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    Tink About it

    Crown the Crone! Last month I turned 46. That’s when people start saying things like “oops, you are on the wrong side of 40 now” or “50 is coming soon”. Often disguised as a joke, but every so often with a serious tone of voice. It was the same when I turned 40. To be honest I didn’t really care, on the contrary: I gave a big party to celebrate it and had a great time! If someone says ‘you are getting old’ I always reply with ‘I hope so!’ Of course getting older isn’t all fun and games, but I refuse to give in to the negative stereotype of…

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    Renee’s Thoughts Worth Catching

    Miscommunication has been the bane of my existence this past month between the ones I have had the most contact with. It has made things a bit hard. And it has been a lot more complicated then it has had to be. It has led to over-thinking, arguments, lots of questions and walking away angry. Whether it be a tone in the voice or a ‘joke’ that seems like an insult, I seem to take things quite personally. I try hard not to, but when I feel pressured to do something or when I feel attacked or my creativity comes into question, I feel really defensive and the walls go…

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    November Correspondences

    The name is derived from Novem, the Latin word for nine, as November was the ninth month in Rome’s oldest calendar. THE SNOW MOON The ninth month in the old roman calandar. In Celtic traditions it is the beginning of the new year, considered a month of beginnings and endings. Astrological Signs: Scorpio, Sagittarius. Nature Spirits: Banshees and other beings who carry messages between worlds. Herbs: Ginger, hops, wormwood, hussop, patchouli, mugwort, nutmeg, star anise. Colors: Black, white, purple. Flowers: White lily, dahlia, chrysanthemum. Scents Rosemary, dragons blood, lilac, pine, wisteria. Stones: Topaz, obsidian, onyx, Apache tear. Trees: Pine, cypress, yew, elder. Animals: Bat, wolf, sow, dog, snake. Birds: Owls,…

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    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times

    Yule Part 1 Bright Blessings, I am writing two Yule articles. The first is unresearched and lacking history or citation of sources. I’m struggling with mono right now and not only is my energy sapped, but my concentration is completely blown. This article will be a personal essay and the next will be filled with all the good well-researched stuff. If I keep it interesting, maybe our editors and admins will be magnanimous and forgive me for straying from assignment this time. Pretty please? By the time you read this, you will likely be in the frenzy of Yule Planning as well as caught up in the responsibilities of being…

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    Thriftcrafting: Witching on a budget

    Spell Candles Merry meet! Every witch I know has a stash of candles. I have drawers of them, yet today I barely hesitated to buy three more: two cedar-scented special edition cedar Yule candles (known to muggles as Christmas candles) and the last Yankee Candle Witches’ Brew candle available at my favorite discount home store. Compared to the majority of my candles that I snag at tag sales, these were expensive. Compared to the ones in most stores, they’re inexpensive. Compared to the the spell candles found in witch shops, they’re downright cheap. Even before I knew I was a witch, I was doing candle magic – lighting candles with…

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    Bardic Song of the Month

    Bardic Song of the Month – November 2014 This month’s Bardic Song is called “Air Song”. It is a simple tune that has 4 lines for easier repetition and the melody line is rather easy. When I initially created this song, I wanted it to instill energy within as well as without. Based on a Smudging technique, this tune was written to include all six directions surrounding a person ending with the 7th point within. The words are interchangeable, meaning you can substitute the word ‘air’ for another word, but you’d have to alter the last line to make sense with the new word. For example, exchange ‘air’ for ‘love’ and the last line could be ‘a…

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    NATURE ALCHEMY ~ A Journey to Yourself

    KING CROW ~ Gift of Vigilance ~ Eternal vigilance is the price of eternal development. ~ Gordon B. Hinckley This is a journey into the Gift of Vigilance, 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 of relaxation. Take some deep, healing, cleansing breaths…gently inhale and exhale…slowly and deeply…in…

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    Signposts

    Choosing a Path My first introduction to Paganism was Wicca. And why not – information and books on Wicca, or paths derived from it, dominate the Pagan literary landscape. Many of the people I originally met either practiced it or had at some point studied it. As I learned more about Paganism, however, I quickly found other Pagan paths, each with their own focuses, pantheons of Gods and Goddesses, and interpretations of our past and future. I wanted to learn more about them to find which way was right for me. I knew I would need to both study and practice. I wanted to do it in a way, however,…

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    Tarot Talk

    This month, we are going back to the Minor Arcana suit of Swords, and we will explore the Two of Swords, one of those cards whose message can be either a help or a hindrance to a Seeker. The Two of Swords is a Minor Arcana card so it is most likely referring to a day-to-day issue, rather than a long-term or widely-sweeping one, but this does not take away from its potential to assist us, or to cause discomfort. The keywords for this card stretch all the way from avoidance and being stuck, to peace and serenity. How do you effectively respond to such a card? By understanding it.…

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    A Moment for Meditation

    Preparing to Meditate In the last column, I discussed the benefits of meditation and why you should attempt to practice it in your life on a daily basis. Take meditation to heart as a golden path to Infinity which must be experienced in practical activity each day ~ ~ Yogi Bhajan Preparing for meditation is more than just sitting down, closing your eyes and breathing.  You must be present and open, as meditation is opening yourself to the Universe, to Infinity. Go to your sacred space that you have set up for meditation.  If you have not set up a special place, then go someplace quiet where you will not…