• Reviews

    Tarot Deck Review – The Relative Tarot by Carrie Paris and Tina Hardt

    Tarot Deck Review The Relative Tarot by Carrie Paris and Tina Hardt Published by Weiser Books Published on November 8, 2021 78 cards, 94 page guidebook     The Relative Tarot: A Guidebook for the Diligent Diviner is created, illustrated and written by Carrie Paris (copyright 2020 and 2021 by Carrie Paris) along with Tina Hardt, and published by Weiser Books, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950. The Relative Tarot comes in a sturdy 5 ¼” by 7 ¼” magnetic closure box with a matte sepia- toned finish, and a beautiful vintage image on the cover, with card images and a deck…

  • Monthly Columns

    GoodGod!

    Meet the Gods: Triton     The son of the God and Goddess of the sea, Poseidon and Amphitrite, Triton (“try-ton”) is a demigod of the sea. A mighty merman, stories tell of him living with his parents in a golden palace deep in the sea. Because Poseidon fathered many children outside of marriage with both mortals and goddesses, Triton has as many as fifty half-siblings. Triton is said to be the father and leader of three thousand mermaids and three thousand tritons – creatures who were male or female with matted green hair who escorted the marine divinities wherever they wanted to go. “Their entire body was covered with…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration by Kristoffer Hughes

    Book Review Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration by Kristoffer Hughes Published by Llewellyn Publications 336 pages Publication Date: March 8, 2021     Cerridwen, keeper of the cauldron, the “Goddess” of Awen, mother of Taliesin—any modern day pagan would be hard pressed to not have heard her story. But, who is she really? What is her history? How did she become so revered? Luckily, author Kristoffer Hughes elegantly answers these questions and more in his new work Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration. Hughes, a native Welshman, Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, and a Haemus Scholar has given us a definitive guide to all things Cerridwen. As he follows her…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – The Witch’s Book of Simples: The Simple Arte of Domestic Folk Medicine by Mélusine Draco

    Book Review The Witch’s Book of Simples: The Simple Arte of Domestic Folk Medicine by Mélusine Draco Publisher: Moon Books 208 Pages Publication Date: April 1, 2022     Witches have been using medicinal plants for cures of common ailments as part of their Craft for centuries. The most elementary cure is a simple – an infusion, poultice, or compress derived from a single herb. Nothing fancy, just effective: chamomile tea for sleep, elder flowers for coughs, peppermint for nausea – quick household remedies not intended as long-term treatments. Perhaps because they are so basic, they are often overlooked. Mélusine Draco wrote “The Witch’s Book of Simples: The Simple Arte…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, and Ritual Entheogens by Coby Michael

    Book Review The Poison Path Herbal: Baneful Herbs, Medicinal Nightshades, and Ritual Entheogens by Coby Michael Published by Park Street Press 256 pages Publication date: October 26, 2021       Despite the abundance of herbal literature available today, it’s still hard to find accurate information on those plants whose physiological effects are dangerous and potent. It’s easy to see why: many authors don’t want to assume any responsibility for what readers might do with this information, nor do publishers. And so, instead of tackling the challenge these plants present, they write them off entirely, give them the label “poison,” and only explore their attributes in order to identify and…

  • Monthly Columns,  Reviews

    Witch & Popcorn

      The Exorcist     Bright Blessings film lovers! Classic horror film, The Exorcist has terrified people for decades with the demons, acrobatics of the actress playing a possessed child, and ingrained beliefs in demonic possession- and it’s one I just can’t get enough of. Watch this trailer here:     You wouldn’t know it to talk to me today since I am such a horror fan, but this film literally scared the ever living hell out of me when I was in high school. I was awakening psychically and had gone on a starvation diet that increased my imagination. Seeing the backwards crawl down the steps in that fateful…

  • Crafting Articles

    The Kitchen Witch

    Using Leftovers ~ Fried Rice We all have leftovers. I have lived with people – men, mostly – who have refused to eat leftovers. But I come from a family who don’t waste anything at all – not food, not clothes, not anything at all – and I am the same way. And honestly – if you throw away food – you’re throwing away money. That’s how I look at it. And I do not like to waste money. Of course – some people think I waste a lot of money – buying books the way I do – but we all have our addictions! I have a three-day rule…

  • Monthly Columns

    Notes from the Apothecary

    Notes from the Apothecary Special: Flowers for Bealtaine   Bealtaine is an Irish festival traditionally celebrated on May Eve (April 30th), with many modern celebrations taking place on May 1st. The word is pronounced Bee-ell-tun-uh approximately – at least that’s my best attempt with my very basic Irish! I think it’s important to embrace the correct pronunciation (or as close as you can get) because Irish is a living language and thriving culture, so anglicising Irish words is needless. I pronounced it Bell-tane for many years – now I know better, I try to do better. I’m an English person whose Pagan path is heavily influenced by Irish Paganism, history,…

  • Monthly Columns,  This Month's Holiday

    Beltaine Correspondences

      Also known as: May Day, Bealtaine, Beltane, Bhealtainn, Bealtinne, Festival of Tana (Strega), Giamonios, Rudemass, and Walburga (Teutonic), Cetsamhain (opposite Samhain),Fairy Day,Sacred Thorn Day, Rood Day, Roodmas (the Christian term for Rood Day, Old Beltane, Beltain, Baltane, Walpurgis Night, Floriala (Roman feast of flowers from April 29 to May 1), Walpurgisnacht (Germanic-feast of St. Walpurga), Thrimilce (Anglo-saxon), Bloumaand (Old Dutch)   Date: May 1   Animals: Swallow, dove, swan, Cats, lynx, leopard Deities: Flower Goddesses, Divine Couples, Deities of the Hunt, Aphrodite, artemis, Bast, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Maia, Pan, the Horned God, Venus, and all Gods and Goddesses who preside over fertility. Tools: broom, May Pole, cauldron Stones/Gems: emerald,…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Naming the God – edited by Trevor Greenfield

    Book Review Naming the God edited by Trevor Greenfield Publisher: Moon Books 248 Pages Publication Date: May 1, 2022     Naming the God is the latest anthology brought to us by Moon Books who published Naming the Goddess in 2014. This latest work is a collaboration of 70 essays that explores attributes of male deities and individual gods. The first part of the book offers 12 essays where the authors share their perspectives and personal practice working with various gods of different aspects. The rest of the book is arranged with a focus on one god. Many traditions and cultures are represented in this anthology and on its pages,…