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Sage Sage (Salvia officinalis) is also known as Healer of all Ills, Garden Sage, Red Sage and Sawge.  It was a perennial shrub with soft, finely-toothed leaves that have many different uses.    It was first discovered to grow in Mediterranean areas because it likes to grow in the full sun.   It has traveled all over since then and can be found all over the world.  There are 500 different varieties of Sage now.  Sage is used in many different ways and this article will explore some of those ways. Sage was considered to be sacred to the Romans.  They would offer the plant wine and then harvest it without any…

Imbolc and Honoring the Fae We of the pagan persuasion will be celebrating the sabbat of Imbolc (“in the belly) on 2 February here in the Northern hemisphere.  This sabbat is also known as Oimelc (“milk of ewes”), Candlemas, St. Brigid’s Day (or Brigit, Brighid, Bride, or Brìd), Là Fhèill Brìghde (Scotland), Lá Fhéile Bríde (Ireland), G?yl Fair (Wales), Brigantia, and Lupercalia, and may be spelled Imbollgc. For those who were unable or preferred not to perform the Twelfth Night ritual of removing their Yuletide foliage from the home to release any fae or nature spirits residing therein, as one of the four fire festivals Imbolc is an excellent time…

The Cauldron of Inspiration with Brigit, the Lady of the Sacred Flame February begins with a Sabbat that is usually celebrated on February 2nd.  Although it has many names, it is usually referred to as Imbolc or Imbolg (pronounced em-bowlg or immol’g) meaning “in the belly” (being pregnant with life) or Oimelc (pronounced oy-melk) meaning “ewe’s milk” (nourishing life).  Other names for this day are Disting-tid (Norse), Laa’l Breeshay (Isle of Mann), and Candlemas (Saxon; “mas” meaning “feast”, not a Catholic word).  As this is the day of Brigit, be she goddess or saint, this day is also called White Brigit’s Day, Feast Day of Saint Brigit (Irish) or Feast…

Burgundy: Color of the Everyday Sacred The moon turns a deep burgundy when it is near an eclipse, and is truly a sight to behold. This time is unrivaled for opening oneself to the flow of all energy, and scrying for life path decisions. The wine pours from its holder, shining in the air for a moment like a jewel and beautiful in its glorious impermanence. It is the color of red earth and drying blood, that I write of, hardening in the elements but no less true to life. On the Rainbow Path I have walked, and learned the colors and their meanings in turn. Burgundy is the color…

Daily Divine Devotion Devotion can be defined as either “feelings of ardent love” or a “commitment to some purpose” (retrieved January 20, 2010 from http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/). The word devotion or devotional is often used in a religious context, especially within Christianity. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/), in Christianity a Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts. A Bible study or devotional time can be done in a group or practiced alone. What does this have to do with Paganism? Everything! Despite popular opinion we can learn a lot from Christians and their…

Faeries dancing by the light of the moon, Flower garden. _ High Priestess May 20, 2008 High Priestess Regan is a self-inspired harpist, classical vocalist, producer and composer who has accomplished a feat never achieved before. High Priest Regan has captured the first ever live recording of Faerie music. From the very first track the listener will become captivated by its ethereal aural imagery. Michele Burke ~ 2010 PaganPages.org Interview with High Priestess Regan Pagan Pages: What were the driving forces that led you to the Faerie Archives? High Priestess Regan: It was the Faerie’s themselves, actually. PP: In this you’re new CD Faerie Archives what was your main inspiration?…

February 1, 2 Other Names: Imbolg (im-molc)(em-bowl’g) (Celtic), Candlemas (Christian), Brigantia (Caledonii), Oimelc, Festival of Light, Brigid’s (Brid, Bride) Day, La Fheill, An Fheille Bride, Candelaria (Mexico), Chinese New Year, Disting-tid (Feb 14th, Teutonic), DisaBlot, Anagantios, Lupercalia/Lupercus (Strega), Groundhog Day, Valentines Day. Animals & Mythical Beings: Firebird, dragon, groundhog, deer, burrowing animals, ewes, robin, sheep, lamb, other creatures waking from hibernation. Gemstones: Amethyst, garnet, onyx, turquoise. Incense/Oil: Jasmine, rosemary, frankincense, cinnamon, neroli, musk, olive, sweet pea, basil, myrrh, and wisteria, apricot, carnation. Colors/Candles: Brown, pink, red, orange, white, lavender, pale yellow, silver. Tools,Symbols, & Decorations: White flowers, marigolds, plum blossoms, daffodils, Brigid wheel, Brigid’s cross, candles, grain/seed for blessing, red…

Pagan theology: Dog Days of Winter So I decided I wanted to put on a ritual centered on dogs.  Don’t ask why, I don’t even like dogs, but there it is [1].   I also had to write a column, Pagan Pages never sleeps, after all.  So I thought: why not just stick them together and see what comes from it? One of the most important questions, I think, is what can we take from what we know about Celtic worship.  I’m not talking about modern (including 18th century) reconstructions.  Those reconstructions often have either a romantic, or a ethnocentric [2], view of the “Celtic” religions.  Instead, I’m asking: what are…

Family Values: Creativity A family value that is high on my priority list is creativity.  It is not a traditional family value but many would argue that a pagan family is not traditional in the first place, so in my opinion it fits. Creativity is fundamental to humanity as a whole, without it we would not have made the discoveries and advances that we have as a culture.  Pagans honour the sacredness of creation, the earth in her splendour creates on a scale that is baffling.  Volcanic eruptions spew out what will become new ground; dead trees in the forest shelter the sprouts of new seedlings that will take their…

Rituals Part 1, Ritual Garb Ritual garments have been worn in almost all traditions from the beginning of time.  We’ve read about this in books, we’ve seen this in movies, and we’ve pictured it when we think about magicians cloaked in blue velvet.  The question that I pose is, “What purpose do these ‘magickal’ clothes have?”  There are a variety of perspectives to look at the purpose in this common tradition, and from these perspectives we can gain an insight into how we can alter and improve upon our current magickal clothing. Thinking about it from a psychological viewpoint, it is clear that these ritual garments are like any other…