Tag: Halloween

Crone’s Corner – APPLE DIVINATION

Crone’s Corner – APPLE DIVINATION

If a girls peels an apple in one long piece at midnight on Halloween, and then tosses the peel over her left shoulder or into a bowl of water, she will be able to read the first initial of her future partner’s name in the shape assumed by the discarded peel.

* If a girl peels an apple at midnight on Halloween and hangs the peel on a nail by the front door, the initials of the first man to enter will be the same as those of her unknown lover.

* If a group of unmarried boys and girls each attach an apple to a string and twirl the apple over a fire, the order in which the apples fall off the string indicates the order in which they will all be married. The owner of the last apple to drop will remain unmarried.

* In a group of unmarried boys and girls, each person marks an apple and places it in a large bucket of water, along with unmarked apples. Without using their hands, the teens attempt to take bites out of the apples floating in the water. The teen is fated to marry the person whose apple they bite. Another variation of this custom consists of hanging the apples from strings tied to a tree.

 

GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast Archives

Herbs and Such – HAZEL NUTS

Herbs and Such – HAZEL NUTS

Hazel nuts were also believed to possess mystical powers and could be used in divining. The nut is believed to be at its
strongest on Hallowe’en night, which was traditionally called ‘Nutcrack Night’ in England (UK). Lovers were recommended to use
this to gain foresight into the relationship.

‘Two hazel nuts I threw into the flame,
And to each nut I gave a sweetheart’s name.
This, with the loudest bounce me sore amazed,
That, with a flame of brightest colour blazed.
As blazed the nut, so may thy passion grow,
For ’twas thy nut that did so brightly glow.’
~Gray

‘Some merry, friendly, countra folks
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, an’ pu their stocks,
An’ haud their Halloween
Fu’ blithe that night.’
~R. Burns.

the daily humorscopes for tuesday, july 3rd

the daily humorscope

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

 

Aries

(March 21 – April 19)

Good day to put a few kumquats, some of those teensy little ears of corn, and a few brussels sprouts in a tiny little bowl, and leave it on someone’s doorstep with a tiny little note reading “Dear Big People….”

 

Taurus

(April 20 – May 20)

What are you looking here, for? You should be on a spaceship, sticking a fish in your ear. It’s not like you didn’t get enough hints. If you are vaporized, it’s your own darned fault, I’d say.

 

Gemini

(May 21 – June 20)

You are sad about an upcoming event, but can do nothing about it. Try knitting — people say it’s wonderfully relaxing.

 

Cancer

(June 21 – July 22)

It will turn out that someone you spend a great deal of time with is actually one of the last remaining Sinanthropus (Peking man), rather than an actual Cro-Magnon. This will explain things you’d been wondering about.

 

Leo

(July 23 – August 22)

That new employee seems honest, and is a really hard worker – so who cares if she wants to wear a studded dog collar? You’ll have to draw the line at butt sniffing, though.

 

Virgo

(August 23 – September 22)

Good day to power-walk. It not only looks silly, it is silly.

 

Libra

(September 23 – October 22)

You will win 12,000 cases of peanut brittle today, on a call-in game show. That’s a LOT of peanut brittle, as it turns out.

 

Scorpio

(October 23 – November 21)

In this world you have a choice between being clever, and being pleasant. I recommend pleasant.

 

Sagittarius

(November 22 – December 21)

You will spend another full day attempting to shuffle a deck of cards with your toes. Fortunately, nobody will find out.

 

Capricorn

(December 22 – January 20)

Today you will suddenly realise how sensuous pudding can be. This will mark a turning point in your life.

 

Aquarius

(January 21 – February 18)

Try not to be too impulsive, today. Ask youself if you really need that howitzer, or if you just think it’d be fun to have.

Pisces

(February 19 – March 20)

Good day to ponder the parable of the itsy bitsy spider, and the futility of climbing up water spouts during spring weather. You’ll be able to apply this lesson to one of your current relationships.

May the Fifth Month of the Year of our Goddess, 2019


“The new earth quickens as you rise.
The May Queen is waiting.
Feel the pulsing ground call you to journey,
To know the depths of your desire.
The May Queen is waiting.
Moving through the night, the bright moon’s flight.
In green and silver on the plain.
She waits for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.
Her temper stings if you refuse to taste Her honey.
Surrender as enchantment brings
The first light of dawning.
Move with Her in sacred dance, through fear to feeling.
Bringing ecstasy to those who dare.
Living earth is breathing.
Loving through the night in the bright moonlight,
As seedlings open with the rain.
She’ll long for you to return again.
Do not keep Her waiting.”

– Ruth Barren, The May Queen is Waiting

MAY – THE FLOWER MOON

May is the fifth month of the year. It’s astrological sign is Taurus, the bull(April 20 – May 21), a fixed earth sign ruled by Venus. The month is name for Ma’a, a Roman goddess and mother of the God Hermes. May is known as the queen of months. Since May begins one of the halves of the year, it is an initiation, similar to a cardinal zodiac sign, it shifts power to the new dynamic. The dynamic of May is one of fertility in plants and animal (including human, birth, growth, and abundance.

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the month of May is a month of lushness and beauty. The main holiday is May Day or Beltane. This sabbat celebrate the sacred union of the Goddess and God. It is a celebration of growth and fertility. A traditional part of this holiday is the maypole, usually a fir tree with the side branches removed–a symbol of fertility. Since growth is a theme of May, another central figure of the month is the Green Man, a male form covered with leaves and branches. He is an ancient nature spirit, who brings life to the fields and forests after the long winter.

The Full Moon of May in the Northern Hemisphere is known as the Flower Moon. The Moon is so named for the many flowers and trees that bloom this month associated with magic. Lilacs were originally grown near the home to repel evil. Wild blue violets can be used in love magick. A steaming infusion made with dried dandelions root was use to contact spirits. The Hawthorne three is also associated with May folk magick in the North. To make a wish come true, burn three Hawthorne branches in a Beltane fire.

—Excerpt from Llewellyn’s Witches’ Spell-A-Day Almanac

May’s Correspondences

Festival: Beltane, May Day. Symbols include the May pole, boughs of flowers, and fires.

Moon name: Flower Moon. Flowers come into full bloom and the corn is ready to be planted. Other names include Grass Moon, Milk Moon, Hare Moon, and Corn Planting Moon.

Astrological signs: Taurus, April 21–May 20; Gemini, May 21–June 20.

Birthstones: Emerald and agate.

Nature spirits: Tree fairies and spirits.

Animals: All cats, butterflies, and foxes.

Birds: Swallow, dove, and swift.

Trees: Hawthorn, apple, and elder.

Flowers: All tree blossoms, foxglove, and lilac.

Herbs: St. John’s wort, chamomile, flowering thyme, elderflower, and yarrow.

Scents: Rose, frankincense, honeysuckle, lilac, and jasmine.

Colors: Pink, apricot, and green.

Goddess: Diana.

Powers: Love, fertility, and joy—the expressive energy of life’s forces.

Other: May Day, Labor Day, Oak Apple Day.

—Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell

Symbols for the Month of May

 

May’s Festivals
Beltane, May Day, Labor Day, Oak Apple Day

 

May’s Sign of the Zodiac
Taurus(April 21–May 20)
Gemini(May 21–June 21)

 

May’s Celtic Tree Astrology
Saille (Willow) (April 15 – May 12)
Huath (Hawthorne) (May 13 – June 9)

 

May’s Runic Half Months
Lagu (April 29 – May 13)
Ing (May 14 – May 28)
Odal (May 29 – June 13)

 

May’s Birthstone
Emerald and Agate

 

May’s Birth Flower
Foxglove, and Lilac

 

May’s Goddess
Diana

 

May’s Folklore

“A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay.”

“Mist in May, heat in June, makes harvest come right soon.”

“If you wash a blanket in May, you will wash one of the family away.”

“Those who bathe in May will soon be laid in clay!”

Folklore Courtesy – Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell

Pagan Calendar of Events for May

MAY 1: BELTANE SABBAT: Festival of Spring and Fertility. Sidhe Day. Beltaine – Celtic festival marking the arrival of summer in ancient times.

MAY 4: Celtic/British Festival of Cerridwen and Brigit: Corn Goddesses of Fertility

May 4 – Celtic Festival of Cerridwen and Brigit – Corn Goddesses of fertility, healing, and poets.
– St. Monica’s Day (Irish)
– Veneration of the Thorn (Irish)
– Festival of Sheila Na Gig (Irish)

MAY 6: – Shepherd’s Day – Day to meditate on Deity as Lord of Animals: Dumuzi (Old Sumerian), Osiris (Egyptian), Pan (Old Greek), Shiva Pasupati (Hindu).
– Eyvind Kelve (Norse)

MAY 9: – Greek Feast of Artemis

MAY 9-12: Lemuria – Roman festival when the spirits of the dead are thought to revisit their homes.

MAY 13: – Roman Garland Day, Offering garlands to Neptune.
– Month of Hawthorn, Celtic festival of the tree.
– Our Lady of Fatima Day (Portugal)

MAY 14: – Isis Day in ancient Egypt

MAY 14: -16 Feast of Divine Love and Compassion – Source of healing and beneficence, honoring the Goddess as Isis (Old Egyptian), Oshun (Yoruba/Santeria), Lakshmi (Hindu).

MAY 15: – Festival of Vesta (Roman)
– Maia and Mercury’s Day (Roman)

MAY 18: – Celtic Feast of Greek God Pan – Who represents the masculine in Nature and protects men throughout their lives. Men recognized the transitions in their lives and honored male fertility.

MAY 19: Celtic Feast of Brigid – In which sacred healing wells and springs were adorned with flowers in honor of Goddess Brigid, daughter of Mother Goddess Danu and Father God Dagda.

MAY 21: Dark/Bright Mother Goddess Day—honoring Hecate/Demeter; Uma; Kali/Parvati .

MAY 26: – Festival of Diana begins (ends 31st) (ancient Roman holiday)

MAY 28: FEAST OF BENDIDIA—family feast day honoring of the Goddess of the Moon, Dark Moon, Underworld, Secret Wisdom and Witches.

May 30 – Frigg’s Day, Northern Goddess, spouse of Odin (Teutonic “heathen” European pre-Christian holiday)
– Feast of the Queen of the Underworld Begins (Roman)

May rolls in soft and lovely, weaving within the grasses a bevy of wildflowers that bewitch our senses and are a colorful reminder of life’s ever-renewing power. Of the many wildflowers associated with Beltane and the peak of spring’s fertility,, my favorite has to be the dandelion. The happy yellow flowers take me back to my childhood, when I would spend hours chasing butterflies through wild fields and bejeweling myself with dandelions in buttery circlets that would leave me covered with soft yellow pollen–proving yes, I did, indeed like butter.

Little did I know then of the simple dandelion’s many magickal and medicinal uses. Highly nutritious spring greens, dandelions are packed with calcium, potassium, and high amounts of vitamins and they have been used to stimulate the digestive system, restore mineral balance to the kidneys, and detoxify  for hundreds of years.

According to folklore, blowing dandelion seed heads was said to divine how much your partner loves you. If you could blow all of the seeds off the dandelion head in one puff, your lover carried a passionate fire for you. If a few seeds remained, he or she might have a few reservations about the relationship. If you blow the seed head and the majority of seeds remain, you are not loved at all.

Magically, dandelion is used in spells for wishes, for divination, to call spirits and for growth and transformation. Make a tea from the ground dried root and add it to mugwort (avoid during pregnancy) and cinnamon for a powerful psychic tea.

 

Dandelion Renewal Spell

Just as the onset of spring transforms the earth with a lush green haze and a profusion of blooms that hint to the bounty of summer, we too can feel a lightening of spirit, a renewal of body, mind and soul as spring’s promises are fulfilled all around us.

With dandelion’s association with growth and transformation, this dandelion renewal spell can be done alone or with your coven or circle and would be appropriate to do at Beltane or anytime during the Maiden’s reign. The simplicity of this spell makes it a great spell for kids, too.

All you need is one intact dandelion seed head per person. If working with children, talk for a moment about renewal and what it means to them. Have everyone hold up their dandelion seed heads and say together,

The air is alive with the hum of bees
As the wind tousles the tops of trees,
The blooms are bright and fertility abounds,
Our wish, dear Lady, for renewal to be found,
Not only across this greening land,
But within the heart of every woman, child and man.
Blessed Be!

Blow your dandelion seed heads to the four directions. As you do this, imagine the dandelion seeds planting themselves into the hearts of humankind. Imagine an abundance of joy, peace and fulfillment for all that happens as the dandelion takes root. When you’re done, find a nice spot in a field, park or lawn. Make yourself a circlet of dandelions and reflect on sunny thoughts and bright ideas for the future.

–Monica Crosson

Witchy Ways to Celebrate May

Decorate your home and altar with combinations of flowers and colors to celebrate the union between the Goddess and the God.

Work with herbs in your magic by creating spell bags and sachets. Cook with herbs whenever you can.

Create a spell for strength and wellness by lighting a Beltane candle and burning your spell written on some pretty paper.

Create a harmonious magical garden with symbols and signs of the craft. Paint pebbles and draw shapes in the earth.

Get outside and find one useable foraged ingredient for your recipes. This is also good for expanding your plant knowledge.

Connect with the God aspect by connecting with nearby trees. Spend time touching the tree and water the roots as an offering.

Make daisy chains as offerings for the Fae folk.

–Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year
Mandy Mitchell

We are Witches
We walk the path of the Old Gods
From this moment forth
We will not walk alone
Together, we will worship
Together, we will practice our Craft
Together, we will learn and grow
We vow to work, from this day forward
In perfect love and perfect trust
According to the free will of all
And for the good of all
Creating only beauty
Singing in harmony
Our song upon the Earth
Love is the law and love is the bond
In the name of the Goddess and the God
So do we vow, and so mote it be.

 

––Circle, Coven, & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice
Deborah Blake

 Banner Exchange

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Lighten Up – A Letter From A Third Grade Teacher Sent Home To Pagan Parents

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Thomas,

I write this letter in concern of your daughter, Aradia Moon. Please don’t take this the wrong way, however, although she is a straight A student and a very bright child, she has some strange habits that I feel we should address.

Every morning before class, she insists on walking around the room with her pencil in the air. She says she is “drawing down the moon.” I told her art class is in an hour and to please refrain until then to do any drawing.

And speaking of art class, whenever she draws a night sky, she insists on drawing little circles around all the stars and people dancing on the ground. And that brings up dancing, I had to stop her twice for taking off her clothes during a game of Ring Around the Rosey! By the way, what does “skyclad” mean?

Aradia has no problem with making friends. I always find her sitting outside during recess with her friends sitting around her in a circle. She likes to share her juice and cookies. It is nice how she wants no one to ever thirst or hunger. However, when I walked over to see what they were doing, she jumped up and told me to stop, pulled out a little plastic knife and started waiving it in front of me. I thought this a bit dangerous, so I took her to the Principal’s Office. She explained to the Principal that she was “opening the circle” to let me in. She also said that her Mommy and Daddy always told her not to play or run with an “athame” in her hand, that she could put someone’s eye out. I don’t know what an “athame” is, but I’m glad she keeps it at home.

As for stories, your daughter tends to make up some whoppers. Just yesterday while I was talking sternly to Tommy Johson and shaking my finger at him, he started screaming and ran from the room. When I finally caught him, he told me Aradia told him and the rest of the class that the last time I shook my finger at someone, they caught the chicken pox. I explained to him that the Sally Jones incident was just a coincidence, and that things like that don’t really happen.

One of the strangest things that happened was when I asked the children to bring in Halloween decorations for the classroom. Aradia brought in salt, incense, and her  family album. I see she has quite a sense of humour.

One of Aradia’s worst habits is that she is very argumentative. We were discussing what the Golden Rule was (Do Unto Others as you would have them Do Unto You), she firmly disagreed with me and stated that it was “Do As you Will, but Harm None” and she will not stop saying “So Mote It Be” after she reads aloud in class. I try to correct her on these matters and she got very angry. She pointed her finger at me and mumbled something under her breath.

In closing, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, I would like to set up a parent/teacher conference with you sometime next week to discuss these matters. I would like to see you sooner, but I have developed an irritating rash that I am quite worried about.

With deep concerns, Mrs. Livingston

P.S. Blessed Be. I understand this is a greeting or closing from your country that your daughter informs me is polite and correct.

Lighten Up – You Finally Know You are a Witch When

You Finally Know You are a Witch When…

© 1998 Connie Gilbert

You finally know you are a witch when…

1. Your BOS has spots on the pages from spilled brews.

2. When cleaning house you have to specify. “Where is the broom? No, not the broom, where is the one to clean the floor with?”

3. Candle wax has dripped on your keyboard.

4. There are more jars of strange smelling plants in your cupboards than there are cereal boxes.

5. Friends know they can always give you candles and incense as a gift.

6. When watching old re-runs of Bewitched, you find you side with Samantha’s mother Endora.

7. When travelling, stranger and stranger strangers tell you their problems.

8. You find yourself making corn dollies in the checkout line at the grocery store (well, I thought about it).

9.You ask for Halloween off, because it’s a religious holiday.

10. You start answering the phone with “Merry Meet”.

Woooo! WiLd PeT oF tHe DaY fOr March 22

Puck, the Pet of the Day
Name: Puck
 Age: Four and a half years old
Gender: Male
 Kind: Black-headed Caique
Home: Ventura, California, USA
Here are some pictures of Puck. He is very expressive and an excellent communicator. He does talk a little human, but his main forms of communication are vocalizations, and body language. If he’s happy or excited, he lets you know. If he’s angry, he lets you know. If he’s sleepy, he makes his “bedtime noises.” If he’s feeling frisky, he also lets you know. There’s never a dull moment with this little guy!

His favorite pastimes include chewing on things he’s not supposed to, shredding tissues, hair styling, eating, staying up late, sleeping late, and snuggling. I have to be careful about leaving him unattended though. One time I left him alone for five seconds, and when I came back, two keys were missing from my keyboard, some stuff was knocked over, and he was in the process of climbing up my speaker cables like a little mountain climber. More recently, he destroyed my QWERTY keyboard on my phone; and even more recently, he decided that antique tables are just as fun to chip as wooden toys.

When I was shopping for a bird, I first met with another bird, who was totally sweet. Something just felt wrong though, so I didn’t take it. Next, I met Puck. He jumped into my arms and started making kissy sounds and wolf whistles. I took him home.

He keeps my on my toes, and brings me a lot of joy and companionship. Heloves meeting new people. He loves going everywhere with me, and everybody seems to love him. He also loves spending time outside. He has an outdoor cage to spend time in, and sometimes I let him play and climb around in edible plants. Lavender is one of his favorite bushes (he likes to chew up the flowers). He loves to go to parties and get attention from multiple people at once. On Thanksgiving, he had his own plate. On Halloween I rubbed raspberries on him to look like blood, and he went as a zombie. I even took him through a scary haunted house with me, which he seemed to enjoy. He’s tons of fun!

Points of Interests – Salem Witch Museum

Salem (MA) Witch Museum

Photo by Ron Cogswell

Words such as these struck terror into the hearts of Salem townspeople in the early spring of 1692 as hysterical young girls called out names.

By summer, 180 people had been accused and imprisoned – defenseless against accusations of witchcraft in a society driven by superstition and fear. The court, formed to try the victims, acted quickly. Bridget Bishop was tried on June 2 and hanged on June 10 thereby setting the precedent for a summer of executions.

The Salem Witch Museum brings you there, back to Salem 1692. Visitors are given a dramatic history lesson using stage sets with life-size figures, lighting and a narration – an overview of the Witch Trials of 1692.

Our new exhibit, Witches: Evolving Perceptions, examines the stereotypical witch, aspects of witchcraft in the 17th century, modern witchcraft and the phenomenon of witch hunts.

Question: Would you visit this Museum?

The Preliminaries to Cast a Spell or Setting up a Ritual

The Preliminaries to Cast a Spell or Setting up a Ritual

  

As when organizing a party, it is important to spend a little time planning your spell casting. Think about the precise purpose of the spell, the best time, most appropriate setting and for whom the spell is being cast. For a ritual you need to consider the underlying as well as the obvious focus of the ritual Do you need to change the emphasis of a tried and tested format? Even a seasonal rite will have a theme, for example the May eve/Day celebrations have traditionally been associated with fertility. This fertility applies in whatever way it is needed, whether personally, ecologically or globally. Therefore you and the guests or participant should decide in advance precisely what you are working towards and carry out rituals to take advantage of the prevailing energies.

Location is important even for a quickie spell. You wouldn’t set a child’s birthday party in the same place you would your great-aunt’s golden wedding. With open air spells or rituals you need a wet weather or sheltered location plan just in case a force 8 gale blows up. Some spells can be planned in advance for a day out or weekend away, but others will be spontaneous, when you happen to come across a perfect location while on your way to somewhere else. There are also urgent occasions when you will have to imagine that crashing sea while stood by the local canal at lunchtime. The timing of a spell is also vital.

Before you cast the spell you also need to decide how long you want the effects of the spell to last and how quickly you need results. Do you want an immediate infusion of power within the 24 hours following the spell? Will the effects take longer–before the next full moon, within three months? You should build this time frame into the spell and declare it in the purpose of the spell.

Should it be a single spell or one carried out, for example, every Friday for a month or on the three days before the fulll moon in order to build up the powers?

Then you need to decide on the symbol or symbols that will act as the focus for the spell energies (you can’t dance and chant round a would-be lover in the office).
Do you need to emphasize any one element in the spell? Is the spell mainly fire based for power or is there a fairly evenly spread elemental mix, for example to resolve a long-term justice or court matter.

You need to think about any special props, magickal tools or substances that are required. After all, you wouldn’t use the same chine or serve the same food at your teenager’s post-exam party as you would if the boss was coming to dinner. Do you want a full altar or will it be mainly a word- or personal-movement-based spell? If on a beach or in the woods, can you use what you find there as tools and symbols?

Finally, who are you inviting to your spell or rite? The friend who has lost the animal you are casting the spell for? Your sister to help you with a love spell? Are you organizing a welcome-into-the-world party for your family, to celebrate the birth of a baby to a family member who lives in another country? Are you entrusted with the organization of your magick group or coven’s autumn thanksgiving?

If you work alone, as many witches including myself do most of the time, you’re still not a magickal Billy or Betty No Mates. You won’t be short of spiritual company. You can welcome the guardians of the four quarters even in a relatively simple spell; invite the wise ancestors to celebrations such as Samhain or Hallowe’en or New Year.
As for the nature essences, whenever you work outdoors or even indoors in a circle of pot plants (my favorite setting on a really foul day) they will be curious. So invite them in and benefit from their energies.

Happy & Blessed Imbolc To All My Dear, Dear Friends!

Imbolc/Candlemas Comments
Happy Thursday to you also! In the topic I almost said, “Happy & Blessed Imbolc to you, again!” But I didn’t. I figured I might make some of you angry. Seriously though, have you noticed something about our Sabbats? There is always two dates given to celebrate them now. I don’t know if I am just starting to pay more attention to details now or not. But when I was looking for Imbolc graphics (the graphics always have a little verse or two describing the Sabbat) this time, it was stated, “Imbolc is celebrated around the 1st or 2nd of February. I know this is particularly true for the Spring and Summer Equinoxes. I grew up celebrating them on the 21st. Now it is around or about the 21st or 22nd. It makes me wonder, what on earth is going on? Can’t anyone agree on what day our Sabbats are supposed to be celebrated on? I have decided what I am going to do, though. I am going to start celebrating on the first day all the way to the end of the second! Perhaps I have my thinking all wrong about nobody knowing what days our Sabbats are on. Perhaps this is did on purpose were we can party our little hearts out, lol! That works for me! So when the Spring Equinox rolls around and I say, “Happy Spring,” the first day. Then turn around and say, “Happy Spring Again!” You won’t think I have lost my mind. Poor me, I don’t have that much left to lose!

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone was noticing this or if it was just me. I hope everyone has a fantastic day.

Happy Imbolc, again!

Lady A

Magickal Graphics

Dog-gone Doggie of the Day for Jan. 10th

Sadie, the Dog of the Day
Name: Sadie
 Age: Four months old
Gender: Female Breed: Rottweiler
Home: Geneva, Illinois, USA
Sadie is such a wonderful dog. We got her the week of Halloween because our old dog passed away. At first Sadie had potty training issues but she seems to be over that now, which we are very glad for. She loves food. Especially eggs and ham. I have never seen a dog so excited to eat plain dog food.

Her favorite thing to do is play tug of war. She has a problem with jumping on furniture. It is very funny. I run over to get her off of the couch and she will leap off. I know she does know she is not supposed to be on the furniture! She will also run around with things in her mouth (sometimes toys, sometimes things she is not supposed to have). Then we have to try and catch. It is actually sort of fun, though. She knows Sit and Shake already, and she absolutely loves people.

I love her so so much!

All Hallow’s Eve Potion

All Hallow’s Eve Potion

 
 
2 cup apple cider
2 pieces of candied ginger (or a dash of ginger and a dash of brown sugar)
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
 
Tie the ginger, cinnamon stick, and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth. Warm the cider and spice pouch in a ceramic pot over low heat. Be careful not to boil the potion. Before drinking, remove the spice pouch, and pour the mixture into a mug.
 
Makes two servings.

The Witches Credo

The Witches Credo

Hear now the word of the Witch,the secrets once hid in the night,When darkness was for protection,We now bring forth in the light.Mysteries of the Water and Fire,The Earth and the wide-ranging Air,By hidden Quintessence we know them,and we bring honor in silence and fair.The birth and rebirth of all Nature,the passing of Winter and Spring,We share with the life Universal,rejoicing in the never-ending RingFour times in the year we give homage,come forth the Witches are seen,At Lammas and Candelas we’re dancing,so too on May Eve and old HalloweenWhen daytime and nighttime are equal,when sun is at it’s greatest and least,The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,again the Witches gather in feast.Thirteen silver moons in a year,thirteen to be the magikal array,Thirteen times at Esbat we make merry,for the work of the night and the day.

The knowledge has passed down the ages,each time between woman and manEach century unto the other,old times since the ages began.When drawn in the Magikal circle,by sword or athame of light,It’s compass between two worlds opens,in honor and love for this night.Our world has no right to know it,and the world beyond will tell naught,The oldest of Gods are invoked there,the great work of light’s Magik is wrought.For two are the mystical pillars,that stand at the gate of the shrine,And two are the powers of Nature,the forms and the forces divine.Do what thou wilt be the challenge,so be it in love that harms none,For this is the only commandment,By wisdom of faith so let it be done.

GYPSY-WITCH LOVE POTION

GYPSY-WITCH LOVE POTION

 
1 TEASPOON DRIED AND CRUSHED BASIL
1TEASPOON DRIED FENNEL
1 TEASPOON DRIED EUROPEAN VERVAIN
3 PINCHES GROUND NUTMEG
1/4 CUP OF RED WINE
 
Heat over flame till boiling for three minutes, remove from flame and cool.
Strain through cheesecloth into cups. Add honey to sweeten. Then drink up with a loved one.
 
Recipe from Wicca Craft by Gerina Dunwich

Choosing Your Cauldron

Choosing Your Cauldron

A cast-iron cauldron is by far the best if you intend to use it for any fire work. These are for sale in some garden centers as well as New Age stores. You can sometimes discover an authentic cauldron in an antique shop or in street or flea markets, especially in the countryside. It may be an original iron cooking pot. You can clean it up with a gentle wire brushing and a little grate polish. Alternatively, adapt a round coal scuttle.

You finally know you are a witch when…….

Witchy Comments
You finally know you are a witch when:

1. Your BOS has spots on the pages from spilled brews.

 

2. When cleaning house you have to specify. “Where is the broom? No, not THE broom, where is the one to clean the floor with?”

 

3. Candle wax has dripped on your keyboard.

 

4. Neighbourhood cats commune in your front yard.

 

5. There are more jars of strange smelling plants in your cupboards than there are cereal boxes.

 

6. Friends know they can always give you candles and incense as a gift.

 

7. When watching old re-runs of Bewitched, you find you side with Samantha’ s mother Endora.

 

8. You’ve actually tried to twitch your nose to add emphasis to your spellwork.

 

9. When travelling, stranger and stranger strangers tell you their problems.

 

10. You swear in the plural.

 

11. You find yourself making corn dollies in the checkout line at the grocery store.

 

12. Whenever someone sneezes you say “Goddess Bless.”

 

13. You ask for Halloween off, because it’s a religious holiday.

 

14. You start answering the phone with “Merry Meet”.

 

 
~Magickal Graphics~

To Cause Physical Weakness

To Cause Physical Weakness

A very ancient spell for causing physical weakness in someone who has wronged you is to take a new knife and cut a lemon into quarters. While you cut, concentrate on the injury done to you and whisper:

“As the fibers of this fruit fall asunder, so too
the bands of (your enemy’s name) strength.”

The object of the spell will immediately feel a cutting pain in his heart and a general weakness throughout his body.

My Black Kitty

My Black Kitty

Author: Zodiac

I remember the first time I got a black cat. I was three or four years old and my uncle worked at a dairy farm. One day he found a black cat trying to steal some of the cream. He brought me out to his place to work and I took the cat home.

Although the cat was a she, I named it “Tio” which means “Uncle” in Spanish. I loved my black kitty with all my heart. My mother recalls times when I was clumsily carrying Tio around and the cat would scratch me because I was being too rough. Despite my crying, I told her not to yell at Tio.

Unfortunately it turned out that my father was allergic to the cat. Although he liked Tio too, we had to give the cat away. I cried and cried. My tender four-year-old heart broken.

It would be 21 years before I would get another cat. This time a yellow beast for Christmas from my wife. I loved the new animal, but still longed for pet of my youth: a black cat.

Imagine my surprise when I went to the pound. The first thing I discovered was that black cats were hard to get adopted. The second thing that surprised me was that most shelters don’t adopt black cats during the month of October.

I had considered the superstition surrounded the black cat. How a black cat crossing your path is unlucky is a common theme in children’s cartoons. And as a joke, I even named my black cat “Dreizehn” meaning “Thirteen” in German. But I never imagined how seriously it was taken. There is something strange that in the modern day when people are taught not to judge by things like skin pigmentation that the black cat would be stigmatized. After all, any biologist could tell you that a cat’s colorations are caused by the same biochemicals. Why the hate?

Believe it or not, originally black cats were considered lucky. The Pagan Egyptians worshipped Bast a Goddess who would appear as a (you guessed it) black cat. When the animal “crossed your path”, it meant the Goddess was watching you and protecting you. One could tell the Goddess apart from other black cats because she would always appear as a completely solid black cat. (Dreizehn is not the Goddess. He has white hairs in his otherwise glossy coat, but I digress.)

The Pagan Egyptians decided not to take any chances. Killing a cat was illegal in those times. The crime was taken so seriously that the punishment was death. Moreover they built an entire city to the cats. Worshippers would travel from miles away to bring offerings of milk and food.

Okay so where did all this unlucky stuff come from? Well a new religion called “Christianity” began to move in to the region. To the Christians all Pagan deities were the Devil or his Demons. They began to convert the population and the old Gods began to be rejected. Now suddenly a black cat following you around was a Demon trying to drag you body back to the cult and your soul to Hell. Like the Egyptians, the Christians weren’t going to risk it – only this time they were out to get rid of black cats.

The poor animals were condemned all because of their fur.

It’s strange because a later cult called “Islam” would once again revere the cat, black ones included. When Mohammed wandered the lonely deserts it was the wild cats that kept him company. There are stories of Mohammed cutting the sleeves off of his robes rather than disturb his sleeping feline pets. And from what I understand, it is against Islamic law to chase a cat from a Mosque.

But these are the customs of the Middle East where most people consider themselves Muslims. Not the West where most people consider themselves Christians.

So the black cat has to live with its reputation as a partner in Satan’s conspiracy to pull us all down. Which is strange because I guess “Satanists” sacrifice black cats on Halloween. I put Satanists in quotes, because I’m pretty sure these people are mostly stupid, mean teenagers trying to look cool for their friends. And it makes me want to VOMIT.

It somehow seems unjust that I had to give up my black kitty when I was four and live the rest of my life with a broken heart meanwhile some turd out there is killing their cat for fun. (My good Christian neighbors would probably fall out of their chairs if they read that I a witch of all people was advising not to sacrifice animals. But I digress again.)

Today I own several cats. Dreizehn is not too different from any of them. Maybe more set in his ways. He really likes being a house cat. He has a set routine that he likes. Dreizehn wants his canned kitty food at the same time.

We used to take him to a vet that specializes in cats. They told us that he has some of the softest fur they’ve ever seen. He also has these gold eyes. Just like the in the kids cartoons, when he’s in the dark all you can see is the two quarter sized discs staring out at you.

And like the Halloween decoration, I’ve seen him arch his back and put out his claws – but that was usually because he was leaning in to one of my pats. And I’ve seen him snarl and hiss, but that’s because I was trying to move him from the softest, warmest place on the bed and he didn’t want to move. And I’ve seen him skulk in the shadows, but that’s because he was hiding from the dog. And just like every other cat I own, there are times when he coughs up hairballs and misses the litterbox. But none of these things has ever made me want to hurt him.

My Dreizehn kitty is a loyal friend and a great companion. He seems to sense when I’m sad and comes running to my lap when I’m down. Dreizehn came running in to greet my son when we first came home from the hospital. Dreizehn jumped in the crib, took that “I approve” cat look and just purred and purred. Even today when my son cries out in pain or sadness, the black cat is usually the first one on the scene.

He’s one of the best pets and best friends I’ve ever had. If more people could just look past the silly superstitions, they’d learn that too.

How I Became a Wiccan

How I Became a Wiccan

Author: Aset-Nuit

Everyone has their own stories of how they found their religion, whether it was hereditary or long searched for. Everyone has their own emotions behind how their religion makes them feel and why they chose to follow that particular path, and why it is so important to them. Without my religion and spirituality I feel that I would be in a much darker world with a pessimistic outlook on life. I would remain blindfolded and ignorant to the magick and amazement that this world has to offer; anyone can find it, anyone and feel, taste, hear, hold, and see it, only if they want it and open their eyes to it.

To do so is to be embraced by the true divine.

I had always been fascinated with witchcraft, fairies, magick, spirits and nature ever since I was tiny. I can remember making potions that would heal terrible diseases, and casting spells that would invoke fairies and nature spirits when I was eight years old; pottering about the garden collecting seeds, and berries to grind up and make potions, and building fairy houses in the apple trees.

I was well known for it, yet my mum used to joke and tease me about it – not in a nasty way but in a slightly patronizing way (I was eight after all) . Even though I believed in what I did and what I saw in the enchanting world around me, I was firmly told that it was make-believe.

Eventually I grew out of it. My interest in magick and nature was still within me but remained sealed tightly in a box in the corner of my mind, labeled “fiction”. Naturally I had been laughed at once I got to a certain age and so my thoughts diminished almost altogether on the subject.

In early secondary school, I went through a tough time and so eventually — after passing my short-lived rebellious stage and then my depressive Goth stage — I finally melted into a sad, yet peaceful Christian stage. I knew there was a God, or deity, and thought that Christianity was the only thing out there to reach it.

I called myself Christian even though I didn’t truly understand the bible stories. I innocently rebelled slightly with thoughts that maybe “God” was in the air and grass, and water, and sky, around us – a very Pagan thought indeed! (Although I didn’t know this at the time.) I was however still very comforted by the aspect that there was a God, and I felt safer when I prayed.

But soon, when things in my life got worse, I began to question Christian beliefs. (I began to ask the big old one: “If there is a God, why do we suffer?”) I could accept God, in some ways, (though there are so many things for me to question in the Christian view of God) yet I couldn’t really accept the Christian teachings and Jesus.

I was distressed and so when I heard the word “Pagan” on TV, I was intrigued. It had been a word that had appealed to me, yet I had never understood what it meant, or what it was exactly.

I was absolutely shocked when I found out that everything I believed in, that God didn’t necessarily have to be predominantly male, and that he might not just be a bearded man on a cloud, and that witchcraft, fairies and magick did exist, were common beliefs in an actual religion!

I thought I was just highly imaginative and lived in my own make-believe world. Imagine the feeling of being told that everything that you believe in, to the very core of your soul, was not real. You want it desperately to be real, yet you were firmly told that it wasn’t.

Then after years of letting your brain soak up this devastating information, you discover that — surprise! — it is all real. You could believe it all again! You become overwhelmed and hope swells in your chest…

Paganism was always of interest to me so I looked it up on the Internet. It was all very new to me: The idea that we could worship and love nature and have a female deity! The Sabbats interested me the most. It was really weird to see religious festivals celebrated on certain familiar days, with uncanny similarities. I had had no idea that the Christians had actually taken old Pagan festivals and traditions and used them in their own religion.

I think that when you find a religion, after seeing what is out there, you will know right away when you have found the one that is yours. I felt an immediate, emotional connection.

Halloween wasn’t just a day when I dressed up as a pumpkin. It was a spiritual time and an important holiday. Easter felt more personal and important to me as Ostara, the Spring fertility festival.

I soon went on to read about Wicca, a branch of Paganism. I was completely blown away! It was everything I had ever believed in.

As is usual in teens, I had found it difficult to accept myself for who I am. I felt insignificant compared to my “friends” and those around me. When I realized who I was, an eclectic Wiccan, I felt like ME. I felt whole. I had my answers, and had found the world that had since then, been hidden in the depth of my mind and heart, and that was now dancing before me in reality.

And nobody could now tell me otherwise.

My mum and sisters still mock me and my older sister asks me to do ridiculous and unneeded spells for her – which I refuse. I have to still repeat that Wicca ‘isn’t all about spell casting’ and that I cannot, and will not, cast a spell that is not needed, and even more so one that will force someone to fall in love.

When they mock, I sometimes even join in a little. I often sit and watch TV with a witch’s hat on, and ironically now, I dress up as a witch for Halloween.

Even though my family teases me, I know my mum is secretly proud. When she is asked about her kids she always tells them that her daughter is a Wiccan. Even though she doesn’t understand what it is, she knows that it is a gentle, kind, and compassionate religion.

I feel better about myself now, than I did when I was a Christian. On this note, I would never say that Christianity is bad or wrong! Granted that every religion has people who behave in ways that perhaps they shouldn’t and can be cruel, or corrupt. But I would also say that every religion, at the end of the day, is a pathway to the divine. They are all as valid as each other. You just need to find the one that is right for you personally.

Wicca is perfect for me and I think that it has always been within me.

 

Welcome, Darkest Night

Welcome, Darkest Night

by Janice Van Cleve

I love this season of growing dark. The night starts earlier to cast its blanket of quiet and peace upon the land and calls me to wrap up what I am doing. Early darkness coaxes me to sit down to supper at six o’clock instead of nine, so I can digest properly before I go to sleep. Longer nights delay the prodding light of morning, so I can grab a few more winks. It encourages me to work more efficiently with the daylight that I do have. The dark time of the year is a healthy time for me.

It is a healthy time for plants and animals as well. Perennials focus on building up their root systems during the dark time, and annuals spread their seeds. Leaves fall to the ground to be leached and composted into next year ‘s soil. Animals feast on the yield of crops and orchards and store up surplus to see them through the winter and spring. In the dark time, all nature refocuses on renewing itself, sloughing off that which is no longer necessary and nurturing the best for the new year.

For northern tribes who lived where night falls longest and deepest, the dark time of the year was a time of great creativity. Bards honed their songs and added new verses for the entertainment and education of their audiences. Farmers turned to woodworking to fashion furniture or to decorate the interiors of their homes. Tradespeople made cloth, tools, jewelry, clothes and other goods to sell the merchants when they returned in the spring. Cooks became more and more inventive as the darkness lingered and the variety in the larder grew more limited. Even today, most school and university classes are scheduled for the winter months. In the business world, new product releases from software to movies to automobiles are debuted during this time.

In short, the dark time of the year is a busy, industrious and very creative time for nature and for human activity. So why in modern society does it get such a bad rap? The ancients certainly figured out that spring followed winter every year, and they used their skills to create solstice calculators like Stonehenge to predict how much more winter they had left. Were they really immobilized in fear of the dark, waiting for solstice to give them hope of spring? Or, on the other hand, did they grumble at solstice that they only had a few more months to play, eat, sing and finish their carvings before they had to get back out and work the farm again? Ancient peoples, after all, did not create surpluses for profit or a year-round global economy. They simply raised enough to sustain themselves so they could devote their time to crafts and play.

Perhaps it was the new religion of Christianity that tried to separate light from dark, exalting the former and disparaging the latter. Perhaps it was Christians’ idea to create fear of the dark so they could make light seem like a sort of salvation. However, nature doesn’t seem to need saving from anything, except from human greed. Nature goes on, year after year, with summer and winter alternating appropriate to the latitude. Nature values the dark time as much as the light and uses both to its advantage. The dark time is healthy and wholesome. It is as necessary for life as rain and sun, decay and bacteria.

And so it is appropriate that our pagan new year starts with Samhain, the beginning of the darkest time of the year. We rest before we work. We focus inwardly before we focus on the wider world. We sleep, we feast, we meditate, and we renew ourselves so that when spring’s light returns and calls us to next year’s work we can respond with new health and strength. These are gifts of the dark time. We are fortunate to have them!