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This is the first of a series of articles that will explore our connection to the Moon and how to use HER energy for magick and spiritual growth…. Part One Lunar Magick: The Basics   The Lady holds her mystery In silent waiting orb. The milky white lantern held In space of velvet night. Sun king gives way As she weaves her veil Of star and ebb and flow. She speaks not a word Her call answered deep Within the heart that turns within.   The Silent Moon is calling The rite of the Hermit has begun. Moon Phase Basics Attuning to the phases and cycle of the moon connects the seeker…

  Ahhhh, It’s that time of year again. The air has turned crisp and leaves begin to swirl around our feet. The darkness greets us sooner and sooner each day. It’s almost time to celebrate, The Witch’s New Year…Samhain or Halloween. Samhain, Pronounced Sow-in, is the Celtic Festival to mark the end of the harvest season. It is the beginning of Winter and the Darker half of the year. It is just about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It lasts from sunset Oct 31st to sunset Nov 1st. It is believed to be a very powerful day, when the Veil between the Worlds is at it’s…

  Other Names: celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or…

  Salmon with Apples and Maple Syrup The fall season is filled with fabulous fruits and vegetables – various squashes, including pumpkin, which seems to be everywhere nowadays – heirloom tomatoes, many different kinds of beans, pears and plums and peaches – and my personal favorite – apples. Every year, I look forward to the fall season for the apple crop. This year in the Northeast, we have been plagued by a very harsh drought so the local apples are much smaller than usual but are they ever sweet and juicy! Like Jo March in Little Women, I can think of nothing better than to sit in a comfortable place…

Bright Blessings. I write this October article on the week of the Fall Equinox. By the time you read this, the days will be even shorter than they are today, the temperature will have dropped even more at nighttime, which will be longer, and all of us will be enjoying the bounty fall time brings. I started doing that this past weekend. I bought some bulbs to plant that will bloom in springtime, and I got my FIRST pumpkin spice latte of the year. And yes, I was the stereotypical white lady in stretchy pants when I pulled into Starbucks to nab that treat! As a matter of fact, I…

Obsidian Made of quickly cooled molten lava, Obsidian is a highly protective stone. Cool and glassy to the touch, yet when held I instantly feel shielded as if a protective barrier has formed around me. Mentally, Obsidian can bring clarity and clear any type of spiritual constrictions. Each type of obsidian has it’s own specific attributes in addition to what I mentioned above. Below are just a few pieces from my collection that I wanted to share with you. Mahogany Obsidian   Believe it or not I actually found this stone at Goodwill. I snatched it right off the shelf and hugged it as if it was a long lost…

Notes from the Apothecary: Oak There are very few trees with as many mythological and folklore links as the oak. For many, the entire wheel of the year is based on the eternal battle between the Oak King and the Holly King, with the Oak King’s power now ebbing and fading as the nights draw in and the season gives way to autumn.   Robert Graves drew on various myths and folklore to create the image of the two great spirits locked in endless struggle, in his book The White Goddess. However, the idea of light battling dark is, of course, much older than Graves’ description, and can be seen…

Prof. Allan Anderson, of San Diego State University, once advised his students to “begin building a world for yourself from the inside out.” The word ‘world’ is often used to translate the Greek kosmos, and refers to the world as it appears to our senses, with a dome overhead and a horizon around us. Ignorant people unaware of this meaning of the word think that scriptural references to the roundness of the world prove that ancient peoples knew the planet earth to be round. Until classical times, the concept of the earth as a planet was nonexistent. When we use the ancient concept of a cosmos, therefore, we should understand…

Joanna van der Hoeven: Breathing the Ancient Breath   Joanna van der Hoeven is a best-selling author, teacher, and co-founder of Druid College UK. Joanna took some time out to speak to Mabh here at Pagan Pages. Mabh Savage: Pagan Portals: The Awen Alone has been an incredibly popular release. Tell us a bit about the book, and why you think it has such wide ranging appeal. Joanna van der Hoeven: I’m absolutely delighted at the reception The Awen Alone: Walking the Path of the Solitary Druid has received. It’s a book in the Pagan Portals series, a lovely series of books that provides an introduction to a certain topic…

The Search for Meaning… After a lifetime of searching for answers and eight years of active involvement in the pagan community, I still ask myself, – “Why Paganism?” What is is about these diverse, colourful and eccentric people that has inspired me and helped me to live the life which I once saw only as a subject for analysis. In fact, was it Paganism?, or was it just the incredible psychic talents of my wife, Tina, which finally reawakened my own talents and launched me forward on my spiritual path? I suspect that the actual causes of my spiritual rebirth may be difficult to unravel. Strangely, it was just before…