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    Why Buddha Touched the Earth by Tom Swiss © 2013 by Tom Swiss ISBN: 978-1-905713-90-5 306 pages Paperback $19.05 (U.S.) I found Why Buddha Touched the Earth to be insightful as well as entertaining. In the preface to the book the author describes this work as an “essay” in the sense that it is his attempt to present his spiritual path in a form that others can understand. The subtitle for this book is Zen Paganism for the 21st Century. Zen is simply meditation. Defining Paganism takes a little more work. The author takes the reader on a journey through history exploring the development and impact of Buddhism and…

Last week I was interviewed by a student in cultural anthropology who is doing her bachelor’s thesis on Wicca. Her focus is on the mind- and consciousness-altering aspect of ritual and the use of tools. She came well-prepared and informed, it was a wonderful conversation and I look forward to reading her thesis. She asked me about my use of tools and how they help (or not). Tools can most certainly have a purpose to a witch (or other pagan). They have no power in themselves, though they do have powerful symbolic significances. They can be an extension of yourself and are literally ‘tools’. An athame can help direct energy.…

The Visual Appeal Everyone has a distinct learning style. This statement has been proven by academic research as well as through psychological profiling. For many of us we learn through our visual experiences first, and then become engaged more deeply through the other forms of sensorial expression. I am a visual kinesthetic learner; meaning that I learn best when visually engaged and am able to act out or move in accord with what is being taught. This style always kept me ahead of the game when I was dancing since I picked up intricate and lengthy choreography very quickly and easily as it was shown and I copied the movements…

Flower Power       Merry meet! I have been using flower essences for several years, but this is the first year I made my own – to save money, as well as to enjoy the process. I began with research and putting together a plan. Since my one rose bush was done blooming and my snapdragons were yet to be out in force, when I happened upon a stand of moonbeam coreopsis as part of the landscape in a nearby building, I decided to start with that. It turns out it was just what I needed. I found that the flowers offers deep healing and recuperation from post-operative, emotional,…

I just finished reading and reviewing a book by Tom Swiss called Why Buddha Touched the Earth. It is a book on Zen Paganism.  As I was reading the book a lot of what I read seemed to correspond to what I believe to the point where I thought that maybe I too and a Zen Pagan. But not all of what he had to share resonated with me. There were points I flat out disagree with him. It didn’t stop me from enjoying the book and learning a great deal from it. As he was talking about the Zen monks he met in Japan I reflected on the one I met while living…

Goddess Iagentici       I live on the sacred island of Montreal in Quebec. This island has been the home of the Mohawk, one of the five nations of the Iroquois, for many hundreds of years, some say thousands of years, until the white men came and took it from them. As Witches we connect with and honour the land so we can also honour the gods of the people who lived here before us. Sadly most of us don’t even know their names! Although we don’t worship the gods of the Mohawk, we can still light some sage or a candle on our altars to thank them. This…

Gratitude ritual Merry Meet. Astrological Lughnasadh occurs this year on August 8, as does the cross quarter date. That means if August 1 came and went without an opportunity for a ritual, you still have time to celebrate the first harvest – literally and figuratively. Two days later is a super full moon in Aquarius. On full moons, I like to give thanks for the abundance and blessings in my life. We are so quick to ask for what it is we need, want and desire, I think we sometimes forget to give equal time to rituals of gratitude and celebrating the gifts we have received. Remember, what has become…

This month’s Bardic Song is called “Casting the Circle”. It is a simple tune that has 4 lines for easier repetition and the melody line is rather easy. When I initially created this song, I wanted it only to be three lines long to go with the 3 Circles you can cast around Sacred Space, but it was more natural to create 4 lines for rhyming. As much as possible, all songs are created as a single page in pdf format for easier printing and reading. If you play the piano, these songs are simple enough to pick up right away. If you don’t have the musical inclination, a wav…

Wheel of Year info Lughnasadh (Lammas/Loaf-mass) Friday, August 1, 2014 – 6:11 am EDT (sunrise)   Names: Lammas, Lughnasadh, Festival of Lugh, August Eve (July 31st), Loafmas, Festival of Bread, 1st Harvest, Bread Harvest, Festival of First Fruits, Gwyl Galan Awst (Welsh) Date: Aug 1st (sometimes celebrated on the eve at sunset – July 31st) Astro Correspondence: 15 degrees Leo Color: tans, oranges, yellows and reds Food: grains, cakes, breads, fresh fruits, mushrooms, lamb, berry pies, wine, ale, beer Common Info: Story of Lugh, Handfasting/Handparting, 1st Harvest Fest (grains mostly), Story of John Barleycorn as the Corn King (corn is synonymous with grain),   Lughnasadh is the Sabbat that celebrates Lugh, the God…

Witch bottles   Merry Meet This month’s craft is a magical tool that is centuries old: a witch bottle. It protects the witch from malicious witchcraft and sorcery – as well as from evil and harm. For this you will need small, squat glass jar with a lid that’s perhaps the size of a baby food jar. Assemble a collection of sharp objects, preferably rusty, such as nails, razor blades and bent pins. Shards of broken glass, burrs and thorns are also good. Their purpose is to deflect ill fortune and bad luck. You’ll also need sea salt, a red string or ribbon, and black candle. Fill the jar about…