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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.…
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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…
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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…
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Stellar Applications
Current Astrology Using Hermetic Applications Welcome to this issue’s Stellar Applications…. In this issue of PaganPagesOrg we are celebrating Lughnasadh, the First Harvest as Summer transitions into Fall. An additional boost is the Full Moon in astrological Aquarius 2:33pm (EDT) and the Sun basking in the Fixed astrological sign of Leo, sitting mid-point between the solar transition from cardinal Cancer and Mutable Virgo. The elemental impact of this year’s Lughnasadh calls on the Fires of Leo and the movement of Air within Aquarius. Fire is fed or diminished by Air and so we have choice as to how we will proceed as we explore this first Harvest This issue we…
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MagickalArts
What Are the Magickal Arts? … As magickal practitioners we are all “artists” in our own ways, honing our skills of creating magick, weaving patterns of energy that affect change and calling to the most Divine of our natures as we align with cosmos, greater earth and all of the many Beings that inhabit those realms. And, I like where this trend is taking us in exploring the craft in all of forms…. Lughnasaadh brings the bounty of the year’s growth into the space of a viable harvest of opportunity. This issue we honor.. The Magickal Art of Art of Creating Abundance! As the Wheel of the Year…
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The Shui Shed
Welcome to The Shui Shed…. …. a new column for PaganPagesOrg e-zine that will explore the basic principles of Feng Shui. This column will share concepts that can be used to bring positive energy and enhance the vibrations within your physical environment. This edition we’ll explore the importance of the Lo Shu and how it’s used in Classical Feng Shui and other disciplines. The Lo Shu – The Magic Square The Lo Shu or “magic” square is one of the most ancient tools of Feng Shui. The nine-sector grid of numbers is an interpretive tool of Feng Shui. One of the secrets of the Lo Shu is…
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Stellar Applications
Current Astrology Using Hermetic Applications Welcome Back to Stellar Applications…. In this issue of PaganPagesOrg we are celebrating Litha, the abundance of summer’s peak and the brilliance of light that fills this space of transition. Astronomically this is the date of the Summer Solstice and sits as one of two points on the Witch’s Wheel where the scales tip in balance towards the growing of light or darkness, as the sun waxes or wanes, respectively. This year the Summer Solstice occurs on June 21st at 10:38am (EDT)and astrologically, Cardinal energy abounds creating the product of what has been quickened and set on the path towards manifesting in its…
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Mindful Living: A Connection of Mind, Body and Spirit
As I sit down to write this article for Midsummer, we are blessed with a beautiful warm sunny day in central Ohio. Birds are singing, crab apple blossoms are on the tree and there is about 30 seconds of ideal blissful mindfulness. Then the children screech as they realize the creek water is still icy cold and the dogs begin to bark when they realize the electric company has workers across the backyard. This scenario is typical to anyone not living alone who wishes to practice mindfulness and meditation. Photography, social media, YouTube all show these ideal studios with perfect surroundings to perfect our practice. Most of us cannot…
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Living the Oily Life
Lemon Oil Lemon oil is another extremely versatile oil. It is suggested as one of the 1st oils for someone starting their foray into essential oils and it also happens to be another favorite of mine. It can be used topically (on the skin), aromatically (inhaled) and internally. Topical application is a great quick pick-me-up or can help brighten a person’s day. When using citrus oils topically caution needs to be practiced when the area is exposed to sunlight as it can cause sun sensitivity. Lemon oil is great in water to break up the boredom with just drinking plain water. It can also be mixed with peppermint…
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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…