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Fire of the Goddess:
Nine Paths to Ignite
the Sacred Feminine
by Katalin Koda
Mrs. Darley's Pagan
Healing Wisdom: A Magickal Journey
of Healing Through the Senses
by Carole Carlton
Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days
by Raven Grimassi
Who Are You in the Tarot?
by Mary K. Greer
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A Useful Resource for All Things Wiccan/Pagan
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TWPT's Upcoming, New and Notable Releases
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Thorn Mooney
Traditional Wicca |
Traditional Wicca TWPT talks to Thorn Mooney Thorn Mooney is a a witch who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. She began studying and practicing various forms of witchcraft as a young teenager. Now in her thirties, she finds herself a working Gardnerian priestess with a strong solitary practice that relies on techniques culled from an assortment of Western esoteric traditions and what is sometimes called “traditional” witchcraft. She is also heavily influenced by an extensive academic background, having specialized in American religions, evangelical Christianity, and contemporary Paganism at the MA level. She moonlights as a lecturer and independent scholar, but professionally she now works as a public high school teacher. Thorn holds an MA in religious studies and works as a university lecturer, musician, and tarot reader. She is the high priestess of Foxfire Coven, which is a traditional Gardnerian inner and outer court operating in the University area of Charlotte. Her other interests include historical fencing, vintage guitars, long-distance hiking, traditional archery and bowhunting, and running. Click here to read our interview with Thorn Mooney |
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Next Holiday: Midsummer/Summer Solstice/Litha June 21, 2019 In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic
year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes.
In folklore, these are referred to as the four “quarter days” of the year, and
modern Witches call them the four “Lesser Sabbats”, or the four “Low Holidays”.
The summer solstice is one of them. Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to
the calendar creep of the leap-year cycle, the date may vary by a few days
depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the
Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day and the shortest night of
the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of
Cancer. However, since most European peasants were not accomplished
at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot
over to Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their
days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24 festivities actually begin on the
previous sundown (our June 23). This was the date of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream. Which brings up another point: our modern calendars are quite
misguided in suggesting that ‘summer begins’ on the solstice. According to the
old folk calendar, summer begins on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1), with
the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking midsummer. This makes more
logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun’s
power begins to wane and the days grow shorter. Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24 (and
indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of
modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the
celebration on its eve, or the sunset immediately preceding the solstice point.
Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from with, hopefully,
a weekend embedded in it. For the rest of Mike Nichols' article on Midsummer click here
Next Holiday Southern Hemisphere: Yule For an article on Yule by Mike Nichols click here. |
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Your Own Celebrations of Summer There’s a
village one year’s journey from here.
And in that village lives a woman with four children. Like any family, all four children are
kindred and similar -- yet very, very unique.
One is a feisty child, with brilliant golden hair, and a natural glow
warmer than any other. This In an entire year, perhaps the 91 days (and nights) of Summer seem to fly by the quickest… When you think of summer, what comes to mind? Summer is the peak, the pinnacle, the realization of what took root during the Spring. One lesson the seasons teach is that many things in nature grow, mature, and then fade. Imagine yourself old and gray and wise. Look back upon your own life as if it were a single turn of the year. What part of your life was your high point, your “Summer,” your peak? Where did you shine your brightest, glow your hottest? We too change like the seasons. When Mother Nature puts on Her Summer wardrobe, so do we. Except these wardrobes seem quite opposite. In Summer, the forest grows more thickly covered, while we become less covered. Summer is a season of short sleeves, short pants, short skirts and bare toes. While the trees might wear their thick green coats, we often frolic clad with nothing but the sky! More of our natural selves comes out in the Summer – arms, legs, skin – what we are beneath all those layers of cold Winter clothes can shine forth in the Summer. Maybe we resemble our animal cousins, who also shed much of their fur and feathers in Summer. Summer’s warmth lets us enjoy a great many simple pleasures. After a cold Winter, the freedom of just being outdoors is a true gift! The increased energy of Summer brings increased activity of all kinds: festivals, vacations, travel. What special Summer gatherings do you look forward to? All the adventure, experiences, learning, worship, fun, freedom, passion, celebration and joy that these festivals offer are the unique gifts of Summer! Some people say Summer begins near June 21 with the Solstice. To others, it begins on the last day of school, or with the Memorial Day barbecue. Whenever you begin Summer, mark that day as a special spoke in your own private Wheel of the Year. See it as a unique rite of passage. Every year, Summer throws a party – and you’re invited! Of all the four seasonal quarters, Summer burns the brightest. Remember that some things that burn brightly often burn out quickly. For some, Summer is a time of fleeting temporary moments – a Summer Job, a Summer Fling, a Summer Vacation. What new experiences might you want to try this Summer, even if only for a little while? |
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August 2018
Witches&Pagans #36 - Gods, Goddesses & the Glorious Divine Who do we worship? How do we find Them -- or, how are we found by Them? Whatever our path, the divine is part of our lives and practices. In this issue of Witches&Pagans we share the experiences of priests, devotees, writers, artists, dancers, spirit workers, and everyday people as they live in relationship with the Divine. This special issue features: Focus on Understanding the Gods To Walk with Orisha: The Path of Connectedness. Manny Tejeda-Moreno leads us on a path replete with Spirit, power, and passion. To Soar with the Butterflies: Sigyn, Lady of Compassion. Erin Lale describes the ancient lore — and modern gnosis — of this underappreciated Norse goddess. His Name Means Ecstacy: Exploring Sacred Marriage in Northern European traditions. A passage into relationship magic with the gods, by priestess Shirl Sazyinski. Riding with the Frauen. Discover the hidden goddesses of Germanic culture with loremistress Heidi Parton. Wisdom of the Holy Isle: Gods & Goddesses of Avalon. Explore the deities of the Celtic Otherworld with Sithearain Nicleoid. Focus on Daily Devotion Religio Romana. Roman polytheist Virginia Carper describes her day-to-day practice of having a proper relationship with the Gods. A Party for Parvati. Want a truly humbling experience? Go to where people who are indigenous to your practice shop, by Deborah Castellano. Surrounded by Deity. Irisanya reveals what’s it like to be devoted to many gods and goddesses at the same time. Focus on Pagan Living Our columnists weigh in on bringing the divine into your life Including: Raven Grimassi -- The Gods in Old Witchery 88 pages, publication date August, 2018. |
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Inside this latest copy we have a feature on The World In Faces project by Alexander Khimushin, who celebrates the diversity of the world through the portraits of its people. There is an extract from Patricia Crowther’s new book ‘Covensense’ and Mabh Savage talks about the folklore based around the The Blackbird. Annwyn Avalon talks about Celtic Water Magic and Rachel Patterson shares her knowledge about spells and charms. Charles Shahar writes about Shamanic Power Sites and Charlie Simpson talks about the History of Women in Medicine. We have a feature on Experimental Sonic Machines: the unsual live music and performance act by Peter Rollings who will be playing at Sussex Faerie Festival 2019. Bethany Unsworth talks about trees as a symbol of community and Cyndi Brannen talks about Hecate and the phases of the moon. We have artwork by Naomi Goss, Jessica Rohr, Wendy Andrew and photography by Lunaesque. Plus inspirational stories, news, event listinand lots more to be revealed inside. |
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Witchcraft & Wicca magazine includes articles on Witchcraft, Paganism, Mythology, Occultism, and many other related subjects, a vital read for any Pagan, Witch or Wiccan. The magazine is professionally presented with attractive artwork and images to enhance your reading experience. This issue is available in both digital and print formats Features Maiden, Mother, Who? - Rachel Patterson The Magic of Fire - Flavia Kate Peters Reconnect the Disconnect - Damh the Bard Egyptian Temple, Professional and Private - Kevin Groves Ancient Art of Spell-Craft - Barbara Meiklejohn-Free and Flavia Kate Peters An Interview with Elric - Witchfest Midlands Organiser Independent Witchcraft - Moira Hodgkinson Poetry of Doreen Valiente - Ashley Mortimer Regulars Familiar Corner Witchfest International News Success of Witchfest Midlands 2018! Cyber Witch What is new in the Pagan Web Reviews Seeing what is new! Gatherings & Calendar |
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Mickie Mueller
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The Witch's Mirror TWPT talks to Mickie Mueller Mickie Mueller grew up beneath the great mountains and the desert sky of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They aptly call it "The Land of Enchantment." She was exposed to art all her life, both of her parents’ were prominent artists and craftspeople in the area, and she was influenced by many of the great artists of the Southwest, all friends of the family. In her late teens, she moved with her family to the green rolling hills of Missouri were she now lives and makes her home and studio. Mickie began working as a freelance artist in 1983, showing her award winning art in local galleries, and her work appearing in newspaper ads, and CD/cassette covers for local bands. She even worked for awhile as a computer colorist for comic book companies like Marvel, D.C. and Dark Horse to name a few. Today Mickie has a growing business with her magical fantasy art. Her work has been seen in magazines and books internationally, including a school textbook in Norway. Her prints are sold in catalogues and on the Internet all over the world. She has two critically acclaimed divination decks published by Llewellyn, The Well Worn Path and The Hidden Path. Mickie’s third deck comes out in 2011 and is her first deck that she created on her own, concept, writing, and art. The Voice of the Trees, A Celtic Ogham Oracle is based on the rich and fantastic Celtic history, myths and legends and the Ogham system of letters used in 4th-6th century. In addition to their teamwork in The Mickie Mueller Collection, Mickie and Dan are also the proud parents of two grown daughters; Brittany, a popular Vintage Fashionista and Chelsea, a pop artist and poet, and an 11 year old son Tristan, an aspiring stop-animation film maker. They are also the grandparents of Olivia toddler extrodinarre, and Rhys accomplished walker and fabulous happy face maker. Click here to read the interview. Other Book Spotlights |
A Very British Witchcraft (Full): Documentary on Gerald Gardner & Wicca
Museum of Witchcraft's Simon Costin interviews Maxine Sanders
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Articles 'Round the Web Interview with illustrator Elisabeth Alba by Kelley McMorris
When I heard that that Deborah Blake had a new tarot deck coming out in January 2017 I went looking for the illustrator to find out more about them. I found this older interview from last year that I wanted to share with the readers of TWPT. It was conducted by Kelley McMorris and I only share an excerpt here on the site with a link back to the entire interview on Kelley's blog page. You also might check out Elisabeth's artist site to get a more detailed look at some of the cards that will be gracing Deborah's deck next year. The great thing is that the ones that I saw all had cats in them. What more could you ask for? Enjoy!----Imajicka "Today is the beginning of a new series on this blog where I interview illustrators and others in the publishing industry. I've met so many interesting people at art school, conferences, and online, who have stories I want to hear! I am honored to have our first interviewee, Elisabeth Alba, on the blog today. Elisabeth has been a freelance illustrator in the children's book and fantasy industries for several years now, and recently quit her part-time job to go full-time. Elisabeth and I have never met in person - YET - but we've been online acquaintances for a year or two. I was curious about how she has managed to build up her freelance career from the ground up, and what it's like being married to ponytail-rocking fellow illustrator Scott Murphy. When did you first decide to become an illustrator, and what did you do to get started?
I loved reading, picture books, graphic novels, fantasy movies, animated
films - what all illustrators like, really! I had this urge to create
things that would be seen by other people on book covers and inside
books so that they'd have the same pleasure I got when looking at them.
It definitely started in high school, if not earlier, but I still
struggled a bit thinking maybe I should be a doctor or biologist or an
English professor or something more stable career-wise."
Click here to read more of this article. |
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Boudica
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Responsibility and the Pagan Path by Boudica Paganism is unique as a spiritual path in that it does not tell us what to do. Rather, we decide for ourselves our own personal ethical standards and set our own values of morality. While there is a Rede from the Wiccan Traditions, it is not a law; rather it is an advice, a council. And whether you adapt that Rede as Wiccan or as pagan, it is a choice that is totally up to you. We have embraced the pagan culture because we believe in the concept of free will. This also carries over into our pagan spirituality where we feel we are intelligent enough to make decisions for ourselves when it comes to spirituality and the associated philosophies. We choose the paths we walk, be they sexual, environmental, social, magical or spiritual. It is our choice and no one else makes it for us. We are not dictated to, we are not told what to believe, we are not forced into a social structure we have to adhere to, nor are we told what magical practice we need to follow. No one speaks for us other than the individual. There are no set leaders representing the whole of the pagan community. Click here to read more of this article. |
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Samhain is approaching and with only 8 days remaining before it arrives perhaps you might be thinking you want to understand the Sabbat a little better before celebrating on the 31st. Well you have come to the right place and we can point you to some great information to raise your understanding of what it is that Samhain means to a variety of people both here on TWPT and some written materials around the net that will help too. Right off the bat I can say you should check out our new interview with Diana Rajchel about her book about Samahain that was released as one of the Sabbat Essentials series over at Llewellyn. Here on TWPT we have a section called Seasonal Celebrations that has an article by Mike Nichols about each of the eight sabbats on the wheel of the year. You can find his article about Samhain by clicking here and you'll get a good look at what Samhain is all about.
Click here to read more articles about Samhain |
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Imajicka |
Reflections I sometimes sit on Sunday morning listening to the music
that has shaped my life since the early Click here to read the whole blog |
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Ashley Mortimer
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The Doreen Valiente Foundation and more TWPT talks to Ashley Mortimer In
March 2011 Nottingham's Ashley Mortimer became one of five trustees of
the Doreen
Valiente Foundation which oversees the legacy of magical artefacts,
writings, documents and copyrights that belonged to Doreen Valiente.
Ashley is also a director of The Centre For Pagan Studies, a
firekeeper for WaNaNeeChe's Human Circle Of Life and a prominent member
of
Nottingham Pagan Network, Pagan Pride and Nottingham Empyrean as well
as a
frequent representative of the Pagan Federation. Ashley is an occasional writer, even more occasional
musician and a prolific contributor to many different Pagan events and
interests in and out of the East Midlands region. He speaks about the origins
of Paganism, the history of Wicca/Witchcraft and leads ceremony and ritual with
an ecclectic and pragmatic approach to spirituality underpinned with warm
humour. |
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(photo by Brittany Sherman) Mickie Mueller
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Art of Fantasy, Fairie, and Myth: TWPT Talks to Mickie Mueller “I decided to make my dreams reality, drawing upon the magic that I grew up with, singing to inchworms with my mother and watching nature create miracles in the sun and under the moon. I love researching the legends of fairies, Goddesses, nature spirits, folklore and history. I feel these themes are a part of us all on a deeper level, so when I have an opportunity to reach into that realm and bring something back, it’s an honor and I feel that I have a certain responsibility to do it with respect to these powerful entities. When I work on a piece, these beings speak with me, and when someone else sees it, and loves it, they get to be a part of that fantastic realm where anything and everything is possible too, and bring that energy into their lives.” -Mickie Mueller Today Mickie has a growing business with her magical fantasy art. Her work has been seen in magazines and books internationally, including a school textbook in Norway. Her prints are sold in catalogues and on the Internet all over the world. She has two critically acclaimed divination decks published by Llewellyn, The Well Worn Path and The Hidden Path. Mickie’s third deck comes out in 2011 and is her first deck that she created on her own, concept, writing, and art. The Voice of the Trees, A Celtic Ogham Oracle is based on the rich and fantastic Celtic history, myths and legends and the Ogham system of letters used in 4th-6th century. |
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Secret Lives
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Secret Lives by Barbara Ardinger Being of the male persuasion I had my doubts as to how much
I would relate to and be drawn into a novel about a group of older women who follow
Goddess traditions and teachings. After reading Secret Lives I now see that my
doubts were wholly unfounded and that Barbara Ardinger has written a marvelous
book that is engaging, heartwarming and even instructive if you are open to the
spirit in which this novel was written. The grandmothers, the daughters and the
granddaughters of this novel are well drawn characters that personify the
struggles that women in general face living in a world that still sees them as
worth less than their male counterparts but in particular it also delves into
the struggles that women face who follow a spiritual path that does not adhere
to a patriarchal model that has come to dominate this modern world we live in. |
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Taylor Ellwood |
The Samhain Elemental Ritual by Taylor Ellwood Traditionally, Samhain is considered to be the day when the
dead and living can mingle. The veils of the world are at their thinnest and
there is a sense of liminal space in the air. Liminal space is border space,
the in between place, where anything can happen. This flexibility time means
that contact with our ancestors is easier than during the rest of the year. A
lot of rituals I've attended for Samhain have involved remembrances of the
dead. For me, Samhain is a time for change. The nights are getting
longer, the air is cooler, the leaves are falling, and we are going into a time
of the year that tends to make many people insular. At this time of the year I
remember past regrets and assess the overall direction of my life. This has
caused me to start doing an annual ritual for just this time of the year. This annual ritual involves choosing an element and
dedicating myself to working with it for an entire year. I originally chose the
five classic Western elements to work with. Since these elements have a lot of
behavioral characteristics associated with them, I felt that choosing to work
with an element that represented desired behavioral traits could be useful for
helping a person modify hir behavior. Other Samhain Articles for Samhain |
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Jesse Wolf Hardin
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Pitfalls on the Magical or Spiritual Path. Otherwise benign New Spiritual practices can suffer from some of the same pitfalls as conventional organized religion. Fortunately, once we’re aware of these diversions we can make the informed choices that reunite us with the inspirited world, rather than contribute to our estrangement. In my life of pilgrimage the voices of the earthen Anima have repeatedly contradicted what I’ve read, was taught, once thought, and so badly wanted to believe... Thus as I became a teacher myself, I deferred again and again— not to presumed authorities or established traditions, but to the actual Source of every real truth they contain. Our realization of wholeness/holiness begins not in contemplation or conclusion but in a great listening. It begins in a vulnerable condition of openness, with fierce focus, gentle humility, and the overwhelming gratitude that makes us worthy of such gifts. |
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Featuring the links page
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David Rankine |
Developing the Magickal Personality By David Rankine "I for my part, knew how
little the true adept needs for his magic, but I had to work upon men's
imaginations, and for that I needed a stage setting...and to this end I had to
have about me that which should suggest the great days of the past when the
cult to which I belonged was at the height of its power...And so, little by
little, I had collected ancient things from the old temples...I also used
colours for my background, knowing their power over the mind - over my mind as
well as over the minds of those who came to visit me. There is a science of colours...for my
purpose I use the pale opalescent moon-colours on a base of silver; the purple
that is a plum-colour, and the reds that are magenta or maroon, and the blues
of sea-water and the sky at night; never the strong primaries such as a man
uses when he is a magus. Always the
shadowy, blended colours are mine, for I am the shadow in the background. "As for my body, I had made
that to be an instrument of my personality, training it, supplying it, learning
its arts and powers. Nature had not been
unkind, but she had not been lavish, and I had to make of myself something that
I could use for the purpose I had in hand...I am bold, even rash, in the matter
of lipsticks, and I love long ear-rings.
It would require Huysmans to do justice to the ear-rings I have
possessed - jade, amber, coral, lapis, malachite for day; and for the night I
have great jewels...I wear my own fashions, and they come from the "soft
furnishings" as often one does not find in the dress materials...I like
rings, too, so big that I can hardly get my gloves on over them; and bracelets
like fetters on my wrists. My hands are
supple with ritual...and I wear my nails long to match my tiger teeth. I like my shoes to be very soft and light and
supple, like gloves rather than shoes, so that I can move in them without
sound...I know the meaning of movement - how it should flow like water. I know too how the body should swing and
balance from the waist..." The above passage, from Dion
Fortune's magickal novel Moon Magic, gives a description of how her character,
Vivien Le Fay Morgan, has developed her magickal personality. She chooses clothing, colours, jewellery, and
even the way she moves her body, and speaks, in a conscious way, to project her
magickal personality. The way we dress,
and how we look, not only tells others a lot about ourselves, but also affects
the way we feel about ourselves. When we take our clothes off to work
rituals sky clad, we are casting off our social selves, and coming to a more
natural state, closer to nature. Putting
on ritual jewellery, which is associated with the magickal personality helps
one to transform into the Magickal Self, or to identify more strongly with
it. If you work robed, changing into a
robe is also a way of changing one's identity to that of the magickal
personality, and this should be done consciously. |
Yes! There's a
Spell For That
by Boudica Foster
Llewellyn's 2019 Witches' Companion
LLlewellyn's 2019 Magical Almanac
Llewellyn's 2019 Witches' Datebook
The Witche's Almanac, Issue 38 Spring 2019 -
Spring 2020
Witch: For Those
Who Are
by Ly de Angeles
Circle for Hekate: Volume 1: History & Mythology
by Sorita d'Este
A Year and
a Day of
Everyday Witchcraft
by Deborah Blake
The Witch's Book
of Spirits
by Devin Hunter
The Goddess in America
Edited by Trevor Greenfield
Doreen Valiente Witch
by Philip Heselton