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Spring, Beltane, and the Magick of Renewal: A Special Column from The Modern Merlin
Hello friends, and welcome to May! Happy May Day, and Merry Beltane/Bealtaine! After a short hiatus, I’m back, and will slowly be picking up the pace in my writing so as to not burn myself out. How often I’ll be posting this month is TBD, if I’m being honest, but I’m excited to be back! That aside, I’m excited to be sharing with you a unique perspective I’ve come to regarding Beltane. Beltane is, and always was, a fertility festival; there’s an energy of renewal in the air, and love, too. Culminating with the Solstice at Midsommer, this season is truly about life renewed, as the bees and various critters…
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The Modern Merlin’s Corner-November/December 2024: The Sorcerer’s Guide to Winter Magick
In my neck of the woods, the early part of the winter weather season has come upon us, reminding us to slow down, and cherish time with family & friends. Many people don’t like winter, and personally, I am among them; I much prefer the warmer climate of Southern California, but alas, I am, for the time being, as they say, “stuck in Ohio”. Paganism’s interwoven beliefs and traditions concerning the colder months of the year are well documented and today many modern Pagans still imbibe those traditions, hearkening back to a time before the Church and the more organized religion we see today. Aside from the spiritual lessons and…
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Book Review-Crafting Magic: A Junior Witch’s Grimoire by Nikki van de Car
Photo Credits: Stock Photo from Publisher of Crafting Magic: A Junior Witch’s Grimoire Crafting Magic: A Junior Witch’s Grimoire by Nikki van de Car is a beautifully illustrated, 119 page book published by Hachette Book Group, an imprint of Running Press Publishing, of which I received an e-book copy. Crafting Magic serves as a grimoire, or book of shadows, for children and teens looking to practice easy, basic witchcraft. Sample spell and ritual records are given, as well as blank formats within the book following each section/chapter, to write down what spell or ritual was done, timing, and the like. Each chapter or section covers different types of spells and rituals, crafts and ideas…
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Book Review-The Young Witch’s Guide to Living Magically: Potions, Lotions, Rituals and Spells for Kids by Nikki van de Car
Photo Credits: Stock Photo of The Young Witch’s Guide to Living Magically from Publisher The Young Witch’s Guide to Living Magically: Potions, Lotions, Rituals and Spells for Kids by Nikki van de Car is an easy read at 99 pages, with colorful illustrations and chocked full of recipes, spells and other magical activities that are easy enough for kids, teens and beginning witches to use, published by Hachette Book Group, a division of Running Press Publishing, of which I received an e-book copy. Van de Car covers various types of magick, for the self, for the home, for the family and for friends. The author takes a needed, light-hearted approach to the Craft,…
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SpellCrafting
Spells for the Craft: Peace Water Merry meet! Many of you are probably familiar with war water – typically made from iron nails or spikes left to rust in pond water along with another ingredient or two such as Spanish moss or wormwood. It’s used to drive away disruptive energy, and I have sprinkled it around the perimeter of my abode as a preemptive protective measure. Recently I learned of peace water. A hoodoo product, it brings peace, harmony, and gentleness to places, people or situations. It can create an energetic barrier, warding off negative entities and energies that would bring discord to your environment. It’s thought peace water draws…
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Samhain Correspondences
Evening of Tue, Oct 31, 2023 – Wed, Nov 1, 2023 Other Names: celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All…
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Book Review – The Witch’s Yearbook: Spells, Stones, Tools, and Rituals for a Year of Modern Magic by Clare Gogerty
Book Review The Witch’s Yearbook: Spells, Stones, Tools, and Rituals for a Year of Modern Magic By Clare Gogerty Publisher: David & Charles 128 pages Publication Date: August 10, 2021 Clare Gogerty, a seasoned practitioner of the craft, gives a year’s worth of ideas and wisdom for celebrating the sabbats that makes for a helpful resource for beginners. Chapters begin with an introduction to the festival, a topic of interest (trees for Mabon, the moon at Yule, magical creatures for Ostara), botanical and crystal correspondences, holiday traditions and customs, rituals and spells, and a witchy craft (apple wand, incense, Brigid’s cross). On the Samhain pages, for…
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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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Book Review – Flower Magic of the Druids by Jon G. Hughes
Book Review Flower Magic of the Druids: How to Craft Potions, Spells, & Enchantments Written by Jon G. Hughes Publisher: Destiny Books 200 Pages Release Date: May 2, 2023 Reading Flower Magic of the Druids; How to Craft Potions, Spells, & Enchantments by Jon G. Hughes reminded me of both the traditions of our Druidic Ancestors and the more modern flower traditions of my western life growing up here in the United States. Although Jon Hughes is mostly speaking to the flower landscapes of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, I was able to relate and extract much wisdom from his thorough teachings and guidelines as well…
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SpellCrafting: Spells for Witches
SpellCrafting: Starting Beltane Fires Merry meet! This issue’s WitchCrafting column has ideas for making fire starters. If you’d like to take it one step further, you can craft them as a spell. Beltane themes such as burning away that which no longer serves your highest good and greatest joy, planting seeds, and nurturing goals can be incorporated when making fire starters. For instance, toilet paper tubes stuffed with dryer lint can be decorated with Beltane colors (green, soft pink, blue, yellow, red, brown), pictures of flowers in bloom, or a sigil made for a specific intention. On it you can write what you are ready to release, what you desire…
