Dolmen grove

Dolmen Grove Chronicles In This Issue

Samhain - Communing with Spirits Dumb Supper Ritual The Magick of Death

The Ophidian Year - A fall rite for Voodoos –

Music Announcing the release date for their new album Gig Guides

Cliff Carr – Latest release Buttercups and Fantasies reviewed www.dolmengrove.co.uk

CONTENTS 1…Eating for the Season Autumn and Winter – Glenys Armstrong 2…Samhain – Communing with Spirits – Molly McHenry 3…A Family Samhain Tradition – Our Dumb Supper Ritual – Heather Afonso 4…Samhain – The Magick of Death – Jaclyn Cherie 5…Diary of the Hedgewitch – Rachael Moss 6…Dolmen Gig Guide 7…Nuada - The Dolmen featuring The Dark Witch’s Kiss by Diane Narraway 8…The Ultimate Question …What if I’m Wrong? – Richard K Page 9… Husbands n Knives Gig Guide 10…Laughter for the Health of it – Heike Kowle 11…Belladonna – Andrew Cowling 12…Lenormand – A Beginners Guide part 2 – Eirwen Morgan 13…Lucifer – Light of the Aeon with reviews by Sam R and Doris Hignett 14…Crowdancers Camp 2016 – A review by Scott Irvine 15…Wrong Girl from the Little Witch Crow Dance Collection – Dave Seed 16…The B.U.M.S. – The Border Urban Morris Side 17…Thev Ophidian Year -A Fall Rite for Voodoos – Dr Louie Martinie 18…Aromatherapy – Sandra Wiseman 19…Cliff Carr – A 21st Century Druid with CD review by Diane Narraway 20…Dolmen Grove Moot Information 21…Northern Traditional Festivals – The Holy Tides – Karen Cooper 22…Spriggan Mist Gig Guide 23…Babalon and Other Plays – Book review by Matthew Levi Stevens Photos in this issue by Andrew Cowling, Rachael Moss, Joanna Caswell,, Scott Irvine, Jaclyn Cherie, Maxim All Dolmen and Dolmen Grove artwork by Sem Vine Unless otherwise stated all other images are owned by the authors or from the public domain Cover Image – Duncan Knifton.

Further information on the Dolmen Grove can be found at: www.Dolmengrove.co.uk http://www.facebook.com/pages/TheDolmenGrove/110124449082503All information is accurate at the time of publication and all articles and images are assumed to be the work of those being credited https://www.facebook.com/DolmenGroveMagazine?ref=hl Editor… Diane Narraway email dolmengrove@dolmengrove.co.uk

The Dolmen Grove wishes you a Happy and Blessed Samhain!!

THE DOLMEN GROVE The Dolmen Grove is a pagan organisation of mixed spiritual paths established in the early 90s by Taloch Jameson, which over the years has grown from one small circle in Weymouth Dorset, to several clans not only across the UK but worldwide.

The Spiritual ethos of the Dolmen Grove has remained the same throughout and is based purely upon the Freedom of the Individual.

It is the collective belief that in an age where technology can often dwarf our humanity, it is important that we take control as individuals and embrace our own spirituality in order to maintain the equilibrium within an ever changing world.

Although the Grove is not a political organisation preferring instead to focus upon the spiritual, this does not prevent either individual members or the Grove as a collective from playing an active part in humanitarian and environmental issues.

There are no hierarchy or titles within the Dolmen Grove as it is our aim to encourage each man and woman to discover their own unique and authentic journey so that their spiritual connection is founded upon that which works for them as an individual rather than a spiritual rule book set for the masses.

The key to our success is the Round Table which is made up of around twenty people from a variety of spiritual paths who uphold the spiritual ethos of the Grove. They not only organise their respective moots but also the festivals and events hosted by the Dolmen Grove.

Our Moots are regular meeting places which are held once a month in several areas. Although these are organised by and largely attended by Grove members, non-members are always welcome to find out more about the Grove and enjoy the company of other free thinking people as well as the activities organised by the Moot.

There is a membership in place that enables those who wish to be part of this ever growing Clan to enjoy reduced ticket prices for Dolmen Grove Events, festivals and where stated ‘member only’ Ceremonies and Courses. Although we host many Ceremonies which are open to the general public, to avoid crowding and to allow our members to celebrate free from pressure we also hold members only ceremonies.

ALL ARE SPIRITUALLY UNITED WITHIN THE DOLMEN GROVE’ www.dolmengrove.co.uk

Eating for the Season: Autumn and Winter In the past, when our foods were available strictly by the order of the seasons, November and December were a time of rich fruits and meals made with blood and offal.

In late September, and into October came the harvest of fruits and nuts – blackberries, apples, pears and plums.

Those that were not eaten immediately had to be preserved, either by storing in racks and baskets for hard fruits such as apples and pears, and for nuts; by drying in gentle heat for fruits such as plums to make prunes; and for fruits that don’t dry well such as damsons and hedgerow berries, boiling them in honey or wine with spices to make a syrup, jam or preserve.

At the end of October/early November came the harvest of blood – the slaughter of those pigs, cattle, sheep and chickens that could not be fed or warmly housed during the winter months.

Again, the meat that could be preserved would be smoked, dried, pickled, salted, or left to season in its own skin in snow packed barrels. The meat that was harder to keep however, and which still had nutritional value such as the fat, blood and offal needed to be eaten up.

Some would be given as a token meal to the ancestors whose ghosts might be attracted to the excess of death at the

time when the veil was thin – a treat in the hope that their spirits would not haunt or “trick” the household. The rest would be cooked up in ways so that it could be kept as long as possible, for this fresh meat had to last until the great feast of Yule, after which many went hungry through the winter. It would be minced and made into haggis or faggots, blood and fat dried to make black or white pudding and suet, offcuts boiled to make brawn or jellied juices for stock, or used in pies or suet puddings.

Of course, we might not want to use some of the preservation methods used in earlier times. Saltpetre, or potassium nitrate more commonly used in gunpowder and fertiliser was one such preservative for pork, seen as less safe and healthy today than it may have been in the past. And candied fruits before being steeped in honey might have been dried with alum (potassium aluminium sulphate) – more often today used in deodorants or as a dye fixative, or to make parchment, and banned for general food use in England in 1875.

But some recipes from previous centuries for the Samhain to Yule, autumn and winter period can still be made and enjoyed safely:

Traditional Recipes

Real Mince Pies Take 1½lb (700g) lean beef or similar mince and mix in a large bowl with 4oz (100g) suet. Add to it ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) of ground cloves and the same of black pepper with a pinch of saffron and a teaspoon (5ml) of ground mace. Stir into this 2oz (50g) each of raisins, currants and chopped prunes with the stones removed.

To make the pastry, sift 1lb (450g) plain flour and 2 teaspoons (10g) of salt together into a large bowl, and make a well in the centre of the flour. Heat 4oz (100g) lard, ¼ pint (150ml) water and 4 tablespoons (60ml) milk together in a pan and bring to a boil.

Pour into the well in the flour, and quickly beat the flour and liquid mixture together with a spoon. Knead until the dough is smooth and fully mixed.

Cut off a quarter and reserve for the lid. Roll the rest out and use to line an 8-inch (20cm) diameter, deep pie tin. Pack the meat mixture into the pie, and damp the top edge of the pastry with milk. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid and pinch the edges firmly so they seal. Prick holes in the centre of the lid. Bake at gas mark 7/424F/220C for 15 minutes, then reduce to gas4/350F/180C for a further 1½ hours.

Brush the top with a glaze made of 1 tablespoon (15ml) each of butter, sugar and rosewater melted together and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold – but uncut, this pie will keep well in a cool place for several days. (Taken from ‘A Book of Cookrye Very necessary for all such as delight therein’ Printed 1591 in London, and currently held in the Bodleian Library Oxford.)

Pears in Wine: Peel 3 large firm pears, but leave them whole, gouging out the hard cores from the round end only. Put the pears in a large pan with 10oz (300g) of sweet hedgerow berries and pour ½ pint (275ml) of red wine over them. Simmer until the pears are soft, turning them often to allow them to go pink all over, and leave to cool, again basting with the juice or turning the pears to retain their colour. Lift the pears when cool and cut into quarters for serving, reserving the juice in the pan. To a clean pan, add ¼ pint (150ml) of sweet white wine, 1oz (25g) of sugar or honey, and a small pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon and black pepper. Boil until it reduces to thick syrup, add the pears and bring back to the boil for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, re-boil and sieve the red wine and fruit mixture. Serve the glazed pears, and pour the red wine and fruit mixture over as a sauce. (taken from Antiquitates Culinariae, 1381, adapted/translated in 1791 as a Tudor recipe by Richard Warner)

Glenys Armstrong

Samhain...

Communing with Spirits

This herbaceous, spicy, slightly bitter formula is perfect for your altar incense for Samhain rituals or to infuse your home with the reflective spirit of the season.

1 pt. crushed Bay leaves 1 pt. Mug wort 1/2 pt. Star Anise 1 pt. White Sage 1/2 pt. Cardamom 1 pt. Myrrh The circle is cast, the candles are lit. A wreath of incense smoke slides between the assembled company making slow, twisting forms like ghosts rising from the earth. Heads bow and we contemplate the many faces of death.

Then what?

This has been the experience of many magical folk. ’All Hallows Eve’ rituals which open with such promise can easily close with a thud. Perhaps we're too quick to take away Death's sting when we say things like "It is not an ending, but a new kind of birth" or maybe we linger on it too long and just talk about the people of our past and the pain of losing them. Perhaps, though, we just need something to do to keep our hands busy, to anchor ourselves in the present.

This is why my coven summons the dead.

For me, there is nothing that links the past and present so effectively during this ritual as summoning.

We know the spirits are near--especially those recently deceased--and many are willing to not only share space with the living for the night but also to share in our company. Why not let them in and have a chat?

It's interesting that every time I start the ritual, I wonder if this will be the time that we'll hear dull or painful memories from the spirits, repeating information, or even no response at all. Although the latter has yet to happen. Instead we've heard from long-lost friends and relatives, characters of our past that stir up nostalgia, laughter, smiles, and tears. Some of those spirits who show up are people we haven't thought about in years and we are treated to the feeling that our lives and connections are actually much broader than we realize. And those connections still exist, those individuals and all they have meant to us exist. That's usually part of the message they bring us: "We're still around." When we hit this mark in the rite, no one walks away unmoved.

To be clear, summoning isn't just for mediums and other psychically gifted practitioners. If you can work your tarot cards, you have everything you need to both speak to and hear spirits. The spread you use will determine the kind of interactions you will have with the spirits you meet. I like to keep the focus on what the deceased person wants the living to know, not just how they lived and died, so I use a spread which helps to facilitate that. While I have managed to get everything I need to hear from the following spread alone, you might like to have a few on hand which will give greater clarity while in communication. Choose your spreads carefully before you get to the circle to ensure you have all the options you need.

Spirit Contact Spread For safety, redouble your protection efforts around the circle you have cast. Begin your method of summoning, whether by using an evocation or, as I prefer, burning an incense that draws spirits to your ritual space. Request aloud a sign that a spirit has arrived. As you await this sign, begin to shuffle the cards. Cut them in your usual method and then begin the reading, drawing one card at a time and holding it up as you describe it to those assembled before placing it in its position on the altar or other flat surface. The cards are laid out in a five-spot pattern:

1

2

3

4

5

1. The Spirit and a little information about who they are.

2. Why they are with you now?

3. What they want you to know?

4. What actions you can take or how you can help them?

5. Outcome or a summary of their message

A few tips to remember: Stay flexible. This method may feel vastly different from the normal way you use the cards so try to stay loose and go with what you feel.

Take cues from all aspects of the card, not just its overall meaning. Doing this can open up a full conversation with just a short spread.

When you don't recognize the spirit or what they're trying to say, talk it out. I like to say "Normally, this card is about..." and then end with "Can anyone think of a loved one for whom this makes sense?" You'll be surprised what comes out!

Keep it interactive. Talk to the spirits but also to the others in the circle. Ask questions, pose thoughts, ponder, share memories--make your fellow conjurers think and feel.

Remember to release and thank everyone you've called when you're done. Send the spirits out with a reversal of the method you used to bring them in. It's also a good idea to let the spirits have a parting gift such as a dish of candy or apples you bury outside afterward.

Someday, if we're lucky, some loving souls will conjure us from whatever beyond there is after death. They'll share our stories, and they'll laugh and cry in our names. So when they ask you for your message, at last you'll know how this process works. And perhaps you, too, will just want to say, "We're still around.�

Molly McHenry http://www.quillsoccultsupply.etsy.com/ quillandink@ymail.com https://www.facebook.com/QuillsOccultSupply

A Family Samhain Tradition …Our Dumb Supper Ritual to have a spot for our ancestors. That means one extra place setting! For this dinner, we also light a candle which we place closest to the ancestor place setting.

As a pagan family, we strive to incorporate some of the ‘Old ways’ into our lives; particularly around the holidays. In some ways, this can be challenging as we are no longer a society who farms crops or raises cattle! Thankfully, when it comes to Samhain, our favourite time of year, we are able to hold tight to a ritual that was done by my mother and my mother’s mother (and likely even further back although that is all I know of!) While we love the ‘trick or treating’ that most people do, we always start our night off with a Dumb Supper… and yes, even the children participate!

Of course, when the children were much younger, it was a bit more challenging; however, as they have grown a bit they have come to realize the reverence of this ritual and appreciate it.

We start our ritual by setting the table with the plates, silverware, cups and napkins. This task is done by the kids and they have to make sure

For the actual dinner meal, I generally prepare a stew. I use beef stew meat, rough chop carrots and potatoes (skins on) and sometimes add in peas. I try to make a hearty, one pot meal as being of Scottish descent I feel like this type of meal would be something our ancestors would have eaten. On occasion I have even made Shepherd’s Pie which was a staple from my mom who grew up Scotland, We pour apple cider to drink. Once the meal is placed on the plates and the drink cups are filled, everyone knows that they must eat in silence. As we are eating, we are thinking about our ancestors and what this time of year would have meant to them. (as we had previously discussed this before sitting down). Eating in silence is something that we don’t do on a regular basis so I know it really gets the kids thinking about the importance of our ancestors in our lives. It gives the adults and children time to reflect on and honour them. As each person finishes their meal, they continue to sit quietly until everyone else is finished. And then, when everyone is finished with their meal, we will thank our ancestors for joining us and clear our plates. I usually leave the ancestor plate and cup out until we return from Trick or Treating.

Heather Alfonso http://www.facebook.com/ravenhazehealingdivination

https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Littlest-Witch-compilation-stories-ebook/dp/B01K2TAPYY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1475939076&sr=1-2

With Samhain fast approaching, it is time to start getting prepared! I have always loved this time of year, even before I fully stepped into my Witch Power; there is something cleansing about the wheel turning and entering the Underworld for the Northern Hemisphere Winter.

Samhain for many is also considered the Witches New Year; going with the theme of cleansing, change and starting anew, Samhain is the perfect time to set firm intentions for the year to come, and rid your space of energy that no longer serves your Highest Self.

And, let us not forget the most important aspect of Samhain: the veil thins, and we pay honour to our Ancestors both of this life, and of lives past.

I think this is the perfect time to set up an Ancestor/Dead Altar and prepare some Witch Bottles; these bottles can be prepared at any time, during any part of the year, but the energy on Samhain is meant for Witches and Creatures of the Night, why waste it?

An Ancestor/Dead Altar can be something as simple as pictures, and candles or as ornate as dedicating an entire corner of your space to them. You want to keep the Dead Altar separate from your Working Altar though, and you do NOT want to share offering plates with the Dead; not with yourself or your Other Spirits.

For example, my Ancestor Altar consists of my Great-Grandfather’s 1943 Order of the Eastern Star Ritual Book, my Great-Grandmother’s German Bible (she held it in her hands the entire time she was on the boat escaping Germany), my Grandmother’s jewellery, Dead Flowers, Palo Santo, Sterling Silver Antique petite serving vessel, candles and some other little trinkets; along with a Sugar Skull to honour any other Dead that may come through. I always honour Hekate when dealing with the Dead, too.

A way to honour the dead is through ritual. You would start by casting your circle, and setting up your Sacred Space.

Then you call your corners, and begin the ceremony; I am a firm believer in simplicity.

A Ritual Chant to invite Spirits: “Spirits of the Dead, Guardians of this Ground, Ancients and Family I call to thee, hear my cries, hear my pleas. I offer you substances of enjoyment. Enjoy! I give these gifts as a token of gratitude for your guidance, may you forgive any offense on my part, and may you continue to guide me from beyond the veil. On this night of nights may your Spirit roam free. My words are firm so it shall be, this is my will, so mote it be.”

On Samhain I like to make Witch Bottles and charge them on my Ancestor Altar; it adds a strong power to them but, it also adds an element of death. A lot of people are afraid to work with Death energy so they don’t understand how protective it can be, and often is when channelled properly.

A Witch Bottle is used to protect one’s person, home, car, or other Space from negative energy; similar in concept to Mojo Bags, and Hex Bags.

I use glass jars, personally, but you can use anything you have on hand. The size can be large or small, it does not matter the amount ingredients you put in; the intentions are what matters most.

Some traditional ingredients for Witch Bottles are Rusty Nails (particularly Coffin Nails), Urine and/or Blood, Hair, Herbs, Crystals, Dirt, and Ritual Powders.

For a protective Witch Bottle you would add: Nails if you have them handy, Urine (think of a dog marking territory, this is a similar idea), Blood (if you are experienced in Blood Magick), Nettle Leaf for protection and to break a curse,

Bay Leaves to protect against negativity and evil intentions, Black Salt for grounding, and transmuting negative energy into healing, Garlic for protection (it can be powder, or dried), Kava Kava root for strong protection, Devil Shoestring to keep luck on your side, Anise Star for protection but also to increase the powers of the other herbs and your intentions.

You may also want to take this night to cleanse and consecrate your space and tools by burning Frankincense, Dragon’s Blood or Amber resins; along with a good Sage, Wormwood, Mugwort, or Lavender burning cleanse.

Take the energy of Samhain and use it to your advantage.

And may you be Magick!!.

Jaclyn Cherie https://thenephilimrising.com https://www.facebook.com/WearableMagick/?pnref=about.overview /

Diary of the Hedgewitch Leaves began to change to shades of red and orange and fall, crispy underfoot, fruits swelled and ripened, mushrooms suddenly sprang from the damp ground, the last of the swallows fled, the buzzing, flitting and fluttering of insects and bats cease as they retreat into hibernation, and a few wind battered bedraggled blooms still cling to the fast fading light. Autumn came, and with it the earthy stench of rot and death, and the glorious rich sweet scent of festering apples sploshed beneath trees now relieved of their treasures, takes over from the fragrance of summer flowers and mown grass; a change, a freshness, and a softness and deepening of colour dampens the bright brazen light of summer, as a warm cosy glow is spread, a chill nips the air, and tweeting and twittering give way to harsh throaty caws.

My favourite time of year, the hustle and bustle of summer’s frenzied feeding, gathering, coupling, fertilising, birth, fledging, growing, is stilled, ready to be assimilated as the decomposing leaf mould turns to humus; the darkening days allow the tug inwards towards the light within, and the night skies glitter incandescently, spinning their archaic tales, our own stories, across the heavens.

The crops are gathered in, harvests of apples and pears, plums, grapes, fruit that nestles its precious seeds of future generations within juicy voluptuousness, satisfies our sweet tooth and our lust for tipsiness, whilst the seeds that contain the past and future, brimming with

possibilities, are trashed and forgotten, but the species tempts with its desirable scrumptiousness and so we grow it and nurture it, propagating it by other means, continuing its existence. It is a symbiotic relationship.

My garden lays, by many people’s standards, as a drunken mess at the end of a wild party.

Browned stems collapse, tumble, droop, drool and sprawl, heavy with the products of their summer flings, fertilised seeds tinkling with the stars and Moon and Sun, that feed the fluttering birds. Kale stands naked, stripped bare and ravished by insatiable lusty caterpillars. A few flowers still beam, grinning inanely, their vibrant make-up pale and smeared, they stagger, propping up those that have fallen against their dishevelled stems; others slump piled together in a heap, in an aftermath of a drunken brawl. I like the loosening of control, the slipping into chaos after all the spring and summer’s work.

Some seeds I will save and sow next spring, saving seeds from each generation year to year will eventually grow plants that are stronger and more resilient to the climate, pests and diseases, of that little bit of the Earth that they and their past generations sprang from. And it’s satisfying to remember the great, great, great grandparent of that tangy mouthwatering squishy tomato that I’m slicing into, as a seed that I sowed those few years ago, weaving my own story to entwine with that of the plant.

And so we head into winter, into the cold and dark, the stillness and silence, the warmth and light kindled from our hearts and hearth, to dismantle and ferment, to nestle in the bosom of winter together as families and friends, feasting on the summer’s bounty, creating our stories, and gestating the future.

Rachael Moss photography by Rachael Moss

October Sowing Calendar Mon

Tue

Weds

Thurs

Fri

Sat 1

Sun 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

10

11

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13

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midnight 27

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midnight

A 11am

9

6am

5am

10am

4am

P midnight

7pm 30

2am

6pm

31

A 8pm November Sowing Calendar Key to Astrological Symbols

Capricorn

Mon

Aquarius

Tue 1

Cancer Leo

Weds 2

Dark Moon 1st quarter

Thurs 3

A P

Apogee

Fri Perigee 4

Sat 5

North (ascending) node

Element Symbols Sun Earth 6

from 12pm

Air Pisces

Virgo

Full Moon

South (descending) node

3rd quarter 10

11

1pm 7

Aries

8

9

Libra

from 12pm

x

Taurus

Scorpio

Highest Moon

Sagittarius 16

Lowest Moon 17

8pm

No sowing

13

Water

4pm

Gemini

14

Fire 12

15

18

19

20 from 1pm

Crops to Sow/Plant in October P 11am 2pm Root/Earth Flower/Air 21 22 23 Onions Garlic 9am

9am Leaf/Water 25 Overwintering salads

24

Fruit/Fire 26 Broad beans

27

A 8pm

3am

28

29

30

12pm Key to Astrological Symbols Capricorn Cancer

Dark Moon

A P

Aquarius

Leo

1st quarter

Apogee Perigee North (ascending) node

Pisces

Virgo

Full Moon

South (descending) node

Aries

Libra

3rd quarter

Taurus

Scorpio

Highest Moon

Gemini

Sagittarius

Lowest Moon

Element Symbols Earth Air Fire

x

Crops to Sow/Plant in November Root/Earth Flower/Air Onions Garlic

Leaf/Water Overwintering salads

No sowing

Water

Fruit/Fire Broad beans

th

Oct. 14 - Autumn Moon, Hameln, Germany th

Oct 15 - Autumn Moon, Hameln, Germany Oct 22 - The Raven King's Faery Ball, Glastonbury Town Hall, Magdalene Street, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9EL, Nov 26 - Witchfest International, Brighton Centre, King's Rd, Brighton BN1 2GR For up to the minute gig guide and further information www.thedolmen.com

The sun scorched, The earth cooled, The waters subsided, The earth flourished.

Life emerged from the great deep, The silent womb of creation Shadow serpent and all It's minions born, Born of magick, Born of fire, Born of all this world’s desires.

Born earth child in all your forms Glorious glory upon eternal glory, Unto the sacred, life light of night.

After more than three years of selective writing The Dolmen have announced the release of the Nuada Album and its launch at the Winter Castlefest, Netherlands in December 2016.

Nuada is dedicated to those who brave the path of Magick, those who reside in the shadows of science; those who dare examine the philosophical mystery of terrestrial existence.

Creatures of night, Spawn of the feared from your dark realms you have manifested your presence in this the world of the living.

The Dolmen www.thedolmen.com

The Dark Witch’s Kiss One kiss from me, Upon thy feet Transcends the thresholds of time, the words I speak, Are bittersweet, As I yearn to make you mine.

Shiver as I Kiss thy knees, For they shall kneel before the gate, The soul takes flight, Beyond the light surrenders to its fate.

Yield to me as I fill the diamond of your soul Take you to realms yet unseen, within the bliss, Of this revealing kiss, I’m all there has ever been.

I crave these lips, Upon your breast, to guard your faintly beating heart, And I drink my sin The heart grows still, Turning the world from light to dark.

My final kiss, upon thy lips, Sealing all that is yet to be, And demons sleep, While angels weep, As with thy last breath my will is done.

Diane Narraway

The ultimate question of …

What if I'm wrong?

The subjective mind questions all around him, he questions the influences on his present state of consciousness and attempts to be objective, but there is no true state of objectivity possible.

One cannot be objective when one realises that we are subject to the influence of a whole universe worth of external ebbs and flows that combine to present reality to this particular place and time, where ones’ spiritual self is contained within the objective self.

All I have acquired as knowledge is a result of external forces at a base level of cosmic serendipity and developed influences from education, religion, social-political landscape, nurture not to mention the physical laws of our universe and its presented natural history.

What if the increasingly popular concept as a growing state today, is as the result of programming to make the ego believe he is being objective, but his entire viewpoint is a manipulation from the greater embodiment of a master society?

I have always reversed logic. Our universal laws hold water if they are exactly inverted from their subjective origin. What if ‘up is down’, is often expressed, but rarely understood by people on its deeper esoteric level, for most it simply represents an inversion of the current status quo so in reality it relates to the fluvial inversion of perception which at no stage is a goal, but more a description of cyclic transition. As above, so shall it be below, are stepping entirely through the looking glass.

But as a universal law inversion only works because all the components that bring me to where I am today have dictated on a subconscious level that they hold water. We share the whole as a collective experience of physical laws, and what we perceive is universal history. We share access to the same time period and media, publications, internet and Babylonic library; a world of facts that the internet amongst others tells us are true. but can we trust these sources?

Collectively they form a house of cards, whose foundations support each other, and if one falls, it only falls because we have now presented a stronger card in its place. We allow any old

nonsense to pass as reality until something stronger comes along. This is how weak reality is.

As a result, I may only classify myself imbued with free will, because my manipulator may have given me an array of historical data that my collective decisions are founded upon, and I perceive that as my own free will. The cards are literally stacked.

Some time ago I posed the question that the free will and consciousness deemed to be ‘enlightenment’, which these ‘occult gnosis’ source-books, suggest the serpent ‘Lucifer/Prometheus’ was the blessed benefactor rebelling against an ordination of God. Upon giving us potentially the illusion of free will, by himself orchestrating the world and its unfolding existence before us, he could also orchestrate his claim to the throne by manipulation of all the media that presents itself to us, to date.

What if, this demonic nature was possibly not the blessing we perceive it to be? The metaphoric bliss described as the garden of Eden was destroyed by the realisation of consciousness.

That consciousness sometimes referred to as Pandora’s box, opening up the evils of the world, are purely self-awareness, before which we were in a state of ignorant bliss, God’s intention for man.

Then the offering of the god that kept us ignorant, was not as malignant as we perceive it at this point.

This defence of Yesod is painful and infuriating to the LHP occultist - call him what you like. But at a certain level of enlightenment, you will come to these questions. If the Devil was truly evil, intent on the destruction of our souls. Would it not be within his power to dangle what we believe is free will on the stick, praising him for being the benefactor of our wisdom.

Another possibility is that our objective history is only a subjective collection of experiences we believe existed before our birth, or conception.

But what if they were not, history and our subjective universe only came about at the point of our personal inception; a creation like the BigBang instead of beginning billions of years ago, very far away, externalising our-self from the event, actually began with us, and expanded out into time creating itself, creating a pre-birth history that is unique to the individual, a single lone solitary divine God himself.

A premise through which I can declare I(you) am God! This version of universal history was never there, before we began, and that we truly are god, beginning in the void of noting, and expanding out into dimensions, Like the pebble tossed into the still pond, history including a reality created which included our parents would expand out behind us, as much as an unforeseen future lay ahead of us.

We could say that it is a shared experience and so that gives us cause to dismiss, but in a purely solipsistic sense, again the collective would also be created at our inception, the ripples of time, space dimensions, would work equally backwards from that point as forward, our linear perception of discovery only allows for a forward motion from our objective view, but subjectively these ripples of existence expanding out from us would create discoveries going further and further in the past, reinforcing a reality that never truly existed.

This would include a long-running conflict between a Yesod entity and a Devil or Adversary.

This realisation, brings with it that we truly are the centre of our universe in both time, location and perspective, which is the first law of subjectivism.

And if we are the centre of a universe, then either.

I. II.

All other consciousness (people) are created by us.

All others are us, expressing themselves as separate aspects of our godlike psyche.

In this, we create the enemy within ourselves, and the evils of the world are an expression of our personal anger and warfare against ourselves.

This being the case we have an opportunity at this point in our lives to mentally challenge our entire universe, which means we challenge existence itself to be rewritten according to our will. At which point we can only return to what is our will?

Do we truly desire harmony, peace and love?

Regardless of your background, life in harmony can be the only desire of any individual.

If our truest desire is to bring about a universal state of absolute harmony, then we seek to return to the ignorant garden of Eden offered by the God of the Bible, and the rejection of the Pandora's box of free will brought about by the serpent and all I believe to be beneficial to mankind from this gift.

Ironically, rejecting this can only be done by free will. Ergo our eternal conflict of the good and evil within ourselves is eternal and cyclic

Richard K Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Richard-K.Page/e/B00O2HZR0A/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1475477822&sr= 8-2-ent

Husbands ‘n’ Knives Gig Guide

Sat 15th Oct… London, Unicorn Sat 12th Nov… Plymouth Underground Sat 19th Nov…The Soggy Biscuit, Manchester https://husbandsnknivesmusic.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/HusbandsNKnivets

Laughter Yoga for the Health of it As Mentioned by Taloch Jameson during a Crow Dancers meditation, Laughter is a tool for healing that you can generate from within yourself. Hence Laughter Yoga is an exercise to develop mindful wellbeing through the use of deep belly laughs in combination with breathing exercises between outbursts of laughter.

Techniques include; hand clapping whilst chanting “Hoho! Hahaha!”, raising our arms with extended thumbs and chanting “Very good! Very good! -Yay!” between bursts of laughter.

Each of the exercises come to an end with the clapping chant of “Hoho! Hahaha!” being repeated 3 times.

The unmistakable benefits of healing occur as we laugh deeply, because our bodies have an increased intake of oxygen which is then distributed throughout the entire body. The benefits of this are the alleviation of depression, anxiety, and the release of physical pain.

Laughter Yoga is a cardio vascular exercise which will raise the blood pressure initially but lower blood pressure after the session is completed.

Laughter is the best medicine we know and much like art and music it is coming from within yourself and only works when you are willing to laugh. Laughter Yoga is often facilitated in a group, as laughing in a group is easier. Inhibitions disappear during a Laughter Yoga session and you are encouraged to engage in childlike playfulness to reach a mindful and natural way that suits you!

You are given examples of how and where you can apply the Laughter Yoga.

A demonstration of ‘gibberish’ for anger management or domestic conflicts is a most important part of the Laughter Yoga concept, to avoid aggression and substitute it with a more positive approach. Due to the pressures of modern life- these laughter yoga exercises are needed daily, to increase a positive attitude, especially during challenging times; to strengthen your core and to persevere and be able to endure much more easily.Gibberish is a nonsense approach of ‘verbal diarrhoea’ as you use language to create nonsense words such as. ‘rokoblidabalcroput’ instead of swearing! Believe me you will end up laughing as it so ridiculous and using this technique you will not argue again so easily! The aim with Laughter Yoga is to awaken your inner childlike playfulness. Reawakening compassion, Love, Peace and Harmony.

You can achieve this by turning your daily chores into laughter exercises! Yes! You start by applying laughter

to whatever you are doing, e.g. Sweeping the floorjust sweep ‘laughingly’, likewise washing up; you soap the dishes ‘laughingly’… hehehehehe!

Need to clear your thoughts? Like dental floss- Use ‘mental floss’; pretend to ‘floss’ your brain, from side to side with a hehehehee! The aim is that in the morning, as you look in the mirror, you are able to laugh at yourself! Yes! Please laugh at yourself!

Laughter releases melatonin and serotonin Anger is overpowered United laughs are stronger Giggles are the beginning of a laugh…

Happiness follows Therapeutic Energizing Relaxingly refreshing From our laughs with ‘Children in Need’, here is a little poem I would like to share with you: Laughter is infectious You catch it like the flu When someone laughed near me today I started laughing too.

So if you feel a laugh begin Don’t let it be neglected Let’s start an epidemic And get the world infected!

Please be advised that Laughter isn’t a substitute for any medication, check with your GP if in doubt whether Laughter Yoga is okay for you to do! People with a Hernia or Incontinence should not participate.

Heike Kowle Free to join daily: Skype Laughterclubs.

Free Skype app download and free participation!

Daily Laughs on YouTube!

Belladonna Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) is a herb known to most people because it is poisonous. As a herbalist, it is a herb I keep in my dispensary but only use it occasionally. Because of its poisonous nature I generally look for an alternative safer herb to use as far as I can.

Legally it falls under Section 20 of the Medicines Act which means it can only be given to another by a fully qualified herbalist. The quantity of the herb which may be prescribed is also defined in the same Act. So it is a strictly regulated remedy and rightly so. Homeopaths also use the herb although homeopathic remedies, because of the nature of the dilution process, do not have a problem with toxicity.

Using the aerial parts, its therapeutic properties are as a relaxant to smooth muscle, a sedative, and a pain reliever. It also has a drying quality. The danger lies with the amount given; a herb with the properties of Belladonna if used in excess will over sedate and could easily result in death.

Image by Tom Oates

Signs of overdose include dry mouth, dilated pupils and mental disorientation so dosage is all important. Generally, I tend to use drop doses, staying well within the legally defined maximum dose and with a warning to the person taking it to watch for signs of overdose.

Herbalists use the herb internally to treat spasm and colic in the digestive system, renal and gall bladder colic, spasmodic asthma, bed wetting, whooping cough and excessive salivation and sweating. The drying action on saliva can be a helpful symptomatic approach to excessive salivation in neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease.

Externally it can be applied to relieve pain in conditions such as neuralgia, sciatica, gout and rheumatism.

Active constituents include atropine and hyoscine which are also in the British National Formulary of Medicines which are used by allopathic doctors.

The poisonous nature of the plant has long been recognised. Nicholas Culpeper (17thC) noted that it was ‘Not good at all for inward uses’ and recommended external application to old ulcers, hard swellings in the breast and tumours; again warning of its dangers due to its poisonous nature.

The Latin name Atropa is from the Greek Atropos; one of the Fates who held shears to cut the thread of life. Belladonna has two origins; one a reference to women who used it in their eyes to give greater brilliancy and dilate the pupils, thus enhancing their beauty; and the other to Bellona, the sister of Mars the God of War. The herb was burnt as an offering to Bellona when preparing to do battle of any kind.

Like some other poisonous herbs, it is said to belong to the Devil who tends to it all year except for one night in the year; Walpurgis, now better known as Beltane Eve. Witches and shamans skilled in its use could use it to induce euphoria, trance and disorientation, followed by a deep sleep involving vivid and exotic dreams. It would be an aid to divination in this context.

The skill demanded an intimate knowledge of dose tolerance as the line between inducing these states and the madness and death of overdose is a fine one. In this context it was one of the ingredients of the witches’ flying ointment; the equally toxic Aconite and Henbane being others.

It can be used in rituals for the dead, helping the departed spirit to let go of its longing for life whilst aiding it to move forward into union with the Universe toward rebirth.

It can be used to consecrate ritual tools made from lead and is used in charging and consecration of onyx. At Samhain it can be used as a constituent of incense although care must be taken to avoid inhaling it; the lungs are a very effective organ of absorption.

So, for a herbalist, this is a plant at one extreme end of the spectrum of safety yet is a remedy which offers effective relief to a variety of conditions but demands a confident and competent approach on the part of the practitioner.

Andrew Cowling WARNING BELLADONNA SHOULD NEVER BE USED UNLESS PRESCRIBED BY A QUALIFIED MEDICAL HERBALIST

Andrew Cowling BSc(Hons) Dip.Phyt,D.Hyp,RCST,MNFSH,FNIMH. Herbalist, Craniosacral Therapist, , Healer.

62 Grove Road Portland DT5 1DB. Tel. 01305 860611.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE DOLMEN GROVE The Dolmen Grove offers a lifetime membership, which simply means a one-off payment of ÂŁ20 for those who wish to embrace and enjoy the freedom, Clanship and the right to practice their own spiritual path within the Grove family.

Full Members of the Grove will enjoy reduced rates for events such as Gatherings like the Beltane Spirit of Rebirth and Tribal Dreams, and many other events when stated.

A Full member will receive a Membership Card and a unique Membership Number that identifies who they are when wishing to attend Member only Ceremonies and other Dolmen Grove Events.

The Dolmen Grove does not have a hierarchy, as we do not believe that people need titles or labels to follow a spiritual path; instead the spiritual ethos of the Grove is facilitated by a Round Table, a circle of people from all walks of life.

For further information on the Dolmen Grove and becoming a member pleas e send an email to

dolmengrove@dolmengrove.co.uk .Also find us on faceboook - thedolmengrove and thedolmengrovemagazine

Lenormand…A Beginners Guide Part 2

Let’s assume you have now purchased a pack of Lenormand cards. Take a while to begin writing your journal, beginning by looking through the cards and using your intuition to guess the meanings …. So card one is the Rider; the Rider on horseback signifies action, movement and depending where it is can mean ‘moving towards’ or ‘moving away’ either from something or someone. The full significance of the card has to be read in context, e.g. where it is in a spread and which cards are around it.

Card 2 is Clover - instinctively Clover suggests luck and in the Lenormand deck it is a positive card indicating luck possibly a small amount of positive fortune but equally it can also indicate the number 2 in timing, although I will talk more about timings later on.

There is some difference of opinion as to whether you read the cards from left to right or right to left, this has caused endless debates between readers.

Personally I would say read the way that feels best for you, in my case I prefer to read from left to right; the way I read a book. However, you may choose the other way, it is all a matter of preference.

So assuming we draw The Rider followed by the Clover … we can read it as ‘the Individual is making an action which is leading to a small piece of fortune or which will be fortunate/bring good luck etc.’ Whereas Clover followed by the Rider would suggest a small lucky break is coming their

way. Note the difference albeit subtle. You will find that although there are only 36 cards in the Lenormand pack which seems almost meagre for dedicated tarot readers but they have a myriad of meanings dependant on their position in the pack.

Card 3 is The Ship …the meanings are quite clear here…Movement, either to or from and although it is similar to the Rider it tends to imply a longer journey. E.g. it can mean someone from abroad, in a love spread (one where a lot of cards pertaining to love are present) it may suggest travel to meet a lover/potential lover. It can mean moving abroad, moving house or emigrating or it can simply refer to a connection abroad, either way it generally means a big movement in the scheme of things.

So if you saw the spread for example Rider Clover Ship, it could mean that you are moving towards a lucky opportunity to move. This could refer to someone who has applied for a job abroad and wants to know if this will happen. If that question were asked and those three cards came up the answer is yes you have evoked the correct energy to give you a lucky break which will enable you to move abroad.

If you asked about your love life …will there be a love interest around soon? and were presented with the cards Ship Rider Clover, my answer on drawing these cards would be someone from a great distance will come into your life and this will have a positive outcome.

If you want to do some home study, take a few minutes a day to look at each card and write down in your journal what the card ‘says’ to you. Look up the meanings and see if they coincide with your own and then try doing a basic three card reading to answer a question. Make it a simple question for example ‘what will my day be like?’.

More in depth questions will require more in depth spreads which I will be covering in further articles.

Eirwen Morgan photography by Maxim

For readings, personal tuition or further information missseirian@gmail.com

Lucifer The Light of the Aeon is the latest from New Orleans publishing house Black Moon.

Contributed to and edited by Diane Narraway and featuring contributions from Orlee Andromedae, Teach Carter, Jaclyn Cherie, Linda Cunningham, James Ford, Isis Graywood, Elizabeth Jennings, Amanda Lindupp, Rachel Summers, Geraldine Lambert, Maxim, Eirwen Morgan, Richard K. Page, Laurie Pneumatikos, and Sean Witt with assistant editor Cheryl Waldron and cover art by Matt Baldwin-Ives This book is a unique collection of articles, poems, and art contributed by different authors and artists, all of which work with and approach Lucifer subjectively; giving the reader a greater range of information and with it a deeper understanding of Lucifer from the heart of the Luciferian.

Reviews This book’s originality lies in the fact that it is so subjective, borne of the individual experiences of those included but this, in my opinion, is no ordinary anthology. This book leaves nothing set in stone and left me rather breathless as to its scope; its approach reads like someone telling you how it is, or how it has always been for them as individuals with each their own unique take on this complicated but essential character - Lucifer. More than that, each and every contributor is that few degrees closer to you, they are that tangible.

It bleeds as much as it wears its heart on its sleeve, complete with an absence of dogma and its beauty owes as much to a fluid read as it does the originality of each approach to Lucifer and the style of each author. There is a great poetry in some of the prose and I cannot underestimate the primacy of the subjective approach here, it is that personal. Not only have I – the reader - learnt, but felt.

I can only hail those involved for the illumination they have made real into words but be prepared…this may make you question everything, challenge and ask YOU where you stand. In places you may put this book down for the emotions evoked and the tears that lead all the way down the rays of light into that very personal, powerful truth…Sam R This book......THIS BOOK!! Ok, so I haven't read it all, and in fact I'm cheating, I'm cherry picking and dipping in and out, following two or three writers at a time as they recount their journey. And what personal, moving journeys they are, it’s like being allowed a sneaky peek inside into the darkest secret recesses of someone’s mind, like looking out at life through the authors eyes. It's already made me look again at some of my childhood experiences and dare to accept that they were more than childhood fantasies; the book inspired me so.much in my lunch break at work that I went back to my mundane till absolutely inspired and uplifted; it vindicated things in my own life that I thought I was being preposterous in thinking. I can’t wait to keep reading to see if I recognise myself anywhere else, not necessarily as a Luciferian, but on my own path...Amazing book, love it! Doris Hignett https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lucifer-Light-Aeon-Diane-Narraway/dp/1890399523/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475660236&sr=1-5&keywords=lucifer https://www.amazon.com/Lucifer-Light-Aeon-Diane-Narraway/dp/1890399523/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475860386&sr=1-10&keywords=lucifer http://blackmoonpublishing.com/webstore/lucifer.html

nov 26 - witchfest brighton centre, king's rd, brighton bn1 2gr

2oi6 Like a serpent gliding from the bridge the procession made its way towards the small tepee frame that twinkled with fairy lights at night standing between the marquee and the Temple tent.

Leading the serpent was the beat of the Earth from Taloch’s drumming and the blast of the wind from Connach’s pipe. The Dolmen/Crowdance Drummers made up the head of the serpent awakening the earth and sky with a rhythm that caused feet to stamp the ground. The Dolmen clan made up the body and tail of the snake transforming into a circle around the tepee frame to prepare for the opening of the camp amid warm sunshine and light wind; very unlike the usual Dolmen gatherings. With the directions called and the elements blessed, the spirit world was open for those that wished to commune with the Universe.

Throughout the weekend face painted and feather wearing adults and children braved the changing weather to take part in the entertainment that was put on. The Muggle Magic workshop by Heike Kowl and The Chris Moors Magic show entertained the children while a talk by Diane Narraway on Crows and a very enlightening talk on the concept of Two Spirits by KT Glitz fascinated the adults.

The workshops in Poi with Locana Crowdancer and Kayleigh Marchant, Sacred Dance by Esme Knight and Tribal Drumming with Chris Harris attracted audiences from all ages. And interesting stalls ensured that we all still managed to spend a small fortune over the weekend.

The Crow Dancer’s ritual thrilled the clan on Saturday night as the Crow Dancers demonstrated the ritual power of music. My legs were stomping with the addictive beat coming from the stage as Josh’s guitar emerged from the pulsation, vibrating with a low roar that spoke to my inner soul and connected me to the Universe. Cornwall moot hosts Karen and David had come all the way from Cornwall to perform a traditional Viking shamanic chant as part of the ceremony. Afterwards the clan moved outside where the ritual was sealed in fire by the skilful fire spinning of Dancers Locana Crowdancer and Kayleigh Marchant alongside the dramatic Fire Staffs of Chris and Dee Moor as they lit the night with dance and flame.

Blue skies and warm sunshine held fast on Sunday for, or because of the Sun Ritual by Taloch that encouraged people to drum and dance together followed by Taloch’s inspiring Crowdance Meditation that involved the Dolmen Drummers and the audience, taking us on a journey into a forest where we became one with the forest as the drummers softly emulated the heartbeat of the Earth and the pipers the wind. The enjoyment lasted long after the meditation had finished and was still evident after the camp had finished and the clan made their way home.

Scott Irvine Image by Sem Vine Crow Dance - wwww.dolmengrove.co.uk

Wrong Girl from the Little Witch Crow Dance Collection Once was a girl Once was a girl who was wrong And because she was wrong she was wronged Why was she wrong?

They said: "She was wrong in her nature "She was wrong in the way she spoke up "She was wrong in the slyness of her glance, "In the pertness of her attitude "The way she walked in the light And so they wronged her Once was a girl Who knew her own nature Who had right in the way she spoke out Who was right proud to stare down the starers Was scared of no man Was not one to walk in the shade And then they wronged her That girl held fast That girl held fast to the wrongs The wrongs that were now branded on her She danced them She danced them clean She danced until the night fell She danced until her feet bled She danced until her skin split The crows watched while She danced another nature She danced her own unmaking She danced herself unhuman

Her wrongs she made black pinions Her wrongs a burnt bone beak Her wrongs a gimlet stare Her wrongs a file's rasp screaming Once was a girl Once was a girl who danced free Once was a girl who danced free of wrongness.

Poetry and Image by Dave Seed www.facebook.com/DavidSeedFineArt davidseed.tumblr.com www.twitter.com/DaveSeed2 @DaveSeed2

THE B.U.M.S THE BORDER URBAN MORRIS SIDE AS SEEN AT DOLMEN GROVE EVENTS Welsh Border Morris is an energetic traditional dance style first documented in 1609, and enjoying a revival since the mid-20th century. The dances are reminiscent of skirmishes between the Welsh and English across the border. The performers disguise themselves with painted faces (originally black faced). This was intended to prevent them being recognised whilst dancing to make a bit of extra money.

The B.U.M.s began in 2007 and are based in Caldicot in southeast Wales. We perform lively traditional and original dances in our full costume of rag jackets, lally-gags, decorative top hats and individually designed black & white face paint.

We wear "urban camouflage" rag jackets, black & white face paints. We dance Border Morris, and dance with sticks as opposed to Cotswold dancers who use hankies.

Our dancers are aged from 17 years old to 50 plus. A combination of students, teachers, clerks, fork lift truck driver, night watchman, builder, statistician, gardener, health nurse and more!

The B.U.M.s band work acoustically in suitable conditions (usually weather depending!) we have small portable amps if required or can plug directly into a PA More information, performances, photos and links can be found at our Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/bumsmorris And on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O5fyOjVkQA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXLpsr9sFt0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUcsyW3Uli0

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The Ophidian Year A Fall Rite for Voodoos FALL – ZOMBIE’S DESCENT

Down spirals the snake through the shifting skyscape of clouds, down through the trees. As Zombie moves, so moves the sap or blood of the trees down into the roots and the earth.

The sun bows low on the horizon. Life rushes to form union with its beginnings and the great mysterious Zombie prepares itself for the descent beneath the earth. The call of the earth is strong.

The task of the voodoo is to ease the passage of The trees act much as lightning rods attracting the the snake into the earth. Food offerings left by a power of Zombie and feeding it into the deep tree can provide the Grande Zombie with earth. The bright dancing light of summer sustenance. If you are eating rice, leave a few concentrates itself in the luminescent scales of the grains by a tree. Share whatever it is that you serpent. Cold winds come to fill the void left by have. An egg supported by a mound of white flour the receding light and warmth. The Grande makes a particularly fine offering on special Zombie moves and the skies give up their warmth. occasions.

This is a poem I used in one of my fall feedings of the Grande Zombie.

LONGMOUTH COMING Sky snake of summer Scales glisten in turning Arc low from horizon Long earths verdant crest.

In heart feel the calling Of moist grounds soft turning To heart of the All. In wide reaching spirals In scales taunt with twisting Tongue flickering, eyes searching Spin tales of returning To Darkness, to Silence, To taste of scales singing Sweet summer’s last song.

Longmouth I feed Long journey beginning Dive deep in your searching Yearn long in the darkness For scales sweet brightness Twixt stones of the ancestors Twixt bones of the dead Sweet smells of the summer Pull tongue quick flicking To scales Bending closer To scales Closer bending.

As New Orleans bridges the Southern and Northern Americas, so this Ophidian Year cycle bridges the world of our most distant African ancestors and their nouveau, northern children.

The focus of these rites is upon the cyclic manifestation of the Grande Zombie as the great serpent moves through the circadian pageant of the seasons; Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

The Grande Zombie is a loa that can be a difficult to understand. Its manifestation as the more sinister Haitian ‘zombie’ or enslaved undead, does little to illuminate and much to confuse the serpentine presence it takes in New Orleans. The Grand Zombie assumes a myriad of functions and forms in New Orleans Voodoo. It is the sacred snake in its widest sense. The Grande Zombie can act as a singular loa, or, in another sense, ‘Grande Zombie’ can act as a blanket term covering all of the snake loa of New Orleans Voodoo. For example, ‘This is the season when the Grande Zombies’, Ayida Wedo and Damballah Wedo begin to enter the earth in order to exchange words with the Ancestors and gain strength.’ (New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple Record; May through December 1998).

Dr. John T., who has passed into the ancestor’s arms, was a friend. I drummed or co-officiated at many of his rituals. He was a primary card reader and guide at the Historic New Orleans Voodoo Museum. He lived with an enormous snake that carried the name and spirit of ‘Zombie.’

Zombie was, in many ways, John’s closest spiritual companion. When John was ill, Zombie would protect him by allowing no one to approach; this could be problematic. Other times Zombie would eagerly raise his massive head to the level of a man’s chest in greeting. He liked to have his chin scratched.

Zombie, who shared space with Dr. John T., has passed and is remembered with a sense of awe and reverence. The closest I can come to describing the Grande Zombie’s aspects and attributes is ‘life force’ and even this portrayal does little more than point in the proper direction.

In this Year of the Snake, summer is the time of the Grande Zombie in full extension. The skies are girded by the body of the snake. In Fall, Zombie leaves the heavens and enters the heart of the earth through the trees. Once within the earth, the great snake curls tightly into a ball or womb world. The life force on the earth’s surface is pulled downward into this womb during winter. With spring, the tight ball relaxes and there comes a tendency toward extension. The body moves in a spiral fashion. In this movement there is creation and the Zombie ascends to the summer heavens.

During fall, winter, and spring the voodoo can benefit the Grande Zombie by making offerings.

In summer the Grande Zombie showers the voodooist with the gift of life force in the form of golden light. New Orleans Voodoo is not a religion; it is a practice and as such it tends more toward the elegance of simple, daily celebrations of its loa and spirits. For example, fall offerings are made during the fall whenever spirit moves the voodooist. They can be made many or few times.

There is no special grace to be gained in making many offerings. Act when spirit moves, that is all that is necessary.

WINTER – WOMB WORLD The Grande Zombie has entered the earth and lies dormant below the lands and waters. Wrapped inward upon itself, burrowed within the heart of the world, the great snake seeks the council of the ancestors and dreams of the skies vast freedom. For the voodooist there is cold and sleep. The world seems to shrink. Doors that invited adventure or at least a pleasant walk are closed against the chilling air. So much that was open is now closed.

The body and soul are both encased in thick layers for their protection, turned in upon themselves.

Subtlety is called for in the offerings. This is a time of hibernation. The Grande Zombie must be reminded of what was and can be again. A good offering is earth combined with oil or sweat from the voodoos skin. The scent of the earth is thick with future possibilities and the sweat or oil carries the imprint of the voodoos concern and love for the loa.

SPRING – ZOMBIE’S ASCENSION

SUMMER – SKY SERPENT

Faint tremors of life move through the tightly constricted ball that the Grande Zombie has become. What had once shrunk to a ghostly point, without dimension, now begins to extend. ‘Da’ is the African Dahomey word for ‘movement.’

Movement is sacred, a defining characteristic of life and the life force. The Grande Zombie begins to uncoil, to move through the still hard but thawing earth. The scent of earth and of the devotees who offer love, honor and respect draw the Grande Zombie upward. The great snake moves through the trees and once again into the limitless heavens.

“Come on y’all. Slow down. It’s New Orleans and it’s summer.”

The type of food offerings made in fall suffice in the spring. The Grande Zombie is thin from its long winter fast. Share freely and once the Zombie has completed its ascent and is strong and full of the life force that strength and force will flow into you.

(Luther Grey to Percussion Incorporated’s Congo Square Drum Class, @ 1990) Warmth and light are in abundance. The sky is brilliant with the great snake’s turnings. Zombie has reached the peak of its long ascent and time seems to stand still, much as it does for a high diver at the zenith of a dives arc. Thoughts and actions drift. People slow down. The space between actions and between words grows until time is not measured in the ticks of old clocks but in the silence between them. Days are long and their golden light fails softly, slowly. Even the nights are hot and moist and fertile. Life surges and swarms.

The most proper offering of the voodooist to the Grande Zombie during summer is thanks. The light and life force is everywhere so this thanks can be offered anywhere. “Thank you,” “Merci Beaucoup,” or “Gracias” all work equally well. It’s good to remember that snakes do not have ears so it is not so much what you say as the manner in which it is said Dr. Louie Martini .

Aromatherapy Anyone new to Aromatherapy or have not read previous articles, then here is an insight to it. Aromatherapy is the use of organic essences extracted from aromatic plans for healing and maintenance of vitality.

It may help minor ailments, keep us fit whilst still enabling us to be relaxed and at ease with ourselves.

The oils work by entering the blood stream via the skin, smells evoke memories and the brain registers the scent via the neurological and the endocrine system.

The therapeutic potential of essential oils, like other plant derived remedies, has yet to be fully realized.

Although numerous medical herbs have been utilized since antiquity, many of which have become of modern drugs (such as Quinine and cocaine) IN ORDER TO USE AN ESSENTIAL OIL APART FROM LAVENDER AND TEA TREE THEY MUST BE BLENDED WITH A CARRIER OIL. Most people would use Sweet almond oil or Grapeseed oil but if you want to try a very unusual one not found by the usual distributors then there is Kukui nut oil.

Kukui Nut Oil (Aleurites moluccanus)

The nuts inside the shells are removed and the oil is obtained after roasting and hard-pressing the kernels. They contain essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic) Vitamins A, C and E and is a light yellow with amber tint. It penetrates the skin deeply to hydrate and soften without leaving a greasy film.

It treats a variety of skin ailments such as eczema, psoriasis and helps skin affected by acne, relief for sunburned skin; may have slight sunscreen capabilities and is often used to reuce stretch marks

Image by Forest and Kim Starr

Known as Candlenut, from the practice of stringing together the nuts of the kukui and using them for torch-like lighting. It is also known as Indian-walnut or candleberry. The tree is Native and the state tree of Hawaii although it can be found in other areas of Polynesia. The tree grows to 80ft high, the leaves are pale green, simple and are ovate, or tri-lobed.

In Hawaiian hospitals they use Kukui Nut Oil to treat cancer patients suffering from radiation treatment burns and pain. It is very popular among surfers who use it as a skin emollient against sun, wind, water, and sea salt damage.If this oil is mixed with German chamomile essential oil it can help soothe irritated skin and reduce inflammation. The oil has a shelf life of 12-14 months, and should not be exposed to heat.

AVOID EYE CONTACT AND KEEP THE OIL AWAY FROM CLOTHING, AS IT CAN STAIN

Myrtle essential oil (myrtus communis)

It is also recommended for people suffering from thyroid problems as it helps address hormone imbalances, specifically those of the thyroid and ovaries. It may assist with the regulating of an underactive or overactive thyroid gland Myrtle also possesses adaptogen properties which is a natural substance considered to help the body adapt to stress.

Other Benefits are: For the skin: - Diminishes wrinkles, helps alleviate Acne, oily skin and open pores. It can ward off mosquitoes and other insects.

It is a good antiseptic if mixed with water as can be applied to wounds

Image by Paul Brennan

Myrtle is a large bush or small tree with many slender but tough branches and small pointed leaves. It has white flowers followed by small black berries; both the flowers and leaves are fragrant. It is Native to North Africa and grows freely in the Mediterranean. The oil is produced in Corsica, Italy, France, Morocco, Spain and the Slovakian areas The Essential oil is obtained through the steam distillation of the myrtle plant’s fresh leaves and is a clear yellow/greenish-yellow. It smells similar to camphor and is a pepper green, rather like bay.

It belongs to the same plant family (Myrtaceae) as tea tree and eucalyptus and therefore had many similar characteristics and although myrtle’s scent is reminiscent of eucalyptus oil, it is sometimes compared to frankincense oil because they possess a similar composition and scent.

Myrtle essential oil has many uses, and being mild, it is very suitable for use to ease children’s coughs and chest problems. Myrtle is one of the best oils for the respiratory system as it can be used to help ease the symptoms of Asthma, Catarrhal conditions chronic coughs and even tuberculosis.

This oil can also be used as a mouthwash; two drops of Myrtle oil mixed with a tablespoon of brandy or other alcohol and some warm water makes the gums contract and strengthen their hold on the teeth. If you do swallow it by mistake it can help with the intestinal tracts by contracting the digestive muscles.

Emotional health: - Relieves nervousness and stress. As a sedative, it can provide relief from depression, tension, distress, and insomnia.

Myrtle can also be used as an air freshener If you’re thinking about blending myrtle oil with other essential oils, effective ones include lavender, lime, bergamot, lemon, hyssop, rosemary, and Clary sage.

(Julia Lawless the encyclopaedia of Essential oils and Dr mercola.com/herbal-oils)

Sandra Wiseman

Reflexology (including Maternity Reflexology) Indian Head Massage – Aromatherapy Seated Acupressure Therapy Reiki Thermo Auricular Therapy Sound Healing / Sonar Expansion Healing Magnified Healing Rahanni Celestial Healing Psychic Healing - Metamorphic Technique Also Pamper and Tarot Parties for further information www.thetarottable www.therapies4you.com Email:sandra@therapies4you.com Mob:07804 138

Cliff Carr - A.21st Century Bard Love and Unity.

In the 21st century, on the first of May, Dressing of wells at the dawning of day.

There’ll be chasing of stags from the maids we can see, Their intentions of love with those that run free.

With Love and Unity.

The building of a community.

Love and unity.

Bonding us together, with what we believe.

When I offered to review Buttercups and fantasies I wasn’t sure what to expect having only seen Cliff Carr sing live and then all too often only in passing but to be honest I was pleasantly surprised.

Admittedly this is not the best produced album I have reviewed but any shortcomings are overshadowed by its positive attributes making this an album worthy of any CD collection. All the songs are original with both words and music written solely by Cliff Carr, covering various aspects of paganism and Druidry that are both important and relevant today. While it is unmistakably a pagan centric album ‘Song of Summer’, ‘Inspire Me’ and ‘Frack off’ are equally significant to many non-pagans.

Cliff’s vocal is clear with a warmth to it that not only allows the listener to hear every word but also to feel them.

Buttercups and Fantasies has an honesty and passion to it that celebrates life through the heart and soul of a 21st century Druid Bard. I can only describe it as a beautiful and heartfelt album.

Diane Narraway https://www.reverbnation.com/CliffordCarr?fb_og_action=reverbnation_fb:unknown&fb_og_object=reverbnation_fb:artist&player_client_id=j29dsi7kl&utm_campaign=a_profile_page&utm_content=reverbnation_fb:artist&utm_medium=facebook_og&utm_source=reverbnation_fb:unknown https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fal bum%2F1innCoHeh1GCrcDhslBMUF&h=4AQEhVitW

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/cliff-carr/id388840802

We strive to work together with traditions that last, Belief of a structure handed down from the past.

Teaching the children to walk a path of their own, Believe in a structure that’s from the heart and the soul.

With Love and Unity.

The building of a community.

Love and unity.

Bonding us together, with what we believe.

We drink from the horn and share the same bread, Bid you no hunger or thirst with respect.

Working together, call for love and for peace.

In the North, South, West, and to the East.

With Love and Unity.

The building of a community.

Love and unity.

Bonding us together, with what we believe I know there are times when there is unrest, Throughout the world, who’s better who’s best.

When we pull together a bond it will form, Reverse the negative into a friendship that’s warm.

With Love and unity.

The building of a community.

Love and unity, Binding us together, with what we believe.

Traditions from the past, Withstanding of time.

Working with traditions and basis of life, When we pull together were solid like stone Within our community we're never alone.

With Love and unity.

The building of a community.

Love and unity, Binding us together, with what we believe.

Cliff Carr 2013.

Brothers, Sisters and Family.

In a meadow.

A river flows free and strong.

People gather.

With the dolmen groves.

Autumn beckons.

As the sun starts creeping low.

Tribal dreaming.

Crow dance and time of Lugh.

In this changing world of uncertainty.

A bond is formed with you and me.

Of trust and of unity.

My brothers, sisters and family.

See a fire.

It burns with flaming dance.

Your eyes transfixed.

Within the trance.

A glow to feel.

Within your heart.

Embers souring.

Towards the stars.

In this changing world of uncertainty.

A bond is formed with you and me.

Of trust and of unity.

My brothers, sisters and family.

Be free in mind.

And of the heart.

Enjoy life.

And share the love.

We gather together.

Of our free will.

And like the river.

We’re strong and true.

In this changing world of uncertainty.

A bond is formed with you and me.

Of trust and of unity.

My brothers, sisters and family.

My brothers, sisters and family.

My brothers, sisters and family.

My brothers, sisters and family.

In this changing world of uncertainty.

A bond is formed with you and me.

Of trust and of unity.

My brothers. My sisters. My family .

Cliff Carr 2016.

Kirtles by Suky Individual hand-made faerie folk The magical realm of the kirtles is a place of love, happiness, health and luck. Each kirtle brings with it, its own unique blessing and individual character that will always be working with you https://www.facebook.com/suky.burton?fref=ts

DOLMEN GROVE MOOTS All Dolmen Grove Moots hold regular meetings where people can find out more about Dolmen Grove membership, ethos and upcoming events including camps, workshops and talks Hampshire, Fareham, – The Heathfield Arms 116 Blackbrook Road, Fareham PO15 5BZ - First Monday of every month, 7:30pm onwards. https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.dolmengrovehampshiremoot/?fref=ts Essex - Scout Hut, Cromwell Road, Grays, RM17 5HT Weekends https://www.facebook.com/groups/dolmengroveessexmoot/?fref=ts Dorset Weymouth – Old Town Hall High West Street DT4 8JH Weymouth, Dorset Second - Wednesday of every month, 7:30pm onwards https://www.facebook.com/groups/435089566582005/ Dorset - Portland - The George Inn 133 Reforne, Portland, Dorset, DT5 2AP - Last Wednesday of every month, 7:30pm onwards https://www.facebook.com/groups/148075512033935/?fref=ts Cornwall, St Austell - Polgooth Inn Ricketts Lane, Polgooth, St.Austell, First Wednesday of every month, 7:30pm onwards https://www.facebook.com/groups/460165050682366/?fref=ts Berkshire – Bracknell - The Boot Public House Park Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 2LU -Third Tuesday of every month, 8:00pm onwards...https://www.facebook.com/groups/150234135114242/?fref=ts Dorset, East Dorset Travelling Moot – Various locations in East Dorset first Thursday of every month 7:30pm onwards https://www.facebook.com/groups/285539554914086/?fref=ts All Dolmen Grove moots are advertised regularly on www.dolmengrove.co.uk Up-to-date information on individual moot Facebook pages

February ...Enchanted Market, Berkshire March …Ostara Psychic Fayre and Spring Ball., Cornwall April …Beltane Spirit of Rebirth Camp, Dorset.

July…Tribal Dreams Camp, Dorset.

August …Free Spirits Camp, Kent/Essex September (Mabon) – Local Ceremonies.

October 31st (Samhain) – Local ceremonies and Events.

December – Yule Winter Wonderland Market and Ball., Dorset Crow Dancers Camp, Dorset (date to be confirmed) www.dolmengrove.co.uk

– .

Heathen Festivals do not generally follow the Eightfold wheel of the year, but the Ancient Norse celebrated four main festivals. There were also many other minor festivals and some modern day heathens also celebrate the cross quarter days.

The most important celebration and a festival of twelve nights is YULE or JUL, the Norse New Year.

This is generally celebrated from 20th Dec Yule until 31st Dec New Years’ Eve or from the Solstice until Twelfth night and is the most important as in Scandinavian countries there is little sunlight and it is cold and dark. After Yule as the days got longer and there was promise that spring would return. It was a time of feasting, gladness and much Wassailing! Oaths were sworn for the coming year and fruit trees were toasted.

Thor and Frey were honoured, Thor- being the sworn enemy of the Frost Giants, would fight them off and bring about the return of light and warmth, Frey- whose wife being a frost giant, was hoped that he would warm her heart and bring love and light back to the world; the Yule Boar is his beast. During this festival the Wild hunt is at its greatest, as a horde of restless dead ride through the air, as Odin rides across the sky on his eight- legged horse Sleipnir, a most awesome sight as the Furious Host of this wild ride. This festival represents the breaking of winter, the beginning and end of all things, the darkest time the shortest hour of daylight and the bright hope re-entering the land.

Some may also honour Skadi and Ullr at this time with a Winterblot,(feast or sacrifice) while others honour Baldr as he was said to be reborn at this festival- although opinions vary from kindred to kindred and at summer he may also be honoured. *********

Second only in importance to Yule is the festival of the MIDSUMMER or SUMMER SOLSTICE.As the shortest night of the year it was, and is, a particular time of rejoicing for the northern people and celebrated with a solstice feast. Sacred to the goddess Sunna, the sun clearly in her most fiery guise at this festival and to Baldr, as a dying and resurrected sun god, for some.

Midsummer bonfires were lit, feasting and many May Day traditions took place at this time, drinking and dancing. The Rolling of a flaming wagon down the hill to mark the turn of the year.

As all herbs are at their mightiest when picked at this time, enhancing their healing and foretelling properties, many herbs were gathered on this festival.Tyr may also be hailed at this time and the Icelandic althing was held during the summertime.

Midsummer’s Eve being the night of greatest magic. At sunrise a greeting of Sunna and a blot may be performed to hail sun at her strongest. ********* SUMMER FINDING or the SPRING EQUINOX, By the spring equinox, daylight has triumphed as the days are longer and temperatures warmer. The festival of Ostara the goddess of spring and the spirits of the land were honoured at this time. This is a festival of renewal, rejoicing and fertility and in ancient times gifts of coloured eggs were given to friends and loved ones to wish them well for the coming season. Beating out winter by burning, beating or drowning an effigy is common It is a Germanic folk custom that the ‘Hail Day’section from Sigrdrifumal is spoken during Ostara rite. *********

WINTER FINDING or the AUTUMN EQUINOX Fall fest is another joyous festival and falls on the Autumn Equinox, the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere and occurs around September 22 - 24, varying slightly each year. Fall fest represents the second harvest of the season; when our ancestors celebrated a harvest feast, to give thanks. Winter Finding should be treated as a general harvest festival. Gods invoked for fertility of the land would be most appropriate at this time.

We honour Frey & Freya and Nerthus & Njord for this purpose. Even more so than other holidays, a large feast is appropriate at this time, perhaps concentrating on local vegetables and grains more than meat.

These are the main four, but some groups also celebrate the cross-quarter days of May Day/Walpurgis, Winternights/Samhain, February eve or The Charming of the Plow, and Lammastide or Freyfaxi. ********* WALUBURGIS NIGHT April 31st - May 1st Waluburgis Night is one of the main holidays during the year in both Sweden and Finland, alongside of Yule and Midsummer.

Historically the Walpurgisnacht is derived from heathen spring customs, where the arrival of spring was celebrated with bonfires at night.

This festival marks the beginning of summer in Scandinavia. It is also the Germanic equivalent of Valentine's Day and a night of love. Heathens consider Freya to be the ruler of this festival, as she is mistress of both witchcraft and love. The traditional 'May Tree' is also a part of the celebration of this feast and is carried about in processions; a practice which probably dates back to the ‘Vanic Fruitfulness-Procession’ of earlier Heathen times. Fires were kindled on grave mounds or other high places on this night and it is traditional for folk to leap through the flames for luck. *********

HARVESTFEST / WINTERNIGHTS October 31st or the first full moon after the fall equinox.

Winternights marks the final end of harvest and the time when the animals that were not expected to make it through the winter were butchered.

The festival is also called ‘Elf-Blessing’, ‘DisBlessing’, or ‘Frey-Blessing’, which tells us that it was especially a time of honouring the ancestral spirits, the spirits of the land, the Vanir, and the powers of fruitfulness, wisdom, and death. It marks the turning of the year from summer to winter, The Winternights feast is also especially seen as a time to celebrate our kinship and friendship and also marks the beginning of a time of indoor work, thought and craftsmanship.

At this time the Wild hunt began and the restless spirits of the dead and those yet to be born walked amongst the living.

The Winternights are a traditional festival for honouring the Disir or family spirits. It is a time to remember your family, the dead, and your ancestors. A Freyablot may be performed at this time as Freya is known as the Vanadis or a sumbel to toast ancestors and passed friends. ********* DISTING / CHARMING of the PLOW First New Moon in February This blessing takes place in early or mid-February and is the time when the first furrows were ploughed in the fields. This is a feast of new beginnings, at which the work of the year to come is blessed.

Offerings are made to mother earth and a celebration feast of the marriage of Freyr and Gerd. If female ancestors were not honoured on winter nights, then a Disablot would take place to celebrate them with their own feast at this time. ********* FREYFEST / LAMMAS August 1st This is a feast of thanksgiving for bread, symbolizing the first fruits of the harvest.

In Heathenism today, the feast is especially thought of as holy to Freyr as a fertility God, Thor

as a harvest God and his wife Sif, whose long golden hair can be seen in the rippling fields of ripe grain.

The warriors who had gone off to fight came back at this time, loaded with a summer's worth of plunder and ready to reap the crops that had ripened while they were gone.

A Loaf-Feast marks the end of the summer and we ready ourselves for the winter. ********* DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE Lesser feasts or holy days that some Heathens keep, as well as holding the traditional ones. Most are ‘Days of Remembrance’ for great heroes and heroines of Germanic Heathenry.

January 9th - Remembrance for Raud the Strong.

February 9th - Remembrance for Eyvind kinnrifi (whom Olaf Tryggvason tortured to death when he refused to convert, by putting a metal brazier filled with burning coals on his belly).

February 14th - 'Feast of Vali'. Who avenged Bladr, returning light and romance.

March 28th - Ragnar Lodbrok's day, when we celebrate this famous Viking's sack of Paris.

April 9th - Remembrance for Haakon Sigurdsson (Haakon the Great), one of the Jarls of Hladhir, a great defender of Heathenism.

May 9th - Gudrod’s day. This Norwegian martyr spoke out against the tyranny of the Christian

fanatic Tryggvason, and urged others to resist him. For this, the king had his tongue cut out.

June 9th - Remembrance for Sigurd the Dragonslayer (known in German versions of the story as Siegfried).

July 9th - Remembrance for Unn the DeepMinded, a woman who was one of the great chieftains of the Icelandic settlement.

August 9th - Remembrance for King Radbod of Frisia, who, standing at the baptismal font, changed his mind and refused conversion.

September 9th - Arminius day, Remembrance for Hermann the Cheruscan, embodiment of German freedom, who kept Germany from being overrun by the Romans and suffering destruction of their culture and language.

October 8th/ 9th or October 28th - Remembrance for Erik the Red. 9th - Leif Eriksson’s day November 9th - Remembrance for Queen Sigrid of Sweden.

November 11th - Veteran’s day, Feast of the Einherjar, the fallen heroes in Valhalla, and in the halls of the other Gods and Goddesses are remembered.

November 25th/ 27th - Feast of Ullr and Skadi, Weyland Smith's Day, hunting season and thanksgiving.

December 9th - Remembrance for Egill Skallagrimsson, great Viking Age poet, warrior and rune magician.

Karen Cooper

Although some celebrations are similar, not all groups and kindreds observe all these days but most honour the main ones, or the wheel of the year is celebrated in their own way.

There are many other days of remembrance which also vary group to group, but far too many to list here, however more information can be found online in tales of heroes/heroines in Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla.

For more information on the Saga’s please see the Poetic Edda Northvegr.org.

WASSAIL

BOOK REVIEW - BABALON AND OTHER PLAYS Paul A. Green (Scarlet Imprint / Bibliotheque Rouge) contact with the spirit of Der Führer, with predictably appalling consequences

http://scarletimprint.com/books/ PAUL A. GREEN’s ‘greatest hit’ – and centrepiece of this varied & vivid collection of his plays, most of which were originally written for radio – is undoubtedly BABALON, his imaginative examination of the Life & Work of pioneering rocket-scientist and ardent Thelemite, Jack Parsons (dubbed by one wit “The James Dean of the Occult”) – more specifically his ties to ageing Magus Aleister Crowley, in his heroin-fuelled decline in a Hastings boarding-house, and magickal experiments with none other than future founder of the Church of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, the so-called ‘Babalon Working.’ Although the play was passed on by the BBC, it was discovered

by Alison Rockbrand and adapted for a successful live performance by her Travesty Theatre group in 2003.

Aside from BABALON, the works that will be most likely of interest to those of an occult or magic(k)al inclination must surely include: THE RITUAL OF THE STIFLING AIR takes as its starting point the hints in Pauwels & Bergier’s bestselling Morning of the Magicians that Himmler’s SS conducted necromantic ceremonies in the ‘Hall of the Dead’ beneath the North Tower of their Black Camelot, Wewelsberg Castle – a modern myth that has grown to form part of the psychodrama of both Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan and its LHP successor, the Temple of Set. Taking this as his starting point, Paul A. Green imagines the ceremony of a neo-Nazi magus, acolyte and clairvoyant, attempting to make

THE MAGUS OF KLOOK’S KLEEK is a reconstruction of the terminal decline of Sixties R&B legend, Graham Bond, “a big exuberant warlock of a man with a Fu Manchu moustache who played manic Hammond organ and alto sax (sometimes simultaneously) and snag with a voice like burning anthracite.” The music – and era – both of which Green clearly lived through and knew well (in part through his intimate friendship with Bond’s equally tragic keyboard peer, Vincent Crane, whose presence hovers over this and other works by Green like some sort of doomed spiritguide) are vividly brought to life. Unfortunately, his initial fascination with magic(k) – which had originally led to ground-breaking albums such as Holy Magic and We Put Our Magic On You – mutated into an increasingly unhealthy Crowley fixation [Bond was convinced he was the Beats’s long-lost son] and chronic heroin addiction, which spiralled out of control leading to his tragic death under a tube train, like something out ‘Night of the Demon.’

TELL ME STRANGE THINGS – again, an imaginary reconstruction : this time of the twilight of self-appointed expert on matters supernatural and very irregular self-styled ‘Reverend’ Montague Summers, all based around the tantalising tease that among the papers written during his ‘last days’ of boarding-house obscurity (ironically so like Crowley, in his way), there might at last have been a ‘tell all’ memoir, a confessional of probably paederastic pleasures, heretical hoo-hah, and sorcerous shenanigans.

I have written elsewhere that it is among the power of Words to weave Worlds, summon Ghosts, and make them live again. Paul A. Green certainly succeeds in conjuring worlds both real and imaginary, and animating their inhabitants. As such he is undoubtedly a Master of Words, and deserves to be read for it.

Matthew Levi Stevens, July 2016. http://www.whollybooks.wordpress.com/ matthew-wholly-books@hotmail.co.uk

Further information on Dolmen Grove can be found www.dolmengrove.co.uk Dolmen Grove Facebook links Portland Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/14807551203393 East Dorset Travelling Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/556080981209172/ Weymouth Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/43508956658200 Berkshire/Bracknell Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/1837259029839422/ Cornwall Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/46016505068236 Kent & Essex Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/dolmengroveessexmoot Hampshire Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.dolmengrovehampshiremoot/ Dolmen Grove Chronicles https://www.facebook.com/DolmenGroveMagazine Dolmen Grove www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dolmen-Grove/110124449082 Email Diane Narraway (chairman Dolmen Grove/Editor Dolmen Grove Chronicles) dolmengrove@dolmengrove.co.uk