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The Chrysalis – Poetry
A time of harvest, And a time of shedding. Of death, and beginning anew. Dark nights bloom as ravens song. And moon on ravens wings. The chill of the air and the crunch in the leaves. Crisp apples and the scent of decay. The lingering smoke of spent candles. Coalesces with the smoke of the fires. Tears, as we honor the memories, Those who have gone before us. The fetch the water for the next generations. As I shed my skin, As I crawl into this cocoon. I dissolve. Knowing my depths. Demons of the deep ocean, And stygian deep. Grand chaos.…
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Book Review and Interview – Witchcraft Unchained by Craig Spencer
Book Review Witchcraft Unchained: Exploring the History and Traditions of British Craft Written by Craig Spencer Publisher: Crossed Crow Books 243 Pages Release Date: June 22, 2023 Bright Blessings, readers, When I saw this book was available to review, I jumped at it, and before I could say “thank you”, my editor sent it to me. Why did I specifically want to review this book? Because it is rare – rarer than rare. Today, few care about the history of the craft. Most pagans and witches want spell-books instead of learning about the roots of our craft. Some of us witches do want to learn, so…
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From the minds of Aeor, a Series of Shorts
The Braleigh Affair There was a pounding at the door, late in the night. The gatekeeper tried to ignore it at first as it was too late for visitors, and too early for the morning deliveries. That only left one possible cause for such an incessant knocking: trouble. The Magus Institute was greatly appreciated and respected by most, but there were still some who feared magic and wanted to drive them out of town. Therefore, the gatekeeper felt well within his right to let the hoodlums banging on his door freeze in the cold night wind for however long it took them to finally give up and leave. That…
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Book Review – Icelandic Plant Magic: Folk Herbalism of the North by Albert Björn
Book Review Icelandic Plant Magic: Folk Herbalism of the North by Albert Björn Publisher: Crossed Crow Books Pages: 306 Rerelease Date: June 27, 2023 There are, without a doubt, plenty of books out there on magical herbalism or green witchery. However, this is the first I have spotted specifically singling out the herbs of Iceland in a magical context. As the author notes, while the mysterious-seeming country of Iceland offers many folk tales and hidden beings, the plants of the island aren’t usually picked out as a point of interest. Albert Björn Shiell has neatly corrected that oversight with this animistic, practical, and beautiful book. This book is laid…
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Book Review and Interview – The Bones Fall in a Spiral: A Necromantic Primer by Mortellus
Book Review The Bones Fall in a Spiral: A Necromantic Primer by Mortellus Publisher: Crossed Crow Books 272 Pages Publication: October 3, 2023 “The purpose of an author is to preserve knowledge… the purpose of any who work with the dead is to preserve the history of humanity in flesh and headstone.” – Mortellus I recently had the privilege of talking with Mortellus, author of the newly released title, The Bones Fall In A Spiral: A Necromantic Primer. I had the pleasure of reading their previously published title, Do I Have to Wear Black: Rituals, Customs & Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagans and was anticipating another great read.…
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Stellar Applications
Current Astrology Using Hermetic Applications Welcome to this issue’s Stellar Applications…. In this issue of PaganPagesOrg we are celebrating Samhain, the season of divination and seeking answers from the ancestors. Traditional Samhain (aka: Halloween) is celebrated on October 31st and Astrological Samhain occurs this year on November 5th. The Astrology of Samhain The energetic astrological imprint of Samhain is one of mystery, intuitive gifts, secrets, passion and more. The solar month of Scorpio holds the space for the parting of the veils and the celebration of Samhain on either date; the more traditional of October 31st or the astrological point that falls on November 5th –…
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Samhain Correspondences
Evening of Tue, Oct 31, 2023 – Wed, Nov 1, 2023 Other Names: celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All…
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Learning Lunar
Moon Magic and Mystery The Waning Gibbous Moon Welcome back to Learning Lunar, our regular column looking at different phases of the moon and how you can work them into your spiritual practice. For this Samhain edition of PaganPagesOrg, we’re looking at a waning phase of the moon for the first time: The Waning Gibbous Moon. What Does Waning Gibbous Mean? A waning moon is one that appears to be getting smaller each night, eventually culminating in a dark moon or new moon. As soon as the moon becomes full, the days beyond this are considered the time of the waning moon. A waning gibbous moon falls between the…
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The Halloweenification of Black Cats
As the proud kitty mama of my own feline void, we are going to discuss the associations that black cats have with witches and more especially, Samhain. Black cats are most often associated with Halloween, Samhain or witchcraft. In most Western cultures, black cats have typically been looked upon as agents of misfortune. In a lot of other cultures, black cats are seen as lucky. Bringers of prosperity and happiness. So just how did cats become so intertwined with witches? A number of Pagan deities hold the cat in high esteem. Bastet tops the list with being pictured as a being with a woman’s body and a black cat’s…
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Weyland’s Whey
For Your Deliberation If you were on trial for being a witch, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Goodbye, My Friend Our feline companion and familiar, Jinx, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning. Old, gaunt and confused, we knew it would be selfish to keep him with us any longer. He was a champion. And he will be missed. Friendship Is Magic, Too by Weyland Smith It had been a while since I’d talked to my compadre Mihos. We’d been in the old coven together and had managed to stay in sporadic contact over the years. It would be fun to talk witchery with him…
