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This month’s Bardic Song is called “As You Cross the Veil”. It is a simple tune that has 4 lines for easier repetition and the melody line is rather easy. It is something to use in your Samhain Rites or during a Memorial Service. When I initially created this song, I wanted it to be celebratory with a positive sound and melody. Too many times, dirges are written in a minor key, making them sound sad and mournful. Thus, this simple ditty was written in a major key. The message instills the concept that we accept the person is crossing the Veil and we wish them peace on their Journey. As…

A Mad Hatter This month’s craft describes the making of my black, conical, wide-brimmed witch’s hat.   We can debate whether or not these hats are cones of power reflecting the concentration of spiritual potency or just the echo of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. While it’s probably safe to say that most witches, including myself, do not often wear their pointy hats during ritual, I must admit, wearing it puts me in a witchy frame of mind faster than almost anything else. It can be playful sometimes and regal other times. I began with a plain black witch nylon hat bought at a…

DIY: Healing Blanket In last month’s column, I shared about my grandma’s healing blanket. This month I thought I would share some ways to create your own healing blanket or an alternative to a blanket. I am going to take a leap here and assume you follow some kind of ritual/magical path and know how to empower objects. If not, let me know and I’ll be happy to lend some guidance. Blanket: Choose a blanket made of natural fibers like, cotton, wool or bamboo (yes, I said bamboo). A twin size blanket should be large enough. Think about what color represents healing to you. Do you want a solid color…

This month, we will return to the Major Arcana, and talk about The Emperor. Before we begin breaking down The Emperor, let’s define and remind ourselves of 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. In psychology, an archetype is a model of a…

When the invading sons of Mil defeated the Tuatha de Danaan and the latter went into the land, controlling the fertility and weather of Eire, the conquerors submitted to the new powers of the conquered. Thereafter. dealings with the Sidhe, that is, the people of the mounds, had to be conducted in terms of the laws of that world. The world of Faery is just next door, but it differs from our own Middle-Earth in certain important ways. For one thing, the spoken word has much more power there. Though they are free to be tricksters, the fair folk are constrained to always tell the truth. There is no such…

Sadly, the daily pressures and problems of life can delay our spiritual growth and leave little time for meditation or reflection. Aged only Forty-eight, my father left behind a life which had been filled by hard work, alcohol and debt,- a life which had always been over-shadowed by the horrors of war. By the age thirteen, I had lost myself in an endless cycle of work and study. My mother blamed herself for my father’s death, and spiraled into depression and alcoholism. In a terrible row,- about a week before he died, she had cursed him,- wishing him dead. As always, I was a witness, and his reply was chilling.…

Forest food We are lucky to have clean enough forests to eat off of. It is harvesting time and, besides my garden, I take advantage of what wilderness has to offer. How awesome is it to simply walk into a forest and gather it´s offerings, free of charge?!   Time is the only thing it takes, and a bit of patience. But spending time in the forest is also therapeutic, so the longer it takes to fill the baskets, the better! Kids also enjoy time in nature, and with adults, so taking them along is a good idea. I took my two-year-old with me to this trip, and while we…

WHY MEDITATION?   Last column, I wrote about all the things I am want to talk about in this column, except for one very important thing.  Why meditation?  Why should you meditate?  What are the benefits to meditation?   Every day, we are called upon to play different roles in all aspects of our lives.  We are overworked, over-stressed, pulled in ten different directions.  Every second, we experience a constant barrage of conscious and subconscious thoughts.  This is called “monkey mind”, the constant chittering that occurs in our brains.   Meditation can calm these thoughts.  It brings about clarity of thought, it calms your nerves, it helps to eliminate unwanted…

Simon Stirling: History versus Truth Simon is the author of Who Killed William Shakespeare and The King arthur Conspiracy, Simon takes what we know about historical figures and turns that knowledge upon its head! He is currently writing for Pagan and esoteric publisher Moon Books and regularly blogs upon the true roots of the yearly festivals that stem from pagan beliefs. Mabh: You were into acting and writing from an early age, so how did you become so interested in history and legend? Simon: I guess acting/writing and history/legend go hand in hand. As an actor, you’re often being introduced to history in one form or another (plays set or…

The Samhain Season I love Samhain. Like most kids Halloween was one of my favorite times of the year. Growing up in Texas it was especially nice because it usually meant a much needed change in the weather was coming – cooler days and longer nights rode in on the wings of costumes, trick-or-treating and free candy. I didn’t know about the spiritual side, however; I was raised in a very Christian household. I honestly don’t think my family knew much about it either based on what they ignorantly said about “Devil’s Night” and such. In hindsight, I’m surprised we were allowed to trick-or-treat at all. Since I’ve become Pagan,…