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Gael Song Second Edition
The Hidden Gem of Solitude With most folks staying at home during this pandemic, I thought an article about solitude might be helpful. I’ve lived a contemplative life for twenty years now, mostly by myself, writing, meditating, in complete silence 90% of every day. Besides three mornings of volunteer work a week, my life is very, very quiet. When my last daughter went off to college twenty years ago, I chafed against the isolation but within a very few months, I began to cherish it and still do. What I discovered fairly quickly is that silence opens the doorway to the Otherworld. In general, beings on the other side…
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Pagan Events At Home Online Events
The UK Pagan Federation has put together a wealth of activities to join in with whilst safe at home. Every day of the week has had a different focus, with May looking to be the home for a range of Beltane themed “Garden Party” events, videos and talks. Over the last few weeks the Pagan Federation has run a mammoth schedule of daily events aimed at keeping the Pagan community engaged, supported and entertained. The schedule ran Monday to Friday as follows: Monday: Videos from various members of the Pagan Community Tuesday: A weekly online ritual to promote strength, peace, wellness, hope and resilience. Wednesday: Batty Nan’s Crafty Circle,…
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Things to do with the Kids this Spring Equinox
The Spring Equinox is also called the Vernal Equinox and is when day and night are roughly equal. It’s the halfway point between the winter solstice and the summer solstice. After the Spring equinox, the light increases a little every day, although the way up to the longest day of the summer solstice. In the Northern hemisphere, the spring equinox is on Thursday the 19th and Friday the 20th March, depending on location. In the Southern hemisphere, this is the autumnal equinox. The spring equinox for the Southern hemisphere will be on Tuesday 22nd September. The Spring Equinox is a great time to get kids involved with pagan activities,…
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Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times
Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for February 2020 Bright Blessings! I write this on January 10. We’ve not had a real winter yet in my hometown, but my garden is sad. We have decided to gear up to list this place for sale, and that means I had to start dismantling my garden. My patio garden I worked years on. All of it has to go. Friends wanted my soil, and came with tubs to fill with the black, rich loam, and then toted away all my pots, stakes, tomato cages, and even my roses. Another friend came to take the box away today. I have another box…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Cow Parsley Anthriscus Sylvestris or cow parsley is a member of the Apiaceae family, just like the carrot and hemlock. It has tall, hollow stems topped with a flurry of delicate white flowers. In Europe it is a common hedgerow plant, and a familiar sight to walkers and foragers. It’s one of the first flowers to appear by the roadside in spring. With many common names including the grand “Queen Anne’s Lace” and the morbid “Mother Die”, this plant is a piece of living history and an intriguing part of the British countryside. The Kitchen Garden Encouraging cow parsley into the garden would…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: The Christmas Tree Straight away, I know many of you will be wondering why I’m bringing Christmas to the table, when most of us are looking forward to Yule or the Winter Solstice. Well, it’s because I absolutely adore the tradition of the Christmas tree. And, despite what many people think, it’s not an inherently Pagan symbol, although there are definite Pagan roots, pardon the pun. Christmas trees are so popular today that they are grown in all 50 American states, including even Hawaii, and most other places in the world. From candlelit trees in Germany in the 1800s to fiber optic light shows…
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Gael Song
The Sacred Geometry of Nemetons In order to explain the sacred geometry of nemetons, I need to briefly explain the levels of light in the inner planes. My understandings about this topic came through my 30-year druid path, druidry and light healing both. The simple, meditative, healing process I use twice a day moved me gradually through many planes of light, which came into the ethers around me for a week or so and then moved out below, so I was always moving up, an ascension process basically. Altogether, there were 363 planes, separated into seven different inner worlds, or heavens. Each heaven was inhabited by different beings who came…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Hyacinth The hyacinth is a flowering plant which grows from a bulb. It has beautiful clusters of fragrant flowers and is very popular during the holiday season and spring. This easy to grow plant has a wealth of history and mythology, and could bring a touch of magic into your home as well as a blast of floral colour and fragrance. The Kitchen Garden Hyacinths are poisonous so aren’t grown for culinary purposes. They contain oxalic acid, a compound that causes skin irritation externally. If taken internally it can cause: Damage to mucous membranes Damage to respiratory tract Wheezing Shortness of breath Laryngitis Inflammation…