-
Living the Oily Life
Peppermint Peppermint oil is another favorite of mine for many reasons. It is also recommended as another oil for those starting to dabble in essential oils. I have peppermint in my own garden, but be warned it will grow wherever unless the roots are somehow restricted. I planted mine in pots and put the pots in the ground. Granted it smells amazing when grass is being cut and a few stray tendrils are ran over. Mint plants in general are fairly hardy and are perennials so once rooted they will keep coming back. Peppermint has a very long history, like 1000 BC long history. It was noted to be…
-
Mindful Living: A Connection of Mind, Body and Spirit
The Wheel turns towards Lughnasadh (August 1st) and in the United States the Midwest is in the height of Summer. Vacations and day trips are scheduled to make one more summer memory before the grind of school and school related activities becomes the primary focus of many for the bulk of the year. Gentle buds and blossoms have given way to the hearty heat loving plants and flowers. Solace can be found under shade trees, in creeks, pools and water parks. Those who live in accordance with nature often split their days to rise early to work outside then afternoon rest and work later in the day as the heat…
-
Communing with the Essence
The Key to Respectfully Communing Essence-ly — Our sensitivity can at first feel as though it is a curse, a defect that proves there is something wrong with us. It can also lead us into the dissolve of barriers and boundaries, naming us as Empaths, where we feel and sense, and oftentimes absorb the world around us even to our detriment. Our sensitivity can make us sick and take on other peoples troubles. It can also lead us into understanding that we are energetic Spiritual Beings that are ultimately One. It can also remind us that we are uniquely separate entities choosing to be alive as an individual at…
-
Weyland’s Whey – That Old Familiar Feeling
That Old Familiar Feeling They’re a basic ingredient. When you’re a witch you gotta have the robe. An altar. And a familiar or two. Now, full disclosure time here: I’m no scholar or expert. I haven’t seriously researched this topic, nor do I intend to. But I deal with familiars on a daily basis (or at least I believe I do) and I’m happy to share my own experiences. I suppose familiars come in all genders and species or whatever, but I only deal with my boys Jinx and Spirit. They’re a couple of stray cats my girlfriend Sparkle took in long before she and I met. We hit…
-
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…
-
Focus Pocus
Finding Inspiration When You’re Overwhelmed (Litha 2023) Everyone has probably felt overwhelmed from time to time, but those who are neurodivergent might experience overwhelming feelings differently, more frequently, or both. It’s easy for us to feel overwhelmed in overstimulating environments, our brains are always scanning the world around us, thinking at what feels like five times the speed of light, making connections upon connections, and our neurodivergent brains don’t help us filter a lot of the noise out. This can leave us anxious, paralyzed, and feeling like we’re stuck or out of control and can act like a huge barrier when we are trying to get ourselves together, especially…
-
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…
-
A Spiritual Alternative to Baby Showers, “Mother Blessings”
Mother Blessings are special and sacred ceremonies for mothers-to-be. The ceremony originated with indigenous traditions of “blessing way” ceremonies, which were traditionally held for women about to embark on a birthing journey. On their passage, one was blessed with song and dance during the ceremony. Keeping this in mind, we strive to respect other cultures and not appropriate their traditions. Thus, we hold our own modified version of this event within our community, not using the exact same title, but always acknowledging the roots of this ceremony. The concept of a Mother Blessing is similar to that of a Baby Shower, but there are major di?erences between the two events.…
-
Good God!
Meet: Mercury Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, protected travelers and transporters of goods, as well as shopkeepers and merchants, especially those dealing in grains, who would pray to him for large profits. He is chosen for this issue because Lughnasadh is the grain harvest. Mercury was the son of Jupiter, king of the gods, and Maia, goddess of the plains. He is one of the twelve major gods of the Roman pantheon. The World History website explains, “He is frequently depicted holding the caduceus, a wand used to reconcile conflicts, and winged sandals for quickly carrying messages for the gods. The wand had been given to him by…
-
Magic Myrtle
Hello Myrtle! I’m middle aged and have “started again” multiple times. I’m not too bad at it, but I’m getting tired of changes if I am honest. I understand that times change and I will get left behind if I don’t roll with the changes, but this time, I really don’t feel like it. I have settled comfortably into a new career I’m good at…but the job is changing again in such a way I feel pushed to literally get another degree because I can tell my skills need sharpened. I am good at what I do, but I am going to have to learn more so I am not…