Book Review – Babytrology: The Astrological Guide to Your Little Star by Judi Vitale
Book Review Babytrology The Astrological Guide to Your Little Star by Judi Vitale 224 Pages With “Babytrology: The Astrological Guide to Your Little Star,” parents can learn about their baby’s personality and passions before it’s even born. Using the due date to determine the sun sign is all that’s needed to unlock a vast amount of information, from ruling planet to favorite colors. For each sign, Judi Vitale provides general characteristics, how they manifest for boys and girls, talents and affinities, style, challenges, and favorite things including foods, books, games and songs. Parents can read up on the learning style for that sign, the best way to calm…
Review of “The Witch Books” & Interview with Author Michely Cantagalo
The Witch Books I & II By: Michely Cantagalo 240 Pages “Every woman has a witch inside her!” That’s the first line of Michely Cantagalo’s “The Witch Book I.” In an email interview she explained, “It was the kind of Book of Shadows / Grimoire I would like to have. I actually was looking for something similar to buy, and didn’t find anything cool, so I decide to make one.” The book – the first in a series – introduces the Divine Feminine, describes the magical and medicinal uses of eight herbs, identifies forty magickal symbols over two pages, presents rituals such as one for protection, and gives…
GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Dhanvantar With the country still reeling from a pandemic, demands for racial justice and calls to end police brutality, meet Lord Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of healing. He is one of the greatest deities because he gave people the knowledge of Ayurveda, the traditional Hindu system of medicine. In his four hands, the physician god carries a bowl of amrit (the nectar of immortality), a discus or chakra (a divine weapon to cut away evil), a conch shell (when ground it’s used in some medicines), and herbs. He is dressed in yellow clothes, with a wreath of herbs and flowers around his neck. His eyes…
Book Review – Broth from the Cauldron: A Wisdom Journey Through Everyday Magic by Cerridwen Fallingstar
Book Review Broth from the Cauldron A Wisdom Journey Through Everyday Magic by Cerridwen Fallingstar 280 Pages The stories Cerridwen Fallingstar tells about her life in “Broth from the Cauldron: A Wisdom Journey through Everyday Magic” range from fairly ordinary to well out of the ordinary. Since 1976 she’s been a Wiccan priestess teaching shamanic classes. In 1992 she began teaching year-long apprenticeship programs she calls “Hogwarts for Grown-ups.” The memoir does not follow the classic chronological order. “Sometimes the true way to tell a story is the twisted path, the journey through the labyrinth, the path that doubles back on itself, full of odd turns, improbable coincidences,…
WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches
Witch’s Runes Merry meet. I was a witch for more than a decade before I came across a set of witch’s runes at a tag sale. It was several more months before I was able to identify what they were. If you believe less is more, you will want these. If the traditional Norse rune symbols don’t resonate with you, it could be because they don’t speak your language. Every witch, pagan and muggle can understand these eight symbols: sun, moon, wave, birds, leaf, rings, crossed spears, and the color black. My symbols were burned into twig slices. If you’d like to make a set, you might consider…
Book Review – The Junior Witch’s Handbook: A Kid’s Guide to White Magic, Spells and Rituals by Nikki Van De Car
Book Review The Junior Witch’s Handbook A Kid’s Guide to White Magic, Spells and Rituals by Nikki Van De Car 98 Pages I would give anyone ages eight to twelve interested in learning about magic and witchcraft, and desiring to become more empowered in common life situations a copy of “The Junior Witch’s Handbook: A Kid’s Guide to White Magic, Spells and Rituals.” In it, three major areas of a young witch’s life are addressed: friendship, personal fulfillment, and family. Each section includes simple spells, rituals, activities and meditations to heal and empower. For example, a healing spell to let go of hurt feelings is offered in the…
WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches
Easy DIY Floating Candles Merry meet. I like using floating candles on my altar because I know the water will prevent a fire – and because they emit an enchanting light. Yes, you can buy them, but crafting them is easy using a variety of objects: walnut shells, many seashells, bottle caps, a mini muffin pans, vintage tart tins. The easiest way to make them is to melt tea lights by placing them on an electric coffee cup warmer. Once the wax is liquid, move the wick from the tea light to the middle of the mold, and carefully pour the melted wax into the walnut shell, clam shell,…
GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Babalú–Ayé Babalú–Ayé, the God of Healing in Santerian practice and Yoruba religion, is an Orisha. God checker.com describes an Orisha as “a spirit cocktail with a slice of saint and a tiny dash of divinity for flavor.” A few – including Babalú–Ayé – were worshiped as gods. Babalú-Ayé translates to “Father, Lord of the Earth.” What began with a single tribe in Nigeria spread to many tribes all along Africa’s western coast. He is closely associated with infectious diseases, and healing the physical body, wealth and possessions. In West Africa, smallpox, Ebola, leprosy, influenza and HIV/AIDS epidemics are affiliated with him. He works to combat…
‘Bad Words, Good Smells’ An Interview with Desiree Horton of Co-op of Creation
‘Bad Words, Good Smells’ An Interview with Desiree Horton of Co-op of Creation Desiree Horton is currently on call 24/7, providing terminal decontamination for hospitals and other places, some of which have tested positive for COVID-19. She works as needed, so her schedule “can get a bit crazy.” A few years ago, she started making candles in her kitchen before moving her workspace to the garage. Before the pandemic, friends and family would come and create with her. “I was doing my candle shop full-time, but I stepped back into this to help train people and to handle these places since it’s hard to find people willing to…
WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches
Making Soap Merry meet. We all need a bit more magic these days, and soap is one way to add magic to your life without it being noticed. I never liked messing with lye, so I found two easy options. Briefly, one is to grate bars of soap, melt, add ingredients and pour into molds. The second way is to buy the soap base from craft stores, melt, add ingredients, pour into molds. It’s that easy. (image: soap with oatmeal) Directions for the latter are on the package, so I’ll step through the first lazy method. [1] If you choose to use botanicals, sprinkle some in…