PaganPages.org

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…

Book Review: A Year at Stonehenge by James O. Davies       I have always been fascinated by Stonehenge. The who, what, and why are one of history’s most enduring questions. In September of 2015, I wrote my inaugural “Sacred Place, Sacred Space” column on Stonehenge and the Salisbury Plain – https://paganpages.org/emagazine/2015/09/sacred-places-sacred-spaces/ So, I was thrilled when asked to review “A Year at Stonehenge” by James O. Davies. Mr. Davies is an English Heritage Photographer. English Heritage is a registered charity that manages the National Historic Collection of England. They are the guardians of over 400 site and monuments, one of which is Stonehenge. As a photographer registered with…

divination on Pinterest Long ago, before the Internet, if you wanted to know about a certain subject, you went to the library. Perhaps you started out with an Encyclopedia – Encyclopedia America or Encyclopedia Britannica, generally – also as we got older, we were taught how to use the card catalog and how to research our subject in a more adult manner. Of course, people still use the library and they still use the catalog for research, although it’s now computerized – the card catalog is generally a thing of the past. But nowadays, when people want to research a subject, they go to the Internet first, and generally they…

                                 Welcome   ____________________________________________________________________   In This Issue…   Crystal Connections covers Sacred Space in the work place with ideas and photos.     In many of your rituals you will want to invite Deity, learn to Call the Divine in this month’s MagickalArts.     Learn all about Roses in this month’s Notes from the Apothecary.         ThriftCrafting: Witching on a Budget Reviews the Book “Witchcraft on a Shoestring: Practicing the Craft Without Breaking Your Budget” by Deborah Blake, for us this month.   and much, much more…   ____________________________________________________________________  …

Sacred Space In The Work Place In a world that seems to be drama riddled and financially obsessed, its easy to become disconnected spiritually. I worked in the financial industry for 17 years until I had become so spiritually depleted that I chose to leave that line of work. I recently started working for a local therapist who gave me my own office and encouraged me to create a sacred space, so I did exactly that. I have one shelf lined with raw stones, mostly for their beauty but also because of their metaphysical properties. This includes Carnelian, Garnet, Petrified Wood and Calcite to just name a few. Carnelian is…