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Un-Seelie’s Playground   Photo by Vivienne Moss The beauty of Faery and Avalon can be found in the most unlikely of places. What one may find disrespectful and horrid, another will find unexpected charm. When I discover places like the picture above, I always wonder what kind of Fae lives there. I imagine some of the Un-Seelie Court inhabit this wild habitat. Rebels and misfits will feel right at home here. Those who don’t fit in with typical society will find the uncanny nature of this place welcoming. The Un-Seelie are those who make their own rules and break the ones they see as being ridiculously restricting. They are not…

I have called this ‘friendship’ with the gods rather than ‘devotion,’ because pagan religion does not require us to fake emotions the way the biblical religions do. As many of us know, Jews and Christians are commanded “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy soul, and all thy mind, and all thy strength.” Was a more impossible commandment ever given? The pagan gods of nature, unlike Yahweh, “in whom we live, move and have our being,” do not compass us round about. They arise from chaos at the beginning of a world cycle and build a new world out of matter in the chaotic…

Preventing Burnout In the High Priest and Priestess The wear and tear on the leaders of Wiccan Covens and communities can be tough but it is also a very hidden problem. A High Priest (HP) or a High Priestess (HPS) has spent many years working on his or her spiritual path, learning how to meditate, connecting with the Divine and have learned many coping skills for dealing with stress and burnout so they may be able to keep the burnout at bay for a long time, inching toward it so slowly even they don’t see it coming. Also many beginners in the Craft tend to put the HP/S on a…

There must be a dozen books on the subject of trees and the Celts so I’m not going to go into massive detail here. There is a good list of different trees and the Irish texts that mention them in my book A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors which may be useful for those seeking more detailed information. Debateable it may be, but I seriously doubt there was ever a Celtic tree calendar, nor do I believe every tree cited in the calendar created by Robert Graves in 1948 (The White Goddess; London; Faber and Faber) was necessarily held as a sacred plant. However, it is clear from numerous texts…

Song Inspires Book: Story of ‘Warrior Queen’ Moves Kellianna from Singing to Writing       “I cannot remember my name as I lay on the battlefield and hear the war drums. I died here with honor today, Warrior Queen with my sword by my side.” So begins one of the nine songs on Kellianna’s first album, “Lady Moon,” released in early 2004.   The song, “Warrior Queen,” tells the story of a hero’s death on a battlefield. “When I played the song for my mom back in 2003, she said, ‘I love it. What’s the story?’ I said, ‘That is the story. She dies.’” Kellianna remembers her mother saying, “No,…

Oh crystals, how I love you so. Where and how do I even begin to describe my connection with them. You know that feeling you get with an animal, when you squeeze them and nuzzle your nose into them, and your whole body just resonates with love? Well that’s me with crystals and minerals, I just have to be a little more careful because rocks aren’t so furry and squishy! Seriously though, when I walk into a crystal shop or mineral and gem show I am like a kid in a candy store. When I find crystals or stones that call to me, I immediately want to hug them. I’m…

Baked Whole Rainbow Trout The best food is the freshest food. There is nothing better than food out of your own garden or bought from a local farmer’s market. Some of us are hunters, spending long hours in the woods and field, in order to return home with the bounty of Artemis. Other of us prefer to fish the creeks and ponds and lakes. Yesterday morning, I had the opportunity to go trout fishing. It was a perfectly cold spring day. There was frost on the grass and we could see our breath. But the fish were jumping! I must confess that I did not catch any fish at all.…

May Memories Merry meet. I take delight in finding so many customs I grew up with in my Sicilian Catholic-German Lutheran family are, in fact, pagan. From a young age, I remember an Italian aunt always celebrated May 1 with May wine – white wine that’s been infused with sweet woodruff. I have since learned that the concoction has German roots. Like the May pole covered with flowers and ribbons, so the wine with fresh herbs honors youth, spring and fertility. You can make some by adding five sprigs of sweet woodruff – look for the herb plants at your local nursery – to half a bottle of a crisp…

Spiralled Edges – The Call to Serve I am been a practicing Pagan and a witch since 1993. In all this time I have had Patron Gods and Goddesses. I have honoured the Gods without worshipping Them and I have called upon Them to bear witness and sometimes to assist when I do spellcasting. Never before though have I been called to dedicate myself to one God, one Goddess. To serve as their Priestess. Until now.   I was approached by The Cailleach in February after I reached my 50th year. ‘I’ve marked you,’ She told me. ‘I have watched and waited over the decades and now I will claim…

                                                Welcome   ________________________________________________________________________________   In This Issue…   We have tons of great features this month for you to enjoy…including two great interviews one features author of Nature Mystic, Rebecca Beattie.   The other features “Bad Witch” Blogger and author of Candle Magic, Lucya Starza.   MagickArts has a little Candle Magick 101 for you to either learn a little about candle magick or to simply brush up on some color coordination!     Aromatic Life has some helpful hints on Spring Cleaning the Natural way.   And….What is…