Category: Articles

Combine Witchcraft With Switchwords to Boost Your Magical Practice

What Is a Switchword?

The concept of “switchwords” is based on the work of a man called James T. Mangan. As a businessman and motivational author, Mangan was a perpetual student of life and knew how to win it. He concluded that there were certain principles that, if followed, would inevitably lead to a happy and fulfilling life.

He wrote a book called The Secret of Perfect Living in which he explains the principles in great detail. In the book, he also talks about switchwords as a way of flicking on the subconscious to get to wake up and work for you. While the book is excellent in its own way, it is lacking a proper list and guidelines for using these special words. I have written another article, How To Use Switchwords, which explains how they work and which words and combinations of words to use to help you get the desired result.

The Sheela Na Gig Project

Researching Sheela Na Gig Sculptures in the UK

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Sheela Na Gigs are quasi-erotic stone carvings of a female figure usually found on Norman or to be more precise Romanesque churches. They consist of an old woman squatting and pulling apart her vulva, a fairly strange thing to find on a church. The carvings are old and often do not seem to be part of the church but have been taken from a previous older, usually romanesque, building. See the weathering on the Church Stretton Sheela as compared to the surrounding masonry. It is very likely that the sheela comes from an earlier 12th century chapel that stood on the site.

  • Even though the image is overtly sexual the representation is always grotesque, sometimes even comical. They are usually associated with “hags” or “old women”. The carvings often incorporate ribs showing on the torso and sometimes facial scaring as well, although this feature seems to be more common in Ireland than in mainland Britain and the continent.
  • The carvings are normally found on Churches usually of Norman origin and of Romanesque design, but they can also be found on Secular buildings (e.g. above a stable door in Haddon Hall Derbyshire, they can also be found on many castles in Ireland )
  • Sheela na gigs can be found all over Britain, Ireland and even France and Spain. In fact Images of Lust proposes a Continental origin for them.
  • While the most common interpretation of a sheela na gig is “a pagan idol” there is little evidence for a pagan connection. The prevalence of sheelas in Ireland (far more so than anywhere else) suggests that even if the image originates on the continent the image  has meaning for the Irish. However the pagan interpretation of sheelas is by far the most popular and generates most of the debate on the figures.

The Sheela Na Gig Project
The Sheela Na Gig Project is an attempt to collate information about Sheela Na Gigs in the UK. Whereas there seems to be plenty of data on Irish figures the UK and continental figures are often overlooked. This website aims to address the balance by listing all known figures in the UK complete with photographs and include information on figures from the continent. This is by necessity a work in progress so please check back to see if any “new” sheelas have been added. You will find many figures here that appear in books on the subject and some that do not. The site also includes figures which are reported as being Sheela Na Gigs but in fact are other types of Romanesque motifs. The information on this site has mostly come from first hand visits to the figures except where indicated. We have been gathering information on figures since 1999 using visits, printed sources, information supplied by visitors to the site and users of the sheela na gig mailing list. All articles and photographs are copyright John Harding unless otherwise stated.

How the Pope Stole Christmas

How the Pope Stole Christmas

Once in ol’ England, both ancient and vast,Lived folks with traditions, long held and steadfast.

They danced and they sang when winter was nigh,
Under the stars, beneath the cold sky. The solstice was coming, the shortest of days, They prepared for the feast in so many ways.
With holly and ivy, they decked every hall, and a Yule log was burned, a tree once so tall. But just West of Rome, sat a man robed in white,
Pope Greg, in his Vatican… was his hat too tight?
For he pondered and prayed with his furrowed brow, “How can we bring these pagans to vow? VOW! VOW! VOW! VOW! “To our faith, to our fold, in the Christ Child believe, and their old pagan ways they must surely leave.”
So he plotted and planned, found a few saints to send, “We must change their tradition, Saturnalia must end! Shouting, “Let us take over this pagan delight, and make it about the Holy Birth Night.
We’ll infuse their rituals with our good Christian grace,
And Christ’s Mass will slowly take the solstice’s place. “So it happened o’er time, to the pagans’ surprise, Their meals and their dances became Christianized.
Their feasting was now for the Christ Child’s birth, and their parties lost some of their ol’ heathen mirth. Where Odin once rode ‘cross the sky on Sleipnir, soon Saint Nicholas would soar, with eight tiny reindeer.
All the mistletoe, holly, ham, trees, and wassails,
Would all stick around, though the Pope’s plan prevails. For the people adapted, they bent and they swayed,
But the essence of joy in their hearts, it still stayed.
They embraced the new faith, yet remembered the old,
In the stories they recounted, both spirited and bold. Pope Greg had succeeded, but maybe not as he planned,
For the spirit of solstice in their hearts still fanned.
The magic of yule, it forever remained,
Hiding inside the message that Christmas contained. And so, my dear reader, has our tale closed?
Is babe Jesus the victor, to reign unopposed?
Or could his day be stolen out from under his manger?
As Jeff Bezos circles… is “Christmas” still in danger? Perhaps the real lesson is that the season’s so large,
That there is no need to leave just one group in charge.
For the joy and the love, in each heart does reside,
No matter the reason, or the faith that’s applied. We hold one goal in common, or at least we should,
And that dream is just: to do that which is good.
So we’ll wrap up our poem, though last but not least:

Who sitting here will carve the roast beast?

P.S. – If you’d like to share the poem on Facebook, we also posted it there:

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Midwinter Night’s Eve: Yule c. 2013

Midwinter Night’s Eve: Yule

By Mike Nichols

 

Our Christian friends are often quite surprised at how enthusiastically we
Pagans celebrate the ‘Christmas’ season.  Even though we prefer to use the word
‘Yule’, and our celebrations may peak a few days BEFORE the 25th, we nonetheless follow many of the traditional customs of the season: decorated trees, carolling, presents, Yule logs, and mistletoe.  We might even go so far as
putting up a ‘Nativity set’, though for us the three central characters are
likely to be interpreted as Mother Nature, Father Time, and the Baby Sun-God.
None of this will come as a surprise to anyone who knows the true history of the
holiday, of course.

In fact, if truth be known, the holiday of Christmas has always been more
Pagan than Christian, with it’s associations of Nordic divination, Celtic
fertility rites, and Roman Mithraism.  That is why both Martin Luther and John
Calvin abhorred it, why the Puritans refused to acknowledge it, much less
celebrate it (to them, no day of the year could be more holy than the Sabbath),
and why it was even made ILLEGAL in Boston!  The holiday was already too closely associated with the birth of older Pagan gods and heroes.  And many of them (like Oedipus, Theseus, Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus, Apollo, Mithra, Horus and even Arthur) possessed a narrative of birth, death, and resurrection that was uncomfortably close to that of Jesus. And to make matters worse, many of them pre-dated the Christian Savior.

Ultimately, of course, the holiday is rooted deeply in the cycle of the
year.  It is the Winter Solstice that is being celebrated, seed-time of the
year, the longest night and shortest day.  It is the birthday of the new Sun
King, the Son of God — by whatever name you choose to call him.  On this
darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother and once again gives
birth.  And it makes perfect poetic sense that on the longest night of the
winter, ‘the dark night of our souls’, there springs the new spark of hope, the
Sacred Fire, the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth.

That is why Pagans have as much right to claim this holiday as Christians.
Perhaps even more so, as the Christians were rather late in laying claim to it,
and tried more than once to reject it.  There had been a tradition in the West
that Mary bore the child Jesus on the twenty-fifth day, but no one could seem to
decide on the month. Finally, in 320 C.E., the Catholic Fathers in Rome decided
to make it December, in an effort to co-opt the Mithraic celebration of the
Romans and the Yule celebrations of the Celts and Saxons.

There was never much pretense that the date they finally chose was
historically accurate.  Shepherds just don’t ‘tend their flocks by night’ in the
high pastures in the dead of winter!  But if one wishes to use the New Testament
as historical evidence, this reference may point to sometime in the spring as
the time of Jesus’s birth.  This is because the lambing season occurs in the
spring and that is the only time when shepherds are likely to ‘watch their
flocks by night’ – to make sure the lambing goes well.  Knowing this, the
Eastern half of the Church continued to reject December 25, preferring a
‘movable date’ fixed by their astrologers according to the moon.

Thus, despite its shaky start (for over three centuries, no one knew when
Jesus was supposed to have been born!), December 25 finally began to catch on.
By 529, it was a civic holiday, and all work or public business (except that of
cooks, bakers, or any that contributed to the delight of the holiday) was
prohibited by the Emperor Justinian.  In 563, the Council of Braga forbade
fasting on Christmas Day, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed
the twelve days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season.  This
last point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader, who is
lucky to get a single day off work.  Christmas, in the Middle Ages, was not a
SINGLE day, but rather a period of TWELVE days, from December 25 to January 6.  The Twelve Days of Christmas, in fact.  It is certainly lamentable that the modern world has abandoned this approach, along with the popular Twelfth Night celebrations.

Of course, the Christian version of the holiday spread to many countries no
faster than Christianity itself, which means that ‘Christmas’ wasn’t celebrated
in Ireland until the late fifth century; in England, Switzerland, and Austria
until the seventh; in Germany until the eighth; and in the Slavic lands until
the ninth and tenth. Not that these countries lacked their own mid-winter
celebrations of Yuletide.  Long before the world had heard of Jesus, Pagans had
been observing the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and
lighting it from the remains of last year’s log.  Riddles were posed and
answered, magic and rituals were practiced, wild boars were sacrificed and
consumed along with large quantities of liquor, corn dollies were carried from
house to house while carolling, fertility rites were practiced (girls standing
under a sprig of mistletoe were subject to a bit more than a kiss), and
divinations were cast for the coming Spring.  Many of these Pagan customs, in an
appropriately watered-down form, have entered the mainstream of Christian
celebration, though most celebrants do not realize (or do not mention it, if
they do) their origins.

For modern Witches, Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Yula’, meaning ‘wheel’ of
the year) is usually celebrated on the actual Winter Solstice, which may vary by
a few days, though it usually occurs on or around December 21st.  It is a Lesser
Sabbat or Lower Holiday in the modern Pagan calendar, one of the four quarter-
days of the year, but a very important one.  This year (1988) it occurs on
December 21st at 9:28 am CST.  Pagan customs are still enthusiastically
followed. Once, the Yule log had been the center of the celebration.  It was
lighted on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try) and must
be kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck.  It should be made of ash.
Later, the Yule log was replaced by the Yule tree but, instead of burning it,
burning candles were placed on it.  In Christianity, Protestants might claim
that Martin Luther invented the custom, and Catholics might grant St. Boniface
the honor, but the custom can demonstrably be traced back through the Roman
Saturnalia all the way to ancient Egypt.  Needless to say, such a tree should be
cut down rather than purchased, and should be disposed of by burning, the proper way to dispatch any sacred object.

Along with the evergreen, the holly and the ivy and the mistletoe were
important plants of the season, all symbolizing fertility and everlasting life.
Mistletoe was especially venerated by the Celtic Druids, who cut it with a
golden sickle on the sixth night of the moon, and believed it to be an
aphrodisiac.  (Magically – not medicinally!  It’s highly toxic!)  But aphrodisiacs must have been the smallest part of the Yuletide menu in ancient times, as contemporary reports indicate that the tables fairly creaked under the strain of every type of good food.  And drink!  The most popular of which was the ‘wassail cup’ deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term ‘waes hael’ (be whole or hale).

Medieval Christmas folklore seems endless: that animals will all kneel down
as the Holy Night arrives, that bees hum the ‘100th psalm’ on Christmas Eve,
that a windy Christmas will bring good luck, that a person born on Christmas Day can see the Little People, that a cricket on the hearth brings good luck, that
if one opens all the doors of the house at midnight all the evil spirits will depart, that you will have one lucky month for each Christmas pudding you sample, that the tree must be taken down by Twelfth Night or bad luck is sure to follow, that ‘if Christmas on a Sunday be, a windy winter we shall see’, that ‘hours of sun on Christmas Day, so many frosts in the month of May’, that one
can use the Twelve Days of Christmas to predict the weather for each of the
twelve months of the coming year, and so on.

Remembering that most Christmas customs are ultimately based upon older
Pagan customs, it only remains for modern Pagans to reclaim their lost traditions.  In doing so, we can share many common customs with our Christian
friends, albeit with a slightly different interpretation.  And thus we all share
in the beauty of this most magical of seasons, when the Mother Goddess once
again gives birth to the baby Sun-God and sets the wheel in motion again.  To
conclude with a long-overdue paraphrase, ‘Goddess bless us, every one!’

Celebrating 365 Days of Legends, Folklore & Spirituality for December 19, 20, 21 – Yule/Winter Solstice

 

December 19, 20, 21

Yule/Winter Solstice

The Solstice, taken from the Latin for “the Sun stands still,” is considered to be the true New Year-astronomically as well as spiritually. At this time, we see the simultaneous death and rebirth of the Sun-God, represented in the shortest day and longest night of the year. From this time forward, the sun grows in strength and power as the hours of daylight increase.

Midwinter, or Winter Solstice, marked the end of the first half of the Celtic year. As was Samhain, which has the Roman festival of Pomona and the Christian All Souls grafted on to it, the Celtic Winter Solstice was subsequently confused with the Roman Saturnalia, and later the Christian Christmas. Mythologically, logically, most of the Midwinter celebrations focused on the symbology of a new or younger God, overthrowing the older or father God, which would then bring forth a new and more potent life to the people and the land.

Although the Solstice takes place on December 21, Midwinter winter (renamed Yule by the Anglo Saxons) covers several weeks on either side of the Solstice. In medieval times, Yule began around St. Nicholas’s Day and ran until Candlemas. Eventually, Yule was redefined to mean either the Nativity (December 25) or the 12 days of celebration beginning on this date. The word Christmas then replaced Yule in most English-speaking speaking countries. However, the Danish preserved Yule as a way of maintaining their old style of festivities that incorporated rated several weeks of celebration.

In Wicca, and modern Paganism, the Winter Solstice is the time of new beginnings, a time to reflect on the past and project for the future. Magickally, the Winter Solstice affords us a perfect time to formulate a plan of action, a goal we can work towards during the coming year.

A Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month (November), 2023

Now we wait to see if this proclamation is carried out or just more lip service by another USA president.

A Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, 2023

During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize the invaluable contributions of Native peoples that have shaped our country and honor the hundreds of Tribal Nations who continue exercising their inherent sovereignty as vital members of the overlapping system of governments in the United States.  We also recommit to supporting Tribal sovereignty; upholding the Federal Government’s solemn trust and treaty responsibilities; and working in partnership with Tribal Nations to advance prosperity, dignity, and safety for all Native peoples.

Since time immemorial, Native communities have passed down rich cultures, knowledge, traditions, and ways of life.  But throughout our history, Native peoples’ cultures, identities, and governments were not always seen as a part of this Nation but as a threat to it.  Native people were pressured to assimilate, banned from practicing their traditions and sacred ceremonies, and forced from their homes and ancestral homelands.  This violence and devastation cost countless lives, tore families apart, and caused lasting damage to Tribal communities and institutions.

Despite centuries of violence and oppression, Native peoples remain resilient and proud.  Today, Native Americans are essential to the fabric of the United States.  They serve in the United States Armed Forces at higher rates than any other ethnic group.  They continue to steward so many of our great lands.  Their contributions to science, humanities, arts, public service, and more have brought prosperity for all of us.  Their diverse cultures and communities continue to thrive and lead us forward.

Since the beginning of my Administration, I have been determined to help champion a new and better chapter in the story of our Nation-to-Nation relationships.  I started by appointing Native Americans to lead in my Administration — including the first Native American Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, dozens of Senate-confirmed Native American officials, and over 80 Native American appointees serving across my Administration and in the Federal courts.  I restored the annual White House Tribal Nations Summit to advance communication between key members of my Administration and the leaders of hundreds of Tribal Nations.  My Administration formally recognized Indigenous Knowledge as one of the many important bodies of knowledge that contributes to the scientific, technical, social, and economic advancements of the United States and our collective understanding of the natural world.

Together with leadership from Tribal Nations, we are making historic investments in Indian Country.  Our American Rescue Plan invested $32 billion in Tribal Nations — the largest one-time direct investment in Indian Country in American history.  Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested more than $13 billion to rebuild infrastructure, the single largest investment in Indian Country infrastructure in history.  Our Inflation Reduction Act also made the largest investment ever to combat the existential threat of climate change, including $700 million dedicated to climate change response in Native communities.  Last year, I signed a Presidential Memorandum that improves consultation between the Federal Government and Tribal Nations.

My Administration is also working to address the impacts of harmful Federal policies of the past while ensuring Native communities are safe and healthy.  Through the Department of the Interior’s Road to Healing initiative, Native language preservation, public safety initiatives, and bold new investments, we are supporting Native American families and their communities as they heal.  We are also working to improve public health and safety for Native Americans.  I signed an Executive Order that helps us respond more effectively to the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples.  Last year, when we reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act, I was proud to include historic provisions that reaffirm Tribal sovereignty and restore Tribal jurisdiction.  My budget for Fiscal Year 2024 also requested a $9.1 billion infusion for the Indian Health Service, and I have asked the Congress to make that funding a mandatory part of the Federal budget for the first time in our history.

We are also committed to partnering with Tribal Nations to protect and steward their sacred and ancestral lands and waters.  Through Tribal co-stewardship agreements, we work directly with Tribal Nations to make decisions about how to manage those lands that are most precious to them — recognizing and utilizing the invaluable knowledge they have from countless generations.  I established new national monuments protecting lands sacred to Tribal Nations at Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni in Arizona, the Camp Hale-Continental Divide in Colorado, and Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada.  I also restored protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument in New England and Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah.

This month, we celebrate Native American history and culture.  We are reminded that with hard work and a commitment to our founding ideals, we can address the wrongs of our past and become a more perfect Union — one that ensures liberty, justice, dignity, and equality for all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2023 as National Native American Heritage Month.  I urge all Americans, as well as their elected representatives at the Federal, State, and local levels, to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.  Also, I urge all Americans to celebrate November 24, 2023, as Native American Heritage Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

Spells Of Magic – Part 2 of Spell Casting

Source: witchspellbook.com

Everybody loves some power. Power can open doors that are closed to others and it can close doors to misery. Many people are always wondering what it takes to get the power to change things and live the way they desire. While many will never get the answer, there are some who have discovered it. These are the people who use spells of magic.

know that spells and spell casters are often misunderstood by many people saying that black magic spells are evil and white magic spells are holy. There are also many more who find it challenging to separate magic from evil witchcraft. This is the reason why I am planning to ensure that by the end of this article, you have at least enough knowledge about magic spells; including ancient magic spells.

Cast A Spell – Part 1 of Spelling casting

(I will be posting the rest of this article through out this week)

When you are new to the whole idea of casting a spells it may actually be a challenge to know what you need to do in order to cast a spell. What makes this even worse is that everybody seems to have an idea of what needs to be done but many of these people actually have no idea what they are talking about.

It is important to be clear how exactly to enchant if you want to cast a spell that is effective. But why is it so important? You may ask. The truth is that spells do not usually work unless they are cast properly. Ask anyone who has ever cast love spells and they will tell you how important it is to know exactly what needs to be done if you want the process to produce the right results.

Source: witchspellbook.com

Special Edition of Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondences, Rituals and Other Things for Samhain

From Flying The Hedge – SAMHAIN CORRESPONDENCES

Symbolism: death and regeneration, transformation, end of old projects, new beginnings, return, change, rest, success, plenty, knowledge

Symbols: skulls, bats, cats, leaves, nuts, seeds, barren trees and branches, pumpkins, cauldron, pentacle, crystal ball, besom or broom, witch’s hat, moon, crows/ravens, ghosts, goblins, banshees, candy/caramel apples, chocolate, Jack-o-Lanterns, costumes, Trick-or-Treats, Death, acorns, bones, gourds, scarecrowsColors: black, orange, red, silver, gold, brown, purple, yellow

Food and Drink: apples, cider, pork, hazelnuts, pomegranates, pumpkins, potatoes, squash, cranberries, turnips, beets, mugwort tea, ale, mulled wine, pies/cakes for the dead

Herbs: apple leaf, almonds, bay leaf, nettle, hemlock, cloves, cinnamon, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort, pine, rosemary, sage, wormwood, tarragon, rue, garlic, ginger, hazelnut, allspice

Deities: Hekate, The Crone, Cerridwen, Bast, Persephone, Horned Hunter, Cernunnos, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Arawn, Dis, and any other death/underworld god or goddess

Crystals and Gemstones: black obsidian, jasper, onyx, bloodstone, smoky quartz, carnelian,

Animals: cats, especially black cats, bats, spiders, rats, wolves, snakes, ravens and crows, owls, stags, jackals, scorpions

Magic: This is the time to honor the dead. Set up an altar, serve them cakes, and let them know they are not forgotten. If you wish to communicate with deceased friends and family, this is the best time of year. The veil thins the night of Samhain, making communication easy. Do NOT, however, entice spirits, disrespect them, or perform any other magic that is anything less than respectful. I repeat, don’t do it. Samhain is also a great time to practice divination in the form of runes, scrying, tarot, tea readings, etc. Reflect over the previous year and perform blessing spells to ring in the new year. Astral projection, lucid dreaming, and hedge riding are also much easier to perform on this night but remember to be safe. Banishing magic, especially those for bad habits, are especially strong on this night.

Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. If I have missed something that you feel should make the list, please feel free to contact me via the comments or through email.

Click her for more ideas from Zenned Out for Samhain Rituals and Correspondences

The ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), celebrated on October 31st and November 1st, marks the end of our seasonal cycle on the Wheel of the Year. This is why it’s often referred to as the witch’s New Year. Seasonally speaking, Samhain is the third and final harvest of the season or the last rally to store and prepare for the coming Winter season.

This sacred celebration reaches much farther than harvests and is also a time when the veil between the physical and spirit world is at its thinnest. The Celtic people believed that spirits walked among them during this time, so Samhain is accepted as an ideal time to communicate and connect with the spirit realm. Here’s a fun drawing I created with ritual suggestions for Samhain. Keep scrolling to learn more about each one.

See the source image

From PaganPages.org Samhain Correspondences By Jennifer Wright

Free Pagan Magazine

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 Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead,scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

Gender:
Male

Threshold:
Midnight

From Plentiful Earth – How to pronounce Samhain

Popularized by Wicca, Samhain is a celebration that occurs around the same time as Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, and Day of the Dead — on or around October 31. This wonderful day is often celebrated as a time to commune with our ancestors and the passing spirits, as the veil between the worlds has become its thinnest. The festival of Samhain is easily most Witches’ favorite Sabbat of the year, a fact we can all agree on. However, it’s easy to strike up a war of the Witches when it comes to saying the word out loud!

We know first hand, as American Witches in the United States, how embarrassing it can be to read the ancient Gaelic word as “Sam-hayne” on paper when we’re learning and then try to say it in front of seasoned coven-mates! We’re here to save you some red cheeks and give you the confidence to talk about your favorite holiday out loud! The good news? There are 3 ways to pronounce this ancient Celtic, each from a different region of its birthplace!

3 Correct Samhain Pronunciations

How to pronounce Samhain – Video

How to pronounce Samhain in Irish Gaelic

  • Sow-in

How to pronounce Samhain in Welsh

  • Sow-een

How to pronounce Samhain in Scottish Gaelic

  • Sav-en

Now, pick your favorite way and say it with pride, Witch!

 Remember what is not harvested by Samhain needs to be left in the fields, tress, bushes, ectara for the wild animals to forge over the cold months.

Wish you all a safe, blessed, and happy Samhain.

Some of the Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondences for Samhain

The Witches Correspondence for Samhain

Date: October 31st

Colours: Black, orange

Stones: Bloodstone, jet, obsidian, ruby, beryl, carnelian

Herbs: Bay leaf, mugwort, nutmeg, sage, wormwood

Foods: Apples, nuts, beef, turnips, pears, pomegranates, pumpkin, corn

Drinks: Mead, mulled wine, apple juice, absinthe

Flowers/Decorations: Chrysanthemum, hazel, thistle, pumpkin, autumn leaves

Type Of Magick/Activity: Banishing, breaking bad habits, divination, drying herbs, past life recall(see meditation page), clearing out everything you don’t want in the new year (habits and personal items).

Some Appropriate Goddesses: All crone and underworld Goddesses, Cerridwen (Welsh), Freya (Norse), Hecate (Greek), Morrigan (Celtic), Persephone (Greek), Rhiannon (Welsh)

Some Appropriate Gods: All old and underworld Gods, Cernunnos (Celtic), Anubis (Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Odin (Norse), Osiris (Egyptian)

Friday, October 13, 1307 CE and The Knights Templar

Yes, the Knights Templars were and are a Christian group but the fighting and good deeds they did centuries ago have always held a place in my heart. Basically, they were killed wherever they were in a small or large group or imprisoned on this date in 1307 because the Catholic Pope and King of France owed them to much money, they were consider the first bank with branches across the world at the time. The “bank” held money for those that were traveling through dangerous territory so they did not have to carry large amounts of gold or other monies and with a slip of paper from the location they deposited their gold or monies they could withdraw it or part of it at another Knights Templar’s location.

Today is Friday the 13th. Many people of the superstitious sort consider Friday the 13th to be unlucky. There are people who wear good luck charms all day and some who go so far as to refuse to leave home, lest something unlucky happen to them.

But many don’t know that one legend of the origin of Friday the 13th as unlucky comes from the persecution of the Knights Templar in the 14th Century. On Friday, October 13th, 1307, King Philip IV of France, in league with Pope Clement V ordered all Templars to be rounded up and thrown in prison. The Knights were accused of numerous crimes including heresy and treason. For two hundred years the Knights Templar had been the most dominant force in Christendom, but after their defeat at the Siege of Acre and the loss of the Holy Land, their influence began to wane.

Yet they still held enormous power and great amounts of wealth. Pope Clement sought to merge the Knights Templar with the Knights Hospitaller another powerful order at the time. Neither group found such a merger ideal. And despite the loss of the Holy Land, the Templars were still a part of of everyday life in the Middle Ages. Their houses, churches and …

Click here to read the rest of this article from theknightstemplar.org

Some More October 14, 2023, Annular Eclipse Times

London, England, Europe

Global Event: Partial Lunar Eclipse
Local Type: Partial Lunar Eclipse in London, England
Begins: Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 7:01 pm
Maximum: Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 9:14 pm 0.122 Magnitude
Ends: Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 11:26 pm
Duration: 4 hours, 25 minutes

All times shown on this page are local time.

(I included this country as I found the location of in all the hemispheres interesting.)

Kiribati

The nation of Kiribati is the only country on earth that is situated on all four main hemispheres. The country is comprised of 32 atolls, 21 of which are inhabited. The islands are found in the South Pacific regions of Polynesia and Micronesia. The nation consists of four island groups namely Line Islands, Gilbert Islands, Banaba Island, and Phoenix Islands. The Phoenix Islands which are comprised of 8 atolls, as well as Banaba, are found to the south of the Equator which means that they are in the Southern Hemisphere. The Gilbert Islands which consists of 16 atolls are found on both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. In 1995, the International Date Line was realigned so that it does not to divide the country to accommodate all of the islands in the same working day.

Interesting Facts About Kiribati

The Republic of Kiribati is located at GMT +14 making it the furthest country from the Greenwich meantime. The nation is usually the first to welcome the New Year in the world. In 1999, 2 of its islets that were uninhabited disappeared into the sea thereby raising the possibility that the nation could potentially be submerged in case of an adverse natural event.

Source: worldatlas.com

Kiribati

Global Event:Partial Lunar Eclipse

Local Type:Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, in Kiribati

Start of Partial:Sun, Oct 29, 2023 at 6:03 am GILT

End of Partial:Sun, Oct 29, 2023 at 6:17 am GILT

Amtofagasta, Chile

Global Event: Annular Solar Eclipse
Local Type: Partial Solar Eclipse, in Antofagasta
Begins: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 3:14 pm
Maximum: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 4:28 pm 0.378 Magnitude
Ends: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 5:36 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 21 minutes

All times shown on this page are local time.

Lunar Eclipses and Solar Eclipses

The Short Answer:

What is an eclipse?

An eclipse happens when a planet or a moon gets in the way of the Sun’s light. Here on Earth, we can experience two kinds of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.

What’s the difference between a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse?

Solar Eclipse

A solar eclipse happens when the Moon gets in the way of the Sun’s light and casts its shadow on Earth. That means during the day, the Moon moves over the Sun and it gets dark. Isn’t it strange that it gets dark in the middle of the day?

This total eclipse happens about every year and a half somewhere on Earth. A partial eclipse, when the Moon doesn’t completely cover the Sun, happens at least twice a year somewhere on Earth.

But not everyone experiences every solar eclipse. Getting a chance to see a total solar eclipse is rare. The Moon’s shadow on Earth isn’t very big, so only a small portion of places on Earth will see it. You have to be on the sunny side of the planet when it happens. You also have to be in the path of the Moon’s shadow.

On average, the same spot on Earth only gets to see a solar eclipse for a few minutes about every 375 years!

Lunar Eclipse

During a lunar eclipse, Earth gets in the way of the Sun’s light hitting the Moon. That means that during the night, a full moon fades away as Earth’s shadow covers it up.

The Moon can also look reddish because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs the other colors while it bends some sunlight toward the Moon. Sunlight bending through the atmosphere and absorbing other colors is also why sunsets are orange and red.

During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is shining from all the sunrises and sunsets occurring on Earth!

Why don’t we have a lunar eclipse every month?

You might be wondering why we don’t have a lunar eclipse every month as the Moon orbits Earth. It’s true that the Moon goes around Earth every month, but it doesn’t always get in Earth’s shadow. The Moon’s path around Earth is tilted compared to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The Moon can be behind Earth but still get hit by light from the Sun.

Because they don’t happen every month, a lunar eclipse is a special event. Unlike solar eclipses, lots of people get to see each lunar eclipse. If you live on the nighttime half of Earth when the eclipse happens, you’ll be able to see it.

Remembering the Difference

It’s easy to get these two types of eclipses mixed up. An easy way to remember the difference is in the name. The name tells you what gets darker when the eclipse happens. In a solar eclipse, the Sun gets darker. In a lunar eclipse, the Moon gets darker.

Source: spaceplace.nasa.gov

October 14, 2023 New York, New York, USA Annular Eclipse

Global Event: Annular Solar Eclipse
Local Type: Partial Solar Eclipse in New York, New York
Begins: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Maximum: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 1:22 pm 0.348 Magnitude
Ends: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 2:36 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 27 minutes

All times shown on this page are local time.

October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse Bogota, Colombia

Global Event: Annular Solar Eclipse
Local Type: Partial Solar Eclipse, in Bogota
Begins: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 11:48 am
Maximum: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 1:36 pm 0.926 Magnitude
Ends: Sat, Oct 14, 2023 at 3:15 pm
Duration: 3 hours, 27 minutes

All times shown on this page are local time.

October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse Johannesburg, South Africa

Global Event: Partial Lunar Eclipse
Local Type: Partial Lunar Eclipse, in Johannesburg
Begins: Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 8:01 pm
Maximum: Sat, Oct 28, 2023 at 10:14 pm 0.122 Magnitude
Ends: Sun, Oct 29, 2023 at 12:26 am
Duration: 4 hours, 25 minutes

All times shown on this page are local time.

Scientists warn entire branches of the ‘Tree of Life’ are going extinct

Humans are driving the loss of entire branches of the “Tree of Life,” according to a new study published on Monday which warns of the threat of a sixth mass extinction.

“The extinction crisis is as bad as the climate change crisis. It is not recognized,” said Gerardo Ceballos, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and co-author of the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

“What is at stake is the future of mankind,” he told AFP.

The study is unique because instead of merely examining the loss of a species, it examines the extinction of entire genera.

In the classification of living beings, the genus lies between the rank of species and that of family. For example, dogs are a species belonging to the genus canis — itself in the canid family.

“It is a really significant contribution, I think the first time anyone has attempted to assess modern extinction rates at a level above the species,” Robert Cowie, a biologist at the University of Hawaii who was not involved in the study, told AFP.

“As such it really demonstrates the loss of entire branches of the Tree of Life,” a representation of living things first developed by Charles Darwin.

The study shows that “we aren’t just trimming terminal twigs, but rather are taking a chainsaw to get rid of big branches,” agreed Anthony Barnosky, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

– 73 extinct genera –

The researchers relied largely on species listed as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They focused on vertebrate species (excluding fish), for which more data are available.

Of some 5,400 genera (comprising 34,600 species), they concluded that 73 had become extinct in the last 500 years — most of them in the last two centuries.

The researchers then compared this with the extinction rate estimated from the fossil record over the very long term.

“Based on the extinction rate in the previous million years we would have expected to lose two genera. But we lost 73,” explained Ceballos.

That should have taken 18,000 years, not 500, the study estimated — though such estimates remain uncertain, as not all species are known and the fossil record remains incomplete.

The cause? Human activities, such as the destruction of habitats for crops or infrastructure, as well as overfishing, hunting and so on.

The loss of one genus can have consequences for an entire ecosystem, argued Ceballos.

“If you take one brick, the wall won’t collapse, he said. “You take many more, eventually the wall will collapse.

“Our worry is that … we’re losing things so fast, that for us it signals the collapse of civilization.”

– ‘Still time’ to act –

All experts agree that the current rate of extinction is alarming — but whether this represents the start of a sixth mass extinction (the last being the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago) remains a matter of debate.

Scientists broadly define a mass extinction as the loss of 75 percent of species over a short period of time. Using that “arbitrary” definition, Cowie said, a sixth mass extinction has not yet occurred.

But if we assume that “species will continue to go extinct at the current rate (or faster), then it will happen,” he warned. “We can surely say that this is the beginning of a potential sixth mass extinction.”

Ceballos warned that the window of opportunity for humans to act is “rapidly closing.”

The priority is to halt the destruction of natural habitats, and to restore those that have been lost, he said.

“But there is still time to save many genera,” he said. “There are 5,400 genera, we can save many of them if we act now.”

Source: newsbreak.com

Illinois’ Wasps Are Everywhere-Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Kill Them

(SIDE NOTE: This is for anywhere on Mother Earth/Gaia where Wasps can be found.)

I have very little trouble admitting that I’ve killed more than a few wasps in my time. I’ve always had a live and let live relationship with bees, but wasps have always been on my kill-on-sight list.

I even went so far as to order the most souped-up electric bug-zapping racket I could find on Amazon. This thing is a one touch-one corpse gadget, and it has left a pile of wasp bodies in its wake, let me tell you. I also added the salt shooting “Bug-A-Salt” gun to my backyard arsenal. Think of it as a shotgun that fires table salt that obliterates insect pests.

It Turns Out That Wasps Do A Lot Of Good. Really.

So what good are these things that offer up painful stings, build nests under our eaves and decks, and seemingly do little else besides buzz around you and your family while you’re trying to enjoy a night on the patio?

A piece up at ThoughtCo.com says that wasps of all sorts offer some great ecological benefits like “pollination, predation, and parasitism.” I know what the first two are, but the last one sounds like a word that describes many politicians.

Wasps are apparently interested in more things than just stinging us:

“For instance, paper wasps carry caterpillars and leaf beetle larvae back to their nests to feed their growing young. Hornets provision their nests with all manner of live insects to sate the appetites of their developing larvae. It takes a lot of bugs to feed a hungry brood, and it’s through these needs that both hornets and paper wasps provide vital pest control services.”

So, wasps handle some of the much-needed pollination jobs, and they kill and eat all sorts of pests like caterpillars, spiders, and aphids. However, they are temperamental and territorial, and will happily sting you.

I’m not going to apologize for the ones I’ve “removed from the game,” but maybe I might not be so quick to grab my zapping racket and Bug-A-Salt gun in the future.

Source: myq1075.com

‘Extremely rare’ Roman temple discovered on supermarket building site

Source: cnn.com

Sarsina is a sleepy, rural town of barely 3,000 residents straddling the pristine Apennine mountains in Italy’s Emilia Romagna region, surrounded by stunning views and grazing sheep.

While it has a glorious past, as a strategic defensive outpost for the Roman Empire and the birthplace of the famed playwright Plautus, today there’s not much to do beyond hiking and birdwatching.

And though both locals and holidaymakers would agree that a rustic, slow-paced lifestyle is part of Sarsina’s charm, its residents were nonetheless excitedly awaiting the construction of a development including a new supermarket, fitness center and playground. But it was not meant to be — at least, not as originally planned.

That’s because workers at the site on the outskirts of town in December 2022 unearthed the ruins of an ancient Roman temple — or ‘capitolium’ — dating back to the first century BC.

In early July, a first look at the underground treasure came to light: a single imposing structure of horizontal sandstone blocks and marble slabs, 577 square meters wide, which researchers have identified as the podium above which the columns and walls of an ancient temple were built.

And what has come out of the ground so far could be just the tip of the iceberg.

“We have unearthed three separate rooms, likely dedicated to the triad of gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva,” lead archaeologist at the excavation site Romina Pirraglia told CNN. “The excavations are still underway… and we have already identified an older, deeper layer of ruins dating back to the 4th century BC, when the Umbrian people (an ancient Italic tribe who predated the Romans) lived in the area. The entire temple could be even larger than what we now see.”

According to Pirraglia, the discovery of a capitolium — the main temple in an important Roman city, and a hub for trade as well as religious and social interactions — further confirms the strategic role Sarsina played during the Roman Empire. The town was built in a key mountainous area close to the Tuscan border and overlooking the Savio river, an important waterway connecting central and northern Roman cities.

The discovery of the temple has pushed local authorities to revise their building plans. Federica Gonzato, superintendent of archaeology, fine arts and landscape for the provinces of Ravenna, Rimini and Forlì-Cesena, which includes Sarsina, is adamant in wanting to preserve the ruins and further research its great past.

“We will not tear it down to make room for modern structures, this must be very clear. Previous urban plans will be changed, we will find new construction sites for recreation and sports,” Gonzato said. “The temple is an incredible finding that sheds light on how ancient Roman towns rose and fell across time.”

What makes the discovery exceptional is the temple’s unique state of preservation. “The marvelous quality of the stones have been spared from sacks, enemy invasions and plunders across millennia thanks to the remote location of Sarsina, a quiet spot distant from larger cities,” Gonzato added. “Temples such as this one (were) regularly plundered, exploited as quarries with stones and marble slabs taken away to be re-used to build new homes. But Sarsina’s capitolium podium structure is practically untouched, with its entrance staircase well-preserved, and this is extremely rare.”

Gonzato believes the discovery will further research on demography and urban transformations in ancient times. And there’s more to the site than just the temple’s podium. Pirraglia said there are signs that the building was reused in medieval times. An ancient water drainage system was found alongside medieval tombs and hearths indicating that locals likely inhabited it, or used the site for other social purposes.

“This is the beauty of Italy: wherever you dig, some hidden treasure comes out of the ground. Wonders never cease to amaze us,” said Gonzato.

Long-Lost Ancient Temple of Apollo Uncovered

A long-lost ancient temple of Apollo has been excavated after archaeologists from the Universities of Frankfurt and Kiel in Germany successfully located its whereabouts in Frangissa, near Pera Orinis in Cyprus.

The temple had been known about since 1885 but had been considered lost, a press release from the deputy culture ministry reported.

“The current research project aims to explore these complex structures, which often evolved over several centuries, and gain important insights into the functioning of ancient sanctuaries,” the press release said.

Current estimates place the temple as dating back to the Hellenistic period—a period of Ancient Greece that started in 323 B.C. and ended in 32 B.C.

“After its construction, the district underwent successive remodeling and expansion. In a later phase, transverse walls were added, altering the interior of the courtyard. Additionally, parallel flat stone bases were erected alongside the outer walls, likely serving as supports for columns and carrying the roof of a hall that surrounded all sides,” the statement from the ministry said.

In Ancient Greece, temples provided a place for worship and ritual practices, as well as providing a place for social, political, and economic functions.

In Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of sun and light and was worshiped at temples and during festivals.

“Through the exemplary investigation of the sanctuary of Frangissa, the current research project aims to explore these complex structures, which often evolved over several centuries, and gain important insights into the functioning of ancient sanctuaries,” the statement said.

Of particular interest was the discovery of fragments of terracotta—a type of ancient pot constructed from brownish-red earthenware.

These fragments belonged to a huge male terracotta figure, the press release said.

“The robe of the figure was intricately decorated with incised ornaments. Similar fragments were previously found in 1885 and taken to the Cyprus Museum,” it said. “The newly found fragments perfectly match these ancient fragments, confirming the identification of the sanctuary with the site excavated in 1885, which was previously based on various circumstantial evidence.”

Archaeologists also found a head of an archaic warrior statuette.

Excavations began in 2021, when the remains of ancient masonry were discovered. The work continued in 2022, until the temple was finally uncovered this year,

Excavations will continue in the area, to allow archaeologists to discover more about the site and the role it played in Ancient Greece.

Source: newsweek.com

Nine woods in the Cauldron Go – Celtic Traditions

These trees were and are considered sacred by the Druids and those following a Celtic tradition. Used in the bonfires for Bealtaine and Samhain. Unfortunately where I live in the USA I have not been able to collect wood from all these scared trees as of yet, I am always on the look out for them.

Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow.

Birch in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows.

Oak in the forest towers with might, in the fire it brings the God’s insight.  

 Rowan is a tree of power causing life and magick to flower.

Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland.

Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye.

Hazel the tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning.

White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility.

Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine.

Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen.

Sacred Symbols and the Witch Next Door c. 2016

(Yes, I am cheating with some posts but feel they deserve to be brought to the present)

Sacred Symbols and The Witch Next Door

Author Unknow

It’s Tuesday at five o’clock. I punch out, lock up my desk, and leave the dreaded office for the evening. As I walk out of the side door, I imagine that I’m going through one of those automatic car washes, and the brushes and water are removing the day’s stresses and negativity from me (I’m a title clerk at a car dealership, and as you can imagine, dealing with the DMV every day tends to build up negativity). By the time I get to my car, I’m feeling good, stress free and ready for the evening. I look up and see another Carolina thunderstorm rolling in. It’s going to be a 30-minute drive in the rain, and that makes me smile.

By the time I meander my way out of the parking lot, the rains have started. I roll down my window and stick my hand out. As I drive down the street, going with the flow at 45 mph, I feel the bite on my palms and wrists. Like thousands of needles, the drops seem to pierce my skin, infusing me with the energy of Water and Wind. My entire left side is soaked, and I don’t seem to mind. The family in the mini-van next to me stares slack-jawed, thinking me to be insane. I feel sorry for them. If they only knew how good this feels, how cleansing it is, their heads would hang out of the windows of the van like Labradors. I turn into the parking lot of the grocery store to pick up something for cakes and ale tonight. The rain is coming down in sheets. Thunder cracks and rumbles, making the ground shake. Lightning strikes are everywhere. A handful of people run to their cars, holding a few grocery bags and covering their large heads with thin arms to shield themselves. I have the sudden urge to strip naked, arms out in childlike joy, and dance in deformed circles throughout the parking lot until I’m dizzy and fall into a puddle, laughing. The only thing stopping me is the patrol car parked nearby, with the cop inside catching up on his paperwork. I stroll leisurely into the store and pass a small group of old southern women staring at me as they huddle just behind the automatic doors waiting for the storm to subside. One of them tells me that I’ll get sick from that, and that I should have at least tried to hurry into the store where it’s dry. I look at her and say, “Water is a sacred symbol. I am Cleansed and Purified by the Mother.”

When I’ve finished my transaction and head out of the store, the rain has slowed to barely more than a drizzle. As I turn out of the parking lot, it has stopped all together. Again, I’ve rolled down my window and stuck my arm out; now it’s just the Air that I feel on my skin. I inhale the crisp smells only detected after a storm. My lungs expand, and I feel the butterflies in my stomach. That smell always seems to rejuvenate me. I pull into my driveway, turn off the car and go inside. I put the cakes and ale in the refrigerator, then head straight for the back door. On my deck, I sit and enjoy the rolling hills and farmland behind my house. The smell of the after rain still clings to the Air. I breathe deeply and close my eyes. I feel at one with the Air, with the sky. A light breeze kisses my face. As the breeze kicks up, it wraps around me, a swirling blanket of the Gods. I am given the gift of the East, Air as its symbol, and I take that with me back into the house.

The rest of the coven arrives. I change into my robes and we go into the altar room to set up. I lead them through the chants and the worship, we dine on the cakes and ale, and we meditate briefly before opening circle. After ritual, we sit and catch up on what’s going on in each other’s lives. We laugh, we talk, and we laugh some more. By 9:30 they show themselves out, and I return to the altar room. I light all of the candles once again and stare into the flame of one of my altar candles. I feel my spirit disconnect from my physical body. I enter a trance, and am lost in the awesome power of the Fire. My mind becomes one with the dancing flame and images flood my head. Insights are gained, wisdoms etched into my psyche to forever become a part of me. My education continues, with the Lord and Lady my teachers. The Fire is a symbol of my knowledge. My passion swells as I strive to learn everything…to know…to be. I become aware that I’ve hit the climax of my trance and feel the cycling down, the beginning of the end of the controlled burn. The images slow, and I am once again aware that it is a candle at which I stare. I thank the Gods for bestowing the gnosis upon me, and carefully extinguish the flame.

I am unaware of the time, and do not care to know. I need to ground myself, but rather than do it inside, I instead choose to take our offerings from ritual and bury it outside in the Earth. In the backyard, I find a small, rich patch of soil. Most of the yard is clay, except for here. I dig deeper than needed. Halfway down I toss aside my trowel, electing instead to feel the Earth in my bare hands. As I dig I allow the energies raised within me to pour down into the Earth. The smell of the grass and weeds and dirt permeate me. I feel calm and relaxed, bathed in the glow of the full moon. Carefully I scrape the offering off of the dish. I close my eyes and feel good, knowing that however small it is, this gift of thanks to the Gods will decompose, and what grows in this spot will receive some extra nutrition. All returns to the Earth in good time. I repack the hole I’ve dug and remain on my knees for a few more minutes. The Earth, our symbol of life, our living organism.

These are the most sacred of symbols, the Elements. Water, Air, Fire and Earth all connect us to the Spirit. I stand up slowly, beginning to feel the effects of exhaustion. I turn my head to the right and see a neighbor peeking out the blinds at me. I think to myself that I’m doing nothing strange here, yet tomorrow morning I’ll be the block’s topic of conversation. A Mona Lisa smile crosses my lips as I wave to her and she quickly moves away from the window. I go back into the house, knowing that I’m just the everyday Witch next door.

A Little Something for Children – Blessed Be A-Z

Blessed Be A-Z
A
Tall and straight as the ash tree grows
all the things that Athena knows
Smooth and sharp as an athame blade
All the color of an autumn glade
B
Fires at Beltane jumping high
Watch the bees buzzing by
A silver bell ringing bright
A besom sweep makes it right
C
Stir a cauldron round and round
Cast a circle on the ground
Catch a crystal in your hand
Light a candle if you can
D
A raven dips and dives in the dark
Demeter makes things grow in the park
Dragon dozing in his lair
Dance with delight, do as you dare
Little Pagan Acorns
E
In the early east, an eagle flies
In an elder elm, her one egg lies
Energy comes from elements four
Embrace them all, open each door
F
Flight and a feather, often together
Fish and fin, go for a swim
Light a fire, flames grow higher
Find a fox, on nature walks
G
The God and Goddess are all around
From sky above to grass on the ground
Grab a goblet, give a toast
Visit a grave to honor the ghost
H
Horus hears as a hawk flies high
Hemlock hills are rolling by
Share some happiness with a hug
Sit on Hestia’s warm hearth rug
Little Pagan Acorns
I
Isis whispers in the night
Is there incense left to light?
Sprites and imps will skip around
Inner spirit can be found
J
Catch a firefly in a jelly jar
Jump for joy when you see that star
Enjoy a summer day in June
Join your hands under the moon
K
I like when Magick is in the air
When kids get kisses in their hair
Cats and kittens, on your knee
Together like a lock and key
L
Love at Litha lets flowers bloom
A little laughter lifts a room
Loki plays a silly joke
Light a lamp and blow the smoke
Little Pagan Acorns
M
The Morrigan smiles under May’s moon
Tomorrow sometimes comes too soon
Maiden, mother and then the crone
Making mischief all alone
N
Pine needles in the wood
Nearby nests sit snug and good
Notice knots, they hold in power
Midnight nears, that’s the hour
O
Osiris has two but Odin only one
Color eggs at Ostara, that’s always fun
Only in the Otherworld do goblins stroll
Don’t get confused, a goblin’s not a troll
P
Poseidon likes to play in the deep
A pile of puppies makes a cute heap
The pentacle protects sacred space
Pansies and petunias have a pretty face
Little Pagan Acorns
Q
Porcupine has quills, arrows in a quiver
Quite cold in winter, quick to shiver
Call the quarters, salute the Queen
Ask the question that is never seen
R
Relax when you are reading runes
A raven calls out raucous tunes
Write a ritual for Friday morn
That red rose may have a thorn
S
Basking in the solstice sun
Warming like a sticky bun
Smudging sage smells so sweet
Slithering snakes have no feet
T
Teas and tinctures, talismans galore
Thoth likes books more than Thor
Water trickles down the stream
Try some Tarot. What does it mean?
Little Pagan Acorns
U
Ugly umbrellas raised up high
Thunder rumbles in the sky
Venus on a unicorn
Out of bubbles, she was born
V
Nike votes for victory
Volcanoes and Pele over the sea
Valkyries to Valhalla fly
Vanilla for love, give it a try
W
Make a wish on a western wind
With a wand, wild women grinned
Witches, Wiccans, warlocks too
In the winter, owls ask who
X
A pixie relaxes in the wood
Jinxes and hexes are never good
With equinox, the days are split
With waxing moon, the sky is lit
Little Pagan Acorns
Y
Both holly and yew are right for Yule
You’ll find nymphs by yonder pool
Yarrow and tansy in a vase
Sitting on some yellow lace
Z
Zeus in a fez, do what he says
Zebras in zoos, time for a snooze
Wander the maze, the ancient ways
Need for some zen? Just say when