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Learning Lunar: New Moon into Waxing Crescent, Autumn Equinox 2025
If you’ve been following previous issues of Learning Lunar, you’ll see that we’ve looked at some of the major moon phases both generally and in relation to the specific time of year. This month, I want to get super specific and look at the exact phase and movement of the moon around the Autumnal Equinox. Why? Because I love this time of year. The Autumn Equinox is very magical for me, and has seen me go through many changes, some good, some bad; some happy and some sad. This year’s equinox holds bittersweet mixed emotions, thanks to a run of events coming to an end, but with it, the opportunity…
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Road to Runes: Buying a Rune Set
There are plenty of questions you might ask when choosing a rune set. What material should I choose for runes? Do I have to make them myself? Are mass-produced runes okay? To be clear, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers, only answers that are right for you. However, we’ve pulled together some tips and advice to offer guidance with this important choice of divination tool. Materials for Runes You can find runes made out of just about anything, and you can make a set of runes out of any materials you might have to hand. Even runes written on pieces of paper can work. But if you’re in the…
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Deck Review — Mood Crystals by Christel Alberez and Nereus North Goldstar
Deck Review — Mood Crystals by Christel Alberez and Nereus North Goldstar Publisher: David & Charles 50 Cards Release Date: 13th September 2022 Thank you to David & Charles for providing this deck for unbiased review. I really enjoy instructional decks — something beyond the standard oracle or divination deck, where each card carries learning and information beyond connecting with your inner self. This deck certainly ticks that box. From the moment you open the box and pull out the guidebook and cards, you can see that each card is not only beautifully presented but rich in useful detail. Let’s start with the guide booklet. There’s a short introduction that…
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Book Review — The Tarot Spreads Yearbook
Book Review — The Tarot Spreads Yearbook Publisher: David & Charles 144 Pages Release Date: 11th April 2023 This beautifully presented book is billed as “52 Tarot Spreads for Getting to Know Yourself.” In our modern, fast-paced life, isn’t that something we’re all trying to do a little more? It’s so easy to get bogged down in our routines, work, and trying to make ends meet that we can lose sight of our inner selves and what nourishes us. With that in mind, I opened this book with an optimistic frame of mind. At first glance, it’s clear that, like the year, this book is split into four seasons: Growth,…
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Notes from the Apothecary: Bistort
Until the end of August, possibly a little beyond depending on the weather, you may find the bristly, bottlebrush-like flowers of bistort growing everywhere from meadows to roadside hedgerows and verges. Although the bistort we have in the UK and that found in the US are slightly different, they’re all part of the same family: Polygonaceae, under the genus Bistorta. Here in the UK, I always think of the flower as little pink or purple cleaning brushes. The North American variant tends to be a bit paler and fluffier looking — I hope I get to see some with my own eyes someday. The Kitchen Garden The Wildlife Trust reports…
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Notes from the Apothecary: Moss
It’s been a while since I posted in this column, but I’m hoping to get back to it once a month. I wanted to start back with a plant that I’ve been fascinated with since I was a child. Well, it’s not one plant really, but a whole group of plants: Moss. Moss is like a miniature forest; a whole ecosystem on a doll’s house scale (or smaller) that holds so much wonder. From common haircaps emulating pine trees to sphagnum moss that forms unique peatlands, moss is a very special part of our ecosystem and is packed with magical potential. The Kitchen Garden Moss is a collection of non-vascular…
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Book Review — Micro Meditation: Moments of calm for a happier, healthier life, by Nicci Roscoe
Book Review — Micro Meditation: Moments of calm for a happier, healthier life, by Nicci Roscoe Publisher: Cico Books 144 Pages Release Date: March 11, 2025 Micro Meditation is a collection of small, simple ways to change your outlook on life in a few moments. Whether you’re feeling frustrated, stressed, or uncertain, there are ways to stop, take action, and feel differently about the situation. The author notes the benefits of traditional meditation but also laments the lack of time to indulge in this during busy days when challenges can arise from any direction. Having these micro meditations — from ice…
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Learning Lunar: Micromoon, May 2025
Image by Ganapathy Kumar, copyright-free via Unsplash Did you know that we’ve just witnessed a micromoon? While the phrase “supermoon” is undoubtedly more well-known, micromoons are also a semi-regular occurrence. This year’s May full moon lasts for 4 days, if you count any visibility over 97% as full, which many people do. So it’s a great opportunity to witness the micromoon and get your moon magic flowing! What Does Micromoon Mean? The moon isn’t always the same distance away from the Earth. Because the moon’s orbit around our planet isn’t a perfect circle (it’s elliptical, which means slightly egg-shaped), sometimes it’s a little closer and sometimes just a bit further…
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Book Review – Queering the Runes by Siri Vincent Plouff
Book Review Queering the Runes: Reclaiming Ancestral Wisdom in Rune Magic & Mythology by Siri Vincent Plouff Publisher: Weiser Books 240 Pages Release Date: September 4, 2024 On the author’s website, Queering the Runes is described as a “…love letter to the runes, the gods, and the people who follow the Nordic path.” The book is promoted as an alternative approach to learning the runes, combining personal gnosis and academic research. Importantly, this approach is inclusive to anyone regardless of their gender identity, perhaps making it one of the first widely available resources to queer and trans individuals and communities — while still wholly relevant to literally anyone else, too.…
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Book Review – The Magic of Seeds by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers
Book Review The Magic of Seeds: The Nature-Lover’s Guide to Growing Garden Flowers and Herbs From Seed by Clare Gogerty, Illustrated by Prudence Rogers Publisher: David & Charles 144 Pages Release Date: March 28, 2023 Regular Pagan Pages visitors will know that my love of plants is no secret. So, getting the chance to review any flora-related book is a win, in my opinion. This volume from Clare Gogerty with superb illustrations by Prudence Rogers is a gem, both a riveting read and a useful reference book. The Magic of Seeds is about growing your own plants for magical and practical purposes — after all, most magic is a pretty…
