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Toxic Spirituality
I try to keep these articles from being super personal. Avoiding using words like I, or speaking from my personal experience. This will be the opposite. This piece will be 100% gonzo. So, I’ll start my saying, I was always a seeker. A lot of people start their path Christian by default of indoctrination. I was different. I sought after the truth, and it was told to me that it was Christ. I spent much of my time in the church. I saw lots of abuse. I saw people ostracized due to their sexual relationships. I saw people mindlessly brainwashed by the platitudes of the church, even if they…
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Book Review — Hekate: Goddess of Witches by Courtney Weber
Book Review Hekate: Goddess of Witches by Courtney Weber Published by Moon Books 224 Pages Published: August 1, 2021 “…Who is Hekate? Like many goddesses of the Old World, Hekate’s origins are mysterious. She is commonly known as a goddess of ancient Greece, a period which is generally understood to encompass 1200 BCE–500 CE, but she did not originate there. She may have originated in the Minoan civilization (2700–1100 BCE), or was at least influenced by gods of that culture. Evidence of Hekate worship has also been found in Sicily, Libya, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Syria. The town of Lagina is thought to be home to her most…
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Book Review – The Witch at the Forest’s Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Witchcraft by Christine Grace
Book Review The Witch at the Forest’s Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Witchcraft by Christine Grace Published by Weiser Books 224 Pages Published: November 2021 …I stand in the meadow, at the forest’s edge. One step forward and I will straddle the boundary between fading light in the swaying grass and rich darkness in the woods. One more step and I will be immersed in the nighttime world of southern, hardwood forest. My home lay behind me, the wild magic ahead. I am the witch at the forest’s edge… (1) The Witch at the Forest’s Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Witchcraft by Christine Grace is an immersive…
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Imbolc Correspondences
(Brigid Goddess Imbolc figurine/ St Brigid needle felt Stand Alone created by Rachel Mack of WonderfulWaldorfFelt on Etsy.) February 1, 2 Other Names: Imbolg (im-molc)(em-bowl’g) (Celtic), Candlemas (Christian), Brigantia (Caledonii), Oimelc, Festival of Light, Brigid’s (Brid, Bride) Day, La Fheill, An Fheille Bride, Candelaria (Mexico), Chinese New Year, Disting-tid (Feb 14th, Teutonic), DisaBlot, Anagantios, Lupercalia/Lupercus (Strega), Groundhog Day, Valentines Day. Animals & Mythical Beings: Firebird, dragon, groundhog, deer, burrowing animals, ewes, robin, sheep, lamb, other creatures waking from hibernation. Gemstones: Amethyst, garnet, onyx, turquoise. Incense/Oil: Jasmine, rosemary, frankincense, cinnamon, neroli, musk, olive, sweet pea, basil, myrrh, and wisteria, apricot, carnation. Colors/Candles: Brown, pink, red, orange, white, lavender, pale…
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The Kitchen Witch
Molasses Crinkles When we think of Valentine’s Day, it’s normal to think of big heart-shaped boxes of chocolates for our loved ones – “sweets for the sweets” – and who doesn’t love to get one of these beautiful boxes of chocolates – usually accompanied by a big bouquet of red roses? I mean – I know I do! But – there are other ways to show how much we care for our loved ones. I personally think a nice home baked spice cookie says a whole lot more – and who isn’t ready for a spicy night on Valentine’s Day? Molasses Crinkles is my favorite spice cookie. There are dozens…
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WitchCrafting: Crafts for Witches
Crafts for Witches: Hag Stones Merry meet. This month’s column looks at hag stones, also known as fairy stones, holey stones, witch stones, Odin stones, and eye stones. They are rocks that have naturally occurring holes, worn by water over long periods of time. Because it’s commonly believed magic cannot work on moving water, hag stones are valued because they would be immune to the effects of magic, adverse energies, and enchantments, yet possess water’s powerful protection and healing energies. The oddity of the stones has made them a focus of folk magic. For centuries witches have used them in spells and rituals for everything from…
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Witch Hunt
There are witches all around us. You can find them anywhere… The Witch on Wheels has been documenting her findings. Meet Theron Baker I met my fellow PaganPagesOrg columnist at a homestead in Georgia. We both had skoolies. We both had a thing for crystals and nature. We both smudged the entire perimeter and set up a crystal grid that calmed the chaotic energy. In the months we spent in the same community, we got to do a couple of rituals together and I got to see him perform kitchen witchery, serving up what was needed in the food he prepared. Learn more about my fellow…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Clover Clover is also called trefoil, literally “three-leaves”, and grows in most places around the world. Although many clover plants look similar, there are around 300 species of Trifolium and they’re in the same plant family as peas. Both the round, joyful flowers and the iconic triplet of small, round leaves have a ton of folklore around them – and some surprising modern research, too. The Kitchen Garden Red and white clover are the most common where I live, and often pop up in lawns without any encouragement from gardeners. As well as being a fantastic food source for bees and other insects,…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: The Orange Oranges: juicy, bright globes filled with vitamin C and sunshine. The orange is a citrus fruit that’s one of the most cultivated fruits in the world, and may have been cultivated by humans for around 2,500 years. The sweet orange as we know it today is a hybrid of mandarins and pomelos, and is very different from bitter oranges, the likes of which often line the streets of towns in Mediterranean countries. I once made the mistake of plucking and peeling a juicy looking orange while in Spain, only to have my mouth shrivelled by the intense bitterness! Sweet oranges, in comparison,…
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Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Lilac Lilac is a flowering shrub in the olive family, Oleaceae, cultivated in many parts of the world including all across Europe and North America. Robust spikes of delicate yet strongly scented flowers come in colours ranging from purples and pinks through to blues and whites. I’ve been writing Notes from the Apothecary for over 6 years now, and some months I struggle to think of a plant that’s magical, seasonal, and of interest to our readers worldwide. I had no such struggle this month, thanks to the wonderful fragrance that stopped me in my tracks as I was out playing with my 3-year-old…
