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Meet the Gods: Green Man As pagans celebrate Beltane, the world is turning green, so it’s easy to understand why pagans turn to Green Man. He is the head or face seen in many forms, always made from or surrounded by leaves – sometimes with vines or branches coming from his mouth or ears. His is found on pagan altars in the woods; on the walls of Christian churches in England, France and Germany; and in secular buildings. Beltane celebrates life as spring reaches its peak. Earth energies are strong and bursting with potential. Fertility is abundant. The Green Man, as the young Oak King also known as Jack-in-the-Green, falls…

Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times: Beltaine 2017 Bright Blessings! I write this on April 21. It’s in the sixties here in Central Ohio, and my radishes and peas are coming up nicely. Big plans are in place to add manure to soil for our tomatoes, summer zucchini, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Aside from that, people who have literally been hibernating save for the mandatory work, and errands, are slowly reappearing into creation. Outdoor gatherings and festival season is nearly here, and invitations are being sent left and right. Every year here, this time of year is the same. And every year, it is about Samhain time the hibernation begins.…

            Welcome   ______________________________________________________________   Welcome Readers & Welcome Spring!  We have a very interesting issue this month with features like…     An Article All About ‘Natural Born Shamans: A Spiritual Toolkit for Life’ by Imelda Almqvist, which features the Time Travellers.     An interview with Moonwater SilverClaw, Author of Be A Wiccan Badass,  easy-to-read, simple guide to the Craft     In SpellCrafting: Spells & Rituals, Lynn, asks us all a good question on following spells, have a read and start the discussion!       This month we Welcome Imelda Almqvist to the PaganPages family with her column Sacred art.  Where she…

  Also known as: May Day, Bealtaine, Beltane, Bhealtainn, Bealtinne, Festival of Tana (Strega), Giamonios, Rudemass, and Walburga (Teutonic), Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain),Fairy Day ,Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltain, Baltane, Walpurgis Night, Floriala (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch) Date: May 1 Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, Cats, lynx, leopard Deities: Flower Goddesses, Divine Couples, Deities of the Hunt, Aphrodite,artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses who preside over fertility. Tools: broom, May Pole, cauldron Stones/Gems: emerald, malachite, amber,…

Using a Pendulum with Runes   Since buying a set of Runes in January of this year, I have been working with them and studying both their history and lore diligently. Using Alexandra Chauran’s wonderful book, Runes for Beginners: Simple divination and Interpretation as well as the chapter on Runes in The Fortune-Teller’s Workbook: A Practical Introduction to the World of divination by Sasha Fenton, I am slowly – very slowly – becoming adept at using the stones. I am also – of course – searching the internet for all the information I can find. I made a chart for myself that I refer to quickly and am beginning to…

INTERVIEW WITH MOONWATER SILVERCLAW Author of Be A Wiccan Badass “Be A Wiccan Badass” is a easy-to-read, simple guide to the Craft, best for beginners and advanced beginners, although more seasoned practitioners will still get some good advice from it. I recently sat down with Moonwater for a chat. SM: Good morning, Moonwater. Thank you for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me. MS: Sure. My pleasure. SM: I have looked at both your website and your Amazon author page (links below). You have quite a few books to your credit, including “Be A Wiccan Badass”, which I have right here. What made you decide to be…

  The other day I was looking for some innovative session ideas for my shamanic group for teenagers. I asked my youngest son Brendan (13) for some suggestions. He said: “A session on the Spirit of Chocolate!” And he was not just trying to put chocolate on the menu, he truly is intrigued by sacred substances and how our culture has stripped them of their ceremonial use and made them ‘everyday items’ (also think of e.g. tobacco or alcohol). When I mentioned his idea to friends many wonderful links and esoteric information about a ‘Chocolate Goddess’ rolled in! We learned about the way tribal peoples use chocolate in ceremonies. As…

CRYSTAL TALISMANS AND AMULETS   (Pictured here are a few of my older pieces. Image courtesy: Shijewels https://www.etsy.com/shop/shijewels) Talismans and amulets are often pieces or objects that are believed to be protective, magical or bare a special importance to the wearer. They have been around throughout history and were often made from crystals by witches, shamans and alchemists. Throughout the stages of my own spiritual path I have worn pieces that held significant meaning to me, some for the symbols that represent my love for the Goddess, my spirituality, and others for the metaphysical assistance that I needed from the stones. Each one has it’s own unique qualities and symbolizes a…

Sweet Potato Pie: How Not to Make it!   Okay, I’ve really been off my game lately. I’ve been traveling a lot and I haven’t been doing a lot of cooking – I’ve been eating a lot of salads and quick pasta dishes or beans and rice – things I can whip up in a jiffy. But I got home from visiting my son and my elderly parents the other day in Buffalo and I thought that I would make something different – I had some yams that needed to be used, so I thought, oh, I’ll make a Sweet Potato Pie. If you have heard of “Granny Moon’s Morning…

The Eight Limbs of Yoga The column last month discussed the YAMA’s. This month we will continue with the NIYAMA’s. NIYAMA means rules or laws. Here it becomes the way to fully live your yoga practice through “personal observances”. (Photo Credit: Pinterest) The NIYAMA are much more personal than the NAMA’s. These become our personal rules for living with our spirit, our kindness and compassion. (Photo Credit: Pinterest) Sauca/Saucha – Purity Sauca, or Saucha, means cleanliness and purity. Outwardly, we practice proper hygiene. Inner cleanliness is the way we think and behave. We can use pranayama (breathwork), which cleanses our lungs, bloodstream and nervous system. Practicing asana (postures) and meditation…