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Yule Brew Merry meet. For cakes and ale at your winter solstice gathering, or for a bit of Yule cheer during the deepest dark and gathering cold, brew up a batch of this seasonal blend. There are many recipes floating around – from wassail to glögg. Some call for wine, others for brandy or sherry, cider or ale, even poet and tea. All use a variety of spices (in addition to what’s below, consider vanilla bean and peppercorns) and fruits (others include raisins, cranberries and lemons). I chose to combine parts of two recipes and ventured out to gather up ingredients. These proportions work when using a quart jar. 2…

Spiralled Edge: The Face of Fear We are being asked and told too many times in life right now to be afraid. Afraid of other people, afraid of our governments, afraid of religions, afraid of doctors striking, afraid of… well, everything. And those fears keep us from questioning the validity of what we are being told is truth. They keep us from realising who or what is an enemy and who isn’t. Fear of being in a car accident keeps some people from driving, others it helps them to drive with greater awareness of potential dangers and hazards around them. Fear of being attacked keeps some people from leaving their…

I had been working in a small community within the larger Pagan community when I received a very insidious Facebook message that began with, “You’re too emotional when it comes to this community. It’s not all about you, nor is it all that important”. The sender then began to question my skills as a community leader, because I was still “new” (after 10 years) and told me that the pagan community as a whole, the one I worked tirelessly for, “wasn’t that big of a deal.” It ended with a smiley face emoticon and a message of “You know I’m only saying this because I love you right?” It was…

And so we flip to the opposite side of the wheel. In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice (on or around 21st December) is sometimes also referred to as Yule, which has Germanic and Norse origins and has sort of been absorbed into modern Paganism as part of the “wheel of the year”, although it has its own rich history and is celebrated worldwide in a myriad of different ways. My most precious memories of the winter solstice all seem to be of going to a specific lakeside on the longest night. I remember it always feels later in the day than it is, because despite it only being early…

The 6th Chakra As I mentioned in the previous columns, when doing any chakra work, it is imperative to keep yourself grounded. While you can use any grounding exercise that you prefer, I have always used this one in my chakra classes: **Stand up, grip toes to the ground, long deep breathing, visualize your roots going deep into Mother Earth, keeping you grounded and centered. Inhale and bring the earth energy up to the base of your spine; exhale and let the energy return to the Earth. With each inhale, receive healing energy from the Earth; with each exhale, release all negativity. This will not hurt Mother Earth, as long…

                     Welcome!   ________________________________________________________________   In This Issue… An Interview with an incredibly creative and talented witch this month, Sheena Cundy.   An Excellent Book Review on “Summoning The Fates, A Generational Woman’s Guide to Destiny and Sacred Transformation” by the wonderful Z Budapest.     Stones Corner discusses Dream Stones and their Meanings.    and…     Our Apothecary tells you all you need to know about Coriander   ________________________________________________________________   We are always looking for new talent.  If you are interested in writing email us at [email protected]   ________________________________________________________________ Join us on Facebook, Twitter, & Etiary!   ________________________________________________________________   Check…

The name is derived from Novem, the Latin word for nine, as November was the ninth month in Rome’s oldest calendar. THE SNOW MOON The ninth month in the old roman calandar. In Celtic traditions it is the beginning of the new year, considered a month of beginnings and endings. Astrological Signs: Scorpio, Sagittarius. Nature Spirits: Banshees and other beings who carry messages between worlds. Herbs: Ginger, hops, wormwood, hussop, patchouli, mugwort, nutmeg, star anise. Colors: Black, white, purple. Flowers: White lily, dahlia, chrysanthemum. Scents: Rosemary, dragons blood, lilac, pine, wisteria. Stones: Topaz, obsidian, onyx, Apache tear. Trees: Pine, cypress, yew, elder. Animals: Bat, wolf, sow, dog, snake. Birds: Owls,…

  On Initiation and The Old Ways   As we are in-between Sabbats, I thought I would submit an article on a different topic. Initiation. It is certainly a sacred event in and of itself, and it is also a hot debate topic in Paganism today. Introduction I had a couple of conversations recently that made me think deeper on the topic of initiation and the way Pre-Christians did things. One source I am too lazy to dig up states that the earliest discovered human burial was from about 100,000…ish years ago, and it is believed by some to be the first evidence of religion. It is said this shows…

The 5th Chakra As I mentioned in the previous columns, when doing any chakra work, it is imperative to keep yourself grounded. While you can use any grounding exercise that you prefer, I have always used this one in my chakra classes: **Stand up, grip toes to the ground, long deep breathing, visualize your roots going deep into Mother Earth, keeping you grounded and centered. Inhale and bring the earth energy up to the base of your spine; exhale and let the energy return to the Earth. With each inhale, receive healing energy from the Earth; with each exhale, release all negativity. This will not hurt Mother Earth, as long…

Magical Matches Merry meet. If you are looking for a tool for a special ritual or an easy gift, try decorating match boxes. I had a partial deck of miniature tarot cards. Cutting off the white borders with a paper cutter made them the right size for putting on boxes of matches. Some decks, such as the Rider-Waite, are just about the perfect size for the large box of kitchen matches, requiring only a very small portion of one edge to be removed. I used spray adhesive to affix them, but just about any glue will do. By choosing cards to fit someone’s personality, astrology or goals, you can make…