-
Book Review – Earth Spirit: Belonging to the Earth – Nature Spirituality in a Changing World by Julie Brett
Book Review Earth Spirit: Belonging to the Earth – Nature Spirituality in a Changing World by Julie Brett Publisher: Moon Books 104 Pages Publication Date: February 25, 2022 Connecting to the land is crucial for healing our Mother Earth. In her book in the Earth Spirit series by Moon Books, “Belonging to the Earth – Nature Spirituality in a Changing World,” Julie Brett shares stories about connecting to place. Most are of her personal insights, travels, and events. Five come from interviews with Aboriginal community leaders, activists, and those practicing nature-based spirituality, each connected to a specific land and its history. By telling these stories, she inspires others…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Primrose Primroses are a hardy, perennial plant which means they’re tough and come back year after year. They’re also absolutely gorgeous and often around in winter, lending some welcome colour to gardens, windowsills, or containers. Originally a woodland plant, primroses or Primula vulgaris will grow just about anywhere as long as there’s drainage so the roots don’t get waterlogged. Finding primroses in the wild can be a sign that you’re on ancient woodland. However, some “wild” blooms can be escapees from folks’ gardens! Either way, even in November and December, their blooms make a gorgeous, colourful addition to the winter landscape. The Kitchen…
-
Book Review – 10-Minute Moon Rituals: Easy Tips for Working with Each Astrological Sign to Develop Your True, Lunar Nature by Simone Butler
Book Review 10-Minute Moon Rituals Easy Tips for Working with Each Astrological Sign to Develop Your True, Lunar Nature by Simone Butler 208 Pages “10-Minute Moon Rituals” has two parts. The first is an introduction to the eight monthly phases of the moon and the characteristics of each. This link to author Simone Butler’s site http://astroalchemy.com/your-moon-power/ will determine your moon sign at birth so you can read up on your emotional nature, needs, wisdom from previous lives, and what can trip you up. Other sites, including this one, https://www.astrocal.co.uk/find-out-your-moon-phase/ will give you the phase of the moon. I was born under a waning gibbous moon. According to Simone,…
-
WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches – Nature Weaving
Nature Weaving Merry meet. Every season has its gifts. Exploring nature and responsibly collecting its offerings will provide materials both to decorate your altar and to make a Nature Weaving to adorn your sacred space, a door, the corner of a room, a garden, or a porch. Options for a frame range from a Y-shaped branch to a large picture frame. Using hemp cord, twine, string or yarn, tie one and to a corner or end. Wrap the cord twice around the stick or frame; keeping it taut, bringing the cord to the opposite side, again wrapping it twice around before continuing from side to side, keeping it…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Cherries I’m inspired to write about cherries because of my next door neighbour. They have a huge cherry tree that hangs over into our garden. We don’t mind. In fact, we love it. Not only is it a beautiful tree, with strong, thick limbs and richly coloured bark, it encourages all kinds of wildlife. Just this afternoon, we all sat enraptured in the kitchen as a squirrel hopped around the back garden munching on the fallen cherries. They’re just starting to ripen as we leave the summer solstice behind, and the windfalls attract all manner of birds and small mammals. There are actually over 50…
-
Retha’s Crystal Reflections
How Can My Crystals Support Me Now? I was going to write this months column on something completely different, then I thought….instead of suggesting new crystals to try, maybe sharing some tips on how to work more with the crystal allies you already have would be a better route to take. With the way the world has drastically changed over the last couple months, many are on very limited budgets, and many can’t purchase new tools right now. That’s OKAY. You don’t need any funds for sparkly new crystals (unless you can afford them- and if so, ROCK on!) As long as you have a piece of quartz, you are…
-
Free Resources for Pagans Right Now
If there’s a silver lining in the coronavirus quarantine and lockdown measures, it can only be the way in which it’s made communities come together in support of one another. Within the Pagan communities worldwide, this includes a wealth of free resources to help Pagans and their families connect with one another, learn new things, and stay spiritual even in the face of crisis. Here are the ten best pagan resources I’ve found this month, please feel free to share your own in the comments or on our social media. Pagan Federation Online Garden The UK Pagan Federation continues its run of great free events with a virtual garden…
-
Book Review – The Mindful Kitchen by Heather Thomas
Book Review The Mindful Kitchen by Heather Thomas 192 Pages Chockful of yummy recipes, “The Mindful Kitchen” is a vegetarian (not vegan) delight. Ms. Thomas introduces us to the concept of bringing Nature back to our food and Nature back into our eating. “You Are What You Eat” While this concept is about plant-based eating and/or eating mindfully, it is also more. It is eating to become a caring part of Nature through a connection with our food. Each Chapter – Eating for Vitality – Eating for Comfort – Eating for Creativity – Eating for Connection – Eating for Celebration is filled with lots of seasonal recipes, together…
-
GoodGod!
Meet the Gods: Cernunnos Merry meet. Cernunnos is one of the Ancient Ones, as old as the earth. The nature and fertility god is said to have been born of the All Mother Anu, working his magic in the wildwood as the first humans on earth came to be. He was part of evolution, seen “as a shape-shifting, shamanic god of the Hunt” in prehistoric times, according to the article, “Cernunnos – Ancient Celtic God” by J. M. Reinbold. His image was painted on cave walls and carved into cliffs. People dressed in skins, bones and feathers danced to communicate with him. They still do a dance in…
-
Book Review – The Seven Elemental Forces Of Huna: Practices for Tapping into the Energies of Nature from Hawaiian Tradition by Susanne Weikl
Book Review The Seven Elemental Forces Of Huna Practices for Tapping into the Energies of Nature from Hawaiian Tradition by Susanne Weikl 228 Pages When I studied Huna decades ago, I learned about the three bodies and the seven principles. In this book, Susanne Weikl presents the seven elements of nature from the ancient Hawaiian shamanic tradition. These forces are sources of power “to bring fulfillment, incentive, inspiration, growth, healing and ease into our lives.” These energies are primordial and powerful, and are at work in our DNA, she states. The book offers exercises, rituals and techniques to recognize and tap into the energies of water, fire, wind,…