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Weyland’s Whey 2026 Beltane and Flower Moon Column
Beltane is one of the eight Sabbats of the year. It’s celebrated on May First here in the Northern Hemisphere. This year the Sabbat is even more powerful than usual because it aligns with the Full Flower Moon, which adds an extra dose of lunar energy to the festivities. Should pack quite a wallop. The May Full Moon is called the Flower Moon because this is when the telltale signs of Spring begin to show themselves–especially bright and beautiful flowers blooming. Esbat and Sabbat Combo: The alignment’s a great and powerful portal for earth-based and lunar magicks alike. This time is ripe for releasing emotional blocks beneath the full moon, creativity…
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The Sorcerer’s Notebook: Walpurgisnacht, The Green Devil, and Witches’ Sabbat
Blessed Walpurgis to all, and Beltane Blessings! Today, and specifically, tonight, holds a special power that those of us who endear themselves with the more traditional cunning arts should not only welcome and observe, but work with, and cast effective magick for actual change. Yes, I am getting a little political, but only because current events and regimes threaten to bring us to brink of extinction: either via war and destruction, or via climate change. To be clear, I’m no climate scientist, but, I can read, and read I do; everyday. From the small bit of research I’ve done on the worsening climate issue, we’re already at the point of…
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Weyland’s Whey 2026 Walpurgis Night column
I Looked it Up And I Still Can’t Pronounce it. Walpurgis Night. Many compare it to a Spring Halloween, although the two holidays are quite separate. Walpurgis Night is on April 30th, and originated in Germanic folklore. Historically, people believed evil spirits were especially active now, and that witches–yeah, that would be us–gathered on this evening. The night is named after Saint Walpurga, whose Feast Day is May 1st. Her canonization was meant to replace Pagan practices. The time became a blend of old Pagan rites and newer Christian influences. Walpurgis Night is celebrated in diverse ways in different countries. The most common tradition is large bonfires meant to frighten away…
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Cody’s Column: How to Un 6-21-3-11 Yourself from Christianity as a Pagan
Greetings! “The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the Earth.” -Chief Seattle If you grew up in the United States, you likely had education about the Indigenous People, but who told you about them? Did your school invite the elders in to tell the stories? Did anyone make a land acknowledgement ever? You likely had education about the kings and queens of Europe. How were the original inhabitants of Europe treated in those histories? Did you hear about the peoples and languages, customs and traditions of early Pagans? Let’s switch to popular culture then for reference. Halloween was my first introduction to witches, demons, monsters,…
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Opinion: New Age Beliefs Are Bullsh*t, and I’m Happy to Tell You Why
“New Age” beliefs seem to permeate the Pagan, Witchcraft and Occult scene today, and frankly, I’m tired of it. I’m not going to write a swear-word laden, ranting and raving article; instead, I’m going to focus my energies in sharing why I hold this opinion, and hopefully validate many of you, too. To clarify any misconceptions, when I refer to New Age beliefs, I do not mean witchcraft, neo-paganism, occultism or eastern-based practices. New Age beliefs and practices are those which appropriate practices from many cultures without due respect to the parent culture and its customs and beliefs, and which beliefs are generally unfounded. Examples include ancient astronaut theory, the Galactic…
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Book Review-Freyja: An Illustrated Guide to the Goddess of Magic, Love and War by L. Dean Lee, Illustrated by The Saxon Storyteller
Book Review Freyja: An Illustrated Guide to the Goddess of Magic, Love and War By L. Dean Lee, Illustrated by The Saxon Storyteller Publisher: Red Wheel 128 Page Full Color, Fully Illustrated Hardcover Release Date: September 16th, 2025 Ah, the last of the Norse Gods series by Red Wheel that I have to review; I’m at once sad, but also excited, to be finishing this series (or what’s been released to us at this point). Freyja was yet another lovely entry into this series by Red Wheel, and just like the others, beautifully illustrated in full color. For those looking to connect with Freyja, this book would be an excellent starting…
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Review: Living Folk Magic
Title: Living Folk Magic: Crafting Your Own Magical Life Author: Mary-Grace Fahrun Publisher: Weiser Books Date: November 3, 2025 Pages: 224 Mary-Grace Fahrun explains the how’s and why’s of folk magic so readers can build an entire folk magic practice. She shares personal experiences and wisdom gained from her Italian family, as well as sharing customs from other cultures and religions. Folk magic is a way of life rooted in ancestral traditions practiced throughout time in all cultures as people sought to understand, connect with, and control their world, especially when other options failed. It blends superstitions, religious beliefs, customs, folklore, and magic. This magic is not separate from mundane…
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Book Review–Before You Do Magic: Train Your Mind to Awaken Occult Skills, by Donald Tyson
Before You Do Magic: Train Your Mind to Awaken Occult Skills by Donald Tyson Publisher: Llewellyn, Woodburg, Minnesota 248 page E-book. Publication date: December 2025 Tyson lays it all out in his intro: there’s plenty of value in this book, but the reader will have to work to extract it all. Fair and friendly warning–Before You Do Magic is not for the faint of heart. When Tyson says it’s about training your mind, he ain’t kiddin’. Be ready to do mental heavy lifting. (Lots of it!) And bring your “A” game. The main body of this tome consists of twelve chapters. Topics range from meditation to incantations to astral projection. All have exercises. Tough ones. Our author…
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Book Review-Thor: An Illustrated Guide to the Thunder God by L. Dean Lee, Illustrated by The Saxon Storyteller
Book Review Thor: An Illustrated Guide to the Thunder God By L. Dean Lee, Illustrated by The Saxon Storyteller Publisher: Red Wheel 128 Page Fully Illustrated, Full Color Harcover Release Date: September 16th, 2025 Thor: An Illustrated Guide to the Thunder God by L. Dean Lee and beautifully illustrated by The Saxon Storyteller, is the introduction that I wish I had to mighty Thor when I first started out. Thor and I have an interesting relationship; he at once protects me and guides me, but he seemingly tests me at times. One particular quote from this book perhaps sums up why I’ve felt this way when it comes to Thor:…
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Book Review-Magic for the Resistance: Rituals & Spells for Change, Revised and Expanded Edition by Michael M. Hughes
Book Review Magic for the Resistance: Rituals & Spells for Change, Revised and Expanded Edition By Michael M. Hughes Publisher: Crossed Crow Books 290 Page Paperback Release Date: September 23rd, 2025 Magic for the Resistance is a quintessential guide for witches, sorcerers, occultists and other magickal folks who want to fight the oppressive regime currently ruling the U.S. The first edition was released during the first Trump term, and I remember reading through it then, but not embodying many of the practices due to other distractions like a job that was draining every ounce of life out of me at the time. I digress. Here we are, and again, Trump is…
