For as long as I have been a Witch I have heard, and sometimes refereed, the “Binding Spell” discussion.  On one side there is the belief that spells should not be done without a persons knowledge, on the other side self-defense and protection.  Not to sound like a politician, but my opinion has evolved.  It took me a while to see in my life, that sometimes there is just no other way.  That being said, I always try protection spells first, and then sometimes binding is all that’s left.  If constant damage is being done through a persons negative, or dangerous behavior it’s a way to stop it.  In my…

Candle Magic 101 One of the things that’s most difficult for writing for Pagan Pages is that I’m never sure if I’m talking to mostly beginners, or if everybody is pretty advanced.  As a general rule I try to pick an interesting subject thats good for beginners and gives those of us who have been into it a while a chance to take another look at an old stand by and think “Oh yeah, that was awesome, I should add that back into my arsenal”  I believe candle magic is just that sort of thing.  It’s simple, fun, and you can build on it as your abilities improve. Candle magic…

Yule rituals and traditions   I love Yule, I don’t know if it’s because I’m a Winter person and it is the beginning of that season or maybe it’s because it coincides with seeing the magic of Christmas through the eyes of children.  And I love the pagan traditions that this time of year brings. I start looking for the “perfect” Yule log weeks ahead of time, and then I take to the woods near my home to retrieve holly, acorns, pine cones anything that I think would add to the beauty of my seasonal “masterpiece”.  It is a truly joyful experience because I never know what wonders I might…

Spells and Rituals Since November is the month of Thanksgiving, I thought that giving a couple of examples of thanksgiving rituals would be a good way to begin this monthly column.  The nicest thing about these type of rituals is the act of giving thanks, in and of itself, I think is usually what’s really appreciated, and since there are so many ways it can be done it doesn’t have to be a dull and boring act. One way is to set up a small, Thanksgiving altar somewhere either in your house, or out on a covered porch or other outdoor area.  The bare minimum you need is an incense…

I’ve been interested in all type’s of crafting for quite a while, but what I’ve alway’s found the most enjoyable is anything to do with herbs.  Most people assume making bath salts is simply a matter of using Epsom or Sea salts, herbs, essential oil, and perhaps some color.  Actually the best bath salt recipe is equal amounts of Epsom salts, Sea salt, and Baking Soda.  Use a blender to grind the salts down to a fine consistency like the baking soda.  By using these 3 ingredients you’re actually accomplishing multiple objectives.  First baking soda softens the water, second Epsom Salts in and of themselves contain minerals and have a…

Beneath the cold, black, winter sky Nothing moves but the wind and I In a little while that won’t be Because there will be moving energy I stand in the middle of the sacred space I ground and center, then feel spirit’s grace I cast my circle, as I’ve done for years And the pride I feel fills my eyes with tears I call the quarters, and nows the time To speak my witches words in rhyme The power rises in the circle and me With a clear intent I set it free The spell is over the time has come To open circle with harm to none (Given any…

With December being a month that contains so many days of celebration it made me think of recipes for some homemade brandies and liqueurs.  I wish I had had this idea long before now as these recipes are required to sit for a time, with the exception of one, however they would still make unique Yule or Christmas gifts, as well as just being a fun project in general.  I came across these recipes in the 2007 LLewelyn’s herbal almanac, so they are from a trusted source, but they should be used in moderation. I’ve tried to include enough variety in hopes of their being something for just about every…

The children of the Craft of the Wise Look greatly forward to this day When the time is nigh for this beloved Sabbat We know the light is on it’s way Through this longest night we celebrate Knowing now the light will grow And the joy that every spirit feels Proves that the heart does also know As the sun goes down And the Yule logs burn Our loved ones gathered round And even Earth’s creatures participate As they do not make a sound When the fires cold and the night grows short This sacred time comes to a close And the flames, and joy that come at Yule In…

I watch the brightly colored leaves Blow in the last of daylights Autumn breeze The sun has finally left the sky And now at last the time is nigh In an outdoor cauldron I lay the fire With sacred herbs and wood And conjure loved ones memories Be they bad or good I smile, I laugh,sometimes I cry And every year I question why Life’s lessons are so hard to learn And I sit and watch the fire burn The hours pass, I’m unaware On this Samhain of a Solitaire But the lessons learned I’m proud to say Have made me who I am today. Here are a couple of…

One of the things that seems to go hand in hand with our spirituality is the presence of various types of Wiccan or pagan calendars, along with an astounding abundance of books, almanacs, multiple tarot card decks, you get the picture.  There have been so many times that I have just fallen in love with the artwork for a particular month in a calendar, or received a deck of tarot cards as a gift which while beautiful, just didn’t “vibe” with me. The bottom line is over the years we come in contact with some really outstanding pagan themed artwork from a multitude of sources.  Since there are just so…