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  The Secret History of Poltergeists and Haunted Houses By Claude Lecouteux © 2012 Inner Traditions International ISBN: 978-1-59477-465-2 246 pages Paperback $18.95 (U.S.) I expected The Secret History of Poltergeists and Haunted Houses to be little more than a collection of reports of the paranormal. I was surprised to find this book to be much, much more. To start with I learned that while spirits that make noise, usually knocking noises have been around for quite some time the term poltergeist is relatively new; first appearing in a dictionary in 1540. The first chapter of the book is devoted to explain what a poltergeist, or what we have come…

What Do You Create? This last weekend I attended an afternoon of esoteric lectures at Light Haven in North Carolina. Early in the afternoon, one of the speakers, Ivo Dominguez Jr., asked us: What do you create? Now, as a visual artist his question at first seemed easy to me. I create art, specifically paintings and mixed media shrines. Your answer may be that you write, sing, play an instrument, act, build houses, cook, garden, dance, arrange flowers, or raise children. There are many ways to create, many things to create in this world. Listen up, you out there who say you are not creative! These are all valuable and,…

When Dreams Grow Old   Summer is a charged time for me. It feels like the air is crackling with desire and potential. Maybe it’s because we planted our hopes in the spring and the time for manifestation has come. Or because the moon has moved into Cancer and my watery spirit cries out in recognition. Old dreams spark to life, and I begin to think about making new ones. We’ve all had dreams since we were little kids. They evolved as we grew older, until we were finally old enough for the people in our lives to take them seriously. Dreams are a big deal in our culture, especially…

I sang on Cedar Mountain, I rejoiced beneath the sky. Ran in glee on the grassy peak, Like an eagle, soon to fly. I called the name of Enki From old Sumerian stone, Saw the bright necklace of Ishtar Who shines in the sky alone. Enki built a submarine, Made from bended substance strange, Black bars and ordinary wood, Submerged from sight, out of range. Wise god Enki in his boat, Built without windows or doors, Sailed far, deep beneath the ocean, Till he came to other shores. There his own people landed, Children to whom he was king, Of the first civilizations, To new lands he them did bring.…

This month, we are going to discuss a less pleasant card: the Three of Swords.  I will admit I groan with dismay each time I throw the Three of Swords in my daily spread.  It is my least favorite card in the entire Tarot, above the Nine of Swords, or Death, or The Devil, or even The Tower on my personal dread list, and those are cards that can certainly shake your confidence. The Three of Swords is more personal to me, more connected to daily events, and its effects seem to always sneak up on me more quickly because of this.   The Three of Swords is a Minor…

Summer reveries   Summertime… And the livin’ is easy…   Although at times Mother Nature does her best to hide it these days, if you look at her you can’t deny summer has finally arrived! Later than we are used to, but the trees are blossoming, the grass is green and high, and summer flowers are colouring our gardens and parks. So beautiful! In summer nature looks at her best with the sun shining in a blue sky where a solitary cloud seems lost. Away with the thick winter coats, roaming around freely with your bare feet on the grass. Time for vacations and outside recreation, a barbecue with family…

Amelia Earhart   In honour of the recent discovery of the remains of her airplane, I’d like to tell you about Amelia Earhart. She was not the typical warrior woman. She never had to trudge through the desert looking for water, watch a child die, or even sell her soul to the devil. (Just kidding!) However, she did face obstacles that must have seemed insurmountable to most women (and men.) Earhart spent her early years in Kansas, where she was born, and her teen-age years in Chicago. By 1920, the family had moved to California. And that, my friends, is where Earhart fell in love with flying. She took a…

And ye shall be free from slavery             Yesterday in the New Coven Lilith was talking about her studies at University. She is almost finished a bachelor’s degree in World Religions and is feeling confused about all the religions. “Which one is the right one?” she asks.  We discussed henotheism, a term which is often applied to Wicca and means the worship of one god while acknowledging the existence of other gods. Wiccans may call themselves henotheistic because they generally worship one Deity pair in one pantheon as their main Deities, while respecting other religion’s God-forms. For example, we may honour Anu and Cernunnos in our Circles but we still…

A Personal Wheel of the Year   I love the quarterly and cross-quarterly days that make up the Pagan Wheel of the Year – Samhain, Yule, Imbolg, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Autumn Equinox and back to Samhain again. The yearly cycle is a great excuse for seasonal celebrations – and a comforting reminder during difficult times that life goes on. Noticing the Wheel turn is a great exercise in keeping in touch with the natural world. Knowing that Imbolg is just around the corner you are on the lookout for the first signs of spring. At Litha you notice the long sunny days; at Lughnasadh the grain ripening in…

Truth goes far, strong and deep, through the passage ways which we seek, it sets off the light of a million stars so we don’t wander too far through the dark and lose our way.