• Reviews

    Book Review -Pagan Portals Series: Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson

    Book Review Pagan Portals Series: Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson     “I think sometimes as a witch the moon tends to get pride of place and the sun perhaps takes a back seat? But it is an incredibly powerful source of natural energy and magic.” 1. Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson provides a fresh perspective on putting the Sun and solar energies into the same place of interest and mystery that the moon has typically held in practicing the craft. The book reads easily and is parceled out into bite-size pieces. The contents read like a table of correspondences for the sun and each chapter is only a few…

  • Reviews

    Card Deck Review – The Spells Deck: 78 Charms, Remedies, and Rituals for the Modern Mystic by Cat Cabral, Illustrated by Kim Knoll

    Card Deck Review The Spells Deck: 78 Charms, Remedies, and Rituals for the Modern Mystic by Cat Cabral, Illustrated by Kim Knoll     Combining an oracle deck and a book of spells is this box of 78 cards divided into eight categories and offering wisdom, rituals and remedies intended to be “a witch’s divination tool and an all-levels guide to rituals, spells, and recipes for magical occasions and intentions.” The deck can be used to carry out a specific intention, such as seeking inspiration or deflecting negativity, by selecting an appropriate card for that purpose. It can also provide daily direction or inspiration by choosing a card at random.…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary: Hyacinth   The hyacinth is a flowering plant which grows from a bulb. It has beautiful clusters of fragrant flowers and is very popular during the holiday season and spring. This easy to grow plant has a wealth of history and mythology, and could bring a touch of magic into your home as well as a blast of floral colour and fragrance.   The Kitchen Garden Hyacinths are poisonous so aren’t grown for culinary purposes. They contain oxalic acid, a compound that causes skin irritation externally. If taken internally it can cause: Damage to mucous membranes Damage to respiratory tract Wheezing Shortness of breath Laryngitis Inflammation…

  • Divination Articles

    The Road to Runes

    The Road to Runes: Pocket Advisor App Review   Runes are a complex divination system based on ancient Germanic letters. They are most famously associated with Norse myths and legends and Asatru spirituality. Can these runes possibly work in a digital format? I’m not averse to digital divination, a form of technomancy, if you will. I’ve found some tarot apps quite useful. An I-Ching app I tried once was particularly good. This makes sense as that divination system is all about numbers at its heart. But what about runes? Do the messages from the runes come from deep within ourselves? Then any tool which helps us focus could be useful.…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Unicorn Magic: Awaken to Mystical Energy & Embrace Your Personal Power by Tess Whitehurst

    Book Review Unicorn Magic: Awaken to Mystical Energy & Embrace Your Personal Power by Tess Whitehurst 288 pages     Ok, so I will admit that when I first got this book, before I even started reading it, I was afraid this was for the much younger crowd. But, after reading the book, I found that Mx. Whitehurst wrote it for 7th grade and above. Mx. Whitehurst has written a lovely book for those of us who see the Unicorn as Magickal, Divine, or Inspirational. I have been a lover of Unicorns and their playfulness (they belong in the fae realm after all) since I was a child. I carry…

  • Divination Articles,  Reviews

    Learning Lenormand

    Review Diana Clark’s Gaelic Lenormand Deck & Companion Guide I received this magical deck several months ago but several issues got in the way of my sitting down and writing a review of it – health issues, family issues – but I have been working with it and using it on a daily basis this entire time and I have to say that I LOVE THIS DECK. Especially now that I’m watching “Outlander” on Netflix – and reading the books by Diana Galbadon – so these cards provide the perfect imagery for where my head is right now. No – you won’t see pictures of the exquisite Caitriona Balfe, who…

  • Monthly Columns

    Crone’s Corner

    Heeding the Advise from a Tree     There is a stillness in the air in New England when we approach Samhain, the time of year for the descent to begin into the dark days, when the light leaves us to contemplate the harvest of our year that has passed. I feel the trees, which were full of life a few weeks ago, giving their final farewell in a burst of color displaying their life well lived during the turning of the wheel! The first week of November marks the last of the leaves falling gently to the ground, covering the earth in a blanket of brilliant yellow, red, and…

  • Monthly Columns

    Beyond Belief: Trees

    (Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash)   By the time you read this I will have had my first spot on British national radio. Specifically, the Beyond Belief radio show for BBC Radio 4. American readers, you may be able to get this online! The show was about the religious and spiritual significance of trees, from the perspective of different faiths. I was one of three experts recruited to debate and discuss the topic. So, how did this come about? Well, I was lucky enough that one of my esteemed colleagues from the Pagan Federation pointed me in the direction of a particular post on Facebook. It was from the…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Francoise Bourzat with Kristina Hunter

    Book Review Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth by Francoise Bourzat with Kristina Hunter 270 Pages     In a market increasingly saturated by books espousing the virtues of psychedelic and alternative therapies, Françoise Bourzat’s “Consciousness Medicine” stands apart in its focused dedication to psychedelic therapy as a method of self-directed healing and growth. While other tomes contain more information about the chemical and neurological effects of psychedelic use, this book focuses on time-tested methods of preparation such as talk therapy and journaling, the psychological experience of journeying, and — one of the most overlooked and important aspects of psychedelic therapy —…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Wellness Witch: Healing Potions, Soothing Spells, and Empowering Rituals for Magical Self-Care By Nikki Van de Car, Illustrated by Anita Makhoul

    Book Review Wellness Witch: Healing Potions, Soothing Spells, and Empowering Rituals for Magical Self-Care By Nikki Van de Car, Illustrated by Anita Makhoul 136 pp. Running Press     “Wellness Witch: Healing Potions, Soothing Spells, and Empowering Rituals for Magical Self-Care” is a lovingly crafted book of simple herbal remedies, self-care rituals, and spells for the mind, body, and home. Full of recipes for teas, tinctures, and other herbal preparations, “Wellness Witch” is a book whose focused approach is likely to appeal to experienced herbalists as well as novices. This is not a particularly ambitious book, but it gathers together a short collection of personal care rituals, recipes, and spells,…