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Look. There… a touch of pink, a golden splash… you can just see it over the top of that tree. It won’t be long now. In this early-morning stillness, I am reminded that I am not alone in waiting. We stand poised in a between-time at the edge of spring. The equinox brings us to a point of equilibrium where light & darkness are in balance, but light is steadily growing stronger. Just as my day is blooming into being. I watch as gem-bright hues stain the sky a little more & consider the season. The Sabbat’s very name comes to us from an Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn. Being…

*The Hedgewitch lives in the space between the Village and the Forest. Between the mundane and the magical. S/He lives with a foot in both worlds. This column is dedicated to the Hedgewitches of the planet earth. The Dormant Season or A Survival Guide to Life in Limbo Spring is just around the corner, and new life is beginning to manifest itself everywhere. Even in snow-covered places, the crocus and other bulbs begin to emerge from their long slumber. Flowering tree buds swell and begin to defy the cold with their colorful, hope- and cheer-inducing blossoms. It is easy to see the parallels between the cycles of Nature and the…

Mother Nature preening, Doing her spring cleaning by washing with pounding rains, scrubbing the earth; preparing the plains. Snow melts and the colors bloom underneath the silvery moon. Lifting of the winter gloom, as the birds sing a cheerful tune. She bustles in on windy feet, and sweeps my yard and down my street. Goddess walks through the new green grass, winters over….Spring is here at last. By The Hearthkeeper Spring cleaning… everyone is talking about getting ready for it… but what are we planning on cleaning?? Our homes, garages, altars, selves, spirits?  Well we should be thinking of all of them… but we rarely think of spring cleaning our…

Ishtar – Goddess of Love and Sex Today we are going to discuss Ishtar, the Babylonian Goddess of Fertility, Love, War and Sex. She was likened to Venus, Aphrodite and Inanna.   Ishtar and her cult are associated with sexuality including sacred sex and prostitution.  Her symbol is the eight pointed star. Ishtar was known to have many lovers, however, she treated them cruelly.  Her love was known to tame wild animals and could be trouble for even the gods she consorted with in her travels.   Ishtar is known to be cruel and a punisher, not caring who she destroyed in her path to get what she wanted. One of…

In This Month’s Issue: High Priestess Regan artist Erin Martinez The Facts on Carnelian The continuation of our Newest Column on the Magick of Colors: Featuring Burgandy As always we are constantly looking for new talent.  If you are interested in submitting some of your work send it to [email protected] Don’t forget to check out our Etsy shop at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/paganpagesorg Monthly Horoscope Aquarius 2010 Horoscope (20 Jan – 18 February) Aquarians you will see exciting trends not only in finance but within your work as well, but hold off on any new ventures until after the end of May 2010. Your Cognitive capabilities will be on the rise through the…

Imbolc This month we get to celebrate Imbolc on February 1st. It is and has been since ancient times one of the major Sabbats to celebrate the impending return of Spring. It also could be considered in those ancient times, a celebration of the New Year. For pagans with a Celtic lean, it was a time to celebrate Brigit which also means “bride”. Though now she is considered a Christian Saint, she began as a Celtic Goddess, meaning “Light-Bringer.” The bringing of Light, the return of Spring, the return of flowing this after the thaw. The flow of water, of milk from mother giving birth, it is a celebration of…

Merry Meet and Welcome to the “New to Witchcraft” column here at Pagan Pages.  My name is Twilight Raptor and I am new to this magazine, but not so new to the craft.  It is my goal to cover many various aspects of the craft in the column from a starting point and one of progression from then on.  Since reading is always an important part of any study, much of the information I will provide you with in future columns will of course be documented for further research on your part.  Any information that comes from an outside source will be documented through a footnote as well as a biographical…

Do You See What I See: Spirit Photography Last month we dealt with capturing audio evidence so this time around it seemed logical to continue by exploring spirit photography.  I was honored to chat with Paul Michael Kane in preparation of this article.  Paul is a professional photographer and has experience in paranormal investigations.  During an enjoyable and humorous chat many topics were discussed. Many of us have taken a picture from time to time that had strange exposures, lighting effects, or unknown properties and stood there in awe wondering what it was.  Paul just about made me fall out of my chair in laughter over what he calls “chimping”. …

Legends and Lore for February February, the second month of the current Gregorian calendar and the third month of Winter’s rule, derives its name from Februa, the name of a Roman purification festival held on the fifteenth day of February in ancient times. The traditional birthstone amulet of February is the amethyst; and the primrose and the violet are the month’s traditional flowers. February is shared by the astrological signs of Aquarius the Water-Bearer and Pisces the Two Fishes, and is sacred to the following pagan deities: Aradia, Brigid, Juno Februa, and the Wiccan Goddess in Her aspect as the Maiden. During the month of February, the Great Solar Wheel…

The High Priestess (2) “To know that you know, and to know that you don’t know – that is the real wisdom.” ~Confucius Image Description: The Rider-Waite deck portrays a High Priestess seated on a throne between two pillars, which displays the letters ‘B’ and ‘J’. The crown of Isis rests upon her head, and the waxing crescent moon lies beneath her feet. The symbol of an equal sided cross is displayed on her robes.  In her arms is a scroll containing the word ‘Tora’. Symbols: Crown of Isis: Knowledge, understanding Pillars: Balance Letters B and J: (Hebrew symbols for the entrance to the temple of Solomon) Holy place Waxing…