PaganPages.org

  Mabon Kitchen Magic Merry meet. You have to eat something, so why not make it magical to celebrate the second harvest? It could be a dessert, something for cakes and ale, dinner or a feast. Making it yourself makes it thrifty, and allows you to infuse it with your intentions. Whatever the food is for, apples are a Mabon staple in any form: applesauce, apple butter, baked apple chips, baked apples with caramel sauce, apple cake, apple and acorn or butternut squash soup, apple muffins, apple pie, apple pound cake, apple fritters, applesauce cake, apple crisp, apple cider doughnuts, apple cobbler or Waldorf salad. Where I live, the last…

This month the MagickalArts has an offering of flash fiction. Enjoy! Tessie’s Gift Tessie was a sprite. Not just any sprite, mind you but one who could craft the most pleasant of magicks. Her magick was one of bestowing gifts to those who would otherwise remain in need and despair. She was able to command all of the elements; something quite unusual as all of the other sprites were only able to weave their magick with one. Her favorite magick was gently coaxing the winds to do her bidding and she loved watching a golden haired child named Sasha dancing with the gentle breezes Tessie created in the fields.  …

Creating your own Pantheon Merry meet. The Greeks, Romans, Celts, Norse, Egyptians, Mayans and other ancient civilizations had a plethora of deities that helped with a host of specific conditions related to daily life. There were gods of war, fire and the sea, and goddesses of agriculture, wisdom and the hunt. While most religions now demand worship of only one god, it remains customary for pagans to pick and choose among the many pantheons. This column suggests a third option – to create your own gods and goddesses. In 2005, I participated in a goddess swap that broadened my horizons when I realized that in addition to existing deities, I could…

  Cooking in a Small Area   I just moved into a new apartment. I am not quite where I want to be, nor is the apartment what I really wanted. But it’s okay for now. I like the city in which I am living – Lowell, Massachusetts – which has a lot of beautiful old buildings and historic places to explore and photograph. I eventually want to find a place nearer to the ocean. My main problem with this place is the kitchen – or the lack of a kitchen. The “Kitchen” There are so few cupboards that I didn’t even unpack most of my dishes. And I have…

Notes from the Apothecary: Maple   How beautiful the maple tree is. Also known as acers (from the Latin for sharp, due to the points on the leaves), maples range from small shrubs to 45-metre-high trees, are spread all over the world and although can be evergreen, are normally renowned for their spectacular colour show in the fall. The picture to the left is a collection of autumn leaves my boy and I collected a couple of years ago. As you can see, the maple leaves (from Norway maples) are very prominent in the display. Well known as the symbol of Canada, and also the state tree of Vermont and…

  Book Review:“The Big Book of Practical Spells by Judika Illes Merry meet. Some books stand the test of time and I find myself returning to them time and time again. “The Big Book of Practical Spells” is one of those books, in part because it’s in its third incarnation. In 2001, it was published as “Earth Mother Magic” and again in 2007 as “Pure Magic.” It was Judika Illes’ first published book. Into it, she poured all her working knowledge of magic, making it a comprehensive reference book for those new to the path as well as for those with experience. The first part covers working with the earth, a glossary…

Creating Sacred Space In Your Home In my previous article I spoke about creating sacred space in the work place. Since then my boss has had to close her business, so I was left trying to figure out what I was going to do with all of my crystals that were in my work space. I have crystals scattered throughout my home, but I don’t have a dedicated crystal room per se. My twin boys are grown and have moved out, which has left me with two rooms that have remained untouched since they’ve left. That’s when I had an ‘aha’ moment, why not turn one of their rooms into…

EVAKI To the Bakairi Indians of South America, Evaki was the Goddess of Night and Day. She was also revered as the Goddess of Darkness, the Guardian of the Sun and Keeper of Dreams. Evaki, who was sometimes represented as a bat, possessed a pot with a lid. Each morning, She would remove the lid in the East to release the sun at its’ starting point as it began its’ journey across the sky. Each evening, She would recapture the sun, place it in Her pot and replace the lid. It was She who filled the day with light and the night with darkness. (Photo Credit: nmorpa.com) Evaki was also…

  Kiara: Episode 12 Alice felt much better after a good nights sleep. She had slept well much to her surprise,- having James outside the door made her feel much safer. She thought of that night she had seen him hanging around beneath the gas light, obviously up to no good. She had thrown him a shilling, thinking to keep him out of gaol for at least one more night. Then something in his expression had struck a chord with her. She remembered her own rebellious childhood. She thought she had found love but had been forced to run away from home in disgrace. The kindness of one person had…

Pagan Pride 2016 On Sunday 7th August, over 700 people met at the Old Market Square in Nottingham UK for the annual march to the Arboretum for the opening ceremony for the Pagan Pride UK festival. Tina and I had set off early with our good friends Helen and David on a beautiful sunny morning. We had our drums, staffs and costumes stowed in the boot of David’s car for the hour and a half drive to Nottingham. Then, fully dressed for the occasion, we took the tram from the park and ride into the city to join the huge crowd which had already gathered.   The event, which was…