PaganPages.org

Spiritual Tools I have a store that sells ritual tools. I have a lot of conversations around ritual tools. Which kinds are “right” for this ritual, what is “best” for this practice? How to pick them? How to consecrate them? Does one even need to? For the kitchen witch, the athame that was in the kitchen drawer (and perhaps will be again) might be just fine. For someone wanting to do high ceremonial magic, something fancier might make more sense. But I don’t want to go on about tools. That’s not really my point. Perhaps a better discussion example would be tarot decks. Every now and then someone will talk…

Eating Plan For Beltane It has been a habit of mine to make eating plans for each Sabbat. It just makes life so much easier. This is my newest plan for the next six weeks or so, until Litha draws near. I am a lazy cook, and dread each minute spent in the kitchen. But dining out or on conveniece food is not an option, they just don´t provide the same freshness and nutrition as home made food does. So there is no way around cooking, but there are shortcuts! This Beltane I try to skip all the fuzz in the kitchen, but still eat lean and healthy.   A…

  ROLLING RIVER ~ Gift of Adventure ~   No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man. ~ Heraclitus This is a journey into the Gift of Adventure, 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…

Peace Walker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita by author C.J. Walker I love reading the tales and mythology from all over the world.  A people’s culture is well represented in the stories shared over time. When I received the book Peace Walker: The Legend of Hiawatha and Tekanawita by author C.J. Walker, I was very curious to read it. I knew almost nothing about Hiawatha, other than the name and a ridiculous Disney cartoon. Before beginning the book, I decided to gather my wee ones, as they are the true test of such up book aimed at their age group.  We all sat down and I read it to…

I started researching Ms Harriet Tubman and all I could say was, Wow. Just Wow. She was born into slavery, somewhere between 1820 and 1825, in Maryland, one of nine children of Harriet Green and Ben Ross. Oh, and by the way, her parents were owned by two different people.   By all accounts, Harriet’s childhood was a rather violent one. Not only did she endure the indignities of the concept of slavery, she also suffered the daily realities, mostly in the form of whippings – even as a child.   When Ms Tubman was in her early teens she suffered a severe head injury. When ordered to help subdue…

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…