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Altar alternatives   Merry Meet. This month’s column is about how to set up an altar without setting you back financially. Some of the items typically found on an altar are a covering, one or more candles in holders of some sort, salt, water, incense and something to burn it in, a libation dish or bowl, items that represent the elements, and something representing one or more deities. Nothing need come from a witch store, although I do advocate patronizing the ones near you when you do buy – rather than online sources – whenever possible. Pagan festivals and their vendors are also worthy of your support. When we can…

The Evil Eye The eyes are often thought of as the windows to the soul and since ancient times the notion of the evil eye has been around. Belief in the evil eye can be traced back to Babylonian times. It has been seen all over the world and is still feared to this day. The notion reached its climax during the witchcraft panic of the seventeenth century, when many European witches were accused of the practice by ‘overlooking’ their victims. Since ancient times people with blue or green eyes have been widely supposed to be able to harm their enemies with no more than a severe look. It is…

Also known as: May Day, Bealtaine, Beltane, Bhealtainn, Bealtinne, Festival of Tana (Strega), Giamonios, Rudemass, and Walburga (Teutonic), Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain),Fairy Day ,Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltain, Baltane, Walpurgis Night, Floriala (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch) Date: May 1 Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, Cats, lynx, leopard Deities: Flower Goddesses, Divine Couples, Deities of the Hunt, Aphrodite, artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses who preside over fertility. Tools: broom, May Pole, cauldron Stones/Gems: emerald, malachite, amber,…

Tarot of the Magicians by Oswald Wirth, with an introduction by Mary K. Greer, published by Red Wheel/Weiser LLC, California, soft cover, 228 pages plus 8 pages containing a full-color pull-out reproduction of Wirth’s 1889 tarot deck Tarot of the Magicians was written by Oswald Wirth and originally published in 1927 in Paris, when it was called “Tarot of the Medieval Image-Makers.” The first English translation was published in 1985. The book is divided into four sections, each rich with information about the cards, their history and their use in divination. It says a lot to me that the descriptions by Wirth of the 22 Major Arcana cards (Wirth’s deck…

The Sounds of Ritual We cross the threshold of Sacred Space as we chant calling forth the energy of what will be the magick of our working. Sound echoes reverberating against wall or tree and we are now bathed in the quality of its vibration and the potency of its rhythm. The words of the invocation spill out from throat and heart, will infusing them with the command to be present and to aid the celebration. Each syllable produces its own state of resonance and each word holds mystery of a numeric calling that awakens all who attend to its transformative energies. Quarter energies flow through container of power and…

Kunzite Emotional Support.  Helps mind and emotions to be in sync.  Powerful high level stone.  Strengthens healers and teachers.  Opens the emotional heart ans spiritual heart.  Unconditional Love and Compassion.  Heals abuse, loss, and addictions.  Helps emotional balance, confidence, connection to higher self, and oneness.  Reduces depression, mood swings, stress, and radiation.  Brow and Crown Centers.  Deepens altered state, psychic readings, and healings.  Helps to center emotionally and spiritually.  This mineral is a regenerative agent for the cardiovascular system, opens the heart to love in a balanced way.  Peace provider to the Earth.   Kyanite Placed on brow this opens 3rd eye.  Enhances psychic images, foresight, consciousness, meditation, and communication. …

Welcome!  In this issue:      Interview with Brendan Howlin – Urban Druid       Book Review: The Complete Book of Tarot Spreads       Tarot Deck Review: The Golden Tarot     Book Review: The Hunter Diaries Anthology by Serena Zane   Be sure to friend us on FaceBook & Twitter!  Visit our Etsy Shop     HAPPY READING!!    

Mixed Marriages I’ve been on a Pagan path for almost four years.  It has truly been an amazing experience so far – I’ve learned so much that I would not have studied and met people that I would not have met otherwise.  I’ve had experiences that have reshaped my outlook on life, my relationships, and the world in general.  I’ve gone through a lot and I’ve changed because of it. This is all fine and well for me, but, for my wife, and our relationship, it has been a real challenge.  My wife is Christian (one of the good ones).  This has honestly been the hardest part of becoming Pagan.…

Gwydion     Gwydion is a Celtic God who is part of a triplicity of deities, each one the sons of the Goddess Don.  He is the nephew of Math, lord of the Welse kingdom of Gwynedd and his father was Beli. Some consider him to be a trickster, but he is very good at art, magick, and battle.     This deity had a brother named Amaethon who stole a hound, deer and bird from Annwn, the lord of the otherworld. This caused the Battle of the Trees (Cad Guddeu). Gwydion and his brothers fought Annwn in this battle and Gwydion enchanted “elementary trees and sedges”to become warriors and to fight…

The Goddess Can Change the World Recently I participated in the International Women’s week at Vanier College in Montreal. My talk was called “The Goddess Returns” and I spoke about a very important issue: how Goddess spirituality can decrease violence against women by empowering women. My talk was held in a large classroom with fifty-plus young people expectantly waiting to see a Witch (maybe with a big pointy hat and black cat!) arrive to tell them about the Goddess.  I did not bring the hat and the cat but I did bring a lot of thought-provoking ideas! I started the talk by asking the students to imagine what God might…