• Monthly Columns

    A Spiritual Alternative to Baby Showers, “Mother Blessings”

    Mother Blessings are special and sacred ceremonies for mothers-to-be. The ceremony originated with indigenous traditions of “blessing way” ceremonies, which were traditionally held for women about to embark on a birthing journey. On their passage, one was blessed with song and dance during the ceremony. Keeping this in mind, we strive to respect other cultures and not appropriate their traditions. Thus, we hold our own modified version of this event within our community, not using the exact same title, but always acknowledging the roots of this ceremony.  The concept of a Mother Blessing is similar to that of a Baby Shower, but there are major di?erences between the two events.…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

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

      This month continues a series of exploration about Our Relationship to the Divine….   Our Relationship to the Divine Part Four: A Ritual of Calling to the Divine     …. The Divine flows within me. The Limitless All supports me. All Beings of Spirit and Essence are my teachers. I AM the corporeal out-picturing of the Divine’s desire…   Ritual brings us closer to whomever or whatever we are hoping to deepen a connection with. It is through ritual that we learn more of ourselves and step more fully into the true nature of who we are as Divine Beings learning the ways of physical and corporeal existence.…

  • Monthly Columns

    MagickalArts

    A New (Witch’s Year)! The Space of Integration   Happy July and the Space of Integration Between….     We’ve just celebrated the Summer Solstice and now have an opportunity to rest in the weeks between before the next Sabbat of Lammas and the Autumnal Equinox. How we choose to use that time can serve us in unexpected ways and deepen what we have carried from our experiences of those previous Sabbats. In that spirit, I would like to invite you to just simply breathe into this month of July. This month is the pause before each inhalation and the fullness before each exhalation of breath. We can choose to…

  • Monthly Columns

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times Second Edition

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for December 2020 Bright Blessings! We have had an unusually warm November this year, and I have taken full advantage of it to sit and visit outdoors as much as possible with people who I know I am not going to see again until March or April. Covid-19 has hit us hard this month. I am in Franklin County, Ohio, and our county hit purple warning level of public emergency in regards to the levels of Covid19. For the first time, shops and even our Metro Parks are enforcing mask use, and we are back on a curfew again. Next, they may shut…

  • Monthly Columns

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times

    Celebrating the Old Ways in New Times for October 2020 Bright Blessings! After a very hot, muggy end to Summer, cool weather has set in. I have not heard anybody complain about that. By the first week of September, local folks were busy buying pumpkins, mums, cornstalks, and gourds to liven up their yards, patios, porches, and to celebrate the beauty of Fall. Here in central Ohio, not only do we get brilliant foliage, but gorgeous apples! We celebrate with apple and pumpkin goodies! This is the first fall in 44 years I will not be partaking of such delicacies. I’ve had to give up a lot of foods for…

  • Spells & Rituals

    Earth Protection Spell an Excerpt from the Book ‘Modern Wicca: Beliefs and Traditions for Contemporary Life’ by Rowan Morgana

    Earth Protection Spell Excerpt from the Book ‘Modern Wicca: Beliefs and Traditions for Contemporary Life by Rowan Morgana       Intention: To invite the elemental Earth spirits to live in your garden to protect and nurture it. Protecting a small part of your own garden counts toward the greater good of protecting and healing Earth. If every- one takes care of their little corner of land, a wave of Earth-healing may begin. This spell is best done under the light of the full moon.         What You’ll Need: 1 very large stone Dried lavender and thyme Gold, red, blue and green ribbons each about 12 inches…

  • Monthly Columns

    Celebrating The Old Ways In New Times

    Celebrating The Old Ways In New Times for April 2020     Bright Blessings! Before we know it, Beltane will be upon us, and many will be going to gatherings where Maypole is danced, and emphasis on sexuality, and the union of the Mother Goddess and Father God are celebrated. Talk about fertility, union, and all things about growth will abound! I’ve gone to multiple celebrations, all of which often have a focus on the union of things to reproduce. But the older I get, and the more people I meet, the more I realize, THIS, in particular does not apply to all people… Now, sure, we all celebrate the…

  • Monthly Columns

    She Who is All – The Goddess of Ten Thousand Names

    Sulis/Sul     It is all one being ill being well It is all energy energy in constant motion energy in constant flux restless energy that is never still ruthless energy that acts like a steam roller boundless energy that brings possibilities sparkling energy that tickles and sings stored energy that waits for release The healing waters at my shrine regenerated revitalized brought clarity mended holes opened vision allowed flow with energy flowing the dance of life resumes illness and wellness all one all energy all flow (Image and Poem Credit: The Goddess Oracle by Amy Sophia Marashinsky, Illustrated by Hrana Janto) Sulis is the ancient British Goddess of healing…

  • Monthly Columns

    Preparing a Moon Alter and a Ritual for Releasing Negative Energy Book Excerpt From ‘The Moon Fix by Theresa Cheung’

    Book Excerpt From ‘The Moon Fix by Theresa Cheung’   Preparing a Moon Alter and a Ritual for Releasing Negative Energy   Lunar Preparations In The Moon Fix, you will find a series of moon fixes: rituals, spells, recipes and meditations you can perform. Location matters, and getting your moon fix outside, preferably at night, when the moon is in her element, is beneficial. You should always make sure you are in a safe, well-lit area. However, for many reasons being outdoors may not be possible: there are still many ways to align with the moon indoors or during the day. When working indoors, it helps if you have a…

  • Spells & Rituals

    SpellCrafting: Spells & Rituals

    Attracting Love Merry meet!   Valentine’s Day and the first stirrings of spring at Imbolc both can fan the heart’s embers and bring about a yearning for love. Crafting an ethical love spell requires focus and clarity, and care to not direct the spell to attract a specific person. I had felt guided to do an attraction spell using a large pink candle that I would light every night, but it was easy to ignore for months because I could not find a pink candle in a tall glass cylinder. When it appeared before me a couple of weeks ago, I knew it was time. I made a list of…