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All poetry begins in the dark. In the cave of memory, the new poet lies awake, wrapped in the simple, loose-fitting shift of a sleeper, listening to the echoes of her own breathing and the whine of her own blood in her ears, the only sounds. The close stone walls are damp with her exhalations, sighs of longing or uncertainty, muffled sobs or murmured joys. She can see nothing in the darkness, not even the low ceiling above, but in that senseless obscurity her memory moves, conjuring up fleeting images of apricots, water spigots and firelight, half-heard sounds of bare running feet or the rubbing of tree branches against brick.…

Cerridwen – The Tiger Mother Goddess Cerridwen is known as the goddess of death, initiation, inspiration, magic, and regeneration. The Magical Welsh crone goddess Cerridwen (pronounced KARE 0id wen) was a shape-shifting goddess of dark prophetic powers, enchantment and divination.   She is equated with Hecate (Greek) and Balb (Irish).  She is also sometimes related to Muses (Greek) but in a dark and more violent form. Cerridwen’s cauldron is a powerful symbol of transforming magic.  It contains all the knowledge in the world.  This is where the inspiration for the Samhain (or Halloween) Witch stirring a Caldron comes from. The brew in the Cauldron (named Amen) is known as Greal.  This…

INTERPRETING THE CARDS The Tarot’s meanings can be personal and subjective to each of us in accordance with our unique experiences and views of the world. For this reason there are no immutable or absolute definitions that can be applied to the cards. The cards mean what our intuition and experience tell us they mean, and this can differ from person to person. As you study the cards do not be afraid to allow your inner voice to suggest nuances of meaning. When examining the Tarot, you’ll notice that the titles, illustrations, and symbols of certain cards seem to openly convey their meaning, while the informative clues for other cards…

The Witch’s Cupboard Mint Mint (Mentha spp) is also known as “Garden Mint”.   Other names include Menta (Spanish, Italian), Menthe (French), Minze (German), and Nahnah (Arabic).  “Mint” is a general term for herbs in the Mentha family.   There are many different types of Mint which you can research for specific qualities.  Mint is found in parts of Europe and parts of Asia. In ancient times, Mint was considered an honored herb.  It was used as payments to the Pharisees.  It was also used by the Romans to crown themselves during celebrations and victory.   One of the Goddess myths is that Demeter turned the nymph Mintha into a Mint plant after…

Merry Meet all… this time of year has so many possibilities. With the harvest just finished.. we have so much to choose from.. it is amazing. This month not only will I have Samhain recipes.. but some good old fashion tummy filling recipes as well. Magic Baked Apples When you polish an apple on your shirt before taking a bite, you are continuing an ancient tradition. The Celts rubbed apples to drive out evil fairies hiding inside the fruit. Medieval Christians thought the practice kept away the devil. These customs reflect the belief that apples contain Earth energies. Magic Apples Recipe: 4 medium-sized apples 8 tbsp brown sugar 4 tsp…

**Adult Content** Chastity as Sexual Magick Despite the interest in the other forms of sexual magick… today we are going to discuss, “Chastity”. It is important to realize that chastity is also a form of Sexual Magick and has been used for magickal purposes for untold millennia. In the ancient Roman religion there was only one type of “Priest” who’s role was carried out exclusively by Females. These were the Vestal Virgins, who, from pre-puberty committed themselves to Chastity for 30 years. Now, curiously enough… their primary job was to attend to the Sacred Fire. It is also of note that cross-culturally… the Sexual Energy is often called the “Sacred…

Fairies and the Wild Hunt There are many versions of the Wild Hunt, most originating among the Germanic peoples.  While the Scandinavian traditions and medieval stories of Woden, Berchta, Odin or others leading the Wild Hunt are of inestimable worth, for the purposes of this article I am going to concentrate on legends and ballads in which the hunters are from the realm of fairy. In both Germanic and Celtic pagan belief systems, the souls of the dead are gathered up by the Wild Hunt in November.  For the Celtic peoples, this coincided with the appearance of the Pleiades.  In modern times, we celebrate this time of year as All…

Here is a craft for you to welcome your family both alive a dead.. From Better Homes and Gardens 2006 Luminarias Every guest will feel welcome when sparkling lanterns surround your door. What You Need: Metal cans in assorted sizes, cleaned and with paper labels removed and saved Plain paper cut to fit the can (optional) 16-penny square nail Awl Hammer Punch-style can opener 16-gauge galvanized wire Pliers Votive Candle Instructions: 1. Fill the cans with water and freeze them overnight. (Freezing makes it easier to hammer a design into the can without damaging the shape of the can.) Don’t worry if the bottoms bulge slightly from the pressure of…

Dunloe Ogham Stones – County Kerry, Ireland In beautiful County Kerry, between Beaufort village and the Gap of Dunloe the traveler that visits here will be rewarded, for eight stones inscribed with Ogham have been collected here. Seven of the eight Ogham stones in this group were discovered in Coolmagort in the nineteenth century and have been set up on this site close to Dunloe Castle. These seven stones were originally the roofs of a souterrain or underground passage, which collapsed at the end of the last century, several centuries after they had been carved. Because of their long protection from exposure, the Dunloe inscriptions are unusually well preserved. The…

Although the characters of Lord Ruthven and Varney made a lasting impact on the vampire genre, another surpassed them in impact and popularity.  That character, Carmilla, was created by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.  Le Fanu was born in Dublin, Ireland and was raised at the Royal Hiberian Military School.  His father happened to be the chaplain there (Melton 357).  At the young age of fourteen, Le Fanu tapped into his writing talent with an Irish poem, and his literary career began (358). When Le Fanu embarked on his literary career, his first works focused on aspects of the Irish character.  Most of these works were considered mediocre due to his…