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Book Review – Strix Craft: Ancient Greek Magic for the Modern Witch by Oracle Hekataios
Book Review Strix Craft Ancient Greek Magic for the Modern Witch by Oracle Hekataios Llewellyn Publications 310 Pages I am the first to admit that I don’t know much about the different paths of Witchcraft or Wicca. I am eclectic; in that, I do what the Deities ask me to do. But they don’t require that I follow a specific layout in my worship. Strix Craft helped me understand why some people follow particular standards in their worship of the God/dess they work with and worship. In chapter one, the author, Oracle Hekataios, goes into detail about the different magics practiced and taught in Ancient Greece, especially in…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Relaxation Special There’s no getting away from it: things are pretty stressful right now. The pandemic situation is something we’re potentially stuck with until there’s a vaccine, plus on top of that, there’s a whole lot of unrest in the world. Finding time to relax and unwind has never been more important. That’s why I decided to dedicate this issue of Notes from the Apothecary to plants and herbs that help alleviate daily stresses. Remember, herbal remedies are a form of complementary therapy and should NEVER replace existing medication or treatments. You should always take advice from a medical professional, especially if you are already taking…
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30 Days of Samhain
It’s Almost Time! The final harvest calls, the Ancestors await and the veils between the worlds have thinned offering the gifts of healing, transformation and deeper communion with the cycles of nature. 2020 marks the fourth year of 30-Days of Samhain! This year has been challenging and turbulent and as we approach this sacred time of the year all that we hold dear is reaching out to embrace us in all of its beauty and power. In past years we have explored the mysteries of Samhain using a daily format of postings and suggestions to deepen your awareness of this sacred time of the year. This year I’ll…
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Book Review – The Complete Grimoire: Magickal Practices and Spells for Awakening Your Inner Witch by Lidia Pradas
Book Review The Complete Grimoire Magickal Practices and Spells for Awakening Your Inner Witch by Lidia Pradas Fair Winds Press 176 Pages Excerpt From the Publisher: …Welcome to my grimoire! You are about to begin an exciting journey of ancient knowledge and self-discovery. In this book, I share with you everything you need to know about the pillars of witchcraft, helping you connect with the energy of the universe. Let me guide you through this path of the occult! Everybody has the potential to use witchcraft. In these pages, you will learn how to work with your energy and intention, as well as the energy of the elements…
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Book Review – The Witch’s Guide to Ritual: Spells, Incantations and Inspired Ideas for an Enchanted Life by Cerridwen Greenleaf
Book Review The Witch’s Guide to Ritual Spells, Incantations and Inspired Ideas for an Enchanted Life by Cerridwen Greenleaf 344 Pages “The Witch’s Guide to Ritual” is a surprisingly ambitious book which seeks to catalogue and discuss the use and place of witchcraft in rituals of all kinds. With such a broad subject as ritual, the scope of this book has been tailored: it’s intended for intermediate practitioners, so there isn’t a lot of introductory information about witchcraft in general, and the subject is approached very pragmatically, without too many frills or explanations for beginners. The book is broadly cross-cultural, and discusses many Eastern traditions, but expresses a…
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As Above So Below (How the Stars Became Our Hearts)
Non Traditional Models of Intelligence and the Gaian Mind Where are you? Right now? I don’t mean your physical body. I mean, if you’re using your physical body as reference, where are you in there? The easy answer would be the brain. Maybe if you look a little deeper your answer may be the heart. If you look even deeper though, the question becomes hard to answer. In the dream state for example, you have no connection to your physical body, except the silver cord, a popular concept in metaphysics that ties you to the body during astral travel. Sometimes, in your dreams, you’re not even you, but…
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Mabon Correspondences & Water Element Writing Ritual Excerpted from ‘The Ultimate Guide to the Witch’s Wheel of the Year’ by Anjou Kiernan
MABON September 21–24 (Southern Hemisphere: March 21–24) Pronunciation: MAB-bon Alternative Names: Autumn or Fall Equinox, Second Harvest, Harvest Home, Wine Harvest, Fruit Harvest, Witches’ Thanksgiving, Alban Elfid (Celtic) CORRESPONDENCES ALTAR DECORATIONS: Acorns, animal bones, apples, autumn leaves, balance scales, corn, cornucopia (horn of plenty), gourds, grapes and grapevines, pentacles, pine cones, pomegranates, poppies, root vegetables, seeds, sunflowers, wine ANIMALS: Blackbird, coyote, crow, duck, goat, goose, owl, raven, stag, squirrel, turkey, wolf CELEBRATIONS: Charity work, feasting, gathering, harvesting COLORS: Burgundy, burnt orange, dark green, eggplant, brown, gold DEITIES: Aphrodite/Venus, Dionysus/Bacchus, gods and goddesses of the underworld (Persephone/Kore/Proserpine, Demeter/Ceres, Hekate) (Greco-Roman); Modron and Mabon (Welsh) DIRECTION: West ELEMENT: Water FOOD…
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Peeking in the Shadows: Crafting a Book of Shadows and Light
Over the next few months, we’re going to take a look at the categories and sections you may wish to include in your BOS. What you add to your BOS is as unique as you are and will evolve and change as you evolve and change on your path. Flexibility is key to organizing your BOS, but you should have a method of organization as well. This month our focus is on Visionary Work…. Visionary work takes many forms so you will undoubtedly have multiple sections in your BOS that are inclusive of that work. These will include divination and oracular practices, information gained from spell crafting, ritualistic visioning,…
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Nurturing Your Wild Child
Prepping the Roots of Spirituality When and How to Introduce Your Children to the Path A common denominator in our Spiritual pathways as Pagans is the very immediate indoctrination of a secular Faith, and this beginning is very sheltering and terrifying for many of us. Growing through our Spiritual paths we find that healing becomes a part of this, a necessary piece to rid ourselves of this fear of something unknown which draws into our lives another commonality – the need to save our families from this same Faith-based trauma. This idea coupled with the understanding of how our natural cyclical beings are attuned to the Universe, we begin to…
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‘The Grief Ritual’ A Ritual and Interview with Bernadette Pleasant, Somatic Healer and Creator of the Emotional Institute
‘The Grief Ritual’ A Ritual and Interview with Bernadette Pleasant, Somatic Healer and Creator of the Emotional Institute It’s almost two o’clock on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and I’m lying on my back on the floor of my stepson’s empty room, sobbing uncontrollably. My feet rest on the carpet and as I feel the fibers between my toes, I remind myself to let it all go: tension, pain, sorrow — everything I don’t want to burden others with, and everything I shouldn’t carry myself. I feel it melt away from my body and into the earth, flowing off of my body like water, lightening me with every shaking…