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Book Review – Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain by Amy Jeffs
Book Review Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain by Amy Jeffs Publisher: Andrews McMeel Pages: 384 Rerelease Date: August 23, 2023 Storyland is a collection of tales about Britain, from its origins to much more recent times. This book started as a collection of illustrations, then became a series of articles for Country Life magazine. Those original illustrations have made it into the book, and what illustrations they are! Striking images of otters and boats and giants hauling rocks make this volume a stunning visual feast. Unsurprising, considering that in the introduction the author explains how her experiments with linocut printing were inspired by illuminated medieval manuscripts. I agree…
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Poetry – Exclusive for PaganPagesOrg by Mabh Savage ‘Summer’s Last Hurrah
An exclusive poem for PaganPagesOrg by Mabh Savage celebrating the last heady days of Summer before the Autumn Equinox and the final harvests, via the wanderings of a lone witch. I say hi to the crows Perched on slate roofs Raucously gossiping I admire the bees Purposeful in purple Claiming the lavender I dodge the ants Single minded march Carrying more than I I nod to the magpies Superstition on wings Black and white made grey I shiver in the breeze Late summer caress A promise of fall (But someone to catch) I sigh in the sun Warm honey-pour bright The last, loving light…
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Road to Runes
Two Runes Together In the last issue of PaganPagesOrg, we looked at the power of a single rune reading. As I learn the runes myself, slowly it has to be said, I love to look at the different ways the runes can be read together. Just as a single rune can give a fast, intuitive answer to a simple question or circumstance, two runes together could provide either more detail or perhaps two polarized viewpoints on the same situation. Ways to Draw Two Runes There are plenty of different ways to either draw runes yourself or get them drawn and explained by an experienced reader. You can purchase physical…
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Learning Lunar: Moon Magic and Mystery
First Quarter, The Waxing Half Moon The 2023 Autumn Equinox falls late on the 22nd or early on the 23rd September, depending on exactly where you are in the world. This year, the Equinox begins while the moon is an almost perfect half, the first quarter phase. The Equinox is a time of balanced light and dark, so it feels very mystically charged to have the moon half lit and half in shadow, providing a physical and highly visible representation of this festival. What Does First Quarter Mean? The cycles of the moon are often referred to as quarters, with the second quarter also being the full…
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Book Review – Culpeper’s Complete Herbal by Nicholas Culpeper, Annotated by Dr. J.J. Pursell
Book Review Culpeper’s Complete Herbal By Nicholas Culpeper Annotated by J.J. Pursell Publisher: Andrews McMeel Pages: 384 Rerelease Date: October 2022 Nicholas Culpeper was an extraordinary figure of the 17th century. Frustrated with the lack of medicine and treatment available to those with no money, Culpeper, a fairly well-to-do gentleman, abandoned his studies at Cambridge University and went to become an apprentice at a London-based apothecary. From there, he set up his own pharmacy and went on to publish “The Complete Herbal” in 1652/53. This was despite twice being accused of witchcraft, tried, and acquitted. Culpeper went against the grain and didn’t let the authorities dissuade…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Anemones Whenever you hear the word “anemone” you’ll either imagine a gorgeous yet shy sea creature or a beautiful flower found both in the wild and in gardens all over the world. Of course, here in the Apothecary, we’re excited about the flowers! There are well over a hundred species of anemone, including Anemone blanda and Anemone nemorosa, both often referred to as wood anemones or the more evocative name, windflowers. Anemones are in the same family as buttercups (Ranunculaceae) and grow from bulbs or rhizomes, usually coming back year after year. In Europe, anemones are keepers of living history, in a way, as large…
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Learning Lunar
The Full Moon How exciting to be three issues into our Learning Lunar column and already able to wax lyrical (pun intended) about the full moon! Lúnasa 2023 falls on August 1st which, this year, is also a full moon. Lúnasa, or Lughnasadh, is an Irish festival co-opted by many Pagan traditions as a time of harvest celebration, games, competitions, and other summer festivities. Another popular celebration held at this time is Lammas, the Anglo-Saxon early Christian festival of blessing the first fruits and loaves of the seasons. Having the full moon to add to these blessings can only add to their fruitfulness! What Does the Phrase…
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Poetry – Lúnasa
We come to eat, we come to play To revel in the joy of the sun The heat of the height of the year The Solstice has come and gone. We bring in the first grains And pick first fruits to share We store away for later months We pickle and prepare. And while we feast and compete We honour those who came before By being better Being kinder Being something more For this green and graceful world Fragile in some ways But She’ll go on after us Nature stays, always stays… Let us hold the sun in our hearts Let us give space for the wild Let us…
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Poem – Spinning The Sun
Spinning The Sun Height of the sun So high, so high Ground wavering and melting In the heat haze Call me to your soul Deep love, deep light Yet burning danger Consuming fire Nothing in part-measures Aching, desperate Passion so bright Call me to your home The heart of the desert The source of the hot spring The centre of the mountain Ready to burst Ash and fire Over the land Call me to your music Dancing the round Spinning the sun Clattering bells that Glisten and sparkle As boots hit the ground Over and over Beating the drum Beating the heart The thrum of blood Bursting through Summer’s…
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Road to Runes
A Single Rune Reading Can a single rune reading be an effective form of divination? Yes, I believe so, as do many others. It may not provide as comprehensive an answer as a multi-rune reading, especially when those readings are completed in layouts that examine the past, present and future, or specific events relating to the questions, such as obstacles or goals. But for a quick spot of guidance, a single rune can certainly give a fast answer or prompt you to think about a situation from a different perspective. Ways to Do a Single Rune Reading If you have a physical set of runes, the simplest way…
