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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…
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Learning Lunar
Learning Lunar: The Waxing Crescent Welcome to the next instalment in our Learning Lunar series, and the second about waxing moons, this time looking at the waxing crescent. The crescent moon is such an evocative image, found throughout history in the form of Roman pendants, Greek goddess statues, and even 16th century Christian manuscripts. Understanding the meaning of the waxing crescent moon could help hone your moon magic skills and increase your connectedness with the cycles of the moon and the seasons. What Does a Waxing Crescent Moon Mean? A crescent shape is instantly recognisable, and is basically a sliver of the moon—less than half, but beyond the dark…
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Book Review – The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers by Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano
Book Review The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers by Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano Publisher: Skyhorse 280 Pages Publication date: June 6, 2023 Plants are my bag, so any book aimed at “Green Witches” is going to be hitting my shelves, sooner or later. The subtitle for this one is, “26 love spells from apples to zinnias,” which startled me a little, as the main title seems to indicate it’s a general guide, rather than a book specifically on love spells. Oh well—as with all things, I approached it with an open mind! First impressions, this book is gorgeous. The artwork from the cover design…
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Book Review – Moon Phases by Cecilia Lattari
Book Review The Green Witch’s Guide to Magical Plants & Flowers by Chris Young and Susan Ottaviano Publisher: Skyhorse 160 Pages Publication date: April 26, 2022 The tagline for this book is “Use the lunar cycle to connect with nature and focus your intentions,” which straight away seems right up my street. I love moon magic, and indeed the science and astronomy surrounding the moon itself. I also focus on keeping my spiritual and magical path as connected to the seasons and nature as possible, so was keen to get a look at this book. There are thirteen chapters for the thirteen moons of the year, many of…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Asparagus June is the final month for harvesting asparagus in many places, which makes it an ideal plant to look at for our Summer Solstice edition of Notes from the Apothecary. This unusual vegetable crops up in plenty of mythology and folklore throughout the ages, and is used by many modern witches and pagans for love, lust, and luck magic, among other things. Asparagus, or Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial which means it grows back year after year. It’s a flowering plant, and, if left to mature, may produce small white or yellow flowers and orange berries. It’s one of those plants that looks wildly different…
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Learning Lunar: Moon Magic and Mystery
Learning Lunar: Waxing Gibbous Welcome back to Learning Lunar, Pagan Pages’ column on everything moon-related! Last time around, we looked at the power of the Dark Moon and some of the differences between the dark moon and the new moon. Check it out here. This time, we’re looking at the Waxing Gibbous moon (not the new moon as previously advertised!) because that’s what phase the moon will be around the time of the Irish festival of Beltaine. What Does Waxing Gibbous Mean? A waxing moon means that the moon appears to be getting larger in the sky each night. Of course, it doesn’t actually expand and contract. The…
