Welcome to the October Issue of PaganPages!        In this  issue …   Learn to make your own hat     Get all your Samhain correspondences         An exciting  Interview with Author Simon Stirling       As a Special Thank you to all our readers, we are offering THIS MONTH ONLY a 25% off coupon for PaganPages Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaganPagesOrg).   The Coupon Code for the month is:  POPUP   We are currently looking for someone interested in reviewing pagan shops and someone interested in reviewing pagan sites.  If you are interested please contact us at [email protected]   Join us on Facebook and Twitter to…

DARING DRAGONFY ~ Gift of Opportunity ~ When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart. ~ Boris Pasternak This is a journey into the Gift of Opportunity, 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 state…

Other Names: celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide…

Initiation & Dedication For as long as I’ve been active in the pagan community certain themes or questions keep coming back. In forums, blogs, study groups and now in Facebook groups people come up with the same old issues. That’s fine, it’s the natural cycle of things. One of those topics is initiation. Let me start with a recurring misconception, that can be disputed by grammar and common sense. You can NOT initiate yourself, that’s simply impossible. The definition of initiation can slightly differ from source to source but the essence remains the same. Initiation is a process and/or ceremony by which a person is admitted to an organization /…

Bright Blessings. My favorite Sabbat is upon us soon. Samhain.  Images of cute witches on broomsticks and the popular “The Witch is in” decorations hanging about come to mind. The popular saying “Ghoulies and ghosties, long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night” comes to mind as well. Jack-o-lanterns- seances, and if course the Christian All Saints day. Not to mention candy and costumes are all some thin gs I hold sacred at this time of year. But Samhain is more, so much more than these awesome things. This blessed High Day has roots in Pre-Christian Celebrations and is named in the famous Coligney Calendar from Ireland. Most…

Uranus still Retrograde in Aries – 14 degrees Uranus is that Planet that hates to be confined. It is known as the “break out” Planet for that reason. When Retrograde, Uranus can be responsible, more traditional and relaxed. As Uranus goes Retrograde in Aries, there is a feeling of enthusiasm and courage to take responsibility. It is not a time to worry about what others think about you. Do your own thing at your own pace and life will be grand. Uranus goes direct Dec 21 in Aries – 12 degrees.     Neptune still Retrograde in Pisces – 5 degrees Ah, the simple pleasures of seeing more clearly. The…

A Mad Hatter This month’s craft describes the making of my black, conical, wide-brimmed witch’s hat.   We can debate whether or not these hats are cones of power reflecting the concentration of spiritual potency or just the echo of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. While it’s probably safe to say that most witches, including myself, do not often wear their pointy hats during ritual, I must admit, wearing it puts me in a witchy frame of mind faster than almost anything else. It can be playful sometimes and regal other times. I began with a plain black witch nylon hat bought at a…

This month’s Bardic Song is called “As You Cross the Veil”. It is a simple tune that has 4 lines for easier repetition and the melody line is rather easy. It is something to use in your Samhain Rites or during a Memorial Service. When I initially created this song, I wanted it to be celebratory with a positive sound and melody. Too many times, dirges are written in a minor key, making them sound sad and mournful. Thus, this simple ditty was written in a major key. The message instills the concept that we accept the person is crossing the Veil and we wish them peace on their Journey. As…

DIY: Healing Blanket In last month’s column, I shared about my grandma’s healing blanket. This month I thought I would share some ways to create your own healing blanket or an alternative to a blanket. I am going to take a leap here and assume you follow some kind of ritual/magical path and know how to empower objects. If not, let me know and I’ll be happy to lend some guidance. Blanket: Choose a blanket made of natural fibers like, cotton, wool or bamboo (yes, I said bamboo). A twin size blanket should be large enough. Think about what color represents healing to you. Do you want a solid color…

This month, we will return to the Major Arcana, and talk about The Emperor. Before we begin breaking down The Emperor, let’s define and remind ourselves of some terms. There are 22 Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck, with numbers from 0 to 21; the Majors usually deal with broader and more far-reaching life experience issues, archetypes that are easy for us to identify with and connect with at some point in our lives. An archetype (pronounced “ark eh type”) is a generic, idealized model of a person, an object, or a concept which can be copied, patterned, or imitated. In psychology, an archetype is a model of a…