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Divining By Wish-Bone   In my kitchen, I have two baskets hanging over my stove with recipes jotted onto small pieces of paper & stuffed into them – Pâte Brisée and Pâte Sucré on one and Yummy Good Granola Bars on another – and on the smaller of the two baskets hang five wish-bones. Two from turkeys and three from chickens. The other day, my son was asking me about them. “Why don’t you break them and make a wish?” he inquired. “Isn’t it bad luck if you don’t use them?” I had never considered that. For years, I had done one turkey a year – at Thanksgiving – and…

Uranus still Retrograde in Aries – 12 degrees Uranus is that Planet that hates to be confined. It is known as the “break out” Planet for that reason. Retrograde Uranus can be responsible, more traditional and relaxed. As Uranus goes Retrograde in Aries, there is a feeling of enthusiasm and courage to take responsibility. It is not a time to worry about what others think about you. Do your own thing at your own pace and life will be grand. Uranus goes direct this month on December 21st in Aries – 12 degrees.     Mars enters Aquarius Thursday, December 4, 2014 – 7:10 pm EST The Planet of action…

“If that which thou seek thy find not within thee, thy will never find it without.” (1) The Craft involves deep soul work leading to understanding the authentic self, the connection with the divine, and understanding the Mysteries. If you were Buddhist you might called this enlightenment. What is enlightenment for Witches? Many people new to the Craft read the beginner books and think that that is all there is. I would like to share with you some of the ways that Traditional Witches do soul work, the way they approach and understand the Mysteries and an exploration of what the Mysteries are. This idea was inspired by a course…

MEADOW SWEET ~ Gift of Harmony ~ Little things seem nothing, but they give peace, like those meadow flowers which individually seem odorless, but all together perfume the air. ~ Georges Bernanos This is a journey into the Gift of Harmony, a state of natural balance with all life…and yourself…deep within the Universal Soul, of which you are a cherished and intimate part. Allow yourself to go on this inner journey…into the Spirit of your Beautiful Infinite Self. For here is where you shall find your Truth. Begin by getting comfortable. Find a space that feels at ease with your body, and allow yourself to get into a soft state…

Re(de)fining Your Magickal Practice Your personal magickal practice is what serves as the foundation upon which you mold and define what your magickal endeavors will be and ultimately their effectiveness. This is the work that we do in the space of our own making as we work through the challenges and successes of setting foot on a magickal path. This is the stuff that is then shared and offered up in our public lives through ritual, healing work, and the Greater Work we choose to engage in within our respective communities.   Defining Your Magickal Practice By definition (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) the word “Practice” means: 1. A habitual or customary action…

  Pranayama – Breath   I hope that you have been practicing the simple breath meditation I spoke of in last month’s column. This month, I would like to continue talking about conscious breathing, also called Pranayama. The inhale, what you bring in, is called prana; the exhale, or what you put out, is called apana. I’m sure it sounds strange to say that I want to teach you how to breathe. We all breathe everyday, constantly, all day. It’s what we do. But, we are not consciously breathing. Think about how you breath in different situations – when you are exercising, when you are thinking over a problem, when…

The Magic of Tradition     As the last remnants of Autumn color the Earth, my family prepares itself for the coming of the cold, brutal Winter we know awaits us. It is at this time that our most memorable family traditions take place. There is something magical about these yearly traditions. The anticipation of our excursion leads to mounting excitement as we recall the memories of the years past. We go to the Pumpkin Patch in mid-October, Downtown Christmas the week before Thanksgiving, and the We Care lights in mid-December. Sadly, this was the last year for our favorite Pumpkin Patch. Next year we will go on a magical…

Finding Purpose From the age of sixteen onwards, I was very much embroiled in day to day matters. Girlfriends, marriage, separation, divorce. In the world of work and business, I rose and fell . Then I rose again and fell again. When I left Ireland, I was quite broken, in many ways. I was filled with bitterness and resentment and trapped by my past. I still studied avidly. Reading was my escape and my hope for untangling the web of my past. Psychology, philosophy, magic and religion were my main interests. I was lucky enough to meet a lovely lady, who helped me to begin to heal, and shared her…

  Welcome to the November Issue of PaganPages __________________________________________________________   In This Issue…   We introduce a new Oils, Incense, & Herbs column – Scentsations Learn about the Magick in your Smile in Spellcrafting:  Spells & Rituals The Enchanted Cottage share’s a Protection for the Witch’s Home Make a Spell Board with Witchcrafting __________________________________________________________ We are always looking for new columnists at PaganPages.  If you have ever been interested in writing, art, photography, and have knowledge you would like to share, pitch us your ideas! Currently we have openings in the following departments: Herbal Columnist:  Writer is to discuss herb/s monthly, giving healing & magickal properties,  recipes/crafts may be included. …

Samhain Fashion: The Hobo The newest outfit in my artistic Samhain collection is this, the hobo. Strongly inspired by Charlie Chaplin, but in a modern and streamlined way.   ?  Black is the color of my Samhain palette, and with this I go all the way. The look is quite masculine, as I like to play with the theme every now and then.     ?  Makeup is quite strong and only shades of grey and brown are used, but to balance out masculinity, applied in a feminine way. Androgyne is not the way I´m going for. The earrings are nearly unisex, and the only piece of jewelry worn with…