Welcome   ____________________________________________________________________     In this Issue…   A Book Review: Steampunk Magic~ Working Magic Aboard the Airship     An Interview with Hearth Moon Rising: Invoking Animal Magic   The Apothecary Teaches you all about Aloe Vera     This month begins the first of a six-part series on croning in SpellCrafting: Spells and Rituals   ____________________________________________________________________ Interested in becoming a writer with us?  Pitch us your ideas at [email protected] ____________________________________________________________________   Like us on Facebook & Follow us on Twitter!!   ____________________________________________________________________   Check out our Etsy Shop for jewelry and other cute items!  This month our reader’s…

The Book of Creative Mind This pathworking was written as the conclusion to a workshop I taught entitled “Crafting Effective Pathworkings”. The intent was to offer sample of the various components that may be used in a pathworking and to plant the seeds of creative idea for the participant’s own use in writing.   Begin by taking in the scents and sounds of this room and this space. Now gently close your eyes and turn your focus and attention to your breath. Allow your consciousness to move with the rise and fall of your chest and the filling and release of your lungs. Continue in this manner for several breaths;…

Breaking Magical Ground Hi my lovelies, wow who ordered April? I am shocked at its arrival, not only by how fast time is flying by but by the fact that it is my birthday this month, heralding me into a new number, 45…wow, now I definitely did not order that! I hope I am doing all us mad ones proud though as I defiantly poke my tongue out at another year older. My hair has been bathed in bleach and pink dye, I am still rocking out to all my favourite Metallica tunes and this Grandma is still in her uniform of jeans, trainers and a tee shirt, no slip…

Steampunk Magic~ Working Magic Aboard the Airship Author: Gypsey Elaine Teague     If you’re into to the Steampunk subculture you’ll love this book written by the Gypsey Elaine Teague, Captain of her Crew. Gypsey starts this book with a brief history of Steampunk and how it has emerged as one of the most fascinating subcultures of today. In Gypsey’s words, “Steampunk is the juxtaposition of nineteenth-century Victorian science fiction, a futuristic Victoriana, where anything is possible as long as you don’t use too much electricity, gas, diesel, or atomic power.” Each chapter begins with a quote from the likes of Aleister Crowley, Nikola Tesla, and H.P. Lovecraft before divulging…

Witches Soul Work Part 4: The Path of the Stang “If that which thou seek thy find not within thee, thy will never find it without.” (1) The Craft involves deep soul work leading to understanding the authentic self, the connection with the divine, and understanding the Mysteries. If you were Buddhist you might called this enlightenment. What is enlightenment for Witches? Many people new to the Craft read the beginner books and think that that is all there is. I would like to share with you some of the ways that Traditional Witches do soul work, the way they approach and understand the Mysteries and an exploration of what…

Culinary Magic Merry Meet. Making magic using the objects on your altar is expected. Making magic in your kitchen may take some thought at first, but once you connect cooking and spell casting, you’ll see limitless possibilities – and cooking will go from being a chore to becoming a ritual. Since the beginning of time, meals have been about coming together of family, so that – with their knowledge and consent – you can share the magic. Eating becomes away of internalizing or absorbing the magic, making the spell more powerful. Think about the symbolic foods you carefully select for the sabbats that are rich in magic: custard at Imbolc,…

Ostara/Eostre Ostara is the Goddess of Spring and of the Dawn. Her name, which in German, means “movement toward the rising sun”, is also used by some for the Spring Equinox. Legend has it that Ostara found an injured bird. In order to save its’ life, she transformed it into a rabbit. The transformation was successful in that the rabbit survived, but it was not quite complete, as this rabbit could lay eggs as if it were still a bird. In gratitude, the rabbit would decorate its’ eggs and leave them for the Goddess. In Anglo-Saxon, her name is Eostre or Eastre. Her name has lived on in the holiday…

Spring Equinox Here comes Vernal Equinox! Thankfully! I don’t know about you folks, but I am dog tired of wintertime. This winter has been especially trying because I am struggling with an illness. I begin this months article on the day I saw a specialist it took me over six months to get in to see, and who is finally taking the steps needed to initiate my healing. New life and growth are certainly on my mind right now! The illness started just after Beltaine, and although it was the warm season when I first began struggling with this, the wintertime has made it all the more difficult. I do…

Merry Meet!! How would you like to have a safe, neutral place to take a spiritual retreat to in order to escape mundane life activities, for a weekend or even a week or more with people of like mind or just by yourself? Learn something new about yourself, discover different paths, meet new people. A place to reconnect with nature? Relax in our meditation gardens, with a walk in the woods or visit our Shrine. Bring your tent or camper and relax a while! Future plans include cabins! Each site will have their own fire pit and grills will be accepted with restrictions. Currently no electrical or water hookups –…

The Medieval Still-Room Women have been in charge of the healing arts long before the written word. Learning their art from the wise women before them, they were often skilled in midwifery, understood the healing properties of herbs, prayers, chants, charms; being a nurturer and provider of comfort in the home. Her skills determined how well the family lived in comfort, from the peasant farm to the manor house. A woman’s value within marriage was determined by her skills as a healer, nurturer, and her fertility. The still-room was a small room off the kitchen or somewhere in the house or even an out building on the property, which contained…