March/April 2014, Issue 20

Elemental Magick March/April 2014 Issue # 20

Harmony Hearth Brooms And Faancy Hats Handmade Besoms Sacred to the Goddess and the God. Represents the Element of Water.

The Broom or Besom is a purifying and protective instrument, used to cleanse the area for magick or to guard a home by laying it across the threshold, under the bed, in windowsills or on doors.

Handmade Witch Hats Time to conjure up a new look for the stylish witch that you are! Let your spirit take flight in one of these handmade magical adornments. Boost your supernatural presence with one of these haute hats.

For more information and pricing please contact Anne at HarmonyHearthBrooms@yahoo.com

Gensha Publishing Maxine Byers Lazy Witch CraftyWitch Gertrude Moon Janie Bass

Eleazar Rex Lady Ti-Eagle Claire Mulkieran Peg Aloi Edain McCoy

Crafty Witch Maxine Byers Janie Bass

elementalmagick@hotmail.com

If you have something to say, we want to hear it!

Letters to the editor can be sent to elementalmagick@hotmail.com

Getting Published in Elemental is a great way to express yourself and keep connected to the Pagan community. We are currently looking for writers on Pagan pop-culture and life-style topics, music, cooking, humor, art, books, and more. We want to hear from YOU! Contact Maxine at elementalmagick@hotmail.com For more information and column description

I never really bought into the “fake it til you make it” mentality when it came to happiness. Forcing a smile when I was grumpy felt like stroking the cat the wrong way and my reaction often paralleled the wrath of my dog Burt on a bad day. I didn’t like the idea of what felt like suppression of my true emotion in order to achieve an alternate frame of mind, though I do understand there is a science behind the concept. In fact, an increasing amount of evidence from research over the past few decades does show facial expressions can result in experiencing the correlating mood (whether positive or negative). But plastering a grin on my moody mug made me feel like I was walking in a world of Stepford wives, as though everyone around me was faking their happiness, too. From there, the dominoes would tumble and plain grumpiness would take a turn for depression.

Unfortunately, good intentions can go bad and what works for some may not be the ticket for others. I’ve gotten used to the fact that I tend to fall in that “others” category, but at least I’m not alone. Recently I read a tip in Whole Living magazine that confirmed my inner turmoil over this point. Under their action plan (tips for healthy change each day) June 29th simply states, “Stop Faking It.” They go on to say, “A recent study at Michigan State University found that faking smiles throughout the day can lead to bad moods and withdrawal… If you don’t feel like smiling, don’t.”

Does your fake smile lead to a real smile?

Maybe forced smiling will bring a superficial sort of happiness or even a sincere happiness for some, but that doesn’t mean it will erase underlying negative emotions. I have come to treat my emotions like symptoms. If you break your leg, you can’t pretend it’s ok until it is. You would be in immense pain and the bones would likely heal incorrectly, leaving you with a lasting chronic condition. Similarly, instead of pulling up the bed sheets against my inner turmoil, I try to discover the underlying cause and work to understand and heal that instead.

Let yourself feel the emotions you are encountering. Explore them. When I take the time to recognize an emotion (often through discussion or journaling) rather than trying to suppress or avoid it, I am able to process that emotion and possibly even realize its hidden source. This leads to a more natural transition in letting go, which means I am one step closer to healing and feeling sincere happiness.

Have you ever tried to “fake it til you make it” to happiness? Has it worked for you? Do you have other alternatives to boosting your mood when you find yourself in a funk? Write to me and let me know what works for you.

Until next time…

Bright Blessings Maxine Byers

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1 Matronalia, the Festival of Women 6 Birthday of "official witch of Salem" Laurie Cabot in 1933 16 Full moon -- Storm Moon at 1:08 pm 17 St. Patrick's Day 17 Celtic Tree Month of Ash ends 18 Celtic Tree Month of Alder begins 20 Ostara / Spring equinox 20 Mabon (Southern Hemisphere) 26 Birthday of author and folklorist Joseph Campbell 28 Death of author Scott Cunningham in 1993 Spokane Metaphysical Research Society 2nd Thursday of month, 7:30 pm Center for Spiritual Living, 33rd & Regal, Spokane, WA PO Box 4061, Spokane WA 99220 PUBLIC INVITED. 509-838-8155 Membership $25 per year, first visit FREE Or $5.00 each meeting

March 20, 2014 Mad as a March Hare:

Spring has finally arrived! March has roared in like a lion, and if we're really lucky, it will roll out like a lamb.

Meanwhile, on or around the 21st of the month, we have Ostara to celebrate. It's the time of the vernal equinox of you live in the Northern Hemisphere, and it's a true marker that Spring has come. There are many different ways you can celebrate this Sabbat, depending on your tradition Depending on your particular tradition, there are many different ways you can celebrate Ostara, but typically it is observed as a time to mark the coming of Spring and the fertility of the land. By watching agricultural changes -- such as the ground becoming warmer, and the emergence of plants from the ground -- you'll know exactly how you should welcome the season.

Spring equinox is a time for fertility and sowing seeds, and so nature's fertility goes a little crazy. In medieval societies in Europe, the March hare was viewed as a major fertility symbol -- this is a species of rabbit that is nocturnal most of the year, but in March when mating season begins, there are bunnies everywhere all day long. The female of the species is superfecund and can conceive a second litter while still pregnant with a first. As if that wasn't enough, the males tend to get frustrated when rebuffed by their mates, and bounce around erratically when discouraged.

Many Holidays, Many Names: The word Ostara is just one of the names applied to the celebration of the spring equinox on March 21. The Venerable Bede said the origin of the word is actually from Eostre, a Germanic goddess of spring. Of course, it's also the same time as the Christian Easter celebration, and in the Jewish faith, Passover takes place as well. For early Pagans in the Germanic countries, this was a time to celebrate planting and the new crop season. Typically, the Celtic peoples did not celebrate Ostara as a holiday, although they were in tune with the changing of the seasons.

A New Day Begins: A dynasty of Persian kings known as the Achaemenians celebrated the spring equinox with the festival of No Ruz -- which means "new day." It is a celebration of hope and renewal still observed today in many Persian countries, and has its roots in Zoroastrianism. In Iran, a festival called Chahar-Shanbeh Suri takes place right before No Ruz begins, and people purify their homes and leap over fires to welcome the 13-day celebration of No Ruz.

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The Legends of Mithras: The story of the Roman god, Mithras, is similar to the tale of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. Born at the winter solstice and resurrected in the spring, Mithras helped his followers ascend to the realm of light after death. In one legend, Mithras, who was popular amongst members of the Roman military, was ordered by the Sun to sacrifice a white bull. He reluctantly obeyed, but at the moment when his knife entered the creature's body, a miracle took place. The bull turned into the moon, and Mithras' cloak became the night sky. Where the bull's blood fell flowers grew, and stalks of grain sprouted from its tail.

Spring Celebrations Around the World:

Modern Celebrations

In ancient Rome, the followers of Cybele believed that their goddess had a consort who was born via a virgin birth.

His name was Attis, and he died and was resurrected each year during the time of the vernal equinox on the Julian Calendar (between March 22 and March 25). Around the same time, the Germanic tribes honored a lunar goddess known as Ostara, who mated with a fertility god around this time of year, and then gave birth nine months later – at Yule.

The indigenous Mayan people in Central American have celebrated a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El Castillo, Mexico, its "western face...is bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the pyramid's northern staircase to the bottom, giving the illusion of a diamondbacked snake in descent." This has been called "The Return of the Sun Serpent" since ancient times.

According to the Venerable Bede, Eostre was the Saxon version of the Germanic goddess Ostara. Her feast day was held on the full moon following the vernal equinox -almost the identical calculation as for the Christian Easter in the west. There is very little documented evidence to prove this, but one popular legend is that Eostre found a bird, wounded, on the ground late in winter. To save its life, she transformed it into a hare. But "the transformation was not a complete one. The bird took the appearance of a hare but retained the ability to lay eggs...the hare would decorate these eggs and leave them as gifts to Eostre."

This is a good time of year to start your seedlings. If you grow an herb garden, start getting the soil ready for late spring plantings. Celebrate the balance of light and dark as the sun begins to tip the scales, and the return of new growth is near.

Many modern Wiccans and Pagans celebrate Ostara as a time of renewal and rebirth. Take some time to celebrate the new life that surrounds you in nature -- walk in park, lay in the grass, hike through a forest. As you do so, observe all the new things beginning around you -- plants, flowers, insects, birds.

Meditate upon the ever-moving Wheel of the Year, and celebrate the change of seasons.

Eostre The snow has all melted And winter has gone, Now Nature is singing Springs’ most beautiful song; As we honor the Goddess The Devine Eostre, While she breathes her life Into the birds and the bees; She's fertile and loving Ancient Mother is she From the youngest child To the oldest tree

Lady Caer Morganna 9

ABOUT YOUR SIGN..

Pisceans possess a gentle, patient, malleable nature.

They have many generous qualities and are friendly, good natured, kind and compassionate, sensitive to the feelings of those around them, and respond with the utmost sympathy and tact to any suffering they encounter. They are deservedly popular with all kinds of people, partly because their easygoing, affectionate, submissive natures offer no threat or challenge to stronger and more exuberant characters. They accept the people around them and the circumstances in which they find themselves rather than trying to adapt them to suit themselves, and they patiently wait for problems to sort themselves out rather than take the initiative in solving them. They are more readily concerned with the problems of others than with their own.

Their natures tend to be too otherworldly for the practical purposes of living in this world as it is. They sometimes exist emotionally rather than rationally, instinctively more than intellectually (depending on how they are aspected). They long to be recognized as greatly creative. They also dislike disciple and confinement. The nine-to-five life is not for them. Any rebellion they make against convention is personal, however, as they often times do not have the energy or motivation to battle against the Establishment.

Pisceans tend to withdraw into a dream world where their qualities can bring mental satisfaction and sometimes, fame and financial reward for they are extremely gifted artistically. They are also versatile and intuitive, have quick understanding, observe and listen well, and are receptive to new ideas and atmospheres. All these factors can combine to produce remarkable creativity in literature, music and art. They may count among their gifts mediumistic qualities which can give them a feeling that their best work comes from outside themselves, "Whispered beyond the misted curtains, screening this world from that." Even when they cannot express themselves creatively they have a greater than average instinct for, and love of, beauty in art and nature, a catlike appreciation of luxury and pleasure, and a yearning for new sensations and travel to remote, exotic places.

They are never egotistical in their personal relationships and give more than they ask from their friends. They are sexually delicate, in the extreme almost asexual, and most Pisceans would want a relationship in which the partner's mind and spirit rather than the body resonated with their own. Unfortunately they can be easily misled by a lover who courts them delicately and in marriage makes them unhappy by a coarser sexuality than they expected. They are nevertheless intensely loyal and home-loving and will remain faithful.

In their employment they are better working either by themselves or in subordinate positions. Their talents are individual in a commercial business or similar undertaking. They would be afraid to manage more than a small department, worrying always that they would fail in a crisis. They can make fair secretaries and bookkeepers.

Their sympathy equips them for work in charities catering for the needy, as nurses looking after the sick and as veterinary surgeons caring for animals. As librarians or astronomers they can satisfy their mental wanderlust, and their fondness for "faraway places with strange-sounding names" may turn them into sailors or travellers. Many architects and lawyers are Pisceans, and when the creative abilities are combined with gifts of imitation and the ability to enter into the feelings of others, Pisceans find their fulfillment on the stage.

Their psychic and spiritual qualities can lead them into careers in the church or as mediums and mystics. They may find an outlet for their creativity as caterers, and are said to make good detectives because they can imagine themselves in the place of criminals and understand how their minds would work. In technical occupations they are well employed in dealing with anaesthetics, fluids, gases and plastics. Because of their lively versatility and inability to concentrate overmuch on any one project, Pisceans often simultaneously follow more than one occupation.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20) The Fishes Traditional Pisces Traits Imaginative and sensitive Compassionate and kind Selfless and unworldly Intuitive and sympathetic

On the dark side....

Escapist and idealistic Secretive and vague Weak-willed and easily led

March Moon Calendar

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About Your Sign..

March 21 to April 20

The spring equinox, March 21, is the beginning of the new zodiacal year and Aries, the first sign, is therefore that of new beginnings. The young ram is adventurous, ambitious, impulsive, enthusiastic and full of energy. The Arian is a pioneer both in thought and action, very open to new ideas and a lover of freedom. They welcome challenges and will not be diverted from their purpose except by their own impatience, which will surface if they don't get quick results.

Aries subjects are courageous leaders with a genuine concern for those they command, being responsible people, it is rare that they will use their subordinates to obtain their own objectives as leaders, but occasionally it does happen. They do not make very good followers because they are too "take charge". They may be unwilling to obey or submit to directions for which they can see no reason, or with which they disagree.

They are much concerned with self, both positively and negatively - self-reliant but also self centered (sometimes) and concerned with their own personal advancement and physical satisfaction. Their immense energy makes them aggressive and restless, argumentative occasionally, headstrong, quick tempered, easily offended and capable of holding grudges if they feel themselves affronted.

As the first sign in the zodiac, you, as an Arian (as you are referred to), is to simply "get something started and lead the way". The Sun in this zodiac position gives your will free rein to express itself. You could be doing this in the form of some leadership role, or by forcing others to look at themselves in a new way. You can accomplish this by knowingly carrying out a deliberate act in the name of some cause that moves you. A negative effect of this sun sign is that you could sometimes unknowingly make it hard for others to relate to you, as you really are.

In your personal relationships Arians are frank, direct and candid, and make enthusiastic and generous friends. You are liable to have a high sex drive and make passionate but fastidious lovers. There is, however, a negative side to your associations with other people. You can easily be irritated by slowness or moderation in your companions and, though yourselves sensitive, ride roughshod over the sensitivities of others. The intensity of your sexual urges can drive you to promiscuity and a Don Juan-like counting of conquests of the opposite sex. It can also trick you into early unwise marriage which may end disastrously. Arians are highly devoted to their children, even to the point of laying down their own lives, so that they might live. You will not find a more defensive and loving parent in all the zodiac.

It is preferable to be aware of your pioneering spirit and not disregard it. For in acknowledging it you not only enjoy life

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more, but you avoid being pushed around by others. Your nature is usually push or be pushed, with little middle ground.

This can at times be objectionable to others, but you must have the freedom to act, rather then just thinking about it, getting pent-up in the process. At all costs you need to avoid negative emotions such as resentment, regret and self-pity, for they would deny you what is essential to your nature: straightforwardness.

Mentally Arians are intellectual and objective, but can be in rare situations bigoted and extremist in religion and politics.

They are good champions of lost causes and last-ditch resistance. They are quick-witted but sometimes foolhardy and over optimistic, lacking thoroughness and the ability to evaluate difficulties in the undertakings into which they often rush impulsively. The great need of Aries natives is to exercise an iron self-control, to discipline the qualities and tendencies of their character to the advantage, not the detriment, of the society in which they move.

As an Arian, you like a challenge that will stir you to action.

This challenge may just be frustration; or at a more controlled level, you may have clear direction and know what or whom you're fighting for. If your direction is not clear, then ask yourself and listen to your inner voice. You will come up with an answer. An Arian without a direction in which to go, or a without a cause to fight for, would be against your nature and make you more a "sheep" then a ram!

Arian, do not be afraid to be forceful, for this is the very core of your nature. If you feel fear in your heart, then look for a history of negative events in you personal history, such as violence or abuse from others. Being fearful may also indicate a household in childhood that negated independence and personal initiative in you. This could have inhibited your natural urge to go forward into life as the leader and champion you were born to be. Conversely, such bad influences could also have led you to be overly forceful, or to be unsympathetic to your own need and sensitivity.

You make good athletes and climbers, doctors, explorers (of new ideas as well as uncharted territory, the latter in these days including adventuring into outer space), soldiers, sailors and airmen, and leaders, though awkward subordinates, in industry and politics.

Much as you are the Ram, there is still the little lamb in you, which means that at times you would attain your goals more easily by gently giving in without resistance to the demands of a given social situation, rather than getting your horns entangled in something larger and more powerful than yourself. This is a talent akin to knowing the difference between what you can change, and what you cannot. This of course takes patience, the acquiring of which is definitely your greatest achievement, along with your sense of your own inner softness.

April Moon Calendar

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Earth Day: Green Cities April 22, 2014 The official theme of Earth Day 2014 is Green Cities.

The Green Cities campaign is focused on helping cities around the world become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint. Focused on three key elements — buildings, energy, and transportation — the campaign aims to help cities accelerate their transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more economically viable future through improvements in efficiency, investments in renewable technology, and regulation reform.

Earth Day Network launched the Green Cities campaign in the fall of 2013 to help cities around the world become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint.

Focused on three key elements – buildings, energy, and transportation – the campaign aims to help cities accelerate their transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more economically viable future through improvements in efficiency, investments in renewable technology, and regulation reform.

Energy Most of the world currently relies on outdated electric generation structures that are extremely inefficient and dirty.

To help cities become more sustainable, we need to redesign the current system, transition to renewable energy sources, and implement 21st century solutions.

Green Buildings Buildings account for nearly one third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Through simple efficiency and design improvements to buildings we can reduce those emissions drastically. To realize that vision, cities need to update ordinances, switch to performance based building codes, and improve financing options.

Transportation Transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, three quarters of which comes directly from road vehicles. To reduce these emissions and the resulting smog, we need to improve standards, increase public transportation options, invest in alternative transportation, and improve city walkability and bikeability.

Through an informative website and a series of indepth toolkits, the campaign will educate the public about each element of green cities and spur individuals to take civic action by signing petitions, sending letters, and organizing events.

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In addition, Earth Day Network will work with partners on the ground in strategically placed cities and towns to organize grassroots efforts to improve local codes, ordinances, and policies that will help cities become model green cities.

Spanning Earth Day 2014 and 2015, the campaign will work with an international team of partners, including local organizers, non-profits, businesses, and governments to help increase public awareness, mobilize support for appropriate policies, and generate concrete commitments for innovative and replicable initiatives.

Get involved with Earth Day! Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 190 countries take action for Earth Day. From San Francisco to San Juan, Beijing to Brussels, Moscow to Marrakesh, people plant trees, clean up their communities, contact their elected officials, and more—all on behalf of the environment.

Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more important than ever.

Earth Day 2014 will seek to do just that through its global theme: Green Cities. With smart investments in sustainable technology, forward-thinking public policy, and an educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people.

Join a Global Movement In order to green our cities and accelerate the world’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future, we need to change how our cities operate. We cannot afford to continue polluting our atmosphere and wasting our resources.

With your help, we will call upon cities to invest in clean energy and smart grids, we will overhaul outdated building codes and place a higher emphasis on building efficiency, and we will increase public transportation options and make our vehicles cleaner.

But we need your help to make these things happen.

Click on Online Activism to learn how you can make a difference from your computer, or if you want to play a more prominent role in transforming your city, send us an email (greencities@earthday.org).

Follow us on f Call now ~ M-F 9AM-5PM PST 1-509-720-6249 Say Hello by e-mail SALES@VALHALLASOAP.COM

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Hello, hello, hello!!! Well, slowly but surely Old Lady Winter is moving aside for the Spring Maiden. Most of us in the Northern Hemisphere have become "cave dwellers" while in the Southern Hemisphere you have been feeling like an "overbaked potato"! Hopefully for the next few minutes I can give you something to think about, maybe something that will help you with your Magickal Life, with your spells or just your daily living.

What I've done for this issue is to look around the house for things we use everyday, that are readily at hand and can help us in so many ways magickally.

Shoes: Idea 1. If you are needing some added protection around your home, try filling an old shoe (preferably leather) with items like pins, needles, nails, tacks, scissors and maybe even some broken glass. As you place these items in the shoe chant something like: "With these pins and needles, With these nails and tacks, Protect my home from all bad energy Cut through it so it won't come back!"

(Not one of my best but I've given you lots of room to write something better!)

OR this chant from Scott Cunningham: "I place this charm of power To guard my home from this hour."

You can anointing the shoe with some special oil or place protection herbs in the shoe.

When everything is in the shoe, hang it in your attic or basement or, if like me you have neither attic or basement, hang it outside above your front door. You could use the other shoe above your back door and have a matched set!

Idea 2. Here's another idea from Scott: To Quiet a Howling Dog - If your dog is howling for no apparent reason at night (no signal of danger, just howling) try turning your shoes up side down to quiet him. I don't know if this works as my dogs don't bark or howl unless something is amiss but this does beat throwing your shoe at the dog!! Give it a try and let us know if it works for you.

Idea 3. I have used this spell. This is very simple. Say there is someone you really want to remove from your life. On the bottom of your shoes write the person's name in permanent marker or ink and as you do say something like: "I write you name on the bottom of my shoe And when it's gone I will be rid of you!"

The idea here is to wear the name off your shoes by walking on it. The more you wear the shoes and walk the sooner the unwanted person will be gone from your life!

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Spring Clothes Pins: Idea 1. I am constantly "springing" these clothes pins (they pop apart) and I can never find the other side so I have a single or "half pin" that really isn't very useful. I turn these half pins into poppets for healing spells, protections spells, just about any spell I do for someone else. This gives me a figure or form on which to focus my energies so that energy can then be transferred to the intended person. With colored markers or pencils I draw hair, eyes and clothes on the wood on one side and write their name on the other. As I do this I think about whatever magick I'm to perform for this person. The less I know the person the more detail I put on the wood because I've not been magickally connected to that individual until this point in time.

I then write my verse/chant for whatever actions I'm requesting.

I may use a candle or go out under the moon and stars or whatever seems best for the spell being done.

I have used this method to ease pain and illness, to remove someone from another person's life (I love tossing a poppet into a fast moving river to make the person leave!).

I've wrapped them in string, yarn and vining plants to bind a person's action against me or someone else.

Wrapping poppets in green paper or better yet in play money to increase someone's finances works very well. I've done this for myself and used actual paper money but found that play money or green paper works better!

When doing healings, after drawing "people" features on the wood, I select the portion of the body that is needing healing and massaged that area, sending healing energies through it and on to the person to be healed.

Idea 2. Clothes pins are wonderful symbols of "holding" an idea, concept or spell together. Say you are wanting to hold on to that good job you have, write down why this job is so perfect for you (you must already have this job and you want to keep it).

After writing everything down, fold the paper three times and clip the clothes pin on the paper, clipping it closed. Place it on your altar, burning the appropriate colored candle or a white one will do. Call on your deity(s) asking for their assistance and let the candle burn out. Leave the paper and clothes pin on your altar until you are more comfortable about your job.

Idea 3. This isn't a spell but often I find when I'm doing spells or rituals outside, the wind blows and my pages get either blown away or flipped in my spell binder (yes, I know). I do my best to keep a few clothes pins with my spell binder so I can pin pages together so they won't flip in the wind! Be creative with the pins. Decorate them with glitter or flat-backed "gems" or be really adventurous and ink pins different colors to match the spells you are doing. Soon you'll have colored pins to match all kinds of spells!

Doors: Every home has doors or entrances of some kind. Some doors are passed through to get from one room to another while other doors are passed though to gain entrance to the home itself.

Idea 1. Exterior doors painted "red" brings wealth to the home. Remember "wealth" often means something other than money!

A purple door says "A Witch/Pagan lives in this home" (I've found this isn't always true but usually a purple door is a sign of a freethinker.

Idea 2. Make door wreaths for direct magickal purposes be it wealth, protection, health, happiness, whatever. Use a wreath or old picture frame and attach leaves, flowers and other plant material, ribbons, bells, figures of paper, plastic or wood, and anything else that transmits what you are wanting to invite into your home. Use your favorite correspondence listings to select the correct plant material, colors, etc. I'll admit when I made the "cancer survivor wreath" for our front door I used artificial leaves and silk flowers. It's still there and will be until Hubby get the final all clear from the doctors in a few years! It's worked so far. I've add little things to reflect the current season BUT the over-all magickal design is still there and doesn't change.

Idea 3. Interior doors are so bland and a wonderful pallet for magickal work, particularly for kids and teens. If you don't want their "magick" seen by everyone then let the kids AND you decorate the bedroom side of the door. Place trinkets and pictures of restful things (beds, pillows, feathers, puppies and kitties) soft things that will be seen by only a private few who know their secrets. Use those doors as passages ways to your dream world where magick will happen for you. Pictures of beautiful waterfalls and serene beaches; mountain vistas and vast canyon views. Allow that door to be your magickly doorway as an entrance to your astral wanderings. Visualize the magick you see in those pictures to empower you to magickally travel.

Idea 4. Paint the inside of the door to your workroom with "chalkboard" paint (check the instructions for use and application).

Use your new chalkboard to write your spells on while you are working on them. Work BIG!! Work in COLOR!! Honestly, working this way on your spells is really enjoyable and freeing. If you can't do the chalkboard thing, use butcher's paper or white freezer paper (place the plastic side to the door and write on the paper side). Paper isn't quite as good but you can save it to work on later if you like. Use colored chalk on the chalkboard and WASHABLE markers on the paper. Magick is a creative action. All too often we just don't want to write in our BoS or Grimoire until we have our spell or chant just right. Here's a fun and different way to encourage your creativity to flow and bring magick into your home where you will see your words and can adjust them, play with them and bring that energy into your daily life.

I hope I've given you a few new ideas on bring Magick into your home. If you find that you can't do something quite the way I've given it to you, change and adjust the idea as you need to and make it your own so you CAN use it.

I wish to acknowledge Scott Cunningham and David Harrington for some of these ideas that I've used.

I'd also like to thank my blessed Grandmother for her experimental nature that she passed on to me, encouraging me to be brave and try just about anything to use my energies to make my home Magickal. Thanks, Grandma!

Sincerely, Gertrude Moon, CC

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Celestial preview for the month of March An interesting synchronicity of cardinal moon signs has each Monday and Tuesday graced with good shopping days. A full moon in Virgo, the Earth Mother, graces the planting season.

Spring begins officially on the 20th EST. March 1 (2), Pisces - ocean green, red, violet, Saturday New Moon Writing, beauty treatments, and brewing are steeped in the dreamy cast of Neptune’s influence. Verify all plans to avoid confusion.

Celestial preview of the second week An interesting cadence of the moon signs blends nicely with Julian calendar days. The motion of New moon shifts to First quarter moon on the weekend. Now is the best time for planning; setting goals.

March 2, Pisces - ocean green, red, violet, Sunday Pisces and other-worldly themes highlight the day. Confusion lurks in the mist.

March 3, 4, Aries - red, white, orange, yellow, Monday, Tuesday Expect a fiery take off for the work week. Ambition and idealism permeate the air. Avoid impulsive actions. Drive defensively. Be realistic with goals.

March 5, 6, Taurus - pink, pale blue & green, reddish brown, dark tan, Wednesday, Thursday Fiery energy slowly fades into an earthy ambiance. A focus on loveliness and contentment highlights children, home and family. Beauty treatments are favored.

March 7, 8 (9), Gemini - yellow, orange or any color, Friday, Saturday (Sunday) First Quarter on Saturday Mercurial Gemini features travel, communication, and sociability. Writing is favored along with organizing. Balance the checkbook, or go over budget.

Celestial preview for third week Daylight Savings Time heralds the oncoming spring season. A home, family, and children focus opens the week. The first Day of Lent begins on Sunday. Three days of Leo the Lion bring drama, sociability, slower traffic.

March 9, Gemini - yellow, orange or any color, Sunday Take care of financial issues. Communicate. Visit with friends.

Balance checkbook. Organize.

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March 10, 11, Cancer - light gray, soft yellow, white, Monday, Tuesday Family and children take precedence. Any home focused activity works well. Writing is fluent under this water sign.

Beauty treatments are highlighted through a Cancer/Venus influence. Shopping is also good.

March 12, 13, 14, Leo - red, orange, yellow, royal blue, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Leo adores the stage. Drama could be fun or annoying. Sign contracts or ask for a favor.

March 15 (16), Virgo – white, gray, navy blue, Saturday (Sunday) Hygiene and health focus is recommended. Writing is accommodated through Virgo’s knack for detail. Family and children play an important role.

Celestial Preview for fourth week The full moon syncs with the first day of the week and a continuation of the Virgo influence. Libra brings pleasantries for midweek including Saint Patrick’s Day. Spring begins Thursday EST. A road trip meets with a favorable travel period for the weekend.

March 16, Virgo – white, gray, navy blue, Sunday Full Moon on Sunday Extremes are possible with amplification through the full moon. Purist mentality may lead to criticism. Cleaning and health issues; children are highlighted today.

March 17, 18, Libra - pink, shades of light blue or green, Monday, Tuesday For hopelessly disorganized people, Libra is a godsend.

Shopping is favored. Beauty treatments. Focus on all things lovely.

March 19, 20, 21, Scorpio - burgundy, turquoise, dark blue, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Suspicion runs high with mysterious Scorpio. Downplay uncertainties for a few days. Sexual magic could lead to a midnight rendezvous.

March 22 (23), Sagittarius - cobalt blue, purple, tan, Saturday Take a road trip. Have a candid conversation. Write. Send letters. The ambiance: playful and good-humored.

Celestial Preview for the last week Sunday holds the same fun loving energy until Capricorn. Cap ushers all into a levelheaded frame of mind. Mid-week a slower, ethereal pace sets in. The weekend atmosphere drifts into a repeat visit with Pisces

March 23, Sagittarius - cobalt blue, purple, tan, Sunday Last Quarter Moon Communication is straight forward as Sagittarius transitions to Capricorn.

March 24, 25, Capricorn – pink, chocolate brown, black, indigo, flannel gray, Sunday, Monday Start the work week with Capricorn’s “do what you got to do” attitude. Set fence posts. Make repairs. Take on a dreaded task.

March 26, 27, Aquarius – turquoise or pink, Wednesday, Thursday Last Quarter goes hand in hand with diminished solar energy.

The flowing water symbolism of Aquarius represents consciousness poured upon the masses. Higher thoughts, meditation and reading activities are harmonious with this blend of energies. A humanitarian sentiment inspires kindness.

March 28, 29, Pisces - ocean green, red, violet, Friday, Saturday A dreamy pursuit leads to creativity. Writing and works of art benefit from the Piscean flow. Brewing is favored. Beauty treatments flow nicely with the Aquarian mode.

March 30, 31, Aries - red, white, orange, yellow, Sunday, Monday New Moon on Sunday Ambition and idealism permeate the air. Plant the seed of an idea and let it grow in the subconscious before acting on sudden inspirations. Work with machinery.

Saint Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. St Patrick is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works; the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians. Saint Patrick described himself as a "most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God." Many folk ask the question 'Why is the Shamrock the National Flower of Ireland ?' The reason is that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagans. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice.

While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the "Holy Wells" that still bear this name.

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There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Today, many Catholic places of worship all around the world are named after St. Patrick, including cathedrals in New York and Dublin city Why Saint Patrick's Day? Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck.

Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

How we see each other I know a beautiful woman and I see her quite often. Whenever we come across each other, she always pays me a lot of compliments and even more of these pleasant words I heard from her when our second daughter was born. I have always admired her beauty, her lovely personality and a classy style. Recently, I told her about it, and I was so surprised when it turned out that she sees herself in a completely different way.

Are there many of us like this? It turned out that she thought of me as positively as I did about her, however, none of us felt that way about ourselves. What is it? Lack of self-confidence and self-esteem maybe?

Other people are always better in our opinion, more attractive, and far more successful, have better homes and generally are thousand times greater than us. Does it seem to be a rule somehow….? And a lot of us are stuck in those situations.

In my opinion it doesn’t really make sense. Why, then, compare yourself to anyone and compete with one another. I know it’s easier said than done, but I believe the systematic work on ourselves can change it. By observing our thoughts, we can eliminate those which shouldn’t be on our minds. Let them fly off.

Ladies, let’s look at each other with total acceptance the way we are without any comparisons to anybody else. Desiring to be somebody else leads to nowhere and we certainly only lose our energy. Let’s smile to ourselves in the mirror and to one another.

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Try this sometime with your children or a young niece, nephew or cousin: on the day of the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox, just a few moments before the exact moment of the equinox, go outside with a raw egg. Find a reasonably level place on the sidewalk or driveway. For a few moments just before and just after the equinox, you can balance the egg upright (wider end down) by simply setting it down on the ground. No kidding! It will stand up all by itself. Kids love this, and most adults are amazed and delighted, too.

This little "trick" brings together two of the most potent aspects of this holiday: the balancing of the earth's gravity midway between the extremes of light and dark at Winter and Summer Solstice; and the symbolism of the egg.

The egg is one of the most notable symbols of Easter, but, as someone who was raised Catholic and who was never told exactly why we colored eggs at Easter, or why there was a bunny who delivered candy to us, or why it was traditional to buy new clothes to wear for church on Easter Sunday, I always wondered about this holiday. As with many of the seemingly unrelated secular symbols and traditions of Christmas (what do evergreen trees, mistletoe, reindeer and lights have to do with the birth of Christ? You might wanna read "You Call It Christmas, We Call It Yule" for an exploration of these connections), Easter too has adapted many ancient pagan symbols and customs in its observance.

Easter gets its name from the Teutonic goddess of spring and the dawn, whose name is spelled Oestre or Eastre (the origin of the word "east" comes from various Germanic, Austro-Hungarian words for dawn that share the root for the word "aurora" which means " to shine"). Modern pagans have generally accepted the spelling "Ostara" which honors this goddess as our word for the Vernal Equinox. The 1974 edition of Webster's New World Dictionary defines Easter thus: "orig., name of pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church; Eastre, dawn goddess; 1. An annual Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21." The Vernal Equinox usually falls somewhere between March 19th and 22nd (note that the dictionary only mentions March 21st, as opposed to the date of the actual Equinox), and depending upon when the first full moon on or after the Equinox occurs, Easter falls sometime between late-March and mid-April.

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Because the Equinox and Easter are so close, many Catholics and others who celebrate Easter often see this holiday (which observes Christ's resurrection from the dead after his death on Good Friday) as being synonymous with rebirth and rejuvenation: the symbolic resurrection of Christ is echoed in the awakening of the plant and animal life around us. But if we look more closely at some of these Easter customs, we will see that the origins are surprisingly, well, pagan! Eggs, bunnies, candy, Easter baskets, new clothes, all these "traditions" have their origin in practices which may have little or nothing to do with the Christian holiday.

For example, the traditional coloring and giving of eggs at Easter has very pagan associations. For eggs are clearly one of the most potent symbols of fertility, and spring is the season when animals begin to mate and flowers and trees pollinate and reproduce. In England and Northern Europe, eggs were often employed in folk magic when women wanted to be blessed with children. There is a great scene in the film The Wicker Man where a woman sits upon a tombstone in the cemetery, holding a child against her bared breasts with one hand, and holding up an egg in the other, rocking back and forth as she stares at the scandalized (and very uptight!)

Sargent Howie. Many cultures have a strong tradition of egg coloring; among Greeks, eggs are traditionally dyed dark red and given as gifts.

As for the Easter egg hunt, a fun game for kids, I have heard at least one pagan teacher say that there is a rather scary history to this. As with many elements of our "ancient history, " there is little or no factual documentation to back this up. But the story goes like this: Eggs were decorated and offered as gifts and to bring blessings of prosperity and abundance in the coming year; this was common in Old Europe. As Christianity rose and the ways of the "Old Religion" were shunned, people took to hiding the eggs and having children make a game out of finding them. This would take place with all the children of the village looking at the same time in everyone's gardens and beneath fences and other spots.

It is said, however, that those people who sought to seek out heathens and heretics would bribe children with coins or threats, and once those children uncovered eggs on someone's property, that person was then accused of

practicing the old ways. I have never read any historical account of this, so I cannot offer a source for this story (though I assume the person who first told me found it somewhere); when I find one, I will let you know! When I first heard it, I was eerily reminded of the way my own family conducted such egg hunts: our parents hid money inside colorful plastic eggs that could be opened and closed up again; some eggs contained pennies, some quarters and dimes and nickels, and some lucky kids would find a fifty-cent piece or silver dollar! In our mad scramble for pocket change, were my siblings and cousins and I mimicking the treacherous activities of children so long ago?

Traditional foods play a part in this holiday, as with so many others. Ham is the traditional main course served in many families on Easter Sunday, and the reason for this probably has to do with the agricultural way of life in old Europe. In late fall, usually in October, also known as the month of the Blood Moon, because it referred to the last time animals were slaughtered before winter, meats were salted and cured so they would last through the winter. Poorer people, who subsisted on farming and hunting, would often eat very sparingly in winter to assure their food supply would last. With the arrival of spring, there was less worry, and to celebrate the arrival of spring and of renewed abundance, they would serve the tastiest remaining cured meats, including hams. This also marked a seasonal end to eating cured foods and a return to eating fresh game (as animals emerged from hibernation looking for food), and no longer relying on stored root vegetables, but eating the young green plants so full of the vitamins and minerals that all living beings need to replenish their bodies in spring.

Modern pagans can observe these same customs by eating the fresh greens and early vegetables abundant now: dandelion greens, nettles, asparagus, and the like. There are some Witches who believe that fasting at the Equinox is very healthy and magical: it clears away all the toxins stored over winter, when we eat heavier foods to keep warm, and can create an altered state of consciousness for doing Equinox magic. By eliminating all the "poisons" from our diets for a few days (including sugar, caffeine, alcohol, red meats, dairy products, refined foods), and eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, we not only can shed a few pounds and improve the appearance of our hair and skin, but also improve our health over the long term. The overall benefit to health from an occasional cleansing fast helps strengthen our immune system, making our bodies more resistant to illness, and help us feel more alert and energetic. Try it! Be sure to "break" your fast slowly, reintroducing your normal foods one at a time, instead of going from several days of fruits, grains and herbal tea to a feast of steak, potatoes and chocolate cake! The breaking of the fast can be incorporated into the cakes and wine portion of your ritual, or at the feast many Witches have afterwards.

Speaking of food, another favorite part of Easter for kids, no doubt, is that basket of treats! Nestled in plastic "grass" colored pink or green, we'd find foil-wrapped candy eggs, hollow chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, marshmallow chicks (in pink, yellow or lavender!), fancy peanut butter or coconut

eggs from Russell Stover, and of course our Mom always included one of the beautiful ceramic eggs she painted by hand. Like that other holiday where children are inundated with sugar (Hallowe'en), no one seems to know precisely where, when or how this custom began. And why are the baskets supposedly brought by a bunny???

There are some modern Witches and pagans who follow traditions that integrate the faery lore of the Celtic countries. It is customary to leave food and drink out for the fairies on the nights of our festivals, and it is believed that if the fairies are not honored with gifts at these times, they will work mischief in our lives. Certain holidays call for particular "fairy favorites." At Imbolc/Oimelc (February 2nd), for example, we leave gifts of dairy origin, like cheese, butter or fresh cream. At Lammas/Lughnasa (August 1st) we leave fresh grains or newly-baked bread. At Samhain, nuts and apples are traditional. And at Ostara, it is customary to leave something sweet (honey, or mead, or candy)--could this be connected to the Easter basket tradition? Perhaps a gift of sweets corresponds to the sweet nectar gathering in new spring flowers?

To refer again to The Wicker Man, the post office/candy shop where May Morrison works (she is the mother of Rowan Morrison, the young girl who is supposedly missing and who Sargent Howie has come to Summerisle to find) offers a large selection of candies shaped like animals.

When Sargent Howie says "I like your rabbits" Mrs. Morrison scolds him saying "Those are hares! Lovely March hares, not silly old rabbits!" And when Howie goes to dig up the grave of Rowan Morrison (who it turns out is neither dead nor missing) he finds the carcass of a hare, and Lord Summerisle tries to convince him that Rowan was transformed into a hare upon her death. Clearly this is an illustration of the powerful association with animals that many ancient cultures have (Summerisle being a place where time has seemingly stood still and where the pagan pursuit of pleasure and simple agricultural ways define the way of life). The forming of candy into the shape of rabbits or chicks is a way to acknowledge them as symbols; by eating them, we take on their characteristics, and enhance our own fertility, growth and vitality.

For clearly the association of rabbits with Easter has something to do with fertility magic. Anyone who has kept rabbits as pets or knows anything about their biology has no question about the origin of the phrase "f*** like a bunny."

These cute furry creatures reproduce rapidly, and often! Same with chicks, who emerge wobbly and slimy from their eggs only to become fluffy, yellow and cute within a few hours. The Easter Bunny may well have its origin in the honoring of rabbits in spring as an animal sacred to the goddess Eastre, much as horses are sacred to the Celtic Epona, and the crow is sacred to the Morrigan. As a goddess of spring, she presides over the realm of the conception and birth of babies, both animal and human, and of the pollination, flowering and ripening of fruits in the plant kingdom. Sexual activity is the root of all of life: to honor this activity is to honor our most direct connection to nature.

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At Beltane (April 31st-May 1st), pagans and Witches honor the sexual union of the god and goddess amid the flowers and fruits that have begun to cover the land; but prior to that, at Ostara, we welcome the return of the spring goddess from her long season of dormant sleep. The sap begins to flow, the trees are budding, the ground softens, ice melts, and everywhere the fragrance and color of spring slowly awakens and rejuvenates our own life force.

I have always thought this had a lot to do with the tradition of wearing newly-bought or made clothes at Easter, in pastel spring colors. Wearing such colors we echo the flowering plants, crocus, lilac, forsythia, bluebells, violets and new clothes allow us to feel we are renewing our persona.

How many of us feel sort of "blah" after winter ends? Along with the fasting practice mentioned earlier, this is a time for many of us to create new beginnings in our lives: this can apply to jobs, relationships, living situations, lifestyle choices.

But since the Equinox is such a potent time magically, and often (as it does this year) falls in the period when Mercury is Retrograde, starting a new endeavor at this time can be problematic if we do not take care. One good way to avoid catastrophe is to engage in small, personally-oriented rites or activities: a new haircut, a new clothing style or make-up, a new exercise program, the grand old tradition of spring cleaning, a new course of study: all of these are relatively "safe" ways to begin anew without risking the weirdness and unpredictability of Mercury Retrograde.

This is a very powerful time to do magic, not only because of the balancing of the earth's energies, but because of the way our own beings echo the earth's changes. We are literally reborn as we emerge from our winter sleep, ready to partake of all the pleasures of the earth, and to meet the challenges we will face as the world changes around us daily. As we greet and celebrate with our pagans brothers and sisters of the Southern Hemisphere (for whom the Vernal Equinox more closely resembles the beginning of autumn, in physical terms!), we remember that Spring is not only a season; it is a state of mind.

Blessed Be in the Season of Spring! Go Forth and Flower!

Peg Aloi

This Article is reprinted with permission from witchvox and can be found at; http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays& id=1991

In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. Native Americans called this last full moon of winter the Worm Moon after the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground.

The more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. TheFull Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation.

Worm Moon Name Variations The Worm Moon of March was sometimes referred to by names associated with other signs of spring. The more northern Native American tribes knew the March full moon as the Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night, or the Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees.

Other names include the Chaste Moon and the Death Moon.

Christian settlers also called this the Lenten Moon and considered it the last moon of winter.

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March Worm Moon Prosperity, Protection, Healing.

Full Worm Moon Ritual On Sunday the night of the March full moon, as we stand before our respective altars, we cast the circle because it is crucial for our most powerful spell-work.

Before we do that, however, there's a little preparation work to do. On March 15, the moon enters into the phase of modest, intelligent and shy Virgo (the virgin). The Sun, obviously, is in imaginative and sensitive Pisces (the fish). So there you have the combined accommodating sort of energy that's available to us on this full moon ritual night.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, March's full moon is called the "spring Moon" but it is also known as the "Full Worm Moon." That's because: "The ground begins to soften and earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of robins. This is also known as the Sap Moon, as it marks the time when maple sap begins to flow and the annual tapping of maple trees begins."

As the weather keeps changing dramatically (one day it feels like summer, the next day it snows) here in the Pacific Northwest, I'm thinking of the Greek Goddess Hera (wife to Zeus/pictured) who is in charge of the weather and changing seasons. She rules over every other aspect of existence as well. In fact the Milky Way reportedly spurts from her breasts. (It might be good to call upon her as you do your spell-work for those reasons, alone -- this Spring Moon night).

So here's how we let the "sap" flow as we woo Hera as though she were the virgin of Virgo, in order that she will take favor on us and grant our spell-wishes: In Tarot wisdom, Hera is depicted on the "Lovers" card. There Zeus coerced Paris into deciding which Goddess was the most desirable: Hera (aka "Juno"), Athena or Aphrodite (aka "Venus"). Being a young and potent male, Paris chose Aphrodite due to her sexual alluring.

To Do: Gather:  A writing utensil and paper for your spellwork. Look at the "Lovers" Tarot card (if you don't have a deck, you may click on the above underlined word for an image).  {Coven Mates: inquire of your pendulum if this "love letter" is most optimal for you to write. I guarantee -- if you are wise in spellwork and are open to receiving Hera's blessings -- that you will "get" that Hera would LOVE for you to perform the following task for her.}  Write a love letter to Hera. Explain why Paris should have have chosen Her before you conduct your spellwork. Then, as you do your full moon ritual -- when you ask Hera to bless your work -- you will already be in her favor.

Here's a few things I will be writing: Hera is:  More beautiful & Gorgeous than even Aphrodite (sorry Aphrodite, but I'm so over the need to lure strange young men into my bed)  Very relationship-oriented; and that's a powerful attribute!  Physically fit. You kept Zeus busy on his honeymoon for 300 years.  Magickal & resourceful: you restore your virginity annually by bathing in the sacred spring called "Kanathos."  You are so alluring even Zeus, God Supreme, seeks refuge in your lap!

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SCOTT CUNNINGHAM – A PERSONAL "THANK YOU"

by Janie Bass, CC

I know most of you know who Scott Cunningham was and still is to the Wiccan and Pagan Community and I would guess most of you learned of him in much the same way I did, from a library bookshelf or a shelf in the "New Age" section of a local book store. You probably have similar feelings to mine that here was a writer who know what my questions were and still are and freely, without fear of reproach, was willing to respond with a knowledge written in such a remarkably easy manner that I said over and over again on each page I devoured, "Oh my God, this is what I want and need to know".

Unfortunately, Scott writing has been called "ultra simplistic" and he has been called the "Leader of the Fluffy Bunny Wiccan Club," but I've never, ever seen his writing in this way. For years I've strongly encouraged individuals coming to Wicca and Paganism to read Scott's writings. I've probably recommended most of his books on Wicca/Paganism at one time or another to just about everyone I've talked to.

His books are never pretentious regardless of your current learning level in the Craft and in one way or another, Scott included all the information known or thought about prior to his untimely death.

Scott Douglas Cunningham was born on June 27th,1956, in Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.A and was the middle child of three siblings, an older brother, Greg, and a younger sister, Christine.

The family moved to San Diego, California in the fall of 1959, due to the health of Scott's mother, Rose Marie.

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Outside of his many trips as an adult to his beloved Hawaii, Scott lived in San Diego all his life.

During his high school years, Scott met a fellow student, Dorothy Jones, who claimed she was a witch.

The two became friends and Scott began studying and practicing Wicca (his preferred term). This early information became what is now recognized as "American Traditionalist Wicca." His book "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" is based on his early concepts of Wiccan Spirituality and Practices.

Scott studied creative writing while attending San Diego State University. After two years in the program, he had already published more works than several of his professors and dropped out of university to write full time. He met magickal author Donald Michael Kraig during this time and they became roommates.

For a time Scott was a student of coven leader and witchcraft author Raymond Buckland until several disagreements on theory lead Scott to leave Buckland's classes. Also at this time he trained with author Raven Grimassi and remained as a first-degree initiate until he left the tradition in 1982, when he began pursuing his Solo Practice of Witchcraft and developing what has now become known and accepted as a Solitary Practitioner of Wicca.

Scott practiced a fairly basic interpretation of Wicca, mostly practicing and worshipping alone though occasionally coming together with friends and teachers for special rituals.

Many of these shared occasions are referred to in several of his books. He believed that Wicca should become more open to newcomers. This was one of the challenges he had while studying under Ray Buckland.

Much of Scott's practice and writings focus upon the raw magick found within nature. Preforming spells and rituals outdoors in a natural surrounding was his love. He understood the fear and anxiety of practicing magick on your own in your own back yard and encouraged readers to head for the mountain tops, the beaches and the desert to become closer to Nature, the God, and the Goddess. He realized that this wasn't possible for everyone so he set about describing how to bring and build magick within the reader's own space.

In every Wicca book Scott shared his belief in the Devine and of the symbolism that comes with it. He never talked down to the reader or dumbed it down but always picked the exact and perfect words to explain complicated information in an easy to understand manner, never taking for granted that the reader would already know and understand what he was talking about.

Scott was a skillful "Word Master" which is shown in his book on "Hawaiian Magic and Spirituality," a fascinating read if you can find the book.

I think my favorite of all his Wiccan books must be "Cunningham's Book of Shadows" published in 2009, some 16 years after his death. Though not truly a traditional Grimoire, it does contain many of his early thoughts, trainings, spells and rituals. Also in its pages are pictures of the original manuscript containing Scott's corrections.

This is probably the closest I'll ever get to viewing a great Wiccan Teacher's Magick Book.

Over the years, Scott has been criticized as being nothing more than a collector or compiler of the work of others, skillfully reorganizing them into book form. In the beginning, perhaps he was but then, aren't we all. That's how we learn, whether you learned as a Solitary Practitioner or a Coven Member,

we copy and experiment with the information we're given by others.

Through Scott's incessant hard work, he became our Teacher, our Priest, our Guru, our Friend. I honestly believe that every time one of us opens one of Scott's books, (22 of his 50-60 published books deal with magick, spirituality and alternative religion), Scott's spirit sits next to us, encouraging us through each page, each word, each idea, helping us to reach our own conclusions about our own interruption.

In 1983, Scott was diagnosed with lymphoma, which he successfully overcame. In 1990, he suddenly fell ill while on a speaking tour and was diagnosed with AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis. After fighting several infections, Scott passed from this world March 28, 1993, at the age of 36.

For one who passed so young, much has been written and said of him.

To me he was a blessed "friend and guide" during a time I really needed one; when no one understood my need to explore and delve into an art that had been opened to me by my grandmother but lost with her death. Scott "read" me to sleep many, many nights; rode in my head on the buses to work and home again.

He "encouraged" me to find the real true me during a time when it would have been so much easier to be what everyone else wanted me to be. I am eternally thankful Scott Cunningham lived and learned and wrote what he did. He will be in the Wiccan and Pagan World for a very, very long time, and happily, so many, many students will have the continuing opportunity to learn from a Great and Gentle Master.

List of Books by Scott Cunningham

   

References and Credits "Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of an American Traditionalist" Scott Cunningham. Llewellyn Publisher "Scott Cunningham" Wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Cunningham "Whispers of the Moon: The Life and Work of Scott Cunningham, PhilosopherMagician, Modern-Day Pagan" by David Harrington and deTracy Regula.

Llewellyn Publisher. Review by Sam Webster "Author Profile: Scott Cunningham" by Patti Wigington. About.com Paganism/Wicca "Why I Don't Like Scott Cunningham" by Michael Kaufman. www.wildideas.net/temple/library/letter s/cunningham1

Scott Cunningham was born in Royal Oak, Michigan in the fall of 1959 he had one older brother, Greg, and a younger sister, Christine.

When he was in high school he became associated with a girl whom he knew to deal in the occult and covens. This classmate introduced him to Wicca and trained him in Wiccan spirituality. He studied creative writing at San Diego State University, where he enrolled in 1978. After two years in the program, however, he had more published works than several of his professors, and dropped out of the university to write full time. During this period he had as a roommate, magical author Donald Michael Kraig and often socialized with witchcraft author Raymond Buckland, who was also living in San Diego at the time.

In 1980 Cunningham began initiate training under Raven Grimassi and remained as a first-degree initiate until 1982 when he left the tradition to pursue a solo practice of witchcraft.

Cunningham practiced a fairly basic interpretation of Wicca, often worshipping alone, though his book series for solitaries describes several instances in which he worshipped with friends and teachers.

Cunningham was also drawn to Huna and a range of new age movements and concepts that influenced and coloured his spirituality.

His work Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published; he was a friend of notable occultists and Wiccans such as Raymond Buckland, and was a member of the Serpent Stone Family, and received his Third Degree Initiation as a member of that coven.

In 1990 he was diagnosed with AIDS-related cryptococcal meningitis. He suffered from several infections and died in March 1993. He was 36.

                 

1980 - Shadow of Love (fiction) 1982 - Magical Herbalism: The Secret of the Wise 1983 - Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic 1985 - Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs 1987 - The Magical Household 1987 - Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic 1988 - The Truth About Witchcraft Today 1988 - Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner 1989 - The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews 1989 - Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent 1991 - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic 1991 - The Magic in Food 1993 - Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen 1993 - Divination For Beginners 1993 - Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner 1993 - Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects 1993 - The Truth About Herb Magic 1994 - The Truth About Witchcraft 1995 - Hawaiian Magic and Spirituality 1997 - Pocket Guide to Fortune Telling 1999 - Dreaming the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep 2009 - Cunningham's Book of Shadows: The Path of An American Traditionalist (ISBN 0-73871-914-5)* A rediscovered manuscript written by Cunningham in the late 70's or early 80's.

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Walking with Nature 1.

By Eleazar Rex

Nature is my chapel, my sanctuary. It is my ever present circle, my muse and my teacher. As a pagan that follows as near as I can understand, the wild Gods and Goddesses of old I relate to existence most readily on a primal level. I see the natural world as a reflection, a cathartic connecting point with the ambiguous and multi faceted personalities with which we identify with the divine. I am part of creation and existence and embrace that point of connection. Civilized society, rather than being the ‘norm’ for me or sanctuary is rather an intrusive device that separates self as a pagan from the real world. I seek to live as a participant, rather than a passenger in the path of my life.

On the occasions when I have an active student or someone who has asked me for teaching or guidance I have found several ‘favorite methods’ with which I use to securely demonstrate our point of being, our relationship with the world and our reflective point in it. They are interchangeable in order yet simply some of the most profound ways of understanding self that I have encountered. I won’t say that I created them for they were passed to me through my own learning and development as I grew on my spiritual path.

One or my favorite lessons is to have the student lie on your belly in the grass or dirt and simply observe. Don’t think or meditate, just observe the fantastic array of life that scurries forth and around you. You can’t do this sitting in a chair or on your butt, you need to lie down, get as close to the ground as you can, and for as long as you can and just watch. While there is no set time limit or design to this exercise, if you get up and think it was a silly waste of time, you didn’t lay there long enough and should repeat this exercise as often as possible until you understand why. I can’t even say much about it. There are no huge sparks, no huge flashes of insight or inspiration but the time spent is of such value that it is usually my first lesson to my students. They never fail to come through it changed, one way or another. There is a realization and even stating that is perhaps too much.

Over time I have come to the realization that far too often people want the answers without earning them.

They want to open the books and find the wisdom of the ages and power coursing through the script. Walking a mystery path of any sort implies sacrifice, struggle and hardship in order to EARN the vestments and skills that one accumulates on a given path. Yet it is not the vestments or skills that you should be pursuing, it is the true possession of knowledge, and the wisdom in how you use it. Overstating results or potential gains in any given course, lesson or goal can lead one to certain failure. Not every person will experience the same results, or come away with the same acquisition. Some people will ‘succeed’ rapidly and others will require many attempts to achieve the same results. Ultimately some people will, and others simply won’t, and that in itself is another incredible lesson that many people never learn, let alone accept. The greatest moment of growth comes when you close the book and seek beyond the covers.

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Welcome We believe that you are created with sacred worth. We welcome you and seek to serve you in spiritually uplifting and emotionally caring ways.

March Calendar Mar 1 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Mar 2 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Mar 3 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Mar 4 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Mar 5 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Mar 6 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace 07:00 PM Unity Choir Mar 8 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Mar 9 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Mar 10 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Mar 11 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Mar 12 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Mar 13 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Unity Choir Mar 15 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Mar 16 12:30 PM Guided Meditation 12:30 PM Oneness (Deeksha) Blessing Mar 17 08:00 AM Men of Unity Breakfast of Champions 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group

2900 South Bernard Spokane, Wa (509) 838-6518 Mar 18 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Mar 19 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Mar 20 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace 07:00 PM Unity Choir Mar 21 12:00 PM OWWU Spring Retreat 07:00 PM Karaoke Night Mar 22 10:00 AM Outrageous Wild Women of Unity 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Mar 23 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Mar 24 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Mar 25 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Mar 26 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Mar 27 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Unity Choir Mar 28 05:30 PM Crosswalk Mar 29 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Mar 30 12:30 PM Guided Meditation

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Welcome We believe that you are created with sacred worth. We welcome you and seek to serve you in spiritually uplifting and emotionally caring ways.

April Calendar Apr 1 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Apr 2 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Apr 3 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace 07:00 PM Unity Choir Apr 4 10:00 AM Sacred Rubble Yard Sale Apr 5 09:00 AM Sacred Rubble Yard Sale 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Apr 6 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Apr 7 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Apr 8 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Apr 9 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Apr 10 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Unity Choir Apr 12 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Apr 13 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Apr 14 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Apr 15 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group

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2900 South Bernard Spokane, Wa (509) 838-6518

Apr 16 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Apr 17 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace 07:00 PM Unity Choir Apr 19 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Apr 20 12:30 PM Guided Meditation 12:30 PM Oneness (Deeksha) Blessing Apr 21 08:00 AM Men of Unity Breakfast of Champions 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Apr 22 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Apr 23 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program Apr 24 09:00 AM Morning Light 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Unity Choir Apr 25 05:30 PM Crosswalk Apr 26 10:00 AM Outrageous Wild Women of Unity 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Apr 27 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Apr 28 09:00 AM Morning Light 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group Apr 29 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Apr 30 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Wednesday Night Program

Mama Em's Bell Book & Candle (also known as Mama Em's World of Magick)

113 Rice St Carson City, NV 89706 (775)790-4488 http://www.mamaemsworld.com/main.sc Welcome to Mama Em's World! I have been a self-practicing Pagan and Witch for 16 years. I do things my own way, and I love to make my own products. I'm here to help bring new and unusual items to everyone, and to provide metaphysical supplies at prices we can all actually afford. If you're looking for something in particular and you can't find it, please contact me with what you need and I'd be happy to get it for you! To stay up to date on new products, contests, and weekly giveaways, like us on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/mamaemsworld and view my Youtube videos here: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0RiNRgad4PjHOjOuXHvApg Follow me on Twitter: @MagickByMamaEm - Check out my blog on all things from advice to personal issues here: www.askmamaem.blogspot.com and last but certainly not least, check me out as one of the admins of this amazing group: www.facebook.com/thepaganmama

Bast or Bastet Candle Holder Statue Words can barely describe the awesome beauty of this Bast/Bastet candle holder. She holds two tapered pillar candles, or cone incense. Absolutely stunning cold cast resin. Black with gold accents including hyroglyphics around the base. Approximately 8" high by 5" wide.

Gorgeous Amber Resin Scent Pendant This small, beautifully sculpted brass ornament contains 5 grams of amber resin, to create a delightful piece of jewelry that will leave you perfumed with the sweet scent of amber. I cannot tell you how lovely this smells. It's subtle and airy, and simply intoxicating. Sure to get you a lot of attention! If you'd like this pendant blessed with spellwork to attract a lover, or to enrich your existing relationship, just ask! I'd be happy to do that for you, free of charge. Pendant comes on a black cotton cord, but can easily be transferred to a chain of your choice. I wear one of these myself and am quite smitten with it! XoXo Mama Em

Celtic Pentagram with Crystal This intricate pewter pentagram is set within a sculpted, ropelike circle with a Celtic knot work backdrop. Has cord. 1 1/4� - See more at: http://www.azuregreen.net/prodinfo.asp?number=JCELP#sthash.fVJMceaM.dpuf

Celtic Sealing Wax Kit Customize invitations, greeting cards, spells, rituals, and more with enchanting wax stamps. Boxed kit (3 1/8 x 4 1/2) includes natural wax and a metal seal.

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Ever one to ruin the fun, I couldn’t let today go by without making a few comments about Saint Patrick and the annual holiday that’s held in his honor. Most of the people I know will be wearing green in some form today, thinking of all things Irish, drinking green beer, and possibly honoring that ancient Irish tradition of getting drunk and fighting. In other words, Saint Patrick’s day is a good excuse for partying, and few people will put any more thought into it than that. That’s fine. It’s a secular holiday in the United States, even if the day is named after a Catholic bishop and missionary, and so it should all be taken with a grain of salt. Go forth and party.

Have a good time. Build for yourself the pending hangover of the gods. That’s what it’s all about, right?

If most people know anything about Saint Patrick, it’s that his one claim to fame is that he drove the snakes from Ireland. What most people don’t realize is that the snake is a Pagan symbol, and that the snakes referred to in the Saint Patrick mythos are not meant in the literal sense, but refer to Pagans; i.e., Saint Patrick drove the Pagans (specifically, the Celts) out of Ireland (although it could be said, and has been argued, that much has been done in Saint Patrick’s name, but that the man himself was relatively unimportant). So what is celebrated on Saint Patrick’s Day with drinking and much cavorting is, ironically, the spread of Christianity throughout Ireland and the subjugation and conversion of the Celts.

I have a perspective on Saint Patrick that most Americans do not. If you don’t know already, my surname is Mulkieran. That surname is associated with the parish of Clonkennkerrill near the small modern village of Gurteen, in Galway. It was first recorded in the early 11th Century, and other early recordings include Maelisa O’Mulkieran who died in 1197. My mother was a passionate genealogist, who traced our family farther back than that. So you might say that my Irish bonafides have been well established.

I mention this for no other reason than to be able to point out that my perception of Saint Patrick when I was growing up was vastly different from the popular secular view. My mother was a seventh generation hereditary witch, from a long line of women who rejected the Christian tradition of assuming the names of their husbands and kept her family name. There’s not a hyphen among the seven women who preceded me, and each one of them passed down the Pagan traditions which I

Hold dear today. Among these was a distaste for Saint Patrick (to say the least – my grandmother would spit at the mention of his name), who my family saw as a Christian invader, a missionary who was instrumental in the subjugation of the Irish isle to the Christian church (and who, worst of all, wasn’t even Irish).

It wasn’t arbitrary that the day honoring Saint Patrick was placed on the 17th of March. The festival was designed to coincide, and, it was hoped, to replace the Pagan holiday known as Ostara; the second spring festival which occurs each year, which celebrates the rebirth of nature, the balance of the universe when the day and night are equal in length, and which takes place at the Spring Equinox (March 22nd this year). In other words, Saint Patrick’s Day is yet another Christian replacement for a much older, ancient Pagan holiday; although generally speaking Ostara was most prominently replaced by the Christian celebration of Easter (the eggs and the bunny come from Ostara traditions, and the name “Easter” comes from the Pagan goddess Eostre).

I don’t celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. I don’t begrudge those who do, and it doesn’t bother me that a lot of my friends will be drinking green beer and wearing buttons that say “Kiss me, I’m Irish”. Saint Patrick’s day in practice has become a secular holiday, much like Christmas, that has only the vaguest hints of its religious underpinnings still intact. So if you want to drink green beer and act like an idiot, please do. It won’t bother me in the slightest.

I actually strike quite a figure on Saint Patrick’s day.

When nearly everyone else is wearing green in some fashion, I usually wear red and black, in various degrees and styles. For me, the red represents the blood of my ancestors, who were driven out of Ireland or were subjugated by any one of many zealous Christian missionaries. The black is for the darkness that fell over the world with the rise and dominance of the Christian church and the forced installation of patriarchy that replaced the ancient reverence for the feminine divine.

The only green I wear on Saint Patrick’s Day is a pendant that was handed down from my great-grandmother.

It’s an oak leaf made of silver, the leaves of which are inlaid with emeralds. Family tradition holds that the gems were brought over from Ireland when the family came to America in the mid 1800′s, and before that were passed down through the generations for centuries.

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The significance of the oak leaf should be obvious to most Pagans. Greeks worshipped the oak as it was sacred to Zeus. It was a crime to fell an oak tree in Pagan Ireland. The ancient Celts wouldn’t meet unless an oak tree was present.

The old expression “knock on wood” comes from the Celts, who believed in tree spirits. Both the Greeks and the Celts believed touching sacred trees would bring good fortune.

They would knock on the oak tree to say hello to the tree spirit. And my family tradition holds that an oak leaf worn at the breast, touching the heart, will protect the wearer from all deception and the world’s false glamour. Oaks are protectors, and to me they represent strength and renewal; that spark of the old ways that can never be fully stamped out by Christianity, and which keep popping up in the least expected places.

Why not wear a shamrock? Simple. Legend credits Saint Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Christian Trinity by showing people the shamrock, using it to highlight the Christian belief of “three divine persons in the one God”. Wearing a shamrock to me is tantamount to wearing a Christian cross. I don’t begrudge those who do, but I know the meaning behind it, and I can’t follow you there. You might as well ask a Jew to wear a swastika.

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In closing, all I’ll say is that instead of celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day, I’ll be looking forward to Ostara. It’s usually about this time of year that I feel the first stirrings of Spring in the air, and it really begins to feel like the Earth around me is beginning to reawaken from its long sleep. You’ll see it in the step of every young person you see, as their bodies respond to the marshaling of energies and their hormones start raging. The Wheel of the Year keeps turning, and this time of the year is all about renewal. It’s the reason we all find ourselves flirting shamelessly with one another.

If I’ll be celebrating anything on Saint Patrick’s Day, it’s that my world is passing from Winter into Spring. Flowers will soon be popping into existence all around me. And there’s no better time of the year that you can feel so alive. I’d much rather celebrate that than the subjugation and extermination of Pagans in Ireland.

Claire Mulkieran Re-printed with permission from: http://www.pagancentric.org/pagans-and-saint-patricks-day/ About Claire Claire Mulkieran is rumored to be a glorified computer programmer by trade, but you can call her a “Systems Security Designer.” She's also a teacher of Pagan-related spirituality and the unofficial patron saint of meandering misfits (or a delusional lunatic, depending upon whom you ask). If you're ready to read between the lines, consider her guiding motto; "Are you a figment of my imagination, or am I a figment or yours?"

Ostara: A Time to Recreate Yourself Ostara is a time of balance, a calming energy we need in our overworked, overstressed lives. We understand these energies on the macrocosmic level, but Ostara energy can do just as much for us here on the microcosmic level where we live. We can take the renewal imagery, call it recreation instead of renewal, and apply it to ourselves with excellent results.

Using the energy of Ostara we can begin to recreate or reinvent ourselves into the people we want to be. Whether the desired change is spiritual, emotional, or physical, Ostara is here to help grow our wishes. Think of this sabbat as a second New Year for Pagans. In Pagan Rome, March 25th was the New Year, the date on which the equinox occurred at that time.

A few days before Ostara, take time for some serious introspection. Decide what you like most about yourself and embrace it. Be honest about what you don’t like about yourself and ask yourself whether you really want to change each negative aspect. Some people who admit their flaws find they have no desire to change them. You are allowed to be selective. You can change one thing about yourself or several things. It all depends on you and your lifestyle. Only you know how much time you can put into recreating yourself.

As Ostara approaches, begin to visualize your life in your new self. Envision your looks, poise, interaction with others, or whatever situations your recreation will affect. If it’s your job situation that needs changing, it’s always best to begin with the changes you have under your control. If it’s a romance, make sure you’re recreating yourself for yourself and not to please someone else. Being what you were not meant to be or want to be will only backfire on you. If it’s a physical issue, such as an illness or a problem related to appearance, be sure to work with a doctor, dermatologist, or cosmetologist who knows how to add some modern science to your magick.

Also, you must absolutely, without hesitation, embrace yourself as more than raw material. Look into a mirror and see the face of the person you want to be. Take note of all the things you do like about yourself and tell yourself positive things. You may be a good parent, an outstanding student, a dedicated employee. You may have an artistic gift you want to celebrate, or have a physical feature of which you are proud. Everyone has something they like about themselves. Start your recreation by focusing on your best aspects.

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Keep up with the positive thoughts and words. No change will come to anyone who is caught up in a pattern of negative self-talk. Listen to yourself. Really listen! You will be surprised at how many times a day you say something deprecating about yourself. Some people do it to get a leg up on the people around them whom they perceive as thinking your negative self-talk is correct. Blow them off. No one knows the real you except you.

Avoid focusing on the negative. Focus instead that the thing you want to banish will be taken from you, and, in its place, you will draw in the characteristics, traits, and other necessities for success in your Ostara recreation-of-self ritual.

Write down what you want to be. Tell no one about your plans and—whatever you do—don’t let anyone else see your list. Even non-magickal people can be threatened by change and their counter energy can get in the way. You also risk exposing attributes others might think you cannot have, and they will tell you so, damaging your efforts. Not all people see positive and negative as you do. You may need more aggressiveness to deal with people at work, but aggression is a trait many find intimidating, especially if they don’t know how you plan to use this trait.

The next step is to mentally create a map to take you from the current you to the ideal you. Magick is a potent tool, but it cannot work without you backing it up with actions. For example, if you want to lose thirty pounds, it won’t happen if you do magick by night and spend the day sitting on your backside and eating anything you want. As Ostara approaches you must keep your positive visualizations going in your head.

If a negative thought pops in, dismiss it and return to good thoughts. Only by getting back in balance can you pass through to change.

On the day of Ostara, when the day and night are equal—twelve hours each—begin the day with a cleansing shower or bath. Allow all negative thoughts, energies, and other garbage to be washed away, leaving only you in your purest form. Mentally connect with the energy of balance inherent in Ostara. Breathe it into your body as you inhale, and allow it settle within you as you exhale. If you can get outdoors and do this in the clean spring air, it will be all the more invigorating. You can also hold out your hands to the energies of dark and light. Visualize them clutched in your fists, and draw them into your center. Keep in mind that after this night you will have more light than dark, a perfect three months ahead to wax bright with the warming sun.

As the sun sets on the day of Ostara, go in tranquility to a place where you can have some privacy. You will need two black candles and two white candles, something to hold the candles, and a mirror of any size. The bathroom is often the best place in the house to ensure that privacy, and your mirror is part of the package. If you don’t have white candles, you may choose two of another color you feel best represents your recreation goal.

Examples are: blue for tranquility and rest; violet for spirituality and prayer; blue-violet for healing; green for prosperity, beauty, balance, and calming; red for courage, stamina, and passion; orange for attraction and stimulation; and yellow for mental prowess, concentration, and getting a job done.

Stand or sit where you can see yourself centered in the mirror. Once you can see the real you, place the black candles on either side of you. They do not have to reflect in the mirror if you are using a small one. In fact, it is preferable that they don’t reflect. You want to be mesmerized by your reflection, not by dancing candlelight.

Light the black candles and say: On the night of balance of dark and light, I recreate myself to be who I like; All negativity that follows my back, Be taken now into the candles black.

Sit and gaze at your reflection for another ten minutes if you can. Don’t dwell on the negative, but rather on the negative being absorbed and burned away with the black candles.

Contrary to popular folklore, there is nothing negative or evil about black. Black is no more than a color that does not reflect any light in the visible spectrum. Black truly is a black hole, not dissimilar from those in space. When light is pulled in it does not come out.

Allow any trait, habits, or other flaws to be drawn into the candles. At this point you will begin to see changes in your reflection. They are very subtle, but you can see them as you begin to introduce positive recreation of yourself.

When you feel the time is right, or when the candles have burned themselves out, take them away to be thrown out or buried later. Place the two white candles in their place on each side of you. Again, it does not matter whether the candles are reflected in the mirror, but it is better if they are not.

The color white is has many associations with purity and spirituality. In truth, the color we call white is not a color, but the reflection of the entire visible spectrum. That’s a lot of energy with which to work.

As the white candles burn, visualize them bringing in the desired traits you need for your positive recreation. As you light the white candles, say: White reflects all on this balanced night, The dark shall recede and the light take flight; The positive qualities I call into me, I am recreation! So mote it be!

Stay with your reflection for as long as you are able, or until the candles burn out, or until you have seen the vision of the you you wish to be. Inhale deep of the full spectrum of all things positive as you see them.

Pocket your list so you can recharge this spell at will, with the paper being your talisman and reminder of your goals. As you douse the white candles say: Ostara the barer of balance and light, Bless my work on this, your sacred night; As your sun continues to rise and grow, Into this change with it, I go.

By earth, water, air, and fire, Who bring me what I desire; By the light of Ostara in me, As I will, so mote it be!

By Edain McCoy

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Feasting and Food

No Pagan celebration is really complete without a meal to go along with it. For Ostara, celebrate with foods that honor the coming of spring -- eggs, early spring greens, shoots and sprouts, and of course, the all-important marshmallow Peep.

Ostara Peep Ambrosia Everyone knows Peeps, those overwhelmingly sweet little marshmallow critters that appear every Spring in the grocery store. Put your leftover Peeps to good use this Ostara, and make them into a delicious ambrosia salad! For the most colorful results, use yellow or pink Peeps.

Ingredients:        

1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1

pkg of 12 marshmallow Peeps (chicks or bunnies) cans mandarin oranges cans pineapple tidbits jar maraschino cherries chopped bananas C. shredded coconut flakes 16-oz tub cottage cheese 8-oz tub of Cool Whip or other dessert topping

Preparation: Dice the Peeps into small pieces. Drain the juices from all the fruit. Mix all ingredients together, and allow to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Serve as dessert following your Ostara celebration.

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Directions to the Shop 313 W Davidson is located in a residential area between Lincoln and Government Way just south the Kootenai Medical Center.

Davidson is the second left turn off Lincoln after you cross Ironwood. Then a left turn on Pansy. eclecticworldgems@gmail.com

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Beltane Thursday, May 1, 2014

Beltane is a Celtic word which means 'fires of Bel' (Bel was a Celtic deity). It is a fire festival that celebrates of the coming of summer and the fertility of the coming year.

Celtic festivals often tied in with the needs of the community. In spring time, at the beginning of the farming calendar, everybody would be hoping for a fruitful year for their families and fields.

Beltane rituals would often include courting: for example, young men and women collecting blossoms in the woods and lighting fires in the evening. These rituals would often lead to matches and marriages, either immediately in the coming summer or autumn.

Other festivities involved fire which was thought to cleanse, purify and increase fertility. Cattle were often passed between two fires and the properties of the flame and the smoke were seen to ensure the fertility of the herd.

Today Pagans believe that at Beltane the God (to whom the Goddess gave birth at the Winter Solstice) achieves the strength and maturity to court and become lover to the Goddess. So although what happens in the fields has lost its significance for most Pagans today, the creation of 38

fertility is still an important issue.

Emma Restall Orr, a modern day Druid, speaks of the 'fertility of our personal creativity'. (Spirits of the Sacred Grove, pub. Thorsons, 1998, pg.110). She is referring to the need for active and creative lives. We need fertile minds for our work, our families and our interests.

Fire is still the most important element of most Beltane celebrations and there are many traditions associated with it. It is seen to have purifying qualities which cleanse and revitalise.

People leap over the Beltane fire to bring good fortune, fertility (of mind, body and spirit) and happiness through the coming year.

Although Beltane is the most overtly sexual festival, Pagans rarely use sex in their rituals although rituals often imply sex and fertility. The tradition of dancing round the maypole contains sexual imagary and is still very popular with modern Pagans.

The largest Beltane celebrations in the UK are held in Edinburgh. Fires are lit at night and festivities carry on until dawn. All around the UK fires are lit and private celebrations are held amongst covens and groves (groups of Pagans) to mark the start of the summer.

Solitary Beltane Ritual Items Needed:  One tall Green candle (for God)  One tall White candle (for Goddess)  4 corner candles  Cauldron for Balefire (if performed outdoors, make a Bonfire)  Ritual candles - different shades of green  Rose incense to burn with sage in cauldron  cup of water  bowl of salt  chalice of wine or juice  bread  Athame (for The Great Rite) and/or wand  Spring and Summer flowers to decorate altar (optional)

(Cast circle and call the corners then light the incense) INVOCATION OF THE GOD: (light tall Green candle) “I now do call upon the eternal God in the ancient way, as Young Lord and Oak King - Horned One of the Forests.

I bid Ye welcome and ask Thee to come forth and join Thy Lady Goddess in the Holy Rite of Sacred Union.

As it is willed, so mote it be!”

INVOCATION OF THE GODDESS: (light tall White candle) “I now do call upon the eternal Goddess in the ancient way, as Lovely Maiden, Mother and Crone – Three-fold Goddess be.

I bid Ye welcome and ask Thee to come forth and join Thy Lord God in the Holy Rite of Sacred Union.

As it is willed, so mote it be!”

“Blessed be this day of Beltane, Wedding day of the Goddess and God; Holy day of sacred marriage, Holy night of sacred union.”

Light the surrounding green rituals candles and say – “Tonight I celebrate the union of our Mother Earth to Her consort, our Father God, the Green Man and Great Lord of the Forests, as nature rejoices in a blaze of color and life.”

Go to the altar and pick up the cup of water, hold upwards and say – “Blessed be the sacred union which manifests all creation!

Behold the womb of the Mother, The entity from which all life flows, Blessed be the Lady!”

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Go to the altar and pick up the athame, hold upwards and say – “Behold the phallus of the God, Fruitful principle of the universe, Blessed be the Lord!”

By Robert McDowell •

THE GREAT RITE (Symbolic) –

(Pick up chalice of wine or juice then say): “Blessed be you, my Lady, The Holy Bride of Heaven and Earth, Come unite with Thy Lord in the ancient rite of sacred marriage!”

(Pick up athame and then say): “Blessed be you, my Lord, The Holy Groom of Heaven and Earth, Come unite with Thy Lady Goddess in the ancient rite of sacred marriage!”

While slowly dipping the athame into the chalice, repeat: “Chalice to athame, As Goddess is to God; Father is to Mother, As man is to woman, Behold the sacred union of The One!” Replace the chalice and athame back on the altar and say: “By this act of love, all life comes to be; By this act of faith, I proclaim my place on the eternal cycle of life, The Lord and Lady reign eternal!”

Now toast to the Lord and Lady by drinking from the chalice and breaking off a piece of the bread – setting aside a portion to give back to the Earth later.

“I am a child of deity, I am part of the creative life force which moves the universe; I am part of all that is – Though we are apart we are always together, For we are one in the spirit of our Goddess and God; Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again – Blessed be!”

(Close ritual, thank the deities and remember to give back to the Earth)

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      

6: National Tartan Day 14: Celtic Tree Month of Alder ends 15: Celtic Tree Month of Willow begins 15: Full moon -- Wind Moon at 3:42 am 16: Birthday of author Margot Adler 22: Earth Day 23: Wiccan pentacle is officially added to the list of VA-approved emblems for gravestones, 2007  30: Walpurgisnacht celebrated by German witches

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Dear Gertrude Dear Gertrude, I have a question for you. When I do a spell that was written by someone else, like out of a book or one I find online, do I have to use ALL the items/tools such as candles, herbs, incense, color, etc., that the author calls for? Often I don't have all the stuff that is listed and since I'm new to Wicca and have very little money, is it really necessary to do everything just the way the writer says? Some spells and rituals call for me to be "sky clad" outdoors. I'd get arrested!!

If I don't use the same items, will the spell work as well as it would if I did?

What do I do? Please Help!!

Thank you in advance Confused and Clothed

rituals tools help an individual to FOCUS your energy just as spells do.

Every Wiccan or Witch will tell you that your INTENT IS the most important part of your spell. I often use pre-written spells and rituals as a basis for my spell work! And yes, I often don't have everything listed on the "Needed" list. Sometimes the items are not available to me; sometimes I'm allergic or just don't like the fragrance/aroma if certain herbs and oils; sometimes I've found a particularly color or stone works better for me that what is called for; or perhaps I'm just looking for some really good words to use and need to rearrange or add Dear Confused and Clothed, something to them.

I recently came across an interesting quote. I have no I'm a Spell and Ritual Collector!! I have two large idea who wrote it but it came to me from the Ancient Celts bookcases full of books as well as 12 binders and several website: drawers of loose spells and rituals waiting to be filed (I have to "I am the most powerful tool in my life and I will use me do my own filing and I've never liked filing!!) as reference for wisely!" the spells and rituals I use. I enjoy word-crafting but I have This statement is particularly important when we are found over the years that other writers are more effective with practicing Wicca and Witchcraft. Our mind, soul and body are words than I am so I prefer to use there (if I use them for a the generators of our energy and ENERGY IS WHAT MAKE ceremony with others, I always do my best to give the original SPELLS AND RITUALS WORK!! author credit) and adjust where I need to. I've have always As Magick is the use and transference of energy to a had very good success doing this. I know that somewhere a particular focal point (a specific challenge, problem, object, Spells Instructor is spinning, ready to zap me with their wand person, etc.) Magickal items/tools are not really necessary. for not writing my own spells and such. That's fine, zap away!!

They are used to assist the person performing the spell to I've written my own spells (rarely do they rhyme) and I've better focus the energy/power upon whatever the spell is for. taught Spell Crafting/Writing (I was told it was a very effective If your focus AND intent are strong enough, you do not require class) but I just like using the words of others as a basis for my anything else but your words. own spells. Perhaps it's because it's almost impossible to For many, many years before I really seriously studied locate an TRUE Grimoires from hundreds of years ago and I like the Craft, I performed "Mental" Magick, developing a chanted the idea of words that have been chanted by other Witches spell in my mind and repeating it over and over until I really felt and I somehow feel that in doing so they are adding their it totally and completely throughout my being. I knew nothing power to my spell or ritual in much the same way as using a of candles or stones, herbs or colors, just words and these were Family Grimoire would do. It connects me to others as I am a usually whispered very quietly or repeated in my mind, Solitary Practitioner of Witchcraft. visualizing what I wanted to happen. To this day, I still use These spells work very nicely but you say, what about Mental Magick and find it extremely effective, particularly the tools, items physically used when calling the goddesses and when I'm needing a result "right this minute," which means I gods. rarely have any tools or any kind available to enhance my There too, I make what adjustments are necessary. I've words. learned over the years that there are "Substitutions" Lists for Ok, before everyone who writes books and websites or just about everything dealing with the Craft. Mind you, if you preform what is to me a more formal for of Magick starts find an EXACT copy of a list on more that one website, at least jumping on this or deleting me, let me explain some things to one has been copied from someplace and credit not given. I those of you who are new to Wicca/Witchcraft or to those of find "Correspondence" listings are necessary but few match you who have been wanting to begin spell work or do actual exactly. Everyone has something that works better for them

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what is often called for. Try what is recommended if you have it but if not I'm sure you will have something else that will work just as well, maybe even better.

To figure out if what you want to use will work, hold that item in your hand and feel its vibration, work at becoming attuned with it. Use it if it feels right, don't use it if it doesn't.

WRITE DOWN WHAT THE ITEM TELLS YOU. Learn what your "GO TO" items are such as white candles, clear crystals and sage and cinnamon which will handle almost anything pretty standard. Build your "Magick Box" from here. I often tell my students to select five herbs/spices that you have in your kitchen that will handle nearly everything - they are there, trust me! Same goes for stones, colors, a couple of base oils in which you can mix herbs into to make anointing oils, even check around the outside of your home for five plants that you can almost always walk to that can be used for almost everything (take care with plants as many are poisonous or may contain chemical weed killer or fertilizer, which if ingested could kill!). I usually use "The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire" on-line for correspondence designations of plant/herb/spice materials. I've found them very reliable. The other information is also on-line as well in most training books.

Develop your own BUT WRITE IT DOWN!!!

NOTE: Keep your Magick simple in the begin!! It doesn't need to be complex unless you really wish it to be. REMEMBER YOU ARE THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL IN YOUR LIFE!!

NOTE: Keep in mind spells should ALWAYS be thought about prior to performing them and EVERY SPELL changes the future and the nature of the outcome of an event, so use ALL SPELLS WITH CAUTION! I hope this answers your questions. Use your judgment when spell casting, use your intuition and remember to use strong intent.

Blessings to you all, Gertrude Moon, CC

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SPOKANE PAGAN VILLAGE COMMONS http://www.spokanepagans.com/index.html March 1, - Spokane Pagan Meetup, New Moon Gathering 2102 w. 1st. ave #4, Spokane WA 4:30 p.m.

March 1, - Inland Empire Pagan Guild - Community Dream Interpretation over Spaghetti.

12:00 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W Fort George Wright Dr, Spokane , WA March 2, - Squirrelly Productions - Topical Discussions over coffee. Each month, we will suggest a topic of general interest for discussion.

Reboot Cafe, 501 South Thor, Spokane 11:00 a.m.

March 8, - Spokane Witches Meetup - Monthly Meeting Riverpark Square, Kress Gallery 808 West Main Avenue, Spokane, WA 12:00 p.m.

March 10, - Inland Empire Pagan Guild - Channeling/Automatic Writing Riverpark Square, Kress Gallery 808 West Main Avenue, Spokane, WA 6:30 p.m.

March 12, - Spokane Pagan Meetup Monthly Meetup Location and Time: Riverpark Square, Kress Gallery 808 West Main Avenue, Spokane, WA 6:00 p.m.

March 16, - Inland Empire Pagan Guild 2nd Annual Community Ostara Egg Hunt and Ritual Ritual Will Start Promptly at 4:00 1:45 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W Fort George Wright Dr, Spokane , WA March 17, - Inland Empire Pagan Guild - Crow Full Moon (Druidic) 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W Fort George Wright Dr, Spokane , WA March 25, - Inland Empire Pagan Guild Asatru/Heathenry Class 101 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W Fort George Wright Dr, Spokane , WA March 29, - Squirrelly Productions Dream Dabbling with Shade Grown Coffee Reboot Cafe, 501 South Thor, Spokane 11:00 a.m.

March 30, - Squirrelly Productions Sidhe Moon Ceremony Location TBD 6:00 p.m.

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