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Let’s cement what we learned last month when we talked about the Queen of Pentacles, by examining another Tarot “royal,” the Queen of Swords. First, a review of information we talked about last month. A Tarot deck has 78 cards. There are 22 Major Arcana cards, 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. There are 56 Minor Arcana cards that are customarily grouped into four categories or suits that represent the four elements (sometimes called “Pips” or “Pip Cards”), with numbers…

Shadows Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again…. As I told you before I’ve always been a moonchild. I love the night. The dark gives me a safe, cosy and peaceful feeling. Life slows down, I slow down. I enjoy walking my dogs in the middle of the night. Deserted streets, the sound of silence, soft moonlight. A ship blows its horn in the distance. A lone cyclist races home through the dark. A pub owner turns off the light and closes the door. He smiles and nods. He knows me, a fellow night owl… I really don’t understand why ‘dark’ or ‘black’ has a…

Aine, Goddess of the Sun   In Wicca today we often associate the sun with the God and the moon with the Goddess but in fact there are many sun Goddesses in many cultures. At the time of Midsummer when the sun is at its peak we connect with that energy in our rituals and our meditations (also in our bar-b-q on the deck!) Three Celtic Goddesses are associated with the sun, Aine, Brighid and Olwen. Aine was one of the great Irish Goddess who represented the spark of life. Her festival was celebrated on Midsummer’s eve. Later she was remembered in Christian times as the fairy queen in south…

Litha Fashion: Polka Dot Tunic   Nautical style is such a classic that it is always a fashionable summer look. Trends make the shapes and forms of the clothes change, but the style remains. You know, red-and-white and blue-and-white stripes, white pants, navy blue with white accents, etc. In many cases I like to do things differently, but here I´m all in the same boat with everyone else. I simply love the nautical style, and it flows, along with the 1950´s theme, through pretty much my whole Litha Collection. Here is one way I like to wear it:         A classic feminine look of white polka dots…

Stones   A popular form of divination is runes. It is a set of ancient Germanic letters or inscriptions that legend says came to the Norse god Odin, a relentless seeker of knowledge and wisdom. It is said that he pierced himself with his spear and hung from a branch of Yggdrasil, the World Tree at the center of the Norse cosmos, for nine days and nights, sacrificing himself for the knowledge of the runes, which was revealed to him. He passed on the knowledge to Freya. Heimdall, the god who guards the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to man. Runes are an oracle that can be consulted for advice.…

Grounding: A Pet Peeve When I was first introduced to the Pagan community in the early 90’s, I noticed a trend with workshop leaders and with some of the ritual leaders when it came to grounding. They would start off in a dreamy voice… Close your eyes…take a deep slow breath in…now breath out slowly… (repeat a few times) Now, drop a cord or visualize roots extending from your feet/base of spine…allow all negative, pain, sorrow… (etc.) to flow from you and into Mother Earth, She can take all of this from you…now bring up Her healing energy… Ok, stop right there. Our beautiful Mother cannot take all of your…

Happy trails Merry Meet. Summer brings vacations and vacations bring travel. Whether you’re traveling by car, bus, boat or plane, bring along a protection charm or mojo bag. It can hang in your vehicle, be tucked into a pocket or kept in your luggage and then moved into your home away from home. There are many spells and charms available in books and online you can copy, blend and modify, so I encourage you to make something that is meaningful to you. In a small cloth bag, place a few herbs, items, icons and symbols. Choose items that speak to you. Items that bring a sense of safety, protection and…

  Spells: New and Selected Poems by Annie Finch © 2013 Annie Finch ISBN: 978-0-8195-7269-1 232 pages Hardcover $30.00 (U.S.)   Although this is not Annie Finch first book of poetry it is my first experience with her work. From the first few poems in this book I was captivated. This book is a collection of poems both new and ones collected over forty years. The poems have a cadence that reads as speech but with a musical cadence that are experienced with both body and mind. This is not a book to be read quickly. With each poem I read I found myself stopping to absorb the full effect…

Lulls in my PracticeThere are times I go through lulls in my practice.  During these lulls I don’t feel as connected to the Divine or the deities I work with and can’t feel the energy around me as I normally do.  It’s never a conscious decision I make and it doesn’t happen right away – it starts out small and grows over time until I am almost completely out of touch.  Suddenly I’ll realize I haven’t actually practiced my path for what seems like a long time.Although my initial instinct tells me to jump right back in, this usually isn’t a good idea.   The things in my life that move my practice…

SIMPLE STONE ~ Gift of Conscious Living ~ The unexamined life is not worth living. ~ Socrates This is a journey into the Gift of Conscious Living, a state of natural harmony 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 of relaxation. Take some deep, healing, cleansing breaths…inhaling and exhaling…slowly and deeply…in and out…until…