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  CATHEDRAL IN ICE This painting is based on a vision I had in Greenland: Ilulissat, Kallalit Nunaat (Greenland), Friday 22 August 2008   4 a.m. I sleep like a log until something wakes me at 4 a.m. The Spirit of Greenland is calling me: “You have always wanted to visit Greenland, but the truth is that I was calling you! On the way from the airport you noticed a flock of sea gulls gathered on a melting ice floe in the harbour. You felt tearful as you heard the spirits say: this is an endangered continent. I am shown an image of Knud Rasmussen (the great Arctic explorer)  setting out with his dogsled. Here…

Sun Philter     Merry meet. In reading “The herbal Alchemist’s Handbook” by Karen Harrison (that is reviewed in this issue), I came across directions for a philter – an infusion of herbs that is charged with intentions and the energies of the moon or the sun. With the Summer Solstice approaching, I chose to create one with the energy of the sun.     In her book, she says to gather calendula, Saint John’s Wort, chamomile and juniper berries, and at sunrise, put a teaspoon of each in a chalice, cauldron or bowl that can hold 16 ounces. As they are added, she directs you to focus on the…

Spiralled Edges – Finding Balance It may be because I was born with Libra Rising, but for most of my life I have been a person who likes balance. One doesn’t walk a balanced path though. Instead it is a constant fluctuation between extremes. Sometimes that fluctuation is very tiny with minute changes most people never notice. Other times, these fluctuations can be huge, with massive changes that send you reeling back and forth for some time.   When we think about walking in balance, our vision is that it is somehow a static event. We reach balance and then we are in balance. This could not be further from…

Winter Sleep This short art video is about the Dreaming of a Mother Bear presented by My Bear Self! It was made spontaneously while we were in Sweden in April and unexpectedly experienced a White Easter (rather than the White Christmas we had hoped for a few months earlier in the same location). One of my long-standing dreams was to put on a bear costume, roam in the forest and hibernate in a cave – so I took the opportunity to do just that. On another level this art video is about dissolving separation between humans – animals, self – other, ancestors – future generations, inner world – outside world,…

Shiva Lingam       Gathered from a holy site on the Narmada River in India, these sacred stones pack quite a bit of energy. Though these stones are a symbol of the Hindu God Shiva they also represent both masculine (the phallic shape) and feminine (the yoni markings) energies, because of this they can be used to activate kundalini energy. Not only can they intensify vitality within the body, they are known to raise the pranic energy as well. It’s been said that Shiva Lingams represent the center axis of life, connecting earth with the universe. Known as the stone of insight, lingams facilitate releasing all that you’ve outgrown…

Notes from the Apothecary: Yarrow       One of my favourite wild plants, yarrow is found right across North America, Europe and even as far east as China. The feathery leaves give way to clusters of beautiful, tiny flowers that are loved by bees and other pollinators. Most commonly they are cream or white, but there are many coloured varieties too, including some incredible bright red species that are currently adorning my local park. The plant’s formal name is achillea millefolium. The first part refers to the association with Achilles, who was taught by the centaur Chiron to use the herb to staunch the bleeding of his soldiers. The…

In-Spired Magick         When we are mentally inspired our thoughts come rushing in like a gust of wind; often moving so quickly that we have to pause for a moment and breathe into the excitement of downpour or we miss some of the fine points. Our breath quickens and our heart races at the potential of what has been intellectualized and refined by mental process. When we are emotionally inspired our feelings flow throughout our being often in a rhythm of ebb and flow similar to that of the ocean’s tides. We breathe into the momentum and allow ourselves to either languish in the beauty of these…

“The herbal Alchemist’s Handbook: A Grimoire of Philtres, Elixirs, Oils, Incense, and Formulas for Ritual Use”     by Karen Harrison Published by Weiser Books Published: 2011 Pages: 236 This book is everything it claims on the cover – and that’s a lot for one book to deliver. Karen Harrison has been involved in the magickal and psychic life since early childhood. She earned a master of herbology. As a magickal practitioner and a master herbalist, she combines her knowledge of both, giving the medicinal and the astrological properties of herbs. It’s a combination that makes sense when you remember that both astrology and herbology are arts that have been…

Herbs – Plain & Simple – Over 100 Recipes for Health and Healing by Marlene Houghton As someone who has had more than a passing interest in herbs, and works with them on intermittent basis, I can definitely say that this book lives us to its’ name. It is definitely “plain and simple”. This does not mean that it is not chock-full of information – because it is. This does not mean that it is only meant for beginners. – because it is not. What is does mean is that this little book, at 169 pages, gets right to the point, dispensing herbal information in simple, everyday language. It is broken…

                                       Welcome                                              ***   (This month’s cover graphic is created by 11 year old artist Lilia Portuguez. She enjoys drawing and playing with her cat.  Do you have Pagan art you would like to share?  email us at [email protected])                                                ***   This June Issue of PaganPagesOrg is…