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This Month’s Freebie from Shirley Lenhard
Advice from a Tree Freebie from Shirley Lenhard This month’s downloadable freebie is brought to you by the talented Shirley Lenhard who shares her Pagan themed planner stickers in her group the Pagan Plannertarium. The Pagan Plannertarium is a beautifully created home for FREE Pagan Themed planner stickers for anyone who answers the membership questions and gains entry into the group. I spend a lot of time looking around for stickers that I would use in my Book of Shadows and my daily planner but I don’t really want to spent an arm and a leg on etsy shop layouts that don’t really work for me. So I…
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Retha’s Crystal Reflections
Crystals for Working with the New & Full Moon If you are anything like me, working with the moon phases are a big part of your monthly rituals. I am always looking for the perfect crystals to support my moon work. I have come up with some tried and true crystals over the years that I work with again and again. I hope you will try working with some of these and that you find they enhance your intention setting, wish making and honoring of our beautiful Luna. Read on to hear my top crystal allies for the new and full moon. New Moon Crystals When I think of the…
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She Who is All – The Goddess of Ten Thousand Names
Vajrayogini (Photo Credit: The Divine Feminine Oracle Guidebook by Meggan Watterson) Vajrayogini is considered to be the prime deity of the Tantric pantheon, the principal female deity of the Chakrasamvara Cycle of Yantras, and central to the practice of Vajrayogini Buddhism. She is a Dakini (Tantric Priestess) and female Buddha, the complete essence of Buddhahood in female form, and is common to all Tibetan Buddhism schools. Her red body symbolizes Her inner fire, while the flames surrounding her represent Her elevated wisdom and spiritual transformation. The ability to see with clarity in the future, as well as the present and past, is evident in Her third eye chakra. (Photo…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Hyacinth The hyacinth is a flowering plant which grows from a bulb. It has beautiful clusters of fragrant flowers and is very popular during the holiday season and spring. This easy to grow plant has a wealth of history and mythology, and could bring a touch of magic into your home as well as a blast of floral colour and fragrance. The Kitchen Garden Hyacinths are poisonous so aren’t grown for culinary purposes. They contain oxalic acid, a compound that causes skin irritation externally. If taken internally it can cause: Damage to mucous membranes Damage to respiratory tract Wheezing Shortness of breath Laryngitis Inflammation…
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Beyond Belief: Trees
(Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash) By the time you read this I will have had my first spot on British national radio. Specifically, the Beyond Belief radio show for BBC Radio 4. American readers, you may be able to get this online! The show was about the religious and spiritual significance of trees, from the perspective of different faiths. I was one of three experts recruited to debate and discuss the topic. So, how did this come about? Well, I was lucky enough that one of my esteemed colleagues from the Pagan Federation pointed me in the direction of a particular post on Facebook. It was from the…
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Crone’s Corner
Heeding the Advise from a Tree There is a stillness in the air in New England when we approach Samhain, the time of year for the descent to begin into the dark days, when the light leaves us to contemplate the harvest of our year that has passed. I feel the trees, which were full of life a few weeks ago, giving their final farewell in a burst of color displaying their life well lived during the turning of the wheel! The first week of November marks the last of the leaves falling gently to the ground, covering the earth in a blanket of brilliant yellow, red, and…
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Peeking in the Shadows; Crafting a Book of Shadows and Light
Welcome to Peeking in the Shadows. This monthly column will give you everything you need to create or to add to an existing Book of Shadows and Light – aka. BOS. This month is a quick-look at what a BOS is and what it may contain. We’ll go through in more depth these and other components in future months. But for now…. A Book is Not (Always) Just Another Book As you continue on the pagan path you will want to create a Book of Shadow and Light. This is essentially a journal or guide that holds special Quarter Calls, rituals, information and results of herbs used, incense recipes, spell work,…
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GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Oghma Merry meet. Oghma, also spelled Ogma and Ogmios, is the Irish god of poetry and eloquence. He is also a famed warrior whose magical sword, Oma, would recount all his heroic deeds when removed from its sheath. According to legend, he created Ogham, a runic alphabet that bears his name and in which Irish Gaelic was reportedly first written. Wikipedia states, “He often appears as a triad with Lugh and the Dagda, (The Dagda is his brother and Lugh is his half-brother), who are sometimes collectively known as the trí dée dána or three gods of skill.” Oghma was said to look like an older version…
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August Native Moon: Excerpt from the Forthcoming Book ‘Cosmic Crystals: Rituals and Meditations for Connecting with Lunar Energy’ by Ashley Leavy
August Native Moon From ‘Cosmic Crystals: Rituals and Meditations for Connecting with Lunar Energy’ by Ashley LeavyAvailable August 20 from Fair Winds Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group The thirteen Native Moons in Cosmic Crystals are by far the most difficult to describe. With so many different Native tribes, cultural traditions, and important stories, finding common threads is not always easy. In most instances, the main moon name given is the most commonly used name among the Algonquin tribes, and the listed alternative names come from other well-known tribal peoples from North America, Central America, and South America. As you read about the Native Moons, put yourself in the…
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The Future is Goddess: An Excerpt from Seven Ages of the Goddess
The Future is GoddessAn Excerpt from Seven Ages of the Goddess Isis Astarte Diana Hekate Demeter Kali Inanna! So goes the chant around so many fires at so many gatherings of witches, wiccans and pagans. Each name a chapter in the history-book of goddess worship, and each name still worshiped and revered today. Some believe that these goddesses are all one goddess. Some believe they are all aspects of the sacred feminine that is embodied within all goddess worship. Some believe they are all individual beings, each worthy of their own offerings, sacrifices and reverence. Whatever the practitioner’s relationship with these goddesses, the fact is that these goddesses have survived…