• Monthly Columns

    Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times – Final Edition

    Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times 2023 – Final Edition Bright Blessings! Since 2016, I have written about the Sabbats in this column. As the Wheel turns, and seasons change, so do we, and this old witch wants a new topic. This will be my final Celebrating The Old Ways in New Times, and starting with the next issue, I will be writing a column about Tarot. I’m a Tarot reader and have been for years. I was lucky enough to be one of the readers at the psychic fair that was this past weekend at the shop where I get to read, and let me tell you, being…

  • Crafting Articles

    WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches

    A Wheel of the Year     Merry meet. Samhain and the end of the pagan year is a good time to create a Solar Wheel using Indian corn, a common seasonal decoration. Gather eight ears of corn that are the same length and have husks. To represent the quarters, pick four that are similar in color, and select another color for the cross-quarters. Using all one color, or a random selection can also represent the eight sabbats. A wire wreath form, bent metal hanger, grapevine wreath, or circle of sturdy cardboard can serve as a base. You’ll also need a small cardboard circle. Attach two ears of corn opposite…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

    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   We Continue Our Journey Through the Witch’s Wheel and call to the Light of the Summer Solstice…. THE SUMMER SOLSTICE/LITHA   The King…

  • Monthly Columns,  Spells & Rituals

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

      We begin a journey through the Witch’s Wheel of the Year for 2022!   The Witch’s Wheel of the Year     What is the Wheel of the Year? The Wheel of the Year marks the Sun’s journey across the sky, the solstices, equinoxes and the Earth’s changing seasons. Each spoke of the wheel marks an important moment of progression and change in the Earth and in accord with that progression a celebratory festival is aligned. These celebrations are called Sabbats. The Wheel of the Year is also a reflection of the recurring cycles of the Natural world. Traditionally, these celebrations were very closely tied to the cycles of…

  • Monthly Columns

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

    Last month I shared some documents with you to consider adding to your BOS. This month I want to share some brainstorming prompts to use as you fill more of your BOS pages. On first glance this month’s article may appear less robust than most but I assure you that if you work with each of the questions in a thoughtful and authentic way, you will have more than enough to keep you occupied. So, let’s get started. Some of these will become checklists for crafting your own rituals. Others are in the moment wanderings and others are for the intention of having a strong foundation to grow upon. Be…

  • Reviews

    Book Review – Modern Wicca: Beliefs and Traditions for Contemporary Life by Rowan Morgana

    Book Review Modern Wicca Beliefs and Traditions for Contemporary Life by Rowan Morgana 170 Pages I have never thought of Wicca as “modern”. In fact, back in the mid-to-late 1980’s, when I first began to explore this religion – and its co-religions Paganism, Heathenism, Druidism, and various forms of Witchcraft – it was routinely called “the Old Religion”. After reading books by scholars like Margaret Murray, Merlin Stone and Monica Sj??, among others, it made perfect sense to me that the ancients revered a great goddess over all and the rise of a patriarchal society gradually changed this to where the god ruled alongside the goddess but eventually took over…

  • Reviews

    Review of the ‘Circular Wall Calendar and Wheel of Year 2020’ by Monica-April Skinner of QuintessentLife Etsy

    Review ‘Circular Wall Calendar and Wheel of Year 2020’ by Monica-April Skinner of QuintessentLife Etsy     From the very moment I took this calendar out of its wrapping, I absolutely adored it! I have seen other Goddess-oriented calendars over the years but nothing like this one! This is truly an innovation. Other Goddess calendars kept the tradition square shape of regular calendars while using a lunar-based system – I remember one that showed the days of the (lunar) month in a spiral shape that was almost impossible to read. This calendar is totally different. Created by Monika-April Skinner, a Wiccan artist who sells via her Etsy, QuintessentLife, this calendar…