Review of PracticalCandleMagick’s Spell Kit Teacup, Pillar and Spell Candles, Handmade in London   Money/Wealth Drawing Spell Kit     A beautiful, gold package lands on my welcome mat. I’m immediately cheered by its shiny exterior. I open the tantalizing parcel, and am met with the most amazing smell. I’m already feeling better; the sensuous pleasures of colour and aroma have combined to notch down my stress levels a touch. A good start. The parcel has been carefully package with up-cycled and reusable plastic, something I approve of greatly. The products themselves are in a peppermint and white paper bag, reminiscent of old-fashioned sweetshops; tempting and nostalgic in equal parts.…

Notes from the Apothecary: Mandrake As we approach Samhain, I like to examine an herb or plant that has particular links to the season. Last year I explored the magic of the pumpkin, an obvious choice for the Halloween season. This year I wanted to dive deeper into folklore and magic, and the mandrake has been my mystical plant of choice. Immortalised by J. K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series as the shrieking stars of herbology, the image of the human-like root screaming actually goes back to at least the 12th century. A medieval manuscript describes how the plant ‘shines at night like a lamp’ and that iron must…

Book Review Ceri Norman: Faerie Stones, An Explanation of the Folklore and Faeries Associated with Stones and Crystals Ceri is a prolific writer, with several books under her belt and numerous magazine articles. This book, Faerie Stones, was mentioned by a friend and I was intrigued by the title and the concept. Faerie Stones takes a wide variety of stones and crystals and gives a great deal of information about each one, including but not limited to the deities and beings or spirits associated with them. It’s worth noting that in this book the term faerie is used to cover a wide variety of beings including deities and spirits. I…

The Road to Runes: Keeping it Balanced Any divination can be a double-edged sword. And isn’t it interesting that sword is an anagram of ‘words’; our fiercest weapon and most powerful tool. We practice divination through our words, by asking questions of the universe or our deities via tools such as the runes. But it can be hard to ask the right questions, and very easy to attribute meaning in hindsight. How can we be sure that the interpretation of the runes is in relation to what we’ve asked, and that we are not just shaping it around the answer we hope to receive? False Positives No, I’m not talking…

The Wind Came at Night   In the days of chilling blaze Springtime sun as winter fades Dazzling spears and green grass blades The gale the only blight. Driving out to picnics gay February turning into May Hearts and smiles throughout the day But the wind came at night.   Batten hatch and throw the catch Draw the curtains and the latch Find the candle; light a match Glow ghostly and white. Lights to ward off what’s outside Whatever feral monsters ride Abroad; their entrance is denied Though the wind comes at night.   I saw a face outside my place Swiftly passed, as in a race I blinked and…

Notes from the Apothecary: Calendula Calendula or marigold? Last month we explored the magic and mystical beauty of the true marigold and I mentioned in that article that marigolds are often confused with calendula. Botanically they are actually very different. Calendula are often called pot marigolds or common marigolds, but true marigolds are in the genus tagetes although both tagetes and calendula are in the Asteraceae family, along with sunflowers. Tagetes are native to North America, whereas calendula came to America from the Mediterranean. They have beautiful orange or yellow blooms, with an extremely long flowering season. The Kitchen Garden From Mrs Grieve’s Modern Herbal: It was well known to…

Jennifer Noel Taylor: Spiritual and Broke – How to Stop Struggling with Money and Live Your Purpose I was really intrigued by the title of Jennifer’s latest book. I generally consider myself to be a spiritual person, and I’ve definitely been broke from time to time! Sometimes it certainly seems like a spiritual life is not one that lends itself towards wealth or riches, but maybe it can be? Is there a way to keep on the path that enriches your soul, without neglecting your bank balance? I was lucky enough to be granted a sneak peek at Jennifer’s upcoming book and discovered that she has a real insight into…

The Well Read Witch Book subscription boxes are all the rage, so it’s great to see a version for Pagans and Witches on the market. This particular box is one for our UK readers. The Well Read Witch is a brand new monthly book subscription box where the focus of the box is a witchcraft book. The book is accompanied by several other items which all add to the pleasure of opening this little treasure trove. I was excited to receive my first box (the first ever Well Read Witch box! in August, and loved the pink sticker on the outside proclaiming my slim box was a ‘Gift from the…

Laura Perry: Re-enchanting the World I recently read The Bed by Laura Perry and was pretty much blown away. It was a genuine page turner and you can read my review here. Laura is the author of various books including Ariadne’s Thread, an exploration of Minoan spirituality and Ancient Spellcraft, exploring ancient magics from all over the world. As well as authoritative books on ancient and modern spirituality, Laura writes compelling fiction with a magical twist. She was kind enough to return to PaganPagesOrg for another interview about her latest literary exploits. Mabh Savage: Thanks for talking to us again Laura! First of all, what gave you the idea for…

Lughnasadh The scythe is laid to rest Now hands beat on chest As all gather to prove They are the best The pride, the joy, the champion The hero, the one, the winner In each and every new contest. Each struggle is met with smiles Tug of war, rock tossing, wrestling Fleet footed races through ditches and bogs Peaty feet slipping and caked in History. We fly kites, and hunt treasure 20 questions, buzzing with pleasure Simple joys, still competing But no conflict. Competition Without war. Just, as we think, Lugh’s mother Tailtiu Would have wanted. After all, that’s who he made Lughnasadh for. *** About the Author: Mabh Savage is…