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Meet the Gods: Dionysos Merry meet. This month we get to know Dionysos, the Olympian god of the grape harvest, wine and wine making as well as the god of ritual madness, wild frenzy, festivity and pleasure. He is also called Bacchus. He was usually accompanied by Satyrs (lustful, drunken woodland deities who were part human and part horse or goat) and Mainades (frenzied female devotees). The thyrsos (a staff topped with a pinecone), a crown of ivy, fruiting grapevines, a drinking cup and a panther are all associated with him. Frequently represented in ancient art, he was first shown as a mature, bearded adult wearing an ivy wreath and…

Lughnasadh The scythe is laid to rest Now hands beat on chest As all gather to prove They are the best The pride, the joy, the champion The hero, the one, the winner In each and every new contest. Each struggle is met with smiles Tug of war, rock tossing, wrestling Fleet footed races through ditches and bogs Peaty feet slipping and caked in History. We fly kites, and hunt treasure 20 questions, buzzing with pleasure Simple joys, still competing But no conflict. Competition Without war. Just, as we think, Lugh’s mother Tailtiu Would have wanted. After all, that’s who he made Lughnasadh for. *** About the Author: Mabh Savage is…

It is almost impossible to meet every beauty standard. It is almost impossible for the beauty, diet and medical industries to “approve” of your body, skin, hair and eyes. In a world that deliberately shifts the “should’s” and shames that attacks and blames, loving yourself is an act of rebellion. What is reviled in one country is celebrated in another. From skinny shaming to fat-hating what stays the same is the entitlement of male-gaze, the disgust and ownership of the female form. The idea that women are objects for public consumption is at the root of both modesty and pornography. My mum was a fat hater and a fat-shamer. So…

The Bad Witch’s Guide to Lughnasadh Lammas and Lughnasadh get a bit of a bad rap. The biggest issue is the dating. When the shift from old to Gregorian calendars happened in 1782 the year lost 11 days. So we have two dates 31 of July and August 12. The next thing was that instead of celebrating on the day, the church bumped the celebrations to the nearest Sundays or saints’ days. So what is this celebrating? Who is Lugh? What is a loaf mass anyway? This is the beginning of harvest. From wild foraging, to gardens and fields full of golden wheat and barley all was about to gathered…

  “Going Shamanic” is hosted by Jennifer Engracio on P.A.G.E.  Media Project’s blogtalk radio each month. The show focuses on how to integrate shamanism into every day life. Instead of relegating the spiritual aspect of ourselves to Sundays at church or weekend workshops, this show will support listeners in weaving ritual, prayer, magic, alignment with the Spiritworld and the Earth into their lives to enrich their experience of living. This Month’s Topic: Storytelling as Medicine with Greg Leach Jen speaks to seasoned storyteller, Greg Leach, to find out how stories can be told to help us transform, heal and grow as individuals and how we can tell stories that support healing in our communities. Greg Leach began…

Dark Goddess Craft: A Journey Through the Heart of Transformation Author: Stephanie Woodfield Publisher: Llewellyn Publications Copyright:2017 I decided to do more than just a review of this book. I wanted to work through it. I read the whole book, but I picked which Dark Goddess to work with as I read each section. Ms. Woodfield explains upfront the nature of the Dark Gods or Goddesses as she has come to understand it. I feel that she is right, about how only in the modern times have we picked the labels of Light (Good) and Dark (Evil/Bad). Our ancestors didn’t classify things in such a manner, because to them the…

What’s in Your Toolbox? Back when I lived in Lowell, Massachusetts – several years ago – I had Comcast cable and one of the stations I received was called Decades. I guess you can receive it on Spectrum cable too but it’s on some wicked expensive package. It’s a cool station – everyday, they feature the events of that day – whoever’s birthday it is or whatever noteworthy happened on that day – so the programming changes accordingly. Anyway, every day at 8 in the morning, I would watch an old episode of the Dick Cavett show. Back in the 1970’s, Dick Cavett had a talk show that was as…

Chapter 5 Setting Boundaries Not every adult believes in the existence of the spirit worlds, but almost every child does. That we still have that child within us and are influenced by forgotten beliefs, has a major impact on the results of our meditation. If we wish to ensure that our journeys are positive and uplifting, it is best to set boundaries before we begin. The poems and art in this book will naturally tend to lead to the areas mentioned and always have a positive aspect. However, as we forge our own path to mental and emotional balance, it is best to have this ability completely under our own…

Absolutely The Best Pasta Salad In the World My family usually has some kind of reunion each summer – one side gathering here and the other side gathering there – and for the last twenty-odd years, I have been bringing “my” pasta salad to every family picnic. It doesn’t even have an official name – it’s just “Polly’s Pasta Salad” – and everyone loves it. But it’s not really my salad. Like everything else I make, it’s a recipe I got from someone else and then I tweaked it – again and again – until it settled into the form it has today. It’s funny. I don’t even use a…

  The Bad Witch’s Guide to Athames Athame rhymes with “a plane” not “ath harm eh”. The black-handled knife, the witch’s blade, the athame: a ritual knife for casting and cutting energy and power. I’ve never been uncomfortable with knives (blame She-ra) from my pen-knife I got around 9 years old to the kitchen knives I used all the time from about 11 years of age, yet there is this anxiety about blades, more now than when I was younger most especially with some women. Much in the same way I think everyone should know how to use a saw, axe, drill and spade (shovels are from moving stuff, spades…