Esoterically Minded

Witchy Thoughts

2008-04-22T23:12:00.002+01:00

I've been a bad crafter and not written much on here as of late. To be honest, life has been pretty intense, hence the big no-show from my side.

Studying, working, writing - not necessarily in that order - has made for a very dull girl. My birthday has come and gone and I've not played with my tarot cards, at all. I've been using my witchy and pagan books for research on what I've writing, fiction wise, and I am hoping that I've managed to pull it off successfully.

Anyway. I will once again make a concerted effort to post on here, even if it is a quick post a week.

Thank you for stopping by!

Liz

Pagan Resurrection

2007-11-06T21:49:00.000Z

Just spotted this brand new book published by Random Books - sumat for my Christmas pressies list, I think!

This is the Synopsis from the website:

Pagan Resurrection puts forward a fascinating and controversial idea - namely that it is the pagan god Odin and not Christ who is the single most important spiritual influence in western civilisation.

Far from being just a New Age fad, paganism is fast becoming a major spiritual, intellectual, ecological and political force across the globe.Rudgley is an Oxford trained anthropologist and critically acclaimed author of Lost Civilisations of the Stone Age, who has since presented three series on Channel 4.

He takes the reader through the strange world of modern pagan cults, the beliefs that underpin important parts of modern culture, such as Lord of the Rings and the highly pagan counter culture that sprang up in the sixties and now offers an attractive alternative spiritual vision to millions alienated from Christianity.

He explains the ancient idea of the Web - a cosmic field of energies that encompasses time, space and the hidden potentials of the human organism, and shows that this is a pagan equivalent to the eastern tradition of the Tao.Our civilisation, our belief systems and attitudes, indeed our psyche have been formed by Odin. The influence of Christ, he says, has been relatively recent and shallow.Paganism, like Christianity, can be a force for good or evil.

At this turning point in history we need to choose between the dark and destructive paganism that gave rise to Nazism and modern right-wing movements in America and, on the other hand, the green paganism of ecology and alternative spirituality. Every decade or so a new generation is inspired by a controversial classic of alternative history/spirituality - The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, Fingerprints of the Gods...

The time now is just right for Pagan Resurrection.

Year in retrospect

2007-11-02T21:44:00.001Z

With Samhain being the start of the Pagan new year it prompted some introspection.

I've not done a single witchy or pagan thing this whole year. Or rather, not purposefully. I've read a few random books, lit a candle on my mom's birthday, toyed with the idea of creating a small altar space, but not actually done it. Or anything else, it feels like. Maybe did the grand total of 2 tarot readings, done half heartedly.

I'm as dry as a riverbed in a drought.

The only time I felt connected to something bigger than me was when we were in Greece, in Sparta. Standing in those ancient ruins of that ancient city I looked up at these fantastically huge and majestic mountains towering over the valley and I just yearned to stay there and stare at them forever. I know, it sounds New Age and naff, but it felt like the gods never left that place. Or rather, the goddess. Freaky, I know. The modern town is nothing spectacular. It's not geared to tourists, but it has this, gorram it, I'll call it "magic" about itself. Walking through the olive groves on the Spartan acropolis and looking at the ancient ruins, I felt connected to a different time and place. It could have been my imagination, being in such an atmospheric place, but I would like to think not.

I've resolved, ontop of a few other things, this coming year, to pay more attention to the spiritual side of life. Buy some new mind, body, spirit books, get out into the countryside again, to go and visit the seaside and just sit at the sea and stare at it a bit. To connect to the other missing parts of the elements in our lives. To learn how to meditate, even if I have to go take classes at my local gym. Maybe even take up yoga or pilates. Become a bit more balanced in my life.

This I resolve, so mote it be.

Family

2007-08-12T22:10:00.000+01:00

We are a large family - five girls, one boy. Even though I live thousands and thousands of miles away from them, we chat via email and text messages, so we are pretty much up to speed with what is happening in one another's lives. We sometimes say: no news, is good news.

But about 2 weeks ago, I kept having funny dreams and feelings about my oldest sister, Elize, and sent her an enquiring text. Turns out her work was giving her hell and please can I do her a tarot card reading. So I did.

And sometimes, I think, we are so in sync with the Multiverse, that it throws back answers to the extent where it makes you feel ill. Because it is so spot on.

I did the reading, concentrating on what I know about Elize, how much she enjoys doing what she does, how much her family means to her, how incredibly capable she is. All these things worked up into a reading of such clarity that it was announced clearly, like bells in the crisp morning air.

I transcribed what the told me, I added my interpretation and sent it off to her.

It turns out, the cards were literally screaming at her to do something with her current life as she was busy dying in a deadend job where she was not appreciated and because of this, her home life with her own family was suffering. It told me she had become insufferable, moody and mean. Not something I easily equate with Elize. It was only after I sent the reading off, that she told me exactly how bad things had been of late. She had walked out of the job the day she asked me to do the reading. She had gone for an interview at a direct competitor and immediately got offered the position. Which she accepted. It was more money, same responsibility but her assistants would be more proactive.

She was amazed at how well I had read the situation. I was stunned by how I could manage to tap into her mindset, from thousands of miles away.

We were our mother's daughters after all.

Blue Mood Balm

2007-07-19T23:05:00.000+01:00

A lot of this has been going on here in the UK mainly because of the strange weather - very very little sun, a lot of rain and clouds creating a feeling like summer was never going to arrive.

For a dreary and a dark mood day, use the strength of the ancient myrrh to release mind body and spirit.

Combine two drops each of chamomile, myrrh, rosemary and geranium oils with either four ounces of unscented body lotion or almond oil. Store in a corked pottery jar. Sit quietly in a room lit by only one blue candle, and rub the balm gently into your skin after a long bath. Say aloud:

Work they spell and nurse.

Blessed balm, banish my pain.

Harm to none and health to all.

I remember when..

2007-07-18T22:25:00.000+01:00

I know I’ve not splattered my thoughts across the page before, not here anyway, but tonight I just felt like it.

Sometimes when I’m walking, alone with my thoughts I get such an all-pervasive feeling of nostalgia, its simply weird. There’s usually a trigger, some little thing I glimpse, that brings it on. It could be anything; an old crone wheeling her basket along, the cry of a lost gull, a lone weed clinging desperately to life in between two slabs of concrete. I’d love to be able to say that it triggers memory of my times as a heroic celtic warrior, sword in hand, as is the wont on certain pagan websites these days (no names mentioned) but in fact it just makes me maudlin and wont to wander into the nearest establishment for a pint.

I start thinking about the world around me, and all the things that are, or have changed, and it depresses me, makes me feel old. Not just granddad old, but I remember the Colosseum old.

Maybe it’s just because I’m a Taurean.

It’s the little things that really get to me. Little compared to my thoughts about religion or the death of nature anyway.

It’s things like manners. And good, old fashioned hospitality. Making someone feel welcome, fetching them a drink and offering a bite to eat. I pride myself in that I never knowingly let someone leave my table having not drunk or eaten their fill, or at the very least having being made to feel at home. Simple things. Things that bind people together, and turn strangers into friends, or neighbours.

And it’s not just at home either. People react with astonishment (and sometimes outright suspicion) if you actually pay attention to them. It’s just a matter of making that extra effort to actually care about their answer to “How’re you doing?”. To say please, thank you or sorry, to pick up something they’ve dropped. To hold a door open.

It’s not hard, it’s just that with all the distractions we’ve got leaping out at us, its all too easy to be distracted, to take the shortcut of sending a text instead of phoning, or taking the time to go see someone. Next time you find yourself ordering something at Starbucks, or signing for a parcel, look at the person you’re talking to. I’m not saying do the unblinking-stare-into-their-eyes-like-a-psycho-stalker move, just pay some attention. That’s a dinkum person behind that counter. Say thank you. Ask them how’re they’re doing – and listen to their reply, acknowledge it. You’ll be amazed.

Voodoo Festival

2007-01-14T15:33:00.000Z

OUIDAH, Benin - Article here:

The drumming was like a heart beating as West African women wearing cowrie shells and beads writhed before a carved fetish. A knife-wielding dancer with a chalk-whitened face performed intricate steps to honor the python spirit.

The 10-day Benin Voodoo Festival wrapped up Wednesday, 10th January, with a final celebration of ancestor and spirit worship. American visitors of African descent were on hand at a former slave port in Benin to discover their ancestors' practices. Amid the singing, drumming and praying, many also contemplated roots ripped asunder.

"Did my great-grandmother stand on this beach? Am I from here?" wondered 23-year-old Alise Williams, a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"There are some things that are similar to back home, like the rhythms of dancing and the catching of the holy ghost in the Pentecostal churches," said Williams.

"There is so much of our history that is lost," Williams added softly as a crowd of women wearing red feathers passed by, singing in a language Williams didn't understand to a god she didn't know.

Festival organizers hope more tourists will visit the annual festival, and find links between the contemporary cultures of West Africa and the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe, now peopled with many of African descent.

Practiced in the Caribbean, Brazil, and some Creole communities in the United States as well as on the white sands of west Africa, Voodoo's spread is inextricably linked to Benin's status as a slaving hub.

Memorials of slavery are everywhere, from the beach side Point of No Return arch that shows manacled Africans walking toward the horizon, to the Tree of Forgetfulness that captured slaves were marched around three times in the belief it would break their spirits.

But they brought their spirits with them to sugar and cotton plantations overseas. While indigenous religions are practiced in many parts of West Africa, often interspersed with Christian and Muslim practices, Benin and parts of neighboring Nigeria have particularly strong Voodoo communities.

Many of Benin's 8 million citizens practice Voodoo, which even a strict Marxist-Leninist dictatorship was unable to stamp out.

Former military ruler Mathieu Kerekou banned Voodoo during the 1970s. His successor repealed the ban. When Kerekou was re-elected to office in a democratic transfer of power, Beninese refused to recognize his authority until he relented and took an oath of office that specifically referred to ancestral spirits.

While still deeply impoverished, Benin is now a thriving democracy, and Voodoo is recognized as an official religion.

No records are kept of foreign Voodoo Festival visitors, and it still looks to be mostly a local affair. But guides such as Martine de Souza, a priestess and former curator of the local museum, say that more foreigners have been attending in recent years.

"We want to make our religion known abroad," de Souza said. "Many people do not appreciate our tradition, which is of tolerance and making peace, not harming anyone."
Roberto Strongman, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said that the festival may benefit from a recent upsurge of interest in Voodoo. He flipped through a book on Santeria, the Caribbean version of Voodoo.

"Look at this bibliography — book after book, all published after 1996."
He says Voodoo's oral tradition gives it a flexibility to adapt to modern needs and an inclusiveness.

"This religion admits the possibility of multiple selves within one person," he said.
On Wednesday, devotees broke bottles on their heads and sliced themselves with knives, offering their own blood to the gods amid thousands of dancers and worshippers. Bottles of spirits and the blood of a slaughtered goat were offered to metal fetishes that included an image of a giant snake.

In the town's sacred forest, the statues of Shango, the thunder god with the double-headed ax, and triple-headed Tohoxou, the god of deformed children, stared across the clearing under the shade of trees hundreds of years old.

At the palace of the Voodoo leader Daagbo Hanoun — literally, "the one with the sea" — male dancers wore women's clothes and gaudy earrings while a crowd of women performed a fertility dance, with one leader brandishing a carved phallus.

To the uninitiated, the dances can seem amusing or frightening, such as when a man stamps a series of steps around the drummers, the lifeless body of a kid goat in his arms. The animal's blood is daubed on doorways for protection, or offered as a sacrifice to spirits.

But although animal sacrifices are an intrinsic element of ceremonies, devotees stress that the aim is to celebrate the life, not death, and point out that the animals are used for feasts in the community when the rituals are finished.

Toni Pressley-Scott, a 38-year old from New York city who has resided in Benin for nearly a year with her teenage son, sees not sacrifice, but existence: "It's not about cruelty, it's about the sacredness of life."

Struggles!

2007-01-11T22:22:00.000Z

I have the memory of a sieve and have been struggling my rapidly diminishing butt off to remember my password to this site - but it is now here = major YAY!

No, I am not about to witter on about NY resolutions - how droll - but to say that we had a fantastic yule, with loads of friends around and it was all in all a fab time to spend with everyone.

I am just relieved that all the food I had prepared had come out in the way I wanted it to = yay! The roast potatoes, always a worry, were 100% perfect.

I am considering signing up with Blogger Beta but I am not sure I want to relinquish ownership over my sites...will do more research and decide then.

But now that I have successfully remember my password I will note it down and make life easier for myself.

Shakes head - happy witching!

Bad Witch

2006-12-22T20:42:00.000Z

I am a BAD WITCH.

I haven't, as you can tell from the site, been online in an absolute age. But then everything else has suffered too - I have been reading, writing and not being particularly witchy, at all.

I did, when I just searched on google for a picture for Yule, discover this beautiful website: http://www.blogickal.com/sabbats_esbats/ - it looks slick and I love the little witch in the corner, very cute.

I love this time of year - the colder the better. And the heavy fog we've been having are amazing. I have managed to get some utterly divinely beautiful shots in the park these past few days. Unfortunately, Blogger won't allow me to post them - as I already have one picture attached to this posting, so I'll see if I can find space for them somewhere.

But, most importantly - happy Yule!

Interview with Judka Illes

2006-10-05T22:52:00.000+01:00

Judika is a true inspiration - she has written two of the most comprehensive books I have ever come across. The Element books on Witchcraft and the 5000 Spells book - what amazing work, the research alone must have taken absolute ages!

This interview is copied across from the The Wican and Pagan Times website. I trust they won't mind - all rights to them. This is their link: http://www.twpt.com/judikailles.htm

TWPT: Having wandered around your website you seem to be a person of many interests. Tell me a little about your interest and your involvement with the occult and the metaphysical aspects of life. What was it that first sparked your interest in these fields of study?

JI: That's a very good question, what first sparked my interest, one I ask myself sometimes. Honestly, I don’t know the answer, other than I was exposed to metaphysics and the occult very early, as a young child and my immediate response was passion, love and a recognition that this was something I wanted to pursue.
I have an older sister who brought home a deck of tarot cards one day and I, of course, like any little sister, wanted to see what new thing my older sister now possessed. As the song goes, just one look, that's all it took: it was passionate love at first sight, a very visceral response. I knew, at first sight, that those cards were meant for me and I just took them from her. She was generous and perceptive enough to let me have them. My sister attended art college near the old Samuel Weiser's metaphysical bookstore inNew York'sEast Village and, in addition to those cards, around the same time she began bringing home books devoted to astrology, palmistry, numerology and so forth. I just devoured everything she brought home. So she really set me on my path.

That passion and fascination I felt on first seeing that first deck of tarot cards still remains. So, you know, the bigger question becomes why do any of us fall in love with whomever or whatever we fall in love with? What made a six-year old react so intensely to a deck of cards? And you have to appreciate that the first deck I ever saw was not the brightly colored Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck, which presumably might attract any child but the more formidable and very esoteric B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytum) deck. Children often display passions very early, whether towards the occult or spirituality, music, art, dance, science or whatever and too often these interests are squelched or discouraged, leading to all sorts of problems, not least being self-doubt. I was very lucky in that, although no one, with the exception of my sister, really encouraged me, no one ever really discouraged me either. No one tried to make me feel sinful or misguided because of my interests, which is what happens to so many children who demonstrate magical or metaphysical gifts and aptitudes. My interests were tolerated and I was left alone to pursue my path.

TWPT: How would you describe your current spiritual path and how has that evolved since you first started to explore your spirituality on a personal level?

JI: I am the sum and result of all my influences and a pretty diverse bunch of influences they are. Some of those influences are ancestral. Some derive from people who've influenced me or from books that have had a profound influence on me and also from my own personal experiences, direct personal experience of the sacred. I went looking for some of those influences but some of them found me.

I come from an eclectic background and I've always lived in extremely ethnically and spiritually diverse places and so was exposed to lots of teachers from a vast variety of traditions. In my own life, I'm the crossroads where all those influences meet and so it's an ever-evolving journey to see where these influences and experiences transport me. I strive to integrate my various experiences and influences into a cohesive path that works for me. It's an on-going, active process.

I have a very independent, individualistic nature and my spiritual path reflects that. Like many urban practitioners, I don't hew to one official school of spirituality, religion or metaphysics. I can't speak for anyone else but speaking only for myself, I really hate labels, they make me feel boxed in. I have a pretty international family with strong nomadic tendencies. I have family living all over, speaking different languages and not all subscribing to the same spiritual path or religion so I learned fairly young to respect other people's differences, to trust people to make their own spiritual decisions and to find our commonality, our common denominators, rather than concentrating on our differences.

I think, in terms of recently published metaphysical authors, I'm somewhat of an anomaly: my strongest spiritual,ancestral and magical influences are not from Western or Northern Europe. My own most powerful influences derive from African and Asian traditions as well as those from the Eastern side of Europe: Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, lots of Jewish, Slavic and Romany sources. I've also spent alot of time amongst people fromLatin America who have been incredibly generous to me with their wisdom. I spent part of my childhood and still have family in the New York City borough of Queens, which I believe was recently described by the New York Times as the most ethnically diverse place on Earth. So part of my own spirituality involves integrating those various influences into a personal path that is right for me. I've received alot of e-mail from readers thanking me for not preaching a religious agenda, (those are the exact words used in several e-mails) but I would never presume to tell anyone else what to believe. I've learned from so many diverse people and traditions and one thing that I've learned is to respect that different people have their own paths and that just because those paths differ doesn't mean that either yours or theirs is wrong.

Divination was what first attracted me but over the years, what has been most profoundly spiritually meaningful and satisfying for me involves direct personal communication between people and spirits. If you want to name that process, you could call it spirit-working or shamanic witchcraft or shamanic spirituality.

TWPT: For many writers it starts with journal keeping, creative writing classes or just making up stories to keep yourself and your friends entertained. When was it was that writing became something special to you and what channels did that writing find to express itself?

JI: Okay, I have to confess: I love reading: books, cards, you name it. I love researching. I could do that endlessly and if I didn't have publication deadlines, I probably would. Researching is a journey of discovery and an act of spirituality for me. The spirits will guide and direct you if you let them. Frankly I don’t love writing. Writing is what I know how to do, it's my skill. Some people have a natural aptitude for athletics or music. Writing is my natural aptitude.

The act of writing is work for me, not pleasure or fun. I do keep dream diaries and other journals but, for every single entry, I have to force myself to pick up the pen. I'd much rather read than write. I'm a compulsive reader: I don't only read metaphysical or spiritual works, although I do read alot of those. I also love William Faulkner, Robertson Davies and Tennessee Williams. I love mysteries and noir novels. I read comic books and graphic novels as well as lots of history, travel and cook books. I read books about music and film. Because I love to read and I read alot, I appreciate and value fine writing and so I work hard at providing a pleasurable experience for my readers. I have a high standard of what constitutes good writing. Magic, witchcraft, history, metaphysics: these are all innately fascinating topics and I'm always frustrated by books that are so dry and dense that these topics are rendered boring and lifeless. The writer should do the work, not the reader: it's very important to me that my work is accessible and entertaining, as well as informative and thought provoking. I've also worked as a teacher and educator both in classrooms and in correspondence situations and I'm conscious that writing is a form of teaching. I try not to be boring when I teach in a classroom and I try not to be boring when I write and hopefully I accomplish those goals. I work to express difficult and esoteric concepts in such a way that the reader can understand it, rather than emerge from the book confused and frustrated.

Among the cosmic ironies of life is that I write these huge books because I really don’t enjoy the writing process. Writing The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells and The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft means that I wrote virtually non-stop for about three years but the size of those books is more of a testament to my love of research and my spiritual obligations to the information in the books than to any pleasure in the writing process itself. I do enjoy sharing fascinating, crucial and endangered information. I write in order to preserve and transmit information. I write to entertain and to serve as a tour guide to a realm that never ceases to fascinate and interest me. I'm very aware that I'm part of a community that historically hasn't been able to tell its own stories, that much of the information that I'm privileged to share has often in the past been written down by authors who are either inherently unsympathetic to the topic or maybe don't really understand it. I may not love the process of writing but I am passionate about what I write about. I feel an obligation to the community I represent, to those who came before me and weren't able to tell their own stories and to the information itself. I also write because I come from a tradition where telling stories and transmitting information is a sacred process, a magical conduit to the divine and because you can reach more people and preserve more information via books than orally. But if I have a day off, believe me, it's spent reading, not writing.

TWPT: What are your feelings about the old knowledge about the Craft and things occult that seems to be fading away and being replaced by the new ideas? Do you think that this old knowledge should somehow be preserved and passed down to the next generation or is it inevitable that new ideas will always replace the old ideas?

JI: Any living tradition can't remain static if it seeks to remain vital and relevant and so by necessity, there's always an evolutionary process, the new building on the old or evolving from the old to suit modern times.

That said, complaints about old knowledge fading away need to be placed in perspective. For more than two-thousand years, the history of the occult, witchcraft and Pagan spirituality in general has all too often been the story of the ruthless mass destruction of knowledge, wisdom and sacred traditions as well as simultaneous desperate attempts by a small group of dedicated people to preserve, transmit and revive that knowledge. Tremendous amounts of information and knowledge have been lost over the centuries: Augustus Caesar burned thousands of irreplaceable magical texts. The early Christian Church destroyed so many Pagan traditions. For centuries, during the Burning Times, there was a concerted attempt to exterminate magical practitioners and eradicate magical knowledge along with all traces of Pagan spirituality. My book, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, unfortunately, has a whole section devoted to what I call Libraries of the Lost, listing and describing all sorts of books that we can't read, because it was decided to eradicate all traces of those books. There are entire schools of herbalism, healing and botanical wisdom that are most probably gone forever. So comparatively speaking, the last forty or so years in the West and continuing into the present, have been paradise for metaphysicians, occultists, witches and those following a Pagan path. We live in a magical renaissance, even as we speak. The fact that my books and so many others are published and readily accessible, the fact that we're even having this discussion openly and in public, is testament to that renaissance.

There are brilliant people active today: astrologers, diviners, rune-casters, healers, mediums and occult philosophers who have the freedom to practice openly and to exchange ideas with each other. What's published isn't necessarily entirely representative of today's metaphysical community. Alot of the most brilliant people aren't necessarily writing books but they are out there practicing. Whether you're aware of these practitioners may have alot to do with what circles one travels in. The fact that there are so many circles is a demonstration of the current strength of the metaphysical community. In the modern, greater witchcraft community, there are circles devoted to magical practice and not to any organized spirituality, circles devoted to spirituality but not to magic and lots of circles that combine the two in various ways. I think sometimes people are frustrated by the circle in which they find themselves and aren't aware of how many paths are currently available but if you think about it, that's actually a wonderful thing: that there are so many of us that all of these different paths exist. Despite this magical renaissance, we still live in fundamentalist times and we need to be vigilant about our rights. There's power and freedom for Pagans and for magical practitioners in unity, rather than in dissension.

In the last several decades in the West, there has been a powerful movement devoted to reclaiming and preserving our magical and spiritual heritage and trying to fill in those gaps caused by centuries of destruction. I don't think new ideas will replace old ones but will hopefully join them.

But that's in Western, industrialized nations. In other parts of Earth, right now, magical knowledge and Pagan spiritual traditions remain under siege. Throughout Asia, Africa and theAmericas, traditional religions, what's left of them as well as magical practices are under assault from Christian and Islamic missionaries. The disaster in Tibet continues. That's the knowledge that's being rapidly lost today.

TWPT: With a massive volume such as The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft where was it that you began this project and how did you wrap your mind around the scope of the work to keep in mind what you wanted to accomplish with the completion of the work?

JI: I fell in love with witchcraft even before I encountered tarot cards. In essence, that’s when my witchcraft encyclopedia was born because that’s when I started accumulating information and actively thinking about witches and the different facets of witchcraft. The main thing I wanted to accomplish was to share that love and respect for my subject with readers. My two most recently books have been encyclopedias, reference books: I'm very aware that I'm not just writing about my own personal experiences, beliefs and preferences or writing for one narrow audience. I have to serve a broad and diverse audience who have different needs, interests, backgrounds and levels of expertise. In my experience, witchcraft and magic spells fascinate everyone, not just other witches, Pagans and practitioners so I have to be able to serve the needs of a very diverse audience. But there's also an incredible amount of misinformation out there and I felt very privileged to be able to set some records straight and maybe salvage some reputations.

5000 Spells was initially scheduled to be a 450 page book. Neither the publisher nor I had done the basic math during the planning stages: how many spells can you fit per page? It very quickly became clear that 450 pages was never going to be sufficient. That book was a harrowing experience to write and to produce, both for myself and for the production staff inLondon. Everything had been planned in the belief that it would be 450 pages, in terms of scheduling, deadlines, the planned price of the book. It turned out wonderfully and I don't regret it but the only way that book was ever completed was because I was able to summon up and maintain an almost crazily intense focus.

How did I wrap my mind around the scope of the work? Other than my children who are very patient with me, it was the only thing on my mind. I didn't do anything else. I stopped talking to people, I didn't do readings, stopped teaching classes, stopped answering my phone. I literally stayed up days and nights writing non-stop until I couldn't stay awake any longer. Then as soon as I woke up, I'd go back to working on the book.

The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft was easier if only because the Element staff and I had already done 5000 Spells together. We began the Witchcraft project with our eyes open, anticipating the process whereas 5000 Spells was very experimental and unknown territory. Also, the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft was written in fairly linear fashion, which was very much not the case with 5000 Spells, which was put together like a patchwork quilt.

TWPT: I’m sure that I’m not making a very large leap to assume that the research for a book like this has to be a huge undertaking in and of itself. Did you have a plan for attaching the research associated with this book in a systematic way so that you could stay on your predetermined schedule?

JI: Predetermined schedule? What predetermined schedule? Luckily, I’m an insomniac! Basically I worked day and night, non-stop.

I'm not complaining. I’m a very lucky person: I love what I write about. There is almost nothing I'd rather do than research these topics. I came into these projects, having already accomplished alot of the research. When, years ago, I first began studying, researching and exploring these topics, I did it for myself, not because I ever thought I'd turn the material into a book. I read grimoires, collected spells, watched movies and read novels featuring witches and studied the history of witchcraft for myself, because it interested me. I did not deliberately set out to be a metaphysical author: I have a huge storehouse of fertility-oriented information that I sought to get published years ago because I know that that information would be valuable to many people. Greg Brandenburgh who was then at Element Books saw that manuscript, which included a chapter of magic spells and rejected it but asked me to write Earth Mother Magic for him and that started me on this path.

TWPT: With a task like this before you I would think that you might feel like a director who had 50 hours of raw movie footage in the can and had to cut it down to 2 hours to make the movie. Given the scope of the material that is available out there how did you handle the difficult task of deciding what stays and what goes when it came down to the final edit of the book?

JI: That analogy is much more accurate than you realize. Even though my books are really big, there's still always a finite number of pages to cover what are genuinely limitless topics. There's so much more I wanted to include if only we had more space. I would write second volumes of both my encyclopedias in a minute, given the time and opportunity.

When writing the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, I was conscious from the start that some material had to be included because of historical importance. You can't call a book an encyclopedia of witchcraft and not include material about Gerald Gardner or the historic persecution of witches. You can't omit the Salem Witch Trials or Aleister Crowley no matter how many other books discuss them. However, there was also information that I felt was crucial to include precisely because in the past it's been too often excluded: I wanted to include information on the unsung heroes of witchcraft, people of tremendous significance yet who remain largely unknown like Pascal Beverly Randolph, Franz Bardon or Cecil Williamson. It was also very important for me not to merely replicate information that is easily available in other books, other encyclopedias of witchcraft. People who are interested in metaphysics tend to be avid book-buyers, often on a limited budget. I know how frustrating it is to buy a book that merely reproduces information that's already in a bunch of other books and doesn't offer anything new. So I wanted to take a fresh approach and present some fresh material as well as the information without which an encyclopedia of witchcraft isn't complete.

Because of the deadlines involved, the publication schedule, there were things that I really wanted to include but couldn't. For instance I originally planned to include entries dedicated to a host of modern practitioners and witches. But who knows? Maybe that will be another book.
So there's an editing or elimination process that begins before you start writing. In your mind, as an author, you're already sifting what you can include from what may have to be saved for another project. However, in the case of my most recent book, there was a secondary elimination process after the manuscript had already been completed. The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft was originally scheduled to be around 1200 pages but just before final submission of the last pages of the manuscript, the publisher determined, for cost-cutting reasons, not for reasons of content, that the book had to be shorter. It could not be more than 800-some pages including a lengthy bibliography and very necessary but lengthy index. So it was exactly like editing a three hour film into a two hour one. Had I known earlier, I would have written shorter entries but because of scheduling it was impossible to go back and re-write. The production manager and I literally went through every line of the book trying to minimize the cuts as much as we could, weighing what was possible to remove without destroying the integrity of the book versus what we felt absolutely had to stay. One thing that was very gratifying for me as an author was that because the production staff had been involved with my manuscript as it was being written, they had become attached to the material as well. I wasn't the only one with an emotional involvement with it. So there was alot of discussion about what we could best afford to cut. For instance, I was ready to lose the entry on Virgil but people on the staff felt so strongly that it should stay, that it ended up remaining in the book.

Someone complained to me that there wasn't an entry for the movie, Practical Magic. Well, originally there was but that was one of the entries that ended up on the cutting room floor as well as entries for Hocus Pocus and several other Disney films. That decision was made because it's fairly easy to find information about those films, they're included in other witchcraft encyclopedias versus some of the other films in my book where it's difficult to obtain information about them, especially from a witchcraft standpoint. But every one of those cuts was painful to make.

TWPT: Another area of interest that you speak about in your bio is aromatherapy. Is this an underrated area of study in your opinion and why should folks spend more time learning this skill? What was it that drew you to this field of study and motivated you to spend over a decade studying it and earning a certificate?

JI: In the United States, aromatherapy remains very much an unknown and misunderstood topic. A lot of people associate aromatherapy with room fresheners or similar products. Aromatherapy is the art and science of essential oils, which are not true oils but are plant extracts. Many of them are fragrant, hence the name of the art. Essential oils have been used since ancient times, they were among the tools of the Egyptian process of embalming and mummification. They may be used magically, cosmetically, therapeutically and spiritually: essential oils are amazingly versatile and powerful. From a metaphysical standpoint, they are considered the lifeblood of a plant. The essential oil enables one to tap into the myriad powers of each individual plant species. It's a direct conduit to sacred, magical botanical power. Essential oils are used to power magic potions, communicate with the spirits and just bring pleasure into your life. In America, aromatherapy tends to be trivialized by mass culture, which is unfortunate. In addition to their magical uses, the therapeutic benefits of essential oils are incredible: many are powerfully anti-bacterial or anti-viral and can be used for all sorts of ailments. In parts of Europe, health insurance would cover consultation with someone with a certification like mine, although that's very much not the case here.

I fell in love with essential oils the same way I fell in love with tarot cards: love at first sight. In general, I have a real fondness for small potions. I'm drawn to little bottles. I really enjoy working with flower essence remedies and condition oils, too. (I make my own condition oils using essential oils.) As for what drew me to essential oils, in particular, I first encountered them in the 1980's. I read about them somewhere, I can't remember exactly where but I have a real occultist's brain: I'm always curious, always trying to learn something more. I first began exploring essential oils purely for my own pleasure: I loved them and so I kept studying. I saw for myself how effective they are: I had some minor scars that were completely removed through the use of essential oil of frankincense.

The 1993 Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles is probably what most motivated me towards enrolling into a formal aromatherapy program and obtaining certification. I lived very close to the epicenter so that was really a jolting experience, in more ways than one. I had two very young children. The quake caused me to try to be more self-sufficient and knowledgeable in regards to our health so that in case of an emergency like an earthquake or other disaster where the usual, conventional solutions are not available, we wouldn’t be entirely helpless. You know, people, women in particular, used to be very involved in healing their families: I began studying homeopathy and the therapeutic aspects of aromatherapy at that time. But I follow my passions. Aromatherapy captured my heart in a way that homeopathy didn't and so that was the path I pursued.

TWPT: Lets talk a little bit more about the process of researching the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft. For those readers out there who might be inspired by your book to delve even deeper into the sources that served as the basis for your Encyclopedia how hard would it be for them to follow in your footsteps in regards to researching the material themselves? I guess the question is what resources exist out on the net or in local libraries around the country that will allow the curious to seek out the information?

JI: There is alot of information available on the net and the net is also invaluable as a source to meet other scholars, researchers, practitioners and students. It's sort of a big salon where you can meet all these wonderful, accomplished, fascinating people. In my experience, people with specialized interests tend to be happy to meet others with similar interests so don't be afraid to contact someone who may have information that you seek or who may be able to point you in the right direction.

Unfortunately, many public libraries still refrain from carrying books that deal with the occult, metaphysics, witchcraft and Neo-Paganism, especially in any kind of serious way, although happily this is starting to change. In some cases, although obviously not all, this policy is not based on any serious philosophical issues but is merely force of habit. These aren't the kind of books they've ordered in the past, so they're simply not thinking along those lines. Personally I rely on libraries alot, especially for older, out of print books but I've always been lucky to live in areas with well-funded libraries and very open-minded librarians. If there are specific books that you want and can't find or afford, it may be helpful to request that the local library obtain them for you. Often the library is simply unaware of serious interest in these topics and will be happy to accommodate once they're made aware, especially if they receive requests from more than one person.

The crucial point that I was taught when I was learning how to research is never to rely on only one source. This can be very difficult when you're studying witchcraft or those spiritual traditions that have been persecuted for so long and which have only survived through the secrecy and discretion of their practitioners. You'll find alot of information is encoded or inferred and you have to learn how to interpret what's been written, to really think about what you're reading, to read between the lines and sometimes to read with a grain of salt. For instance, I read alot of old anthropology books from the 19th and early 20th centuries. In many cases, these are the only surviving descriptions of certain practices so they're valuable but they're also typically written by authors who lacked respect for their subject, who were writing about magical and spiritual traditions from a position of contempt and prejudice. So as you're reading these books, trying to understand the practices that are being described, you have to be constantly aware of the author's bias.

It's also really crucial to realize that not everything is written down. Not everything can be learned from books. It's only in recent years that much of this information has been published. Most of it was passed down orally or traded back and forth between people and was and is constantly evolving. It's not just history, these are living, vital traditions. There's still lots of stuff that, at least at present, can only be learned directly from other human beings. Alot of the research that went into 5000 Spells in particular didn't come from books but directly from other practitioners.

My advice really is to read everything that you can get your hands on and talk with anyone available to you. Whether or not you agree with everything you read or hear because the issue isn't necessarily finding information that confirms what you already know but finding information that broadens your horizons and furthers your path. Sometimes it's beneficial to read something that you disagree with if only because that helps put your own vision and beliefs in sharper focus and perspective.

TWPT: Was there a certain percentage of the information contained in the Encyclopedia that came from your own experiences or your personal collection of books or information?

JI: Is it easier or harder to take your own experiences and integrate them into a project like the Encyclopedia? Well you really can't help it. You bring yourself to the project. Every author brings their own background, their experiences, education and sympathies to their work. That's something I address very directly in the introduction to the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft. An author always has certain sympathies whether or not these are acknowledged openly. My books are written from my perspective as a life-long magical practitioner. I'm not ambivalent towards witchcraft or spellcasting; instead I have tremendous love, respect and affection for witchcraft and spellcasting in general and also for the cultures, traditions and individuals that produce and nurture these practices. I do my best to write neutrally and open-mindedly but I do have deep residual anger against those who have persecuted and suppressed magical practices and practitioners over the ages. So that's my bias.

The seed for 5000 Spells came from my pursuit of fertility lore. I have a huge collection of information regarding traditional approaches to enhancing fertility and healing infertility that I have now been collecting for over fifteen years. Initially I was very single-minded in my approach,only looking for information about that specific topic. But I kept coming across really interesting information regarding other topics and after a while I just started saving whatever interested me. I just thought it was rare, valuable information and shouldn't be discarded or forgotten. I began collecting Maria Padilha spells at that time, for instance, whether or not those specific spells were relevant to my own personal life. Or I'd write down things that people taught me even if it wasn't relevant to me personally on the off-chance that someday I'd need it or that maybe someday it would be useful to someone I knew. That turned out to be true because that was the personal data base with which I began 5000 Spells. And I am a pack-rat by nature. I find it very difficult to discard anything, information as well as physical items. I think I still have every postcard that anyone's ever sent me.

I realized, as I was writing them, that those encyclopedias had to, by definition because they're encyclopedias, encompass more than just my personal preferences. So the researching aspect is a learning experience for me, too: I was learning and expanding my own horizons as I was writing. I hardly ever watch television for instance. I had never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer before embarking on the Witchcraft Encyclopedia but I knew that once we were discussing images of witches on television that I would have to sit down and watch it because it's significant to the subject.

My goal was really to share and preserve information rather than to integrate my own personal experiences into the work. But the very first filter the information had to pass through was whether I thought it was interesting so that's my personal influence. By necessity you have to choose which details to emphasize or present, if only because the information is endless but space is limited. One of my goals when discussing the various historically significant magical practitioners was to bring them to life for readers, to emphasize that these often mythic figures like Cagliostro, Blavatsky or Edward Kelley were really living, breathing individuals, to give a sense of who they were as real people because they're so often sensationalized so I tried to emphasize details that would help accomplish that goal. So I included John Dee's vision of how a perfect day would be spent and details regarding Helena Blavatsky and Dr. John's financial travails and Aleister Crowley's childhood religious experiences because those are details that help us understand them as actual people, not merely as legends.

TWPT: For you personally what is the thrill or benefit of pursuing wisdom both ancient and modern and making that wisdom part of who you are?

JI: That's such a tough question to answer. To paraphrase what Louis Armstrong said about jazz, once you have to explain it to someone, they won't get it, you know? That quest for knowledge is just a driving force; some of us were just bitten by that bug! Who knows exactly why? It's very hard to describe the experience without resorting to what sounds like really cliched, fuzzy New-Age type language. Exactly as you say, pursuit of wisdom and knowledge provides a thrill. That's it in a nutshell.

Ultimately, pursuit of metaphysical wisdom is a pursuit of ecstasy. The more you search, the more you find. The searching process is simultaneously a method of plugging into the sacred. The ancient Greeks used to describe it as "coming into your power." The more knowledge you accumulate, the more connections that you make, the more powerful you become as an individual and the more you appreciate the beauties and mysteries of Earth and all her inhabitants and mysteries. So ideally you improve with age rather than deteriorate. Ideally life is constantly becoming more interesting and stimulating. And there's always a mystery to explore. You never run out.

There's a shamanic quality to this pursuit of knowledge. Because what's that other old saying? That which you are pursuing is causing you to pursue. Are you seeking it or is it seeking you? The knowledge you seek tends to show up at significant moments. That pursuit of knowledge could also be understood as a dialogue with the spirits: they provide clues and information to set you on a path.

Plus this pursuit of wisdom and knowledge bestows really priceless gifts. You eventually develop a way of experiencing and appreciating the world around you. It's a very stimulating, joyful way to live. Everything around you is vibrant with life: it's a very exhilarating, ecstatic, spiritually and sensually rewarding existence. I think this is revealed in the youthful nature of so many magical practitioners. Boredom is banished and there's a real sense of being connected to all these mysteries and powers.

TWPT: As an author and as a follower of an alternative spiritual path what kinds of advantages do you feel you have by having been born and raised in a city like New York?

JI: Ready access to other practitioners and to metaphysical bookstores, which I know was not the case elsewhere. At a time when mainstream bookstores would not carry a metaphysical book, when people had to mail-order books that arrived in plain brown paper wrappers, in those pre-Amazon.com days, those of us in New York could just walk into Samuel Weiser's bookstore and find whatever we were looking for.

I remember walking into Herman Slater's Magickal Childe and it was like entering a magickal
world. There was a community waiting behind the doors of these stores and it was a very warm, welcoming, sharing community. Urban magical communities tend to be very tolerant and to expect everyone to bring something to the table. So from the start, even as a kid, I understood that I had something to share with others, just as they had something to share with me. You also have the opportunity to meet and learn from a wide variety of people with very diverse experiences and knowledge. And because of the vastness,the sheer number of people and traditions, different paths have the opportunity to reach you because sometimes you pick the path but sometimes the path picks you.

People of all kinds of orientations have traditionally run away to big cities seeking tolerance and hoping to find communities of like-minded individuals. This is as true of magical practitioners and spiritual seekers as it is of anyone else.

I spent alot of my adolescence and early adulthood just hanging out in local botanicas, which are Latin American herbal/spiritual/ magical supply stores. In New York City, there were loads of these stores so the opportunities were endless. I would literally spend hours in a store, poring over every bottle and every book. I was very shy at that time but I learned that if I stayed long enough, eventually someone would talk to me or teach me something or put me to work doing a little something in the store, which was also a learning process. People were very, very kind and generous to me, regarding knowledge. Part of writing 5000 Spells involved my opportunity to pay that forward, to share what I had learned in the same manner. But I'm talking about a specific time as well as a place: I think one of the great tragedies of recent years is how rents have skyrocketed in so many urban areas, so that now so many independent spiritual/magical/metaphysical merchants are no longer able to stay in business. The sources on the internet are wonderful and it makes communication across distances possible but there's no substitute for that direct human contact.

TWPT: You talked about your beginning with the tarot cards earlier in this interview but what role have the cards played in your life since that discovery as a child?

JI: They bring me joy virtually every day. Something as simple as a deck of cards can serve as a direct conduit to the sacred anytime you feel the need or desire for it. Tarot cards are particularly versatile: beyond divination, you can meditate with them, use them as a tool for visualizations, dream incubations and spells. The whole divination process is incredibly fascinating, especially, I think, if you read for other people. Even though you are focused on the other person, even though they've been choosing the cards, not you, inevitably there is something in the reading that is simultaneously beneficial for the reader, too. That's the little bonus you get as a reader. Also on a very personal level, it took me a long time before I felt confident in my ability to read cards well enough to read for other people. It was something I really worked at for a long time and so when I finally felt that I had achieved a mastery, that gave me a tremendous sense of self-esteem, so that was another gift from the cards.

TWPT: Do you feel like your pursuit of a wide range of occult and metaphysical wisdom has given you a broader perspective of your path and how it fits within the framework of other paths and beliefs?

JI: As you assimilate more and more information on these various disciplines do you start to see patterns emerge that move from one path to the other? Absolutely. Particularly if you're interested in spirit-working, in communications between people and spirits, what you learn is that there is such commonality between all the traditions and cultures that describe these experiences and techniques. What fascinates me is that real primal, bottom-line mystical experience that's shared by humans everywhere.

Writing 5000 Spells was particularly educational for me. Because although the spells came from all over, from lots of different sources, I had to reformat almost all of them so that they would be written in a clear, simple, consistent, instructional fashion. For those who aren't familiar with that book, it's written in the style of a cookbook. Most of the spells in that book are broken down into numbered steps, similar to the way a cookbook presents recipes. I wrote out each of those spells, breaking them down into steps, all day, every day for months, spell after spell after spell.

Although the spells derive from many sources, traditions and eras, eventually, when you examine them like this, you begin to perceive and appreciate underlying rhythms and patterns and you gain a better understanding of the whole process of spell-casting. I developed a real sense of the inner-workings of spell-casting and also spell-creating, the nuts and bolts of it.
With the Witchcraft Encyclopedia, the more research I did, the more certain common themes became apparent. Certain motifs like hair and horns are entwined with the mythology of witchcraft fairly universally. Issues like how comfortable a culture is with women expressing anger also consistently appear.

TWPT: We have established that writing is your skill but not a love for you, was it any more difficult writing your first two books than the Encyclopedias simply because the process was unfamiliar to you at the time?

JI: No, if only because they're so much smaller. You know, I don't love the process of writing but I do love books very passionately, especially magical books. I felt very blessed to be given the opportunity to write Earth Mother Magic, my first published book. I had not initially set out to write a book on witchcraft and spellcasting. I have a large manuscript devoted to traditional approaches to boosting and healing fertility, which includes a chapter on magical spells devoted to that topic. Greg Brandenburgh, who was then the publisher at the original Element Books saw that manuscript, liked that chapter and asked if I'd write a more general book devoted to witchcraft for Element. I felt very honored and privileged to be able to pay tribute to the traditions, techniques and spirits that I loved and that had sustained me. There's alot of myself in that book, probably more than in any of the other books: my love of botanicals, oils, blues music and the city of New Orleans. Alot of the spiritual information in that book was also very personal, particularly the sections on Isis and Oshun. It was written with a lot of love. I was aware while I was writing how privileged I was to be able to have a book published (having had other manuscripts previously rejected) and I didn't necessarily expect to ever have another book published so that was my opportunity, you know? Plus, that book was written during a very unhappy time in my life and so the opportunity to write that book was like a light piercing the darkness.

Element Books went bankrupt just before Earth Mother Magic was published and there was a point where I wasn't sure whether it would ever see the light of day. So I was very happy when it was finally published and delighted when I was asked to write Emergency Magic! That's a really little book: from the start, the publisher envisioned it as a very small, lean book. At the beginning, it wasn't tied so closely to the concept of those worst-case scenario books, that came later with the design aspect, I wasn't involved with that aspect. I had just moved back to the East Coast after more than a decade in southern California and so Emergency Magic! was kind of my little tribute to being back in New York and to all those botanica books that I grew up on and that influenced me so much, like Anna Riva's books.

TWPT: Tell me about the topics that you chose to write on for those first two books and why it was that you decided to write about them?

JI: When I was first asked to write Earth Mother Magic, one of my initial thoughts was, who really needs another book about magic, there are already so many. So I had to think about what I could write that would be unique, that wouldn't just reproduce what was already available. So my goal became to write a book that would explore different facets of magic and that would enable a reader to actually put the material into practice by the time they finished the book. A real hands-on, how-to book; a non-judgemental book that would explain what to do and how to do it, rather than what to believe. A book that would be written in plain English, so that complex concepts could be readily understood by someone with little experience. Because in a classroom situation, you can ask questions, you can ask the instructor to clarify their language but as a reader you can't do that with a book.

A book that would express the realities of being a spellcaster. Because so many of the books that I had been reading at that time, although I'm sure these were very beneficial books for someone, didn't reflect the reality that I was familiar with as a modern, urban practitioner. I had become very frustrated with what I had been reading: things with a real consumerist focus, that emphasized what you had to buy, what you had to wear or how you had to decorate your space and were very, very adamant and specific. If you didn't do it this way, then you were doing it wrong. And you know, beyond anything else, I was a broke single mother. I was struggling to pay for food and shelter-- I couldn't afford half the stuff these books told me was required. I didn't have the privacy or space they claimed I had to have. And when I first started as a teenager, I had had even less funds and privacy!

I kept thinking that if I had read these books when I was first beginning, maybe I would have been discouraged and never have pursued my interests. Luckily I knew my reality wasn't unique: most of the other practitioners I knew were also financially challenged. They didn't have unlimited budgets, they lived in tiny, cramped apartments. But they were living their magic, as was I, on a daily basis, regardless of these obstacles and I thought that this experience and perspective was something that I could express in my book, that would be valuable to other people, that would encourage readers to experience the joys of magic, rather than be frustrated and discouraged.

Almost all of what I've learned about hands-on spellcasting, I've learned directly from other people: how to dress candles, how to build an altar, how to feed the spirits and so forth. But I realize that that's a privilege that not everyone has. More and more people are practicing solitary by necessity and are trying to learn from books, which can be a very frustrating experience. And you have to appreciate that I'm not only a writer, I'm a teacher. Over the years, I've taught all kinds of topics to both adults and children. I teach spellcasting and aromatherapy but I've also worked as a math tutor. So I understand that whole teaching process. My goal with Earth Mother Magic was to provide a complete instructional course, from basic theory to mechanics to a source guide telling you where one might find ingredients. And also not least to share and expose what I loved.

Emergency Magic! was written after I had emerged from a real period of desperation and crisis. Earth Mother Magic was written during the tail end of that period but by Emergency Magic! I had enough distance to develop some perspective. There were a few years where I may as well have been living in a soap opera, just disaster after disaster. But those emergency-packed years were what really transformed me into an experienced, skilled spellcaster. Because magical spells are intended to help you take control of your destiny, to help you protect yourself and those you love and to help you avert disaster. And that had very much been my personal experience and so I wanted to share what I had learned: the key to magical success isn't the emergencies themselves but the intense focus that they evoke in the practitioner. Ideally you want to summon up that focus without having to wait for a crisis, to be pro-active rather than merely reactive. I was also working very intensely with condition oils , really researching formulas and so that was a primary focus of that book as well. Those formulas can be incredibly hard to find and in some ways the formulary in Emergency Magic! was the most important part of that book for me. And that little formulary eventually expanded into the larger one in 5000 Spells.
There have been many definitions of magic(k) over the years so I am curious as to what your working definition of magic was in regards to your books Earth Mother Magic and Emergency Magic! How does magic integrate into a person’s day to day life and do you think that is the case for the majority of the followers of this path?

I know that I integrate magic into every aspect of my life as do the people who taught me and those who I personally work with and those whose practices I'm familiar with. Because magic isn't about the individual spell, it's about a way of approaching, understanding and looking at the world. It's a way of living in the world. I strongly believe that if there were more practitioners, for example, we'd have better environmental policies because magic teaches you to value and preserve all forms of life, botanical as well as animal. Because everything has a power of its own and all our powers are interconnected and interdependent. But that's an awareness that emerges with extensive magical practice.

Here's a not uncommon scenario: many people are fascinated by magic and so they dabble: they practice a little divination, they cast a spell here or there. But then something happens: they have a genuine mystical experience, a needed spell actually works, there's clear communication from some sort of spirit and so then there's that profound eye-opening moment of epiphany. The person realizes that this isn't made-up, there's really something there, it isn't just playing. Now some people get scared at that point, they withdraw or refuse to believe in their own experiences but for many others that's the starting point: the moment where you realize that Earth is just full of all these powers and mysteries that are willing and able to interact with you. You also begin to discover and explore the magic within yourself, your own personal magic power and so magic begins to become integrated into who you are rather than what you do. And in general, I must emphasize, despite propaganda otherwise that originates amongst those opposed to both independent magical practitioners and magic-friendly Pagan traditions, most magical practice is very positive and beneficial. Historically, magical practitioners have been persecuted; they're not the evil-doers and that's still true today.

Now there are alot of definitions circulating and many different philosophies. It's my policy not to argue about beliefs. As I understand it, as I was taught and in my practical experience, magic involves the awareness and manipulation of various natural Earthly energies. Everything that occurs naturally in our universe radiates some sort of energy, including words and language. These energies interact in different ways. People have been studying, analyzing and experimenting with these energies ever since people have existed. A magic spell is an attempt to harness these energies for the spellcaster's benefit. The type of magic that personally interests me most is very primal folk magic, the type of magic that cuts across other human boundaries but is understood wherever there are people. I like finding the common denominators between people, cultures and traditions and that definition of magical energy and power is one that cuts across many boundaries and is found worldwide.

TWPT: How was it that you hooked up with Thorson’s as your publisher and is it any more difficult working with a publisher that is located in the UK as it is with a US publisher?

JI: At the time I started working with what was then Thorsons-Element and is now Harper-Element, they had an office in the US which was headed by Greg Brandenburgh who I had worked with on my previous books. Greg is a visionary and I was very happy to work with him again. Because of modern technology, especially e-mail, it was no more difficult producing a book with a staff in England than in the US. Without that technology, it would have been very challenging, however! The production staff at Thorsons-Element is incredibly dedicated, from Simon Gerratt, the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft's production manager to the indexers and type-setter. They worked really long hours and so that made up for the time difference between us.

TWPT: As an author what is it that you wish for those who find your books and read them? When all is said and done what do you want your readers to take away from your books and carry with them along their individual paths?

JI: Well, ideally you hope to satisfy readers or at least provide something of value for them, something substantial. My readers are pretty diverse: they're not all interested in the same thing nor are they all coming to my books from the same place or with the same desires so hopefully I fulfill their varying expectations.

My fellow practitioners are pretty tough customers: most are already really well read so you can't waste their time with nothing more than recycled information because they will recognize it. So my goal is to provide those readers with fresh, useful information that can actually be put into practice.

For those readers who are fascinated by witchcraft or spellcraft and think they might wish to enter or explore that world, I hope that my books provide a lucid, functional, welcoming doorway. And, you know, for those readers who are just interested in spells and witchcraft but have no interest in practicing whatsoever, I hope that I'm able to provide them with some entertainment, fresh information and new perspectives. The history of witchcraft, spellcraft and the magical arts is absolutely packed with fascinating, interesting stories. Magic and witchcraft aren't obscure, marginal subjects: they are entwined into virtually every aspect of human history, spirituality and culture including modern science, medicine and the creative arts even though their influence is usually ignored or denied. Witchcraft and magic have had tremendous influence on all sorts of things that many people wouldn't necessarily associate with them.
My own personal goal, as an author, what I personally wish for and what would satisfy me, is for all my readers, regardless of what brought them to my books in the first place, to carry away with them a fresh and accurate perspective on witchcraft and spellcraft. So many negative, malicious misconceptions regarding witches, witchcraft, magic and its practitioners still survive and remain deeply engrained and so my wish is, that when all is said and done, that my books help dispel these misconceptions and expose the truth. For instance, there is this terribly pervasive misconception about witches, practitioners, whatever you want to call them, being wicked,evil and generally malevolent. Now obviously you will find corrupt individuals in any profession-- doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, politicians, just for starters. Magick is no exception but in general, this misconception couldn't be farther from the truth. That stereotype of the wicked witch derives from propaganda created by those who have historically persecuted Pagans, practitioners, witches and who have used those lies to justify their cruelty. But those lies remain entrenched in popular belief.

Another common misconception that hopefully my books help dispel is that if you are a genuine practitioner of witchcraft, spellcraft, divination or any of the magical arts,then you can't possibly be smart, you must be uneducated, ignorant, misguided or unintelligent. That's really commonly believed and teenagers, in particular, who express interest in these traditions are so vulnerable to mockery but that misconception is so blatantly untrue, it's almost laughable, if it weren't so tragic. Historically as well as currently, Earth is full of undeniably brilliant people who practice and master these traditions. The standard example is Sir Isaac Newton, who was a dedicated astrologer, although that's a little factoid that's left out of a lot of textbooks . I'm very proud to be part of the magical community and I hope that's something that comes through in my writing.

TWPT: What kind of feedback have you been getting about The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft from readers and reviewers and how much does this feedback influence what you will do next as an author?

JI: I received some very kind words from Raymond Buckland. I can't even begin to express how much that meant to me. Words fail me. I felt so honored to hear from him. The feedback that I treasure most is from those who I consider my teachers or my elders or those who are masters of the arts. I received some very, very kind, positive e-mails from several masters of Latin American magical traditions and that, too, went straight to my heart. It's kind of like being back in school and getting good grades or positive responses from highly respected teachers. I realize that, with my books, I'm teaching others but I'm still a student, too and so feedback from the masters and elders is inexpressibly precious and valuable. The review of 5000 Spells that I treasure most is the one in the most recent issue of The Witches' Almanac. That has always been among my favorite publications and I absolutely was not expecting to see any review, let alone such a positive one, so, again, I can't even begin to say how much it meant to me. I literally cried when I saw it.

But, in general, I don't really read reviews unless someone specifically tells me that I should read one. Because everyone is entitled to their opinion but if you start worrying too much about pleasing everyone--whether they've given you a positive review or a negative one-- you can become paralyzed. It becomes very hard to create and to listen to your own inner voice and your spiritual guides.

Obviously an author- or any creative person- hopes that their work will please and satisfy their audience. Books are kind of like an author's children and you hope that, just like your human children, the universe will give them a kind reception but you must appreciate, as an artist, that it isn't possible to please every single person, every single time, no matter what it is that you have created.

Readers pick up a book with expectations and your work may or may not fulfill those expectations. You know, I had someone complain to me that Emergency Magic! was only a spell book. And what could I tell her other than it is a spell book, that's just exactly what it is, there's no pretence of it being something else. I appreciate that she was frustrated but that had nothing to do with the book, it just wasn't the right book for her needs. That's like complaining that you opened the refrigerator and found nothing inside except food. You hope, as an author, that your books are able to find the readers who will find them beneficial.

I do correspond with many readers and their opinions can be very influential to me. Often I solicit those opinions because those readers are my sounding-board. My final decision to go ahead and write the Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft actually came about because of e-mail I received from readers. When 5000 Spells was complete, Greg Brandenburgh suggested that the next project should be an encyclopedia of witchcraft and I was initially very resistant. For a whole variety of reasons, I wasn't sure whether that was the right project to take on..

But then I received a very thoughtful e-mail regarding 5000 Spells from a reader who is a member of the Non-Wiccan Witches listgroup at Yahoo.com. I e-mailed her back and asked her opinion as to whether she thought there was a need for a new encyclopedia of witchcraft and if so, what sort of information that book should include that maybe wasn't readily available elsewhere. She distributed my e-mail among the list-group and so many people took the trouble to write such insightful, heartfelt responses that that's when I decided to go ahead and write the witchcraft encyclopedia. I realized that I could write a new book that would be of value. So if it hadn't been for reader feedback to 5000 Spells, maybe I never would have written the Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft at all. And 5000 Spells stems partly, not from reader feedback but from interactions with my students. In the years just before writing that book, I taught a series of classes on various types of spellcasting. Inevitably a student would stump me by asking for a spell for a particular situation that I hadn't considered, particularly very specific health crises. The research those students inspired me to do eventually contributed to 5000 Spells.

TWPT: Are you burnt out on doing encyclopedic kinds of books after doing two of them or do you still have something else in mind that you might like to give the encyclopedia treatment?

JI: Yeah, you would think I'd be burned out by now, wouldn't you? I really should be. Sometimes I have some serious doubts about my sanity but I actually wouldn't mind doing more. Given the opportunity, I'd be happy to do a really encyclopedic treatment of any of the individual sections in the Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft because what's in the book is substantial but the more you research, the more you find and there's alot more that could be included. I'd also love to do an encyclopedia specifically devoted to the modern magical, witchcraft and Pagan communities. Or an encyclopedia specifically devoted to divination systems. Several readers have written to me suggesting an encyclopedia of ritual. And then, of course, I have an encyclopedia's worth of fertility and infertility lore that I'm still hoping to have published.

TWPT: When you finish a project such as the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft do you just settle back and enjoy the fact that you've successfully finished a long term project or does your mind start thinking of what should I do next? Have you decided what that something next is going to be yet?

JI: I have some irons in the fire, I even have some manuscripts kind of partially ready, but nothing is decided yet. It takes me a while after I've finished to settle back and enjoy the accomplishment. It's not easy for me to detach from the last project: I need some time and distance before I stop kicking myself about what I couldn't squeeze in or feeling frustrated about information that I uncovered after the book went to print but wish I had found earlier.
I wrote those two encyclopedias pretty much back to back and so when I finished the Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, the most recent one, I honestly didn't quite know what to do with myself, without having all that writing to do. But it was time to take a break. Writing is such a solitary process. I've spent the last couple of months getting out, traveling a little and just being with other people. I really enjoy meeting my readers. I have some bookstore signings and workshops scheduled through the end of the year. They're posted on my website and then, hopefully, maybe at the beginning of next year, I'll start writing again.
TWPT: Looking back on your works to this point in your life what satisfaction is there for you personally for having written the books that you did and having them in print?
JI: For starters, for a writer, writing a book is very much like birthing a child: there's this wonderful satisfaction when that process is complete and the actual book exists as an independent entity. And if you can bring other people happiness through your work, then that's incredibly satisfying. Because it's such a harsh world, if you can do anything to make life happier or easier for others, then that's an accomplishment. People write to you and tell you that you've made a difference in their lives and that's tremendously humbling and gratifying. Plus, specifically as a metaphysical writer, there's tremendous satisfaction in feeling that you've contributed to the community, that you have earned a place in that community. (My Aquarius rising isn't too obvious, is it?)

But the absolute greatest reward of being a published metaphysical writer are the people that you are privileged to meet. You meet and get to know people that maybe you never would have otherwise been able to meet. There's not necessarily alot of fame or fortune in being a metaphysical author. It's not like being an academic writer, either: you're not necessarily going to receive alot of respect from anyone outside the magical community. But publishing metaphysical books brings the opportunity to meet the most interesting, wonderful, dedicated, accomplished, generous, brilliant people. I've met all kinds of practitioners, (both published and not published), shared some thoughts, stories and experiences and made some good friends. I correspond with people who live at a great distance from me, whom I'm sure I never would have met had I not written my books. I treasure those relationships.

The books draw people to you but your books also give you the opportunity to contact people you'd like to speak with, for the benefit of your work. People are willing to talk to you because you are an author. For instance, I was so blessed to have met Elizabeth Pepper, publisher of The Witches' Almanac, shortly before she passed. When I started writing my Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, I knew I wanted to include an entry for The Witches' Almanac, because even though it's such a long-standing influential publication, it's modest and very unheralded. There was very little information elsewhere and so I contacted Elizabeth directly and I'm so glad I was able to do so.

Also as an author, you're invited to come into stores to sign books and meet readers: the dedicated people who run independent bookstores, witch stores and occult supply stores are true heroes of our community, too often unsung and unappreciated. It's a financially precipitous thing to do and it's very public; they often take the brunt of anti-magical prejudice in conservative communities. Owning an independent metaphysical store is a very brave thing to do. These stores provide books, supplies, education, and places to meet other like-minded people. They hold down the fort, so to speak. I've been privileged to meet, get to know and work with many of them over the last few years.

TWPT: Lastly do you have any thoughts, wishes, hopes or wisdom that you would like to share with our readers before we say goodbye?

JI: Blessings to all!

TWPT: Thank you Judika for taking the time to share with our readers your thoughts about being an author and what that has meant to you. You've put a lot of thought into these answers and I do appreciate your efforts. May your path be fruitful and may your words never fail.

The Modern Pilgrimage

2006-08-18T20:05:00.000+01:00

Article from DailyOm

Since the dawn of spirituality, men and women have sought communion with numerous gods, goddesses, and traditions by leaving the everyday world behind and embarking on a sacred journey.

Thus talk of the spirit and of the soul is full of references to travel: leaving yourself behind, walking the walk, and journeys of the soul. Making a pilgrimage is a deeply tangible way of connecting with your spirituality and discovering truths within yourself. The destination isn't as important as devotion and receptiveness, because it is while traveling (by foot, horse, canoe, or car) that you can meditate most deeply on your motivations for undertaking the pilgrimage.The experience is nearly always a quiet one, devoid of television, ringing phones, e-mail, or jostling crowds because a true pilgrimage takes you away from familiar surroundings in order to help you find divinity, healing, clarity, inspiration, or a new perspective.`

Pilgrimage to a sacred site of any kind puts the traveler in situations where they must think and behave differently. A sacred journey can take one to far flung places such as Mecca, Kyoto, Europe, Guadalupe, or Cambodia, or camping in hushed forests, sailing through rough waters, or climbing mountains in one's home country.Your yearly vacation can become a pilgrimage, if that is your intent and you are willing to voluntarily give up some of the security of your normal life to experience a new and vibrant setting in a spiritual way.

Choose one or more special places and spend a few days getting to know them intimately.Pack lightly, leaving the trappings of your world behind, and let go. Visit areas where people of importance to you, be they family members, heroes, or otherwise, lived, spoke, walked, and died. A trip to the grave of a favorite author can be a pilgrimage as much as a trip to a religious shrine.Pilgrimages were considered vital to spiritual growth during much of history and, today, people are once again seeking that growth through travel. But, on such a journey, it is important to remember that most pilgrimages bring about gradual change.

The stirring of the soul can happen anywhere. And it can solidify a spiritual experience, end doubt, and help you gain confidence in your chosen path.A new outlook may very well emerge from it.

Lughnasadh

2006-08-13T21:14:00.000+01:00

Dear all

I must apologise for not keeping The Old Ways up to date. I have been wrapped up in writing, research and trying to learn how to play the guitar (which I might add is much more difficult than you would expect!). Little enough time has been spent online lately. I have missed Midsummer completely, wrapped in work and the warmth of the baking sun...sadly, not at the same time.

So, I am making up for my laxness by posting a bit about the First Harvesting.

Lughnasadh 2nd-4th August

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand;
And may his great posterity
Ne'er fail in old Scotland!

Lughnasadh (pronouced ‘loo’nass’ah’) comes at the beginning of August. It is one of the Pagan festivals of Celtic origin which split the year into four. Celts held the festival of the Irish god Lugh at this time and later, the Anglo-Saxons marked the festival of hlaefmass, loaf mass or Lammas at this time.For these agricultural communities this was the first day of the harvest, when the fields would be glowing with corn and reaping would begin. The harvest period would continue until Samhain when the last stores for the winter months would be put away. Lughnasadh is still seen as a harvest festival by Pagans and symbols connected with the reaping of corn predominate in its rites.

Set an orange candle on either side of the caldron.

On a piece of paper (small) write the things you have harvested over the past year,light the paper from one of the candles and let it burn in the cauldron.

After it is done put some corn (or squash) seeds in the cauldron.

“Stir” the seeds with your wand, visualizing white ligh tcoming from the tip of the wand, filling the cauldron and entering the seeds.

When you feel the seeds have absorbed their fill, stop, put the seeds into another container to be kept on the altar until next year’s planting.

Being a Witch: Inner Recognition, Love for the Earth, and Ethics

2006-06-23T11:34:00.000+01:00

I recently subscribed to the Llewelynn mailing list and this article has just come through via e-mail and after my post about voodoo, I thought it sort of "fitting" to copy across. Please note that this is not a post which I have written, but is an extract from an email.

Being a Witch: Inner Recognition, Love for the Earth, and Ethics

In my latest Witchy Update, I asked readers "What makes you a witch?" Your answers varied from the supremely practical - as BlackSerpent Nightshade put it, "My 'church' can be anywhere I like ... outside, inside, at my home or someone else's. I can pray in the shower, in bed, at work, alone, with others, during the day, at night ... whenever I like" - to the utterly poetic.

Here I have to share the words of Aurora Jet with you: "To be a Witch is to worship the Goddess, in all Her forms and ways, and to follow the Craft of the Wise. This can manifest in my awe of a misty orange-pink dawn, a blustery storm, the trembling of an earthquake, the tides of the sea, the stones that speak. It can be the hummingbird hovering just six inches away from my nose, its tiny black-bead eyes gazing directly into mine. It can be the raven flying over head, 'cawing' a greeting. It can be the grizzly she-bear who follows me in my dreams. It can be the ability to perform a spell and see it come to fruition. It is power, tempered with wisdom and compassion. It is remaining calm when dealing with those who may be difficult. It is trust in the face of adversity. It even prompted me to write poetry again, a way of expressing myself in spells, chants, or my inner voice."Most respondents in some way had always felt deep inside that they were witches, whether they knew what that was at the time or not. This sometimes manifested as a sense of being different; Laura says, "I was more attuned to nature than others and recognized an inner 'gut feeling' that guided me in everything I did. I always felt that my higher power was female and a goddess, not a god."

For many of us, it just took time to recognize what this different feeling was. Phoenx writes, "My answer is, the knowing...even when I don't want to. It had been suppressed for so long, but one day I couldn't hide from who I was anymore."Other times this feeling was simply one of not being able to connect with traditional religions and searching for something more. Venessa remembers "even as a small child being fascinated with the living planet and having a great deal of difficulty understanding (at 5 years old) the concept of a Christian god. After all, don't both parents nurture and protect?"

And BlackSerpent Nightshade wrote, "I have contemplated many religions in my area and none of them seem to 'fit' me. I saw a lot of talk and not many wanting to follow what they were preaching. For me, that wasn't what I wanted to do. I was a baptized Christian, and maybe somewhere else there is a better ... connected church, but here there is not. And I didn't fit in really. [...] When I was at my lowest times, these places weren't there for me...I was alone spiritually."Another thing you'll notice about the responses is that witchcraft really leads us to want to be good people, which should be the bottom line in any pursuit of spirituality! This includes acting ethically with other people and with the environment.

Laura shares: "I recycled when I was a child in the 50's and still do. I pick up garbage on the beach or in natural surroundings in order to bring nature's bounty into balance. I have always been aware of the harm we do to our environment and I have always - always - tried to do no harm to anyone or anything. It is as if Mother Nature herself asks me to tidy her up. I sense her at all times in my life. [...] I have recently changed my buying habits after shutting off my TV for over a year while I returned to school to get my bachelor's degree. I buy natural foods and respect the power and the symbiosis of mind and body. I strongly respect and am grateful for the blessings that Mother Earth has given me in particular. I care for myself now. I am in better health than I was in my 20's, 30's & 40's. Turning off the TV has made me more aware of the loud noise and the psychic influence of marketers in American society. I am no longer easily influenced and am actually quite ashamed of being manipulated by mass media and advertising for so many years. I believe that being a pagan and a witch has created a higher ethical standard in my life than in other people. It is a question of devotion, love, and respect for all living creations."And she's not alone.

BlackSerpent Nightshade writes, "I acknowledge the animals that live on the Earth as my brothers and sisters now, and not just as creatures that humans can move wherever they want whenever they want. I feel the pain the Earth goes through as we continue to destroy the gift she has given us ... a place to live ... that we carelessly throw away. I try to recycle whatever I can and not buy things in aerosol form. I try to do things every day that helps someone else, without expecting something in return ... treating others as I would like to be treated."Being a witch is really a full-time job, not just something to drag out of the closet at Halloween.

Heather writes, "I am a Celtic earth witch 7 days a week 24 hours a day and EVERYTHING I do is why, how, what and because of it!" BlackSerpent agrees: "I don't just try to practice rituals and celebrate the Sabbats ... I try to live being a Pagan. Let it seep into every part of my life, every part of my day and night so that it is my life that is lived Pagan, and I am not called it just as a term to be called."And one reader, Josephine, reminded us all of a key factor in being a witch: tolerance."Part of being a witch is to understand and accept that others will have their own beliefs. Not just other witches, but the Christians, Judeo, Muslim, Native American, Buddhists. None of us is wrong, we simply have different beliefs. We ask for understanding, but first we must understand, tolerance begets tolerance and so forth. So let's celebrate each other's differences! [...] While saluting our flag the words may be 'In god we trust.' I can think 'Goddess' to myself, while acknowledging and respecting that this country was indeed based on Christian values.

We can attend a Christian (or whatever) church service and respect those who believe--we are their guests in their church. I would not miss a dear friend's wedding or funeral because there would be a service from a different faith. And I even proved a point recently at a friend's mother's funeral--witches do not melt when splashed with holy water. Just a thought from this old crone."

Well said, Josephine.You'll find below an excerpt from our new book, Witch in the Bedroom, which further enhances the way you bring your spirituality into your attitudes and beliefs about relationships so you can find one that truly works for you. Then more summertime love and pleasure follows in an article by Stephanie Rose Bird. Don't forget that a great way to be pagan everyday is by getting together with the community, so in the links section you'll find a few links to group and festival calendars. Get out there and have some fun this summer!

—Elysia Gallo, Acquisitions Editor - Witchcraft, Paganism, Magic

Voodoo

2006-06-23T10:37:00.000+01:00

I have, suspiciously, always steered clear of voodoo, its connectations to me were dark savages on plantations doing dark magic to oust the owners, of slaughtering animals to use their blood in rituals and other such nasty things. These images mainly come from reading "historical" romances whilst growing up set in the South (of America), New Orleans etc. and also a few dark movies like Angel Heart back in the 80's.

I was on the BBC news website and found a pictoral interview with a voodoo priestess. The photos spoke of deep devotion, her words of honouring their Gods were deep and beautiful and I actually berrated myself for - one moment - forgetting that other people look down on paganism in general and seeing it as nonsense, or something less impressive than the Judao Christian religion so predominant in the world. I was being negative and biased. Voodoo is stil a scary religion to me, as preconceptions are very hard to let go of, but just reading her words and seeing her do some of the rituals made me realise that religion, no matter what its brand or "primitiveness" is, is the practice to honour and revere the gods, take care of one another and help others and yourself to be better people, to struggle with your own spiritual demons and have someone be there to help struggle with you.

I will copy and paste the text from the Beeb here, and hopefully some of the pictures if Blogger doesn't crash, as it has been doing.

Nope, it isn't allowing me to post any pictures. And blogger isn't allowing me to post the html code, which is annoying, but I am sure if you go to the bbc website and search for voodoo priestess it should come up.

Spiritual force

Voodoo is a state religion in Benin - the West African country where the practice started, before being taken to Haiti and elsewhere by slaves.

Some 65% of the seven million population are adherents. They say it is a positive force, bearing little resemblance to the popular image of people casting evil spells by sticking pins in dolls.

Priestess Na Danon says the word "Voodoo" means both the religion and the spiritual forces within natural phenomena such as water, fire, earth and air.

Sacrifice

"When you want to ask the voodoo for something, you have to give something in return - as a sacrifice.

"This is usually something to eat or drink, such as a chicken or some alcohol.

"Now he can help you. If he helps you, and you get more money and goods, you can come back with more offerings to ask for more."

Sand heap

"For a sacrifice, I cut the throats of two chickens, one male and one female and feed them to the shrine.

"When you see the voodoo [spirits], you see a heap of sand. But inside this sand are the spirits. So when we pour blood on the sand heap, we get a reaction from the spirits inside the hill.

"There is Mary and Jesus in Christian belief. In voodoo, there is male and female. When we want to make sacrifices, we call on the female first, before calling the male."

Worshippers
"I became a voodoo priestess like Jesus Christ came to earth. Jesus came from the skies. I came back to this life as a voodoo priestess.

"You cannot volunteer to become a voodoo chief, it is your life, and your only way of staying alive.

"I cannot count how many people come to see me. I have more than 200 followers. On big festival days this whole house is full of worshippers.

"People come to ask for help - to get a job or to cure an illness."

Abusing voodoo

"When you are ill, we perform ceremonies here and the person gets better.

"If people say voodoo is bad, that means they don’t understand it.
Voodoo is God. If God says: 'Follow me, do not turn to the left or turn to the right, just walk straight ahead,’ then you do that.

"Voodoo is the same. Voodoo is not used to do bad things, only for good. There are people who use it for evil purposes, but they are not respecting the religion."

"There are eight voodoo priestesses in Ouidah - Benin's voodoo capital. My grandfather was a voodoo priest. When he died I succeeded him."

Long life

"When I get up in the morning I go to the house of the voodoo, and ask for peace for everyone in my house, in Ouidah, all over the country and the whole world. My role is to ask the Gods for peace.

"A voodoo priestess enjoys good health and a long life. If I do a ceremony for you, good things will happen for you. You will remember me, and maybe send money to me."

Protect others

"When nobody comes to ask for a sacrifice, I sit down on my favourite chair, and I watch television. I look out for everything that is happening in the world.

"If there is a war somewhere, I will pray for peace. It might be in Ivory Coast, or Iraq, I will pray for peace there.

"I will tell you one thing: if you are a voodoo priestess, your only work is to protect others, and ask favours of the voodoo spirits."

Interview and photos: James Copnall

Beltane

2006-05-01T22:44:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the late posting of this - for some reason Blogger would just not process this post, at all! So, here it goes, again!

Happy Beltane to all!

What an odd day it has been, weatherwise. Early this morning the weather was cold and wet and dreary. I crawled back into bed and woke up at half nine and the sun was shining brightly and the world looked washed anew.

I haven't had a chance to prepare anything myself but as an avid visitor to loads of websites I found a few choice articles to visit:

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2765

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=3382

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/moonraking/summer_solstice.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/print/religion/religions/paganism/festivals/beltane.shtml

We spent the day tidying the house after yesterday's party - Marcus turned 33 and we celebrated with a few friends, a lot food and no one noticed the few candles I had burning, a subtle nod to the fire festival we couldn't really have as the weather wasn't particular nice. We took Sparrow out for a long lazy walk in the park and I noticed that the trees that were bare last week has suddenly come to life, thanks to a few days worth of sunshine and a few spitterings of rain during last week. Even our old and rather withered tree in the back garden has started sprouting new leaves and it genuinely means that Spring and Summer is underway.

Here's hoping it is a good year and that there will be rain aplenty for the crops to survive.

BB

Religious Intollerance

2006-04-17T22:36:00.000+01:00

I have given myself a few days to calm down after receiving an email from a family member. Fortunately, not blood family, but an add-on. If it were blood family, I don’t know what I would have done. As it is I hardly have any contact with “it” anyway and from now I definitely won’t want anything to do with them as they have just proved to me that narrow mindedness is catching.

The email in question started off innocently enough, telling me what they were up to for the Easter weekend. And then, unexpectedly, the following was inserted into the email:

to day until 2 morrow we fast for our heathen foreign families praying they dont die and burn in hell ........ then have communion and chomp a few hot - x - buns to break the fast after the easter service.

And I think to myself – in the words of Marcus – WTF? Where in all the world did that comment come from? What prompted it at all? Did add-on family member and its wife eventually lose their minds and join a cult of some sort? Never in my wildest dreams have I ever said anything about their religion, about my own beliefs, or anything of the sort...

I think they must have because I have NEVER in my life had anyone, even jocular, say anything to me like that. My outrage is genuinely beyond words. What makes me shake my head is that they are Rice Christians – do you know what Rice Christians are? – they “converted” to Christianity to have a white church wedding a few years ago.

At first it was jocular and then in the end, all the dogma sank in. We thought, fantastic, good for them. Fabulous thing to do, get religion, some direction. They have been after all, been living in “sin” and suddenly, once they got engaged and went to church, oops, no sex, sorry. Only for married people. They got married in a hair raising “halleluja” service. She looked lovely in her dress though. And the food was nice. She did swear like a trooper at the party and danced like a mynead. He just leered all the girls and regretted his choice of getting hitched.

Then, they started going to church, for real. Then of course they started on us. Come to church, blah blah. We never took them up on any of their offers. I grew up in a highly Christian household and after 24 years of going to church 3 times a week, teaching Sunday School and singing in the choir, and belonging and running the church youth group, I have had enough. I now believe what I believe, I am a searcher and have read tonnes of books on theology, mysticism, gnostic gospels and everything else I could lay my hands on as I was trying to find something that resonated better than an angry god that hated women, that encouraged bloodshed and did nothing to stop the wars raging across the world. I can form my own opinions now, thank you very much, I don’t need some pretend-priest of some scattered branch of some obscure fragment of a denomination to preach at me and tell me if I don’t repent, I will burn in hell, that as a woman I am worth less than a man and that all we are good for is to support our “men” and be good wives, tending to our many children as birth control is a sin.

And now this email! After a few other veiled comments like this: “maybe you should go to church sometimes, pray for your souls”, I think, said add-on family member can go and fly a kite in a thunderstorm. And the funniest thing is, sober they are religious and don’t swear and behave relatively normally (and listen to nice church approved music) but give them a drink and by the gods, they are back to their old ways, as easy as that, drinking, swearing and smoking and carousing. Rice Christians, they are a funny lot. I am so glad I haven't seen them in almost five years. I don't think I would be able to control myself if I ever had to see them again.

Triskelion Spell - To Protect a Traveller

2006-04-17T21:49:00.000+01:00

This spell is to protect you on your travels.

Background:

The word "triskelion" comes from the Greek language and means "three legged". It is a very old symbol that has been ascribed many meanings through the ages and that is inevitably bound up with the mysterious nature of triplicities.

How to cast the spell:

One pale blue candle, 15 - 20 cm in length

Matches/lighter

One small single scallop shell, drilled

One fine paintbrush

One tube of vermillion paint

One length of 60cm cord

Timing - cast on a waxing moon and on a Sunday, sacred to the sun.

Casting the spell:

Cast a circle
Light the candle saying:

"Hermes of the skies

Hermes the traveller

Look well upon (insert name)

That they are hale going out

And hale coming in."

Paint on the inside of the scallop shell the outline of a triskelion.
Sit in the centre of the circle with the upturned shell in your upturned right palm, which should be placed over your upturned left palm. Close your eyes and visualise the triskelion you have painted spinning clockwise, faster and faster until it is a blur.
When you are ready, blow onto the shell with your breath to bless it with power of air. When the paint dries, threat it with the chord and dip it into natural saltwater at the earliest opportunity.
The triskelion pendant should be worn around the neck of those who would call on its protective powers.

Witchy Con in retrospect...

2006-04-03T21:55:00.000+01:00

Ralph on the far left with Audrey on the far right

Hello fellow crafters

This Saturday past - 1st April - saw the second Witchy Con take place at Wantage in Oxfordshire.

We arrived early enough, got parking and made our way to the Civic Hall where we were met by smiling faces and a very calm Judith of New Moon. We registered, got our name badges and our familiars badges and after pausing at the raffles table to admire all the very pretty prizes, we went upstairs for the opening ceremony. Judith is fantastic as a spokes person. She is funny and warm and had everyone smiling as she invited everyone to shop till they dropped and to attend as many of the talks and workshops as they could.

The whole day went well - she cleverly scheduled a lunch break for everyone and no workshops or talks were held during this time. All of the workshops and talks were free, included in the price of £10, which was a bargain.

Marcus and I attended the first talk of the morning by Sally Morningstar on Wiccan Healing. It was a very solemn talk and I genuinely took some new notions away with me. We wandered away to the dealers room, did a quick scout around and I bought two lovely bracelets - one depicting the 22 major arcana tarot cards and the other a sort of a charm bracelet. There weren't many traders in the hall, but they had good quality goodies and of a varied hue, so that really made a good impression. I shot off to listen to the Ralph Harvey talk whilst Marcus scooted off to take some photos of the Tarot workshop.

Wow - Ralph Harvey is such a genuinely knowledgeable gentleman with a keen sense of humour. And the amount of knowledge he has to draw from 52 years in the craft and with his wife and partner, Audrey they have seen so much and have been the catalysts in the world of the Craft for such a long time, that it was a genuine treat to listen to him. He talked lovingly about his history and told interesting antecdotes of his research. He is the author of a book called The Last Bastion - it explores the history of Witchcraft in England and especially in Sussex - the last county in England to embrace Christianity and the first to re-embrace Witchcraft once the Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1951.

We broke for lunch, came back and I sat in on John Dee's talk on Egyptology. A huge, vast and very interesting subject to cover in an hour. He did his best though and had us lapping it up - his style was humourous and jocular but informative. Yet another person to corner in a pub to sit down and talk to for hours.

John Dee

Afterwards I had the good fortune to sit down and chat with Ralph Harvey and his wife and I must say that they were wonderful. Marcus joined me and we sat, like days of old, before our elders, listening to tales told and of their adventures. I asked Ralph if he would ever consider writing his autobiography and he said no, quite vehemently. He went on to explain that so many things have happened in his life, personal and career wise that most people will expect it to be untrue. He launched into a story that had us gasping with laughter, it was so preposterous, yet true, by all accounts as Audrey backed him up on it. We could see that they were a dynamic couple, having got that intrinsic link that true soul partners have, finishing each other's sentences etc. We must have chatted in excess of forty minutes or so and both Marcus and I came away feeling like we have spent time with two very genuine and lovely people. They invited us to stay in touch - something which I think we will do.

Marcus flitted about, in a manly way, posing people for photographs and general making everyone touch up their make-up. I sat in on part of the Anna Franklin talk and too soon the day was over, with Judith closing the day down. Then the real fun started - the raffle! We all crowded around, around 200 of us, waiting to see if we had won anything. Sadly, my strip I bought came nowhere. However, they did a further draw based on our pre-registered badge numbers and I won! I darted forward and chose a Ly de Angelis book called The Quickening. Exciting stuff! We did a last zoom around the traders hall, waved goodbye to Judith and her team and drove home.

It was a good day. It was well attended, but there is scope for more people to attend. The talks I attended were brilliant and I enjoyed them thoroughly. I will definitely be going again next year.

List of traders attending: http://www.witchycon.co.uk/dealers.htm

Some bragging rights...

2006-03-16T20:33:00.000Z

Image courtesy of: http://www.kristinsweetland.com/onroad2003.htm

Dear friends and visitors

I was struck by the high volume of visits the site has recently had so I did some investigation (because I am vein) and discovered that if you typed in some phrases like Witchy Con (and some others, but since WC is close to our hearts, we'll stick with that example) on Google...well, by Odin's Thunderbolt....our smidge of a website comes up! How unutterably cool and wildly exciting is that!

I thought that it would be really excellent to celebrate that with a recipe for some divine ginger nut and chocolate chip cookies!

Ingredients

2 oz (50 g) dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids), chopped into little chunks

1 slightly rounded teaspoon ground ginger

4 oz (110 g) self-raising flour

½ oz (10 g) cocoa

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 oz (50 g) butter, cut into cubes

1½ oz (40 g) golden granulated sugar

2 oz (50 g) golden syrup (about 2 tablespoons)

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

You will also need a 11 x 16 inch (28 x 40 cm) baking tray lined with baking parchment.

Begin this by sifting the self-raising flour, cocoa, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Then, using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs and next stir in the sugar and chopped chocolate. Now add the golden syrup, then mix everything with a wooden spoon and finish off by squeezing the mixture together with your hands.

After that, divide the mixture into 16, and roll each portion into a ball. Place on the lined baking sheet, very well spaced out as they will spread out quite a bit during cooking, flatten each one slightly, then bake on the centre shelf for 15-20 minutes, or until they have spread out and turned cracked and craggy. Cool on the baking tray for a few minutes then, using a palette knife, remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Witchy Con

2006-02-22T22:56:00.000Z

I am happy and proud to announce that hubby and I will be going to Witchy Con this year. It is only in its second year (I think) but is becoming more popular. It is being held in Wantage and the price for entry is £10 - and this will get you free coffee and tea during the day, free entrance to all workshops and talks and that leaves you extra money to spend on the trading hall. You also get a goodie bag with magazines, book chapters and who knows what else she can rustle up!?

Witchy Con is the brainchild of Judith Lewis ... oh blah, let me just copy and paste the blurb from her website:

WitchyCon is the brainchild of Judith Lewis, a lightly seasoned conrunner (even better in a white wine sauce) and David Row, an overseasoned conrunner. Both have extensive experience creating and running a variety of conventions across different subject matters close to their heart. Having already worked on or with Fantasy, Science Fiction and Anima conventions, one interest was left unconventioned - Paganism, Witchcraft and Magick.

Having experienced a variety of conferences and constantly muttered about how they should have been done differently, the pair have put their money where their mouthes are (and feet and copious amounts of Malteesers) and organized WitchyCon. This convention brings to the pagan market all the things each liked from their respective conrunning experiences.

WitchyCon is meant to be an experience. You do not need to know a single thing about paganism or anything witchy as the whole purpose is to educate in a fun way. Each talk touches upon a different aspect from the world of paganism and presents a great opportunity to learn without needing to know anything before hand. New friends are made, old ones revisited and fun is the theme of the day.

Belated Imbolc Post

2006-02-22T22:42:00.000Z

I must admit to being a lazy mare.

I was so wrapped up in my own things (planning my birthday) at the beginning of February that the Imbolc celebration flew by and I had not given it any thought.

So I thought that I would make up for it quickly before its time to actually post about the Spring Equinox in March!

***

Imbolc (pronounced 'im'olk' also known as Oimelc) comes from an Irish word that was originally thought to mean 'in the belly' although many people translate it as 'ewe's milk' (oi-melc).

Imbolc was one of the cornerstones of the Celtic calendar. For them the success of the new farming season was of great importance. As winter stores of food were getting low Imbolc rituals were performed to harness divine energy that would ensure a steady supply of food until the harvest six months later.Like many Celtic festivals, the Imbolc celebrations centred around the lighting of fires.

Fire was perhaps more important for this festival than others as it was also the holy day of Brigid (also known as Bride, Brigit, Brid), the Goddess of fire, healing and fertility. The lighting of fires celebrated the increasing power of the Sun over the coming months. For the Christian calendar, this holiday was reformed and renamed 'Candlemas' when candles are lit to remember the purification of the Virgin Mary.

Imbolc is still a special time for Pagans. As people who are deeply aware of what is going on in the natural world they recognise that there is strength in cold as well as heat, death as well as life. The Horned God reigns over the Autumn and Winter and and although the light and warmth of the world my be weak he is still in his power. Many feel that human actions are best when they reflect the actions of nature, so as the world slowly springs back into action it is time for the small tasks that are neglected through the busy year. Rituals and activities might include the making of candles, planting spring flowers, reading poetry and telling stories.

***

I must say that reading the last sentence : Rituals and activities might include the making of candles, planting spring flowers, reading poetry and telling stories : has really made me feel tonnes better. That is exactly what I have been doing, besides neglecting my poor witchy site so badly. Writing or rather, telling stories. I am rubbish at writing poetry but reading it is something that I love - hence the random pieces that I post now and again.

So, in theory, eventhough I didn't really do anything consciously for Imbolc I was there, doing my story telling. Now, all I have to do is pay attention to the upcoming celebrations for the rest of the year!

THE SPIRIT GUIDE

2006-02-14T10:29:00.000Z

Thou Spirit of Wisdom who guides me,
From out of the Shining World to attend me,
The shepherding kind of the fold of faerie kin
To make round about me this night;

Drive from me every ill-will and danger,
Surround me on the sea of the unholy,
And in the narrows, crooks, and straits,
Keep thou my coracle, keep it always.

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me,
Be thou a smooth path beneath me,
Be thou a kindly wind behind me,
Today, tonight, and for ever.

And when I grow weary and I become
A stranger in this land,
Lead me to the Land of Promise;
For it is time for me to go home .

Landmark and sacred trees

2006-01-28T01:05:00.000Z

I was looking through all the things I had on my hard drive and found this and thought it might make an interesting read for all my visitors interested in all things green and beautiful.

Landmark and sacred trees of Leicestershire and Rutland
Penny Drayton

Almost universally trees have been venerated and believed to be the dwellings of Tree Spirits, sometimes called Dryads. Deliberately planted groves of sacred trees, such as oak, elder, ash, rowan and hawthorn, were probably the earliest man-made sacred sites. Greek and Roman temples with their columns and decorated capitals may be thought of as an architectural continuation of such groves. Tacitus described the sacred groves in Germany during the Roman period. Closer to home, the importance of tree mythology to the ancient Celts is well-known, in part through Robert Graves' imaginative reconstruction in The White Goddess which explores in detail the tree alphabets and related lore [1].

As late as the eleventh century Cnut was proclaiming laws which prohibited people from owning land which was a sanctuary centred on a tree. St Boniface cursed an oak dedicated to Thunor yet the Old Norse place-name element lundr (meaning '(?sacred) grove' but usually corrupted to 'land' in modern spellings) remains common in England as well as Scandinavia. Many hundred moot places have names ending in '-tree', often prefixed by a personal name, and such names may relate back to the ancient sanctuaries around sacred trees; examples from Leicestershire are given below.

Predictably no trees have survived from pre-christian times and even the Gospel Oaks, where the early missionaries preached, have all gone. The surprisingly abundant evidence for sacred trees comes mostly from place names and folklore as this article will attempt to show, even though it is based only on my researches in Leicestershire and Rutland.

It is worth noting that in Leicestershire the characteristic hedgerow tree is the ash. Oaks and elms have always been less abundant than in most other parts of England. It is difficult to explain this; it may be because the soil conditions were favourable to this species, although there are no surviving woodlands where ash is the predominant species. This part of England was probably largely de-forested before the Roman invasion and all trees and woodland can be regarded as managed rather than natural. Hedgerow trees in particular are usually deliberated planted, or at least deliberately allowed to grow by the hedge trimmer.

Ash makes strong, light timber and excellent fire wood and was no doubt considered a valued species. But could there be deeper reasons for its popularity? It is clear that the ash was sacred to our forefathers - Pliny wrote of their power as protection against snakes and even the shadow cast by an ash was said to be avoided by snakes. The Belgic bronze age invaders apparently worshipped the ash, under the name Gwydion. The Saxons and Danes held ash trees in especial esteem, as Yggdrasill, the Sacred World Tree, was usually described as an ash. Ash is still the favourite wood for walking sticks, a reminder of the tree's power as a sacred ashen spear. Ash was also a favourite herding stick and the proper wood for making shepherds' crooks. A bunch of ash keys was considered a powerful guard against witchcraft.

Whether or not ancient inhabitants of this county encouraged the ash for practical or propitious reasons, they certainly had at least one Great Sacred Grove on the edge of the county. Vernemetum was a Roman town which stood at the crossroads of the Fosse Way and an ancient Salt Way (129:648249) and its name means 'Great (or Especially) Sacred Grove'. This suggests that the site was sacred in late iron age times, presumably being a Druidic grove. Although little archaeological investigation has taken place and nothing is known of its role in the Roman period the site was still important in the later Saxon period as the eighteenth century antiquarian, Stukely, refers to a legend of the ruins of a Saxon church standing in a place known as The Wells. Recent finds by metal detector users seem to confirm the site. On the ridge of the hill, at the crossroads itself, several Saxon barrows were excavated in the 1960s, although the excavation reports have not so far been published.

Moots at trees

As has already been suggested, ancient moot sites may be the last vestiges of ancient sacred enclosures based on tree worship. Towards the south of the county the now-obsolete administrative area of the Gartree Hundred derived its name from geirtre which means 'a tree with an overgrown gash or goitre' - a useful landmark for a moot place. Indeed, throughout Britain '-tree' is a very common part of Hundred names and Leicestershire is certainly no exception. The meeting place of the Sparkenhoe Hundred was probably at Shericles Farm near Desford (140:467026), which derives from scirac meaning "the hundred oak". Another moot took place in Oadby at a place called Spelthorn - 'a thorn where speeches are made'. Framland Hundred derives from 'Faena's grove', which is almost certainly the wood still surviving north of Melton Mowbray at 129:747224. The earlier interpretation of lundr as 'sacred grove' has recently been dismissed by Margaret Gelling, a notable expert on place-names, who interprets the word as simply 'small wood'. Another example of lundr in Leicestershire is Swithland (129:5412); Gelling attributes this to 'burnt-clearing wood' [2].

The meeting place of the Gartree Hundred was well-known as late as the end of the eighteenth century when Nichols described the 'Gartree Bush' in detail. It was situated just to the north of the Roman Road known as Gartree Road and west of the ancient ridgeway running north-south (141:716974)
There is a second Gartree name in Leicestershire, Gartree Hill south of Melton Mowbray (129:760145). Presumably this too was marked by a 'goitred' tree which once had particular significance as a landmark - the hill forms part of the ancient trackway running directly north-south between the hill fort at Burrough on the Hill (761120) and Melton Mowbray.

Oaks

The splendidly suggestive village name of 'Holy Oaks' relates to a now-deserted village south of Stockerston (141:845956). Nothing is known of the origins of this place-name.
Three Shire Oak marked the boundary of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire (130:822429). On earlier maps it is shown as 'Three Shire Bush'. Originally there was also a standing stone here, called the 'Star Stone' which was reputed to have fallen from the sky.
Copt Oak in Charnwood takes its name from a pollarded oak which stood until 1855 in the corner of the churchyard (129:483128). It was said to be two thousand years old. Certainly it was the meeting place for the old forest swanimotes and later was a Civil War rallying point. The church and churchyard are merely nineteenth century intrusions on the site.

White's Directory for 1864 said it was fashioned in the form of a 'Tau' by careful removal of all branches except two. The trunk was said to be 20 feet tall and more than 21 feet in circumference. However an early nineteenth century illustration in Nichols shows only a hollow trunk with small branches growing out of it in a natural manner.
There was at least one other Copt Oak in the county. There is a farm of this name near to Narborough (140:531978).
Abbot's Oak is the name of what is know a farm to the north of Bardon Hill (129:463143) and just up the road from Copt Oak in Charnwood.

In the churchyard of St Peter's, Belgrave (140:5907) was an extremely ancient oak called 'Main Oak'. The churchyard is also reputed to be haunted by a white lady.

When the so-called "nine day's queen", Lady Jane Grey (who actually reigned for thirteen days), was beheaded the oaks at her home in Bradgate Park (129:5311) were reputedly pollarded as a sign of mourning.
An oak was planted in front of the rectory in Burton Overy (141:6798) at the Restoration from an acorn of the famous Boscabel oak. A near neighbour was grown from its acorn on the Diamond Jubilee of Victoria; today only this tree survives.

A so-called Domesday Oak stands near Rutland Water at Edith Weston (141:9205). (Also nearby, at Normanton Park Hotel, is one of Britain's oldest cedar trees.)

Other trees

Between Holywell Haw and Nanpantan to the west of Loughborough there used to stand a 'sweating tree'. It was also distinctive because it blossomed twice a year, in spring and autumn.
An ancient hollow elm used to stand in the churchyard at Sileby (129:600152) from under which the vicar is said to have distributed oranges to children on Whit Monday [5]. Interestingly, the eighteenth century engraving in Nichols does not show such a tree; there is no such tree today.
On a map of 1777 a crossroads in the west of the county is shown as 'Hoo Ash'; this is now the centre of Coalville (129:429141) [4].

References
1: R. Graves, The white goddess, Faber, 1961. 2: M. Gelling, Place-names in the landscape, Dent, 1984. 3: P. Devereux, 'The forgotten heart of Albion, pt1' in The Ley Hunter, No.66, pp9-12, 1975. 4: J.D. Welding (ed.), Leicestershire in 1777, Leicestershire Libraries and Information, 1984. 5: R. Palmer, The folklore of Leicestershire and Rutland, Sycamore Press, 1985.
Originally published in Mercian Mysteries No.9 November 1991.
(image placeholder)

At the Edge home page
http://www.indigogroup.co.uk/edge/

Copyright 1991, 1996, 2001. No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply: a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made.
At the Edge / Bob Trubshaw / bobtrubs@indigogroup.co.uk Created April 1996; updated May 1998

A Litany, a mantra, a plea

2006-01-02T00:54:00.000Z

We stand in your place, Ancestors

We perform your deeds, Ancestors

Do not forget, do not forget,

Let it be these words, Holy Ones,

that my heart sings in my chest.

Do not forget, do not forget,

to walk in the sacred way.

Do not forget, do not forget,

that all I see is sacred.

Do not forget, do not forget,

my sacred duty to the world which surrounds me

Do not forget, do not forget.

Grant me this gift, you whom I worship,

not to forget.

Sacred Texts

2006-01-02T00:13:00.000Z

The website Sacred Texts (link added above) is one of the most valuable tools for those searching out ancient (and recent) knowledge on practically all things. Like the Gutenberg Project they work hard at translating and transcribing ancient texts for public perusal on the Internet. They also sell their handiwork in the form of a CD but unfortunately I am cash poor and can't afford one but have decided to plug them on here instead as I visit the website often enough.

In their own words: This is a quiet place in cyberspaced evoted to religious tolerance and scholarship.

They have articles and translations on subjects as diverse as Atlantis, Buddhism, I Ching, Prophecy, Shamanism, Shinto, Taoism, Thelema and they carry a whole swathe of articles and books on Legends and Sagas of the ancient world. A fantastic website.

I would recommend it to all searchers of knowledge.

Self-Blessing

2006-01-01T23:52:00.000Z

In keeping with it being the New Year and "fixing" ourselves, I thought I would write down a spell which I would be doing for myself this coming year.

I think that sometimes we forget just who and what we are. Stress, worries, rudeness and general nastiness rubs off on us each and every day and sometimes we forget to take that bit of time out to look after ourselves. I admit, it is a but of fluffiness, but the old adage is true...if you are down and out and feeling uch, and people are negative towards you, you will start feeling worse. With this, a little pick-me-up (without drug-use) things might change your outlook.

The time you take to restore yourself is precious. Perform a self-blessing every day.

Take sage and aromatic lavender and tie it in a muslin pouch. Breathe the aroma in three times. Beginning at the top of your head, the crown chakra, pass the pouch down to your feet, gently touching your other sacred chakras: throat, solar plexus, stomach, and pelvis. Then, holding the bag of herbs over your heart, speak aloud.

"Gone are sorrows, illness and woe,
Here wisdom and health begin to flow.
My heart is whole, fills my soul.
Blessed am I."

I have taken this from the Spell Deck - 36 Good Spells for Every Day - by Witch Bree (Brenda Knight) - and mean no infringement on copyright or any such slur.

Lazy

2006-01-01T23:40:00.000Z

I admit to being a very bad girl and not posting here, or on my Musings website for ages. There is no excuse but laziness.

Although, to be fair, I have been spending quite a bit of time working on a story which is growing nicely (10,000 words plus = yay me!) and reading tonnes. As well as cooking, cleaning, catching up with sleep and generally having a lovely amount of down time!

It has been fantastic to just kick back over the past few weeks and relax. It is such a rushed life these days that it hardly ever happens anymore.

With the new year dawned (happy new year, btw!) it is the impetus to work more on the site. Maybe give it a new look for the new year...I will see what I can find. Maybe not one of my own designs, but another one from somewhere else.

But apart from that, more blogs about paganism here in the UK, abroad, spells, walks in the forest, countryside, general thoughts, advice - all such happy things. And, for me, on an esoteric level - my tarot and runes...I MUST do something positive about them. I have got such lovely decks that are just calling out to be used and learned. So, that is my resolution for this year - to become an adept taroist and a helrunar - lots of hard work, but who knows where it might lead!

Yule tidings!

2005-12-17T01:42:00.000Z

In ancient days the folk of old

When chilled with fright by winter's cold

Did kindle up a great Yule fire

With leaping flames in its great pyre;
So to entice the waning sun

To rise again and wider run;

It's fiery course across the sky,

To warm them so they would not die.
So we, whose minds now sense a chill

Of anger in the evil will,

The human conflict, hate, and strife,

Which hold a menace over life;
Would kindle up a flame of love

That we within our hearts may move,

In Yuletide joy, with love embrace

And thus abide in peace and grace.

John MacKinnon

A Walk In The Woods

2005-11-26T23:03:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago I went for a walk at a site that I have never been to even though I have lived most of my life only about five miles away from it. The place is called Sullington Warren, a wooded, heathland area managed by the National Trust. The site also is part of an ancient Bronze-age burial mound. It was rather late in the afternoon when we arrived and there was certainly a chill in the air so it was only to be a quick visit. We were impressed by what we saw and certainly will be returning on a warmer and brighter day.

The trees were mainly Conifers and Oaks with the Heather taking a back-seat at this time of the year. What amazed us was the number of toadstools and different types of fungus growing there in perfect condition. The photo above being one of them, the one and only Fly Agaric fungi (Amanita Muscari). It was amazing to see this one and many others still intact with no damage at all. With the camera we took a few shots in the fading light and was very pleased with the results. When we were staring at these in awe a lady passed by us with her dog making the comment that all we needed now was the fairies to come out and dance for us. The place certainly had that mystical ambience and was for sure a suitable haunt for such a sight. We also saw some very strangle dark purple-coloured toadstools and at that point I wished that we had Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall with us as he would know what they were, are I am sure. Only on his 'River Cottage' TV programme on later that evening he was searching for edible fungi and even had one of his pet pigs looking for truffles in a nearby wood. I certainly know that these lovely Fly Agaric specimens are poisonous, that's for sure! They have been used by shamen and Vikings as hallucigenic drugs but as far as we are concern they are a NO GO.

Also on the site was the remains of an old windmill which sadly got burnt to the ground in the early part of the last century. It is great though to continue finding new places of interest to visit on the doorstep and once again be led on a journey of discovery about the local history. May there always be some secret hollow to find!

Tricksey Faeries

2005-11-23T21:41:00.000Z

Loch Earn, St Fillans, Pertshire

This, also from the Times really interested me - how good that we are standing up for our heritage and beliefs, eventhough, no doubt, the city slickers think it is a "whole bunch of malarky." I would rather be on the safe side!

________________________

Fairies stop developers' bulldozers in their tracks
By Will Pavia and Chris Windle

VILLAGERS who protested that a new housing estate would “harm the fairies” living in their midst have forced a property company to scrap its building plans and start again.

Marcus Salter, head of Genesis Properties, estimates that the small colony of fairies believed to live beneath a rock in St Fillans, Perthshire, has cost him £15,000. His first notice of the residential sensibilities of the netherworld came as his diggers moved on to a site on the outskirts of the village, which crowns the easterly shore of Loch Earn.

He said: “A neighbour came over shouting, ‘Don’t move that rock. You’ll kill the fairies’.” The rock protruded from the centre of a gently shelving field, edged by the steep slopes of Dundurn mountain, where in the sixth century the Celtic missionary St Fillan set up camp and attempted to convert the Picts from the pagan darkness of superstition.

“Then we got a series of phone calls, saying we were disturbing the fairies. I thought they were joking. It didn’t go down very well,” Mr Salter said.

In fact, even as his firm attempted to work around the rock, they received complaints that the fairies would be “upset”. Mr Salter still believed he was dealing with a vocal minority, but the gears of Perthshire’s planning process were about to be clogged by something that looked suspiciously like fairy dust.

“I went to a meeting of the community council and the concerns cropped up there,” he said. The council was considering lodging a complaint with the planning authority, likely to be the kiss of death for a housing development in a national park. Jeannie Fox, council chairman, said: “I do believe in fairies but I can’t be sure that they live under that rock. I had been told that the rock had historic importance, that kings were crowned upon it.” Her main objection to moving the rock was based on the fact that it had stood on the hillside for so long: a sort of MacFeng Shui that many in the village subscribe to.

“There are a lot of superstitions going about up here and people do believe that things like standing stones and large rocks should never be moved,” she said.

Half a mile into Loch Earn is Neish Island. From there the Neish clan set forth to plunder the surrounding country, retreating each time to their island. Early in the 17th century, the MacNabs retaliated from the next valley, carrying a boat over the mountains, storming the island and slaughtering most of the Neishes.

This summer Betty Neish McInnes, the last of that line in St Fillans, went to her grave — but not before she had imparted the ancient Pict significance of the rock to many of her neighbours.
“A lot of people think the rock had some Pictish meaning,” Mrs Fox said. “It would be extremely unlucky to move it.”

Mr Salter did not just want to move the rock. He wanted to dig it up, cart it to the roadside and brand it with the name of his new neighbourhood.

The Planning Inspectorate has no specific guidelines on fairies but a spokesman said: “Planning guidance states that local customs and beliefs must be taken into account when a developer applies for planning permission.” Mr Salter said: “We had to redesign the entire thing from scratch.”

The new estate will now centre on a small park, in the middle of which stands a curious rock. Work begins next month, if the fairies allow.

Pagan beliefs in Mexico and Guatemala

2005-11-23T21:30:00.000Z

I saw this article in the T2 Times supplement and thankfully, they had a link online. It appeared on 17th November 2005.
_______________________

Times2The pagan beliefs that enrich Mexico and Guatemala
Mary Ann Sieghart
Dateline: Oaxaca

It was supposed to be the Day of the Dead, but it turned out to be the Nearly-All-Week of the Dead. Long before real Hallowe’en, Oaxaca’s balconies were draped with life-size skeletons in crazy poses. Even a bench sported a couple of skeletons in conversation, the white one with a moustache tenderly putting his arm round the pink one.

They do death differently in Mexico.

And what a way to do it! Market stalls are piled high with skulls, some made of sugar with brightly coloured icing for eyebrows, others coated in sesame seeds with misshapen peanuts for teeth.

On October 31, the serious celebrations begin with a Day of the Dead breakfast: hot chocolate, sweet bread, and a banana-leaf-wrapped parcel containing chicken in a spicy chocolate sauce. By 10pm we, along with most of Oaxaca, are at the main cemetery, some four miles out of town. There, stilt-walkers arrive in garish costumes, having tottered all the way from the centre. Outside the cemetery, the atmosphere is redolent of an August bank-holiday fair: packed with crowds, the street contains fairground rides and cheap stalls with tacky plastic prizes.

Inside is weirder still. The walls are honeycombed with tombs, a lighted candle in each recess. The graves are decorated with marigolds, lilies and candles. In the far corner is a stage from which a torch singer, dressed in Morticia Addams make-up and ghostly robe, belts out a cabaret number. Then a troupe of actors dressed as angels performs a slapstick comedy, hitting each other over the head with balloons.

It is as if you can feel the pagan Mexico thrusting its way up through the crust of Catholicism.

You sense this most powerfully in the indigenous Indian communities. We move on to the cemetery in Xoxocotlan, an outlying Indian village. There the ground is bright orange, even in the middle of the night, for the carpet of marigolds, spiked by beer and Coke bottles, is so brightly lit by candles. Around each intricately decorated grave sit the relatives of the dead person, eating, drinking and chatting for all the world as if this were a normal family picnic.

There’s a carnival feel to the way the Mexicans approach death, a sense of delicious expectation that the spirits of your loved ones will return to visit you if you tempt them with an offering of their favourite tipple. The atmosphere is not grave at all. For, if you believe that your ancestors are present in your everyday life, why should you be gloomy in remembrance of them?

The Mayan Indians, who predominate in Mexico’s Chiapas and Guatemala, are highly spiritual and nominally Catholic, for the Spanish conquistadors imposed their religion on the indigenous people just as they imposed everything else. Every cemetery is a thicket of crosses; every village contains a church. The casual eye might mistake this for Catholic piety. But the Maya, who craft colourful masks to sell at market, have turned Catholicism into a mask of its own. From the outside, each church looks like a standard Spanish place of worship. Go inside, though, and you often discover that it is being used instead as a Mayan temple.

In the church of Chamula, up in the mountains of Chiapas, the pews and altar have gone and the floor is carpeted with pine needles. Candles burn all over the floor. Dotted about are families who have paid a shaman to cure them. He feels the ill person’s pulse and then conducts the appropriate ritual: passing eggs in a pattern over their body, sacrificing a chicken and then spitting firewater or Coke over the dead bird, chanting prayers and lighting coloured candles.

The sight is as pagan as it is heartening. After more than 300 years of oppression at the hands of Christians, these people have co-opted the religion and reclaimed it for themselves. The churches have no priests and conduct no services. The Indians don’t read the Bible. The Vatican has sundered relations with them. But they are still deeply religious people. For them, Jesus is the God of the Sun, and Mary of the Moon. The saints represent more minor Mayan gods.

The Mayas’ main worry is that modern evangelism is trying to replicate the conquest that Catholicism attempted in the 17th century. Evangelical missionaries are gaining hold in Mayan villages, and demanding that converts relinquish their traditional beliefs.

It would be a tragedy if they succeeded. These indigenous people have fought so hard for so long not to join the Western world. As we saw on the Day of the Dead, Mexico and Guatemala are enriched, not impoverished, by their pagan beliefs. If the brutal Spanish conquerors failed to extinguish these noble people, surely the modern world should be broadminded enough to allow them their difference. You can’t help thinking: why can’t the Church just leave these people in peace?

Dig this buried treasure...
When I spoke of paganism lying just below the surface in Mexico, I wasn’t aware of how literally this was true — until we took a bus journey to the Guatemalan border. On our right lay a spine of absurdly conical foothills, like the overlapping triangular mountains you see on the horizon in children’s drawings. Closer up were smaller hillocks, also surprisingly symmetrical. One was not even triangular, but trapezoid, with sloping shoulders and a flat top.

The bus driver gestured casually in their direction. “That’s an archeological site,” he told us. The triangular hillocks, it turned out, were actually Mayan Mayan pyramid temples, overgrown with grass and trees. Talk about buried treasure. What a shame the Mexicans can’t afford to excavate it.

Sonnet of the Moon

2005-11-17T23:02:00.000Z

Sonnet of the Moon
by Charles Best, 1608

Look how the pale Queen of the silent night
doth cause the ocean to attend upon her,
and he, as long as she is in sight,
with his full tide is ready here to honor;

But when the silver waggon of the Moon
is mounted up so high he cannot follow,
the sea calls home his crystal waves to morn,
and with low ebb doth manifest his sorrow.

So you that are sovereign of my heart
have all my joys attending on your will,
when you return, their tide my heart doth fill.
So as you come and as you depart,
joys ebb and flow within my tender heart.

Yet another look!

2005-11-12T18:53:00.000Z

I felt creative today and created another look for the website, probably more in keeping with its The Old Ways title.

Do let me know if you approve - I have redone the links and the archives work - yippee! - so, all in all it should be fine.

Books From Childhood

2005-11-08T23:24:00.000Z

When I was young, many moons ago! I read alot of books from the very small, local library. I loved mysterious, magical stories, what a surprise! The following books had a real impact on me and all have been read over and over again :-

Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh
The Kingdom Of Carbonel By Barbara Sleigh
Carbonel & Calidor by Barbara Sleigh
The Witch In The Summerhouse by Pamela Oldfield
The Weird Stone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
The Owl Service by Alan Garner
The Moon of Gomrath by Alan Garner

Carbonel is my favourite children's book. Barbara Sleigh's writing is fantastic but with an innocence that went with the time it was written. First published in 1955 and first read by me about 20 years later. It tells the story of a little girl and her magical adventures with a very special black cat. I was so pleased to buy a copy of it about two years ago from Ebay, sad I know but it was so lovely to read it again and also see the great illustrations by V.H Drummond. It was a real trip back into time for me. She wrote at least two other follow-up books which I also enjoyed, as per the list above. Sadly Barbara passed away in 1982 but she did so having bought much joy to many children like myself.

The Witch In The Summerhouse was amazing, I really did read that about 8 times. It was first published in 1976 and Pamela Oldfield has captured the 70's so well too in this story. It is abit more modern in style and more gritty, if that is the right word. The story revolves around a witch called Hepzibah and a girl called Emma who discovers her snoozing in the summerhouse.
Again I obtained a copy of this one and it sits on my bookshelf, I've not read it again yet but I will very soon. It has alot of sentimental value attached to it for me, probably because it represents the time I was growing up in the 70's and village life as I knew it then.

Alan Garner is an amazing writer, I can't praise him enough. The Weird Stone Of Brisingamen was a joy to read and made me hunger for more magical adventure. Forget Harry Potter, this is the bees knees. First published in 1960 and first read by me about 15 years later. The amazing maps incorporated into his books just make them more appealing and the fact that most of the action takes place at real places and sites not fictional ones adds to the enchantment even more so. He is now seen I believe as rather a cult author and his books are very popular, this does not surprise me at all. These books can sweep you away to other dimensions and yet still feel very real and give you that down-to-earth quality. I know they certainly made me look round at my locality, question more about the land and what really lies beyond the hills and mounds. Can there be wizards living on the moat near where I live? Are they in caves under the hill? What is the history of these places? The books made me want to know more about local folklore and legend. If anyone has the chance, read one of Alan's books, as for certain you will be taken on one hell of a magical journey, child and adult alike.

Goddess Power, by Fiona Horne

2005-11-06T00:10:00.000Z

I have only got one book by Fiona Horne called Pop goes the Witch, but I have heard her talks and seen her perform at the Witchfest festival in Croydon. She is a modern face to witchcraft, sexy, self-assured, very much out of the broom closet, with a string of articles and succesful books behind her name. I have sourced this article from her website (I am setting a link up with the others) and trust she won't mind this posted here. The article is from June 1998 for the magazine New Woman.

Witches sure ain't what they used to be, forget broomsticks and black cats - these days women are using witchcraft for self-development and spiritual growth.Today there is a growing wave of women from all walks of life declaring themselves witches. Witchcraft, or more specifically Wicca, is one of the fastest growing religious trends in Australia. Not surprising when you consider that Witchcraft is a goddess-oriented religion that places emphasis on the sacredness and legitimacy of female power.

Goddess's truth

In the growing popularity of Wicca, women are finding they can explore their spirituality in a welcoming and empowering environment. After a history of having to relate to the Divine as masculine, acknowledging the omnipresent existence of a goddess can have a profound effect on a woman's psyche. It can expand our view of ourselves to include a greater understanding of our potential, our abilities and our purpose. As Lee, a 27-year-old office manager says, "Wicca gives me freedom of belief, freedom of worship and freedom to be myself. It allows me to experience the mystery of being female. In Wicca, women are not treated as second class. There is balance between male and female in that they are complementary and both wonderful".

The magical mystery tour

Doing spells and rituals to effect change and growth in my life has made me feel more alive, the world became an exciting playground of opportunity and potential, much as it had probably appeared to me when I was a young child, before the demands of society started to oppress me.

The emphasis Wicca places on the sacredness of the earth and magical ritual is relevant in a time of global crisis. As 21-year-old student, Sandra says, "The rituals of Wicca make everyday tasks seem meaningful. I feel involved in my life, I feel like I have a say in the way it turns out. I have a responsibility as a human to care for the earth, to work towards healing the damage done by year of patriarchal irresponsibility. It isn't always easy but I know I can made a difference."

Twelve years ago there was plenty of information around about the Craft, but still a lot of misinformation prevalent in the community, chiefly that witches were either "devil worshippers" or kooky eccentrics. I could understand people's confusion in thinking witches were evil and in league with the devil, after so many years of sensational misrepresentation in films and media, but I never felt intimidated by this. It was very clear to me that Satan, being a Christian god, had nothing to do with my religion, and the individuals were far from eccentric. In fact they were mostly very thoughtful and creative people that were going to a lot of effort to re-establish a healthy and vital spiritual tradition.

It's a woman's world

Having been raised a Catholic I was brought up to have an ambivalent attitude towards my sexuality. As much as it was an essential and inseparable part of me, it was also owned by the Church, which declared it sinful and gave as a role model for women the sexless Virgin Mary - not even in conceiving a child did she indulge in the physical act of sex. She had no say in anything - God decided she would bear and raise his child and that was that. She was just a vessel for his demands. This attitude crossed over into all areas of my life. I lived in a society created mostly by men, for men and I was answerable to the demands they placed on me. I was brought up to feel uncomfortable with and ashamed of menstruation and other female bodily functions. I was unhappy with my physical appearance and I spent a lot of my time feeling trapped in my imperfect, "dirty" body.

Wicca encourages women to have a very different view of our bodies and ourselves. The creation myths vary according to different traditions, but all unite in the belief that the world was given birth to by a Mother Goddess and so a woman's ability to conceive and give birth to a child is considered one of the most holy and powerful acts that a human can perform. Far from a woman's body being seen as unclean, it is an expression of the Divine, menstruation is revered as a symbol of life, and sex between female and male is referred to as the Great Rite, symbolic of the union of Goddess and God.

The respect for women in Wicca extends far beyond sex and physical functions. Women are seen as essential in the priesthood and play a pivotal role in decision-making and expounding of Craft principles in spiritual and everyday life.

Witchcraft liberates women from stereotypes by providing the Goddess as a role model. It emphasises that the Goddess does not live outside us by within us and within everything. No matter what a woman's role in society - mother, daughter, sister, wife, lover, colleague, friend - she can be empowered by the knowledge that she is an expression of the Divine.
In the cut throat world of business this profound sense of self can come in hand as Lisa, 29, an advertising executive states. "Wicca empowers me as a woman so I don't feel as threatened by men. When I'm at work I don't buy into men's power games. I know that they have been conditioned to be that way and I don't take it personally. When I am treated in a sexist way I know they are saying more about their inadequacies than mine. I just get on with the job."

Sense of community

Hawthorn, 41, has been a Wiccan high priestess for over 10 years and was drawn to Paganism and Wicca because it seemed "more natural". Her interest ultimately led to her forming her own coven in the western suburbs of Sydney. In this time she became aware of the need for a gathering focusing specifically on women's needs and so created the bi-annual women-only gathering "Wemoon".

"Most of the Wiccan rituals are mixed, but on one particular occasion a group of women broke away to do their own. When it came time to rejoin the group no-one wanted to. They had connected as a community of women and they wanted to keep that feeling. I thought, 'Why not have a weekend where we don't' have the responsibility of children or husbands or work?' And so Wemoon was born from that."

The first Wemoon was held in November 1995, and attracted over 50 participants. Explains Hawthorn, "The women who came were quite a cross-section - young girls, older women, mothers, career women - from every walk of life and every income bracket. Initially, when the women joined as a group of strangers they were wary of each other, but in a very short time they were no longer rivals, they had become 'sisters'.

"Wemoon is growing and that's important to me. It's good to watch beaten, bowed women come in and at the end of the weekend walk out with their shoulders back and heads up - looking the world in the balls."

The Numbers

Professor Gary Bouma of Monash University recently analysed 1996 census data and concluded that "nature-based religions are by far the fastest-growing religious groups in Australia." Of these groups, Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism form the core. Between the 1991 census and the 1996 census there was a 150 per cent growth rate in these groups. The Church of Wicca is a legally recognised religious institution based in Western Australia and established nationally. Its coordinator Tamara Von Forslun states that, "there has been a phenomenal increase in interest in the last few years. We have over 5,000 registered with us as members, with many of these people going on to initiate and priesthood levels."

Wicca World Witchcraft has many different paths (life there are many types of Christians - Catholics, Anglicans, etc). The most popular path is Wicca.

Wicca is a pagan religion, meaning that Wiccans feel lover for and a connection with nature and see it as sacred. Wiccans worship two early forms of deity, the Great Mother Goddess and her consort the Horned God, but is goddess-centred and welcomes men and women. Wiccans celebrate eight religious festivals a year, called sabbats, and these are based on the passing of the seasons and agricultural cycles, like the sowing and harvesting of crops, and astronomical events, like the solstices and equinoxes. Some Wiccans do not use the word witch to describe themselves, but many do, particularly women. This is seen as an attempt to reclaim the word, as it has become associated with negative stereotypes of women. When a woman called herself a witch she is confronting patriarchal society's prejudice towards independent and empowered women.

One Woman's Wicca

Wendy Rule is a witch who, as a popular singer and performer, lives very much in the public eye. Her third album, Deity, has just been released and she is touring nationally with her band. She is also the mother of a beautiful five-year-old boy.

"In being Wiccan I get a personal sense of the sacredness of being female. I feel we are all a manifestation of the Goddess as much as the earth is and we can tap into our connection with nature for self-healing and growth. To me, music and Wicca are inseparable. In my music I am trying to convey my true sense of soul and being, and because my spiritual beliefs are so central to my life, the two heighten each other.

"It's a lovely faith to be passing on to a child. He is only five and as such I don't involve him in my formal rituals, but I take great joy in loving nature with him - showing him insects and flowers and sitting through sunrises and sunsets together. he know that anything that grows on the earth is sacred - you don't hurt a tree because you would be hurting the Goddess.

"Being a witch I am really into personal growth and it is wonderful to see my son evolving and to have a hand in it. Positive thinking helps both of us and I am very aware of the power of the word. One of the basic principles of spell-working is 'whatever you say you can manifest', so I never put down or criticise my son. I state affirmations with him; they're like little spells in that, if I tell him he's a lovely child, then he acts like one.

"A lot of my son's relatives are Christian. I explain to him that I see Jesus as just one aspect of the God, and Mary as just one aspect of the Goddess. They are both valid but not necessarily the whole picture. I do not tell him he's Wiccan, he is just brought up to believe that the earth and nature are beautiful and sacred; it's important to respect other and the Goddess and God exists in everything. I hope I am teaching him a sense of self that will empower him to ultimately follow his own soul."

Cat

2005-11-05T23:48:00.000Z

Cats have been seen by many societies as sacred animals. The ancient Egyptians had the two-headed cat goddesses called Bast and Sekhmet for example. The have been the one animal that has been continously linked with witches throughout the ages. One thing that many people find mystical about cats is the fact that they stay aloof and are not up for training, they are free spirits often treating their owners, if that is the right word as hoteliers as they will do as they please. This to many people is endearing and yet to others just plain annoying and selfish. As a person bought up with cats and with a cat-mad family I can only say that I adore them.

There are many, many myths, legends and supersitions linked to them. Black cats in this country are generally seen as lucky where as white cats are not. In Egypt it was believed that the cat was the only animal that could safely lead the souls of the dead through the underworld into paradise. A Malayan tribe had similar beliefs and stated that if anyone killed a cat they would be punished in the next life. Many people believed that witches could turn into cats and they would meet up with other witches on night escapades. They are linked heavily to many other goddesses including Freya, Black Annis and Liberty. Sadly, cats like many innocent people were tortured and killed by witch-hunters in Europe during the middle ages. Many of these hunters believed that any woman owing a cat was a witch and the two had to be destroyed, usually having to be burned together.

The relationship between cats and humans stems back years. Infact very recently a burial site dating back 9500 years was found in Cyprus containing both human and feline bones. There was no sign of sacrifice and all the evidence indicated that the cat had been buried alongside it's human companion.

I enjoy their mystery and the myth attached to them, it suits them well. I have seen cats sitting on window sills watching leaves being thrown around by Autumn breezes, they sit for what seems an age with that wise and intense expression on their face. What are they thinking? What are they seeing? Where do they go when they enter that trance-like state? I remember my Aunt stating that her cat would often hiss at something in the corner of their kitchen, there was nothing there to the human eye so what could he see? I remember my own cat making such a fuss when I was alone crying one night after watching a sad film just after I had split up with an old boyfriend. I was sitting on the floor with leaning on a large foot-rest making when she came rushing into the room jumping onto the foot-rest right next to me. She was purring and rubbing her head on mine, it was the oddest thing as she was also looking at me very intensely. Infact it made me laugh because it was so strange but she made me feel alot better and I have no doubt that she knew that I was upset and wanted to comfort me. I never forgot that and afterwards pretended several times to cry to show relatives her reaction but of course she was too wise, she knew I was acting and would just look at me with that disdainful look probably thinking 'stupid girl, do you think I'm falling for that?'.

There is so much more to say and so much we do not know about these amazing creatures. Like dogs and many other animals they can trace their way back home when taken away from their normal environment and have the ability to pick up on bad vibes from those around them. For me to know what they know and to see what they see I would believe myself to be a true genius and mystic but alas only being a modern human that is never going to be possible. Long ago our ancestors where much more 'in tune' with the land and nature and I am sure shared similar skills that our animal friends still have today. Unfortunately we have been taken over by this industrious, techno world where money and greed to many are the new Gods and we have lost the ability to connect to the earth's energy and the power of nature.If only we could just occasionally see the world from the eyes of one of our animal friends may be then we could appreciate what we really have. Then we would then treat our earth with the respect it really does deserve.

Urban Shaman

2005-11-05T23:17:00.000Z

This is an article which I found whilst looking around on the Llewelyn Publishers's website. It had been written by T Polkinghorne at the beginning of this year. He refers to a book called Urban Primitive in his article which I do not have a copy of but I liked the premise behind this article. I post it as something to wonder about mostly, as I have realised that I too sometimes idealise the countryside and forget that no matter where you are you can sit down and commune with the divine.

There is a tendency among modern Pagans - many of whom live in cities - to revere the wilderness as a source of magical power and dismiss the cities in which they live as spiritually dead places. The city is simply a place where they live and work, while the countryside is a sacred place to travel to and perform rituals. The idea that magic can be performed in the city using tools and ingredients native to that environment are one often ignored by many spiritually inclined Pagans. But spells can still be cast while doing the washing up, and Pagans can still revere their Gods from the city.

Pagans and the City

Pagans are often predisposed to romanticize the countryside, while shunning the city. There is a good example of this in an anecdote from the introduction of Urban Primitive by Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartztein. Schwartztein recalls spending time at a camp listening to a fellow Pagan praise the countryside while simultaneously dismissing the city as a dead cold place. I believe that this dismal view of the city is partly a result of the stressful pace of modern life. Life in the city can also feel alienating, which is a problem for Pagans especially. Many Pagans seek to overcome feelings of alienation by joining covens and re-enacting ancient rituals, signalling a desire to return to the communal values of agricultural society. In these practices, the patriarchal values of the city are often attacked and the rejected feminine is exalted.

This, I believe, is where a rose-tinted view of the country comes from - despite the fact that living from the land is not always as idyllic as it is often presented. The natural setting is merely serving as a ritual backdrop - one as symbolic as the items placed upon the altar. To many Pagans, the city represents repressed aspects of human nature; the rejected feminine; repressive patriarchal values; monotheistic religion; and the soul-destroying aspects of modern life. The country is the antithesis of these negative concepts, and is idealized for it.

Few Pagans actually take this reverence for nature a step further and go out to live in the countryside, or even become activists. There are groups who seek to unite their reverence for nature with magical practice. For example, the Dragon Network is an organization of Pagans who practice magic as a form of ecological protest. But the majority of neo-Pagans consist of urban dwellers, so it is not surprising that many Pagans are distant from rural life. While it is commendable to try to get out to the country, protest on behalf of the environment, or live off the land, it does not mean the city should be shunned as a source of magical power.

What some members of the neo-Pagan scene forget is that many of the ancient Pagans from whom they draw inspiration from were city-dwellers. Whole cities in Ancient Egypt and Greece were built around temples dedicated to Gods and Goddesses before the advent of monotheistic religions. The Egyptians built Karnak around the temple of Amun, that city’s patron god. In ancient Greece, legend stated that deities would often compete over the patronage of cities. Athena and Poseidon were said to compete for the patronage of the city of Athens. These and countless other examples show that the practice of Paganism was not restricted to the country by our ancestors. The use of the country as a ritual backdrop is a modern invention, and we do not have to stick to it for fear of breaking tradition. In fact, breaking tradition may be necessary at times for practicality, especially for the urban Pagan.

Urban Primitive encourages a shift in attitude in the neo-Pagan scene by depicting the city as a spiritual being in itself. While Paganism has traditionally personified the Earth as a sacred Mother figure, Kaldera and Schwartztein’s recommend viewing the city in the same way. The city is spoken to as a living entity in itself. Buildings are addressed in the same manner that some Pagans would address or perform rituals around trees or stone circles. Spirits inhabit inner city areas, just as faeries live in woods and forests. The shades of the dead crowd our hospitals. Subways become entrances to the Underworld.

The authors do not go as far as romanticizing the city. Kaldera compares his time living in the city to a prison sentence. Cities are regarded as "boils upon the ass of Gaea," being a major source of pollution. In this way, reverence for nature is not dispensed with. But despite acknowledging the often soul-destroying nature of city life, Urban Primitive shows how a magical life can be led anywhere.

Magic can be used for survival, utilizing whatever tools are available in your environment. This can be seen as a shamanic approach; our ancestors often resorted to using whatever means they had at their disposal to survive. At a time when the science and technology had not yet been developed to make things comfortable for humans, the shamans improvised.

Spells and Divination

Casting spells for mundane purposes is frowned-upon in some circles as "low magic" or even "black magic." Those who practice what is known as "High Magic" regard magic as something that should only be performed for moral or pure purposes - such as spiritual evolution. But in Urban Primitive, spells are cast for everyday objectives such as getting a job. Using magic for the practicalities of modern living is important to the modern Pagan or magician. Our worries differ from those of the ancients; we no longer have to be wary about being mauled by vicious animals, attacked by neighbouring tribes. But modern living provides its own set of difficulties to accompany its comforts. We have employers to appease, livelihoods to maintain, kids to feed. When practical solutions are hard to come by, then what is the harm in casting a spell?

Urban Primitive describes a range of simple spells that can be cast with everything from simple household items to things to you can find in a trashcan. Chapter Eight categorizes certain kinds of trash you find in cities into the four traditional elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Broken glass can be used as a simple athame. Gum wrappers and bird feathers can be incorporated into spells.

The book also describes various uses for bottles in spells, ranging from protection to getting someone to look favourably upon you to communing with spirits. I have used bottle spells in the past for improving relationships. The suggested technique is simple. It involves taking a piece of paper and drawing a picture or a representative symbol of the person you’re having trouble with. Even their name or initials will do if you are stuck for inspiration. You will also need a sellable bottle filled with water and a handful of sugar (or something just as sweet).

1. Perform your usual ritual opening and focus on that piece of paper as containing your conflict-person's essence. It might help if you have a small photograph, piece of clothing, or a similar link to accompany the paper as an aid to concentration.

2. Once you have finished concentrating on the symbolic representation of your target, place it within the bottle. Then take a handful of sugar (or whatever substitute you are using) and pour it inside the bottle.

3. Seal the bottle and then shake it while chanting your intent, which could be a simplified statement of intent such as: "[insert name of person] loves me." Or you can make a whole song out of it. Do whatever inspires you.

4. Once you feel the spell to have reached its maximum intensity through the shaking and chanting, put down the bottle and end the ritual.

5. Hide the bottle in a dark place, like a cupboard or under your bed.

I have used this simple technique to good effect with certain friends or colleagues. This is just one of many examples of how spells can be cast from the materials that can be found in your home, probably waiting to be thrown in the bin.

Divination is another practice that can be performed with items you can find in the city. Traditional divination techniques provide convenient sets of symbols that can answer questions or make predictions about future events. The Tarot has the major and minor arcana; the I Ching has 64 Hexagrams. Systems such as these divide life experience into segments, and create symbolic images associated with each segment. These images are things that our subconscious minds understand, and divination has its source in these unconscious impulses. Our subconscious communicates to us in the language of symbols.

Once a symbol is firmly entrenched in the unconscious through repeated association with an aspect of our experience, the subconscious can communicate with us through those symbols. This is often the case with dreams. If you associate a person you know with something negative - say anger or depression - then that person may crop up in your dreams as a symbol of a negative aspect of yourself. And if you repeatedly associate the Tarot’s Tower Card with conflict, it might just mean that when the card turns up in a reading.

There is a mention in Urban Primitive of trash divination, which is something I have practiced in my own way. Each time I head for the bus stop every day before work, I treat the journey as an "omen walk." Just as the Druids made predictions from weather conditions, so it is possible to find symbolism in random objects that catch your eye in the road, or in the sky. This can be a natural phenomenon, like an unusual cloud formation or the behavior of local wildlife. Or it can be man-made, like an advertisement on the side of a bus giving you the answer to something you've had on your mind, or a song on the radio that tells if you are going to have a good night out or not. A design on an empty bag of chips that drifts your way may tell you if you're going to get a promotion or get fired at work. It is simply a matter of keeping your mind open to these things.

As soon as you leave the house, simply tell yourself that you will be open to any omens that come your way. Do not look for them - that is something you should be doing on a subconscious level, not a conscious one. The conscious mind is not very good at these things. Keep your mind focused on reaching the bus stop on time, or a problem that has been bothering you. If you can, silence your thoughts completely as you walk. Once you see something that you feel might be an omen, ponder its meaning if you do not know what that meaning is. This method is very freeform - it’s similar to traditional divination techniques such as scrying and dream interpretation. The form it takes may be different from how it was performed in older agricultural societies, but the principles behind it remain.

Magical Living

Another way in which the city can take on a more magical appearance is through seeing the different areas and places as being associated with the elements, or any other system you use to structure your magical universe. Kaldera and Schwartztein conceptualise phone lines, modems, and gas lines as being homes for Air elementals. Power stations house Fire elementals. City trees and parks house Earth elementals. Water elementals live in the plumbing. By making offerings to them, seeking to commune with them and working magic by enlisting their aid, the city can become magical. If you like, you don't have to work with the simple Four/Five element scheme. You can attribute the spheres from the Cabalistic Tree of Life to certain areas of the city. Even the traditional symbolism of the seven planets can be used in this manner. The possibilities are endless. Any environment you live in can take on a magical tinge - it simply depends on how you look at it.

Magic is more than a mere interest or hobby to those who actually practice it, although it may start that way. It is not something do on the weekend - an excuse to drive off to the country to dance around a bonfire, and then forget about it when you return to the office. Even if you do not take a religious attitude to it, magic is something that informs your whole worldview and lifestyle. It is a paradigm in itself, and affects the practitioner's worldview in the same way that the thought-processes of religious fundamentalists and atheists affect theirs. Spells and rituals have an even more important use to the urban practitioner with difficulties on the domestic or career front and can see no practical way to deal with them. Magic should not simply be left to the sacred grove - it has just as much validity in an inner-city studio apartment, or whatever environment you happen to be occupying.

In regards to our environment as sacred and learning to recognize the magical currents that underlie it, we are doing the same things our ancestors did anyway. Although we live in a wilderness of steel and stone rather than plant and tree, the principles behind human need and desire remain more or less the same. The same ideas that motivated ancient Pagans motivate modern Pagans - survival in a potentially hostile place, and the need for something sacred in their lives.

Men A Tol - Cornwall

2005-11-05T22:20:00.000Z

I was so happy to discover our own pictures of the men-a-tol which we took about three years ago on one of our many visits to the West Country.

On this occasion it was our very first time - we were staying in the perfect Cornish cottage just outside of Tintagel. We set off early the morning towards Penzance, Lands End, Mousehole and St Michael's Mount.

We were out the whole day, utterly blown away (especially at Lands End, as the wind was very strong) by the beauty of the countryside and the sheer majesty of the windswept moors and of the views of the ocean.

Towards the end of the day, as we were leaving Lands End, we decided it would be bright idea to visit the men-a-tol. We had a vague idea where it was. We set off just as the mist came folling in across the sea. We got horribly lost, found ourselves on a farm and I had to jump out of the jeep and go ask directions from a very amused farmer as he was herding his cows into their hold. Armed with directions, we set off down tiny countrylanes with no cars coming past, ahead or behind us. Eventually, through the mist, we spotted a sign that read Men A Tol. We veered off the road and parked on a muddy track. An arrow pointed up a desolate farmtrack so rutted I sank knee-deep into some of the holes.

We smiled nervously at one another and decided to go ahead and do it - how far could it be, afterall? After what felt like an hour's worth of hiking up this farm road, high foliage on either side with the far-off lowing of cattle for even more ambiance with mist coming in even thicker than before, there was another small sign that pointed to a step over a fence on the right. We followed this. The shrubs and plants were almost as tall as I am as we made our way along. There was no one around. It was just M and myself. The silence was a balm and as we walked along the mist dragged its damp fingers catsoft across our faces.

Unexpectedly, the three stones loomed at us. We stopped and stared. It was like something out of a Hollywood special effects department. The setting was one of those truly perfect moments. We moved closer, in awe of this ancient place, knowing that we were in the presence of something other, a sacred place.

Others had been there before us that day. They had left tiny offerings at the base of the hole-stone; tiny flowers picked from the surrounding countryside, bread crumbs and even some small coins. I remember thinking about these previous visitors and wondered what they had asked for as they left their gifts. M and I wandered around and decided that it would only be beneficial to us and we crawled through the stone a few times and walked in a sunwise circle about the stones. A feeling of sheer euphoria and breathlessness came over me and I had to sit down for a bit. It was as if the scene had been set, exclusively for us. It was perfect. I can't remember feeling healthier or happier than I ever did sitting there with the mist rolling in over us.

We left our own offerings after staying our fill and made our way back to the car, a bit quiet but so obviously touched by being there - I know, it sounds kooky and dramatic but it was exactly as I tell it. I can't remember ever feeling so in touch with the raw energy of the world, not even at my first ever visit to Stonehenge.

Our journey back to the car seemed closer and by now not only was the mist quite thick, it had gone quite dark. I pushed thoughts of creatures in the bush out of my mind but was nevertheless relieved to pull the car-door closed behind me.

We left, feeling smug and very content, and after a few minutes drive something loomed at us out of the dark on the left hand side. Set in a small field we found another ancient tomb, this time much larger and even more eerie than you could make up. We parked the car hurriedly and clambered over a fence to go and inspect it. I didn't think that any of the pictures would come out, but they did.

And then, to crown it all, we had a full moon that night. She raced us home. We sat outside in the cottage's paddock and had some fiery whisky and toasted her. I swear she blinked at us.

Ancient Sites - Avebury

2005-11-05T21:51:00.000Z

Last year, during our very brief summer hubby and I drove out to Avebury where we met up with Viv. It was my first ever visit to Avebury and I was surprised by the sheer size of the area and how pretty the town itself is. We wandered about, touching the stones, marvelling at the scale of the circle. I freely admit to not knowing a lot about it, so I have done a bit of research on the site and found out sufficient knowledge to share with others.

Ninety miles west of London and twenty miles north of Stonehenge stands Avebury, the largest known stone ring in the world. Older than the more famous Stonehenge, and for many visitors far more spectacular, the multiple rings of Avebury are cloaked with mysteries which archaeologists have only begun to unravel.

Similar to Stonehenge and many other megalithic monuments in the British Isles, Avebury is a composite construction that was added to and altered during several periods. As the site currently exists, the great circle consists of a grass-covered, chalk-stone bank that is 1,396 feet in diameter (427 meters) and 20 feet high (6 meters) with a deep inner ditch having four entrances at the cardinal compass points. Just inside the ditch, which was clearly not used for defensive purposes, lies a grand circle of massive and irregular sarsen stones enclosing approximately 28 acres of land. This circle, originally composed of at least 98 stones but now having only 27, itself encloses two smaller stone circles. The two inner circles were probably constructed first, around 2600 BC, while the large outer ring and earthwork dates from 2500 BC. The northern circle is 320 feet in diameter and originally had twenty-seven stones of which only four remain standing today; the southern circle is 340 feet across and once contained twenty-nine stones, of which only five remain standing.

The construction of the Avebury complex must have required enormous efforts on the part of the local inhabitants. The sarsen stones, ranging in height from nine to over twenty feet and weighing as much as 40 tons, were first hewn from bedrock and then dragged or sledded a distance of nearly two miles from their quarry site. These stones were then erected and anchored in the ground to depths between 6 and 24 inches. The excavation of the encircling ditch required an estimated 200,000 tons of rock to be chipped and scraped away with the crudest of stone tools and antler picks (there is some evidence that this ditch was once filled with water, thereby giving the inner stone rings the appearance of being set upon an island). From excavation and soil resistivity studies it is known that the three rings originally contained at least 154 stones of which only 36 remain standing today. There are three reasons for the disappearance of these stones. In the 14th century, and perhaps earlier, the local Christian authorities, in their continuing effort to eradicate any vestiges of 'pagan' religious practices, toppled, broke up and buried many stones. Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, still more of the remaining stones were removed from their foundations. Crops could then be planted in these areas and the massive stones could be broken into smaller pieces to be used for the construction of houses and other buildings.

In the early years of the 18th century, however, the general outline of the Avebury temple was still visible. Dr. William Stukeley, an antiquarian who frequently visited the site in the 1720's, watched in dismay as the local farmers, unaware of the cultural and archaeological value of the ancient temple, continued with its destruction. For over thirty years Stukeley made careful measurements and numerous drawings of the site, drawings that are today our only record of both the immense size and complexity of the ancient temple. Stukeley was the first observer in historical times to clearly recognize that the original ground plan of Avebury was a representation of the body of a serpent passing through a circle and thus forming a traditional alchemical symbol. The head and tail of the enormous snake were delineated by 50-foot wide avenues of standing stones, each extending 1 and 1/2 miles into the countryside. One of the avenues terminated at another stone ring known as the 'sanctuary'. Continuing his explorations and mapping of the countryside surrounding the stone serpent, Stukeley gathered evidence that the sacred complex of Avebury included many other massive earth and stone monuments.

Only 1500 meters south of the main Avebury rings stands Silbury Hill, the largest, and perhaps the most enigmatic, of all megalithic constructions in Europe. Crisscrossing the surrounding countryside are numerous meandering lines of standing stones and mysterious underground chambers, many positioned according to astronomical alignments. Perhaps the most astonishing revelations of Avebury's ancient grandeur have come through the recent research of John Michell, Paul Broadhurst and Hamish Miller. Drawing upon legends and folklore, archaeological excavations and dowsing, these specialists have determined that the Avebury temple was part of a vast network of neolithic sacred sites arranged along a nearly two-hundred mile line stretching all across southern England. Positioned directly on this line are the great pilgrimage sites of Glastonbury Tor and St.Michael's Mount. (For more information on this line and the sites along it, consult Hamish Miller's book, The Sun and the Serpent.)

The length of time for the main continuity of use of the Avebury complex throughout the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age was, according to present dating studies, around 2300 years. This lengthy span of time and the vast size of the whole complex give testimony to the fact that the Avebury temple was perhaps the most significant sacred site in all of Britain, if not the entire continent of Europe. And what of its use? Various conjectures have been made but it is premature to speak with any certainty. To fathom the mysteries of Avebury will take some years still. Only since the 1980's has there occurred the essential meeting of science and spirit, of archaeology and intuition that may unlock the secrets of this wondrous place.

Lessons shouted at you!

2005-10-31T23:15:00.000Z

As this night is the perfect night to draw out some tarot cards or cast the runes, M and I decided to just do that.

Boy. (shakes head)

When the 'Verse decides to smack you in the head with a brick, it doesn't do it by half, does it?

I got such a telling off by the cards for not doing more, for being lax. The whole framework was there for me to see that with the new year looming large with changes afoot. (For both of us) My interest in things Pagan are to play a more important role, I am to pull up my socks and be more creative ... och, it was an eyeopening reading.

I must admit to not having done one in ages and ages and am always blown away by how much the cards tend to tell you, once you sit down and muck around with them for a bit.

Oh well - I am making a concerted effort in doing more things pagan/craft-wise. Who knows where that may lead? I have started this blog and I am re-reading loads of my books. Specifically forcing myself to do the Ronald Hutton books as they are jam-packed with information and invaluable in understanding where we come from.

I used the Faery Wicca Tarot deck (as pictured above) and admit freely to being quite a collector of decks - some I love for their images, others I love as they feel attuned to me. I use different decks at different times but as the FW deck went with me when we went to visit Tara in Ireland, I felt that it was a good deck to use for tonight's reading - it is beautifully crafted and relates strongly to celtic imagery and archetypes, very easy to follow through, if you have a bit of knowledge of Irish mythology. And it worked!

The lesson was put across. The student paid attention, now all the student needs to do is sit down and figure it out the next step to the whole to make it work, taking into consideration so many variables.

Always remember the Tarot cards are there for guidance, what they tell you is not set in stone.

Red Bracelet Spell

2005-10-28T23:21:00.000+01:00

I realise that red string these days have got a reputation of belonging to the Kaballahists - people like Madonna (not sure who else) - but this spell is so much older than this new fad. And I am not speaking about the Kaballah either - which is ancient beyond ken - but about the red thread being a fashionable item!

It is a spell to bestow good fortune on a new born baby. This is dedicated to tincanman and his wife Jamie and their new baby girl.

Background:-

Cords and threads are important in magic, never more so than when they represent life and destiny. In this spell, a variation on a custom found in various parts of the world, they signify the future fortunes of a newborn nd are therefore to be treated with great respect. Anthropologists have noted the emphasis placed on cords n various rites of passage, in many cultures, and tying a lucky wristband on a newborn is a custom all over the world.

Traditions where a red thread is empoyed use the colour to signify power, health, and long life, and these themes are taken up in this charm, which has a distinctly Celtic flavour.

In Celtic beliefs, the goddess Brigid is the protector of all newborn creatures. In her triple aspect, she is healer, bringer of fire and inspiration to both poets and craftspeople. Here she is invoked to bless and empower with good fortune a braided red bracelet to give to a newborn.

You will need:

One charcoal disc in a fireproof dish
Matches/lighter
Three red candles (20 cm in length)
Three 45cm lengths of 15-thread tick red embroidery skein
One pencil
Three teasoons of frankinsence
Scissors
One eggcup of water
One pinch of salt

Timing - Work on a waxing moon to attract good fortune, and on a Sunday in honour of Brigid.

Casting the Spell

1. Cast the circle

2. Light the charcoal disk

3 Light three candles, after lighting each one, recite the following :
"Brigid, queen of healing wells" (candle 1)
"Bridgid, queen of balefires" (candle 2)
"Brigid, queen of makers" (candle 3)
"Hail and welcome" (still candle 3)

4. Tie the strands of the embroidery thread to a pencil and weave a braid, chanting the
following throughout:

May your days be long

May your shadow be great

May your heart be glad

Fasten, and cut when the braid is 10cm longer than the baby's wrist measurement.

5. Sprinkle incense on the charcoal.

Pass the braid through the smoke saying:

Air to speed your fortune

Pass it through the fire saying:

Fire to hasten your power

Sprinkle it with water saying:

Water to bring you love

Sprinkle it with salt saying:

Earth to send you health

And Brigid walk with you in your footsteps.

6. Tie the bracelet around the baby's wrist, then remove it, and place it under the crib mattress.

Crystals

2005-10-27T22:54:00.000+01:00

Crystals are seen by some as the children of the earth, born from the womb of our planet in various guises. Created over thousands of years by the action of the elements and carrying the powers to heal from the sky and earth itself. Australian Aboriginals and Naitive Indians believe these crystals are the bones of our Mother Earth.

Many people who use crystals do so for more than one reason, this can include healing, dowsing using a crystal pendulum, divination, use in crystal magic and to bring more positive atmospheres to work and home environments. One book that has helped me understand the subject alittle more is 'The Illustrated Directory Of Healing Crystals' by Cassandra Eason. This I have found a very good book, well-written with great photos and detail including the links to each crystal to the chakras. Closely linked to the crystals themselves is their colour and it's importance. For example purple relates to our inner self, psychic powers, meditation and inner wisdom. Seen as an all-rounder healer and particularly good for asthma, migraines, skin problems and many more conditions. This is very similar in many ways to the herb Lavender which is also a good all-round healer. Absorbing the colours of crystals can be done by such as sleeping with a small crystal under your pillow, adding crystals to your bath water or wearing a piece of crystal jewellery.

It is a huge subject with many different crystals to choose from. My favourites are:-

Amethyst - this I have found very helpful at work dealing with potentially difficult people, it has a calming effect. This is linked with the zodiac sign of Aquarius (my moon sign), the element air and planet Jupiter. It is also associated with the brow Chakra. Plus it is a wonderful colour and connected to the flowers of Lavender, Lilac and Violets.
Obsidian - A lovely, smokey black crystal associated to the Scorpio sign (my sun sign), the element of fire, the planet of Pluto and Saturn plus the root Chakra. I feel very close to this one and it's mystery and colour does fascinate me. John Dee the great Elizabethan magician used a divining mirror made of this. It is sometimes called the wizard stone.

Malachite - Wonderful green crystal with marbled stripes. Asscociated with Scorpio again, the element of earth, the planet Venus and the heart chakra. A cleansing crystal of the environment, especially where technology is prevalent. Good for protective magic and money matters too.

A very good website to look at for crystals is www.grailstones.co.uk. Once you purchase one others swiftly follow, believe me!

New Look

2005-10-26T21:32:00.000+01:00

Dear All

It seems - out of the blue - that my bamboo website has disappeared. Maybe the chap who designed no longer is supporting it, or whatever, but I went looking at the site and there was nothing.

So, I opted for the swirly wrapper look from someone else's site.

I realise that it isn't particularly Crafty but I will let this be our face, for the meantime until I can get sumat that suits us all. I also realise that the swirls go into the words, but most of these are still readable. I am emailing the chap and asking him if he can somehow customise this one for me so that the words are swirl-free. Although, I must admit to quite liking it myself...

I will see what he sez back and let you know. In the meantime, do feel free to let me have links to add to the site. I will insert a few - the links weren't available on the bamboo website (well, they were, they just didn't work) and hopefully the archive links work on this one, whereas it didn't work previously with bamboo-site.

Welcome to our cool club!

2005-10-26T20:16:00.000+01:00

The word has spread and I am pleased to welcome my hubby and good friend, Marcus, to the site.

He first wanted the option to do the research and write the articles and then hand them to me to blog, but I thought that was pretty darn unfair and so decided to invite him.

All Hail Gergaroth!

Our Landscape

2005-10-22T23:05:00.000+01:00

This landscape is ever-changing and even though it seems that more and more earth is being taken up for development it is still possible to search our countryside and find lots of links to our past. Many ancient sites such as stone circles, megaliths and burial sites have been destroyed over the last few centuries and it very unlikely that we will ever know just how many ever existed, but some are still out there for those wanting to find them. Some of course are well known to us all but many are hidden away and wanting to be found.

Where I live I am lucky to be close to Cissbury and Chantonbury Rings. The photo attached is of the Cissbury ramparts. In the distance to the left of the photo is the clump of trees at the top of Chantonbury. For those energetic enough there are public footpaths linking the two. Many of the paths in this area where used by smugglers from the coast too in the past but that's all another story!

Cissbury Ring is an iron-age hill fort with evidence of a neolithic past. It certainly has plenty of myths attached to it including that it was formed by the Devil when he was digging out Devil's Dyke near Brighton and threw a clump of earth behind him. Like in many places and in particular along the South Downs area this site also has it's own treasure story connected to it. It is said that treasure is hidden within the hill and a hoard of snakes guard it. Apparently there was once a secret tunnel linking Offington Hall (no longer exists) in Worthing to Cissbury and the snakes would attack anyone trying this other route to get at the treasure. Treasure is also said to be hidden in Sussex at Trundel Hill near Goodwood, Pulborough Mound (where a fairy funeral was once supposedly witnessed also), Chantonbury, Firle Beacon, Long Man of Wilmington, Clayton Hill, Mount Caburn and at Hollingbury Camp.

There are so many places to experience and many are quite often right under our noses, may be it's time for us all to look at our own local areas and visit those places we have never quite got to. You will be surprised at what you can find with alittle bit of research and who knows me hearties, may be it treasure you will find!

Wands and Wine

2005-10-18T22:39:00.000+01:00

Much to my surprise, whilst paging through The Times during lunch at work yesterday this article caught my attention. I am not sure, from the tone of the article, if I had to be impressed or a bit embarrassed as it made those pagans in jail seem a bit...well, laughable. But, either way, I have decided to be impressed with it, in general.

Wands and wine for imprisoned pagans

By Richard Ford, Home Correspondent

PAGAN priests will be allowed to use wine and wands during ceremonies in jails under instructions issued to every prison governor.

Inmates practising paganism will be allowed a hoodless robe, incense and a piece of religious jewellery among their personal possessions. They will also be allowed to have Tarot cards but are forbidden from using them to tell the fortunes of other prisoners.

The guidance, issued by Michael Spurr, the director of operations of the Prison Service, makes it clear that Skyclad (naked pagan worship) will not be permitted. Prison staff have been told that pagan artefacts should be treated with respect.

The formal guidance on paganism in prison is contained in a 14-page annexe to a Prison Service order on religion in jails. It was issued last month to governors, chaplains and race relations officers. Under sections ranging from the use of wine, dress and hygiene to festivals, marriage and death, governors are given a complete guide to paganism, based on information supplied by the Pagan Federation.

It is the latest faith guidance sent to governors to deal with an increasingly diverse prison population in England and Wales. Previous documents have included guidance on Buddhism, Sikhism and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Governors are told that the main pagan festivals are at the time of a full moon, and seasonal celebrations such as the spring and autumn equinox, midsummer and Samhain, on October 31, the Celtic new year.

“Some Pagans like to celebrate Samhain with cider for the celebration of the apple harvest. In prison an apple can substitute for cider,” the guidance says.

Prisoners will be allowed to practice paganism in their cells, including prayer, chanting and the reading of religious texts and rituals. The wearing of ritual jewellery must be risk-assessed by prison officers before the inmate is allowed to place it around the neck.

The guidance adds: “Washing prior to ritual is considered very important in some traditions. Where possible, prisoners should be permitted to shower prior to group worship.”

In addition to a hoodless robe, prisoners can keep a flexible twig as a wand, a chalice and rune stones. The guidance makes clear that the hoodless robe can be used only during worship, and not by prisoners while on the wings.

The guidance highlights the part that wine plays in pagan rituals: “Some . . . will use water while other groups will use red wine. It is important that both variations be treated equally.”

But wine must be ordered through the prison chaplaincy, stored securely and used only under supervision. “Individual consumption will be one sip only. As part of the ceremony, the pagan chaplain may also anoint the prisoners with wine on the forehead,” the instruction says.

Prisoners will be permitted books of pagan writings, and the guidance specifies what staff should do in the event of a pagan marriage, to be performed by a pagan chaplain in addition to an office register ceremony, and a pagan death.

It is not known how many pagan prisoners are in jails in England and Wales.

Hats off to the Beeb

2005-10-13T23:06:00.000+01:00

It has occurred to me that the bbc.co.uk website is really striving to keep up to date with all facets of life.

I went online and did a search on witchcraft, on the Beeb website and a plethora of goodies came up.

I copied the opening article here but visiting their website they have a tranche of further information on paganism etc. I must say well done to them for bridging the divide and being "with the times", giving space on their website to a growing culture within the UK and abroad. And they obviously have done their research too - if I am not mistaken Kate West has done her bit for this too - I think there might even be a link on the website somehwere where they do the Heaven and Earth Show on paganism/witchcraft. Go the Beeb!

*****

What is Wicca?

Today, the words Wicca and Witchcraft are generally used interchangeably to name the system of beliefs and practices that make up the spectrum of contemporary Witchcraft.
Wicca was used originally to distinguish the initiatory tradition of Witchcraft practised as a religion, but American popular television series have adopted the word Wicca to include what would once have been called natural magic or white witchcraft. When people in Britain describe themselves as Wiccan, though, they generally mean that they are practising religious Witchcraft. Media images often show Wiccans as teenage women, but it is practised by adults of all ages.

Origins of Wicca
Religious Witchcraft is not merely a system of magic, but is a Pagan mystery religion worshipping Goddess and God and venerating the Divine in nature. Its origins lie in pre-Christian religious traditions, folklore, folk witchcraft and ritual magic, but most Witches draw their inspiration from the ‘Book of Shadows’, a book of rituals and spells compiled by of one of Wicca’s major figures Gerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964).

Gerald Gardner claimed to have been initiated in 1939 into a coven of Witches who met in the New Forest in Hampshire and his two most well known books Witchcraft Today (1954) and The Meaning of Witchcraft (1959) produced a huge surge of interest, inspiring a movement that has spread around the world.

Gods
Wicca honours the Divine in the forms of the Triple Goddess, whose aspects of Virgin, Mother, and Wise Woman or Crone, are associated with the waxing, full and waning phases of the Moon, and as the Horned God.

The principal names by which the God is known are Cernunnos or Herne, both of which mean ‘Horned One’. The emphasis placed on Goddess and God differs between groups, traditions and localities, but most Wiccans believe that for wholeness the image of the Divine must be both female and male.

Structure
There are no central authorities in Wicca. Some Witches are solo Witches. Others belong to covens – groups of like-minded people who meet together to worship the Gods and to do magic. Some covens are part of initiatory traditions in which more experienced people act as teachers to newcomers. Others are formed by groups of friends who want to meet and learn together. The classic number of people in a coven is thirteen, but many covens are smaller. Some are mixed sex groups; others cater for Witches who prefer single sex covens.

Rites and celebrations
The major festivals of Wicca are known as sabbats. These are held eight times throughout the year and mark changes in the seasons. The festivals are Winter Solstice or Yule on December 20/21, the shortest day, Summer Solstice or Midsummer on June 21/22, the longest day, and the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes (March 20/21 and September 20/21) when the hours of darkness and light are equal. The other four festivals are Imbolc, February 1/2; Beltane or May Eve on April 30/May 1; Lughnasadh also known by its Anglo-Saxon name of Lammas or Loaf Mass, August 1/2, and Samhain, also known as All Hallow's Eve, October 31 /November 1. Witches also honour their deities at monthly rites known as ‘esbats’, which are held on the full Moon, when the mind is thought to be more magically powerful.

Sabbats begin at sunset and end at sunset the next day and most rites are held at night, lit evocatively by candles if indoors or by the moon, bonfires and lanterns if outside. For indoor rituals, some Witches have rooms set aside as temples in their houses, which they use for rites. Others use their ordinary living space. Rites take place in a consecrated space, the circle, and even if there is a temple, the circle space is created anew for each rite The space is first swept with a broomstick or besom to purify it and then blessed with the four elements – air, fire, water and earth. The circle is then symbolically sealed by drawing a circle around it in the air with a wooden wand or a black-handled knife known as an ‘athame’. The four directions – east, south, west and north – are then honoured . Within the sacred space, the Goddess and God are invoked and magic performed. Rituals usually end with blessing a chalice of wine and cakes that are shared among the participants.

Magic and ethics
Like many Pagan religions, Wicca practices magic. Witches believe that the human mind has the power to effect change in ways that are not yet understood by science. In their rituals, as well as honouring their deities, Witches also perform spells for healing and to help people with general life problems. Magic is practised according to an ethical code that teaches that magic may only be performed to help people when it does not harm others. Witches believe that the energies that we create influence what happens to us: negative magic rebounds on the perpetuator but magnified. This process is often known as ‘Threefold Law’. Other important ethical teachings are that people should strive to live in harmony with others and with themselves, and with the planet as a whole. Environmental issues are important to Wiccans.

After death
Wicca teaches reincarnation. After death, the spirit is reborn and will meet again those with whom it had close personal ties in previous lives. The aim of reincarnation is not to escape life on Earth, but to enjoy experiencing it again and again until everything that can be learned has been absorbed. When the spirit ceases to reincarnate, it remains in a blissful realm known as ‘The Land of Youth’ or the ‘Summerland’.

Wicca and other contemporary Pagan spiritualities
Wiccan ideas and rites have been taken up by the Goddess spirituality movement. They appeal to women who have rejected male-dominated religions and who prefer to venerate the Divine in female form as Goddess, seeing this as important and empowering for women. There are many similarities between Wicca and Druidry. Both emphasize the importance of developing close links with Nature and their rites frequently take place out of doors. Both also stress the importance of guardianship of the Earth and environmentalism. Some distinctions are that Druidry is more purely Celtic than Wicca, there is less emphasis on magic in Druidry, and Druidry more actively encourages the development of music and poetry as paths to spiritual growth.

Herbalism - Medical and Magical

2005-10-13T22:57:00.000+01:00

I freely admit that this is not my own work - I have naught idea where I found this article - it was either online or I copied it down from a magazine or one of my many books, at some stage, way back when, for my own use and as a handy reference guide, but having re-read it, I am sure that whoever drew this up wouldn't mind seeing it posted somewhere else - especially if I am not laying claim to it, but spreading the word!

Please remember that all herb-use should be double checked with your doctor - especially if you have a medical condition or if you are pregnant.

Be responsible in your applications!

The uses of herbs are many and diverse, and are steeped in centuries of folklore. Despite this, in the 21st century even orthodox practitioners of medicine are accepting their value and healing properties. Medically, decoctions can be made of the leaves or roots and taken when normal medicines are not desired or have failed to work. Magically, rituals can be enacted using the appropriate herbs - perhaps by rolling an oiled candle in them or by making a pouch to be kept in a secret place. There are too many herbs to feature within the scope of this article, but many useful ones are listed below, with their uses.

BASIL Medical - To relieve tiredness. Apply to stings and bites. Magical - Exorcism, happiness, peace, protection, purification, cleansing. Ruled by Mars.

BAY Medical - Ailments of liver and spleen, stings and bites (berries), menstrual problems, colds, coughs and flu, excess wind, urinary problems, ear pain, bruises. Magical - Purification, protection, healing, psychic powers, energy, strength, meditation. Ruled by the Sun.

BETONY Medical - liver disease, digestive problems, stomach ache, vomiting, headaches, colds, shortness of breath, excess wind, menstrual problems, kidney and gall stones, bruises. Magical - Exorcism, depression, banishing nightmares, purification, protection. Ruled by Jupiter.

BIRCH Medical - Mix leaf juices or sap with water for kidney and gall stones, and to wash sore mouths. Magical - Love, protection, new beginnings. Ruled by Venus.

BLACKTHORN (SLOE) Medical - Infusion of leaves for laxative, styptic, astringent, asthma, nosebleed. Magical - Cursing.

BURDOCK Medical - Women's problems, ulcers, sores, snake bites, bladder problems, sciatica, burns, diarrhoea, kidney and gall stones. Magical - Ruled by Venus.

CEDAR Magical - Money, protection, healing, purification, banishing, justice, peace, spirituality. Ruled by the Sun.

CHAMOMILE Medical - All pains, stitches, liver, spleen, tiredness, kidney and gall stones, colic, bladder problems, colds, menstrual problems, headaches, stomach ache, joint pain. Magical - Luck, justice, sleep, money. Ruled by the Sun.

CINNAMON Medical - Astringent, wind, gland stimulant, antacid, helps stomach upsets and diarrhoea, colds, sore throats, general tonic, sedative. Magical - Money, healing, psychic powers, energy, strength, justice, protection, strengthening love. Ruled by the Sun.

CINQUEFOIL Medical - Infection, fever, sore mouth, ulcers, cancer, open sores, fainting, toothache, coughs, shaking hands, shingles, itching, sciatica, bowel pain, bruises, bleeding wounds. Magical - Anointing, energy, power, strength, luck, justice, healing, inspiration, love. Ruled by Jupiter.

CLARY SAGE Medical - Menstrual problems, hormonal problems, PMT, broken bones, depression, aphrodisiac. Magical - Ruled by the Moon.

CLOVE Medical - Insect repellent, painkiller, especially for toothache. Magical - Exorcism, purification, love, money, protection. Ruled by Jupiter.

COMFREY Medical - Healing of cuts, rashes and broken bones, cystitis, bruises, lung problems, menstrual problems, mastitis, piles, painful joints. Magical - Protection while travelling. Ruled by Saturn.

DANDELION Medical - Diuretic, cystitis, menstrual problems, sedative, liver, gall bladder, spleen, fevers, bathing sores. Magical - Ruled by Jupiter.

ELDER/ELDERFLOWER Medical - Colds, sore throats, menstrual problems, styes, ear pain, diuretic, sunburn, headache, leg ulcers, nervousness, burns, snake bites. Magical - Blessing, Cursing, Exorcism. Ruled by Venus.

EYEBRIGHT Medical - All eye problems, weak memory. Magical - Clairvoyance. Ruled by the Sun.

FERN Medical - Kills worms, eases stomach problems, ulcers, wounds. Fern smoke drives away insects. Magical - Exorcism (indoors), to bring rain (outdoors), good luck, protection. Ruled by Mercury.

FEVERFEW Medical - Womb problems, coughs, colds, bladder problems, kidney and gall stones, depression, shortness of breath, colic. Magical - Protection when travelling. Ruled by Venus.

GALANGAL Magical - Money, prosperity. Ruled by Mars.

GERANIUM Medical - Depression, pregnancy, broken bones. Magical - Fertility, health, love, protection. Ruled by Venus

IVY Medical - Kills worms. Menstrual problems, kidney and gall stones, diuretic, stomach ache, headache, ulcers, burns, ear sores, spleen, hangovers. Magical - Protection. Ruled by Saturn.

JUNIPER BERRIES Medical - Broken bones, bites and stings, diuretic, wind, stomach problems, coughs, cramps, weak memory, weak sight, sciatica, kills worms, restores lost appetite. Magical - Protection against thieves, protection against rape, exorcism, love, scrying, healing. Ruled by the Sun.

LADIES' MANTLE Medical - Menstrual problems, PMT, to stop bleeding, vomiting, fertility, averts miscarriage, all wounds. Magical - Ruled by Venus.

LAVENDER Medical - Menstrual problems, hormonal problems, headaches, strokes, cramps, faints, stomach problems, diuretic, wind, toothache, sunburn. Magical - Protection against rape, scrying, anointing, exorcism, to see ghosts, cleansing, love. Ruled by Mercury.

LEMON Medical - To relieve tiredness, grinding of teeth. Magical - Psychic powers. Ruled by the Moon.

LILY OF THE VALLEY Medical - Weak memory, sore eyes, palsy, stroke. Magical - Anointing, happiness, peace, healing, love, knowledge, protection. Ruled by Mercury.

LOOSESTRIFE Medical - Sight problems, sore eyes, sores, ulcers, spots and scabs, sore throat. Magical - Harmony, the home, peace. Ruled by the Moon.

LUNGWORT Medical - Lung or chest problems, coughs, pneumonia, venereal diseases. Magical - Ruled by Jupiter.

MARIGOLD Medical - General tonic, chicken pox, measles. Magical - Clairvoyance, divination, love. Ruled by the Sun.

MARJORAM Medical - Headaches, acid stomach, restores appetite, coughs, lung problems, expels poison, bites and stings, diuretic, menstrual problems, itching, tinnitus, earache. Magical - Love, protection, purification, cleansing. Ruled by Mercury.

MELISSA (LEMON BALM) Medical - General Tonic. Relaxation, insomnia, fever, vomiting. Magical - Ruled by Jupiter.

MINT Medical - Colds, sore throats, bleeding, aphrodisiac, vomiting, mastitis, earache, lessens menstruation, headache, sores and scabs, digestion, kidney and gall stones, sore mouth, bad breath, wind, bites and stings. Magical - Money, love, luck, justice, cleansing, healing. Ruled by Venus.

MISTLETOE Medical - Spleen, ulcers, sores, fainting, strokes, earache. Magical - Love, protection. Ruled by the Sun.

MOONWORT Medical - Menstrual problems, bleeding, vomiting, bruises, broken bones. Magical - Clairvoyance, divination, love. Ruled by the Moon.

MUGWORT Medical - Menstrual problems, kidney and gall stones, diuretic, neck pain, sciatica, cramps. Magical - Crystal scrying, clairvoyance, divination, banishing, releasing, protection, psychic centres (opening). Ruled by Venus.

MULLEIN Medical - stomach problems, cramps, coughs, toothache, piles, diuretic, warts, sore throats, boils, joint inflammation. Magical - Determination, courage, exorcism, protection. Ruled by Saturn.

NUTMEG Medical - Wind, vomiting, digestion, diarrhoea. Magical - Scrying, luck, the home, gambling, justice, psychic centres (opening).

OAK Medical - Bleeding, diarrhoea, vomiting, diuretic, antidote to poison, inflammation, fever, lessens menstruation. Magical - Energy, fertility, divination, power, strength, protection, purification. Ruled by Jupiter.

PASSION FLOWER Magical - (Leaves and flowers). Love, scrying. Ruled by Venus.

ROSEMARY Medical - Depression, broken bones, colds, headaches, stomach problems, liver, conjunctivitis, drowsiness, nervousness, fainting, hangover, gum and toothache, bad breath, wind, sight problems, heart problems, coughs, joint problems, grief, skin problems. Magical - Can be used as a substitute for any other herb. Healing, insomnia, to restore youth, exorcism, love, intellectual powers, purification, protection. Ruled by the Sun.

SAGE Medical - Liver disease, diuretic, menstrual problems, bleeding, ulcers, sores, infertility, vomiting, headaches, joint pain. Magical - Spirituality, healing, prosperity. Ruled by Jupiter.

SELF-HEAL Medical - Broken bones, ulcers, bruises, inflammation, bleeding, headaches. Magical - Ruled by Venus.

ST. JOHN'S WORT Medical - Depression, wounds, bruises, swellings, vomiting, bites and stings, stomach problems, fits, sciatica, fainting. Magical - Invincibility, banishing, exorcism. Ruled by the Sun.

SWEET BASIL Medical - General tonic, bites and stings, childbirth. Magical - Love, healing, prophecy, purification, scrying, peace. Ruled by Venus.

THYME Medical - Whooping cough, shortness of breath, kills worms, childbirth, warts, sciatica, wind, stomach problems. Magical - Healing, purification, cleansing, banishing nightmares, grief. Ruled by Venus.

VALERIAN Medical - Diuretic, menstrual problems, poison antidote, coughs, bites and stings, wind, sight problems, sores and wounds. Magical - Love, sleep. Ruled by Mercury.

VERVAIN Medical - Womb problems, kills worms, stomach problems, coughs, kidney and gall stones, mouth ulcers, piles, headaches, skin problems. Magical - Love, lust, purification, wealth, warding off psychic attack. Ruled by Venus.

WHITE WILLOW BARK Medical - Nose bleeds, mouth wounds, vomiting, lung problems, colic, sore eyes, sight problems, diuretic, spots, warts, dandruff, fever. Magical - The home, wishes. Ruled by the Moon.

WORMWOOD Medical - Diuretic, swellings, jaundice, bruises, sore throat, eye problems, bites and stings, itching, colic, kills worms. Magical - Binding, clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, love, protection, prophecy. Ruled by Mars.

YARROW Medical - Colds and flu, sore throats, women's problems, wounds, ulcers, baldness, stomach problems, incontinence, toothache, cramps. Magical - Banishing, releasing, clairvoyance, divination, exorcism, love, marriage, protection. Ruled by Venus.

Dartmoor

2005-10-10T22:41:00.000+01:00

I have harped on about Wistmans Woods previously on this site, as well as my other site. This is a picture (or two, if blogger allows me to update more than one) of what this magical place looks like in Winter. The copse of trees, seen from afar, doesn't look like anything much. Yet, the closer you get, the larger they become, the more ominous and hoary. People react differently to the actual place - some hate it on sight and refuse to enter the woods, clambering over huge rocks and convoluted roots. Some love it. Some come here to pray and do small rituals. The day we went we found quite a few offerings of late winter flowers, colourful ribbons and a small candle which had been used.

There are many legends about Dartmoor and about Wistmans Woods. Friend John has this article which he had written on these woods and the Wish Hounds on his website.

Dartmoor has been inhabited for the past four thousand years, so it can lay claim to the most interesting folklore, legends and myths. One of my favourite websites - www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk - has made light work of these and put them down for the public to view. Do go visit and read up more. And if you ever have the chance to go and visit this beautiful and magical piece of UK Countryside, do so, without hesitation.

Kits Coty, Kent

2005-10-10T19:09:00.000+01:00

We visited Kits Coty on the recommendation of a friend I had made on the old CoA website, called Oriondruid. He tends this site and many others, when he can. We visited on a beautiful warm clear Sunday. We didn't know much about the site, or what to expect. Needless to say the path leading up to the site really set the scene for the encounter.

Some call it simply Kit's Coty, because 'coty' means the same as 'house'. The story explaining the name tells us that Kit is Catigern, who, together with his brother Vortimer fought Hengist and his brother Horsa here around 455. Both Horsa and he were killed. We don't know who won, but Catigern was supposedly buried here. Indeed, this site is just a few miles north of Aylesford, which is usually identified with the Episford of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. That a battle once raged here may be supported by another reference to this place as the battle of 'Cit Coit'. This battle is also a legendary Celtic battle ('Battle of the Woods'), but not connected with any specific site. A possibility therefore remains that both are the same thing, as 'Cit' (or 'Kit') is in fact the same as 'Cat', the Celtic word for 'battle', which is of course the first part of Catigern's name. We could imagine a stand-off between two bloodied armies on either side of the river, the ford having been the contested object.

I have found an interesting link about the site here

Jack in the Green - Hastings

2005-10-10T18:42:00.000+01:00

We were fortunate enough to visit the Jack in the Green festival which had been held last year in Hastings. These are some pictures we took on the day. I felt especially moved by this parade of Jacks, their attendants, pucks and morris dancers. Eventhough most of them, no doubt, did it for fun, the mere fact that something so very ancient (in my mind, at least) still existed and took place for all the public to join in on, really blew me away. We had a brilliant time and everyone got "greened" on the day. It is a pity that for some reason this year - 2005 - it had not been held.

Shamnism in the Altai Mountains

2005-10-08T23:53:00.000+01:00

Altai Mountains - Siberia

I was doing a search on the Ice Maiden of Siberia and this article from The Times popped up and I felt compelled to post it here. It amazes me completely how attitudes towards Shamanism, Witchcraft and Wicca is on the change, even in such places as Russia. Admittedly, it is a slow change but the sheer fact that there are young people with the talent for shamanism being trained in tiny Siberian villages by existing Shamans who had survived the purges inflicted on them during the troubled times, not so long ago, is amazing. It gives us hope.

In an idyllic Siberian valley, seated on a low stool in a wooden yurt, the old witch doctor donned a fox-fur hat and a scarlet velvet robe and began to chant in her ancient language.
First she summoned the spirits of the surrounding mountains, lakes and gorges. Then she mixed milk, flour and butter and scooped it on to the small roaring fire built from faggots of juniper.

"I can cure trauma, paralysis, eczema, toothache and a host of other maladies," she said. "People come to me from far around. Even the doctors from this area come here to be cured."

In this remote region of southern Siberia, near the borders of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, Tamara Klesheva, 59, is a practitioner of the ancient art of shamanism.

After decades of suppression when these traditional healers were almost wiped out, they are enjoying a renaissance not seen since the Russian colonists arrived nearly 400 years ago. Fuelled by a new spirit in Russia since the fall of communism, dozens of would-be shamans are being trained in tiny Siberian communities.

Tamara said: "Young people with special powers come to me and I tell them how to study. Our numbers are growing again. The knowledge and experience are spreading. We're not oppressed any more."

As the word of their powers spreads, thousands flock to their fires for cures they say modern medicine cannot bring. Tamara receives up to 50 patients a day, some with aches and pains, others with life-threatening wounds.

Rooted in the mists of time, shamanism is an ancient belief that disease and illness can be cured through communing between the real and spiritual world by means of a series of rituals and meditation.

Under the Soviet Union, this and other beliefs deemed unorthodox or superstitious were banned. In the early years of communism, dozens of shamans were shot. Later they were imprisoned. Now the state has abandoned its opposition and the Siberian peoples are seeking out the ways of their forefathers.

Tamara practises in a yurt in the village of Kyrlyk. The tools of her trade are sprigs of herbs and urns of wheat mash, cheese, bread and butter. "I was a girl when I realised I had special powers," she said. "I consulted an older shaman and we discovered I had inherited them from a relative on my mother's side seven generations back."

The setting could hardly be more conducive to Tamara's pursuit. More than 2,500 miles east of Moscow and 700 miles from the nearest airport, it is a scarcely inhabited paradise of rolling hills, jagged mountains and fast-flowing rivers. In the forests, wolves, deer, bear and snow leopards roam.

"I work every month," Tamara said, "from the new moon until the full moon. But then I rest and gather my materials. I know that sometimes an operation is the best cure for a person. But there is much that modern medicine doesn't cover. There are things only I can cure."

A neighbour, Pyotr, a horse-herder, said: "She's an extraordinary woman. It's impossible not to believe in her. When I was in hospital with broken ribs, she visited me three times. On the third day the pain just evaporated."

Even the hard-bitten, vodka-swigging descendants of Russian colonists are drawn by the shamans' reputation as faith healers.

"I believe absolutely in her powers," said Alexander Zatayev, the Russian director of the Katun National Park.

"Not only the Altai people believe in the shamans, but we Russians too. They are close to nature and happy with what God has given them. That's more than can be said for other religions."

Growing up in Dublin on Halloween

2005-10-02T16:37:00.000+01:00

I was visiting the Llewelyn Publishers website and found this journal entry and had to grin and giggle as it brought home how loved this holiday was and still is:-

*****

Hallowe'en Growing up in Dublin - Jennifer Meier (the link is through to the actual article)

What comes into your mind when you think of Samhain? No matter what pictures or memories you have, I can imagine none are quite like mine. Maybe I'm being naive, maybe Hallowe'en is the same around the world, or at least everywhere, where hoards of Irish emigrated. Here in Switzerland it's not like back home, it doesn't actually really exist, nobody takes much notice, except the Irish pubs scattered around the country ( but they're only using it as a commercial scam!), even my "family" of hallowed out pumpkins get rather strange looks.

Hallowe'en is one of those times of the year when I get homesick, when I yearn for those images etched into my mind, the memories of my childhood and my life before I went abroad. Back home Hallowe'en hasn't changed much over the past few hundreds of years, and the church never managed to stamp it out, it's still as magical as ever, and as popular as it was during the times of the Druids, and I miss it like hell. I don't arrange dozens of bowls of goodies on my dining room table, because nobody calls dressed up as a ghoul, so I only have a small feast for me and my children. I dress up an old wooden fork (that thing must be at least a hundred years old), normally in orange and black ribbons with dried corncobs and sunflowers tied to the prongs. At the foot of this, I place a few little pumpkins and sawdust. And all my window sills are decorated with similar items. I'm the only house ever decorated but I don't care.

I grew up in Dublin city, I'm a native Irish and the blood in my veins is green, I'm probably not your typical picture of an Irish cailín, a little too delicately built, but the temperament is there and the freckles. I went to France some years ago and met my husband there, and as he is Swiss, I then came to Switzerland. It's a beautiful country here, the people are a little strange, so serious and strict, but it's a country full of history and ghastly stories, but still it's not Dublin, I'm not saying I hate it here, I don't really, I just get home sick every now and then.

Growing up, Hallowe'en was one of the most favourite holidays among most of the children (and adults), it was eagerly awaited for many reasons. In Ireland there are two weeks holidays especially for the festival, or was it one? Anyhow, it's hard to pinpoint where the preparations began, for the under 15 years of age in anyway, the adults could actually do it all in the week before Hallowe'en, or so they said.

In the housing estate where I lived, the houses were built in squares, making a quadratic area for the children to play, and the children of one square rarely played with the children of another square, altogether, in our estate were about six of these squares. In our square, we started collecting wood for the bonfire around the end of July, or the beginning of August. Every square had it's own bonfire, so wood was a cause for fighting. Every tiny scrap of any flammable material was collected and stored away in a secret place, ours was under the basement of the "flats." The flats were cheap apartment blocks with unused basements, where only the rats dared to go, and us of course, making it the safest place for our treasure. Evenings where spent walking around the housing estates, even the ones further away, risking fights with rival gangs, to find wood for our bonfire. It was really well organised by the older children and teenagers, they sent out "squads," and told them were to look. So from August until the end of October, the city was filled with little squads of children walking around, trying their best to look innocent, and searching for wood in the area they were told to check out.

Our Fire had to be bigger than all the rest, especially than the "Kalls." They were on the field next to us and every year it was a big thing to see which gang had the biggest fire. It was like being patriotic: generations of "Squares" had competed against one another to be the pride of the estate, the square with the biggest bonfire. The Kalls had one advantage over us--"Caesar." He was a bull with no front teeth, the stories of how he lost his teeth were famous, the one that stuck in my head was something about him biting his owner, and his owner who was on crutches at that time, hit him in the mouth with a crutch. I never found out if was true, most probably not, most probably they were removed to avoid him ever biting a child and being put down. But anyway, they were the biggest threat to our bonfire, The Kalls.

After months of collecting firewood, the day finally comes, we're all on holidays and everyone got up early and waited at the kitchen window for the first of the older boys to come out. We started at about ten o' clock in the morning bringing the wood out of our hiding places and arranging it in the middle of the square, we looked in awe as it lay there in all it's glory, the result of many months worry and struggle, even the small children had been collecting and gleefully placed their little bundles at the side of the pile, the older children where always so proud of the little ones. Some of the wood had always been found by others and stolen, and the risk of last minute raids were fairly high, so older boys escorted the girls to secret places to obtain the hidden treasure, and many more prowled around making sure nobody was spying on us, this was a great moment and no-one was going to ruin it. I remember one year we had a particularly bad time with the Kalls, they had stolen a lot of our wood, we looked upon the smaller than usual pile in the square, some of us ready to cry, some of us just plain angry,and all of us disappointed. They had raided one of our hideouts just a few nights before, and some of the boys still had bruised eyes.

At about three o' clock in the afternoon, after we had finished piling the wood, my dad came out of his garage grinning like a Cheshire cat. He made a comment on how small the bonfire would be and laughed as the boys went into a frenzy recalling the struggle only nights before, of course exaggerating about how many Kalls had actually participated in the raid, and then they fell quiet, because just then we caught site of something behind my dad on the ground...
My dear dad who kept every tiny scrap of wood ever to fall into his hands, all neatly stored on top of the rafters in his almost house like garage (which he had built himself mind you!), had felt sorry for us and decided to donate us some of his precious wood. We could have cried for joy, we had eyed this lot up for years and never got so much as a match stick, and now we were being handed it for the best use ever imagined for wood--our Hallowe'en Bonfire. I was so proud in that moment, I nearly cried I was so proud, that was my Dad who had saved us the humility of a less than the size of a garden shed bonfire. I couldn't wait to see the look on the faces of those Kalls, to see all their jaws drop, because they were expecting an easy victory, and weren't going to get it.

It was late before we had finished hauling sheets of chipboard and timber from my dad's garage, and some of the boys had already started bringing wood up to our traditional fire place, some of the boys stayed chatting to my dad, thanking him over and over, until he finally reminded them of the time, time to get the fire ready. Every year it was placed in the exact same place, and throughout the whole year the five meter in diameter charred circle was to be seen. Carefully the wood would be piled up, only experienced children where allowed to help, and now there were parents around to supervise and also to make sure no thieves would pop up anywhere. Standing around the site like soldiers, they too were proud of this moment, it was, after all, their children who had spent months making sure this would be possible.

At last it was ready, the smaller children were already dressed up and doing their rounds under the escort of older siblings. Darkness was nearing and one of the fathers stood ready with a can of petrol. I normally had to go home around now for dinner, as with a lot of the kids, but about ten people stood watch over the fire. And funny enough, I guess it was always at this time the mascot was placed at the top of the fire, I never actually witnessed this, and I always wondered how they got it up there! Every year without fail, a large stuffed animal was found somewhere and was adopted as mascot, it was never a really important thing, but where else were we to put a great big stuffed animal? So each year it landed on the peek.

For dinner we always got Witches dinner, also called Call-cannon or curly kail, I loved it, it was made of mashed potato with chopped raw onions and kail (frizzy or curly cabbage), there were always coins hidden in it, and we shovelled it down in the hope of finding them. Then my mother arranged the large bowls of fruit and sweets and Bairm Breac on the table, these were for the children who knocked on the door dressed up, and my mam loved the kids, she would ask them all silly questions, and she was always very generous with what she gave, she then reminded them that Mrs. Broe had made little bags of goodies so they better hurry before they're all gone. The idea was that the kids frightened whoever opened the door, but I loved Hallowe'en and always got in the mood of the evening, normally this meant keeping watch out the window so I could frighten whoever knocked, one favourite was opening the door so they couldn't see me while they were still coming down the path, I would then jump out dressed up as some horrific being, but they loved it! The Breac was a traditional cake with a ring hidden in it, this ring was also the only reason why a child would ever touch this fruit loaf served with a thick coat of butter, and although back then I also only ate until the ring was found, I now years on, bake tons of these cakes at Hallowe'en, I eat most myself, but a few are given to close friends, I guess this is one of those foods that grow on you over the years.

It's dark now and the smaller children will be going to bed soon, as I make my way back up to the fire amid the scurry of tiny ghouls and witches, a wonderful feeling always comes over me at this time, after months of hard work the time had come to set it all ablaze. This great ceremony was always done by a parent, and I guess he or she was always honoured to do it (no need to say this was also the start of many an argument). Petrol was poured over the wood and slowly a single match was held up to it, the crowd gave great cheers, bottles of beer popped and the odd illegal banger went off, and now for most started the fun part.

After the smaller children went home, and most mothers, - yea someone has to open the door to all those ghouls!- the older children gathered around to listen to some teenager tell tales of ghostly encounters, I must admit, I've also told the odd tale on this night! Stories were told and bravery was tried, it was said, and still is, that whoever walks counter clockwise around the bonfire six times, would see the devil. I never tried it myself, I didn't fancy seeing old Nick himself, then again I can't remember anybody trying it, although the odd boy boasted that he did it the year before and had told the devil he was a stupid looking so and so.. but if taunted to prove he wasn't scared...

If you walked around the Dublin suburbs now, you could see thousands of fires, big as houses, literally. I only ever once drove around Dublin on this night, with a friend of mine, he was seventeen, so was I. But I can still see it clearly, it was beautiful, the whole city was ablaze, hundreds and thousands of ghastly figures, walked the street, some playing pranks on friends, and others on their way to a fancy dress ball. All who were wearing a costume got into every disco free of charge tonight, and all who were not wearing a costume were not looked upon with a friendly manner, and the best costume always got a prize. And we drove around silently, watching the best loved celtic holiday in all it's glory.

It's summer now, every year I think about going home for Hallowe'en, but every year I end up staying in Switzerland, baking tons of Breac, and cooking Witches dinner. Pity really, it's always because of some little thing that pops up out of nowhere, like a last minute business trip for my husband. Well at least I'll be spending it with other witches, even if our fire is not big as a house, and even if it's the only one in the whole country at the time, my memories still make it a special night for me, and it comforts me to know that not too far away, at this very moment, thousands of fires, big as houses, are burning brightly, in a country where you don't have to be pagan to take part in this wonderful festival, and I will be there in my mind, beside the fire, throwing nuts into it, nuts that Mrs. O'Brien had, as always, given me, listening to the stories and singing with friends. And one of these days I'll tell my husbands boss to "Sod off, we're going to Dublin next week, so my hubby can't pop down to Geneva, mate!"

Samhain / Halloween

2005-10-02T15:30:00.000+01:00

I love Halloween. I love the history, the myths, the magic of it.

I love the smell in the air, that hesitating on the edge of a knife of the weather, which can have the elements tilt from summer to an icy cold autumn day within seconds. I love having friends around on the day for a celebration of friendship and the end of a long year whilst tucking gorgeous stews and deep red wines followed by a luxury dessert. It is a festival of the end of the harvest. A time of plenty, a busy time when the lands are readied for winter, making sure that enough preserves and food are laid in store for the coming of the long winter. It is a time when we can celebrate our witchiness and pagan roots without preamble and we can dress up to our hearts' content and not have anyone blink an eye.

A time when kids come trick or treating - more treating and no tricking, as most of them aren't quite sure what its about, except for the fact that they are getting free sweets. Below is what I have found on our excellent local UK website about Halloween/Samhain.

*****

The festival marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter in the Celtic calendar, and is one of the four Celtic fire festivals - the quarter points in the solar year. It marked the point in the year were a time of plenty gave way to more lean times, in all probability the reason for its association with dread and eeriness. Traditionally it is when the gates of the otherworld are open, a time when dark forces are abroad in the realm of humans. This is a brief overview of Halloween examining its roots and folklore.

In the old Celtic calendar Halloween - or more correctly Samhain - was actually the begging of the New Year, and the preparation for the coming hardship of winter. All the animals that were not breeding stock were slaughtered, and their meat salted and stored for the dark months. As one of the most important celebrations of the year, a great feast was held, and bonfires were lit throughout the countryside.

The festival was also a time when fertility played an important factor in the future well-being of a community. Animals were mated, and good breeding stock selected. This fertility aspect is reflected in legends passed down from the Celts. In Irish mythology the god Dhaghda made love to the Morrigan on Samhain eve, while she straddled the river Unius, in a symbolic union of the god of light and the goddess of death as the year turns towards darkness. Cu Chulainn also had Halloween relations, and Halloween was the date when Aengus found his otherworld maiden in the guise of a swan.

There may have been a more sinister side to the festival in Celtic times, and Caesar mentions human sacrifices during the four festivals of the year. Although Roman propaganda accounts can now be seen as biased, there is no smoke without fire, and evidence suggests ritual human sacrifice was practiced in the past. There is a tradition of the death of the sacrificial king at Samhain, and some of the darker customs of Halloween may disguise older practices. In some parts of Scotland, white stones marked to represent those present were thrown into the halloween fire, these had to be retrieved later, or evil was supposed to befall the person who could not find their stone. At Calander in Scotland, stones were placed in the ashes of the fire and left until morning. If they were displaced it spelt certain doom for the owner of the stone. Fraser in his book The Golden Bough, mentions the choosing of a sacrificial victim by the means of specially baked cakes, and in some regions small cakes were traditionally baked at Halloween; in England they were known as Soul cakes, eaten by all family members; and in Ireland they were known as barm brack cakes, which often contained lucky and unlucky objects of a divinatory nature.

The festival was also associated with the dead, and with remembering the ancestors. It was customary in some areas to leave an empty chair and a platter of foods for the invisible guests, so that they would not be offended. The witching hour was seen as the time when the departed returned, and silence was often kept for a short time in their honour - as the chimes of midnight rang out.

In the North of Scotland, Halloween was when the blue-faced hag of winter, the Cailleach Bheur was reborn with the coming of the winter snows. She was then the guardian of winter until the return of Summer on Beltane. She exists in many folk tales and may be a denuded form of a widely worshipped goddess. It was also customary to dedicate the last sheaf of corn from the harvest to her. This was moulded into a feminine shape and named the Carlin or the Cailleach.
With many of the rural communities entrenched in the old ways, the church decreed that November the 1st should be known as All Saints' Day (this happened in 835AD), and All Souls' Day was moved to the 2nd of November. Thus the 31st of October became All Saints' Eve, or all Hallows' Eve, with older customs and beliefs surviving until the present day.

The tradition of a bonfire celebration lasted longer in some rural areas than in others. At Fortingall in Perthshire, a fire was held on a Bronze Age burial mound until the early part of the 20th century. The local community danced around the fire while it was in full blaze, and then returned home for traditional Halloween games. This took place on the 11th of November, the time of Halloween (Samhain) in the old calendar.

Today the customs of Halloween are reflections on the deeper meaning of the festival to our ancestors. In the modern world, the changing of the seasons are not as important to our livelihood as it would have been hundreds of years ago, and the festival has become heavily commercialised. However, Halloween is great fun for thousands of children and will hopefully continue to be enjoyed, despite some calls from church leaders to have it banned.

Some Halloween customs In parts of Scotland it was customary to throw a silver coin through the front door of the house on the morning of November the 1st. The coin had to remain hidden where it had fallen to bring luck in money matters concerning the house.

The Halloween pumpkin originates from the custom of using lanterns to ward off the evil spirits, which were thought to wander through the thin veil into our world.

In some areas it was customary to throw a stone with a personal mark on it into the ashes of the fire. These had to be retrieved to ensure luck for the coming year.

If a young woman wanted to get a glimpse of her future husband, all she had to do was sit looking at her reflection in a mirror by candlelight at midnight, with an apple in her hand. Hopefully she would see the image of her future husband looking back at her from the mirror.
Hazelnuts were also used in husband divination, to denote a future love each of the nuts would be given the name of a possible lover and placed in front of the fire, the hopeful young lady would then recite "If you love me, pop and fly; and if you hate me burn and die." The first nut to pop would be the girls' likely suitor.

Another method of providing clues to a future spouse was to throw a fully peeled apple skin over the shoulder. This would then spell out the initial of her future lover.

Apples were also used in one of the better-known traditions that of Apple Bobbing. This game consisted of a large barrel of water in which a number of apples were floated, each participant then had to attempt to grab an apple using only their teeth, which inevitably led to a soaking. In another version, an apple and a lighted candle were placed on either end of a stick balanced in the middle and suspended from the ceiling by a piece of string. This was then spun, and those playing the game had to attempt to bite the apple without getting burned - a rather more painful fate than a good soaking!

The night was also a time for prophetic dreaming, again often to discover future husbands. This link with ongoing fertility may date back to when the festival was also a time for cattle to be mated for spring births.

As a time of change it was also a time of throwing out all the old associations that have passed their usage. On a personal level these were written down on a piece of paper and burned in an act of cleansing.

Some Halloween hauntings
Halloween has always thought to be a good time to see the denizens of the spirit world, which is why few people ventured out of doors after dusk in more superstitious times. There are many hauntings that have a Halloween significance, some of these are listed below:

Spynie Palace, Morayshire At Spynie Palace near Elgin -now a ruin - the bishop was thought to be a practitioner of black magic, and it was at Halloween when the local witches were said to fly to St David's Tower filling the air with unearthly music and light.

Newton Castle, Perthshire
The apparition of the Green Lady of Newton Castle is said to be most likely to appear at Halloween, her gravestone is also meant to turn around three times

Armboth House and Thirlmere Lake, Cumbria
Armboth House was haunted following the drowning of the household's daughter on Halloween, the night before her wedding day. The house now lies submerged beneath Thirlmere resevoir, but it is said that the sound of bells can still be heard, and a ghostly dog is said to swim in Thirlmere Lake (where she was murdered).

*****

Tell me my future true

2005-09-20T22:37:00.000+01:00

Divination.

The answer to all life's questions.

Making clear the unknown future.

**Will I win the lottery?
**Will I marry the man of my dreams?
**Will I get the job I want?
**Should I move in with my new boyfriend?
**Shall I quit my job and do another career course?

Fortune tellers are sought from every walk of life and in every country across the world to answer these questions. From Shamans trancing the wheel on the Steppes to a little old lady with her porcelain cup reading your leaves to the ultra-modern tarot reader with her bright gypsy scarf and dangling earings consulting the newest software on her laptop.

Some of us are true believers, others go, desperate for answers or a nudge in the right direction having already half made up their minds. Others are pure sceptics and get pressured by friends into stepping through the doorway to have their palms read, their cards told or their runes cast.

I did a search on divination on Google and was blown away by what it spat back out at me. The amount of different types of divination is really mind boggling. On Wikipedia it states that divination is : -

....the practice of ascertaining information from
supernatural sources. If a distinction is to be made with fortune-telling,
divination has a formal or ritual and often social character, usually in a
religious context; while fortune-telling is a more everyday practice for
personal purposes.

It continues to break down the different types of divination. In my collage above I have listed a few of the more common types to be encountered - tarot, i-ching, crystal ball gazing, palmistry, dowsing and a shaman trancing.

I have copied across only the "C" in the alphabet as I wouldn't inflict all of these on you, all at once. The entire article and other links can be found here:-

Capnomancy (by smoke)
Cartomancy (by cards, e.g., playing cards, tarot cards, and non-tarot oracle cards; see also Taromancy)
Catoptromancy (by mirrors)
Causimomancy (by burning)
Cephalomancy (by skulls)
Ceraunoscopy (by thunder and lightning)
Ceromancy, or ceroscopy (by placing melted wax into cold water)
Chaomancy (by aerial visions)
Cheiromancy, or palmistry (by palms) where the grooves of the hand are interpreted as signs.
Chirognomy (by hands)
Clairaudience (by psychic hearing)
Cleromancy (by casting lots or by bones; including divination by use of dice or dominoes; For divination by use of dice, see also Astragalomancy)
Clidomancy, or cleidomancy (by keys)
Coffee Grounds Divination, Coffee Tasseography: see Tasseography
Cometomancy (by comet tails)
Coscinomancy (by hanging sieves)
Critomancy (by barley cakes)
Cromniomancy (by onion sprouts)
Crystallomancy (by crystals or other reflecting objects)
Cybermancy (via computer oracles)
Cyclomancy (by wheels)

I recently went through a rough patch in which I had no idea what to do with my life, my career. So I contacted a tarot association here in London and emailed one of their training tarotmancers (if you will) with the question of questions: "do I stay in my current job or do I try and do something more creative, especially taking into consideration my own interest in the whole esoteric slant of things." Loaded question, right? Well, two days or so later, I got my answer back from my reader who had done the reading on my behalf, having pondered the question etc.

And she was positive, seeing change in my life, encouraging me to do what I thought was necessary to make me happy. I fell for it, lock stock but I didn't change my job. I need the money - as we all do - and eventhough I was desperately unhappy working for a bunch of real louts, I reconsidered and took an evening course in creative writing. I also hauled out my own tarot cards (of which I have around fifteen or twenty sets) and books and have now started studying them for myself.

I don't have the guts to walk away from my day job - eventhough I might be a "flighty" Aquarius but it doesn't mean that it is what I am. The tarot reading I got from her made me sit back, stop and think. Changes need not be large steps, they could be the small miracles that make you aware of how easy it is to change. I am more attentive to my own studies, I am more open to my friends about my interest. And you know what? As small changes go, it has worked wonderfully well. I have got a brand new selection of music to try and meditate to (all I have to do is not fall asleep) because a colleague's husband owns his own New Age music company and recording studio and he passes cd's along to me to try out. I give him feedback and tell him which shops to visit to display and sell his stock. Small steps and the courage to acknowledge who and what I am.

Which brings me to my next point - many people believe every single word a fortune teller or seer tells you. Point blank they will go and change things around, because someone advised them to. I was taught that a fortune teller gives advice in conjunction with the reading and NEVER to impart bad news. You do tell them, but not in a way which would come as a shock to them. You pass on advice which the universe sends along. You don't smack them in the face with it like a pie.

I once went for a rune reading - about five years ago, in fact - and boy, was I taken for a ride. I came away in even more turmoil than I went in with - she was contradictory and quite nasty in her advice and I came away shaking and thinking to myself "I can do that better and figure it out myself" and consequently bought myself books on runes, made friends with JV of Wistman's Wands who does beautiful hand carved runes and I am studying the stories and applications behind these ancient oracles too.

Life is a journey. I like studying. I am made for life.

Green Men

2005-09-17T14:21:00.000+01:00

His face stares down at us from churches, from houses, from important government buildings. He is hidden in nooks, pillars and doorways of great homes and ancient cathedrals. He isn’t just a resident of the British Isles, he is found on second century Roman columns in Turkey and in temples in Rajastan.

On the European continent he can be found in all places such as Germany, Italy, France even Hungary and Poland.
His roots may go back to the ancient hunters painted in caves in France and Spain. He manifests as Robin Hood, he has links to Morris Dancers of Old England . He appears in tales of Gawain and The Green Knight. He is the Green Man, Jack in the Green – the God that dies and is reborn.

Links of interest:-
http://www.canterburygreenman.fsnet.co.uk/

http://www.goddessandgreenman.co.uk/

http://website.lineone.net/~dominicow/Origins_Green_Man.htm

To the moon and beyond

2005-09-17T01:57:00.000+01:00

Inspired by the vast promise of the almost full golden moon hanging outside the bedroom window preventing me from sleeping, I thought I would do some research on ancient moon names, correspondances and moon lore.

Common Names for the Moon Phases

Oak Moon

Wolf Moon

Storm Moon

Chaste Moon

Seed Moon

Hare Moon

Dyad Moon

Mead Moon

Wort Moon

Barley Moon

Wine Moon

Blood Moon

Snow Moon

Tree names for the moon

Birch Moon

Rowan Moon

Ash Moon

Alder Moon

Willow Moon

Hawthorn Moon

Oak Moon

Holly Moon

Hazel Moon

Vine Moon

Ivy Moon

Reed Moon

Elder Moon

Moon Folklore

UK Folklore for the 10 Days after a Full Moon

Day 1

Said to be the best day after the full moon to consider starting a fresh enterprise or even better to actually get it up and running. Be prepared for a lengthy illness if you happen to fall prey to sickness on this day though. Happily this does not apply to the new born, as any child born on this day it is said will enjoy a long healthy life, and prosper in the process.

Day 2

Whether you run a company, operate a cottage industry or plan to have a garage sale traditionally the second day after the full moon is a very positive day to sell your wares. By the same token it is a good day to buy, probably being able to find items at reasonable prices. Good fortune will come to those interested in gardening as it is said that any plant sown or bedded in on this day will flourish. Likewise those involved in agriculture will have an easy time of ploughing the land.

Day 3

Those who find their property fell prey to the felon's eye on this day can at least gain some small comfort that the thief is also likely to be caught within a short amount of time if not the very same day. It was traditionally believed that any child born on this day would be prone to illness, and therefore was believed to have a short life expectancy.

Day 4

Well, this is definitely the day to start building that extension or barbie, or going for a fresh look in decoration in the home, which of course includes repairs. This is said to be a positive day to commence any new project that involves construction design to your property. If you're planning this try to get out on the second day after the full moon to pick up those last minute bargains from the sales;). Keep an eye on the education and social life of any child born on this day as their intended aim be to develop a career will most likely move towards politics. The career will be prosperous and auspicious but only if those early days are firmly supported.

Day 5

If you are trying for a child, then according to folklore this is said to be an ideal time to conceive...and of course if you are not...be careful :). Regarding weather omens it is said that whatever happens on this day, be it rain or shine, then the rest of the month is likely to follow suit.

Day 6

This is reputed to be a very good day to book a holiday, and take a rest. If you can get away on this day even better as you are likely to have a wonderful time. For those interested in fishing or hunting it is said that this is a day when you might catch the big one!

Day 7

Little is said about this day except that if you are unattached and looking for a partner then today, the seventh after the full moon, will provide many opportunities to find the perfect lover. Falling in love is the order of the day, so enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Day 8

This day is connected to the first after the full moon, as it was traditionally believed that anyone falling ill would be unlikely to recover, and those fortunate to survive the illness would remain weak for some considerable time.

Day 9

Close the curtains when you go to bed and avoid looking out of a window at the new moon on this day if you want to retain your beautiful looks. The moon light was believed to have the power to change facial features and even thought at one time to cause temporary madness.

Day 10

Be patient with the child that is born on this day as it is said that the spirit of the child is likely to be uneasy, resulting in a restless 'free spirited' or hyperactive child.

Further information about the above lore can be found here - the above had been copied from the site and does not constitute my own work.

To the Moon

2005-09-17T01:04:00.000+01:00

Though the purity

Of the moonlight has silenced

Both nightingale and Cricket

the cuckoo alone

Sings all the white night.

Anonymous

It is a small world

2005-09-14T21:59:00.000+01:00

I am a big fan of Brian Froud's work - this is the link to his website - and made such mention in my other blog I own. With a co-author, Ari Berk, he has a book out called The Runes of Elfland which I have a copy of (the picture above is from there) and which I treasure as it is one of the most magical things I own. The artwork is stunning and the story is beautiful.

In said blog I also mention my friend John Vickery of Wistmans Wands on Dartmoor. John is a talented artist who makes walking sticks for the gentry (take that as you will), beautiful staffs and handcrafted wands (of which I have quite a few) and wooden runes. The difference between what John creates and what people buy from shops is tangible. His work is done with great care and love - he admits to never realising he was a frustrated artist until he retired and discovered a knack for woodworking. He roams Dartmoor with his dog Gizmo by his side and collects wood from the land, listening to customers when they want wood picked from a certain tree at a certain time during a specific phase of the moon. Now, do you get stuff like that from an impersonal shop?? I don't think so!

Now, all these points come together - strangely enough - within days of one another.

A friend of Ari Berk's contacted him because of my blog (which, thankfully I made sure I gave all due respect and royalties to both him and Mr. Froud ) and Mr. Berk in turn visited and took down John's details and called him.

The result of this is...they are talking wood, runes and crafts whilst Mr. Berk and his family are visiting Devon for a few months.

What a strange bizarre and tiny world it is.

I am inordinately proud of my small role I played.

Preen, Preen. Just wish I didn't live 6 hours away from where the action is taking place!

Wild Hunt

2005-09-11T21:42:00.000+01:00

Tying in nicely with the poem below is this snippet about the Wild Hunt - this is a legend from Devon though taking place on the windswept moors of Dartmoor, far removed from Windsor which is supposedly where Herne met his end at the hand of King Richard.
**********************************************************************************
One wild stormy night a farmer was returning home from Widecombe, somewhat worse the wear from the strong local beverages brewed on-site. The wind raged, and the rain beat down on him, forcing him to pull his hood over his face, and to wrap his jacket tight around him. As he pressed on his journey, he heard the soft thudding of hoofs, and the baying of a huntsman's pack, and found himself surrounded by many large black hounds.

A black clad huntsman came up from the rear, a broad rimmed hat casting dark shadows over his face, hiding his features. A bundle of bulging sacks were tied to his saddle, no doubt carrying the fruits of his hunt.

The farmer, filled with drunken bravado shouted over the storm: "Share with me some of your game". The huntsman let out a laugh, and threw a heavy sack at the farmer's feet. In a moment he and his hounds were gone, riding as wild as the storm over the moors and into the darkness. The farmer bent down and fumbled with the sinews that tied the sacking, at last his drunken fingers released the contents of the sack onto the water soaked pathway.

The farmer choked back his breath, for before him was the crumpled and bruised body of his own infant son. He turned away for a moment, and when he had the courage to return his gaze, the terrible vision had gone, leaving only the empty pathway before him. Sober now he hurried the last part of his journey, to be met at his cottage by his wife who was creening in grief, for their son had died during the storm.
************************************************************************

I was interested to learn, as I did my research, that the Wild Hunt legends aren't specific to the British Isles. I have found legends of the Hunt ranging from Germany, Norway, Iceland and the Steppes. How shock was I at my own ignorance?

In Norse myth, Odin in his guise of the wind god was pictured as rushing through mid-air on his eight legged steed, Sleipnir. It was thought that the souls of the dead were wafted away on the winds of a storm.

Google Wild Hunt and see what comes up - if this subject is of interest. I think I could make a study of it and never get to the end of information.

Herne the Hunter

2005-09-11T21:38:00.000+01:00

'The Merry Wives of Windsor' : William Shakespeare

'There is an old tale goes, that Herne the hunter,
Sometime a keeper here in Windsor forest,
Doth all the winter time at still midnight,
Walk around about an oak, with great ragg'd horns;
And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle;
And makes milch-kine yield blood,
and shakes a chain
In a most hideous and dreadful manner.'

Sabbats

2005-09-11T21:27:00.000+01:00

As I am a bit lazy, I copied the below from Kate West's website which can be found here - I hope she doesn't mind - if she does, I will quickly remove this.

Kate is one of the UK's most well known witches, having appeared both on radio and television. She is well read, funny and very straightforward about the Craft. I own copies of all her books, as well as her cd she did with her Coven.

She appears regularly at the Witchfests held in Croydon (and elsewhere in the UK) and is a much loved figure when doing talks - her sense of humour is brilliant and her many years in the Craft allow newbies to ask truly silly questions.

I hope she doesn't mind my liberal copying from her site!

Samhain (31 Oct.) Known in the common tongue as Halloween, and for the Christians as All Hallows or All Souls. For us this is the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year. For us the cycle of life, death and re-birth is typified in this festival when the Mother Goddess takes on the robes of winter, of resting and reward, when the land lies dormant, waiting, like the people, for the first signs of spring and new birth. A time when tales are told, legends revived and we remember our ancestors.

Yule (21 Dec.) The Winter Solstice, the date of the re-birth of the Sun, long before any son was ever thought of. In the midst of winter we see the first spark of light, the first of the lengthening days, which promise the renewal of the year. We may not yet see the summer, but now we know that light and warmth will surely follow.

Imbolg (2 Feb.) "In the belly". Now the Wise face of the Goddess sheds her robes of Crone and puts on her robes of Maiden, the harbinger of all that is new, youthful, and enthusiastic. The first trees are in bud, the first flowers push through the frozen soil, the first birds choose their mates, and the first ewes are in lamb. Spring has not arrived, but her promise is close.

Oestara (21 March) The festival of the ancient Goddess Eostar, or Astarte, whose symbols were the egg and the hare, who gave rise to the term oestrus, and who is one of the oldest Goddesses of women and fertility, being traced back over 4,000 years. Oestara is the first of the spring. The Goddess is maturing, not yet pregnant, but ready, prepared, willing to take her place beside the God, as ruler of fertility for mankind and the earth they inhabit.

Beltane (1 May) The marriage of the Goddess and the God. She has let him chase her until she, in her bounty is ready to be caught. He has pursued her, because he knows that only thus is the fruitfulness of the land to be guaranteed. This is their happy fate and the way they show their love for us. Without the Lord and Lady together, we would be and have nothing. Yet even without our devotion they will try to work the magic which makes the land fertile and the Wheel dance

Litha (21 June)The summer Solstice. Again day and night are changing. Even as the days have lengthened, the nights grow long again. Our sowing is complete, let us now tend our crop, our children, land, and friendships, and look forward to what we will reap in the months to come.
Lammas (1 Aug.) The feast of the Sacrificial King, where a leader will lay down a part or all of their life for the common good. The Mother knows that she must sacrifice her lover king to the Wheel of time and to the common good. This is the time for the release of prisoners, when we let go of those things we have held too close that are now holding us back.
Madron (21 Sept.)Day and night are equal once more. Put your life into the scales of balance and judge yourself; have you done well, or should you strive harder in the next turn of the Wheel?

Book Recommendation

2005-09-11T19:25:00.000+01:00

My first ever pagan / witchy / crafty book I ever bought was Embracing the Moon by Yasmine Galernon. It was way back in 2000 when I realised that there is more to the world than the general religions, Chrstianity in all its shapes and forms, Hindu, Islam, etc.

I was born and raised in a very religious household. Both my parents were fond of going to church, I sang in the choir, I taught Sunday school, and yet, there was something lacking. My mom strongly believed in the spirit world, and since I had been born with a caul, I could see things others couldn’t. The preachers at church were scared senseless by my potential and they convinced my mom – for my own good, to a certain extent – to have this Gift removed from me, until I was older, so that I could understand it. So, they prayed and implored God to remove the gift, but it still showed me glimmers of things. I grew used to the shadows moving, to seeing people no one else saw, of hearing half-heard conversations and catching faint smells of old perfume and such when there was no one around. It didn’t scare me. It never has. My mother was my loadstone, keeping me safe and on track, and we spent many hours discussing the other world, spirits, tarot, all such things. When she passed away, a year after we lost my dad to throat cancer, I lost all will to go to Church as the ministers just seemed so callous and suddenly wanted to run my life. I rebelled and turned my back and started my search. I got my first set of tarot cards from a friend and it started from there.

It is still one of my favourite books – it is a gentle break-in into a different path which really did resound within me. Around four hundred books later, I still refer to this one for information and inspiration. It isn’t a fluffy book, by any measure. The author made you feel welcome, sat you down, gave you tisane. This is from another reader on Amazon:-
“The content of Embracing the Moon was one that a new seeker or experienced crone could follow to gain new insight into our craft. I appreciated this book because it took a step beyond the standard beginner instruction to explain concepts that most witchcraft books fear to mention. Particularly interesting to note are the descriptions and sample spells for exorcisms, hexing with responsibility, faerie magic, and protecting our earth and endangered species. The charts and correspondence tables are wonderfully useful and the powder and oil recipes invaluable.”
The author gives many examples from her own life. Importantly she never talks down to the reader. The exercises are fun and interesting to do.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Old Ways.

Self Blessing

2005-09-11T18:59:00.000+01:00

The time you take to restore yourself is precious.

Perform a self-blessing every day.

Take dried sage and aromatic lavender and tie it up in a muslin baggie.

Breathe in the aroma deeply, three times.

Beginning at the top of your head, the crown chakra, pass the pouch down to your feet.

Gently touching your other sacred charkas, throat, solar plexus, stomach and pelvis.

Then holding the bag of herbs over your heart, speak aloud:-

“Gone are sorrows, illness and woe,
Here wisdom and health begin to flow,
My heart is whole, joy fills my soul,
Blessed is me.”

Merry meet

2005-09-11T17:41:00.000+01:00

A brand new blog to reflect my studies into the craft, runes, tarot and all other things weird and wonderful.

I look forward to meeting others who are like-minded.

BB

Liz