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Beltaine, also called May Day by many Christians. This Sabbat celebrates the fertility and union of the Horned God and the Goddess. At this time, life is renewing itself. Birds and animals are mating. In the fields, newly planted seeds are beginning to grow. Great fires are lit honoring the fertility God Belenos. Some leap the fires to show the exuberance of the season. A Maypole is erected and bright ribbons are hung on it. The Maypole, a phallic symbol, represents the masculine. The soft colored ribbons are the feminine. The union of the two symbolizes the union of the God and Goddess. This is the time to fertilize your…

Samhain: Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas (Celtic/Scottish) Samhain, popularly known as Halloween, is the Witches’ New Year. This is the last of the three harvest Sabbats marking the end of the growing seasons. Celtic custom decreed that all crops must be gathered by sundown on April 31st. It is a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Deceased ancestors and other friendly spirits are invited to join in Sabbat festivities and be reunited with loved ones. In Ireland it is still custom to leave candles in the windows and plates of food for the visiting spirits. Keep a fire lit or a candle burning all…

Are you Ready? There is a notable chill in the air. In the distance you can smell warn sage mixed with an apply smell. A deeper breath reveals the faint smell of sulfur and you know that you are getting closer. As you make your way carefully down the secluded path, winding through the woods, deeper and farther away from prying eyes, you hear the faint but rhythmic tapping on a drum and you know now that it is close. It seems like such a forbidden act, sneaking off without telling anyone of where you are going. So exciting as you get closer and now you can see the flicker…

Merry Meet . Blessings of the season to you all, it is my favorite time of year. Samhain, the witches New Year, Halloween, it means so many different things to different people. For Wiccans, Witches and Pagans .. it is one of the most involved Sabbats we have.. We celebrate the death of the year.. we also celebrate and respect our dead, our ancestors. For many of us the veil between the worlds is so much thinner now.. and we have a much easier time talking to and connecting with our ancestors. Many of us have a Dumb Supper. A meal that we prepare with much respect and caring, and…

Derives it’s name from the eighth month of the oldest Roman calendar, Octem. Moon: The Blood Moon – The name Blood Moon comes from the custom of killing and salting down live stock for the upcoming winter months, not from sacrifice as some think. Astrological Signs: Libra, Scorpio. Nature Spirits: Frost faeries, plant faeries. Herbs: Pennyroyal, thyme, catnip, uva ursi, angelica, burdock. Colors: Dark blue-green. Flowers: Calendula, marigold, cosmos. Scents: Strawberry, apple blossom, cherry. Stones: Opal, rose sapphire, tourmaline, beryl, turquoise. Trees: Yew, cypress, acacia. Animals: Stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion. Birds: Heron, crow, robin. Deities: Astarte, Belili, Cernunnos, Demeter, Hathor, Horned God, Ishtar, Kore, Lakshmi, the Morrigan, Osiris, The…

Chapter 3 Sai, as soon as she had left the gates of the city, let the hood of her cloak fall. Her feet picked up the pace of a run as her cloak billowed out behind her. She called out with her mind to her friend behind the waterfall but received no answer. her soft slippered feet ran surely along the slippery rock along the falls. Her breathing became labored as she picked up the pace. “Please, please” Sai chanted in her mind. She scrambled up the rocks near the falls. The roar of the water against the deastone seemed to be deafening.  This time and the peace and serenity…

October 1 On this date (approximately), hundreds of thousands of Muslims make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca to kiss and touch the Black Stone (one of the original building blocks of a veiled shrine) and to worship their god Allah. They then drink some water from the nearby sacred Well of Ishmael, and journey up into the hills of Safa and Marwa to recite prayers. October 2 Guiding Spirits Day. On this day, light a white candle on you altar and give thanks to your spirit guide (or guides) for guarding over you and guiding you through your spiritual development. If you wish to communicated with or meet…

Ancient Samhain Rituals 2,000 years ago, the Celts who lived in the region now known as Ireland, Northern France, and the United Kingdom, celebrated their new year on the 1st. day of November. The New Year symbolized the end of the harvest and of summer and the commencement of the cold, gloomy, dark days of winter, oftentimes, this time of year was associated with death. The Celts believed the hours of darkness preceding the new year, was the time when the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, and it was on this night October 31 that the Celts celebrated Samhain, at what time it was…

God’s Eye An oldie but goodie!! I think I’ve seen these made at nearly every school I attended in life. So lets get started First off your gonna need a few things! Items Needed: *2 sticks (Chop sticks, dowling rods cut to size, popcicle sticks, just to name a few) *string, ribbon, or yarn ( I like the kind that changes color to create a neat pattern) *Hot Glue gun or tacky glue (Kids get your parents help with the hot glue gun) Optional Items: Small charms or old jewelry Tassels Step 1: using the glue gun cross your stick in the middle using the glue dab a bit so…

Maeshowe Orkney Islands, Scotland Our Pagan pilgrimage begins with a drive to the northernmost part of Scotland, were we board a ferry that will take us across the North Sea to Orkney. You can imagine stepping back into time as you cross the water to the small set of islands in the north. It’s barren landscape due to the fact that Orkney has been largely treeless for over two thousand years, this feature adds to the striking quality of the land. Orkney has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years, originally by neolithic tribes and then by the Picts. Invaded and settled by the Norse, it is now considered part…