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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this timely book and was thrilled to be able to interview Ms. Murphy-Hiscock…. The Interview Robin Fennelly (RF): What brought you to the Craft? and Can you tell us a little about the Black Forest Clan and your work as High Priestess.  Arin Murphy-Hiscock (AMH): I discovered the Craft in my twenties when I did research for a collaborative storytelling project. I was invited to join BFC in 2000, and have been working with them ever since. We have a small coven here in Montreal that takes self-care very seriously. I don’t teach workshops as much as I used to; writing books has taken the place…

March I’ve been working with astrology a lot in my craft lately, and it’s starting to work its way into all my designs! Here, I’ve added the planets associated with each day of the week in a flow of stardust — this is pretty, but it’s also a way of labeling the days and reminding me of the planetary associations. This March, the full moon is on Ostara, the Vernal Equinox. It brings with it a great potential for manifestation of personal works. To harness this power and celebrate the season, I’m making a renewed effort to spend time on my garden. My husband and I moved a little over…

“The white dragon is a pure, unbiased spiritual being, the subconscious part of each of us that subtly demands that we acknowledge and live by adherence to spiritual laws. We may think we have skirted any retribution of the flaunting of such laws, but somewhere along our path we will discover that we can no longer move forward without facing the consequences of past actions or inactions.” “A Guide to the Celtic Dragon Tarot” by D.J. Conway and Lisa Hunt I remember walking into a convent to begin my religious studies within the Catholic faith when I was twelve years old and feeling like it was all so comfortable and…

Book ReviewBlackthorn’s Botanical MagicThe Green Witch’s Guide to Essential Oils for Spellcraft, Ritual & Healing by Amy Blackthorn319 Pages The use of essential oils has gained a lot of attention in recent years, it has become easy to purchase bottles of these extraordinary elixirs at local retailers, but do people understand how to properly use these oils? Amy Blackthorn, founder of Blackthorn Hoodoo Blends, provides the reader with a guide to the safe and proper use of essential oils both in everyday use and in magic. Ms. Blackthorn has admirably demonstrated her extensive knowledge of horticulture, herbalism and agriculture in this book. Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic is an encyclopedia of essential…

The Road to Runes: Tiwaz Tiwaz, Elder Futhark Rune of Norse God Tyr, Sacrifice and Law. Last month I pulled the rune Dagaz, a rune all about breakthroughs and new beginnings. This coincided with a major life change for me and certainly reinforced my confidence in the runes and my journey with them. The next rune I pulled was Tiwaz, the rune of the god Tyr. Tyr is a god of war, but also of law and justice. Tyr was invoked when victory was needed in battle. He gives the day ‘Tuesday’ its name, and has been conflated with the Roman god Mars. Tyr’s primary myth is the story of…

There is a series of books titled, “Plain & Simple, The Only Book You will Ever Need”. I have three of these that I would like to review together, in that they are part of a growing series. The first one I will review is “Chakras, Plain & Simple” by Sasha Fenton. The book begins with an introduction to the chakras, what they are, and how they work. From there, there is a chapter on each chakra with description, purpose, benefits of each when healthy and each includes an exercise for the specific chakra. How to heal your chakra is next discussed, bringing them into balance using colors, crystals, oils,…

Here are some words from a Spring Equinox Ritual performed between three witches with a focus on the Morrígan. You could speak the words on your own, or with a group, and you can decorate your sacred space with flowers or appropriate tools, depending on your path. I’ve left out any specific calls or hails, as you can add these as appropriate to your own beliefs. You will need an object or symbol that is important to you at this time of year, a seed, and a pot of soil (per person.) Spirits of East, creatures of air Light of the bright morning, Venus on the horizon Warm winds chasing…

Crystals for Luck & Happiness This month with both the winter & cold weather dragging on (in my neck of the woods) and St Patrick’s Day coming, I thought we can sure use some crystal aids for bringing us more joy & happiness and some good old luck! Are ya with me? Good! Read on to see which are my favorite go-to crystals to get my happy on and when I need some luck on my side. Yellow Apatite Yellow or golden apatite is best known for its amazing manifestation powers, but for me it’s also just as fabulous for bringing joy. It’s sunny gemmy color makes me feel happy…

Druidry as a Path of Enlightenment I’ve seen a number of articles debating this topic, and I very much want to say that my own solitary druid path has been nothing but a path to enlightenment! An email from an acquaintance recently said how she was interested in druidry but didn’t know how to integrate it into her life. Well, my own path is the easiest thing in the world to integrate into anyone’s life because it’s so simple. I went to a school to learn energy healing 23 years ago and since then, I’ve done two half-hour meditations a day. The first one, in the morning, is when I…

Meet the Gods: Jarilo (https://www.slavorum.org/) Merry meet. While Ostara (also called Eostre and Eastre) is the Germanic goddess of spring and dawn, there appears to be no equivalent Germanic god of spring. There is, however, a handsome, young Slavic god of spring and fertility – Jarilo. He was born on the night of the Slavic new year and was the tenth son of Perun, the god of thunder. Veles, the Slavic god of the Underworld, kidnapped Jarilo from his cradle. As a result, winter overtook the land. Vegetation died and fertility was suspended. Jarilo escaped, arriving home in spring at which time flowers bloomed, birds sang and fertility festivals (some…