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Fire of the Goddess:
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the Sacred Feminine
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Mrs. Darley's Pagan
Healing Wisdom: A Magickal Journey
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Wendy Rule
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Music Spotlight Persephone TWPT talks to Wendy Rule Wendy has always carved a unique and individual path. Since the release of her first album Zero in 1996, she has defied categorisation, always walking to the beat of her own drum. Combining elements of gothic, folk, world, ambient and cabaret music, and crossing over into Pagan and New Age catagories with her many mythological, esoteric, and ritual references, Wendy is as individual as she is prolific. A dedicated live performer, Wendy has toured extensively since her first album’s release - starting in Australia, then branching out with her first international tour in 2001. Renowned for her extraordinary voice and live shows that blur the line between music, ritual and theatre, Wendy has gained a loyal following in Australia, the USA, Europe and the UK. From the most intimate solo house concerts, to festival gigs with her band (featuring long term musical collaborator Rachel Samuel on cello), Wendy takes her audience on an otherworldly journey of depth and passion. With the help of her loyal fanbase Wendy continues to maintain her musical independence, unbound by the confines of the mainstream. Two hugely successful crowdfunding campaigns have helped bring both Persephone, and her previous album Black Snake (2014) to life. In the past few years she has continued to grow her audience, not only with her dedicated touring schedule, but also with her performance as ‘La Llorano’ in the 2016 feature film Boys in the Trees by director Nicholas Verso (now screening on Netflix), andwith her popular monthly Full Moon Magic Iive-streamed concerts. In 2014 Wendy relocated from Australia to the USA, and is now living in the beautiful High Desert city of Santa Fe, New Mexico - allowing her an even stronger connection to her ever growing US fanbase, and providing daily access to the wild Nature that inspires her unique and transformational work. Persephone, the new double- album from Australian visionary songstress Wendy Rule is the culmination of over twelve years work, and although drawing on Wendy’s musical journey over the past 2 decades, is unlike anything that she has done before. This beautifully evocative retelling of the Ancient Greek myth of the Goddess Persephone’s descent into the Underworld is almost like an opera, designed to guide the listener through this ancient tale of the cycles of Nature. With subtle textures that reference her early life as a jazz singer in her home town of Melbourne, and the trademark dark, gothic soundscapes and souring vocals of her previous 7 major albums, Persephone is an ambitious and unique 24 track journey through the realms of Life, Death, and human emotion. TWPT is proud to present a talk we hand with Wendy about her music and her new album Persephone. Without further ado.....enjoy! Click here to read the rest of the interview. Other Music Spotlights |
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Jason Mankey
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Transformative Witchcraft TWPT talks to Jason Mankey Jason lives in California with his wife Ari and two cats. Each of those cats has claimed one of them as their human. Jason belongs to their black cat Evie (short for Evening), while the high-strung tortie Summer (short for Midsummer) has claimed Jason's wife Ari. Jason spends most of his time in front of his computer these days. Not only does he write Raise the Horns here at Patheos Pagan, but he is the channel editor there too! That doesn’t mean he edits every post that comes out, but he does some editorial type stuff. He recruits writers, schedules social media for articles, and about ten other little things. When he is not writing on the blog he also writes books. His first book for Llewellyn is called The Witch’s Athame and was released in January of 2016. Jason was really proud of most of it, especially the rituals. He also writes for Witches and Pagans magazine and for their online site Pagan Square. When he is not writing he is a pretty active Witch. He es an initiated Gardnerian and helps run a coven out of his house known as The Oak Court. Jason realizes thtt the name is rather pretentious sounding, but it’s really just the name of the street he lives on. He also helps facilitate an eclectic Pagan circle in Silicon Valley. All this keeps him rather busy. He loves being on the road and visiting Pagan Festivals. His hobbies include Pagan history, Steeler football, Penguin hockey, and he is a big fan of the Michigan State Spartans and Tennessee Volunteers. (Luckily for him they don’t play each other very often.) he is also a whiskey enthusiast, a lover of hard cider, and a giant music nerd. Click here to read the rest of the interview. Other Book Spotlights |
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Yasmine Galenorn
Witching Hour |
Witching Hour TWPT talks to Yasmine Galenorn New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance including the Fury Unbound Series, the Wild Hunt Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and a number of others, as well as metaphysical nonfiction books. She wrote for traditional publishers for twenty years, up until 2016, and now she has moved into being an indie author to give herself more freedom. In the past, she has written paranormal mysteries, and nonfiction metaphysical books. With over sixty-five books on the shelves, she is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner
in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine is a shamanic witch and she is considered an elder in the Pagan community, having been in the Craft since February 29th (yes, leap year day), 1980 and has created her own tradition. She walks this eclectic path and considers her life to be a blend of teacups and tattoos–the former in her china closet, the latter on her skin– she is heavily inked. You’ll find some of her magickal musings under the category of “Paganism” on her blog. She
lives in Kirkland Here at TWPT we've known Yasmine for many, many years now having done an interview with her on this site when TWPT was just starting out. Way back in April of 1999 was when I first spoke to Yasmine about doing an interview for TWPT and from that point we have been in touch on and off again over the intervening years. With this current interview it has been 20 years since we last did this and we felt like there probably was some updating to do with Yasmine and how her writing career has fared 20 years on. For those who don't think virtual friendships are as durable as those friends that you physically interact with I'm here to tell you in no uncertain terms that is a wrong assumption. There are many friends that we have made through TWPT that are still part of our lives all these years later including Yasmine Galenorn. We've never met in person but the friendship is there nonetheless. Without further ado we present a new interview with Yasmine today. Enjoy! Click here to read our interview with Yasmine Galenorn |
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BJ Swain
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Living Spirits TWPT talks to BJ Swain Living Spirits explores the various types of spirits which exist in Western Magic and how they can be approached in a world alive with their presence and power. Living Spirits invites readers to jump off the sidelines and reach deep into the rich soil of a magical world and explore its power and mysteries so as to apply them for the purposes of real and effective magic. The book explores the traditions of the grimoires but goes beyond that and explores spirit magic in a broader current based on building relationships with spirits. TWPT: How about we start off with an introduction of yourself for the readers of TWPT as to how you define your current path you are on, whether you view it as a magical path or a spiritual path or little bit of both and how it was that you discovered it or how it made itself known to you. BJS: I suppose I foremost consider myself a magician. In some regard I would say this answer describes me almost occupationally, magic is the skill set and knowledge system to which I have devoted my time. That said it has also been a part of my life since the start so it’s something I think of as intrinsic to my experience as well. While I don’t think of magic as religion or as spirituality per se they overlap and relate to one another and all are both informed by as well as informants of one’s philosophy and worldview. They all kind of interweave together as far as an outlook or path, or more a structure for being. In that sense I am fairly ecumenical. I am a Gnostic Catholic Priest and a Thelemite, but I also am very tied to traditional Catholicism. I hold Pagan beliefs and am very influenced by Neo-Platonism. Practically speaking my approach to magic is informed and influenced by these things, but my practice of magic is its own thing, itself drawing on many disciplines, and my experience of magic and the mystical helps build my pluralistic experience of religion and spirituality. Click here to read the rest of the interview. Other Book Spotlights |
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TWPT's Upcoming, New and Notable Releases
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Next Holiday: Lammas/Lughnasadh August 1, 2019 Although in the heat of a midwestern summer it might be
difficult to discern, the festival of Lammas (August 1) marks the end of summer
and the beginning of fall. The days now grow visibly shorter and by the time
we’ve reached autumn’s end (October 31), we will have run the gamut of
temperature from the heat of August to the cold and (sometimes) snow of November.
And in the midst of it, a perfect midwestern autumn. The history of Lammas is as convoluted as all the rest of
the old folk holidays. It is, of course, a cross-quarter day, one of the four
High Holidays or Greater Sabbats of Witchcraft, occurring one quarter of a year
after Beltane. Its true astrological point is fifteen degrees Leo, but
tradition has set August 1 as the day Lammas is typically celebrated. The
celebration proper would begin on sundown of the previous evening, our July 31,
since the Celts reckon their days from sundown to sundown. However, British Witches often refer to the astrological
date of August 6 as Old Lammas, and folklorists call it Lammas O.S. (Old
Style). This date has long been considered a “power point” of the zodiac, and
is symbolized by the Lion, one of the tetramorph figures found on the tarot
cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune (the other three figures being the
Bull, the Eagle, and the Spirit). Astrologers know these four figures as the
symbols of the four “fixed” signs of the zodiac, and these naturally align with
the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have adopted the same
iconography to represent the four Gospel writers. “Lammas” was the medieval Christian name for the holiday,
and it means “loaf-mass”, for this was the day on which loaves of bread were
baked from the first grain harvest and laid on the church altars as offerings.
It was a day representative of For the rest of Mike Nichols' article on Lammas click here
Next Holiday Southern Hemisphere: Imbolc For an article on Imbolc by Mike Nichols click here. |
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In the News
Faerieworlds is largest mythic, fantasy and faerie themed festival in the US. Now in its 18h year of providing music and art based entertainment, Faerieworlds returns to Called “mythically magical…an otherworldly event,” Faerieworlds features bands and musicians from around the world, internationally acclaimed artists and authors, spectacular performances and entertainers, the Wisdom Workshop Village and the Mythic Marketplace of over 150 vendors and food booth and annually attracts over 15,000 of fans and families from around the globe to Oregon over the three days to experience the magic of the Realm. Faerieworlds the only West Coast festival to feature internationally acclaimed world music, neo-folk and pagan folk bands from Europe, many premiering for the time in the US. Artists have included Wardruna (Norway), Omnia (The Netherlands), Faun (Germany), Martine Kraft (Norway), Zirp (Germany), Folk Noir (Germany), Euzen (Denmark), Qntal and Estampie (Germany), Moon & the Night Spirit (Hungary), Damonea Nymphe (Greece), Azam Ali & Niyaz (Iran/Canada), Delhi 2 Dublin (Canada), Donovan (Ireland) and many others. Click graphic to get more info on this event.
THE US WITCH POPULATION HAS SEEN AN ASTRONOMICAL RISE Though the data is sparse, what we do know is that the practice of witchcraft has seen major growth in recent decades. As the witch aesthetic has risen, so has the number of people who identify as witches. The best source of data on the number of witches in the US comes from assessments of the Wicca population. Not all people who practice witchcraft consider themselves Wicca, but the religion makes up a significant subset, as Alden Wicker noted for Quartz in 2016. Wiccan worshippers stand near the ancient stone monument of Stonehenge in the UK. Wicca is a largely Western religious movement that dates back to the mid-20th century in the US and UK. According to the site wicca.com, it’s a belief system informed by “pre-Christian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales,” that promotes “free thought and will of the individual, and encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature. Click the graphic above for the rest of this article. |
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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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June 2019
Witches&Pagans #37 - The Hidden Magic of the Green World Despite being in an intense relationship with these conscious green beings that grow around us, most of us are complete strangers to them. We exist side-by-side, happily sharing the breath of life and yet most of us haven’t even introduced ourselves. In this issue of Witches&Pagans we share the experiences of herbalists, gardeners, magic-workers and ordinary folks as the weave relationships with our Green kin. This issue features: Focus on Building Relationships with Plants Plants & People: A Sacred Relationship. Faye Johnstone teaches us how to transform our lives by connecting with the spirits of plants. Focus on Magical & Devotional Aspect of Working with Plant Allies Sacred Intention. Discover the magical and medicinal herbology of the Canary Islands with Carolina Gonzalez. Focus on Pagan People, Place, and Practice A Witch Next Door. A visit with author, blogger, workshop leader extraordinaire and Pagan celebrity Jason Mankey. Profile by Debra Deangelo. Focus on Pagan Living Our columnists weigh in on all kinds of magic, devotion, and practice. Including: Raven Grimassi -- Mysteries of the Thorn-Blooded Rose. 88 pages, publication date June 2019 |
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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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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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Internet - Pros and Cons of its Effect on the Pagan Community by Boudica Pagan community hit the ground running when publishers started putting as many books as the public could buy on the book store shelves in the 70’s. It became big business with Occult topics being hot sellers. The door to the age of information was opened and there was no turning back. The Internet was birthed by the military and some government institutions as a communication device. Pretty much a tool that was used by the few, the late 80’s saw little general access ability and by the early 90’s, it was a very exclusive group who had access. It was a high priced tool, which saw many hard core techies using whatever means possible to access the "net" to communicate with others. Something else was going on in the background, something totally unexpected. Those who had been reading those books published on the Occult by the popular pagan press in the 70’s and 80’s were beginning to find each other via the Internet. First it was chat rooms; then information was shared on websites. At one point in the late 90’s, the fastest growing type of website was "religious" in nature and the "pagan" sites were the most plentiful. The 90’s saw the birth of sites by WARD, WLPA, and Witches Voice which became some of the most popular sites. They were being visited not only by the pagan population but also by those who were shocked that such things existed as well as those who were just curious. The Internet became the new publishing tool in electronic media format for the pagan population. Again, the movement hit a new level of communication and was off running. As a tool, both books and the Internet have provided sources of useful information. And they have been sources of some pretty silly junk. Books helped to "spread the word" of the pagan movement. Most memorable in my mind is Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler, and Starhawk’s Spiral Dance. Everyone who was anyone read those two books, had the "revised" editions when they came out, and would speak of them as "recommended reading" in chat rooms and on websites. 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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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 2020 Witches' Companion
LLlewellyn's 2020 Magical Almanac
Llewellyn's 2020 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