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Book Review – A Spell A Day: 365 Easy Spells, Rituals and Magic for the Everyday by Tree Carr
Book Review A Spell a Day: 365 Easy Spells, Rituals and Magic for the Everyday By Tree Carr Publisher: Watkins 336 pages Publication Date: June 13, 2023 Tree Carr gives readers 365 spells and rituals in book form, organized by element. There are several ways to choose which spell to cast: by intention, chronologically, synchronized to magical and celestial dates, and using the divinatory art of bibliomancy by opening the book to a page at random. For each of the five elements – air, fire, water, earth, spirit – Carr presents spells for three new moons, three full moons, three solar returns, sabbats, and a collection…
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Learning Lunar
The Full Moon How exciting to be three issues into our Learning Lunar column and already able to wax lyrical (pun intended) about the full moon! Lúnasa 2023 falls on August 1st which, this year, is also a full moon. Lúnasa, or Lughnasadh, is an Irish festival co-opted by many Pagan traditions as a time of harvest celebration, games, competitions, and other summer festivities. Another popular celebration held at this time is Lammas, the Anglo-Saxon early Christian festival of blessing the first fruits and loaves of the seasons. Having the full moon to add to these blessings can only add to their fruitfulness! What Does the Phrase…
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Book Review – The Evil Eye: The History, Mystery, and Magic of the Quiet Curse by Antonio Pagliarulo
Book Review The Evil Eye: The History, Mystery, and Magic of the Quiet Curse by Antonio Pagliarulo Publisher: Weiser Books 256 Pages Release Date: May 1, 2023 The more occult books I read, the more I enjoy those which get really specific and focus on just one practice, going into detail and exploring it thoroughly. The Evil Eye: The History, Mystery, and Magic of the Quiet Curse is a perfect example of this type of book: one which takes a long, deep dive into the history and practices surrounding the Evil Eye. This book presents its singular topic with both depth and breadth, looking at the…
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Weyland’s Whey – That Old Familiar Feeling
That Old Familiar Feeling They’re a basic ingredient. When you’re a witch you gotta have the robe. An altar. And a familiar or two. Now, full disclosure time here: I’m no scholar or expert. I haven’t seriously researched this topic, nor do I intend to. But I deal with familiars on a daily basis (or at least I believe I do) and I’m happy to share my own experiences. I suppose familiars come in all genders and species or whatever, but I only deal with my boys Jinx and Spirit. They’re a couple of stray cats my girlfriend Sparkle took in long before she and I met. We hit…
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Book Review – Spirit Voices: The Mysteries and Magic of North Asian Shamanism by David Shi
Book Review Spirit Voices: The Mysteries and Magic of North Asian Shamanism by David Shi Publisher: Weiser Books 275 Pages Release Date: May 1, 2023 The book begins with a discussion on the Roots of Shamanism. While he grew up in New Jersey David did not wish to embrace his Asian-American roots especially during his teen years. Although he became interested in witchcraft and Neo-Paganism in high school he truly began his learning journey in 2016 when he travelled to Hong Kong. There he visited Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines in Japan, mosques and Hindu temples in Indonesia, Buddhist and folk temples in Hong Kong and…
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Book Review – Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land by Britton Boyd
Book Review Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land by Britton Boyd Publisher: Hierophant Publishing 184 pages Release Date: December 15, 2022 Earth Witch is a great book for exploring the area otherwise known as green witchcraft. Earth witch is another name for those who identify as “wild” or “green” witches. It is those practitioners who choose to primarily work in nature with the earth, the moon and life upon the planet including trees, plants and herbs. In this easy-to-read book, Ms. Boyd shares with her readers the path in which she has been called to. She shares with us her need to get away from…
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Book Review – The Cult of the Yew by Janis Fry
Book Review The Cult of the Yew: Tree of Life, Mystery, and Magic Written by Janis Fry Publisher: Moon Books 480 Pages Release Date: April 1, 2023 It is not often a book summons you from the Forest of your Soul and takes you on a journey through time and out of time back into a richer, freer, and more integrated Forest of your Eternal Soul. Janis Fry’s The Cult of the Yew was that catalyst for me. The Yew trees first started whirling in my awareness after a random conversation in the Forest one day with a neighboring woman I met on the trail. She shared…
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Learning Lunar: Moon Magic and Mystery
Learning Lunar: Waxing Gibbous Welcome back to Learning Lunar, Pagan Pages’ column on everything moon-related! Last time around, we looked at the power of the Dark Moon and some of the differences between the dark moon and the new moon. Check it out here. This time, we’re looking at the Waxing Gibbous moon (not the new moon as previously advertised!) because that’s what phase the moon will be around the time of the Irish festival of Beltaine. What Does Waxing Gibbous Mean? A waxing moon means that the moon appears to be getting larger in the sky each night. Of course, it doesn’t actually expand and contract. The…
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Poetry by Angela C Wood
Witch’s Trance counting down from 5 to 1 relax your body and mind reaching down to number 4 seeing 3 so you see more for 2 it takes you to the deep finding love and finding peace I will bring you to this dance fully charged in the Witch’s Trance release your worries and your woes feeling lifted as your light grows charging up to find the truth getting rid of what’s no use enjoying peace and harmony in this place will show your power, strength and ability to nurture the seeds you sow a time for you, your needs are met goals and…
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Book Review – Witches, Druids and Sin Eaters: The Common Magic of the Cunning Folk of the Welsh Marches by Jon G. Hughes with Sophie Gallagher
Book Review Witches, Druids and Sin Eaters: The Common Magic of the Cunning Folk of the Welsh Marches by Jon G. Hughes with Sophie Gallagher Publisher: Destiny Books 312 Pages Published: September 2022 Witches, Druids and Sin Eaters: The Common Magic of the Cunning Folk of the Welsh Marches by Jon G. Hughes and Sophie Gallagher represents the collaboration between a lineage Druid and a witchcraft researcher and is a thorough and comprehensive guide to the ancient magickal practices of the people of the Welsh Marches. The insight that Mr. Hughes and Ms. Gallagher bring to this tome is clearly evident in the content as a lineage of…
