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(samhain)       the leaves fly as i drive home blowing formica gold seventies orange & a washed-out green just a few bright reds this drought has made for a dull autumn still the sun reflects the jewelry in leaves yet clinging to trees the leaves fly after a frost so long in coming oh demeter i will miss you as you search for your daughter oh hecate i do revel in your golden splendor oh artemis i long to join you in this season’s hunt the leaves fly as i drive home the sun sets in a mass of growing clouds red & gold & purple & midnight…

Indoors or out of doors, the witch must find her spot. This is the place where she feels grounded and centered, and for her it is therefore the center, either of her dwelling or of the world. If you have an easy chair set up somewhere in your living room, this may be your spot, provided it is not placed against a wall. Mark your spot with a piece of tape or something similar if you must, though it is enough to note how you feel there and let that be your marker. Now, standing on your spot, use your magnetic compass 1 to face the four directions. Gaze into…

(art by Sarah Mcmenomy*)   It is October and Samhain is drawing near. Who among us who observes the Wheel of the Year doesn’t get excited about this most sacred of witchy days?  At Mabon we entered the dark half of the year, a time for reflection and looking within.  Not only is the world around us darkening, it is time for us to face our own inner darkness.   Darkness.  It’s a word we throw around a lot, but what does it mean for us as we move deeper into fall and toward winter?  We hear that “dark” doesn’t necessarily mean “bad,” but then, why is darkness sometimes associated…

    TRIBUTE TO THE MIMI SPIRITS   MiMi figures are small stick-like spirits. They are said to live in bush and rock crevices in Arnhem Land in the very North of Australia. They are regarded as great artists because they like painting their portraits in red ochre on rocks! Mimi spirits are not Creator Beings, but they taught the Ancestors of the present-day Gunwinggu tribe the art of painting. Mimi spirits can be enchanting creatures, but one must realise they can be malevolent as well as benevolent. As a painter I wished to create a tribute to the Mimi spirits for giving human beings the art of painting! *** About the author:…

A Special Pathworking for Samhain Hecate’s Labyrinth This time of the year is one of connection. The veils between the worlds have thinned and many will reach out to the Goddess Hecate as they seek the deeper wisdom of her triune form. Some will call to the Goddess to guide them to the land of the ancestors as they seek the gifts of those beloved who have passed on. Others will call to the Goddess seeking greater knowledge of their own strength and the power held in the trinity in the human form. And, some will use the energy of Hecate to transform and renew what will be carried into…

By Lauren White © 2000 by MQ Publications Ltd. ISBN: 0-7407-0552-0 112 pages   This is a fun little book and I mean “little” literally. The book is roughly five by five inches. However, this little book contains a considerable amount of information despite the small size   I really liked the first part of the book which is a discussion on how to use the book. Each spell has a key included with it. This key list difficulty which ranges from easy or the author puts it, “a piece of cake”, to requires concentration. The second aspect on the key is for the amount of time it takes to…

Samhain and divination   When I moved into my new place this summer, I decided to reread all my spiritual books, starting with The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess by Starhawk, which I read for the first time exactly thirty years ago. I cannot stress how much this book changed my life. A good friend loaned me her copy and I literally copied it almost word for word by hand and then later typed up my handwritten notes. This was the basis of my original Book of Shadows. Written basically as a manual for group instruction, I used The Spiral Dance to teach…

In present day, there are now many different paths to feminism and there are those who believe that certain things, such as women working in the sex trade, pornography, etc. are being empowered by such work. I would put myself out there to say that I disagree, and that I know many other women who identify as feminists who are right there with me, to say nothing of the many women who have worked as prostitutes and in pornographic movies who have gone on to write about their experiences and how it was so NOT empowering, but humiliating, demeaning and degrading to them, not only as women, but as human…

Stingy Jack         Master of mischief You tricked the devil Into becoming silver A coin to pay The barman’s bill.   Lover of lies You swindled Satan Into yonder apple tree Trapped by crosses You won again.   King of coercion You beat Beelzebub But your liver couldn’t win The ale was your sin You died as you lived.   Beer soaked and broken The devil tricked you Now your face is a grimace Trapped in a turnip Wandering always You can’t find the veil.     Don’t try to trick The devil or the fae You’ll think you have won But they always get their way.…

  As I close my eyes and breathe in the rich scent of Autumn, my mind turns to those I have loved and lost. Those who have traveled on to the Shadow-Lands. Shadowfest, or more commonly known as All Hallows Eve and Samhain, is fast approaching. This is the Season of the Witch, but most importantly, the Season of Spirits. The veil between this world and the Un-Seen (Other-World, Shadow-Lands, Elphame, Summer-Lands, Avalon, Annwn, Elysium Fields, etc.) is thinnest at this time of year. Spirits, human and non-human alike, roam the Earth reaching out to those who are willing and able to acknowledge their existence.   One of the most…