Notes from the Apothecary: Narcissi     Most of us will be familiar with narcissi in the form of the daffodil; spring’s signpost. Those yellow heads, nodding towards the returning sun, have provided seasonal inspiration for centuries. Wordsworth, in 1802, was moved to write: Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. Which perfectly describes (as does the rest of the poem) the way in which daffodils are able to blanket an otherwise green or brown area, almost as if they are…

Traditional Witchcraft for the Seashore by Melusine Draco Published by Moon Books, 2012     Yes, this book has been out a few years, but this series had sort of passed me by and I’m now trying to catch up on them. There are six Traditional Witchcraft volumes by Melusine Draco, all looking at slightly different aspects of the craft. The seashore volume stood out to me because, well, I love the sea, always have, and also the cover is awesome. Yeah, I know you shouldn’t judge a book by it, but if I see a moody sky with sea crashing against rocks, I get excited. I cannot help myself.…

Notes from the Apothecary: Snowdrop       Imbolc is upon us, and I am now seeking snowdrops with every step. Snowdrops symbolise the first stirrings of spring very strongly to me, ever since I placed a closed flower on my altar and within minutes of my ritual it had fully opened; a tiny, star like wonder. Although they grow all over Britain and the US now, they weren’t classed as a ‘wild’ plant until the 18th century, as they were only introduced from Southern Europe in the 16th century. They have some delightful alternative names: February fair maids, Eve’s star, white bells, dew drops and even death’s flower, presumably…

Melusine Draco: Author, Teacher and Witch     Melusine Draco is a very prolific author, with titles ranging from Pagan Portals: Pan to Starchild I: The rediscovery of stellar wisdom. Melusine talked to Mabh at Pagan Pages about her writing, her teaching and other mysteries. Mabh Savage: Why are some of your books under the name Suzanne Ruthven and some under Melusine Draco? Melusine Draco: For many years the ‘day job’ was working as a creative writing tutor, author and editor of a creative writing magazine. In order to keep the persona different from my esoteric writing there had to be a different name for readers to identify with. I’ve…

The Blackbird: Piper at the Gates of Dawn   mage Credit: Manfred Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons. Lon Dubh in gaelic, the blackbird is one of the most liminal birds I have ever encountered. It sings at dawn and dusk, the miniature master of the times of transformation. I have always seen it as the guardian of boundaries; it sings only when things are about to change, to mark the edges of time and space. It was no surprise for me to discover, then, that the Celts associated the blackbird with death and rebirth. Rhiannon, a Celtic goddess or otherworldly being who features in the Welsh Mabinogi, is connected to three…

Pagan Portals: Brigid by Morgan Daimler Published by Moon Books, 2016     Morgan Daimler’s books tend to flutter around the higher reaches of the Amazon charts (other book sellers are available) and for good reason. She writes in a very accessible way whilst backing up her historical fact and mythology with sources, and pointing out when something is based solely on her own experience. My last foray into her books was Pagan Portals: The Morrigan- Meeting the Great Queens. This appealed greatly to my own passion for Celtic spirituality and deities, in particular the different ways these deities are interpreted and honoured by different people. This volume whetted my…

Notes from the Apothecary: Holly   (Image credit: Pere López via Wikimedia)   The holly, dark green, Made a resolute stand, He is armed with many spear points Wounding the hand. (Cad Goddeu, The Book of Taliesin, 14th Century.) Holly immediately conjures up images of snowy woods and midwinter frosts, and it has been a staple of solstice celebrations since at least Roman times. The festival of Saturnalia ran for a week or so around the shortest day, and holly was included in wreaths and garlands, it’s evergreen leaves and red berries a promise of the spring that was to come. Also, as a sacred plant of Saturn, holly was…

Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: The Highland Seer     Author and shamanic practitioner Barbara Meiklejohn-Free has a variety of hats, including flautist, singer and seer. She was recently in the limelight with her magical partner Flavia Kate Peters, on the TV show Celebrity Haunted Hotel. Barbara took some time out to answer a few questions about her projects past, present and future. Mabh Savage: You describe yourself as a Highland Seer. Can you tell us a bit about what this means? Barbara Meiklejohn-Free: It’s part of a long lineage line, dating back to 15th century, that’s been handed down to me by the previous Highland Seer, Swein Macdonald. He spotted my gifts…

Book Review: Pagan Portals: Moon Magic by Rachel Patterson       Pagan Portals is, as the name suggests, a series of books (by various authors) with the aim of introducing various aspects of Paganism. Moon Magic seems a staple in this diet, as there are few branches of Paganism that don’t require at least some familiarity with the cycles of the moon. My initial concern is that this book may have little to offer the experienced practitioner. Just looking at the contents page dispels these fears instantly. Not only does Rachel (also known as Tansy Firedragon) cover what I would think of as ‘The Basic’ such as the phases…

Nikki Starcat Shields: Centered in Reverence and Joy     Starcat is a Pagan based in Maine, and the author of numerous books, including Starcat’s Corner: Essays on Pagan Living. She’s the co-creator of the 30-Day Core Belief Kit and a personal spiritual coach. Despite her busy life, Starcat took the time to talk to Mabh at Pagan Pages about her world and her inspiration. Mabh Savage: Where does the beautiful name Starcat come from? Starcat: When I was choosing my Pagan name, more than 20 years ago now, I was inspired by Starhawk’s writings and her name. I too resonate strongly with the stars, and I have had a…