injury. When ordered to help subdue…

Peace Walker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita by author C.J. Walker I love reading the tales and mythology from all over the world.  A people’s culture is well represented in the stories shared over time. When I received the book Peace Walker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita by author C.J. Walker, I was very curious to read it. I knew almost nothing about Hiawatha, other than the name and a ridiculous Disney cartoon. Before beginning the book, I decided to gather my wee ones, as they are the true test of such up book aimed at their age group.  We all sat down and I read it to…

Altar alternatives   Merry Meet. This month’s column is about how to set up an altar without setting you back financially. Some of the items typically found on an altar are a covering, one or more candles in holders of some sort, salt, water, incense and something to burn it in, a libation dish or bowl, items that represent the elements, and something representing one or more deities. Nothing need come from a witch store, although I do advocate patronizing the ones near you when you do buy – rather than online sources – whenever possible. Pagan festivals and their vendors are also worthy of your support. When we can…

The Evil Eye The eyes are often thought of as the windows to the soul and since ancient times the notion of the evil eye has been around. Belief in the evil eye can be traced back to Babylonian times. It has been seen all over the world and is still feared to this day. The notion reached its climax during the witchcraft panic of the seventeenth century, when many European witches were accused of the practice by ‘overlooking’ their victims. Since ancient times people with blue or green eyes have been widely supposed to be able to harm their enemies with no more than a severe look. It is…