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Bright Blessings! We are in-between Sabbats and I had thought that perhaps I’d write a very Wiccan article about a Moon phase or something. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought I’d like to write about something the Summer months brings that we are all both blessed and plagued by. That is… H-E-A-T. Summer is in full swing- the Solstice just behind us- and while the days might be getting shorter, they WILL be getting hotter! This weekend was a scorcher for us here in Columbus, Ohio, and the heat really got to me. It was easy for me to escape into air conditioned spaces and…

Last month we talked about The Empress, one half of the Sacred Feminine within the Major Arcana. If you have not already read that essay, please do so now. The other half of the Sacred Feminine in the Tarot is The High Priestess, and we will talk about her this month. First, let’s review some terms. There are 22 Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck, with numbers from 0 to 21; the Majors usually deal with broader and more far-reaching life experience issues, archetypes that are easy for us to identify with and connect with at some point in our lives. An archetype (pronounced “ark eh type”) is a…

The Shape of My Practice   *Dedicated to my High Priestess, Wendy Morris I am a third degree Celtic witchcraft elder. I live in Norway, a country with covens few and far between. I helped found a coven still thriving in Colorado Springs, with my high priestess, Wendy Morris. I moved to Norway eight years ago to be with my family, but I maintain contact with the coven in Colorado and my close friend Wendy. I have been solitary for some years now, and have developed a style of solitary witchcraft which I would like to share with all who are interested. My practice follows the paradigm of the Sun…

Why Paganism anyway? When I returned to the business of seeking a spiritual path, – it was Neopaganism which provided the encouragement to look around again after many years of just keeping my nose to the grindstone and concentrating on work. It was lovely to meet groups of people who followed very different systems of beliefs, and yet, who managed to meet socially and prepare rituals and celebrations which were inclusive rather than divisive. The sheer variety of beliefs was breath-taking, and many events took on a carnival atmosphere. Every festival was colourful and eccentric, – and every gathering would include mead, music and lots of laughter. In many ways,…

We are down for the moment but do not fear, we shall return with a brand new issue for August……..While we are gone, however, we would like to wish you all a very Happy & Safe….

          Welcome   ____________________________________________   In This Issue… We are packed full of great articles & lot’s of reviews this month!  Check out…     A great Book Review on “Witchcraft – A Handbook of Magic, Spells & Potions,” by Anastasia Greywolf.   Learn how to make time for Rituals in Spiralled Edges.   Our Mabh Savage has a nice talk with Author Raven Grimassi on his New Book “Communing with the Ancestors”       Witchcrafts: crafts for witches features one of today’s hottest trends, Coloring Books!   Plus, we have many more book reviews and articles inside, so come on in and have a good read!!   ____________________________________________…

Date June 21/22 Purpose Rededication to the Lord and Lady, beginning of the harvest, honoring the Sun God, honoring the pregnant Godddess Dynamics/Meaning Crowning of the Sun God, death of the Oak King, assumption of the Holly King, end the ordeal of the Green Man Tools, Symbols & Decorations The sun, oak, birch & fir branches, sun flowers, lilies, red/maize/yellow or gold flower, love amulets, seashells, summer fruits & flowers, feather/flower door wreath, sun wheel, fire, circles of stone, sun dials and swords/blades, bird feathers, Witches’ ladder. Colors Blue, green, gold, yellow and red. Customs Bonfires, processions, all night vigil, singing, feasting, celebrating with others, cutting divining rods, dowsing rods…

This month, we will turn back to the Major Arcana, and talk about The Empress. We haven’t talked about a Major for a while, so let’s review some terms. There are 22 Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck, with numbers from 0 to 21; the Majors usually deal with broader and more far-reaching life experience issues, archetypes that are easy for us to identify with and connect with at some point in our lives. An archetype (pronounced “ark eh type”) is a generic, idealized model of a person, an object, or a concept which can be copied, patterned, or imitated. The term archetype often refers to one of two…

WITCHCRAFT – A HANDBOOK OF MAGIC, SPELLS AND POTIONS BY ANASTASIA GREYWOLF ILLUSTRATIONS BY MELISSA WEST When I first opened the book to do a quick scan, I thought, “look at all of these spells, what fun!” I thought it very reminiscent of the witchcraft spell books that were around a few decades ago. Ms. Greywolf starts with an introduction to Witchcraft, and what it means to her, recognizing that it means different things to different people. She describes how she would cast a circle. There is a small section on some of the tools of witchcraft, such as a wand, smudge stick, knife, etc. The bulk of the book is…

Don’t Just Smell Them – Eat the Daisies! Merry meet. I take delight in introducing edible flowers to people I meet in all walks of life. Come late June, a vast amount of flowers are in bloom. Found and gifted flowers are the least expensive, but a few plants – even purchased at a nursery – put in the ground or in a whatever containers you have on hand – can add inexpensive dazzle to your recipes and rituals. Consider incorporating edible flowers into your Litha celebration, mixing up a fairy cake recipe, and brewing petals to make tea or freezing flowers into ice cubes to add to your drink…