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Oracle Deck Review – Rainbow Kipper By Toni Puhle & Artist Steven Bright
Oracle Deck Review Rainbow Kipper By Toni Puhle Artist Steven Bright Publisher: Red Feather 36 Cards, 112 Page Book Publication Date: April 28, 2021 The Rainbow Kipper is a Kipper deck created by author Toni Puhle and artist Steven Bright, and is published by Red Feather Mind, Body, Spirit, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 4880 Lower Valley Road, Atglen, PA 19310. Copyright 2021 by Toni Puhle and Steven Bright. A Kipper deck is a cousin to the Lenormand and Gypsy or Tzigane Oracles. Kipper is a German divination system dating back to the 19th Century, using 36 cards that are clearly focused on day-to day roles, relationships and…
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Book Review – Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change by Day Schildkret
Book Review Hello, Goodbye 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change by Day Schildkret Publisher: Simon & Schuster 208 Pages Publication Date: March 1, 2022 Events shape our lives, stirring up emotions, bringing transitions, and forcing changes. These moments — a birth, health crisis, marriage, job transfer, the loss of a pet, leaving for college — tend to get lost amid routinely busy days with their unending demands. Day Schildkret, artist and author behind the Morning Altars movement, believes we need ritual to observe, sanctify, and make sense of these transitions. Being mindful of them, being willing to honor these times with purpose and meaning, provides…
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Book Review – The Way of the Oracle and Odin: Ecstasy, Runes & Norse Magic by Diana L. Paxson
Book Review The Way of the Oracle: Recovering the Practices of the Past to Find Answers for Today and Odin: Ecstasy, Runes & Norse Magic by Diana L. Paxson Publisher: Weiser Books Around the time that Barack Obama was elected to be the forty-fourth president of the United States, I noticed a strange phenomenon in the Wiccan-Pagan world – a growing acceptance of the free expression of racism, white supremacy, white nationalism, and the call for ethnic purity. Because of this – and a few other issues – my Facebook friend list went from over 3000 members to under 200 in the last ten years. Some people might…
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WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches
Wreaths Merry meet. Wreaths have been around at least since Ancient Greece where those made of laurel, representing the circle of eternal life, were displayed at funerals. As their popularity rose, they were used as symbols of power, honor, and victory (which led to warning against “resting on your laurels”). The Ancient Etruscans – who predated Romans on the Italian peninsula – made crown-wreaths of ivy, laurel, oak, myrtle, and olive leaves, sometimes incorporating vines and wheat. Evergreen wreaths were included in Christmas celebrations by Germans in the 16th century, but were used in pagan solstice rituals centuries before that across Europe. Holly and mistletoe were also sometimes used.…
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Witch Hunt
There are witches all around us. You can find them anywhere… The Witch on Wheels has been documenting her findings. Meet: Roberto Vargas I met Roberto Vargas about six years ago through a pagan discussion group. He and his husband, Norman, are one of the nicest couples you’d want to meet and we’ve remained friends. Both have their sun in Cancer. The three of us connected with three other friends and committed to planning a public ritual for all eight sabbats during one turn of the wheel. He was unflappable. I learned a lot about how wonderful things turn out even if you feel like you’re…
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Book Review – The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul by Connie Zweig, Ph. D.
Book Review The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul by Connie Zweig, Ph.D. Publisher: Park Street Press 416 pages Publication Date: September 7, 2021 I turned sixty in 2020 – the first year of the COVID pandemic. As someone who has lived through years of drug addiction, violent relationships, homelessness and poverty, I never expected to live this long, nor did I expect to end up in such a lovely home with the financial security that understandably don’t quite trust. I enjoy pretty good health but most of my friends are dead or dying, due to years of too much partying – some have succumbed…
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Book Review – Seasons of a Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living by H. Byron Ballard
Book Review Seasons of a Magical Life A Pagan Path of Living by H. Byron Ballard Publisher: Weiser Books 224 Pages Publication Date: August 2021 In “Seasons of a Magical Life,” pagan, witch and farmer H. Byron Ballard extends an invitation to return to a simpler time of earth-based spirituality and ritual living, through essays written from a small forest-farm in the Appalachian Highlands. The first part of the book offers background on the Wheel of the Year. In Part II, chapters are broken into eight sabbats. Each contains traditions, activities, skills, chores, celebrations and opportunities. The final section is a brief overview on physical and spiritual…
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Book Review – A Little Zodiac Series by Daria Harper
Book Review A Little Zodiac Series by Daria Harper Publisher: Chronicle Books A 12 Book Series for Ages 1-3 Publication Date: August 2020 This book series is amazing for any new parent looking to introduce their children to their Sun signs and finding themselves off the bat! This 12 book series goes through each individual sign with a cute rhyme that is catchy to baby’s ear and will have them coming back for more every time. Each book is made of a hard board like many other children’s books so they can take some wear and tear throughout the day and your child can be safe running off…
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Tarot Talk
Comparing The Hierophant & The Devil Let’s look at an interesting pairing this month, and compare The Hierophant with The Devil. Not everyone is comfortable examining at The Devil, but there are interesting similarities between these two cards. First, let’s review some terms. If you’ve read my column before, you can skip the next two paragraphs. 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”)…
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Ostara Correspondences
(Ostara the Spring Goddess Witch Sticker by artist Di from Fort Witchy Stickies, FORTWITCHDFW shop on Etsy.) March 20-21st – when the Sun enters Ares (oh-star-ah) – Lesser Sabbat – Spring/Vernal Equinox, Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess Date: Spring Equinox March 19–23 in Northern Hemisphere. Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre…