Children Of The Earth

 

We know they feared our Pagan ways,

They tried to wipe us out,

They tortured and they burned us,

If they had the slightest doubt,

They took away our festivals,

Replaced them with their own,

But we stood strong and carried on,

We’ve flourished and we’ve grown.

 

They said we worshipped Satan,

Stole babies and much worse,

And if by chance someone fell ill,

They said we laid a curse,

They took us in for “questioning”,

Tortured till we confessed,

But anyone would say the words,

Under such duress.

 

With bodies bruised and broken,

They put us on the stand,

The priests said we’d offended God,

And the devil took our hand,

The villagers believed them,

Our guilt was their desire,

Then everybody turned out to see,

The witch burned in the fire.

 

They never really understood,

And some to this day still,

Do not understand our craft,

We bear no one ill will,

We live a life of peace and love,

At one with Mother Earth,

So in secrecy the Hedgewitch lives,

Gathering berries, leaves and herbs.

 

I sometimes think that there are those,

Who live in those dark times still,

They do not wish to understand,

And I guess they never will,

But Pagans all around the world,

Are proud to carry on,

We practice the oldest religion,

In our deeds and in our song.

 

Be joyful all ye Pagans,

For the road has been so long,

Remember the innocent martyrs,

That suffered in those days gone,

Give your praise to all the Gods,

And the Goddess of rebirth,

For they can never destroy our faith,

We are the children of the Earth.

 

—-Pagan Ways

Alan Faraway

 

We will be bright and fierce
Like the flame that burns
In the candle hot
We will be strong and grounded
Like the tumbled stone
That once was earth
We will be flexible and resilient
Like the water that flows
Always to return
We will be the essence of potential
Like the seed that waits
And grows when needed
We will endure
We will survive
We will triumph
And rise like the phoenix
At the dawn of another day
With the help of the gods
And our own determination
We will endure
And rise like the phoenix
From the flames.

So Mote It Be

The Darkness Has Come

 

The darkness has come.

We have gathered.

The circle is formed.

We have called the elements.

The danger is known.

We have drawn down the power.

The danger is near.

We stand strong under the darkness.

The past has come forward.

We are the present.

No danger is greater than us.

We turn and face the enemy,

With arms raised we call forth our Sisters.

A barrier is formed.

From the depth of darkness evil steps forwards.

Protection covers us.

The smell of sulfur fills the air.

A ground swell stands between us.

Stillness

The fight begins

Energy sent for both sides

The ground trembles.

Unnatural sounds can be heard.

Standing firm I step forward.

Hand raised,

Facing evil,

I call on the power of the Goddess.

I am filled with her light and energy.

Light radiates from me in all directions

Striking all that is dark.

They vanish before us.

Evil has been vanquished.

My power fills the emptiness

For we have triumphed over evil.

We remain and always will be.

No power can remove us.

We remain.

—A Witch’s Prayerbook

JoAnne Spiese

 

~* ~ Goddess Touch ~* ~

 

Laying on the earth,

I look upward to the skies.

Watching the clouds roll by,

I see a vision.

A crack in the clouds,

A light pours through.

The cracked clouds part,

And exposes the image.

A woman of pure beauty,

Of strength and wisdom too.

Is incredibly fulfilling.

The glowing of her aura

Shines rays of love upon me.

Looking in her eyes,

I see my destiny.

She leads me to a place

Deep within myself.

A place I now often go,

To find solitude.

 

—By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories

Elizabeth Gardiepy

 

Evil never wins.

It will always be defeated, but there will be casualties.

I look to the Goddess and see her standing besides me.

I find the power which is mine

 

 

I raise my sword and defeat the face of evil with the hands of the Goddess.

 

 

She will keep me safe.

For I am her daughter forever.

 

 

I gather my Sisters close to me

I gather the strength of the Witches from the past

I gather the animals around me

 

 

My prayer begins:

I stand before the Goddess under this full moon. I seize the power of the moon in my hands. I bring the children to my side. The Goddess sends her light to me. My family shows the love that we have for each other.

May the Goddess send you her power. May those around us feel the joy that we bring to the circle. May prosperity fill our lives.

As her daughters we show our love for Mother Earth daily. She shows respect for all that is alive. We pray for those who live in fear to find safety. We pray for those who live in pain to find compassion. We pray for those in cages to run free. See how the birds fly free in our skies. See how the animals roam free. May their days be long.

I send our power to the four corners. I send our wishes to all. Bless the children. Bless our families. Bless the animals. But most … Blessings to all.

 

The Poem “Evil” from:

A Witch’s Prayerbook

JoAnne Spiese

 

~* ~ Time and Again ~* ~

Time goes by,

So fast, so slow;

Just as the phases

Of the bright moon’s glow.

Time goes by,

So fast, so slow;

We plant a seed,

And watch it grow.

Time goes by,

So fast, so slow;

The magic moves

Through energy’s flow.

Time goes by,

So fast, so slow;

The Goddess is alive

As we all know.

Time goes by,

So fast, so slow;

Love warms our hearts

As the cool winds blow.

Time goes by,

So fast, so slow;

The Priestess chants

“As above, so below.”

Time goes by….

—By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories

Elizabeth Gardiepy

 

As the sun dawned on man

We were there.

 

As the moon rose and the stars shone

We were there.

 

As gathers became hunters

We were there.

 

We praised what was seen and drew

the unknown to ourselves.

We protected the clan and sought

safety for our people.

We gave strength for the hunt and

drew prey to the hunters.

 

We danced under the full moon.

We praised the Goddess and Gods.

We gave aid with our skills and herbs.

We cured the ill and comforted the dying.

We assisted in the renewal of life through birth.

We were the wise women, the elders.

We led our clan.

We were the first Witches.

 

—Excerpt from the book, A Witch’s Prayerbook

By JoAnne Spiese

 

Light

In the darkness there is light

In the silence there is sound

In the pain there is comfort

In fear there is safety

In the distance there is closeness

In the tear there is joy

In the loss we are found In hate we find love

In the sisterhood we have the Goddess

For all comes from her and all goes to her

Stand strong and all will be well

As it is above so be it below

—A Witch’s Prayerbook

JoAnne Spiese

Stay in the light

Stay in the light
Cause it shines so bright
The warmth surrounds you
You are one with the light
Make sure too
Stay in the light
Cause it shines so bright
If you’re not feeling right
Stay in the light
Even at night
There is light
Within sight
Hold on tight
With all of your might
Stay in the light
Cause it shines so bright
Within the light
Is where I am
Too shine real bright
Being a guiding light
Hoping you will
Stay in the light
Cause it shines so bright
As it warms us all
We hold on tight
To the light
That binds us all
Within the light
Let us shine through
Even when there is night
Cause in the light
We shine bright
So always be sure
Too stay in the light
Where you’ll always shine bright

By our favorite poet, T. J. Whitewolf

To read more of his beautiful & moving poetry, visit his website at TJWHITEWOLF’S POETRY

 

 

~* ~ The Gift ~* ~

Bewildered and amazed,

I stand before thee;

Receiving thy wisdom

As thou cast thy light upon me.

The overwhelming knowledge given

Seems way too much to bear.

With thy blessings of inner strength

I find it easy, with others, to share!

I know my path in the incarnation,

To serve thee well and true;

I thank thee for thy gift thou hast given,

For this gift has given me life anew!

 

By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories

Elizabeth Gardiepy

 

It became light

A flash so bright

It would take ones sight

Until there was night

Which to some brought fright

It was only night

Soon the light would replace the night

No need for such fright

Within sight

It became light

Bringing such delight

Taking it to new heights

Caught up mid flight

A flash so bright

It became light

So bright

It would take ones sight

As the light takes root

Try not to refute

Stand tall

Take salute

In hot pursuit

Only to be consumed

No need to be confused

The light comes so smooth

The light

Oh how it soothes

So bright

You can’t see how the light moves

Just how it removes the night

In all directions

It surrounds

Don’t become confounded

The light is boundless

Leaving us groundless

Don’t let yourself go blind

Hold on to your mind

Now recline

The light is divine

How sublime

With time

You’ll find

When everything aligns

By design

Don’t incline

That I will turn a blind eye

The light illuminates

Makes everything known

No longer to remain hidden

Nothing can hide from the sight of light

Which removes all night

–T. J. WhiteWolf

To read more from our resident poet, please visit his website, TJWHITEWOLF’S POETRY

 

It is like looking into a mirror.

Our souls seem as one;

Split long ago,

But now reunited alas!

 

Our power combined

Is untamable and raw.

Our balance of light and dark

Is utterly perfect.

 

The world is ours to conquer,

And we are coming with a vengenance!

Beware to all to stand in our way!

For we are unstoppable!

 

“Soul Sister”

By Elizabeth Gardiepy

From Her Book, “By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories”

 

 

~* ~ A Witch’s Tale ~* ~

What is it like

To cast a spell?

To chant a charm?

To ring a bell?

To cast a circle?

To praise the moon?

To love the Earth?

To read the rune?

To love the Goddess?

To live her way?

To ebb and flow

Every day?

The trees, the grass,

The clouds and hills;

All these things

Witchcraft fills.

Every laugh,

Every cry,

Need you ask

The reason why?

The power can be found

From deep within,

When you find it

You’re ready to begin.

—By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories

Elizabeth Gardiepy

 

TO BE A WITCH

 

To be a witch is to love and be loved.
To be a witch is to know everything, and nothing at all.
To be a witch is to move amongst the stars while staying on earth.
To be a witch is to change the world around you, and yourself.
To be a witch is to share and give, while receiving all the while.
To be a witch is to dance and sing, and hold hands with the universe.
To be a witch is to honor the gods, and yourself.
To be a witch is to be magick, not just perform it.
To be a witch is to be honorable, or nothing at all.
To be a witch is to accept others who are not.
To be a witch is to know what you feel is right and good.
To be a witch is to harm none.
To be a witch is to know the ways of old.
To be a witch is to see beyond the barriers.
To be a witch is to follow the moon.
To be a witch is to be one with the gods.
To be a witch is to study and to learn.
To be a witch is to be the teacher and the student.
To be a witch is to acknowledge the truth.
To be a witch is to live with the earth, not just on it.
To be a witch is to be truly free!

Light

 

In the darkness there is light
In the silence there is sound
In the pain there is comfort
In fear there is safety
In the distance there is closeness
In the tear there is joy
In the loss we found
In hate we find love
In the sisterhood we have the Goddess
For all comes from her and all goes to her
Stand strong and all will be well
As it is above so be it below.

A Witch’s Prayerbook
JoAnne Spiese

My daughter give me your hand and follow me.
Close your eyes and become one with the Wind.
Be one with the Rain. Be one with the Earth.
Be one with the power of Fire.
Join your Sisters.
You have always been mine.
You join those who have gone before you.
Be of comfort, all is right this night.
My daughter, join me, for you are loved…

 

Excerpt from the poem, Dedication by JoAnne Spiese
A Witch’s Prayerbook