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Book Review: Astrolations! by Jill Carr
Overview of Astrolations! Astrolations!: A Unique Astrological Guide For You and All Your Relationships by Jill Carr definitely lives up to its title, as Carr fuses Tropical (Star Sign) Astrology, as well as Sidereal (Astrology that uses more current dates for when the sun is in a sign, thus moving the sign dates forward), and Chinese astrology. The Book opens with a brief, yet thorough explanation of the Star Signs, the sign most of us know, and then also covers the Sidereal sign dates, as well as the Chinese zodiac signs, and gives a list of Chinese sign years starting in 1900, going until 2032, also giving the Chinese element of that sign…
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Book Review: Fortuna: The Sacred and Profane Faces of Luck by Nigel Pennick
Overview of Fortuna Nigel Pennick, a well known expert and author of pagan and occult subjects, published Fortuna with Destiny Books, a division of Inner Traditions Publishing. The material presented is historically accurate and informative, going through periods of humanity and how luck was perceived, as well as different oracle systems throughout the ages. Pennick does include some practical information that a modern practitioner of divination could use, such as geomantic figures, numerology lists, and a list of common epithets of Fortuna that could be called upon by a modern pagan, or anyone looking for divine help navigating life’s decisions and ups and downs, with simple but effective techniques. With Fortuna, Pennick…
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Weyland’s Whey
Weyland’s Whey by Weyland Smith For Your Deliberation Cody’s Wish Cody Dorman was born with a rare genetic disorder called Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. It severely impacts growth and development. During a Make-a-Wish visit to Gainsborough Farm, Kentucky, in 2018, a 5-month-old weanling came over to Cody and his wheelchair and placed its head in his lap. They bonded. The horse’s owners decided on the name Cody’s Wish. Cody and his family often journeyed to watch the horse compete. At the 2023 Breeder’s Cup, the horse’s final race before retirement, expectations were low. Too many great horses. No way Cody’s Wish could win. When the bell rang, he started out at the…
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Book Review: Healing Pluto Problems by Donna Cunningham
Why this book matters in our time TW: This book, and review, will touch on very hard issues such as abuse, substance use, incest, molestation, rape, etc. Healing Pluto Problems: An Astrological Guide by Donna Cunningham recently got an update with Weiser rolling out its Classics Series. First published in 1986, when one of the most potent Pluto transits, in his native home of Scorpio, had just gotten underway about 2.5 years prior. Understandably, there was a need for this book at that time, when so many issues revolving around such Plutonian issues as drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse and sexual abuse were coming to light, and new, innovative…
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Spiritual First Aid: Defense Against Love Spells
Welcome to the latest edition of Spiritual First Aid! I apologize it’s been so long since my last column. Life has been a little hectic between my personal life, and with my new book being released and the many many side projects I have going on I have neglected the thing that gives me the most joy- writing. Some of these projects, you might know about, such as The Invisible College, the nonprofit I founded to aid the development and infrastructure of the spiritual communities we all hold dear. I also have some other new projects on the horizon that I’m going to keep silent on for the moment as…
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Tarot with Lady Saoirse- Tarot Ethics
Bright Blessings, Technically, reading the cards doesn’t have any ethics attached with them, but when you read cards for somebody else there are ethics. There are no hard and fast rules for what is right and for what is wrong when you’re a reader, and most of us decide for ourselves what we feel is correct. What it boils down to is how you feel about things. You may already have your own code of ethics for Tarot, and you don’t even know it yet. If you don’t consciously have an established code of ethics for your Tarot reading you can ask yourself a few questions. Once you…
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The Modern Merlin’s Corner: Set: The Misunderstood God of Ancient Egypt
Why Set Matters in our Time Set, Sutekh, Seth; for Khemetic practitioners and those with an interest in Ancient Egypt, this name conjures up the fratricide of Osiris by his brother, whose name graces this very article. For those leaning on the Left Hand Path, he is the Pagan Adversarial God, who provokes change through harsh means. For me, personally, I view Set as much more than these limited definitions. Set is essential change, essential chaos. The Ancient Egyptians both feared and revered this deity of the dry, arid, desert, and for good reason. My personal experience with this Dark Lord is that, yes, he can turn things upside down, but usually,…
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Notes From the Apothecary: Caraway
Spring is in full swing for many in the northern hemisphere, yet we’re still weeks or even months away from having fruits and seeds to store. That’s why this is the season when many magical and medical herbalists reach for their store cupboards and the trusty dried herbs, fruits, seeds, and spices at their disposal. With that exact goal in mind, I’ve picked out one of my favourite cupboard spices for this issue of Notes from the Apothecary: Caraway, or Carum carvi. The Kitchen Garden Caraway, a member of the carrot family Apiaceae, is a biennial herb. This means it has a two-year growing cycle, and will often only seed…
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Learning Lunar: Moon Magic and Mystery
The Last Quarter Moon The last quarter or third quarter of the moon is the beginning of the end; the final phase before waning all the way to the new moon. In different traditions, it can mean letting go, allowing things to diminish, or even feeling energy diminish within yourself. It can also be the gentle illumination needed for certain types of inner workings, or the reminder that shadow work is an essential aspect of growth, for many. What Does Last Quarter Mean? The moon’s quarter refers to how far along in the cycle of the moon we are. It’s not a reference to shape, as both the first quarter…
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Book Review for Runes for the Green Witch
The Runes for the Green Witch An Herbal Grimoire By Nicolette Miele Published by Destiny Books Released date January 30th 2024 Contains 278 Pages This book has 24 chapters. Each chapter contains the Elder Futhark runes and their correspondences with plants, crystals, elements, deities, Moon phases, zodiacs, planets, tarot and chakras. For instance, chapter 15 talks about ELHAZ. It discusses the meaning of Elhaz, It was a beautiful poem, It stands for protection, Divine support and sanctuary. It also includes how to pronounce it, its history and translation. It then continues to talk about what its connected to like, there are 9 different correspondences of medical properties with plants and…
