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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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Gwendolyn Reece
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Event Spotlight Sacred Space TWPT talks to Gwendolyn Reece The Sacred Space Conference is the premier annual esoteric conference on the East Coast for intermediate to advanced practitioners. Meeting in March in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area, each year our featured teachers and a host of highly qualified regional teachers offer a wide variety of workshops and rituals developed for a more advanced audience. Our attendees tell us that they are particularly grateful for the opportunity to pursue their continuous development in the company of their peers across many magickal traditions The Sacred Space Foundation is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization based in Virginia. Our primary mission is to run an interfaith esoteric conference held annually in the DC/Baltimore metropolitan area. On April 9–12, 2020, we will bring together Sacred Space and the Between The Worlds conferences into a joint event. In 2015, the two organizations presented a successful collaborative conference, and we look forward to doing so again. As Contemporary Paganism matures, we hope to provide a model for ways in which organizations can look for synergies and undertake cooperative initiatives. The programs for both Sacred Space and Between The Worlds are geared toward serious and more advanced practitioners and are both based in the Mid-Atlantic. As an annual conference, Sacred Space fosters a strong sense of community among those who regularly attend. The missions of Sacred Space include building part of the infrastructure to support the continuing growth of intermediate and advanced practitioners, providing opportunities for regional talent to develop as teachers, and providing a venue for groups of people across traditions with similar interests and expertise to know and work with each other. Financially, the only goal of the Sacred Space Conference is to ensure that the conference is on sound financial footing so that its future can be ensured. The Between The Worlds Conference serves a similar audience but is offered at particular inter- vals aligned with specific astrological events. It always includes a main ritual that is designed to address an important magical need, and the plenary sessions also discuss significant and timely topics. Financially, the Between The Worlds Conference is a fundraiser for the New Alexandrian Library—an important component of Pagan infrastructure. Click here to read the rest of the interview. |
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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: Autumnal Equinox/Mabon September 23, 2019 Despite the bad publicity generated by Thomas Tryon’s novel,
Harvest Home is the pleasantest of holidays. Admittedly, it does involve the concept
of sacrifice, but one that is symbolic only. The sacrifice is that of the
spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn. Occurring one quarter of the year after
Midsummer, Harvest Home represents midautumn, autumn’s height. It is also the
autumnal equinox, one of the quarter days of the year, a Lesser Sabbat and a
Low Holiday in modern Witchcraft. Recently, some Pagan groups have begun
calling the holiday by the Welsh name ‘Mabon’, although there seems little
historical justification for doing so. Technically, an equinox is an astronomical point and, due to
the fact that our leap-year cycle causes dates to slip and then snap back into
place, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The autumnal
equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on its apparent journey
southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration. Up
until Harvest Home, the hours of daylight have been greater than the hours from
dusk to dawn. But from now on, the reverse holds true. Astrologers know this as
the date on which the sun enters the sign of Libra, the Scales (an appropriate
symbol of a balanced day and night). However, since most European peasants were not accomplished
at calculating the exact date of the equinox, they celebrated the event on a
fixed calendar date, September 25, a holiday the medieval church Christianized
under the name of “Michaelmas”, the feast of the archangel Michael. (One
wonders if, at some point, the Roman Catholic Church contemplated assigning the
four quarter days of the year to the four archangels, just as they assigned the
four cross-quarter days to the four Gospel writers. Further evidence for this
may be seen in the fact that there was a brief flirtation with calling the
vernal equinox “Gabrielmas”, ostensibly to commemorate the archangel Gabriel’s
announcement to Mary on Lady Day.) For the rest of Mike Nichols' article on Mabon click here
Next Holiday Southern Hemisphere: Ostara For an article on Ostara by Mike Nichols click here. |
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Your Own Celebrations of Autumn It’s starting. The gradual change into Autumn. Some say the 13 weeks of Autumn are the most colorful time of the year. Take a moment and look at some of the special rituals, customs and celebrations you do each Autumn. Feel the magic of the season. It might be more colorful than you think! Autumn Begins Technically, Autumn begins on the equinox day in September. For many of us, the season may begin on a different day that fits the way we live. “Back-to-School” sales signal Summer’s end for students. For sports fans here in the US, Autumn is not official until the World Series or the start of Football as their own private signal that Autumn has finally arrived. For some, Autumn begins on that first cool night where the windows get closed and the heat comes on. When does Autumn begin for you? And when does it end? Back-to-School Lessons Not only does Autumn begin with Back-to-School for students, but for parents as well. Parents too are shaped by the school activities, social events and other seasonal needs of their children – all which renew themselves each September with the agrarian school calendar (Or as Pagans students might call it, the Wheel of the School Year.) As the child grows, the parent grows too. Back-to-School for a pre-schooler’s very first day is an unforgettable experience. How many parents can still hear the tearful screams of “I don’t wanna go!!!” (And how many parents secretly whispered “There’s a part of me that doesn’t really want you to go…but I know you need to go.”) That Autumn day, the very first day school, marks a rite of passage for both the student, and the parent. Imagine these same feelings when any loved one departs the world they share with us, headed for the next, moving on to the new lessons they face in the next life. “There’s a part of me that doesn’t really want you to go…but I know you need to go.” Back-to-School changes over the years. For students moving away to begin college, Autumn is a time of rebirth, of leaving the nest to begin a new life in the college dorms. Independence, discovery, interaction, perhaps new romance all come to life this Autumn! For parents of new college students, Autumn marks the time when these parents can begin to enjoy their empty nest again. After decades of caring for a busy family, parents eventually can rediscover the freedom to travel and live (almost) like newlyweds again. Independence, rediscovery, interaction, perhaps renewed romance all come to life. (Are you sensing a pattern here?) Perhaps one lesson the seasons have to teach is that life often comes full circle! |
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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