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Take Heart from Hawthorn Its many common names include whitethorn, hagthorn, ladies’ meat, quickthorn, maytree, and mayblossom. Its magic and medicine are ancient and memorable. From the earliest records, hawthorn is one of the sacred trees. Hawthorn is the sixth tree of the Ogam cycle, Hath. Hath precedes Quer, the oak, center tree of the cycle of thirteen. Hawthorn is said to guard the hinges and to oversee crafts. A branch of flowering hawthorn placed in studio or workshop is believed to make the craftsperson skilled and successful. Hath shuts what is open and opens what is shut. Her magic, like her medicinal effect, is slow but long lasting. The…

The Moon & Lunar Cycles Last month I explored the function of the sabbats in attuning oneself with the rhythms of nature with the solar cycle.  This month I will turn to the moon and the significance of its phases.  This luminous body both mystifies and haunts us in the inky darkness of the night sky.  When full it gleams as a brilliant silvery-white orb which dwarfs even the brightest star to seeming insignificance.  Month after month it comes and goes from our perspective, growing to full and once again waning back to darkness.  Yet it always returns as does the sun, and for that reason becomes another powerful symbol…

Celtic Goddess’s of Fertility Eostre is the Celtic and Britannia Goddess of fertility associated with the spring and the pagan feast day Ostara, Eostre gave her name to the Christian festival of Easter, Some of the present day Easter customs can be traced back to our ancestors who worshiped her in years gone by, e.g. they Easter egg. Blessings of Ostara In the fertility of the earth we celebrate around the mighty Ash Promises of faith avail over the bleakness Ostara you have stead fast against the winter wolves’ Bringing forth once again an end to the cold In joyous exchange for summer’s blessed warmth ~ Michele Burke (2009) Benedizioni…

As we move into the springtime, the leaves turn green, the weather turns warmer and life is breathed back into Nature.  People’s attitudes shift into happiness, playfulness and they spend more time outside, enjoying nature.     If you’ve ever wondered if the Goddess influenced this, wonder no more. Persephone and Demeter, mother and daughter, speak to the change in the seasons.  Grief turns someone cold, as represented by Demeter turning the earth cold because of missing her daughter. Persephone is the Greek Goddess of the Underworld.  She is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus and the wife of Hades.  She was also known as “Kore”.  In some myths, the name Persephone…

“CrossRoads,” her debut cd and what a debut cd it is.   A collection of Celtic original songs each one telling a story clearly and beautifully written and sung so gloriously that it makes you want to stop and enjoy what you hear.  Keep in mind that these are not traditional Celtic songs which is why I am so thrilled with them.  They have the Celtic flair, they have the history but with a twist. Jenna is also currently working on her second CD, “Dance of the Goddess,” “ which explores the many aspects of the divine feminine.  It honors the spiritual teachers who have inspired her writings, including Joseph Campbell,…

This month I wanted to focus of Deity. Since this is such a touchy subject for many of us as well as a subject that will start flaming wars, I will be looking at different kitchen/hearth Gods and goddesses. For no other reason than there have been so many different ones throughout history. I do not wish to annoy, anger or irritate anyone… so please read this for only the informational purposes that it was intended for. I do not mean to seem like I am attacking before I am attacked. But recently I have been getting involved, without meaning to or having the desire to, in arguments about God,…

Keeping Your Familiar Safe in the Garden Ostara is a time of fertility; many of the rituals that take place are based around blessing the seeds for this year’s crop of plants. We look around us and nature is awakening, birds, animals and plants are all awakening around us. We are coming out of our own winter stupors. It is a beautiful time. The old Sabbats were all based around the planting cycle. In that vein we are going to talk about how to keep your furry friend safe from common plants and chemicals that can have severe even lethal effects on him or her. Most animals (like us) have…

Into the mists of the forest, I shall wander. I shall find within the canopy that which shelters me. The sunlight brings warmth but the moon is my guide. On this journey comes the voice of the Goddess. It is her voice I listen to and my own I follow. The stirs of spring remind me of my youth and lessons learned. On this journey The wisdom that fell at my feet In reds and yellows of winter Are still held within my heart. Each year I grow. Each year I see the Crone. Her whispers growing. As the sunlight disappears the moon in her brightness once again Lights the…

From the late 1950’s until around 1980, what is today labeled simply as modern Paganism was making its way through Britain and North America, slowly but inexorably growing and developing.  During that time, those who were initiated to our beliefs were cautiously screened for certain qualities and the decision to allow them access to knowledge about us was made only after due consideration.  In other words, newcomers were vetted before they were initiated. The usual procedure went something like the following:  Someone who was already an initiate took notice of your interest in something that they considered a possible indicator of how you might favorably react to their way of…

Learning Spring Equinox is traditionally a time for new beginnings.  This is my first column, which I welcomed as an opportunity to teach, learn and give back to the community. Each of us came to this path in our own way and it has been my pleasure to hear many different stories.  Now that you are here, the big question is where to turn to learn.  There are a variety of ways to accomplish this, each with its own pros and cons, but the best is from other Pagans. There is nothing that can compare to learning from another person face to face and I hope that each of you…