• Crafting Articles

    The Kitchen Witch

    The Humble Boxty Many years ago, I went out with a guy named Tim. We were just kids; I was a little older than he was, but we were still kids, basically. I was twenty and he was eighteen. At that time, the drinking age was eighteen years old in New York State. We went to a lot of concerts and to clubs that featured live music. Tim was a major Deadhead and I loved anything I could dance to. But like so many young people, we drifted apart. I didn’t hear from Tim for many years – not until I reconnected with him on Facebook around 2007 or so.…

  • Reviews

    Irish Pagan School – In Review

      During lockdown I had that urge, as many do, to take the opportunity to better myself. One of the things I felt I had fallen behind with is my studies of Irish paganism, which is important to me because of the deities I work with plus my own (fairly recent) ancestry. I came across the Irish Pagan School quite by accident, really, after seeing the school mentioned by a friend on Facebook. The first course that drew me in was a free course on the Mórrígan, which was only available in May. Now, I’ve done a few free online courses, and I was totally expecting the standard survey-style questions…

  • Monthly Columns

    GoodGod!

    Meet the Gods: Lugh     The Celts, who lived in central Europe, worshipped Lugh (or Lug) as their Sun god. He is one of the most prominent gods from Irish mythology with many skills including fierce warrior, master craftsman, harpist, poet, and king. Fulfilling a prophecy, he grew up to kill his grandfather, Balor, the god of the underworld. Lugh (pronounced Loo) is associated with the festival of Lughnasadh (pronounced Loo-NA-sah), which bears his name. It is celebrated as the first harvest – traditionally August 1 – by those who keep the tradition alive. Astrologically, it falls on August 6, 2020.     He is depicted as a tall,…

  • Monthly Columns

    GoodGod!

    Meet the Gods: Oghma Merry meet. Oghma, also spelled Ogma and Ogmios, is the Irish god of poetry and eloquence. He is also a famed warrior whose magical sword, Oma, would recount all his heroic deeds when removed from its sheath. According to legend, he created Ogham, a runic alphabet that bears his name and in which Irish Gaelic was reportedly first written. Wikipedia states, “He often appears as a triad with Lugh and the Dagda, (The Dagda is his brother and Lugh is his half-brother), who are sometimes collectively known as the trí dée dána or three gods of skill.” Oghma was said to look like an older version…