• Monthly Columns

    The Modern Merlin’s Corner: Owls and Oaks: Wisdom of the Seen and Unseen

    My personal spiritual journey has been zig-zagging lately, between different topics, practices, pantheons and spirits. Lately, I’ve been on a path of deepening my connection with the land, the animals that inhabit it, and the spirits, too. When I began reading Celtic Goddess Grimoire for my review, which you can read here, I began sensing an even deeper appreciation for nature than I already had. I felt a deep connection with the trees, animals and land that I see everyday, and I can only explain this as Nemetona’s presence, one of the Goddesses in that book that really came through, along with Melusine, as I live in a town that was literally…

  • Monthly Columns

    Teachings of the Mythic Past: A Bit About Bees in Slavic Magic and Culture

    Bees, wax and honey have a long history that has been cultivated into traditions, calendars and family customs for Slavic nations. Honey’s primary and ceremonial function is to act as a go-between for humans and our ancestors, bridging the gap between this world and the next as we go through the various life stages. Honey has served in ritual settings, including its role as a protective agent and a symbol of fertility. It has been used for greetings, erotic gestures, and magical symbolism.  The Symbol of Honey  Honey is a symbol of sweetness and gentleness, an offering to deceased ancestors and deities, and a powerful healing and cleansing tool. If…

  • Monthly Columns

    Weyland’s Whey, May 27th, 2024

    Working on My Dreams The Weylander has many interests.  Coffee!  Pizza!  And dreaming.  Especially lucid dreaming, in which you realize you’re dreaming while you’re actually doing so.  This can help you achieve a sort of control over events in your dreams.  I can do it once in a blue moon.  In the most recent one, Sparkle and I were walking down a road at night.  I told her we needed a car.  She said we didn’t have one.  I said, “I’ll make one.”  And suddenly we were cruising down that country road.  (I didn’t notice what kind of a car it was, but the steering wheel was on the right.  Maybe…

  • Monthly Columns,  Reviews

    Book Review – Slavic Deities & Their Worship: The Roots of Slavic Magic – Book 1 by Patricia Robin Woodruff

    Book Cover of The Roots of Slavic Magic Book 1 - Slavic Deities and Their Worship by Patricia Robin Woodruff

    Teachings of the Mythic Past – Book Review on Roots of Slavic Magic Book 1 , Deities and Their Worship by Patricia Robin Woodruff The Roots of Slavic Magic Book 1 is an excellent resource for students and curious individuals who are interested in learning a great deal of fascinating information about pre-Christian Slavic beliefs and about a wide variety of Slavic deities.  I recommend this book as a guide and tool for deep and thorough information and research when it comes to Slavic Magic and Paganism and learning about Slavic deities. Since much of Slavic Pagan beliefs were not written down (in comparison to Greek or Norse for example),…

  • Monthly Columns,  Reviews

    Book Review – Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe’s Ancient Gods by T.D. Kokoszka

    Bogowie Book Covr

    Teachings of the Mythic Past – Book Review on Bogowie: A Study of Eastern Europe’s Ancient Gods by T.D. Kokoszka If you’re looking for an easy read or beginner’s book on Slavic myth, folklore, and Paganism you might want to look elsewhere. This book features tons of advanced information on traditional Slavic Pagan beliefs.  Chapter 6 of Bogowie is called Advanced Concepts in Indo-European Mythology, but I think this would not have been such a bad way to describe the book itself! T.D. Kokoszka focuses greatly on Slavic mythology and folklore in this very in-depth study. But with that being said, the book is certainly not for beginners who are…

  • Monthly Columns

    Weyland’s Whey

    Weyland’s Whey  by Weyland Smith For Your Deliberation Cody’s Wish Cody Dorman was born with a rare genetic disorder called Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome.  It severely impacts growth and development.  During a Make-a-Wish visit to Gainsborough Farm, Kentucky, in 2018, a 5-month-old weanling came over to Cody and his wheelchair and placed its head in his lap.  They bonded.  The horse’s owners decided on the name Cody’s Wish. Cody and his family often journeyed to watch the horse compete.  At the 2023 Breeder’s Cup, the horse’s final race before retirement, expectations were low.  Too many great horses.  No way Cody’s Wish could win.  When the bell rang, he started out at the…

  • Monthly Columns

    Spiritual First Aid: Defense Against Love Spells

    Welcome to the latest edition of Spiritual First Aid! I apologize it’s been so long since my last column. Life has been a little hectic between my personal life, and with my new book being released and the many many side projects I have going on I have neglected the thing that gives me the most joy- writing. Some of these projects, you might know about, such as The Invisible College, the nonprofit I founded to aid the development and infrastructure of the spiritual communities we all hold dear. I also have some other new projects on the horizon that I’m going to keep silent on for the moment as…

  • Monthly Columns

    The Modern Merlin’s Corner: Set: The Misunderstood God of Ancient Egypt

    Set, the God of Storms, Chaos, and the Desert

    Why Set Matters in our Time Set, Sutekh, Seth; for Khemetic practitioners and those with an interest in Ancient Egypt, this name conjures up the fratricide of Osiris by his brother, whose name graces this very article. For those leaning on the Left Hand Path, he is the Pagan Adversarial God, who provokes change through harsh means. For me, personally, I view Set as much more than these limited definitions. Set is essential change, essential chaos. The Ancient Egyptians both feared and revered this deity of the dry, arid, desert, and for good reason. My personal experience with this Dark Lord is that, yes, he can turn things upside down, but usually,…

  • Monthly Columns

    Weyland’s Whey, Beltane 2024

    Weyland’s Whey Beltane for Old People The Beltane Sabbat is, among other things, a celebration of union betwixt and between masculine and feminine energies.  This includes already established families (love and commitment) as well as the making of new ones (hubba hubba). Happy Anniversary, Sparkle It will never be long enough.  But eight years is a good start. Feliz Cumpleanos, Delinquent Yeah, we celebrate our little dog’s birthday.  Wanna make something of it? Music Review Keiko Matsui has made several absolutely incredible songs.  Love and Nothing Less, from her Euphoria album, is my current favorite.  Vocals by Lalah Hathaway and harmonica from Gregoire Maret.  Sparkle and I needed a song we considered “ours”. …

  • Crafting Articles,  Monthly Columns,  This Month's Holiday

    In The Kitchen With Skarlett Mayday! Mayday!

    Beltane, AKA May Day, falls on the first of May. It is the festival that marks the midway point between Ostara and the Summer Solstice. In Celtic traditions, it also means the start of the summer season. Other Earth-Centered Religions have celebrated this rebirth of the Earth in many forms: The Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night is a boisterous and beloved celebration involving bonfires and much, noisy merry making; The Greeks would have celebrated Protomagia, Summer’s victory over Winter by making and hanging flower wreaths on their doors. and Vappu in Finland honors the Earth waking up with raucous picnics and mead known as sima shared round. This is only…