October 2013 issue 15

October 2013 Issue #15

All Hallows Eve

History and Lore of our FAVORITE holiday Do you really want to GO there???

October Events & Classes OCTOBER 1st-OCTOBER 31st --Rock Readings- FREE for the month of October. Call Maryann and make an appointment for your own rock reading, 208-964-4708. This will be fun. You choose your stones and we will see what message you are getting.

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

OCTOBER 12TH—Holistic Festival, Mirabeau Park, Spokane Valley, WA. Saturday 10:00am-6:00 pm, Admission $6.00, I will be doing a 25 minute lecture on “The power of the stones”- For more information go to http://www.holisticfestivals.com/.

OCTOBER 18TH-.Cleansing the Energetic Body. Workshop done by Joe Neely and I will be there selling stones. Exciting –it includes— Daily cleansing practices, chakra balancing techniques, and more.

Pre-registration discount. Contact Joe for more information- 208446-4922

OCTOBER 27TH , Workshop- Sunday 10:00-Noon, Pick your stones intuitively and make a wand. Cost $25.00. Discover the stones that are for you . For more information and to sign up contact Maryann at eclecticworldgems@gmail.com or call 208-964-4708.

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Gensha Publishing Maxine Byers Lazy Witch CraftyWitch Jeff Harrison Zsuzsanna Budapest Bobbie Grennier Karen Charboneau-Harrison Gertrude Moon Hilde Liesens Lady Hecate Sita Paul John Hodge

Lady Caer Morganna Eleazar Rex Laurie Brown Kenneth Harmon Lady Ti-Eagle Mamma Em Alena Orrison Siobhan See Kathryn Crafton

Crafty Witch Maxine Byers Janie Bass

elementalmagick@hotmail.com

Cover artwork by Samhain_Witch_by_deaddolliecandy.jpg Contents page artwork, Author Unknown from http://www.howtobeawizard.net/wheel-of-the-year-samhain

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Artwork by Linda Rae http://midnightstouch.deviantart.com/

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

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

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This is a most special time of year, full of magick and mystery. The air is filled with excitement and energy as the holiday season approaches. I absolutely LOVE Autumn, the leaves crunching under my feet, the colors in the trees, the cooler temperatures, all leading up to the most magickal time of the year, Samhain~ The Witches' New Year.

The season marks the descent into darkness, alongside a retreat within for communion with the spiritual realm, and for personal regeneration and growth, a time for reflection and learning.

I have learned much this past year, especially when it comes to the world of trying to publish an on-line magazine. When I started this adventure I was far from home and I wanted a way to keep my friends in touch. A way for us all to know what was happening in the Pagan community, a way that we could feel like we were all connected to something even if we were separated by towns, states and countries.

My small ‘newsletter’ has grown into a labor of love, a way to share stories, news and the Craft as well as a calendar of local and regional events.

I have learned a few things along the way… that there are always going to be ‘haters’, those that want to rain on the parade, groups that do not approve of any kind of Pagan publication, or people that just do not want to see someone else succeed.

I have also learned the value of good friends, the kindness of strangers, and that it never hurts to ask.

‘Real world’ publishing is a foreign world to me, I put together this entire magazine on my laptop in MS Word… I had never heard of nor understood that everything on the WEB is NOT free for the taking, that most articles and pictures had copyrights. It was a brutal wakeup to find out that everything I had been working for was almost lost due to my naivety.

I almost gave in and gave up…. But I didn’t, I contacted authors, I called other writers, I asked for permission. To my great surprise everyone I have contacted has supported my vision and the vision of Elemental Magazine.

I feel even stronger now going forward, so thank you

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to everyone who has held my hand during this learning curve. The contributors, writers and artists who have let me share their work. The community for supporting my vision and all the local businesses who believe enough in our Pagan community to come together and share their products, news and events with everyone.

My goal is to have ALL the groups, no matter what path, feel free to advertise their events, share their views and tell their stories.

As a Wiccan and Witch, I feel that MY learning never stops, the more drum circles and new things I can become involved in just helps me to become more of what I am meant to be. One of the Wise.

I hope you will find this month’s articles as interesting as I did. The stories are amazing, some from professional ‘published’ authors and some from our own ‘home town’ folks.

Be sure and check out all the cool events that are happening in and around our area for the month of October, it’s going to be busy.

And also take the time to check out the local shops, workshops and venues that are advertised in these pages. These are local artists and speakers who need our support to keep the Pagan community alive in our area.

Have a Happy and Safe Samhain Blessings Maxine

2nd Thursday of month, 7:30 pm Meetings at 706 W Garland, 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 October 10th ~ 7:30 pm Anya Carlson, Speaker Spoon Bending 7

Halloween had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celtic peoples, who were once found all over Europe, divided the year by four major holidays. According to their calendar, the year began on a day corresponding to November 1st on our present calendar. The date marked the beginning of winter. Since they were pastoral people, it was a time when cattle and sheep had to be moved to closer pastures and all livestock had to be secured for the winter months.

Crops were harvested and stored. The date marked both an ending and a beginning in an eternal cycle. The festival observed at this time was called Samhain (pronounced Sahween). It was the biggest and most significant holiday of the Celtic year.

The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain, more so than any other time of the year, the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living, because at Samhain the souls of those who had died during the year traveled into the otherworld.

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People gathered to sacrifice animals, fruits, and vegetables. They also lit bonfires in honor of the dead, to aid them on their journey, and to keep them away from the living. On that day all manner of beings were abroad: ghosts, fairies, and demons -- all part of the dark and dread.

Samhain became the Halloween we are familiar with when Christian missionaries attempted to change the religious practices of the Celtic people.

In the early centuries of the first millennium A.D., before missionaries such as St. Patrick and St. Columcille converted them to Christianity, the Celts practiced an elaborate religion through their priestly caste, the Druids, who were priests, poets, scientists and scholars all at once.

As religious leaders, ritual specialists, and bearers of learning, the Druids were not unlike the very missionaries and monks who were to Christianize their people and brand them evil devil worshippers. As a result of their efforts to wipe out "pagan" holidays, such as Samhain, the Christians succeeded in effecting major transformations in it. In 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the First issued a now famous edict to his missionaries concerning the native beliefs and customs of the peoples he hoped to convert. Rather than try to obliterate

native peoples' customs and beliefs, the pope instructed his missionaries to use them: if a group of people worshipped a tree, rather than cut it down, he advised them to consecrate it to Christ and allow its continued worship. In terms of spreading Christianity, this was a brilliant concept and it became a basic approach used in Catholic missionary work. Church holy days were purposely set to coincide with native holy days.

Christmas, for instance, was assigned the arbitrary date of December 25th because it corresponded with the midwinter celebration of many peoples.

Likewise, St. John's Day was set on the summer solstice. Samhain, with its emphasis on the supernatural, was decidedly pagan. While missionaries identified their holy days with those observed by the Celts, they branded the earlier religion's supernatural deities as evil, and associated them with the devil.

As representatives of the rival religion, Druids were considered evil worshippers of devilish or demonic gods and spirits.

The Celtic underworld inevitably became identified with the Christian Hell.

The effects of this policy were to diminish but not totally eradicate the beliefs in the traditional gods. Celtic belief in supernatural creatures persisted, while the church made deliberate attempts to define them as being not merely dangerous, but malicious. Followers of the old religion went into hiding and were branded as witches.

The Christian feast of All Saints was assigned to November 1st. The day honored every Christian saint, especially those that did not otherwise have a special day devoted to them.

This feast day was meant to substitute for Samhain, to draw the devotion of the Celtic peoples, and, finally, to replace it forever. That did not happen, but the traditional Celtic deities diminished in status, becoming fairies or leprechauns of more recent traditions.

The old beliefs associated with Samhain never died out entirely. The powerful symbolism of the traveling dead was too strong, and perhaps too basic to the human psyche, to be satisfied with the new, more abstract Catholic feast honoring saints. Recognizing that something that would subsume the original energy of Samhain was necessary, the church tried again to supplant it with a Christian feast day in the 9th century. This time it established November 2nd as All Souls Day -- a day when the living prayed for the souls of all the dead.

The evening prior to the day was the time of the most intense activity, both human and supernatural. People continued to celebrate All Hallows Eve as a time of the wandering dead, but the supernatural beings were now thought to be evil. The folk continued to propitiate those spirits (and their masked impersonators) by setting out gifts of food and drink. Subsequently, All Hallows Eve became Hallow Evening, which became Hallowe'en -- an ancient Celtic, pre-Christian New Year's Day in contemporary dress.

Many supernatural creatures became associated with All Hallows. In Ireland fairies were numbered among the legendary creatures who roamed on Halloween. An old folk ballad called "Allison Gross" tells the story of how the fairy queen saved a man from a witch's spell on Halloween.

O Allison Gross, that lives in yon tower the ugliest witch int he North Country...

She's turned me into an ugly worm and gard me toddle around a tree...

But as it fell out last Hallow even When the seely [fairy] court was riding by, the Queen lighted down on a gowany bank Not far from the tree where I wont to lie...

She's change me again to my own proper shape And I no more toddle about the tree.

In old England cakes were made for the wandering souls, and people went "a' soulin'" for these "soul cakes."

Halloween, a time of magic, also became a day of divination, with a host of magical beliefs: for instance, if persons hold a mirror on Halloween and walk backwards down the stairs to the basement, the face that appears in the mirror will be their next lover.

But, once again, the practice of retaining traditional customs while attempting to redefine them had a sustaining effect: the traditional beliefs and customs lived on, in new guises.

All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows (hallowed means sanctified or holy), continued the ancient Celtic traditions.

Virtually all present Halloween traditions can be traced to the ancient Celtic day of the dead. Halloween is a holiday of many mysterious customs, but each one has a history, or at least a story behind it. The wearing of costumes, for instance, and roaming from door to door demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This practice is called mumming, from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved. To this day, witches, ghosts, and skeleton figures of the dead are among the favorite disguises.

Halloween also retains some features that harken back to the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as the customs of bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices cider associated with the day.

Today Halloween is becoming once again and adult holiday or masquerade, like mardi Gras. Men and women in every disguise imaginable are taking to the streets of big American cities and parading past grinningly carved, candlelit jack o'lanterns, re-enacting customs with a lengthy pedigree. Their masked antics challenge, mock, tease, and appease the dread forces of the night, of the soul, and of the otherworld that becomes our world on this night of reversible possibilities, inverted roles, and transcendency. In so doing, they are reaffirming death and its place as a part of life in an exhilarating celebration of a holy and magic evening.

Source: 1, Library Of Congress Created: 10.13.2009 Updated: 10.13.2009

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Dear EM,

Dear EM,

It has come to my attention that the photographs you used from my Healing Sanctuary face book page were not given proper source credit. When I gave you permission to use photos from my page I said you must give credit to the photographer. Naturally, the photographer is not happy about this and I have included her in this conversation so that you guys can discuss how to handle the situation. I am going to ask that I no longer be represented in your magazine in future issues as well.

Thank you, The Healing Sanctuary of Coeur d’Alene

I have a message regarding your e-zine at http://issuu.com/elementalmagick/docs and the copyright law. You have listed Patti (http://paganwiccan.about.com/bio/PattiWigington-27907.htm) has a contributor. I'm concerned about your use of the content from about.com w/o permission.

There are several photos w/o attribution on your e-zine. Can you provide any citations that you have permissions to republish that content?

Thank you.

Renee Sosanna Olson Artist, Witch & Devotee of the Goddess Hecate

Dear Healing Sanctuary, Oh my, I am so very sorry for the oversight. I will of course publish a correction in the October issue that the photo credit goes to Karmen Naccarato, MoonWillow Art Studio. www.facebook.com/MoonWillowArtStudio.

The community and magazine will be less without your monthly calendar of events.

I only wish you the best for your exciting new business and again I offer my sincere apologies to you AND Karmen for my oversight.

EM Magazine

Dear Renee, If you go to Patti Wigington’s website, http://paganwiccan.about.com/bio/Patti-Wigington-27907.htm you will find all the information you need to answer your questions about using her material under ‘Want to Post My Articles On Your Website?’ it also talks about ‘If you operate a small website or blog, and would like to share my articles with your readers at no charge’, As far as the use of photos may I suggest reading Pagans, Copyright Infringement, and Social Media. http://www.incitingariot.com/2013/09/pagans-copyrightinfringement-and.html This is a wonderful article that speaks in plain language and explains the confusing world of copyright infringement and social media.

At EM we are a small non-profit magazine, and it HAS been a learning experience as we wade through all the do’s and ‘oh no you can not’s’ of publishing. Rest assured that we always get prior approval from an author or web site prior to publishing.

As for the images we use in the magazine, there are many websites such as flicker, free-stockphotos.com, public-domain-image.com, that offer royalty free images. For great free pagan images I suggest paganandproudart.com. As with the articles we do try to track down the original owner/artist of any photo’s/artwork and gain their permission.

I am not saying that we have not committed errors in the past, believe me this HAS been a learning experience! And we probably will make errors in the future, but we try to give credit where credit is due.

Thank you for your diligence and keeping us on our toes.

EM Magazine

Ms. Karmen Naccarato, Is a talented photographer & Artist here in north Idaho and her work can be seen At; www.MoonWillowArtStudio.etsy.com

Dear EM, I must to write and tell how much I like reading the aventuras of Lady Ti-Eagle! She has amazing stories to tell and I wait to reading about her aventuras each month.

She has traveled all over the world, but I would like to hear more about her, not just her travels. I think her personal story is just as good as the stories she tells. Was she born here in South America? Is she native to Ecuador or Columbia? Please tell her she has many admirador here that would LOVE to hear about her story.

Agata Dear Agata, Our dear Lady Ti-Eagle is indeed a wonderful woman, free spirited and full of life. I too love reading about her adventures. I will pass along your request and see if we can squeeze out some of her personal info… No promesas.

EM Magazine

To Our Readers, If YOU have a comment, suggestion or concern, PLEASE bring it to our attention at; elementalmagick@hotmail.com

Hecate Artist Unknown from www.goddedd.com

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Queen of the Night

Hecate as Triple Goddess

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UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER SPOKANE 2900 S Bernard Spokane, Washington 99203 Phone (509) 838-6518 Email communications@unityspokane.org Website http://www.unityspokane.org

Oct 1 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Oct 2 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Commit To Life Program Oct 3 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace 07:00 PM Unity Choir 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers Oct 5 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Oct 6 09:00 AM Commit To Life Series 11:00 AM Commit To Life Series 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Oct 7 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group 07:00 PM Meditation Boot Camp Oct 8 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Oct 9 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Commit To Life Program Oct 10 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Unity Choir 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers Oct 12 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Oct 13 09:00 AM Commit To Life Series 11:00 AM Commit To Life Series 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Oct 14 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group 07:00 PM Meditation Boot Camp Oct 15 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Oct 16 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Commit To Life Program

Oct 17 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Dances of Universal Peace 07:00 PM Unity Choir 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers Oct 18 07:00 PM 100 Years of Broadway Oct 19 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Oct 20 09:00 AM Commit To Life Series 11:00 AM Commit To Life Series 03:00 PM 100 Years of Broadway 12:30 PM Guided Meditation 12:30 PM Oneness (Deeksha) Blessing Oct 21 08:00 AM Men of Unity Breakfast of Champions 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group 07:00 PM Meditation Boot Camp Oct 22 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Oct 23 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner 07:00 PM Commit To Life Program Oct 24 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots 07:00 PM Unity Choir 12:00 PM Al-Anon Serenity Seekers Oct 25 05:30 PM Crosswalk Oct 26 10:00 AM Art Craft and Bake Sale 10:00 AM Outrageous Wild Women of Unity 08:00 PM AA New Soil, New Roots Oct 27 09:00 AM Commit To Life Series 11:00 AM Commit To Life Series 06:00 PM Halloween Party 12:30 PM Guided Meditation Oct 28 09:00 AM Morning Light 10:00 AM Weekday Yoga Class 07:00 PM Attitudinal Healing Peer Support Group 07:00 PM Meditation Boot Camp Oct 29 09:00 AM Morning Light 06:45 PM A Course in Miracles Study Group Oct 30 09:00 AM Morning Light 04:45 PM Weight Watchers 05:45 PM Community Dinner

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Living with a Ghost People often ask what it’s like living with a ghost.

For me, it has been a journey of discovery that has opened my mind to many possibilities

In the summer of 2007, my family discovered we had a ghost inside our house; we had experienced subtle clues of her presence for three years. My teenage daughter Sarah felt someone watched her crossing the upstairs landing whenever she went to bed. Several of Sarah's friends announced that they sensed a presence inside the house as soon as they entered it. Our dog Rosie exhibited strange behavior (sometimes she would be asleep in the family room and suddenly waken and tear out of the room for no apparent reason, or at night wake Sarah with her growling at what seemed like nothing in particular).

Despite these strange occurrences, it never dawned on me to launch an investigation—until we went on the ghost tour at the Stanley Hotel, that is. While on the tour, several adult members of my family (myself included) experienced physical symptoms—headaches, shortness of breath, and nausea—when we stepped on the fourth floor.

The symptoms disappeared as soon as we left the floor.

After this haunted experience, I decided to take a few photographs around our home that evening; truthfully, I did not expect to discover anything. I was wrong.

Over the next four months, our relationship with the ghost developed. I captured the image of the ghost inside our house in photographs and on video. I started to communicate telepathically with the spirit and was able to ask her to do things for us (for example, when I asked the ghost to let us see her in "human form," she immediately started to absorb energy in order to manifest). One night, I asked her to communicate with us by knocking. A few nights later, as I lay alone upstairs trying to fall asleep, I heard a knock-knock on the headboard near my head. I then felt someone climb onto the bed on my wife’s side, and slowly make their way toward me. The spirit then laid down on me for several seconds. (This event was captured on video.)

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When we learned we had a ghost living with us, and as our contact increased, I wanted to know more about her.

Examining a photograph I took of the ghost, I determined that she was from the 1880s. I contacted the staff at the Fort Collins Museum, and with their assistance, was able to identify our ghost as Mary Bell Wilson, who died from typhoid fever on November 28, 1886 at the age of twentyone.

A breakthrough came when Duane and Susan Kniebes visited our home. The Kniebes were trained to use dowsing rods to locate gravesites, and had been working on behalf of the State of Colorado locating pioneer graves in Larimer County. At the time of their visit, they had located over one hundred and fifty gravesites, including graves near our house. When the Kniebes checked our backyard, the rods reacted to a spot in the southeast corner of the yard. Duane used his rods over the location to determine it was the gravesite of a woman who had died over one hundred years ago. Before leaving, Duane gave us two sets of dowsing rods, and instructed us how to use them. The next day, using the rods as Duane had shown me, I was able to establish the presence of a spirit when the rods crossed. I then asked yes and no questions telepathically, with the spirit moving the rods to cross or uncross them in response. I learned that Mary Bell Wilson was indeed the ghost living with us.

Furthermore, she knew all of our names, and watched us in real time as we went about our lives.

When we first discovered we had a ghost with us, everyone was scared; no one wanted to be downstairs by themselves at night, and for good reason. Once we learned the identity of our ghost, however, our attitude changed. We came to think of Mary Bell as a member of our family. Of course, now that she had our attention, she planned to keep it. On two consecutive nights in December, Mary Bell tossed framed pictures off the wall. She also made a windup music box, sitting on top of a bookshelf, start to play music one afternoon.

In 2010, we moved into a new home. It saddened me to think that we were leaving Mary Bell behind after all we had been through. I should have known that Mary Bell had no intention of being left behind. As soon as we moved into the new house, my daughters told me that on several occasions while they were upstairs playing, someone knocked on their doors. They went to investigate and no one was there. One afternoon Sarah was alone in the house when she saw the doorknob to her room start to turn. Another morning, I watched a door open unassisted. I took out the rods and tried to make a connection with Mary Bell. I wasn’t surprised when she answered and confirmed that she had followed us to the new house.

Within the last year, Sarah has seen orbs flying around the house during the daytime on at least four occasions. This past December, as I walked into my office, I heard something crash. I found two TV remote controllers, and a notebook on the floor. Somehow, they had fallen from the center of my desk.

I decided to try filming again to see if anything would appear. With my video camera set on night shot, I filmed inside the downstairs hallway. Two orbs appeared within a few minutes. Three nights later, we had fourteen orbs within twenty minutes. I also discovered that contacting Mary Bell via the dowsing rods was easy in the new house. I can only guess that she has formed an emotional attachment with my family, and because of this, felt compelled to follow us.

People often ask what it’s like living with a ghost. For me, it has been a journey of discovery that has opened my mind to many possibilities, as detailed in my book, Ghost under Foot: the Spirit of Mary Bell. In a way, Mary Bell has become a part of our family, and will probably remain so for the rest of our lives.

By Kenneth Harmon Kenneth W. Harmon (Fort Collins, CO) was a finalist for the 2009 Pacific Northwest Writers Association Zola Award, and a runner up for the PNWA Zola Award and the Pikes Peak Writers Paul Gillette Memorial Award in 2012. His short fiction and other writings have appeared in several magazines

This article is a re-print from the Llewellyn Journal and can be found at; http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2278?utm_source=p araup0813&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=paraup0813

WRITTEN CLIFTON DURANT HAVE YOU EVER LIVE WITH A GHOST SOMETHING YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN SOMEONE ARE PLAYING A HOAX OR ELSE I AM INSANE I WAKE UP AND LOOK IN A FACE I CRY OUT WHO'S THERE SOMEONE IS IN THIS PLACE NOW I'AM SHAKING WITH FEAR I AWAKE THE NEXT DAY MY GLASSES COULDN'T BE FOUND I BEGIN TO SAY SOMEONE IS HANGING AROUND

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE ME LEAVE THIS IS WHERE I LIVE WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHEIVE SOMETHING GOT TO GIVE WE WILL SHARE THIS PLACE YOU MUST PLAY BY THE RULE WE HAVE ENOUGH SPACE I MUST BE A FOOL NOW WE HAVE A UNDERSTANDING DON'T MOVE ANY OF MY THINGS THE GHOST IS NOT THAT DEMANDING JUST DON'T SCARE ME AGAIN

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In Qabalistic thought, the universe and all dimensions are comprised of what is known as THE FOUR WORLDS or levels of existence and being. The top layer or level is that of Atziluth, which is the Archetypal World, the World of Pure Spirit which initiates and activates all the other worlds.

Atziluth corresponds with the first sound of Yod in Tetragrammaton, the secret Four Fold Name of God. Atziluth is the level of Supreme God Force, the Primal Fire which initiates the thought of creation and is associated with Kether, the top-most Sephira.

It is in the 2nd world or level of Briah where the Creative World begins to take the concept or seed of Creation conceived in Atziluth and prepares it to make the journey into physical creation. This is the realm of the Archangels, the overseers of the workings of the Universe.

Briah is the Heh of Tetragrammaton and is the Primal Water, where life begins to gather for manifestation.

The 3rd World or level is called Yetzirah and it is known as the Formative World where the subtle patterns behind actual physical matter are organized. This is the realm of the Choirs of Angels who are set to various tasks by the Archangels and is the Primal Air. Yetzirah is symbolized by the letter Vau of the Four-Fold Name and is the main level where one travels during astral projection and where the energy of ideas, art and magick gather their form prior to physical manifestation.

The 4th World or level is where we exist daily and is called Assiah. It is the Active World, the physical realm of sensation and manifestation and the unseen yet manifest energies of matter and physics. Assiah is Primal Earth, and the Final Heh of the Divine Name.

In previous articles, we have explored the Sephiroth of Malkuth and Yesod. Let's continue our examination of the Tree of Life by taking a look at the 8th Sephira - HOD. Hod is primarily associated with the ways that the concrete mind works - intellectual functioning and conscious reason. The God Name in Hod is Elohim Tzaboath meaning the Gods and Goddesses of the Hosts. Elohim has both plurality and polarity implicit in it as it comprises both male and female gender. Hod is the sphere where logical structures are made in the process of finding and understanding a coherent unity in diverse aspects, This relates to the Magical Image of Hod which is the Hermaphrodite, true duality and polarity implicit in one form.

The Hermaphrodite was the Child of Hermes (intellect and reason) and Aphrodite (beauty and feeling).

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The planetary energy associated with Hod is that of the planet Mercury which corresponds to the Greek Hermes and the Egyptian Thoth-Tehuti the God of writing and learning. Here at Hod is the foundation of Hermetic Philosophy. Hermetic Philosophy is basically teaching through the Mind, through the intellect rather than associative or intuitive learning. This is known as the Orange ray of Magical and Occult Philosophy, as compared to the Green Ray of Nature mysticism and art, and the Purple Ray of Devotional Mysticism.

The Intellect or Reason at its highest level unlocks and interprets the Higher Aspects of Intuition. "Genius" there is the point of "Realization" - the Lightning Flash, often pictured as the light bulb going off over your head. Here in Hod is where we reach intellectual Knowledge of the Divine.

The Virtue and Vice of Hod are Truth and Falsity.

Consider the way that Reason can work from any assumption what we strive for is that our assumptions are based in Truth.

The Spiritual Experience of Hod is the Vision of Splendor, the splendor of the order and workings of the Universe. And the symbols of Hod are The Names of God and the Versicles by which we praise and connect with Him/Her. Exercises for Hod: 1.Create prose or a poem designed to describe the Divine.

2.Work on learning the myriad correspondences and symbols of the planets, the Sephiroth and the faces (Gods and Goddesses) of the Divine.

The sphere of NETZACH contains all instincts, raw emotions and feelings.

This is the realm of Venus-Aphrodite who is not a fertility goddess but one of pure emotion and feeling. This sphere is force without physicality - pure creative energy.

Netzach is music, poetry, art, all things which in their pure expression appeal to our feeling nature and touch our emotions. This is the energy of Nature herself.

There is balance and equilibrium between Netzach and Hod (which we discussed last month), and really all of the sephiroth should be considered in light of the others, especially those which equilibriate the other, i.e. Chockmah and Binah, Chesed and Geburah (all 4 of which we will be discussing in detail in later articles), and Netzach and Hod. Netzach •Feelings and instincts •Undifferentiated •Group Mind •Forces Hod •Intellect •Individual •Beginnings of individual mind •Forces Hod is forming and limiting in nature. This is done mostly through the intellectual powers in Hod where the raw powers of Netzach take form and come into action. Hod must have Netzach or the intellectual forms would be but empty shells while Netzach must have Hod or its forces, the instincts and emotions, would have no creative outlet.

The Spiritual Experience of Netzach is the Vision of Beauty Triumphant - any wondrous object, even a tool or a building, comes from the power of Netzach, the creative imagination.

Netzach is the energy of Nature and green is Her color: "The Force that through the Green Fuse drives the flower, drives my red blood." - Dylan Thomas

The Rose is a symbol of Netzach, considered the Perfect Flower combining scent, color, shape and great beauty, The Vision of Beauty Triumphant, and is a vision of Perfection.

Netzach is a Flaming, Fiery, Creative Energy. If we assign elements to the lower four sephiroth, Netzach would be Fire. Netzach is the urge to Create, and also if we follow this idea into nature, certainly the sex drive, the urge to procreate, has a relationship here.

From Netzach comes the Power, the Force which animates sex, art, ritual magic or any endeavor which requires energy and creativity. Without Netzach the thought forms of Hod, while brilliant, are but dry and useless shells.

Really, in our current world of computers, indoor climate control and technology, the Romantic and Renaissance periods of history as well as the ancient world with the veneration of the Goddess, probably understood the energies of Netzach much better than we do today.

If we call Hod 'Mind' we can call Netzach 'Soul'.

The God Name for Netzach is Yod Heh Vav Heh Tzaboath meaning God of Hosts. The Hosts acting like a prism splitting up the Sun-light of Tiphareth. Also this is the One who holds many and produces many.

The Archangel of the level Briah for Netzach is Haniel meaning Grace of God or the Face of the Divine Angel who manifests the awareness of Harmony and Beauty that Netzach brings.

The Angel Choir is called the Elohim at the level Yetzirah. Elohim meaning "Gods and Goddesses" or possibly the "Divine Ones". We have here the powers of the pantheons that may be contacted, carrying through the Grace or Presence of the Divine unto Humanity.

The Divine Ones lie in between the realm of Humanity and that of the One Creator. The Elohim are the Vehicles for higher consciousness - Gods and Ideals. Ideals function well for the Mind and Intellect, whereas the Gods operate through feeling and soul, thus their attribution to Netzach.

In the World of Assiah, Netzach operates as Venus, Feeling, Emotion, Love, Warmth and Beauty, Singing, Dancing, Music, Ballet - all the Arts and their connection to expressive joy.

The Virtue of Netzach is Unselfishness the ability to work with polarity to integrate and express opposites, which is integral to Venus. The ability to love the Other, as one who is truly selfish cannot do.

The Vice of Netzach is Unchastity - Lust and desire without honor and integrity. In sacrificing integrity one's Balance is lost. Netzach energy is purely expressed - a hard edged perfect Beauty.

The Spiritual Experience of Netzach is the Vision of Beauty Triumphant and the Symbols are The Rose of perfection and The Lamp of awareness.

Ways to experience the energies of Netzach: Center yourself and visually explore the perfection of a rose. Listen to a piece of classical music with headphones on in a dark room. Make love with your partner, focusing on the exquisite pleasure and the Divine within him or her.

Go into the woods, sit by the ocean, or watch a thunderstorm and open yourself up to the FEELING of it its perfection, its power, the balance there in Nature.

Go to an art museum, and appreciate (without intellectually analyzing) the sculptures and paintings there.

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The Magic Mystical Tour is Born

by Mavis Hogan Looking back, I can remember that as a child I always had a desire to learn about Spirit, the Universe, God, Heaven, whatever was out there, whatever came next. I never doubted that something did, I just needed to know what it was.

When I was five years old, I remember the night my parents were talking about how my grandfather, who I didn’t know, had just died. When I went to bed that night, I started thinking about death and what happens when we die.

My mom told me many years later that they had decided I should not go to the funeral, I was too young to understand.

But that night when I went to bed my mom came to tuck me in and I said to her, “Mom, when dad dies you will bury him, when you die, Carol will bury you, when Carol dies, Janet will bury her, when Janet dies I will bury her, but who will bury me when I die?” Apparently I had the belief that people died in order of age! So needless to say, I went to the funeral. I guess it was to show me just what took place at a funeral. I don’t remember anything about the actual service, I just remember seeing this old man lying in a casket in a suit, and he was covered up to his waist. All I remember thinking is, “I wonder if he has shoes on?”

My parents never really shared their beliefs with me, so my journey was all on my own, which I believe was a gift. With no preconceived ideas, I began my search.

In grade school, a friend and I would walk to the closest church we had, which happened to be a Presbyterian, (and it just so happened to be where we had walked to kindergarten many years before.) We would listen to the sermons and leave not understanding and bored, but we would always return. It wasn’t long until we discovered we enjoyed seeing all the babies in the nursery, and soon found ourselves volunteering to watch the babies during church service rather than attend the services. So much for church.

When I was in my late teens early 20’s, I saw something on a Phil Donahue show about near death experiences and I was hooked. I started reading anything I could get my hands on about Life After Death, Near Death Experiences, etc. I was starting to get bits and pieces of answers to the original search I had been on.

Then in my 30’s and 40’s I discovered well known psychics like Sylvia Brown, John Edward and the like. As time went on I started meeting people who were like minded and I started attending Body, Mind Spirit Expos, and soon I had wrapped myself into a community of people that I could relate too.

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I would wait eagerly for the next Expo and scour the booklet full of wonderful classes from which to choose from. I would take all the ones that turned me on the most, over and over, year after year, until finally I felt like I knew all of these people personally and what they had to say.

In my 40’s, television began airing shows that were of a psychic nature. Or about The Other Side. I loved Touched By an Angel, Joan of Arcadia, and many more. Then came Montel Williams, where most Wednesdays, Sylvia Brown was the guest speaker, and she would do audience readings. I was hooked.

When I turned 50, I discovered healing work like Reiki and Reflexology and I wanted to know more, so, I took classes and learned it for myself. As my experiences grew, so did my desires.

I started going to local holistic fairs, and I soon knew what it is to be a “Junkie”. I had a growing desire to know more and more. I was being “teased” with knowledge I was getting at the local fairs, where I would attend the little workshops and talks and hear what everyone had to say, but it wasn’t enough. As the years went by I started thinking, how can I get more information or answers to my questions? The local fairs just weren’t enough anymore.

So after 30 years, I quit my job and I started a new one.

I am now on a deeper quest for knowledge. I decided since I can’t fly around the world attending things or meeting people that know stuff I want to know, I will start bringing people to me. So began THE MAGIC MYSTICAL TOUR. I started hosting events in my home. Bringing in people that I like, admire, and want to know more from. In creating this for myself, I fill my house with people I care about and at the same time I get to invite others to join me. So thanks to Maxine and this magazine, here is yet another way to get the word out about what I am doing and invite you to take a look at what I offer and see if any of it fits for you. I encourage you to take a look at my website www.themagicmysticaltour.com and see what is coming up next. You can also sign up while you are in there, to start receiving my monthly newsletter, (free.)

I may not live on the perfect street or have the best house on the block, but what I do have is a friendly personality, a great idea, and room for many people to take the trip with me. When we outgrow my house we will find something bigger and when we fill the OPERA HOUSE one day, you can say “We knew her when”……

Ghosts I've Met

By Lady Ti-Eagle

My job in the gold mine in Silver Peak NV was in the lab, processing the samples of rock that came to us from the mine. My "office" was a cargo trailer parked outside the lab. I received material in plastic bags and it was my job to blend it, put it in little baking pans, dry it in an oven, then when that was done, I ran it through a "pulverizer" until it was talcum-powder fine. I could create a terrible dust storm in my trailer. With all those dust particles floating in the air that reflected the light, if anyone opened the door, I would notice immediately even if I couldn't hear them over my noisy equipment.

One day when I was working at the pulverizer, which was at the opposite end of the trailer from the door, I had the feeling that someone was watching me. I looked toward the door and there was a man in bib-overalls and work shirt and a brown underground miner hard hat (we wore white hard hats, a different style). He was leaning against a rock crusher that was about 5' inside the only door, just watching me. I KNEW no one had entered through the door. He didn't seem to be a threat, and for some reason, it didn't seem necessary to communicate with him. It was almost comforting to have company out there, as I seldom had visitors. He appeared several more times, always with no notice that he was coming nor leaving, and no communication.

I had to cover the night shift for a couple of weeks while the lady that worked that shift went on vacation. I would usually finish my job early then go inside to talk to my friend that was working the same hours. One night he asked me if I had a problem working in the trailer at night. "No, why?" "I was just wondering. Sue, that usually works nights refuses to be in the trailer after dark. She says there's something spooky out there." Evidently I wasn't the only one that my miner buddy would visit.

A few years later, I was working in the restaurant at Stovepipe Wells Resort, in Death Valley. I worked breakfast and lunch shifts, and the restaurant was closed between lunch and dinner.

Silver Peak~ Courtesy of Dolores Steele

I was generally alone after the guests left, cleaning up my room after my shift. Quite often I would notice a man watching me from the swinging saloon-style doors that divided the dining room from our work area. Just like the man in the trailer at the gold mine, this guy would just watch me without saying anything. I don't remember that I could see through him as you'd imagine a ghost, but I KNEW that he wasn't mortal, as I knew the man inside the trailer wasn't mortal. Again, I wasn't scared, nor did I try to communicate with him.

He appeared quite often, and always in the same place and always wearing the same red plaid shirt.

One day I was talking to one of the cooks. I don't remember what she said, but it was something referring to the "ghost" in the kitchen. Everyone else in the kitchen that day thought she was making a joke, but I knew differently. I said, fairly excitedly "You've seen him, too?!" She looked at me and said, "you've seen him, too?!" Apparently, on various occasions when she was alone in the kitchen at night, she would see a strange man in a red plaid shirt walking into the dry storage room. She went to investigate as there wasn't supposed to be anyone else in the building. There was only one door to the dry storage room so there was no way he could have gotten out without her seeing him.

The room was ALWAYS empty! Unlike the lady working night shift at the gold mine, she wasn't nervous, just curious. Neither of us ever had any communication with him.

I've "sensed" other presences various times, but these were the only ghosts I've met. Sometimes I'm sad that I wasn't inclined to try to communicate with them, but evidently it just wasn't necessary. I can only hope that they're at peace, whichever side of the veil they're on.

Blessings, Lady Ti-Eagle I'd love to hear from you. If you have any feedback or comments, please write to me at ladyti-eagle@aol.com

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May We Never Hunger...

By Alena Orrison

This image I found somewhere in my wanderings on the Great Internet. I’m sorry to say I didn’t copy the source, so if this is yours (or you know who it belongs to) please let me know so I can properly credit it.

Pumpkin Crunch - as told to me by my friend, Angie Middleton.

We have it every year for our cake in our Samhain Ritual.

Ingredients: 1 package yellow cake mix 1 can (16oz)solid packed pumpkin 1 can (12oz)evaporated milk 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped pecans (optional) 1 cup melted butter whipped topping

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Preparation Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 9x13 pan. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl. Pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden. Cool completely. Serve with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Variations: Add 2 tablespoons of Bourbon for Bourbon Pumpkin pie.

(Pumpkin Crunch Cake Image from a similar recipe on Allrecipes found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-crunch-cake2/)

Ham and Potato Bake This recipe I’ve had written in my cookbook for years. I don’t recall where it came from, but it feels like something my Aunt Elizabeth would have made. She has 6 children and all of us other kids were always over there. This seems like something she would make for us.

1 package of frozen fries (can use any type of frozen potatoes, tater tots, hashbrowns) Ingredients: 1 10 oz. package thawed and drained frozen broccoli but any vegetable will work 1 1/2 cups diced fully cooked ham 1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup (any cream soup works) 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (any cheese will do)

Preparation Directions: In 3 qt. baking dish layer the first 3 ingredients in the same order. Combine the soup, milk and mayonnaise until smooth.

Pour over ham. Cover and bake at 350* for 20 min. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese and cook 20-25 min longer.

(Ham and Potato Bake image from a similar recipe on Allrecipes found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Ham-PotatoBake/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=ham%20and%20potato%20bake&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e 7=Recipe)

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Photo courtesy of Magickal Moonies Sanctuary

What is the difference between Witchcraft and Wicca, or, should it be Witchcraft vs. Wicca vs. Paganism. Most Witches are Pagans, but, all Pagans are not Witches. And most importantly, not all Witches are Wiccans. In other words, a Witch who practices Witchcraft does not necessarily mean that she believes in the religion of Wicca. A Wiccan involved in the religious practices of Wicca does not necessary practice Witchcraft and which makes them not a Witch. And some Wiccan Pagans feel that no magick should be practiced at all, as Wicca is a religion and not magick.

As Scott Cunningham wrote in one of his books "Witchcraft: the craft of the Witch–magick, especially magick utilizing personal power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colors and other natural objects. While this may have spiritual overtones, Witchcraft, using this definition, isn’t a religion. It is just that some followers of Wicca use this word to denote their religion." So, according to Scott Cunningham simply being a Wiccan does not necessarily mean that you are a Witch. I have seen in many websites that they state "Wicca comes from the root word "wicce" which means to bend or shape." This is absolutely and positively incorrect. I have also seen some websites state that Witchcraft is "the craft of the wise." This is also incorrect. Wicca is a male term for a person practicing his craft whereas Wicce is a term used for a female practicing her Craft.

But where does the word Witchcraft come from? Actually, no one really knows, except that it is a Christian word.

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word. The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that Witchcraft comes from the Old English word Wiccecraeft (also spelled wiccecraefte, wicchecrafte, wichecraft as well as wesch-craft and wicche craft) and that it literally means the Craft in the sense of art or skill of a practicing Pagan. The truth of the matter is perhaps the witch is a descendant of the ancient Goddess who embodied both birth and death, nurturing and destruction. Like Hecate and Diana, the Witch is associated with the Moon and lunar power. Like Aphrodite and Venus, she can make love potions. Each attribute of a Witch, once belonged to a Goddess. All over the ancient world, Goddesses were worshipped. These Goddesses represented womanhood distilled to its ultimate essence. But when religions' decay and Gods are replaced, there is a consistent dynamic: the gods of the old religion inevitably become the evil of the new and that is what happened to the Goddess and which spilled over into the bodies of all women and were called Witches...as someone to fear, hate and to destroy. Since the Goddess of birth is also the Goddess of death, women are accused of bringing death into the world as well as life. This is why the Witch is depicted both as young, beautiful and bedecked with flowers, and as a frightening crone covered with cobwebs.

She represents all the cycles of life, and if she is terrifying, it is because the cycles of life terrify. The rejection of females' bloody cycles, mewling infants, and cthonic vendettas re-asserts itself in many cultures. Woman is made the scapegoat for mortality itself, for nature

is red in tooth and claw, for the mutability that is human fate. Then she is punished, as if she were responsible for all nature's capriciousness, as if she were Mother Nature incarnate--which, of course, is partially true! So, what is a Witche's heritage? Her great, great, great, great, great ancestress is Ishtar, Hecate, Isis, Diana. Her father is man.

Her midwife, his fears. Her torturer, his fears. Her executioners, his fears. Her malignant power, his fears. Her healing power, her own. So if the word Witch is a God of Abraham word and in a derogatory meaning, why call oneself a Witch? Why....because of the more than 6 million women who were tortured and killed because of the word Witch. For more information on the Burning Times, please visit Crone Turns Witch Surprisingly, today's dictionaries provide better definitions of Witch and Witchcraft.

Witches of yesteryear did not go around calling themselves Witches.

People did. Just as Jesus did not go around calling himself a Christian.

People did. More likely than not, the villagers went to a wise woman who attended to the birthing, attended to the sick and was even consulted in matters such as love and monetary matters as well as discreetly providing some villagers with potions and spell kits, but she did not necessarily call herself a Witch, because in the earliest days of "witchcraft", practitioners were actually the village healers, teachers, story tellers, and midwives. It remained this way until the late 1400s when the Inquisition swept through Europe and by some estimates, as many as 9 million

"witches" were executed, most of them women and children. They talk about the Holocaust and what the Germans did to the Jews. What about what the Christians did to those pagan women and children in the name of Witchcraft.

The word "Wicca" is a male gender term while "Wicce" is the female gender. I have read that Gerald Gardner chose the word "Wicca," as he wanted to stay away from the bad undertones of the word Witchcraft. Now, this is very hard to believe for instead of Gardner trying to show the rest of the World what Wicca was truly about, his exploits in his introducing Wicca to the media almost sent the religion back behind closed doors. When one thinks of a Witch, they think of a woman, and they see her with her broom or bending over some cauldron. Even Halloween cards which has a Witch plastered on its front is that of a woman. There have been many fairytale stories of Witches and all of them are of women. One of the museums in Salem, Massachusetts has a manikin Witch flying on a broom, and it is a woman. When one thinks of a man performing magickal practices, he is thought of as a Wizard and/or magician.

Rarely is a women depicted as a magician. Rarely is a Witch depicted as a man, and I do believe that that is why Gerald Gardner strayed away from the word Witch and its association with women and instead chose the word Wicca which is a male term. A man who so cleverly created the religion of Wicca could not have been so easily misunderstood in his spelling of the word and that is what some claimed happened. They call the pagan religion a Goddess religion, yet Gardner named it Wicca. In his book "The Meaning of Witchcraft", Gardner says "it may be because Witchcraft is a Moon Cult" yet he names this "Moon Cult," which the Moon is associated with the Goddess, Wicca...a male term. Doreen Valiente, High Priestess along side Gerald Gardner and author of "Rebirth of Witchcraft" and other books, did not like using the word Wicca for that very reason, as do many other female pagans.

There are many different practices of the religion known as Paganism and Wicca sits under that

umbrella, just as you have Lutherans, Methodists, etc., sitting under the umbrella of Christianity. Wicca actively worships both the Goddess and her Consort and claim to follow the old religion. They see the Goddess triple in nature and the God Her child and lover who dies in order for us to live. Whereas many Pagans/Witches and Dianics, (while they recognize the existence of Her Consort), only actively worship the Goddess and actually do follow one of the oldest religions, as the Goddess religion is one of the oldest religions.

Traditions of Wicca claim that to honor either the Goddess or Her Consort more than the other would be an imbalance and an injustice. However, simply honoring both equally does not make one in balance, because each of us carry more energies of the male or female in us and it is generally the male energy that we all carry too much of. In this modern technology world we live in today and using all that fire energy we need to rush around in our daily lives, we cannot help but carry too much male energy whether male or female.

More and more Pagans and/or Witches feel that Wicca, Druidism, and Strega are too male oriented for their liking. In fact, most feel that Strega is actually Wicca with the name Strega attached to it. Strega practices the 8 sabbats and below you will see that there is no one religion who ever practiced all 8 sabbats......only the man-made new religion known as Wicca.

In the Wiccan path, the celebrations of the Sabbats, She is supposed to be honored equally with Her Consort. However, with the Wiccan Sabbats and the Wheel of the Year, it seems as if things are centered more around the Sun God and his Wheel of the Year....Lord of the Dance. He is born at Yule and then his growth is followed in the seasonal year. However, it is the Goddess who creates the seasonal year.

It is She who moves to and from the sun.

Wiccan covens tend to put more emphasis on Sabbats whereas Goddess followers and Witches put more emphasis on Moon rituals. Many Pagans feel the Sabbats are just celebrations without any formal circle, as it was in yesteryear times.

The solstices and equinoxes are about the Sun and are what Gardner called the Lessor Sabbats while the Sabbats of Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain are more about vegetation and Mother Earth and are called the Greater Sabbats and which are the true Celtic Sabbats. No where in any one tradition did pagans celebrate the 8 Sabbats, yet the Wiccan tradition follows the 8 Sabbats.. See Gardner Unveiled for more information. Gardner pulled from the different traditions to form the 8 Sabbats. It also must be noted that no where can it be found that any pagan tradition celebrated the Spring Equinox.

Gardner pulled the Spring Equinox in to keep the Sabbats more balanced and to have a celebration every six weeks. In fact, in his book "The Meaning of Witchcraft" he says "The four great Sabbats are Candlemas, May Eve, Lammas and Samhain; the equinoxes and solstices are celebrated also." It almost as if he put the equinoxes and solstices as an afterthought...why...because, once again, no one pagan path celebrated the 8 Sabbats.

In the Wiccan tradition, they believe that She would be nothing without the Sun, or She needs the Sun to keep Her balance, when it is She who created the moon, the earth, the sun and the stars. Pagans see the Goddess as much more than just the sexual union with Her Consort, just as we, as woman, are much more than just a mate for our husbands. She stands alone in Her own power, just as we, as women, stand alone in our own power, and that is what Goddess followers are honoring and worshiping which is Her inner strength, Her power, Her nurturing aspect and Her magick of life giver. She is the blade of grass, the gentle breeze upon our faces; She is the birds chirping and the bees upon the flowers. She is the earth that you walk on and the food in which you eat. She creates the seasonal changes, as She moves to and from the sun. The sun moves very little, while She dances the dance of life, for She is life itself. She is the moon with all its mysteries; She is the earth full of bounty.

Continued on page

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Manifesting Your Goals “To bring anything into your life, first imagine that it is there”. ‘Illusions’ by Richard Bach The Power of Visualization; Every thought we think is affecting our future. “ I enjoy my creativity” Make Goals Specific I wish to be financially independent, is not specific.

Instead imagine what are the specific conditions that would lead to financial independence  Choose goals you have some control over For example: a joint checking account can be a disaster for two individuals with different financial goals  Choose goals that are only dependent on you It is a proven fact that whether you imagine an event or actually experience it, the same area of the brain lights up  Always take time to explore your possible fears or crosscurrents that can be operating in regards to manifesting a goal  Always consider the five main aspects of your life that will be affected by a goals attainment---Health, Work, Relationships, Finances, Emotional / Spiritual The Power of Synchronicity and Magnetism; “ALL is in Divine order”  Always write your Goals down and place them where you will see them daily Statistically you will have greater success in progress and will power, if you can identify the sacred aspects of you goal.

In other words, “why is this goal spiritually important for me and how will it help others?”

The Power of Will; ‘One of Life’s greatest challenges is turning what you know into what you do.’  Create simple, short-term goals and then set about achieving them.

No matter how intelligent you are, actions do shape destiny.

The purpose of setting short-term goals is to watch the process of attaining your goal and to notice the positive effect that this will have on you.  When you have completed your goal, stop and acknowledge your success.

By including these elements of completion and satisfaction into

Graphics courtesy of Esta Weiss http://paganandproudart.com/index.html

your goal setting, you complete an energy circuit A general enhancement of your energy field will be felt.

Statistically what you strive for will affect your health Know yourself: What type of achiever are you?  Earth: Pragmatic and productive, needs tangible results.

Usually very focused on manifesting goals and objectives.

Challenge is adaptability.  Water: Have to feel a deep need, can be motivated by security and fear, easily affected by others support or lack of. Challenge is will power.  Fire: Needs to feel inspired and thrilled, needs fairly quick gratification requires a Vision with short-term immediate pay off that can lead to long term accomplishment. Challenge is self-restraint and perseverance.  Air: Keeps refining and thinking. They can think themselves in circles and are so focused on new information that they never act. Challenge is clear purpose and sustained mental stimulation Assessing Will Power and the way things are  Be real: denial, blame or escapism will not help you manifest your dreams  Will power grows stronger with use  Your sense of purpose as well as your goals and objectives are shaped by thousands of factors, including environment, parents, partners, genetics, talents, values, circumstances, synchronicity, opportunity and luck.  Knowing what you want to manifest and acting in alignment with that purpose unleashes the force of your will  Expect obstacles to appear, know that your Will, will be tested. This is a sign of movement and it will lead to refinement of the goal with an infusion of greater energy.

Continued on page 28

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The Power of Attraction and Purpose; ”Thoughts are things choose the good ones.”  When you declare a goal your attention becomes focused, and through this, you create a thread that connects you to the realization of that goal.  Always consider how a Goal with support or diminish the five main areas of your life: Health, relationships, work, finances, spiritual / emotional well being.  If no progress is made toward achieving the goal, the thread remains taut and will drain you.

For this reason you want to be careful of how many things you declare as goals at one time.

When there is progress, you feel the sense of power—when there is no progress, you feel impotent and drained.

Self sabotage is something everyone does to one degree or another. It is a primary archetype that everyone carries and is called ‘The Saboteur’ dubbed the ‘Guardian of Choice' by Carolyn Myss The core issue is fear of inviting change into your life, change that requires responding in a positive way to opportunities.

The Saboteur will reflect our fears of taking responsibility for ourselves and what we create. (it likes to play the blame, denial or escape game)We silence the Saboteur with acts of courage and by following our intuition. It serves us as ‘gut instinct’ and directs us to take action based on hunches rather than rational thought.

The Power of Surrender “I believe in my power to move beyond limitations.”

With long-term goals the same process applies, but requires you to maintain your vision through time.

Remember time has its cycles. There will be a waxing and waning in the intensity of your goal as it influences your life.

Completion of long-term goals is one of the basic steps to creating success.

Long Term Goals Consider a long term goal for your self-enrichment, such as a special trip or completing a course of study.  Write it down and place it in a conspicuous place  Empower this goal by envisioning its completion.  Do not write it down if you do not intend to follow through Remember

“… conscious change is brought about by the two qualities inherent in consciousness: attention and intention.

Attention energizes and intention transforms. Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life.

Whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate, and disappear. Intention, on the other hand, triggers transformation of energy and information. Intent organizes its own fulfillment.” Depok Chopra

October 2013 Quick Reference Full Moon: October 18th New Moon: October 4th Sabbat: Samhain on Oct. 31st (May 1st-Southern Hemisphere) Meanings: Last Harvest, Meat Harvest, Honoring the Dead Symbols/Decorations: Besom, cauldron, tarot, pendulums, runes, Ouija Boards, mirrors, pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks Plants/Herbs: almond, apple leaf, bay leaf, calendula, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, hazelnut, hemlock, mandrake, mugwort, rosemary, rue, sage, wormwood Incense and Oils: patchouli, tarragon, sage, myrrh, cinnamon, clove, rosemary, mugwort Colors: black, orange, red, deep purples Stones: black obsidian, quartz, jasper, carnelian, onyx, jet, bloodstone, smoky quartz Food/Beverages: apples, meat, mulled cider, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, squash Animals/Mythical Beasts: bat, cat, crow, owl, stag, heron, ram, scorpion, jackal, elephant Activities: honor the dead, divination, preserve meats and autumn fruits/vegetables, make a besom, make a witches ladder, make a wand, leave offerings to the faeries and the dead Spell/Ritual Work: sex magic, banishing, releasing of bad habits, faery magic, divination of any kind, past life work, astral projection, inner work/reflection, contacting those who have passed on Deities: Arianrhod, Cerridwen, Crone, Demeter, Osiris, Odin, Persephone, Rhiannon, Bran, Anubis, Astarte, Corniness, Hectare, Horned God, Ishtar, Isis, Lilith, Kali, Baba Yaga, the Morrigan.

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Mama Em's World Of Magick Something Witchy This Way Comes...

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Putting the Garden to Bed

by Laurie Brown

It’s officially autumn, and, at least in the temperate parts of the northern hemisphere, it’s time to put the garden to bed. While the season doesn’t have the excitement of spring, when things are bursting out of the ground and we are bursting to get out and work in the soil, autumn is just as important a part of the wheel of the year. Autumn, too, has it’s chores to insure that next spring all goes well in the garden.

Many things will be harvested by now; unless you’re having an unusual lack of frost (as I am) the heat loving crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and squash will be gone. Root crops can be left in the ground until hard freeze threatens; or you can apply a heavy straw mulch now to prevent the ground from freezing and you can harvest carrots in winter by digging through the snow and straw. Broccoli and cauliflower should be harvested, but cabbage and Brussels sprouts can be left in the garden until later- the flavor of Brussels sprouts is improved by some frost.

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Even though many people see no need for it, now is a time to clean up the garden. One, many insect pests and disease spores are laying down there in the debris, ready to winter over. Two, come spring, you’ll have a nice, clean garden to go out and work in without doing the back breaking raking when you’ve been inside all winter and not used to it! Three, it just seems disrespectful to the earth to leave a mess when you’re done with it for the year.

Remove the stems, stumps and vines left after harvesting in the vegetable garden- save some corn stalks for décor if you wish. Pull any weeds in any of your gardens. Remove all leaves, rotted fruit and debris from under fruit trees- fruit trees are the garden plants biggest hit by pests and disease. Cut back perennials that have quit blooming to right above the ground. All this debris can go in your compost heap.

Rake leaves from non-fruit treesmaples, oaks, birches, etc and either place in the compost pile or run a lawn mower over them to shred them. If shredded, they can be worked right into the soil or used as mulch this winter as the small pieces won’t mat down and smother plants.

Speaking of mulch, many people have a misconception about winter mulch. They put it on early, trying to keep their plants from freezing. That’s not actually how it’s used. To use winter mulch properly, allow the ground to freeze. Not just freeze at night and thaw in day, but stay frozen for at least a day. Then put 6” or more of mulch on.

The intent is actually to keep the ground in this state of freeze. This prevents the ground from thawing in and refreezing in warm spells, which can actually lift plants out of the ground. The other thing it does is it keeps the plant from starting to put out tender new growth too early in spring and getting hit by spring frosts.

Despite the risk of allowing some disease to winter over, I always leave some seedheads standing when I cut back perennials to provide food for the birds. Rudbeckias and echinaceas are the two main ones I leave. Likewise, late blooming annuals that are still standing, like cosmos, marigolds, sunflowers, dill and parsley I leave so the birds can have the seed.

This is a great time to lay down cardboard in areas between perennials.

Get it good and wet and it’ll stay put until fall rains and then snows come. It’ll slowly decompose over winter, and smother a lot of early germinating weed seeds- the ones that are growing so well before it’s dry enough to get out and work in the garden in spring!

Take cuttings of tender geraniums (pelargoniums), begonias, coleus, and fancy petunias before frost hits them and start them in perlite or loose potting soil on the window sill, even if you take the plants into the house or greenhouse to over winter.

Consider them back up copies!

Speaking of taking plants into the house, make sure any you bring in are totally cleaned up before they come in. Even though I am usually very careful about it, last fall a slug came in on one houseplant and I found it crawling around on the carpet. I as NOT pleased. There are limits to my live and let live philosophy.

If the autumn is dry in your area, water the trees and shrubs deeply so they go into winter well hydrated. Evergreens are especially needful of this. A lot of winter kill is from dehydration, not cold. As long as you’re not getting rains, keep watering until the ground is frozen.

Show respect for your tools by gathering them under cover and cleaning them well. Sharpen blades, shovels and hoes. Treat unpainted wooden handles with a semitransparent oil stain or clear finishing oil. Oil metal parts with machine oil.

Take in garden ornaments that might be injured by winter weather: gazing globes, lanterns, furniture, etc.

If you have a water feature, make sure it’s winterized, whether that means cleaning the leaves out of it or emptying and covering it. Make sure any pumps have no water left in them; the same applies to any hoses or irrigation lines.

Finally, take the time to thank whoever you feel manifests in your garden, be it the Great Mother, the God of Vegetation, Cernunnos, Demeter, Flora, Devas or the Fae.

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A séance is a gathering of people for the purpose of speaking to or receiving messages from the dead. Some people find séances to be a wonderful experience, others a disaster. How a séance turns out can depend a great deal on how prepared you are. If you are inexperienced at this type of thing, you may want to find a medium to assist you. If you are the adventurous type, however, you may simply be looking for information to hold your own séance, including spells and procedure. Actually, a séance is a ritual that isn't related to witchcraft or magic, and doesn't rely on spells.

If you’re thinking of holding a séance you should first ask yourself why. If your goal is to establish contact with a loved one who has passed on, you may find it easier to attend a séance held by an experienced practitioner rather than attempt to host one yourself.

Different Approaches Once you’ve decided that you do definitely want to hold a séance, you need to think about how you want to approach it. There are two broad approaches commonly used in contacting spirits. One is through the use of an Ouija board. The Ouija board was invented in the nineteenth century and has since spread into popular use. In fact, Ouija boards are now manufactured by a toy company and marketed as board games so, if nothing else, they should be fairly easy to obtain. The classic Ouija board has the words Yes and No, the letters of the alphabet, and the numerals 09 displayed on it together with some form of pointer device, usually a slide pointer onto which the participants place their hands. If needs be, you can just make up your own equivalent using bits of paper with letters and numbers written on.

These should be arranged around some kind of board or smooth surface and you can have an upturned glass or tumbler to act as the pointer.

The other most popular type of séance is one in which a medium listens to the voices of the spirits and relays messages to the others present. The disadvantage of this approach is that it requires someone who is adept at receiving messages from the spirit world. Experienced practitioners say that mediumship is a talent that can be developed but, inevitably, some people are naturally better at it than others, just as some people are better at playing football than others. Extroverted, confident, talkative people are said to make better mediums than other personality types. If you plan to hold the séance with a circle of friends and none of you have done this sort of thing before, perhaps you can take turns acting as the medium until you find someone who is highly “attuned.”

Preparing for a Séance Once you’ve decided on your basic approach, you need to set the scene. Holding the séance at night may help induce the meditative mood necessary for contact to take place, though it has been said that the spirits themselves do not care

about the time of day. Some believe spirits are attracted to flowers, candles, and to light colours. Incense can also help set the mood. Whatever arrangement you’ve decided on for the séance, only the designated medium should speak to the spirits. If others have questions they would like asked, they should write them down on a piece of paper. Before the session begins, make sure that everyone has been to the bathroom and turned all telephones off so there will be no interruptions. Everyone should sit in a circle. Hold hands if you want to but it’s not necessary. Some séances go on for hours and holding hands can become wearisome.

Once the Session Begins At the beginning of the session, the medium should announce that only positive experiences are desired, and ask negative spirits to stay away. The medium should then ask everyone present to engage in deep relaxation, opening themselves up to contact from the spirit world. Once relaxation has been achieved, the medium should ask if any spirits are present and repeat this every so often until a sign of a spirit presence is received.

Some tips to help your séance go smoothly: If you get no response at first, just be patient and keep trying.

Be polite to the spirits at all times. Thank them for their answers, and thank them when the session is over. If you get rude and aggressive messages from a spirit, politely ask it to leave. If it does not, terminate the session.

If you’re using an Ouija board, sometimes the pointer can move too quickly for you to follow. Have someone write the letters down so you can make sense of them afterwards.

Don’t insult the spirits by asking absurd questions like “Who’s going to win the Grand National this year?”

Conclusion You don’t need to be a Tibetan mystic to attempt to make contact with the spirit world. Anyone can do it. You may find answers to questions that have haunted you, or it may only amount to a fun evening with friends. Either way, you have nothing to lose.

By Zsuzsanna Budapest & Bobbie Grennier Bobbie Grennier established and edits Goddess Magazine. http://issuu.com/zbudapest/docs/goddess Ah, the Dumb Supper with its quiet reverence and deadpan conversations. How we pagans love a good Dumb Supper with our dead ancestors.

Dumb Supper means quiet meal, and pagans hold it as a sacred event. It takes place on Samhain, which is the pagan All Hallows Eve or Halloween.

Every Samhain witches cook a family meal, set an extra place setting, and serve up a meal on every plate at the table. The extra place setting is for all the family ancestors to come and enjoy a meal with the living family members. During the meal not a word is spoken.

It’s a solemn event.

The meal is served up, everyone eats, and the ancestors are remembered as the meal is consumed. It is thought that the quiet is helpful for the ancestors to be amongst the living. Thus, you would want to shut off all the appliances during this meal that make a lot of noise, like cell phones.When we do our dumb Supper, we bring photos of our ancestors to set around the ancestor’s place setting. It helps us to visualize them and remember them well. Try to make it a special occasion. You can even add some decorations or flowers that you think the ancestors might like. While it is a solemn occasion, it can still be appealing to the living and dead alike.

Photo courtesy of the Examiner.com

The meal begins with a prayer and a welcoming of the ancestors, and then goes totally silent. The food is served up to all plates, and then everyone eats together. No one leaves the table until everyone is finished. Then, finally the silence is broken as everyone thanks the ancestors for coming to supper with them.

After the meal is over, the living family feeds the ancestor food to the family pets, the earth or some take it to the cemetery and leave it on the ancestors grave sites. It’s believed that the ancestors ate of the essence of the meal and thus, shared the meal with their living relatives.

One of the largest gatherings for the Dumb Supper is at the Festival of the Dead in Salem, MA. This large gathering of witches plays music to invoke the ancestors at their Dumb Supper. Their “evening opens with a ceremony welcoming the dead, after which attendees are guided into the sacred space where the feast is served. From this point on, no one may speak.

By remaining quiet, you will open your heart and mind to those who have crossed over. In years past, guests of the Dumb Supper have felt a ghostly touch, detected a scent of perfume, heard messages, and even witnessed physical manifestations of spirit energy.” The Festival of the Dead’s Dumb Supper is held in the Grand Ballroom of the Historic Hawthorne Hotel in Salem; a haunted site featured on the SciFi Channel's show Ghost Hunters.

This article is a re-print from The Examiner and can be found at; http://www.examiner.com/article/dumb-supper-dinner-withancestors

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The Magic of Fabrics In witchcraft, everything has its own magic. There are entire books on, amongst others, the properties of trees, gemstones and colours. These properties help us guide our magic in the right direction. They help us focus on our goal and add their magic to our own, strengthening it.

A lot of witches craft their own talismans, pouches and tools. Using fabrics for their crafts, aligning them with the colour they need to work their spells.

But what about the fabrics themselves? The way they were made, the materials they were made from, their history and myth. Why limit yourself to only the colour when working with fabrics?

This essay is made up out of three pieces.  First the correspondences, an easy and fast way to see what the different fabrics mean and what their magical properties are. The correspondences were composited from history, myth, folklore, dream symbols and my own thoughts about the fabrics.  Secondly the trivia, fun facts about the different fabrics which explain where the properties came from. It explains how the fabrics have been used in the past and the myths surrounding them.  The final part is a list of materials, showing what the fabrics are made of. This list is included because it can add more depth to the choice of fabric. For example; flannel can be made from wool, cotton or synthetic fibers. Wool flannel could have very different magical properties than synthetic flannel. The same could be said for linen made of flax or linen made of hemp.

This essay shows the magic of fabrics. Every symbol used in witchcraft will add its magic to the ritual or to the craft. So this knowledge is not just for the pouches and talismans, but also for ritual robes, magical cords, and everything else the witch could think of. Like everything in magic the possibilities are endless!

Happy Crafting!

Correspondences: Canvas: creativity, new beginnings, potential, possibilities Cashmere: comfort, warmth, luxury Chiffon: feminine, delicacy, vulnerable, elegance Cotton: simplicity, harvest, protection, rain, good luck Denim: ruggedness, durability, labour, working, independence, rebellion Felt: protection, good luck, wealth (white felt), sacrifice, strength Flannel: mojo bags, comfort, relaxation, warmth Flax: weakness of man, prosperity, gift of the gods, Hulda

Gauze: uncertainty in wealth, healing Hemp: travel, burial, trance, opening gates and doors, vision, enlightenment, Bast Lace: sacredness, rite of passage, feminine, privilege, sensuality, sexuality, duality Lamé: luxury, wealth, royalty, sun or moon Leather: protection, covering, animals, instinct Linen: righteousness and purity, rest, elegance, luxury, sophistication, light and purity, wealth Satin: lustrous, sensual, shine, love Silk: wealth, luxury, softness, smoothness, prestige, transformation, magical insulation Velvet: distinction, honor, sensuality, emotions, royalty, leadership Voile: secrets, unveiling, hidden, wedding Wool: Hope, renewal, spinning, women's crafts, durability, comfort and warmth Astrolocal signs and fabric correspondences: Aries: lamb's wool Taurus: leather Gemini: gauze, chiffon, voile Cancer: flannel Leo: lamé, brocade, velvet Virgo: cotton, canvas, chintz Libra: silk, satin Scorpio: snakeskin Sagittarius: spandex, lycra Capricorn: mohair, cashmere, hemp Aquarius: feathers, metallic fabrics Pisces: rayon, nylon, watermarked taffeta Elements and fabric correspondences: Earth: leather, wool, cotton, felt Air: chiffon, voile, gauze Fire: satin, lace, velvet Water: silk, satin, taffeta Spirit: hemp, linen, felt

Astrolocal signs and fabric correspondences: Aries: lamb's wool Taurus: leather Gemini: gauze, chiffon, voile Cancer: flannel Leo: lamé, brocade, velvet Virgo: cotton, canvas, chintz Libra: silk, satin Scorpio: snakeskin Sagittarius: spandex, lycra Capricorn: mohair, cashmere, hemp Aquarius: feathers, metallic fabrics Pisces: rayon, nylon, watermarked taffeta

Hemp: sails used to be made from hemp fibers, they were the only thing that could withstand the ocean winds.

The deceased used to be buried in hemp. Hemp was sacred to the Goddess Bast. A sacred incense of cannabis flowers and cinnamon was burned every morning in honor of the Goddess Bast or Isis. Korean men wore paji ma, hemp pants that they thought brought virility and power. See: Linen Gauze: Dream symbolism says that being dressed in gauze means that you are 'uncertain in your wealth'.

Gauze used to be made from silk, thus you have a luxurious, wealthy fabric that is full of holes. This would explain the dream symbolism. Nowadays gauze can be made from any material. Cotton gauze is the gauze used for dressing wounds and other medical purposes.

Trivia: Cashmere: The goat is considered a 'clean' animal in the Jewish community. In the past a goat was sacrificed to honor a special guest. In the bible the goat is seen as 'those who do not need God'. They are stubborn and world wise and God keeps them away from his followers. It was Napoleon's second wife who made cashmere popular with the aristocratic community. According to lore, Napoleon had brought her seventeen scarves made from cashmere and she loved them. It became a must-have for the wealthy.

Cotton: Burning cotton was thought to cause rain. Planted or scattered in the yard it keeps ghosts away. In the black community of Georgia it was said that a newlywed couple that slept on a cotton mattress during their wedding night, would always have money. See: Linen Felt: the Mongolians tied felt amulets to their horses before going to battle, they believed felt brought good luck and protection from evil spirits. Mattresses with felt protected against scorpions and snakes. Brides used to be seated on a seat of white felt during the wedding ceremony. The yurts of the Mongols are also made from felt. The whiter (newer) the felt, the wealthier the person who lives in it. They also made fetishes out of felt which they hung in their yurts. Foxes over children's beds for peaceful nights, horses over the hearth as a totem of the sky and a man shaped fetish at the door to represent the man of the yurt or the guardian spirit. This is still in use today.

The Turkmen nomads sacrificed their animals on felt. The Romans used felt in their armor and shields to protect the men wearing them. See: Wool Flannel: Originally Turkish red flannel was the best quality flannel that could be bought. Mojo bags are almost always made from red flannel. This goes back to the time of the slave traders. Flannel was a sturdy and cheap fabric that was given to the slaves to be made into underwear. The slaves turned the scraps into mojo bags. In the 1880's it was thought that flannel underwear protected against diarrhea and dysentery.

Flax: the Egyptians thought that flax was a gift of the Gods.The Teutonic Goddess Hulda looks over spinning and specifically the cultivating of flax. In Estonia, a spirit known as the Flax Mother guards the flax and is said to live in a linen press. See: Linen

Lamé: In the past entire clothing pieces were constructed using gold of silver yarn. In these cases the metal was wrapped around yarns of silk or cotton. Nowadays lamé is made by gold, silver or even copper which has been wrapped around aluminum or stainless steel threads.

Linen: the ancient Egyptians used linen as a currency.

Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen. During the wrapping of the deceased, the priest would stop to say prayers and write on the linen. In Ireland linen is thought to absorb energy. Therefore strips of cloth were considered appropriate offerings. The scraps were infused with a disease of a prayer and then tied to a tree.

It is seen as a fabric of earthly power and success, worn by important people with influence and wealth.

Satin: The more expensive satins are made from silk, the others from nylon or polyester. In the Middle Ages satin was always made from silk and therefore only worn by the wealthy.

Silk: It's been said that silk is a 'natural magical insulator', meaning that it will keep magical energies contained within itself and protects its contents from influences of the outside world.

Velvet: In paintings the use of velvet symbolizes leadership and royalty. Queens and leaders such as Napoleon are often depicted wearing velvet or having velvet draped over various furniture.

Voile: The name means 'veil' in French.

Wool: In the bible wool is thought of as pure, clean and free of sin. For this reason it was not allowed to mix wool with linen, for it would not be pure anymore. God's children are seen as sheep and Jesus Christ is sometimes portrayed as the 'Lamb of God.' See: Felt 35

Materials: Burlap: jute plant, sisal fibers Calico: unbleached cotton Canvas: cotton, linen, hemp (ancient times) Cashmere: goat wool Chiffon: cotton, silk, synthetic fibers Chintz: glazed and printed calico Cotton: cotton plant Denim: cotton Felt: sheep wool Flannel: wool (ancient times), cotton, synthetic fibers Flax: flax plant Gauze: silk (ancient times), cotton, synthetic fibers, metal Hemp: cannabis plant Lace: silk, linen, gold/silver threads, cotton (modern) LamĂŠ: metallic yarns Leather: animal skins Leather (fake): a textile base, often cotton, with a synthetic layer, often PVC Linen: flax, textiles in a linen-weave texture, even when made of cotton, hemp and other non-flax fibers are also loosely referred to as "linen".

Mohair: Angora goat hair

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Muslin: cotton Nylon: synthetic polymers Organza: silk, nylon (modern), polyester (modern) Rayon: semi-synthetic cellulose fiber Satin: silk, nylon, polyester. Satin is a type of weave with a glossy front and a dull back.

Silk: cocoons of silkworms (moth larvae), this is a protein fiber, similar to wool or human hair.

Suede: animal skins, mostly lamb Suede (fake): mostly cotton or silk Taffeta: silk or synthetic fibers Tulle: polyester, nylon Velvet: velvet can be made from many kinds of fibers Velour: cotton, cotton blends, polyester Velour de panne: polyester blend Voile: cotton or cotton blends with polyester or linen Wool: sheep wool

By Lazy Witch Source: http://www.netplaces.com/wiccawitchcraft/magickal-symbolism/fabric-and-materials.htm

Cailleach, The Ancient Crone The Cailleach (KAL-y-ach) is the Ancient Earth herself.

She is the lichen-covered rocks and the mountain peaks. She is the bare earth covered with snow and frost. She is the Deep Ancestress, veiled by the passage of time.

At Hallowmas, Brighid withdraws her green mantle from the Earth. With a last stunning flourish of colour, her power withdraws into the ground. The very soil now holds all of Life. Plants have deposited their seeds there, to wait for the return of the light. Trees now only live in their roots, leaving their branches bare to the keen winds. Animals as small as insects and as large as bears go into the Earth to sleep the Winter away. The wet of the Winter rains helps last year's plants to transform into fertile soil for the next season of growth.

The Cailleach is the Goddess who oversees this transformation. She is the one who watches over the culling of old growth. She is the Death Goddess, who lets die what is no longer needed. But in the debris of the passing year, she also finds the gems, the seeds for the next season. She is the guardian of the seed, the keeper of the essential life force. She holds the very essence of power.

This is the hag of winter, often described as an ugly giantess leaping from mountaintop to mountaintop. The rocks she drops from her apron become hills. She has a blue-black face with only one eye in the centre of her forehead. Her teeth are red and her hair is matted brushwood covered with frost. She wears grey clothes and a great plaid is wrapped around her shoulders. When the Winter storms rage through the hills, people say the Cailleach is tramping her blankets. She washes her plaid in the eddies of the Corryvreckin off the Scottish coast, and the next day the hills are white with snow.

It is clear that the Cailleach is one with the land, clothed in snow in winter, with brushwood growing on her body. Her one eye shows that she sees beyond dualities to the ultimate unity of all things on the Web of Life.

Her appearance alone makes her awesome to encounter. It is hard to relate to someone that ugly. Whenever I encounter her in meditation, I feel fear and awe, because she is clearly very powerful. She is the essential power of the Earth, and she has made it clear to me that she will continue to punish our disrespect for her with flood and other natural disaster.

This is not a lady to be trifled with.

In Celtic myth and legend, the hag is often equated with the Sovereignty of the land. The spirit of the land traditionally held the sovereign power, and any king only held office by symbolic marriage to the spirit of the land. The story of Niall makes this very clear.

By Hilde Liesens Hilde is an Ovate in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. Her passion is creating ritual space where people can celebrate the cycles of life and explore their spirituality.

At the moment, she is renovating a house in the English countryside to house a spiritual education centre. You can follow that project at http://www.westacre.org.uk This article appears on her personal web site: http://www.firetree.net/wheel/Brighid/cailleach.html

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The Hammer as a Magickal Tool

By Eleazar Rex

Working the other day I came upon an idle contemplation. When one considers ‘tools’ in regards to magickal ability and power it caused me to wonder why the hammer, with its long history and potent symbolism is not employed or perceived as a magickal symbol or instrument. The only extant symbolism of a hammer in magickal use that I can recall is in reference to the Masonic Orders which arguably, could cause some people to recoil from the associations.

If one seeks the history of the hammer in human terms, it was quite likely our first perceived tool. A stick can be found anywhere, but a well fitting and formed hammer stone would be a prize.

Though the earliest ones were most likely used for breaking branches and cracking bones, as the first pursuits of artistry were born, a hammer would have been used in a variety of ways. Grinding pigments, flattening twigs or softening bone tips for brush work, one could imagine many such simple applications. Precisely breaking materials into lengths for suitable size and a wide variety of day to day uses as well as cracking softer stones and shaping them to an eye pleasing form. It is probable though not provable that the mortar and pestle is an offshoot of the hammer stone. The development of flint knapping and arrowheads and cutting implements surely started with mastery of the hammer. Once combined with a stick for greater leverage, the hammer empowers and enabled the entire gamut of technology and modern living. It is safe to say that the stone axe was a developmental child of some ones broken hammer head.

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In magickal use, the utility of the hammer is dual in nature and its strength is in focused intent. Though its first uses were arguably destructive in use, the energy was actually directed towards living and survival, and in time it became a tool of crafting and construction which is still in use today. Both men and women use hammers, and more than once I’ve seen high heels or boots function as an improvisational tool. Our first and foremost hammer use is to build or fix things and secondarily to deconstruct or destroy things. The long use of hammers ties them inextricably to humanity and to our development. Without them, we simply would not be who we are today as a species.

The first applications I can see for a hammer would be in constructed spells.

Ones that need a bit more time to fully effect, and the suggestion of moderated thinking construction present in a hammer is inarguable. Fine crafting, simple constructions of spells and large group workings would be empowered by the significance of a hammer. Tiny hammers are used to focus force (energy or power) in the finest jewelry crafting and many variations or modifications of hammers are used in the largest undertakings. For deconstruction or destruction purposes, a hammer is used to carefully deconstruct the old in some cases and in others to completely demolish what we wish to destroy. In breaking curses or hexes, or symbolically removing old habits or negative energies, I cannot think of anything more evoking of that thought than a hammer. While a hammer is used in the air its earliest

construction was earth. In modern times the construction of a hammer incorporates on some level, all elements. Metal and wood, drawn from the earth are shaped and transformed by fire into a desired shape and size and few if any, do not go through a tempering process of immersion in water. There is also conclusive evidence that hammer stones were tempered and tested in fire as well. Fitted together securely, there is an ephemeral bond crafted between earth and fire. Transformative solidity.

To consider the connections one would have with a hammer, one needs only consider the magickally regarded forges of the gods and the many references to forged items throughout magickal and mundane history. Iron, steel or bronze Athames are MADE with a hammer. Even a stone one would have been shaped by a hammer stone and applied pressure.

The close cousin, the axe would be used to chop and shape material for handles before final fitting with a knife of some sort, also forged and shaped by our friend the hammer.

In less pleasant considerations, Hammers were used as implements of war and defense. Hammers were used for smashing barriers, breaking armors, defenses and knocking out opposition, and tearing down the walls that impede us. The Battering Ram is a modification of the hammer. While I realize for some people, those associations may be abhorrent, the applicable intent that could be applied is nearly limitless.

It is the intent that matters, not the implement. A hammer functions in the AIR and is percussive. The strike of a hammer doesn’t just ring it resonates, sending pulsing waves of sound or energy through the item that is struck. If one considers the physics involved, it takes timing, intent and focus to accurately strike with a hammer. A narrowed focus is required, as your target is often the size of a pea and your tool an inch or more across. A moment of distraction, and at best you earn a throbbing thumb. That narrowed focus is compounded by leverage, multiplied by the motion or intensity of the swing, yet a finely learned smith, once considered a wizard in their own right; can accomplish the most amazing results. Applied in a fashion to breaking a hex, or building a protective barrier, the symbolic strike of a hammer would leave a lasting ‘mark’ as it were upon the energy utilized. Applied in removing hostile entities and malignant forces, a hammer would be as effective as a sword, sending a resonating wave of opposing force into whatever type of being is the subject of the ritual and in some cases, instantly removing the entity through the compound leverage of spiritual and physical force.

While I certainly do not expect to see hammers on altars at any near point in time, still the clear ring of the hammer strike should be a sound empowering the creative mind to quest and think for further uses for over looked items and tools that we encounter in our daily lives.

Eleazar Rex, a little about our author; My first steps into Paganism were taken when I was roughly five or six years old.

I questioned heavily the teachings of my parent’s religion, yet with no knowledge of pagan paths, I was spiritually displaced and alone in my child musings.

I had no idea, until my mid twenties that there existed an active spiritual culture that directly matched my beliefs. Of course this displacement left me at odds with the visible society and I carried on many ranting onslaughts against creation.

I met my first true Witch at twenty four, and took my first informed steps on a pagan path then. After several long, very rough years, I found my first sense of home. I have learned, studied and often wandered since then and in recent years been pulled, guided and shoved by the presence of the Goddess’ and Gods within. My last year has been transformational and re-awakening.

My path while not entirely eclectic moves between Celtic, Northern European and Native American traditions. The similarities and coincidences are so strong at times that they are beyond coincidence, yet at the same time I hold only openness between the many paths that exist. I am currently stepping fully into ritual and magick again, as well as refining my Tarot and Rune skills and am working on utilizing life skills towards enhancing the magickal community. The child still lives and hopes to share insights and perceptions within and without the pagan community.

A Witch's Words To Her Familiar On Samhain (poem by: R. A. Melos )

Still your mind, and still your soul, heed the words that make you grow, listen to the winds of the sages, learn the wisdom of the mages, handed down to us from the ages.

Time is ours, but only fleeting, hear the wings of eternity beating, soon enough we'll all be meeting, and each of us merrily greeting.

The moon will be full, and round, and bright.

And we'll be wisked away, in the dead of night.

To the place we are meant to be, to learn and grow, and maybe see, a spectre of what we should be.

Time is ours, frozen, but brief, allowing us to release our grief, to open our hearts and minds once more, and step through the sacred door, of time and space, and futures past, to teach us the spells to cast.

So we may once again be free, to live and love and blessed be.

So still your mind, and still your soul, and open your heart, and set yourself free, on this Samhain, I challenge thee.

Learn the truth from mages old, the truth which was foretold.

The time is right, the night is new, we can learn what not to do.

Warnings from the great beyond, we'll heed them or all cry, for lies can no longer be told, when you look me in the eye.

I've learned a lesson, bold and true, and now there are but a few, who understand the depth of change, and how we all must rearrange, our thinking and goals, for times anew, if the world is to survive, for me and you.

We've got our work cut out for us, my friend.

And we must not fail, before the end, or all will be lost, and fate will be no more, and finally the great beyond, will close the door.

Time and space will exist no more, my friend, my familiar, we must work to prevent war.

Peace must prevail for ten thousand years, and we must make sure it does.

Our souls eternal bond will hold, as our bodies grow old.

Fear not the great beyond, my friend, for it is a beginning, not an end.

Our work will continue for eternity, until everlasting peace shall set us free.

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Have you ever wondered why a specific herb is used for a specific magical intention? Who wrote this list anyway? Where did this knowledge come from? Well it isn’t hard to see that many of our magickal intentions for herbs come from the herb’s everyday use.

So what if you run in to that age old problem, I don’t have that herb. What can I substitute it with? Go with your own intuition on choosing that substation. This task can be daunting at best, but here is hint how to incorporate some ancient wisdom in choosing. In olden times the people may have had just a handful of herbs in their possession and certainly most were local ones they could gather for themselves. Not many even had herbs from other countries as we have today.

So how did they use to enhance their magick spells and rituals? They used what they had. In fact that is where some of the ideas for the magickal herb’s intention came from.

Other times it came from the medicinal properties of herbs. Here is an example. Both lavender and sage have many medicinal properties. Among those are antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and is used as a disinfectant. Both are used for colds and infections even today. One of the main ways we use them is in cleansing because they are used to clean the body inside and out when taken medicinally. Is it any wonder why there are so many magical uses for lavender and sage?

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Let’s look at this in a broader sense. Have you ever noticed that most love spells require herbs and spices used in sweet dishes? Like those used to make pies, cookies and cakes. Was it just an accident? Some cosmic inspiration? I think not when the ancient wise woman was making sweets she was doing it out of love, an extra special touch to her meal. And let’s face it, what is not to love about ginger bread or pumpkin pie.

Knowing this may help in choosing a substitution. I myself rarely have that exotic herb from a distant land. I use what I have in my pantry or locally gathered. I think how it is used in everyday magick like cooking. I take a look at its medical use in treating symptoms of discomfort or disease. Also find out what family the herb that you don’t have is in. You might be able use a similar herb from the same family of herbs.

So next time you looking down your list of herbs and their magickal intentions for that perfect herb for your spell or ceremony. Just remember how those who wrote the lists came up with that herb’s specific intentions and you will never wonder again why catnip is used for happiness.

Brightest of Blessings ~ Siobhan See

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In the USA, the orange pumpkin is THE symbol of autumn.

You may not live in an area where leaves change colors, but there will be pumpkins at every supermarket, roadside stand and in many gardens. To many, it’s not just the symbol of autumn, but of October, Halloween, and Samhain.

A native of the Americas, Cucurbita pepo is a tropical vine.

Archeologists have found signs of it going back 5000 years ago in Mexico. The pumpkin, and other squashes, was grown by some Native American tribes in the Three Sisters method. What is the difference between a pumpkin and a winter squash? A pumpkin has a skin that never truly hardens (which is why you can do those Halloween carvings that only remove the outer, opaque, layer of rind and allow the light to shine through the pumpkin flesh) and stems that are woody and hard; a true squash has a hard rind, but soft stems. After many, many generations of crossing- both by human hand and randomly by bees- there may not be a pure bred, ‘true’ pumpkin!

Pumpkins, like most cucurbits, have separate male and female flowers- the males have straight stems, while female flowers have the tiny future fruit right below the flower. Insect pollinated in nature, if you grow them in a greenhouse you must hand pollinate them to get fruit. They need four months of warm weather to fully mature and ripen. There used to be two basic types: the big ones grown for Jack o’Lanterns, and the Small Sugar types with more sugar for pie use. Now there are also mini pumpkins that make cute table or altar decorations- but they take just as long to grow as the larger types do.

Pumpkins like a rich soil. If possible, work a good amount of compost and well rotted manure into the hills where the pumpkins will grow- pumpkins should be planted in hills, 3 or 4 seeds per hill, rather than in rows. Sow them after the last frost. They are best sown where they are to grow, but if you have a short growing season (as I do), you can start them inside. The thing to remember with sowing pumpkins (and any squash or melon) is that they must never get rootbound. Keep an eye on the drain holes of the pots they are in; the second you see a root, transplant them up to a larger container.

If you want to use the Three Sisters method of growing, sow on the north end of the corn patch after the corn is 6 inches tall- the sun will cause them to wander south through the corn. If you are short on space, you can use a bush variety or train them up a trellis- you will need to make cloth slings for heavy fruit. Pumpkins like lots of moisture (but need good drainage), so mulch well after the seeds come up. Keep an eye on soil moisture by digging a finger down into the dirt; if it’s dry an inch down, it’s time for a good soaking.

Pumpkins are heavy feeders and need a lot of phosphorus and potassium to make fruit. If you worked enough manure into the soil when you planted, that may be all they need. A good organic source of fast phosphorus is worm castings- work into the soil lightly by the stems and water in well. If you’re not organic, fertilizer made for tomatoes or for vegetable gardens, or ‘Bloom!’ will work very well.

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After enough fruit has set (if you’re growing for size, limit them to 2 or 3 per plant; otherwise, allow them to have 4 or 5) pinch the ends of the vine off so the energy will go into enlarging and maturing the pumpkins already set. After the first (hopefully light) frost, cut the pumpkins from the vine – do not twist them off as you may damage the fruit- with a 1 or 2 inch stem attached.

Allow them to cure for 2 or 3 weeks; field curing is ideal (nothing says ‘Autumn!’ like a garden full of orange pumpkins) but if there will be hard frost or constant rains, take into a cool garage or basement to cure. Handle carefully, because even after curing the skins are fairly tender and a gouge in it will lead to rot.

Healthwise, pumpkin flesh is high in vitamins, especially vitamin A and cancer fighting carotenoids, and is good for digestive ills, even in dogs and cats. The seeds are high in zinc and many other minerals, as well as vitamin E and B vitamins. They are also high in vitamin K, so if you are taking warfarin to prevent blood clots, consult your doctor before eating large amounts of pumpkin seeds!

The commonest magickal use of pumpkins is one that many people practice today without even knowing it: the Jack o’Lantern (originally made of turnips) was created to scare off bad spirits. If you’re going to carve one for this purpose, remember to use intent when you do so or it won’t be much more than a decoration. ; The round pumpkin is a symbol of fertility, but not just the fertility of making babies (although it is certainly one of the very best talismans for that!) but of fertility of ideas- try putting a pumpkin (the minis are great for this use) in your art space, on the crafting table, or by the computer. Like most many-seeded plants, they are great tools to use in spells for wealth or abundance; you don’t even need the whole pumpkin for this, you can just buy some seeds. Pumpkin seeds tied into green fabric during the waxing moon and charged with the intent of growing wealth is a very simple money attractant. A very slow but powerful way to increasing abundance is done over the gardening season: Plant your pumpkin seeds during the waxing moon, visualizing them as connected to your fortunes. Make contact with them at least once a week, each time meditating on their growth and how it symbolizes your money. Harvest right before the full moon and give one of the pumpkins a place on your altar. Keep it there for a moon cycle. Right before the next full moon, cut it open and remove the seeds. Clean and roast them. Eat 13 of them while visualizing yourself internalizing their abundance. The rest can be eaten as usual, or even better, shared with family and friends.

Pumpkins are also a symbol of the Moon and her mysteries. Because of this, it’s a good herb to have on the altar or in your workspace when practicing divination or attempting to contact the spirit world. I think white pumpkins are especially nice for this.

The pumpkin is feminine, her direction is East, and her element is water.

October: Blood Moon

By Sita Just as the Romans felt the need to name the months of their calendar and we today feel the need to continue with those names as an easier way of marking the passage of time, so the Native American peoples also named the divisions of their calendars. Based on the moon’s cycles, each full moon had a name, and the association for the month would last until the next full moon.

The October ‘blood moon’ may sound frightening, even ominous, but this was the time you made your preparations for winter. You finished your harvests, and culled the herbs so the meat could be salted.

This is also the first full moon after the harvests, also called the ‘Hunter’s Moon’, when the time of year is best for hunt for migrating birds.

Many of us don’t have herds to cull. We do, however, have things in our lives which we can’t carry through the winter.

These could be anything from relationships that drag us down,, to having too much stuff in our homes, to even bad habits.

October is a time to decide what stays and what should go.

Ask yourself, if the person, place, or thing beneficial or is it time to let it go?

October is the month when the last of the harvest is taken in and stored for winter. Late-cropping berries are still ripening and are gathered in this month. Work is done in many tribes on fine beading or repairing of clothes and tents, since this is a month when there is still plenty of daylight but there is more time to devote to such activities now that the harvest is taken care of. October is the month that even the more temperate altitudes feel the chill of autumn and the coming of winter. Most animals have already grown out their winter coats and are finishing their winter stockpiles of food. Stocking up for the cold season is the main activity of this month. Rituals featuring the close of the harvest season take place this month, and this is a good time to prepare sacred or magical decorations to be used in the winter season. The October 2013 full moon is October 18.

The names of the moons give evidence for what each tribal culture considered to be important during that time period, either the influence of the weather, or which animals were prominent, or when their staple crops would grow, or when they could gather ripened food.

Abenaki- Leaf Falling Moon Algonquin– White Frost on Grass Anishnaabe- Falling Leaves Moon

Apache– Time When the Corn is Taken In Arapaho- Falling Leaves Cherokee– Harvest Moon Cheyenne–Water Begins to Freeze on Edge of Streams Choctaw– Blackberry Moon; Big Chestnut Moon Comanche– Fall Moon Cree– Moon the Birds Fly South Dakota Sioux–Moon When Quilling and Beading is Done Haida– Bears Hibernate Hopi– Moon of Long Hair Kalapuya– After Harvest Lakota– Moon When the Wind Shakes Off Leaves Mohawk– Time of Poverty Ponca– Moon When They Store Food in Caches Potawatomi– Moon of the First Frost Shawnee- Wilted Moon Shoshone– Rutting Sioux- Changing Season Tlingit–Young Animals Moon Wishram–Travel in Canoes Moon Zuni–Big Wind Moon Farmer’s Almanac says this month’s moon is also known as Harvest Moon. *I’m not an expert on Native American culture or practices, though I have been interested and studying some of their practices/traditions for many years. The subject of the Moon Names is a recent area of interest. Any errors contained in this post are entirely my own, and I apologize for my inadequate intelligence.* Sources: Farmer’s Almanac, Llewellyn 2010 Witches Datebook, Western Washington University Planetarium Sita is a fairly recent graduate from the University of Maryland, and was active in the Pagan Student Union on the campus for three years.

Pagan since the age of 13/14, she still considers herself a newbie to paganism and is still learning new things all the time. She enjoys reading books and writing her own, following Maryland sports, and learning new things. She lives with her kitten Miss M. You can visit her on her web site at; http://awitchylife.wordpress.com/

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Lions & Tigers & Mercury Retrograde Oh my…..

What is Mercury Retrograde?

All the planets of the solar system move in the same direction around the Sun, each with a different rate of speed. Mercury's orbit is 88 days long; therefore approximately 4 orbits of Mercury around the Sun equals 1 Earth year.

Occasionally, Mercury as like a few other planets appears to slow down, then stop, and then move slowly backwards for several weeks and this is termed as retrograde. Eventually, it appears to stop again and reverse direction moving slowly forward once again going Direct. Eventually Mercury appears to return to its normal orbital speed.

Why does this typical phenomenon take place? This occurs because Mercury travels faster than the Earth, and it periodically catches up with Earth, passing us by. When Mercury "goes retrograde" it does not actually slow down, stop and move backwards. It only appears to do so. The retrograde phenomenon has to do with the relative speed of the Earth and Mercury as well as their relationship to each other at a particular point in their orbits. There are three Mercury Retrograde periods each year, each lasting around 3 weeks.

In astrological mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods.

Hence the planet Mercury rules anything related to communication like: • • • • •

signing agreements classes and schools and colleges sending/receiving correspondence communication equipments like computers, phones, satellites,etc traveling and travel equipments such as cars, bicycles, trains, and planes, ships,etc.

During Mercury retrograde period it is advised not to do the following as it might land you in trouble: They are: • • • • • • • • •

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Placing ads / communications making important decisions. travel purchasing or settling up of communications equipment. signing important deals or contracts. initiating business deals sending important correspondence or any type of message starting any educative projects beginning any new enterprise.

But a Mercury retrograde period is thought to be very excellent for: • • • •

reviewing and revising plans catching up on old business cleaning out the metaphorical closet deeply considering issues.

This is just a generalized sum up. Some people are very sensitive to Mercury retrograde periods whereas some other are totally unnerved by the same. So if you are any of your family member or friend had been born during a Mercury retrograde, what are you supposed to do?? Do not worry or lose hope. Many very intelligent people have been born during a mercury retrograde. Usually such people are great thinkers. They are very individualistic as well.

They garner arll the information around them and come to a conclusion by themselves. They cannot be influence easily. They also have the special gift of seeing things in a different perspective, that is they have to eyes to see beneath any problem.

What is to be done?

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Finish projects which involve communication before the retrograde.

Avoid closing big deals during the retrograde Try to avoid launching new projects during the retrograde Avoid scheduling meetings to make a big decision Allow extra time when travelling Backup your hard drive or any other vital data before the retrograde Avoid installing new computer software or new communication lines during the retrograde Do needed repairs on machinery/house before the retrograde Do not hold an election during the retrograde Do the follow-ups on a project already started Wrap up or complete a project already started Research a new project thoroughly Catch up on paperwork Hold an information-sharing meeting Enjoy a good sense of humour.

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OCTOBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GHOSTS...BUT...

Saturday, October 5, 1:00 - 5:00 PM The Ghost Buster Gals have been successfully releasing trapped spirits from coast to coast and around the world for over a decade. So if you have any questions about ghosts or things that go bump in the night, don't be afraid to ask them.

Ronnie Rennae Foster is also known as Angel Girl and Laura Lee Mistycah is Witchy Woman. Over the years, they have been featured on BBC TV's Dead Famous as well as numerous radio and TV appearances. Their book, "Got Ghosts??? The Bizarre But True Tales of The Ghost Buster Gals" has been endorsed by James Van Praagh, Dannion Brinkley, and Brad Steiger, top experts in the field.

Come and learn some of their proven diverse techniques to empower yourself and help your friends and family whether they are dead or alive. $55.00 early registration - $65.00 on September 21st or later.

Advanced registration required. No refunds!

BONNIE WHITING - INTUITIVE MEDIUM, MESSAGES FROM BEYOND Friday, October 11, 6:30 - 8:30 PM With exquisite timing and specific facts you'll be captivated as Bonnie connects you to your loved ones on the other side.

Bonnie will teach you how her simple techniques work, giving you tools to enhance your own intuitive awareness. Bonnie Whiting is a Professional Intuitive Medium located in Coeur d'Alene Idaho where she offers a variety of services such as police investigations, animal communications, the departed, medical and mental health, goals, financial, etc. Bonnie is an Intuitive Awareness instructor at North Idaho College and Founder of Alternative Pet Rescue.

More Info on private readings, shows, parties, investigations and more go to www.bonniewhiting.com or Facebook fan page Alternative Pet Rescue $20.00 Early Registration if paid by September 7th. $30.00 if paid September 8th or later.

NO REFUNDS. A CHANNELING OF THE SOPHIA THROUGH THE CHANNEL, CAROLYNE 'CHEVY' PICKUP Master of ceremonies: Jason Doud.

Sunday, October 20th, 1:00 pm-2:30pm Treat yourself to a spiritual makeover with a channeling of the Sophia.

Sophia is intelligent energy, when you manifest anything for your highest and greatest good, she is the energy you work with. At a Sophia channeling you will be given an opportunity to ask questions for clear insight into personal life challenges. The Sophia will also remove 'veils' which keep us from seeing the truth around us Advanced registration required. No refunds.

Call Mavis to schedule a reading time @ 924-6204 Readings are $35 for 30 minutes to be paid for during the event. $40 per person if you pay by September 29, $50 if paid on September 30 or later.

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DEBORAH ALIENS AMONG US Thursday, October 24, 6:30 - 8:30 PM Bring your friends and bring your Alien stories as we share an evening with Deborah. Come hear Deborah talk about Aliens and her own personal encounters. As a child she was visited and she believes that has colored her entire life in many ways. Her parents and one brother have all witnessed UFO activity as well. She will talk about her experience and what she has learned since, and wants to encourage others to come and tell their stories.

Deborah studied parapsychology independently for many years and then in her 30s she began formal metaphysical studies with Del Hautchins, who was one of the founders of the Metaphysical Research Society in Spokane, Washington. She now offers intuitive readings at many different events and privately. She is on the Board of Directors of the Metaphysical Research Society. $25 Early Registration if paid by October 10. $35 if paid on October 11 or later.

Must be paid in advance by cash, check or PayPal below. No refunds.

PSYCHIC READINGS with MARSHA LORD Saturday, October 26, 10 AM - 5 PM Marsha Lord has been a psychic with integrity for 35 years. She has traveled 40 countries and 40 states in the USA. She has been on ABC, NBC and CBS as well as radio talk shows during her spiritual quest. Her accuracy rate is over 85% and she specializes in timelines of when events will happen. Marsha is fluent in Spanish, German and Japanese.

She has taught at 5 major universities and given workshops all over the Northwest. Marsha has also done readings for and worked with names such as James Van Pragh and John Edward.

Marsha also has plans to publish a book titled “Separating the Fakes From the Fabulous!� $30 minutes (1 person) $40 1 hour (1 person) $80 Call or email Mavis at 509-924-6204 to schedule an appointment before paying.

Advanced payment required.

Payments can be paid in advance by cash, check or PayPal below. No refunds.

Are you looking for the Magic and Mystical in your life? The Magic Mystical Tour venue was created to help connect holistic minded and seeking individuals to resources and events that are specific to a deepening understanding of all things holistic.

Helping Children to Deal with Loss of Loved Ones

By Alena Orrison Death. It’s all around us. We experience it every day, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. Plants die, animals die, the days and hours die, season die. Everything is reborn in its own time and place. The death of a loved one can be particularly difficult to explain to your child.

However, death is not the only way we lose those we love. An older child may leave home to go to college or a favorite relative may move away to a different city. Children feel the loss the same way. They can no longer see that person every day, and may not be able to talk to them for long stretches of time.

Whether it’s a pet who ran away or passed over the Rainbow Bridge, or a family member or friend who moved or passed on, there are ways to help your child cope with their feelings of loss. Each child, even siblings, will react differently to their emotions and will need individual methods to obtain the skills they need to move on.

The first step is to recognize and acknowledge their emotions. Tell them that it is okay to feel confused, angry, sad, lonely or scared. By doing this, you are allowing them to put words to their feelings. They will then be able to work through them in a healthy manner.

Explain the situation; tell them grandpa was old and it was his time to pass on or sister is just going to school in another city and will call and visit when she can. If it’s death you are trying to help your child through, explain your beliefs on what happens to us when we die. Keep it simple, use a story if you can find one, and give them time to ask questions.

(Ever notice how I’m a big fan of allowing your children to ask questions?)

Give them mechanisms for healing. This could be a special photo book of grandpa that you can tell them stories from. A stuffed animal that was a gift from grandpa could become their “voice” to grandpa and they can talk to it as if they were talking to grandpa. Do not worry that your child will end up thinking the stuffed animal is grandpa. They won’t.

They know the difference, but this is something that can make them feel close to grandpa even though he is no longer on this plain.

The photo book also works well for a relative who has moved away. And these days there are so many ways to keep in contact with each other, you should have no problem implementing at least one of them. There is Skype, FaceTime,

regular phone calls, mail, email, and texting. I will say that I know from experience that children absolutely love getting a letter in the mail, though. To make it easier, have them send a letter to their relative and include a self-addressed stamped envelope along with a sheet of stationary. This way, the (no doubt busy) relative can quickly write back and the child isn’t left wondering if they’ve been forgotten.

For those loved ones who we know are going to pass on in the near future, have them make a photo book with your child of the two of them doing activities together.

Include pictures from the past as well as the present. Give your child stickers and scrapbook paper to decorate the pages. Record the loved one reading a story or singing a song to your child. Their voice and image will be a great comfort once they are gone.

Sometimes dealing with the loss of a pet can be just as difficult as dealing with the loss of a human loved one. If the pet was lost and never found, I like to tell my children that they found a new family to love because they had already helped our family and it was time for them to go help someone else. If the pet has died, I’ve found it best to be honest but discuss it in terms they will understand.

My youngest daughter watched her favorite cat die a few years ago. It was sudden and unexpected. The veterinarian thinks it was a brain aneurism. Of course, this is something difficult to explain to a 4 year old. I told my daughter that Monkey was really old and her brain got sick.

Monkey is buried on my parents’ property with a large stone and flowers marking her grave. Little one goes to see her every time we visit and she has a picture of Monkey on her wall. It’s been almost 4 years yet this beloved pet is still missed, especially when my daughter is feeling more lonely due to her big sister being off to college.

The best way to help your child through any loss is to be compassionate, understanding, and honest. Give them resources and tools to help them remember the loved one, allow them to talk about their memories. They will need time and love, just like any of us, to come to terms with the loss.

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THE HISTORY BEHIND THE DAY OF THE DEAD I have read on the history of the origins of the Day of the Dead over many years. There are many and varied versions and as historians continue to study and put the pieces together, this story is subject to change. In researching this time honored religious rite, I have found that though it begins in what we would probably call today a rather gruesome start it is now celebrated widely and in very up-lifting ways. I will begin our story at this point: The Celebrations or Rituals of the Dead originated in the Americas by the Mesoamerican tribes in Central America.

This would have been the Aztec, Mayans, and the Olmec region, pre-Columbian and other tribes that came even earlier.

Human sacrifice of both tribal members and defeated foe was practiced to ensure everything from good crops, the annual rains, stop or containment of flooding, good hunts, and, of course, the winning of wars.

It has been found in contexts as well as on the walls of the pyramids in Mexico that children were specifically raised to be used as sacrifices. It was considered a great honor to have your child selected and these individuals were considered very holy and wanted for nothing to show the gods just how much the blessed hands of the gods were needed in their lives. Only the very best was provided to the selected children who were raised for this purpose. They were raised knowing they were to be given to the gods just as individuals who would become warriors would protect the community and priests would work to the honor of their order of the gods. Each community member had a preselected place within the community.

For captured foe, things were a little different as often their lives would be sacrificed shortly after battle unless there was a reason for them to be temporarily spared, say an upcoming festival or special sacrifice day. They were, however, for the most part, reasonably treated when held for a special occasion. Again, it was best not to anger the gods with a malnourished or beaten and bleeding sacrifice. That would be disrespectful to the gods.

The bones and skulls of the dead were often placed on display racks in front of the religious pyramids for all to see and acknowledge. This was common practice and thought right, correct, and respectful to the gods.

This went on for a few thousand years until the Spaniards arrived on the shores of what is now Mexico.

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Initially, the conquering army thought all was peaceful and quiet in this new land but as they proceeded into the interior they found the natives more warring and combative (this could be because the interior tribes had heard of the Spanish brutality shown to other tribes). Also, they found the interior people more gruesome than any army they had ever found in Europe. Instead of just killing an opponent, the natives appeared to take great pleasure in torturing those they captured; slashing and cutting up and purposefully bleeding their victims on altars within horrific rituals and, just before death, removing their still beating hearts. How demonic and sadistic this was to the Spaniards. How horrible!

Well, we all know where this is leading. For those of you who may not be familiar with the Spaniards conquest of North, Central and South America, please check out the many websites that tell the unbelievable stories. Needless to say the Spaniards began one of the most destructive rape and pillages ever done on native peoples anywhere in the world all under the sanction of the Spanish monarchy AND the Roman Catholic Church.

After decades of fighting and butchering, the Church became determined to it was best to convert every native left in the New World even if the native didn't want to be converted. Many perished as a result of these attempted conversions by the European invaders. Natives also died of European diseases and slavery. The Spaniards disposed of the bodies in either fires or mass graves. Not at all what the tribes were accustomed to.

It was not the Native Americans to disregard their dead by tossing their bodies and bones into a hole in the ground. The body and the bones represented the life and death of a person and without proper burials and celebrations, the Dead could not achieve rebirth (sounds familiar, doesn't it!). The dead, particularly those who fought for freedom, were highly revered and, in our current vernacular, achieved a level of sainthood. The Spaniards made a mighty attempt to stamp out this "ancestral" worship. According to the priests that accompanied them, this type of religious practices was of the devil and would not be tolerated. More natives were killed.

Finally, the priests and the Church realized that killing natives didn't stop the worshipping of dead family members and warriors, and so, in their wisdom, they allowed this

adoration BUT BUT assigned the celebration a new date and different Church purpose. The rituals were shifted from the July/August time frame to an already set Church celebration early in November.

The Church also continued to allow the natives to use the bones of the dead but only during this celebration time. After a while it became inconvenient to dig up the ancestral bones year after year for display so only the skulls were used. This is where today's the tradition of skulls and skeletons come from.

All of this took many, many, many decades to achieve. The Spaniards landed in the 1500s and the adoration of the Dead is still taking place and evolving today. Though the name of the celebration has changed from "Miccaihuitontl" (which lasted for 28 days) to "Dia de los Muertos" or "Dia de los Difuntos" (Day of the Dead for adults and older children) and "Dia de los Inocnets" or Dia de los Angelitos" (for very young children and babies who died without knowing sin). These days are celebrated on the Catholic Church's days Christians know as "All Saints Day" and "All Souls Day", November 1st and 2nd.

As they did in the ancient days, the Mesoamerican descendants held fact to their old beliefs but covered them with the veil of the Church's practices. Today, they continue their practice of honoring their dead with beautiful celebrations, masses, parades and feasts.

Though I have found through my research that the "Day of the Dead" and the "Day of the Innocents" Celebrations vary from town to town, region to region and country to country, the intent is all very much the same, to remember family and friends who came, not just the unhappiness of death BUT for the happiness and joy they brought to life and the concept of their return through rebirth.

In nearly every Day of the Dead Celebration I examined from the United States, through Mexico to the tip of South America, these celebrations were similar in many ways. Families begin planning their celebration in advance so everything is just right for the ancestors!

The gravesites/graveyard must be cleaned, cleared of debris and stones, markers and fences scrubbed and painted.

Remember that in most countries graveyards are tended by families not by hired grounds keepers as here in the U.S., this can be a tall order particularly if a family has many, many relatives!

The family, if they follow the Catholic religion, will want to know if there will be a mass said in which their dead family members, particularly any who have recently passed, will be named and honored. This is a bit of an on-going thing as one is never really sure when a family member will pass.

Many communities have some type of procession or parade where figures of Saints and the Virgin Mother are carried along with photos or paintings of deceased individuals. Fancy, flower-covered floats (often hand carried platforms) wind their way through village streets from the church or cathedral to the graveyard. Bands play and drums are beaten to ensure the Dead awake for their annual party. Some towns include firework displays in their processions so absolutely EVERYONE is awake for the festivities!

Special decorations of bone, wood and confections of sugar are made to resemble skeletons, skulls and other fancies.

These are iced, frosted or painted, dressed with fabric and flowers and either hung in homes or carried to the graveyards for decorations. These decorations are considered very good luck to possess so they are sold in all the markets and stores throughout the month of October.

Throughout the towns and villages, home altars are erected with photos of deceased family members and friends along with fragrant flowers and a large feast which is usually consumed at the graveside insuring that the ancestors have their favorite foods and drink for the adult dead and toys and trinkets for the children who have passed. This is a Party and Celebration of Life, after all.

What celebration isn't complete without food and beer or wine and playthings!! The party continues throughout the night in many locations. Music, food, drink and rememberings, is what this Festival is all about.

I've learned that this is not a stagnant celebration.

As people move from area to area and even country to country, they take their traditions of the "Day of the Dead" with them and incorporate their traditions into those of their new communities. Here in the States, this festival is becoming more celebrated. I'm happy to see it as I feel it so only correct we celebrate our ancestors for without them where would we be!

Oh, and by the way, in our home we celebrate these days.

My wedding gift last year was a set of two skeletons dressed as a Bride and Groom. We normally have tacos or tamales, put on a good movie and give out microwave popcorn to our Halloweeners. Yes we do ours a day early but I don't think our Spirits mind too much as I always put out food for them and every year something or someone eats it.

If you haven't celebrated Day of the Dead before I hope this year you'll do something special for it!!

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Harmony Hearth Brooms And Faancy Hats 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.

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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.

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

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How To Make Your Own EVP Recordings Posted by VJG on Blogspot.com http://vjgnichenotes.blogspot.com/search?q=How+To+Make+Y our+Own+EVP+Recordings+&x=50&y=18 In the field of paranormal investigation, one of the easiest and most effective methods of research involves the making of Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) recordings. The basic concept behind EVP is that the spirits of those who have passed on through the process of death can utilize the electrical energy in a recording device to implant a message on the media that can be heard when it is played back.

The equipment used to attempt to capture these messages and comments is very simple. Most research is done with microrecorders, hand-held audiocassette recorders, compact disc or digital recording machines. While preference is currently being given to digital recorders, the older analogue cassette recorders will also function quite well for the work at hand.

A good way to test your equipment to see if it can give the best results is to turn the volume control up as high as it will go or until you can hear the hiss of white noise. Then you will turn the volume back a notch or so and record for a couple of minutes.

You will then play the recording back and listen to what background noise can be detected. If all you hear is the normal sounds of your present environment then the recorder will be useful in your pursuit of EVP's. If you instead hear squeals of feedback or other electronic interference then the machine will not serve your purpose.

Once the equipment is tested for effective recording you will want to go to the location you are attempting to contact any spirit entities. Graveyards are very popular for the obvious reasons. There is also some indication that spirits can become "trapped" in the area of a violent or unnatural death, or sometimes even just where they were at the moment of their physical death. These places can also serve as effective locations for EVP recording.

You will want to sit still while recording. Walking around either by yourself or with a group can inadvertently cause you to pick up the noise of footsteps or your companions' conversations and drown out the elusive messages that may be left by the spirits you are seeking. Do not nervously rub the machine as this can cause vibrations that will overshadow the possible EVP. Avoid areas that have strong powerlines around as the electromagnetic field of these power transfer systems often produce an overwhelming electrical hum.

Talk to any possible spirits in the area. Ask questions. Remember to always leave a space of time between questions to allow your target to interject their responses to you. If you have the time, stop every half-hour or so and play back your recording. It is possible that if your questions have been answered, you will be able to reply with more focused questions in the next session for an even better EVP experience.

While some of the more popular and well known paranormal investigators sometimes feel the need to be aggressive or forceful to get an EVP, this is not a recommended tactic. The spirits you are seeking are not playthings for your amusement but the spirit energy of formerly living humans and such rudeness may either offend them into saying nothing or anger them into taking whatever physical effects they can muster to either attack or confound you. Courtesy to those who have passed over is as respectful to the dead as it is to the still corporeal.

After your session, it is important to play back your recordings several times to make sure you have identified all the sounds that are present and make sure you can catch and understand what inexplicable voices as may be on your recording. The voices of EVP's can be sometimes very faint. You may get only a word or two at times and sometimes you may be rewarded with entire sentences. Make sure that you have not recorded some talking by those in your group. This will make the unexplained voices stand out and help prove that you have made contact with some other person who has passed from the mortal realm of existence and into the realm of those who are currently existing solely in an energy form.

Make logs of the times and places you made the recordings.

Research the area you are going to and follow up with more if you have caught some conversation on your tape. The entity may help you identify itself beyond a reasonable doubt by letting you know where to find information on its past life.

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The Fires of Yule is a celebration of the winter solstice set in a time that isn’t a time, in a place that isn’t a place. Montague Whitsel draws on Celtic myth and Paganism to create a magickal practice for experiencing the gifts of Yule, and he certainly succeeds: whether you follow the activities to the letter or simply incorporate a few ideas into your Yule celebration - you will undoubtedly experience a deeper relationship with the winter solstice. Filled with Ritual, Symbolism and wonderful Stories, you will experiencing the Winter Solstice Season in a poetic and transformative way.

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A MUST Read, and a GREAT Gift!

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Dark Fairy Ipad Case From Mama Em’s world of Magick comes this divine soft zipper style case for tablets and small netbooks. An approximately 11 1/2" x 8 1/2", it will also fit your Kindle Fire HD! Check it and other AWESOME witchy items at her shop at;

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Valhalla Soap Company ~ All Natural - Essential Oil Soaps 100% All Natural Handmade Soaps made with pure therapeutic grade cold pressed essential oils. No synthetic fragrances, colors, or additives. Just pure soap enhanced with beautiful botanicals and colored with clays and herbs provided by the loving hands of Mama Gaia. (Elemental Magick readers receive 20% off. Use coupon code ELEMENTAL at check out) Valhalla Soap Comp. is a small family owned hand-crafted business nestled away in the quiet woods of Pacific Northwest. They have "been in the biz" for almost 17 years and have been making handmade cold process soap for over 20 years.

Their many products, from the soaps to the lotions and creams, are the most amazing ever! You GOTTA check out their amazing web site and awesome products at;

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holiday star goddess Greeting Cards Greeting Cards (Pk of 10) Greeting cards and note cards are a great way to keep in touch with friends and family and let them know you care. Sending a personal note on a beautiful card will make a lasting impression and a touching keepsake.

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Blackcats jewellery Handmade Jewellery at VERY affordable PRICES!!!!

You ain’t seen anything until you have visited this amazing facebook page and checked out the jewelry from this artist! Gothic/ hippy style chic with a pagan twist, Blackcats offers everything from necklaces, earrings, hairclips, bracelets, anklets, headpieces, pendulums, bookmarks….. WHEW! I could go on and on!

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Llewellyn's 2014 Witches' Calendar It’s that time of the year again…

Captivating, original artwork and a rich array of content have made Llewellyn’s Witches’ Calendar the top-selling calendar of its kind. New for this edition are enchanting scratchboard illustrations by award-winning artist Kathleen Edwards. Each month also offers an inspiring article, plus a spell or ritual.

Connect with nature in May, work hummingbird magic in August, and treat yourself to healing balms in September. Astrological data and magical correspondences are also included.

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The Monks of Lilleshall A Ghost Story by Paul John Hodge The beautiful ruins of Lilleshall Abbey sit lonely and unheralded at the end of a farm track, tucked away in an unexpected, sleepy corner of the Shropshire countryside. The decaying walls of the Abbey are shielded from the nearby road by a line of trees and feel distinctly isolated and sheltered from the outside world.

Stand at the centre of this imposing structure and breathe in the atmosphere; touch the cold, lichen-covered walls and journey through time to a darker, less enlightened age.

It was a miserable day to arrive at Lilleshall: the sky was a thick mass of angry cloud; the wind had whipped up and drove channels through the grass way; and the rain was beating heavily, running as fierce torrents across the ancient grey stone. I had parked the car in a neighbouring layby, just in case the approach proved too small and busy; why I don’t know – anyone else would have turned back in this weather. But rain or shine I had made the commitment to visit Lilleshall several days earlier; and as anyone who knows me will testify, once entered into my notebook only death or disaster would see me change my plans.

I walked up and stopped central to one of the the walls; my eyes immediately drawn to the beautiful arches that soared across the distinctive red sandstone wall, rising and falling above huge glassless windows. But it wasn’t enough for me to just see; the desire to run my hands across the centuries was too strong. I clasped the sodden stone, letting the rivulets form rippling pools around my fingers; my breathing quickened and all at once I was overcome by an intense emotion; an indescribable connection; a sense of oneness with the ancient edifice.

The feeling took me aback. I had put the abbey at the very top of my list of places to visit in Shropshire and had high expectations, but nothing like this. Yes, you could say that many of my visits to ancient monuments resulted in something akin to spiritual – no, not spiritual, it was much more subtle than that; more a bridge across time;

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a palpable sense of the religious fervor that must have accompanied the build.

You see, I had always placed importance on leaving a place with more than a set of photographs and notes. I wanted something which could not be expressed in words.

I must have been pressing the walls with considerable force for my fingers had became numb. But it wasn’t a typical pins and needles numb, more a disembodied sensation, almost as if they were no longer my own. I placed my hands in the pockets of my coat and rubbed them back and forth against the fleecy lining attempting to warm them.

Moving away from the wall something caught my attention. Amongst the tiny towers of rock trailing away to my left, foundation stones long since lost and discarded, I was aware of a presence, a body breaking up the light streaming through the archway. Turning slowly on the spot, I could see a motionless shape outlined on the lit patch of grass. A tightening sensation engulfed my throat and my palate dried. Not a sound could be heard apart from the splashing of rain against the abbey stone. Yet I was quite certain a figure was hovering close by, still and silent, listening.

I stared at the shadow with a motionless gaze for what seemed an age, enough time to conclude that it as the outline of a cloaked figure. But why did it hover so? The skin across, my arms and shoulders tightened and prickled; my breathing slowed to a painful draw. And then, suddenly, a

a flood of light obliterated the opaque shape and it was gone; the grass unmasked and returned to green. Again, no sound could be detected but I was certain that the hooded entity was on the move, a short distance behind the wall.

Trembling I sped to the end and clasped the jutting stone. It was an effort to steady my nerves, but I did so, enough to brave moving, to see around to the back of the wall. There, against the dim light I could see a figure clad in brown cloth, hooded, crossing the grass and littered stone, disappearing through a darkened archway. My immediate thought was to leave well alone and exit the grounds – I pictured myself running to the car, slamming the doors and speeding away.

But despite the intensity of the desire to abandon the place, my curiosity was piqued – I invented something earthly and rational to comfort me as I headed to the archway a short distance ahead.

The entrance was shrouded in filmy sheets of rain; little could be seen beyond the soaring arch, just a faint glimmer at the centre of the hollow. I inched into the darkness and waited for my eyes to adjust, questioning my motives for pursuing the figure. A chill enveloped my frame; this was fear in its purest form, restricting my steps along the passage to a slothful and leaden pace. With arms outstretched I slid my palms against the opposing walls and stepped further, shuffling along the passage to the half-light streaking the far end.

The corridor led me out into a large open space, sprinkled with stony mounds and overgrown tufts of grass. The rough rectangle was bordered by fragments of decaying walls, the fabric I’d become accustomed to; but this was a place I immediately recognized. No doubt it was from the book I had read before journeying to Lilleshall but I was suddenly struck with an overwhelming feeling there was something dreadful lurking here. I crossed the expanse and all at once it came to me – this is the Abbot’s Hall; it leads to his chamber.

And that’s when it stated: a violent shifting of the rock beneath my feet; a huge thunderous applause from deep within the earth; followed by sudden silence, a quietening unearthly in nature. My head throbbed and a wave of nausea overcame me. Then it happened again, as angry as the first.

The third came; I lurched forward and ran with urgent stride to the doorway west of the Hall. It was here, in this ghastly chamber that I saw the figure once more.

The corridor led me out into a large open space, sprinkled with stony mounds and overgrown tufts of grass.

The rough rectangle was bordered by fragments of decaying walls, the fabric I’d become accustomed to; but this was a place I immediately recognized. No doubt it was from the book I had read before journeying to Lilleshall but I was suddenly struck with an overwhelming feeling there was something dreadful lurking here. I crossed the expanse and all at once it came to me – this is the Abbot’s Hall; it leads to his chamber.

And that’s when it stated: a violent shifting of the rock beneath my feet; a huge thunderous applause from deep within the earth; followed by sudden silence, a quietening unearthly in nature. My head throbbed and a wave of nausea overcame me. Then it happened again, as angry as the first.

The third came; I lurched forward and ran with urgent stride to the doorway west of the Hall. It was here, in this ghastly chamber that I saw the figure once more. Without thinking I threw my weight at the kneeling assassin, throwing him off balance, crushing his frame into the ground. The cloaked figure twitched and spasmed, tossing his head to one side. With slipped hood I could see the face, tight grey needle-thin skin stretched over bruised bone, slipping into darkness. Was this death?

And no longer the other at its side; vanished without trace.

I left the scene and stumbled through arch and passageway back to the car, knowing that what I had seen was of the past; a ripple of evil reaching forth through time. In some way it felt like my past, but beyond that suspicion I did not understand.

My story is told, and ends with this: A week after the abomination, I returned to the book that had started this journey. I probed further and here in the final chapter was an epiphany: a decade old excavation beneath the Abbot’s chamber had revealed an unmarked grave. It was old bones laid in a shallow hole near to where a private altar would have been. All attempts to identify the victim had failed; as too the cause of its demise. Only one expert had offered a suggestion, but strangling was never confirmed.

Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/poems_more.htm#4usz9okxUtKL2l3v.99

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SO YOU WANT TO BE A CRONE!!

For a thousand years or more women have been known as the Tribal Wise Woman, the Sage, or the Hag. We have been around for as long as there have been family communities.

We are as old and ancient as we are new. We are the Knowledge Keepers, the Teachers, the Medicine Women, the Shaman, Grandmother, Death Bringer. And as long as there are human communities, we will be here.

Many of us pass into this phase of life with little or no recognition. Often we are unaware that this transition takes place and many of our Sisters are reluctant to admit entering this final phase of their lifetime. Should you live to menopause, you will have survived to the stage of the Crone. And it is glorious!!

Being a Crone and being witnessed as a Crone, carries many responsibilities which many women do not wish to carry. At this time we face a crossroads in our lives and must choose either to live and accept and love what life brings us or fight the body and minds transition into our elder years. If you are not ready to accept the responsibilities of a Crone, then being a Crone is not the path for you.

As an acknowledged Crone your life expands and you must lose the ego drive you've relied on so long. You are opening to the Earth's full energy base of the unconscious. You allow yourself to become the instrument of the Goddess and you live out your soul and all it has to give to those around you.

You resign to love all and to help all, no longer seeking recognition for your good (and not so good) works. You are often called upon to (help) put bad situations right and usually must break the news to those requesting your help that there is only so much that can be done. Your masculine side begins to develop and you begin to see situations in a much different way than ever before. You mellow, you strengthen, you hold your anger more and better and use it when it is to your benefit and advantage. You open yourself to love less frequently but more profoundly. A few deep steady relationships are far more important to you now than lots and lots of individuals buzzing around you. This is what being a Crone is. Not all Crones are called upon to be teachers or healers or instruments of the Great Passing Over, but one thing we all have in common is that we are observant to our families, our friends, our communities and

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our highest Deity. Particularly to our Deity as she has the final say in our lives.

Yes, for more than a thousand years there has been a Crone and, pray to the Great Goddess, there will be for a thousand more!

Pagans are not the only Path that recognizes a woman who reaches her later years. Catholic Nuns, as well as the women of the Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim faiths along with most Native American, African tribes and the Australian Aboriginal all recognize the importance of the elder woman. Some have full ceremonies while others do nothing more than sit and discuss the responsibilities of a woman at "the" age.

As Wiccans, Witches and Pagans many Crones are fortunate enough to go through a "Croning Ceremony" of one kind or another. There are many examples on the internet from very dowdy and dark rituals attempting to relive what may have been performed by the Ancients to very up-beat, glitzy celebration parties that simply acknowledge a woman's reaching a certain age. These ceremonies/celebrations may be carried out by a coven, a Circle of Sisters, a close group of friends or even on your own. This ritual is an acknowledgement of a woman's accomplishments and her personal fledging into a whole new life. Keep in mind this is also a rededication of your life to the Great Goddess/Deity.

I've been fortunate enough to have conducted a few ceremonies and I do enjoy doing them but I know that many women have no one to perform such a celebration. We have decided that we'll give you a simple guide so you may write one for yourself or even with a couple of friends. You can tweak it to make it more Witchy or Wiccan or gentle it down to do with your best girlfriend who happens NOT to be of your path but you both would like to celebrate this important time of your lives together.

THE CRONING or THE CELEBRATION OF PASSING THROUGH MENOPAUSE TO THE OTHER SIDE Remember throughout this ceremony, THIS IS YOUR CELEBRATION! What others have done has been for them.

This one is for you (and your friend or friends if you so desire!). You will want candles, stones, flowers, feathers, incense, music, fire, and whatever else makes you feel WONDERFUL!!!

PLANNING I. THE CELEBRATORY MEAL. I suggest something light (soup, cheese and crackers, veggie plate. Something along this line.)

I feel it's best to eat a little something before you begin your ceremony because you or your guests may be diabetic or have other reasons to eat before a celebration where a lot of energy will be present. You don't want anyone, particularly yourself, passing out half way through. I know there are some individuals who say NEVER, EVER to eat PRIOR TO ritual, but I've found that if I don't I become very ill about half way

II. MUSIC. Select any music that you feel is suitable and makes you feel really good. This might be relaxation music from your favorite meditation cd or maybe something off YouTube. I particularly like "Crystal" by Stevie Nicks from the soundtrack of "Practical Magic". (I do cry when I hear this song so I always wait until the end when everyone is already crying to play it). Play whatever you like, whenever you like as long as it makes you feel wonderful about yourself and what you've accomplished.

III. INVOCATION. Now it's time to write. Your invocation should be a poem, song or even something as simple as lighting your candles and incense and asking the Goddess/Deity to come and celebrate with you. Often the "Charge of the Crone" is used (just Google it and you'll find a few different versions). Or something simple you've found on Face Book. Years ago I wrote: "Around the Circle, The Circle Round, Gathered by an outside band.

The sky above, The earth below, And as I will it, it is so.

So Mote it Be".

The following is from Carol Bialock: "The mother drum is like a bird in flight, leading the flock, She calls on our ancestors and elders to be present, And future generations as well. The drum beat is the beat of the Earth-Mother's heart. We are led back in time when our ancestors felt Their way into wisdom together by simply keeping the beat..."

If you want to do something more up-beat, then do it!!

Make it fun and happy if you like. Remember, this is all for you!!!

IV. ACTION OF THE RITUAL. This deals with the reason why you are preforming this ceremony. In your own words (I do suggest writing them down which will make it easier to follow if you will have guests and you'll say everything you want to say) why do you now feel it's time for you to step into this NEW LIFE. You may want to acknowledge your marriage (if there was one), the raising of any children (and grandchildren), your college degree or your career (for many of us by the time we Crone we've had a few different careers that have taught us much). Have you or are you caring for your parents or other family members in their old age. This is an important part of becoming a Crone (being both child and care provider at the same time). Even if you have provided care of others who have or are aging, you are seeing a part of life that often is ignored in our society until it is too late.

You have much to give and much to pass on to the next generation. Now is the PERFECT TIME to acknowledge it within yourself.

If you like incense or Saging, this is a really good time to "cleanse" yourself with smoke. If you are preforming your ritual outdoors or in front of a fireplace you can toss

fragrant spices and herbs onto the fire and "twirl" in the rising smoke. This is a very symbolic cleansing. CAUTION: Be certain you ARE NOT allergic to any of the ingredients. Also DO NOT do this around birds, dogs, cats or any other pets as they become very ill or die from the smoke!!!

If you are unable to perform your ritual in front of an open fire then gather several candles together on your altar or table. I like using multi-wicked candles (the big round 3- or 4-wicked candles) to simulate a bonfire!! Several tea candles or votives will give the same effect.

And yes, if you commonly light a Goddess/Deity candle and corners/element candles all means, light them for this ceremony with all the words you normally say when you do.

IV. POSITIVE AFFERMATION/REAFFERMATION. At this point, you will wish to tell the Goddess (and the gathering of your friends) how much becoming a Crone means to you AND what you are willing to give back into the community/universe. This is important as this becomes your pact with the Goddess/your Deity and yourself to what you will be doing in your NEW LIFE. (Making a promise to oneself is harder to break than a promise to another person.) This is the perfect time to read a poem the talks about promises.

You may have chosen a new name for yourself, a ritual name that may be only for the ears of the Goddess or you may wish to tell all, this is totally up to you.

You may choose to anoint yourself (usually upon the forehead) with a dab of special oil. This could be something you've made yourself or something you've purchased. I really like using either Amber or Musk for this but use what you really like (after all, this is very close to your nose and you'll be smelling of it for a while!).

If you are playing music, perhaps you'd like to dance around your fire or your altar or through the center of your room. If you don't feel like it, that's cool too! Celebrate this passage.

This is a time of recommitment to the Great Goddess/Deity and you need to feel really good about it!

V. CROWNING/CAPING/VEILING. Now it's time to place upon your head a crown, cornet or circlet if you have one OR a new cape or cloak if you have one OR a veil if you have one. YOU DO NOT NEED ALL THREE!!! Just one is sufficient. It is a symbol of what you have done, what you have promised to do and, in general, a keepsake of the ceremony you are now preforming.

I like to give veils as gifts when I "Crone" someone new. These are usually of light materials (nylon chiffon or a very, very light knit of some kind). To give it extra special energy, you can sew small seed beads around the edges or some sort of drops on the corners to give it a little extra weight.

Capes or cloaks are fun and easy to make. A friend of mine recently made a beautiful shawl/cape from a really large crocheted table cloth she found at a thrift store by folding it in half and wove variegated yarns back and forth through several of the holes, stabilizing the "cape". It is beautiful and relative inexpensive to make. If you have an old table cloth from a mother, grandmother or family member, what a lovely way to bring them into your ceremony.

A crown (tiara) or cornet is something you may have been given at some time or purchased. A circlet can easily be made from

57

from ribbons or wire and placed on your head. It should fit snuggly but not overly tightly. You could hang trinkets, flowers, leaves, etc. from it. These should be things that have meaning to you. Mine is crocheted copper wire with seed beads in the loops. On the front I've hung around Moonstone. You can even make a wreath of natural materials (thin limbs, twigs, leaves and flowers) that will work perfectly and match the season of your ceremony beautifully. If it looks nice, fits your head and is comfortable, IT'S PERFECT. VI. PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING. This can be as simple as thanking the Great Goddess by saying "Thank you for being here with me!" or you can find a beautiful poem of Thanks.

Again, it's all up to you. As I've said, I like simple as long as it's truly heartfelt.

VII. OPEN YOUR CIRCLE AND RELEASE. Thank the Goddess for joining you in your ceremony and if you have called in any elements, spirits, guides, etc., be sure to thank them and release all entities that came to your circle back into the Universe. Announce your circle/ritual is over. We use: "Our Circle is open but unbroken.

May the love of the Goddess be forever in our hearts.

Merry meet, Merry part, and Merry meet again!

So Mote It Be!" This has been our ending for our Gatherings, Ceremonies, Celebrations, etc., since we began. You can change the "We" to "My" and it will work just as well (I use it all the time!).

VIII. DESSERT. It's now time to go eat that dessert!! I would say that you may wish to eat a small piece of cheese or some other protein as it will help to ground you after this ceremony.

AND THAT'S IT!! I know it sounds like a lot but honestly is you take each step, write or do what it says, the actually length of your ceremony can easily be no more than five (5) minutes or as long as 30 minutes. That's all up to you.

Now, should you get stuck or have any questions, the Old Crone IS here to help you. Just send me your questions to jmailto:janie_bass@yahoo.com and I'll do my best to help you. I'm here most of the time and usually have an answer for everything.

Many Blessings upon you And may your Croning be as beautiful as you are!

Janie Bass, Certified Crone (CC)

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Hear the words of the Grandmother of Time: She who has been known as Hecate, Erishkagel, Cerridwen, Kali-Ma, Anna, Perenna, Spider Woman, and many other names - some feared, and some loved, but none ever ignored.

She it is who brings wisdom and the awareness of eternity.

She has been the Maiden, and remembers that joy.

She has been the Mother, and recalls that pleasure.

But age has changed her, and taught her the mysteries of the Wheel that is ever turning, the Wheel that is life, death, and rebirth.

She is the whirling tornado, the erupting volcano, the rising tidal wave, the trembling of the earth’s crust.

With age comes an understanding of the past, and a glimpse of the future.

For, in the turning of the Wheel, the past is the future, and the future is the past.

She is the Learned One, the Teacher, the Bringer of Inevitable Change.

She is the Dark of the Moon, the Hidden One, the invisible unknown that lies ahead.

But do not fear her for she is not malicious, and her touch, however harsh, is love.

Only in ignorance is she scorned and reviled.

Those who do not know her, parody her as the ugly old woman whose powers were said to blight crops and sour the milk in the cow.

It is fear that turns her age into abomination, her wrinkles into hideous deformity, and her voice into an evil and manipulative cackle.

For those who sought power over the earth were afraid to face her wisdom and her unalterable truth.

But in the old days, we sat at her feet to learn the most ancient lore.

From her came the knowledge of the healing herbs, and the chants and songs that shaped our lives.

She sat in honour at our councils, our marketplaces, in our homes.

She governed our governing, and interpreted our laws.

She gave focus to our changing seasons.

She was our teacher, our oracle, our promise of rebirth.

Come, honour her as of old, listen now to the words of Wise One, the ancient Seer, the Crone!

Dear Gertrude, Last Fall I went through a very bad break-up with a man whom I had been involved with for over 10 years. We weren't married but our relationship was that involved in each others lives. I knew that I loved him but we just seemed to bring out the worst in each other and this situation just kept getting progressively more serious.

Since the break-up I've been seeing another man, on the surface, seems very well suited for me, a perfect fit, so to speak. There is no drama (except for my continuing struggle with the ex) and I'm just beginning to realize that in this new relationship, I feel that, for the first time as an adult, I'm finally able to control my own life, what I do, think and say.

One of my problems is that I've found a particular problem within myself that I can't seem to let go of.

I'm planning on a big move across country with my new boyfriend and even though all my friends seem to think this is a really good thing and that I shouldn't go back to my ex under any circumstances, I think that I may still be in love with my ex.

I feel that because of all we've been through and since I know him so well, better than anyone else, I should go back to him and try to help him. I don't think my ex will ever be totally out of my life and in actual fact I don't want him gone even though my friends and family all feel our relationship is extremely unhealthy.

I just don't know what to do. Can you help me, please.

Sincerely, Torn Between Two Lovers Dear Torn, In reading your letter, it sounds like you have already made up your mind. I understand why you are leaning the way you are but since you didn't tell me under what circumstances you broke up with your ex, it's very difficult for me to be of much assistance.

Was you ex cruel to you, did he beat you, starve you, abuse you in any way. If the answer to any of these yes, then, for your own sake, life and survival, I would say an emphatic NO!! DON'T RETURN TO HIM! (This is not the Witch in me, it is the Woman.) To go back, you could be risking your life and that should never be an issue. If, however, we are just talking about verbal disagreements, this behavior is often just a part of individual growth. However, I don't think this is the case as I'm picking up very negative energies about him from what you've written me.

You didn't say if there were any children from this relationship. If there is, you are indeed tied to him for as long as the children are under the age of 18. This is unfortunate but true as there will be child support payments

as well as parent-child visitations at what rates the state courts will decide.

There is one other person in this triangle to speak of, your new friend and whether or not you should move across country with him.

Two things I recommed at this point (You might wish to ask the Goddess or your favorite Deity for assistance with these next two steps).

STEP 1) For each man, make two lists. One for all the man's good/healthy points and the second for all the man's bad/unhealthy points. Be brutally honest on these lists; no dreaming, no stretching the truth or wishing. If you have been completely honest with what you've written down for each man (as we are encouraged to be as Wiccans and Witches), you should begin to see patterns in each man's behavior toward you, himself and others. Remember, bad or brutal persons rarely get better no matter how much help they say they want or are given. Individuals who are basically good mostly retain that goodness through the years regardless of how difficult life becomes.

If, after making lists for each man, you have still not made a decision, find a quiet time and a quiet place (no TV or interruptions), to do a little candle magick/meditation. Turn down/off all the electric lights in the room, place a comfortable chair in the center of the room, place a candle on a table in front or you, and light it. Now sit in the chair and look into the flame.

Your focus should be only on the flame. Consider each man individually, first all the bad things you've written down and then the good. Visualize each item, each behavior he has exhibited.

Take your time and place yourself in each situation with each man in turn. If, at the end of this visualization, you are still unclear as to what you want to do, preform this exercise again.

Call again to the Great Goddess/your Deity to speak to you.

Listen to her voice as well as that of your higher self.

Eventually your answer will come. You may not like the answer as both answers may be "NO". If so, end each relationship and move on. I know that's easier said than done but I do feel that time on your own, out of any romantic relationship would give you a chance for you to get to know yourself better and learn to love and care for yourself a way that only YOU can do.

I hope this has been of some help. Love Relationships can be very tricky at best and blindly following one's heart usually causes a basket full of problems. It's best to step back and honestly consider the pros and cons or good and bad before making potentially life-altering decisions that can not be easily corrected.

Much Love and Many Blessings Gertrude Moon, CC

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Solitary Samhain Ritual

http://thewiccalife.blogspot.com/2010/10/solitary-samhain-ritual.html Posted by Lady Caer Morganna

Traditionally include acorns which symbolize the God, apples which symbolize the Goddess - often used as decorations are fall leaves, gourds and bare twigs           

A photograph of a loved one who has passed on 1 tall gold candle (for God) 1 tall silver candle (for Goddess) 1 pink votive candle Sage incense to burn in cauldron Any black colored gemstone such as obsidian , smoky quartz or onyx Cup of salt Bowl of water Chalice of wine or juice Wand and athame Perhaps a personal memento of the loved one could be worn such as a piece of jewelry

Cast the circle and call the corners but do not light the corner candles yet. Then begin to invoke the Goddess and God: (Invocation of the God) – (while lighting the GOLD candle): “I now do call upon the eternal God in the ancient way, as Lord of the Sun and consort to the Lady - who will in this season pass into the Summerland. Send Thy spirit forth so that we, your children, may feel your light within us all. As it is willed, so mote it be!”

(Invocation of the Goddess) – (while lighting the SILVER candle): “I now do call upon the eternal Goddess in the Ancient way, as Crone Mother and consort to the Lord, bringer of death and giver of life. Send Thy spirit forth so that we, your children, may feel your life within us all. As it is willed, so mote it be!”

(Then kneel in front of the altar and say) “The Wheel of the Year turns on and on, bringing us to and from each season.

What will be is, what was will be. All time is here and now inside this sacred space. I pause briefly now to watch the Wheel turn as I honor this sacred season of Samhain – a time to honor the memory of those who have passed and have gone from this physical world. In this moment between time, I come to praise the wise Crone Goddess and her beloved consort, the God, who is soon to pass into the Summerland – opening the veil which makes this world and the world of spirit thin.”

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(Take the cauldron or incense burner and hold it upward while saying) “As I smell this incense, symbol of air, may I feel myself gaining strength and power.”

(Then light the corner candles while saying) “As I watch these candles burn, symbol of fire, may I recall how the fires built by my ancestors nurtured and protected them.”

(Hold the bowl of salt upward while saying) – “As I touch this salt, symbol of earth, I ask the Ancient Ones to protect and heal the Earth on which we live.”

(Anoint yourself with the cup of water while saying) – “As I anoint myself with this water, symbol of water, may it serve to cleanse my body and spirit of all negativity, illness and weariness of heart.”

(Take the Chalice of wine or juice from the altar and drink from it while saying) – “Blessed Lady Goddess, as I drink from this chalice, I humbly ask that you fill me with your essence. Blessed be the Lady!”

(Take the athame from the altar and raise it upward while saying) – “Blessed Lord God, I humbly ask your presence at my circle tonight as I honor you at this season. Blessed be the Lord!”

“Tonight is a night of death when our beloved God passes into the Summerland as the season of summer dies with him. But tonight is also as night of life as our wise Crone Goddess sees us through the ever-darkening season to life renewed – when our Lord God is born again at Yule.”

(Pick up the God & Goddess candles and unite the flames while saying) – “Tonight Goddess and God are a part of two separate worlds. They are for a brief time separated from one another.”

(Remove candle flames from one another and extinguish the God candle, symbolizing death. Then place both candles back on the altar, saying) – “Farewell Blessed Lord. Safe be your journey into the Summerland. Wise Crone Goddess, may the loving comfort of your people ease your sorrow.”

(Light the PINK candle and say) – “As our beloved Lord passes through the veil which separates this world from the world of spirit, that veil is for a brief moment cast aside. Those who have already passed over may wish to seek their loved ones once again.”

(Take a few moments to honor your loved one(s). Divination may also be done at this time, if you so wish. When finished, extinguish the pink candle while saying) – “Merry part and may you return to your area in peace – taking with you my love.”

(Close ritual and open the circle by thanking the Ancient Ones and giving back to the Earth afterwards) – “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 ever together – For we are one in the spirit of our Goddess and God; Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again – Blessed be!”

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Welcome to Blackcats Jewellery.

Where the word of beauty melts with the world of Pagan mystery.

Each piece of Jewellry is hand crafted in Australia to provide our customers with the most unique and beautiful Jewellry available. With something for everyone your choices are endless. Here you will find pendants, necklaces’, bracelets’, sun catchers, earrings and much more.

Visit me on Facebook @ Blackcats jewellery to see the collections I have "Albums" in my "photos" of all my goodies. (LINK PROVIDED BELOW) They are separated in categories: necklaces, silver toned earrings, bracelets etc. . . . Just click on the category and browse, if you see something you like, click on the picture. You can then comment "SOLD”. I will contact you with details (mailing and PayPal email).

It's that easy http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackcats-jewellery/466309883386768?ref=hl&sk=photos_album Chain Bracelet (made to measure)

$10.00+ $3.50 airmail ($3 Aus.)

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$15.00+ $3.50 airmail ($3 Aus)

$10.00+ $3.50 airmail ($3 Aus.)

HERE YE! HERE YE! 2013 Spokane Renaissance Faire DATES: Oct 5th Oct 6th Location: Back of the Bluff at Green Bluff, WA 20424 N. Dunn Rd. Colbert, WA 99005

The year is 1545, and Good King Hal (Henry VIII) is unable to attend this year's tourney of the Golden Apple held in the outskirts of Southampton, England.

On behalf of His Majesty's request, the benevolent Duchess Elizabeth Cromwell has graciously invited Nobles from all over Europe to her estate for the tournament. She has requested her loyal subjects to help her create a welcoming market with wares from the local farmsteads to help feed her guests, garments from her tailors to clothe them, and of course, actors, minstrels, dancers and storytellers from all over England to entertain them all.

During the event our International Court of Nobles will compete in various events such as a jousting tournament, skill at arms, bocce ball, dancing and much more!

Hours of Operation: Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It is our intention to be part of a large community of citizens supporting local area artisans, farmers & growers, entertainers and other charitable and non-profit organizations. For more information regarding the area, please visit www.greenbluffgrowers.com

•Faire Director- Monique Tarkington •Entertainment Director - Rachael Evans •Vendor Manager - Monique Tarkington •Cast Director- Tara Mickschl •Site Manager - Terri Garpestad •Volunteer Manager - Larkin Mullin •Business Manager - Phaedra Jarrett •Equine Manager - Melissa Garza •First Aid/Security - Bill Howard •Combat Corps - Brian Rempel •Jousting Team- Alex Mickschl •Pooper Scooper - Yay Mica!

2013 ADMISSION PRICING $10 per Adult (age 18+) $5 per child (6-17) 5 yrs & younger FREE $8 per Senior, Student (age 18+) (Student ID required) FREE Admit to our Active Duty & Retired Military (ID Required) FREE Admit to all Scouts (Boy & Girl, Cub, Brownies etc.)who wear their uniform! $25 Family Pass per day or $40 for weekend (Family of 4 including 2 adults/2 children ages 6-17) $15 Weekend Pass per individual adult

Group Rates:

For groups of 15 or more, including adults and children, we offer a discounted rate of: $8 per adult (18+) $3 per child (6-17) in the group $6 per Senior over 62 years old in the group Those that get in for free such as our active and retired military and children 5 & under will not count as part of the group.

Marketplace Vendors: Renaissance NLB - Renaissance costumes and accessories, Fairy Bliss - Fairy wings, wands, earwings and fairy-ish items.

Wasson's Whimziez - Natural stone beaded jewelry Mindee's - Unique jewelry with natural stones, crystals, glass Celtic Moonlighting - Renaissance, Celtic and fantasy clothing and jewelry.

D's Beads - Custom and ready-made metal stamped jewelry.

Wild Angel FX Make-up - Face painting in the Glenn Quinn and Bloom Imports – Horn clips, trinkets and other fancy treasures!

Cat Glass – Stained glass, sun catchers, mirrors, boxes.

D & D Chain Maille Creations – Chain Maille jewelry, headpieces,

Ear Cuffs by Craig Candelaria – ear cuffs and assorted jewelry Firefox Fashion - The Renaissance Dream clothier Antler & Herb Inc - Fine tooled leather, handmade soaps Don Lewis Designs – wooden tankards, steins, cups, Divine Suds - Handmade soap & bath products Golden Peacock Cornecopia Manic Moon-Fine art and wearables by local artists Autumn's Apothecary - Soaps, lotions for the body Uncles Games Spokane Civic Theatre (Costume Rental) Kylie Shelton (Photography)

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Dearest Reader and Children, Welcome, welcome into my Autumn home. I'm busy preparing for the onset of Autumn and Samhain and I'm so very happy to see you all!

How many of you have noticed a distinct shift in the Spirit World of late? I began feeling the change about a month ago and every day the Veil seems to be getting thinner and thinner.

Perhaps it's because I'm older than many of you and, thus, closer to that time of my life or perhaps it's because this is my very favorite time of year. I always enjoy feeling the Spirits come and go as I watch the leaves and grasses around my home change color. Ah, Autumn!~ This is the time of year when my home seems to become fairly clogged with Spirits passing in and out, stopping by for a chat or a cup of something. Often these individuals have not been called in but just drop by. I enjoy their company BUT I don't allow them to stay around long as they can cause problems. I hope you all took a few moments to read last month's article about holding onto ghosts. They can be frightfully problem if they insist on staying and with the veil becoming thinner, it doesn't take very long until your house is completely full and you are drained of all energies. My advice, make a little polite talk, a cup of tea and a cookie and move them along!!! There are several websites that tell you how to do this. The directions on the Elemental Magick website are particularly good and easy to follow. If you have any problems, please contact me through this magazine and I'll help you.

If you have had little or no experience with the Spirit world, I would say this is NOT the time of year to do so. Ouija or Talking Boards and Séance’s tend to call in all sorts of unwanted specters at this time of year. Many can be very, very dangerous and most difficult to get rid of. Best to leave these practices until January when the Veil becomes thicker and safer. If you haven't been studying how to use boards or preform séances, PLEASE study BEFORE preforming these as they are very strong magick indeed. There are safe ways to use them and there are some very dangerous ways. It's best to leave them alone for now until things in the spirit world settle down. If you need a reminder as to what nasty spirits can do, watch "Practical Magic" a few times! I can't think of a better reminder as to how necessary it is to study, learn and know what you are doing PRIOR to doing it.

Now, something you may wish to do here at the beginning of October to help keep negative energies out of your home. It's the perfect time to do a little "Salt Sprinkling"!!

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All thresholds of doors and windows that open to the outside should be swept well, washed down with vinegar (or lemon juice) and salt water and sprinkled with a fine sea salt or Epsom Salts (Epsom Salts will not kill vegetation such as grass or trees around entrances to your home). If your entrances are busy and the salt is kicked away, easily blown or tracked in, try putting a strip or two of double sided sticky carpet tape full length across the threshold and sprinkle the salt on it and press it in. The object is for the salt to absorb the negative energies that float through the air or that may be carried in on a visitor or family member. This works well. Sprinkle salt on window sills as well as spirits will sneak in even through the smallest opening.

If you have an extremely busy house hold with the doors opening often, you may also consider placing a nice piece of Obsidian at the doors. This could be a sphere, and egg, a slab or even just a stone. A really easy and inconspicuous item to use would be a few Obsidian bead strung on a ribbon or cord and attached to your door frames above child and pet levels. I swear by mine! After placing Obsidian at my doors I only receive good spirits into my home. I really like this method as Obsidian is self-cleansing and doesn't blow away!!!

OH YES!! If you live in an apartment complex you may want to draw your protection signal on your outside doors and window glass. Do this with salt water. After cleaning the inside of your windows and your doors, dip your prominent index finger into salt water and draw your protection signal on them all; front door, back door, sliding doors, patio sliders, and ALL YOUR WINDOWS! This will help cut down negativity from your apartment neighbors as well as slowing spooky actions from playful spirits. Since we are coming into the holiday season, this would be a really good practice to do every 28 days just to keep things happy and workable in your home.

Some of you are probably wishing for some guidance on Samhain incenses and oils for spells, rituals and candles. Well, let see what I can find that will be of help for you.

Now will be these are very basic oil combinations using a carrier oil and a few drops of essential oils (this winter we'll talk about how to make your own essential oils).

You will need a few items such as small glass bottles (do not use plastic), some basic carrier oils. I suggest a good quality olive oil AND almond oil. Olive oil is good for herbal scents mixes and the almond oil is good for spices and for any oils you may wish to wear as olive can be very pungent on the body.

Before using any essential oil mix upon your skin, place just a

very tiny dab of the essential oil on your skin to see if you have any skin or breathing reaction. IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ANY SKIN OR BREATHING ALLERGIES to a particular herb or spice, DO NOT APPLY TO YOUR SKIN!!!

These oils are good for only about six months so don't make a large amount unless you intend on using it every day.

Remember a little dab of oil goes a long way.

You will need only about 1/8 cup of Carrier Oil placed in a small glass bowl to which you will add a few drops of your essence oil. DO NOT STIR, just gently swirl it around within the bowl.

Your oil will be complete and ready to put into your CLEAN AND STERILE SMALL GLASS BOTTLES. CAUTION: DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANY OF THESE MIXTURES AS THEY MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH! OIL RECIPES 1. Altar Oil: 10 drops cinnamon, 10 drops myrrh 2. Anointing Oil: 4 drops lemon, 4 drops lime, 3 drops chamomile 3. Protection Oil: 1 drop amber, 3 drops clove, 3 drops sandalwood 4. Psychic Oil: 2 drops cinnamon, 4 drops lemon, 3 drop nutmeg 5. Samhain Oil: 3 drops frankincense, 2 drops lavender, 3 drops carnation

INCENSE POWDERS OR "THROWS" (Throws are whole or partially crushed incenses that should only be used in active wood fires, primarily in outdoor bonfires or fire pits) Here is a list of ingredients which you can combine to build abilities, energies, and powers: Ash (includes leaves/wood) (also known as Rowan) Aspen Cedar (includes wood, fronds and cones/seedpods) Maple (includes wood and leaves) Pine (includes wood, needles and cones) Walnut (and acorns) Willow (includes wood and leaves) Amber (piece of) Anise Apples (fruit, leaves, wood) Cloves You may also use most any jarred cooking herbs in the same way. I recommend adding/marking the free herbal guide "The Extremely Large Herbal Grimoire" on your computers or handheld screens for quick access when making your incenses and "throws". I've used it at least weekly for the last five years and couldn't do without out it!!

Well, children, our time has come for me to put everything back into the cupboards for another few days. I hope you enjoy our rummage through my cupboards and closets. If there is anything I can help you with, please contact me through this magazine and I'll do my best to help you~!

Many Blessings Gertrude Moon, CC

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It is a time for reflection, a time for us to open up to our inner self and to honor the teachings and traditions of our ancestors. In ancient Celtic belief we had two distinct seasons, one of light and one of dark. Four holy days broke up the year with the onsets of Summer and Winter, further with Midsummer and Midwinter festivals. As we enter into the dark season we are reminded by the turning leaves and the dying sun of our own intrinsic mortality. It is part of our nature to recognize these signs of decay and hibernation as parallels to our own existence. We are born in the spring of life, we grow, thrive, and multiply, and then we age and slow down, finally to die and be reclaimed by the earth for our energy to be recycled, where we will begin the cycle anew.

Many people will celebrate the holidays this winter with little to no knowledge of the historical reason for these celebrations. Western culture today has a plethora of gluttonous feasts during the winter. First, they gorge themselves with sweets on Halloween, then stuff themselves with turkey on Thanksgiving, followed by that masterpiece of materialistic gluttony that is Christmas, a week later they inebriate themselves thoroughly for New Years Eve, and many do not realize that each of these days were instituted for the celebration of community, ancestry, and tradition, not for the voracious over-indulgence that they have become. They all have historical and spiritual significance that has been summarily disintegrated from our collective consciousness. As enlightened Beings we seek to reclaim these histories by learning all we can about our true cultural origins. Let us begin with a brief history of the first day of Winter, Samhain.

Samhain is believed by many scholars to symbolize the Celtic New Year, which offers us a unique perspective about our "beginnings." The ancient Celts started each day with the sunset of the night before.

Their day started with the dying of the sun, just as their year began with shorter days and falling leaves.

The allegory of death being a beginning is apparent in this cultural practice.

The western Christian calendar moved its "All Saint's Day" to November first when Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel in St Peter's Basilica to all the Catholic Saints in the late sixth century. His action fixed the date for this Christian holiday for all dioceses under his purview, and by extension usurped the Pagan holiday as part of his burgeoning edicts regarding the Christianization of all Pagan deities, celebrations, and customs. It was at this time that Samhain became the “evening” of “All Hallows” (“hallowed” meaning “saint”) and this was eventually shortened into “Hallow-e’en” or the modern “Halloween.” All Saints Day was meant to replace Samhain completely, but the Celtic people were not so easy to reform as the missionaries would have liked, and the Druid priests went into hiding to continue their traditions even as the outside Christian world branded them"witches." Druids are to thank for many aspects of this celebration surviving somewhat intact throughout the centuries.

The Christian Church adopted Pagan holidays into their calendar mainly because they could not get the Pagans to stop celebrating them. The old adage "if you can't beat em, join 'em," is somewhat bastardized by their manner of incorporating Pagan beliefs into Christianity with "if you can't beat em, convert 'em."

The subterfuge of co-opting the sacred Pagan days into their own calendar and calling them by a different name allowed them to convert millions over the course of history. Regardless of Christian influence, however, the beginning of November in the Northern Hemisphere has always been and forever will be the time of final harvest, butchering livestock, and preparation for the cold months ahead. Celebrating the turn of the seasons is part of our shared cultural heritage around the world. It is part of human history going back to the time before time.

Samhain is the official beginning of Winter for Pagans, the Dark Half of the Year, whereas Beltane is the beginning of the Light Half of the Year. On the day before Samhain, at sunset, we say goodbye to summer, goodbye to the Old Year, and the day after Samhain we embrace the first day of winter, the New Year.

Because it is a day "between” the old and new years, Samhain is considered to be a most magical time, when the dead walk amongst us and the veil between our world and the ethereal world becomes thin and

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permeable. It is that aspect that we celebrate on this special day, when we can interact with our honored dead, who came before us, who gave us life and knowledge, and entrusted us with their memory and progeny.

This festival was originally celebrated over three days, from October 31st to November 2nd. Ancient Celtic society was extremely structured and demanding. Their feasts were such that every person involved could be released of obligations and boundaries, allowing that orderly society to become a bit chaotic for the sake of remaining peaceful during the rest of the year.

Ancient Celtic wisdom allowed that without a little chaos, we would go mad with boredom. Because the ordinary laws of the land were abolished during the three day feast, people did all manner of silly things. Men and women dressed up in each others clothes, front gates were torn down, and children went knocking on neighbor's doors to beg for treats, just as they still do today.

Spiritual practices during these three days were centered around making contact with the spirits of the dead, who were looked upon as sources of truth and enlightenment, rather than feared as harbingers of doom. Facing and even rejoicing in our mortality is something that has been lost over the centuries, and is a healthy method of interacting with your fellow man and your forgotten lineage. When you prepare for Samhain this year, remember that the spirits being celebrated on this day were not scary creatures who prey upon the fears of the living. Ancestors were honored as the basis for our collected knowledge; as living spirits in the faces of our loved ones who would not be alive today had it not been for those who came before them.

Briefly I would like to touch on that purely American feast of Thanksgiving, which comes next on our Gregorian calendar.

(Different Pope Gregory, this one is Gregory the XIII, who reformed the Julian calendar in 1582.) The modern tradition of Thanksgiving is well-intentioned and meaningful to most American families. It seems almost unfair to remind people of its foul beginnings. The Great Sachem of the Wampanoags was Chief Massasoit, who started this illustrious tradition with honorable intentions. In the early part of the 17th century, plagues of European-borne diseases decimated the Native people, reducing their numbers by around 75%. When the pilgrims came in 1621, Massasoit saw an opportunity to reunite and strengthen his depleted peoples, and signed a treaty of mutual support and protection with the Pilgrims. His people taught the Pilgrims agricultural techniques to help them survive, without which they surely would have perished in the winter months. That fall, he brought a number of his people to Plymouth to enjoy a traditional harvest feast with their new friends. The Wampanoag provided deer, turkey, geese, and ducks, along with eel and shellfish, cornbread, vegetables, fruits, and maple sugar. The "First Thanksgiving" was a bountiful one, based in mutual benefit and harmony among two very different peoples.

It did not take long for Chief Massasoit to become disenchanted with the English. Over the next few years, he battled with the other tribes and with his own illness only to discover repeatedly that the alliance he had forged with the English was no benefit to his people. They hungered incessantly for land, and more and more Wampanoag land was forcibly taken from them. Each time there was an incursion by the colonists, the English courts pronounced the Natives trespassers on their own ancestral

Grounds and created laws to evict them. When Chief Massasoit died in 1661, his son Wamsutta became Chief, but only briefly.

Colonial soldiers were ordered to bring Wamsutta at gunpoint to Plymouth where he immediately became ill and died. The Wampanoags were enraged at this, and Wamsutta's brother, Metacom, (who would later be called King Philip) then became leader. He would lead his people into war against the colonies in 1675 to attempt to preserve their way of life, which was being eradicated by the invaders. He led a brutal war for just about a year before his people were driven back by overwhelming forces, and he was killed at Mount Hope in 1676, effectively ending his campaign against the Colonists.

So in retrospect, although Thanksgiving was conceived within the bonds of friendship, hope, and mutual accord, the Native tradition was usurped by the Puritans, while they proceeded to stamp out of existence the Native beliefs, lands, and culture. It is a tradition that was begun with hope and ended with the massacre of an entire nation. Whole tribes are now extinct, the remaining tribal numbers are minuscule in comparison to before the white man invaded their shores. So celebrate Thanksgiving if you want, but do so with the understanding that it was brought to you by Native traditions, celebrating the harvest which they taught to the people of this country, and for which they died en masse.

There is much to be said about our next Pagan Holy Day, Yule, now known as Christmas. Norse "J贸l" or Yule predates the Christian version of the holiday by thousands of years, and falls on the day of the Winter Solstice. Solstice is the shortest day and the longest night, which means that every day after it the Sun gets more time in the sky. For this reason, the celebration centers around the return of the Sun. The Midwinter feast of our Nordic ancestors typically lasted for twelve days, (the 12 days of Christmas,) but their manner of celebrating varied greatly from region to region. Across Northern Europe the Yuletide ceremonies honored the God Odin, "Master of Ecstasy" and Father to all the Gods. Many rites included the exuberant consumption of intoxicating brews, fierce and joyful singing and dancing, the cherished burning of the yule log, representing the importance of hearth and home, and the feasting of gathered families coupled with the exaltation of ancestors. Food and drink was left out on the tables specifically for the wandering spirits of those who were among the honored dead. (Sort of like leaving a cookie for Santa.)

Christianization of this holiday occurred around the mid-4th century A.D. when the rise of Christianity first took hold in Europe, thanks mostly to Emperor Constantine of Rome. There are many scholars who have studied the historical Jesus, who concur that His birth was most likely in the Spring, not the Winter. The date coincided with the Roman "Natalis Solis Invicti" ("Birth of the Unconquered Sun"), the birth of Mithra, and Saturnalia celebrations. This was also the date the Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice, or "Bruma." All of Europe's Pagan peoples celebrated the rebirth of the Sun during this time, so when Constantine proclaimed the new religion of the empire to be Christianity, he used the rituals already in practice in the inculcation of the Pagans in order to convert them. Constantine was a cruel, ruthless, cunning leader, and enacted many of the Christian edicts that wiped out the ancient Pagan beliefs and customs through the use of financial penalties, torture, and execution for non-obeyance.

He also persecuted other Christians to wipe out competition to his imperialist governmental sect of Judaic Christianity. Over the coming centuries, Christmas was adopted throughout the Western

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world in place of Midwinter, or Yule celebrations. Curiously however, in America, it wasn't until 1870 that Christmas became a federal holiday, because in the early days of this country, the Puritan colonists shunned the Pagan customs of gift-giving and the decorating of trees and considered those customs to be antiChristian.

Virtually every single Christmas tradition is rooted in our Pagan past. Much of the decoration we put up is rooted in Viking custom. For instance, the Christmas ham comes from the sacrifice of a wild boar to the Viking God Frey, God of Fertility and Harvest, to ensure a good growing season. The wreaths we commonly hang up on our doors comes from the Viking Sun Wheel, which was a large four-spoked wheel set ablaze and rolled down a hill to entice the return of the Sun. The Yule Log, which nowadays is usually a fruitcake or nut roll, was originally a real oak log, decorated with holly, yew, and sprigs of fragrant firs, carved with sacred runes, and ceremonially burned during the celebration. A piece of the Yule Log was generally saved to light the next year's fire, kept as protection for the home. Mistletoe has its roots in Nordic and Celtic lore. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that holds its green color throughout the year, and therefore is thought to have magical properties. The Druids would cut mistletoe with a golden sickle from a sacred oak tree, catching it before it hit the ground. They gave it out to the people to hang over their doors for protection against evil. In Norse mythology, Frigg, goddess of marriage and wife to Odin, made all things in the world promise not to hurt her son Baldur. Mistletoe would not take the vow, and Loki tricked Baldur's blind brother Hod into thrusting a spear made of mistletoe straight through his heart.

Baldur "the Invulnerable" was then killed, and Frigg's tears became the berries of the mistletoe. When Baldur was restored to life, Frigg proclaimed the plant to be the symbol of love.

Which is why we kiss under the mistletoe for longevity in our unions.

Finally, Father Christmas or Old Man Winter, and the Christmas tree. Both of these traditions are steeped in Pagan symbolism.

The modern Santa Claus riding his sleigh across the night sky driven by reindeer is commonly believed to have originated from the myths of the Norse God Thor, the son of Odin, who rode his chariot across the sky driven by two white goats, waging a war against the snow and ice. In pre-Christian times, the custom of an elder dressing as Old Man Winter, to be welcomed into the village homes and share in the celebration, was commonly practiced. He would dress in a thick fur cloak, would likely have a long beard, and travel by foot or by horse. Village folk welcomed him symbolically to welcome the Winter itself as part of the Solstice celebration. The gilding of an evergreen tree also predates Christianity by thousands of years. The Vikings, Romans, Druids, even the ancient Egyptians would fill their homes with plants that remained green in the winter to remind them of the Sun's eventual return. The Vikings believed the evergreens symbolized Frigg's indestructible son Baldur, the Romans used firs in their homes to remind themselves that the solstice meant the return of plush fields and green bounty, the Druids decorated their temples with evergreens as symbols of everlasting life. Even the ancient Egyptians used palm fronds to decorate during the winter which for them symbolized the triumph of life over death. The modern Christmas tree as we know it today was invented in Germany around the 16th century. Their Nordic blood remained strong even within the confines of Christian theology, and they

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began the practice of bringing fir trees into their homes to be decorated with shiny tinsel, (also invented in Germany, made of real silver,) baubles, candies, fruits, and of course lights, brought about by Protestant reformer Martin Luther, a German monk, who was said to have first put lighted candles in a tree to show his children what it was like to see the stars sparkling through them at night. From Germany, it filtered into English tradition, and eventually to America in the 1840's with Queen Victoria advertising her tree in the illustrated London Press, inspiring many English-besotted Americans to follow suit.

In the end, it all comes down to the old familiar practice of revering nature. The customs may now be Christianized, but their origins are firmly rooted in the turning of the seasons, the coming and going of the sun, and the planting and harvesting seasons.

Since the advent of agricultural society, our lives have revolved around our sustenance, the food we grow and the animals we tend. Ancient religions have always watched the heavens to predict the seasons, and have always rejoiced at the return of the Sun. There is a pronounced resurgence in Pagan rites and rituals being observed during the winter holidays and throughout the year to honor our ancient beliefs, but if you choose to celebrate any of these holidays with your religious friends, you can be assured that you are all celebrating the same things, even perhaps for different reasons.

Finally, we come to our oldest human tradition, celebrating the New Year. The first recorded New Year's celebration was around the vernal equinox in ancient Mesopotamia over 4,000 years ago.

All over the world the New Year was and still is celebrated at different times. Some cultures, like the Phoenicians and the Egyptians, started their year at the autumnal equinox, some with the vernal equinox, like the Romans and the Persians. The Celts, as we know, welcomed the new year on November first at the end of summer. Modern Chinese New Year is the first day of the first lunar month. and is different every year, because of the lunar cycles, but falls between the end of January and mid-February.

The Jews celebrate Rosh Hashanah in September or October, honoring the 10 days they believe God opened the Book of Life.

Many other cultures observe different days of the Gregorian calendar as New Years Day, for many different reasons. One thing is quite certain though about New Years. It is a celebration of life.

A festival to honor our very existence. Each year that we remain alive to welcome another is a reason to celebrate. It is a visceral, carnal need in our human psyche to cling to life in all its beauty, splendor, and riches. For this reason, it is thought of by most cultures to be unabashedly Pagan. It is the one holiday on our list that has been celebrated in all the cultures of the world throughout all of human history in much the same way as it still is today. With comradery, fire and lights, abundant food and drink, singing, dancing, and staying up all night to welcome the dawn of a new day in a new year.

So the only admonishment I have left to give you about this last gala of the year is that it is indeed a celebration of life, so don't do anything that would cost you yours for the sake of a good time.