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The Devil (15) “Abstainer. A weak man who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure.” ~Ambrose Gwinett Bierce Image Description: The Rider-Waite deck depicts a horned devil perched upon a black pedestal, holding an inverted torch. His face and head is goat-like in appearance. His has the wings of a bat and the feet/legs of a bird. An inverted pentagram appears near his forehead. A nude male and female figure, each displaying a tail, are chained beside him. The man’s tail ends in flames. The woman’s tail is tipped with grapes. Symbols: Bat Wings, Goat Legs, Horns, Bird Feet: Animalistic instinctive nature Chains: Self imposed servitude, bondage and…

Beltane in Ireland For this issue of Sacred Sites we begin by wishing you a Happy Beltane! This month we are in Ireland with a group of travelers exploring sacred sites. We hope you’ll journey with us in spirit as we make our way across the mystical emerald isle. This will be an interesting opportunity to experience the difference in celebratory styles, not only culturally speaking, but from within the Irish community itself. We will meet a transplanted American living in County Kerry, a solitary Witch, in the heart of Ireland and a member of Teampall Na Callaighe that lives in Kells. In the upcoming issues of Pagan Pages we…

Dryads/ Sidhe Draoi Copyright 2008 Howard David Johnson Druidesses, Tree Ladies, Hamadryads, Tree Spirits, or in Gaelic Dryads are known as the Sidhe Draoi translated Faerie Druids. The element of the Dryads is the Air however; it is their temperament that best describes them. The Sidhe Draoi or Dryads are spirits that make their dwelling in the trees. Playful creatures are they, androgynous wisps of brilliant uncontaminated natural light flittering through the tree tops playfully acknowledging all human contact, but most commonly seen during the full moon of the Sabbats. Sidhe Draoi Lore Handed down by the Sidhe Draoi were the magical secrets of the trees and the means to…

The over arching Theme of The Everyday Witch column, is “Foundations for Successful Witchcraft”.  Correspondences make up that foundation and at its core are considered  “The rudimentary knowledge one should have before committing oneself to the Craft”.    Correspondences provide The Everyday Witch with the tools to notice the” magic in the mundane” and to use that knowledge to conduct effective Spelling.   In order for us to make communicating with the Gods & Goddesses in our daily lives a natural occurrence, we must first experience the magic of Correspondences first hand. We begin with Belief.  When a Witch possesses the Belief that s/he CAN practice effective Magic, then s/he WILL practice…

Getting Through Thank you for joining me in another walk through the Door.  Going through it can and has been exciting over the years… but there will always be those times when walking anywhere will be a matter of just plugging along. We may call this “boredom”.  We may use choicer terms, such as “perseverance,” “dragging along,” or “the blahs”.  Nonetheless, no matter what we do with our lives, there are times when we don’t feel the magick.  Many of us with diagnoses tend to fixate on these times, to where it may seem as though all the time is this way.  But we know that is not the case.…

Dreams Part I We all see them flooding our in box, our Facebook notes and our MySpace message folders, those surveys that delve into the deepest aspects of our being.  They ask everything from our favorite sea animal to what we had for dinner last night.  As overwhelming as they can be, let’s all admit that we get a little kick out of reading our friend’s most personal fears and feelings.  Recently while scouring over such-said questionnaires I noticed the answer that several of my contacts had given to a particular query.  The question “What did you dream about last night” and the answers surprised me.  The replies ranged from…

The Anointer of the Sacrificial King Springtime will soon be upon us, for some sooner than others. At this time of the Pagan/Heathen feast of Ostara and the Christian feast of Easter, we think of the resurrection of all life. Life on Mother Earth and life within ourselves are yearly renewed with each blossom that pops through the soil and each new leaf budding on a delicate tree branch. Islands of ice begin to melt in the brooks revealing cold, fresh bubbling water flowing gracefully on its merry way through-out the awakening woodlands. The last of the winter snows refresh the ever greening grasses newly springing up to greet the…

The Winter Solstice was about the rebirth of the sun. The Spring Equinox is about the rebirth of the earth. The signs of this massive stirring are everywhere! Soaking rains shift to brilliant sunshine, and back again. Soil softens. Snowdrops creep out. Shoots of tulips, daffodils and crocuses push, green, through drooping winter pansies. Birds return. Hibernating animals wake up. Days lengthen. Nights shorten. Slowly but surely, Earth is turning toward March 21st, the Spring Equinox, when day and night will be in perfect balance.  The time of Ostara, Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, who has lent her name to this Sabbat, is at hand. What bliss, after the harsh winter…

Spring Growth Rite This rite is dedicated to the emergence of the spring season and new personal growth. Supplies Chalice of milk Small bowl of fresh maple syrup Plate of cornbread Extra plate Offering bowl Kitchen knife Potted tulip Bowl of fresh snow/rain Bird’s nest and eggs (artificial) God and Goddess candles Universal energy candle Elemental candles Feather Matches Rite Sit down in a comfortable position and ground yourself in your traditional way. When you are ready, stand up and cast a sacred circle. Call forth the Elemental guardian winds at each of their quarters using a feather. Light a candle for each Element. When you are ready, invoke the…

The Storm Moon Spring sowing The name March came from the God Mars, for this month was sacred to him. Mars is much like the other God’s – Ares’s (Greek), Tiu or Tiwaz (Central Europe), Teutates (celts), and Tyr (Norse). Astrological Signs: Pisces, February 19 – March 20, Aries, March 21 – April 20 Birthstones: Aquamarine Nature Spirits: Mer-people, Air and Water beings who are connected with spring rains and storms. Animals: Cougar, hedgehog, boar Birds: Sea crow, sea eagle Trees: Alder, dogwood Flowers: Jonquil, daffodil, violet Herbs: Broom, High John Root, yellow dock, wood betony, Irish moss Scents: Honeysuckel, apple blossom Colors: Pale green, red-violet Stones: Aquamarine, bloodstone God/dess:…