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Time and Perception: Elementals are described in stregheria and other Craft traditions as existing at a frequency of vibrations close to those of our own physical dimension, but slightly higher.  This is why they can interact with witches and help them elevate their energies somewhat, gaining access to the astral plane.  They do this by elevating the witch’s rate of perception and sense of time. In order to understand the relationship between perception and time, let us consider old-time silent movies.  These were called ‘flicks,’ because they had fewer frames per second than later sound pictures.  The illusion of movement produced by motion pictures, as we know, is caused by…

Samhain Crunchy leaves underfoot and crisp clear skies overhead bring such peace to our family! Now is the favorite time of year for this suburban pagan family. When the kids were little, each day found us walking with baskets collecting acorns, sticks,  and pretty leaves.  Upon arrival the acorns were dispensed to the little kitchen for play food while the leaves and sticks awaited further attention. Decorations freshly made for October begin on the first day. Little gnomes are made of acorns with pinecone bodies began to populate the hearth. An age old craft of placing a leaf between two pieces of waxed paper and ironing it shut is inhanced…

Welcome to the Samnhain edition of Thrifting the Witchy Way! The fabulous Jenn ( round of applause for the hard working staff here- they deserve it and more!) has promised me that the pictures from our last installment should be up this time around so please take a look at that so that you don’t think I’ve been doing imaginary projects! So for my first Samhain (or for those of you out there who go a bit more secular- Halloween) edition of Thrifting the Witchy Way I thought I would keep it light and bring you one of my favorite crafts –Miniature Witchy Brooms! Now this project is a ton…

Home is Where the Heart is Allow me to introduce myself. I am a “baby boomer” – a “child of the fifties”. I am part of that generation whose fathers came home from winning a great war, and then had us. Officially, we are those who were born between the years 1946 and 1959 although there are a few of us on either side of those years. We grew up during the stability and prosperity of the “Eisenhower Years” then looked forward with hope and anticipation to the promised glories of John F. Kennedy’s “Camelot.” I am part of that generation that came to my maturity in a time before…

The Weiser Field Guide to Vampires by  J. M. Dixon © 2009  Weiser Books ISBN:  978-1578634491 Paperback        192 pages $14.95 (U.S.) When people in the modern, Western world encounter the word “vampire” certain images spring immediately to mind, most of which center on Eastern and Central European perceptions – think Dracula in  all his many permutations.  But there is a lot more to the topic of vampires than that narrow perception admits.  They range from Papau New Guinea to Grenada; from undead relatives to modern day Strigoi Vii; and from those who subsist on blood to those who “merely” siphon off energy.  Although all of these are touched upon within…

I watch the brightly colored leaves Blow in the last of daylights Autumn breeze The sun has finally left the sky And now at last the time is nigh In an outdoor cauldron I lay the fire With sacred herbs and wood And conjure loved ones memories Be they bad or good I smile, I laugh,sometimes I cry And every year I question why Life’s lessons are so hard to learn And I sit and watch the fire burn The hours pass, I’m unaware On this Samhain of a Solitaire But the lessons learned I’m proud to say Have made me who I am today. Here are a couple of…

THOTH EGYPTIAN GOD OF MAGICS AND WRITING Some ancient Egyptians believe he invented writing itself, and taught it to humankind.  Others go further to believe that he was the creator of all religion an science of the world.  That being said, Thoth was a God of magnificent knowledge and vast skill in learning.  He is said to be messenger of the Gods, because of his writing and language abilities.   Thoth had the head of an Ibis bird.  A white bird with a beak in the shape of a crescent moon.  His connection with the moon and magic is just as strong as his connection to wisdom, making him a…

Faith and Witchcraft Faith can be held in a lot of things: that the Sun will rise in the east, that Tuesday follows Monday, that your car will run well enough to take you to work tomorrow. A witch may well believe in any or all of these things, but faith does not enter into her or his relationship with the Divine. Why? Because through meditation, guided visualization, group or solo astral travel, a witch has direct personal experience of Divinity1. Experience may have shown this witch that the Element Fire has more to do with a person’s sense of humor than the Element Air, that a seedhead of grass…

October 1 On this date (approximately), hundreds of thousands of Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca to kiss and touch the Black Stone (one of the original building blocks of a veiled shrine) and to worship their god Allah. They then drink some water from the nearby sacred Well of Ishmael, and journey up into the hills of Safa and Marwa to recite prayers. October 2 Guiding Spirits Day. On this day, light a white candle on you altar and give thanks to your spirit guide (or guides) for guarding over you and guiding you through your spiritual development. If you wish to communicated with or meet…

Celebrating Samhain The coolness of Autumn has come to many of us.  We find ourselves drawing close to yet another year.  The wheel has come full circle and once again we prepare ourselves for the coming of a new year. It is a time when the old God dies, returning once more to the earth; Only to be  reborn when Yule comes later in the year.  The time of the Goddess represented as mother is over. The long days of sun filled days of vibrant life and color have come to an end.   It is now the time of the Crone.  A time for self reflection. As the year ends…