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Herbs: Copal, fennel, rye, wheat, valerian, skullcap, acorn, benzoin, ferns, grains, honeysuckle, marigold, milkweed, myrrh, passionflower, pine cones, rose, sage, Solomon’s Seal, tobacco, thistle, vegetables. Foods: Breads, grains, seeds, dried fruits and beans, baked squash, nuts, apples, pomegranates, and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and onions, wine. Colors: Brown, yellow-green, yellow, red, russet, maroon, gold, scarlet, purple. Flowers: Narcissus, lily, aster, morning glory. Scents: Storax, mastic, gardenia, bergamot. Autumn blend made by combining: benzoin, myrrh, and sage, also these incenses separately. Stones: Blue sapphire, peridot, olivine, chrysolite, citrine, lapis lazuli, and yellow agates. Trees: Hazel, larch, bay. Animals: Snake, jackal. Birds: Ibis, sparrow. Deities: Bona Dea, Ceres, Ch’ang-O, Demeter, The…

Remembrance of Childhood Moon It is late autumn and the nights are beginning to cool. The sky is clear this night and it’s nice to see the stars above us. However, the starlight does not afford us much light, so we carry kerosene lanterns to see our way and use our walking sticks (staffs) to navigate the uneven ground, also to aid us when crossing the creek to our spot under the great oak.  Thankfully, we took the cauldron and the fire wood down earlier in the day via the wheelbarrow. Not grand, but it gets the job done. Under the protective cover of the oak, we give offerings of…

Pantheons   Many Wiccans are polytheistic, meaning they worship in many gods and goddesses as part of their belief system.   A ‘pantheon’ is a set of gods and goddesses from a particular religion or mythology.  Popular pantheons include Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse, Celtic, Hindu, Japanese, and Native American.   Sometimes there is overlap between deities from different pantheons.  For example, Greek and Roman deities often overlap, however are given different names.  Celtic deities often overlap with Gaulish and Brittanic deities.   Some Wiccan groups insist that you work within a singular pantheon, however some groups find that working with deities from different pantheons is acceptable.  Most Wiccans agree that…

    “Ghost Hunting: A Eulogy” A recent death went largely unreported. There was no outpouring of grief. No endless video loops in the network news feeds. It went unnoticed because it was a death that had been slow and arduous, occurring over the last 20 years. Like a bedridden relative whose end was known to all, so that when it finally came it was of no surprise and everyone was glad to see an end to the suffering. I am talking about ghost hunting. In the period between 1880 and 1980, paranormal research was a science taken- at least in part- seriously among academics who loved the intellectual debate,…

Stones of the Seven Rays By Michel Coquet © 2012 by Inner Traditions International ISBN: 978-1-59477-433-1 339 pages Paperback $24.95 (U.S.) This book holds an amazing amount of information. It is divided into two parts, the first an esoteric discussion of the history of the seven stones and the second part is detailed information on each of the seven stones. Most are aware that stones have been used since man first picked one up to use as a tool or weapon. The author also shows how stones have been used throughout history for a variety of purposes including defending self, eating, healing, mortuary rites, fertility and more. The discussion starts…

Back To School As summer nears its end, a new cycle begins. It is a time not just for preserving the harvest in readiness for the winter months ahead, putting the garden to rest and excavating your cold-weather clothes from the back of the cupboard – it is also time to go back to school.   Though most of us left full time education behind many years ago, the onset of autumn is an excellent time to start new study projects. The combination of cooler weather and longer evenings make the prospect of curling up by a cosy fire with a book, or getting engrossed in some fascinating research much…

Stepping Back to Go Forward   August is the worst month in my third floor studio. I rarely wander up the stairs into the suffocating heat, which means I don’t see my paintings-in-process for several weeks. I have to admit that I miss them and begin to look forward to working with them again.   When the temperature breaks in early September, they surprise me greatly. They look very different from how I remember them. This one is much better than I thought it was when I stopped working on it. I can see immediately what my next steps are for another one. I have gained some distance and can…

Wiccan and Satanism   When confronted by individuals who misunderstand Wicca and boldly state that it is a form of or is Satanism, I believe it is important to educate them on what Wicca IS as opposed to what Wicca IS NOT. Yes, I would state that Wicca is not Satanism and that the two spiritual paths are different but I believe that it is important to do so without degrading Satanism in the process.   I’ve heard individuals who identify as Wiccan say, “Wicca is not Satanism. We do not worship The Devil and don’t believe in Hell. Why would you assume we do?”   And I’ve read statements…

Get out of a rut and get going! It’s back-to-school time and the kids are ready…but we’re like… “What?”  Too much to coordinate; too much running around to do; appointments; vaccinations; recordkeeping; scheduling; taking care of the house…and all the business that that requires; cooking dinners; let alone preparing for the “homework fun” each night…; AND, to boot, it’s still hot out there!  Our bodies are still screaming Summer!!!!  What’s up with this; and what’s more, how do we get motivated when the air is thick, sluggish, muggy and warm and everyone’s moving in slow motion?  Now, maybe it’s not so hot/warm where you are, but it sure is here…