PaganPages.org

Pantheacon 2011 – A Personal Review Pantheacon 2011 was Friday February 17th through Monday February 21st in San Jose, CA. Just like previous years the convention was at the Double Tree hotel located by the San Jose airport. This was my second year attending the convention, and overall it was a great experience once again. Just like life isn’t perfect though, Pantheacon is also not without its imperfections. This article is meant as my personal review only, and is in no way an endorsed opinion. I am here to tell you about the good, the bad, and the ugly of Pantheacon from the personal perspective of one desert witch. In…

Ostara and the Quickening Moon, the Magick of Spring “I remember that I kissed you, I kissed you as dawn kissed the day. Sweet dew wet your lips, You took my breath away. The Earth trembled beneath our touch, The forest moaned with our lust, as I kissed you so endlessly. And the Wheel turns, can you feel the fire burn inside? Do you hear the wind sing our names, of a destiny that cannot be changed. As it is willed, so is it done, our dance is now begun, when the Moon is kissed by the Sun.” Ostara, the Vernal Equinox, is the place upon the Wheel where the…

Pagan Theology:  Blessings A Unitarian Universalist minister I know recently said that one of the purposes of religious practice is to empower us so that we may go out and bless the world [1].  That idea of empowerment as a vehicle through which we both are blessed and bless the world intrigues me.  How do we Pagans bless ourselves, so that we may be powerful enough to bless the world? As Pagans we talk a lot about blessings.  Blessed be.  House blessings.  Blessing the working or tools.  We even use “blessings” as an address when closing out letters or e-mails.  But what, exactly, is happening when we bless?  Who is…

Ostara-Goddess of Light “In the light Everybody needs the light.” Led Zeppelin The radiant dawn. Who is the Goddess Ostara? Does she hail from Germanic lands or elsewhere? In some Pagan and Wiccan circles, March is associated with the Spring Equinox and the Goddess Ostara. Controversies surround the validity of Ostara and her associations. Bede the Venerable wrote about a Spring Goddess called Eostre who was honored with feasts during April. There are some who that believe Bede the Venerable simply made her up in his writings. Bede was an English monk who lived in the 8th century. He was responsible for writings of historical, theological, and other works, and…

Ostara is approaching. I can already feel the winds of March, blowing out the winter, blowing in the spring. During this time of year, I dwell on sprouts and spring lettuces, green onions, and tender herbs. Other foods associated with the early spring are eggs, seeds, edible flowers, honey, carrots, rabbit, hot cross buns and other sweet baked goods. Again, find what is in season for your region and what “rings true with you.” Last year I became fascinated with bento boxes and funneled that inspiration into our Ostara meal. There is a lot of prep work, but I think it engages you, reconnecting you with the food. This is…

Gaia- The Earth Mother Gaia is the oldest Goddess and is also very well known. She was born from chaos and is the mother and lover of many. There are several stories around Gaia and many different interpretations. This is mine. Gaia is the mother of all creation. She is the earth mother and created beauty that most people are ignorant of today. She created birds, trees, flowers, grass, and many more amazing additions to our Earth. She goes by many names, some of them including: Gaea, Ge, and Gea. She is represented by fruits and cornucopia. Over time Gaia became better known as a metaphysical notion more than a…

Shine On Open your heart To the light Shine on Shine in From the beginning To the end The circle repeats As the wind bends A gentle reed Or giant tree All must move To the rhythm we breathe Flowers sing Bees dance Butterflies hum In a symphony of sounds Listen and you will hear The songs of nature That could soon disappear Hold to your heart As the drums beat Robes flowing, arms raised Remember we are one One human race

BAST Do you ever find yourself thinking about how you would rather be lounging around somewhere else, engaging in something luxurious?  Bast would always and forever encourage you to do so.  She is the Egyptian cat Goddess of passion, pleasure,and the sun to name just a few.  She loves to dance, and remembers to never take things too seriously.  Who wouldn’t want her around?  Especially if she can help you with love issues as well as self doubt obstacles.  She has that special nocturnal cat vision, that allows her all seeing eyes to see through the darkness in physical circumstances and emotional ones, so we can become our true selves. …

In Praise of the Creepy Crawlies:  Learning to Love the Earthworm The March is called Full Worm Moon in some Native American lore, according to The Farmers’ Almanac.  It was so named because the warming weather and the warmer rains caused the worms to rise to the top of the soil, where they sometimes drowned.  For my college roommate, walking across campus after a rain caused a lot of screaming terror because she hated the signs of dead worms on the sidewalks.  For someone raised with a multitude of male relatives, this behavior was almost incomprehensible.  I learned early not to be repulsed by insects, worms, and other creepy animals,…

Barite This mineral is calming to people too mentally or physically active if placed in their living or working areas.  It has a harmonious influence on interpersonal relationships.  The clear version, like clear quartz, it is adaptable to multifaceted use.  It is both a body energizer and astral body cleaners.  It creates current flow between aspects of the total self and is optimizer in psychic work.  In meditation it polarized information to enhance clarity so that in emotional issues, a more accurate reading of one’s own intent can be deduced.  This is true for reading others, as well.  Acts on the 7ty and 12th Chakras.  The blue in history has…