• Reviews

    Book Review – Pagan Portals: Breath of Spring: How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Spring Festival by Melusine Draco

    Book Review Pagan Portals: Breath of Spring: How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Spring Festival by Melusine Draco Publisher: Moon Books 96 Pages Release Date: February 1, 2023         Breath of Spring: How to Survive (and Enjoy) the Spring Festival is another lovely offering from Moon Books’ Pagan Portals series, this time exploring the various festivals of spring as they developed in Western cultures. In the first chapter, author Melusine Draco explores the origins of Candlemas and the related Pagan festival of Imbolc, from possible Greek origins (the return of Persephone) through the Christian era in Britain. This chapter explores some of the historical traditions surrounding the…

  • Uncategorized

    #167 – The Ostara Issue

    Blessed Ostara! What’s going on? It’s only February — so why are we talking about Ostara? Well, we decided to make a change! We are embracing the Wheel of the Year as a schedule for our releases this year, so you’ll be getting a new issue every Sabbat. Each issue will be themed according to the next Sabbat on the calendar, so that you have all the information that you might need to plan your seasonal rituals, celebrations, and spell work throughout the year. And there’s so much more coming! We’re adding new columns and new writers, so we have a lot of new content on the way. INTRODUCING: Learning…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    Ostara Cards   Merry meet.   I don’t always manage to get Yule cards out on time, but it occurred to me: why send cards only for the winter holidays? Why not for spring? Here is a suggestion for an Ostara card that can be modified for any of the other sabbats. I bought packets of seeds that were magickal and, hopefully, easy to grow – organic and heirloom when possible. Then I wrote a verse for the inside of the card that can serve as a spell, which you are free to use:           “As the wheel turns and we move into the light, May…

  • Spells & Rituals

    It’s All Rite

    Spring is a time of hope, new beginnings, potential, and planting. Air, east, the new moon, the maiden archetype, inspiration, imagination, fresh flowers, nests, eggs, hawks, seeds, chimes, dragonflies, wonder, joy, playfulness, communication, spiders, purification, daffodils, childhood, and adventure are all associated with Ostara. For readers who want to keep it simple, below is a collection of easy yet meaningful activities to celebrate the Spring Equinox. Pick whatever interests you, and continue as long as you wish. Perhaps one of them will become a daily practice. * Put a bowl of candied eggs on a table or counter to bless new beginnings with sweetness and happiness. * Hang wind chimes…

  • This Month's Holiday

    Ostara Correspondences

      Mon, Mar 20, 2023 (oh-star-ah) – Lesser Sabbat – Spring/Vernal Equinox Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre (Saxon Goddess of Fertility), Flidais (Irish), Gaia (Greek), Hera, Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Isis (Egyptian), Libera (Roman), Minerva (Roman), The Muses (Greek), Persephone (Greek), Renpet (Egyptian), Venus (Roman), Ostara (the German Goddess…

  • Monthly Columns

    Good God!

    Meet the Gods: Attis     One of the gods associated with Ostara is Attis (also spelled Atys, Attis, Attin), the mythical consort of Cybele, the Great Mother of the Gods. The two, most likely indigenous to Asia Minor, were worshipped annually upon the return of spring. While there are several different myths, all end with Attis castrating himself and either dying under a tree or being transformed into a fir tree. Zeus is said to have granted that his youthful body never decay. In some of the many tales, Cybele is Attis’ mother; in others Attis is a young, handsome, human shepherd whom Cybele loved and made her priest,…

  • Monthly Columns

    MagickalArts

    What Are the Magickal Arts?   … As magickal practitioners we are all “artists” in our own ways, honing our skills of creating magick, weaving patterns of energy that affect change and calling to the most Divine of our natures as we align with cosmos, greater earth and all of the many Beings that inhabit those realms. And, I like where this trend is taking us in exploring the craft in all of forms….   Spring is awakening and we honor The Magickal Art of Creation and Manifestation!     For many of us the turning of the Greater Wheel to the Spring Equinox (aka. Ostara) is one of anticipation…

  • Monthly Columns

    Peeking in the Shadows: Crafting a Book of Shadows and Light

      A Journey Through the Witch’s Wheel of the Year 2022!   The Witch’s Wheel of the Year     In the February Issue we began exploring the Sabbats of the Witch’s Wheel of the Year and beginning a journey of filling our BOS with information about how we celebrated and what we found to be true of our practice. For a review of what the Wheel of the Year is take a look at February’s posting here: Peeking in the Shadows: Crafting A Book of Shadows and Light-February2022   An excellent resource for suggestions, visuals and ideas for making your Sabbat celebrations rich and visually beautiful, check out the…

  • This Month's Holiday

    Ostara Correspondences

    (Ostara the Spring Goddess Witch Sticker by artist Di from Fort Witchy Stickies, FORTWITCHDFW shop on Etsy.)   March 20-21st – when the Sun enters Ares (oh-star-ah) – Lesser Sabbat – Spring/Vernal Equinox,   Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess Date: Spring Equinox March 19–23 in Northern Hemisphere. Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre…

  • This Month's Holiday

    Ostara Correspondences

    (Photo by Ilona Frey on Unsplash) (oh-star-ah) – Lesser Sabbat – Spring/Vernal Equinox, March 20-21st – when the Sun enters Ares   Other Names: Ostre, Oestre, Eostre, Rites of Spring, Eostra’s Day, Lady Day, First Day of Spring, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Alban Eiler, Bacchanalia, Mean Earraigh, Pasch, Caisg, Pess Date: Spring Equinox March 19–23 in Northern Hemisphere. Symbolism: The beginning of spring, new life and rebirth, the God and Goddess in Their youth, balance, fertility Goddesses: all love, virgin, and fertility Goddesses; Anna Perenna (Roman), Aphrodite (Greek), Astarte (Canaanite, Persia, GrecoRoman), Athena (Greek), Cybele (Greco-Roman), Blodeuwedd, Eostre (Saxon Goddess of Fertility), Flidais (Irish), Gaia (Greek), Hera, Ishtar (Assyro-Babylonian), Isis…