Little Witch Fall 2012
Proper Pronunciation? Amulet Making 101 The Evil Eye Samhain Mabon
Magazine
For the Horai, coming to earth in their own proper forms, with clasped hands are dancing the year through its course, I think, and Gaia in her wisdom brings forth for them all the fruits of the year. ‘Tread not on the hyacinth or the rose’ I shall not say to the Horai of the spring-time; for when trodden on they seem sweeter and exhale a sweeter fragrance than the Horai themselves. ‘Walk not on the ploughed fields when soft’ I shall not say to the Horae of the winter-time; for if they are trodden on by the Horai they will produce ear of grain. And the golden-haired Horae yonder are walking on the spikes of the ears, but not so as to break or bend them; nay, they are so light that they do not even sway the stalks. It is charming of you, grape-vines, that ye try to lay hold of the Horai of autumn-tide; for you doubtless love the Horae because they make you fair and wine-sweet.
Philostratus the Elder -Imagines 2. 34
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This Little Witch I
A new autumnal season means a new Little Witch magazine. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited. I’m not sure how the weather was in other parts of the world, but in the Netherlands, the summer was short but enjoyable. The Fall weather has already set in: it’s raining and the days are getting shorter and shorter. The cold is slowly creeping in. It promises to be a cold winter. We’re not there yet, though. First, there is the Fall, in all it’s colorful wonder. I love the fall. I mentioned that before but it’s worth repeating. It’s my favorite of all the seasons. The rain, the rapid changes in nature, the slowing down of time... in the autumn, stress seems far away. This magazine rounds off two years of Little Witch magazine making and it’s time for some evaluation. We will continue making these magazines, but there will be some changes. For one, we are dropping the ‘Visiting’ section in favor of expanding our sto-
rytelling as the feedback to that is overwhelmingly positive. We’re also expanding our ‘Feasts’ section to include the festivals of various Traditions. We want to make a magazine you are excited to read, so this is an open call to anyone who has ideas about the future of Little Witch. What do you want to read? What do you want to see? Is there anything we can change? If so, we are listening. Contact us through contact@littlewitchmagazine. com, our Little Witch magazine Facebook page, or at @Lwmag on Twitter. We are open to all suggestions. Now please, enjoy the magazine. Brightest Blessings, Elani Temperance
In this issue: 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16
The Goodie Bag Book Reviews: ‘The Magic Pica’s’ and ‘De Symboliek van Bomen’ Examining the season The Beauty of the Fall Pagan world The Evil Eye Witchy Things Proper Pronunciation Discussion Where Did the God Go, Revisited The Feasts Mabon and Samhain Merry Meet Starhawk Branching out Recon Traditions Practical Pagan Amulet Making 101 By the firelight The Harvesting of Sif’s Hair Visiting:
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The Goodie Bag
‘The Magic Pica’s’ and ‘De Symboliek van Bomen’ - By Elani Temperance
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nce in a while, you run across something truly inspired. Sarina Star’s magickal children’s book ‘The Magic Pica’s’ is one of those things. The book revolves around the Pica’s, a truly unruly bunch of tiny witches on brooms who have a finite amount of magick but are way more concerned with stealing from their fellow Pica’s, arguing and making messes. But there is one exception: Pica Sonia who is young, but wise. On a day where the Pica’s really seem to go out of their way to make each other’s lives a living hell, Pica Sonia flees the tree she calls home and goes in search of food. In the deep forest, she encounters a magickal being which will change her life--and the lives of all of the Pica’s-forever, because this creature has the ability to grant wishes, and Pica Sonia has a lot of those! Despite the implication that it’s Pica Sonia who will change the fate of the Pica’s, there is a lot more to The Magic Pica’s than
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meets the eye and we’re sure the ending will be a complete surprise to children as well as adults. The book is written for children aged five to ten, but slightly older children as well as anyone with a witchy streak will enjoy the chipper narrative and the beautiful illustrations by Sander van Geelen. To say the artwork is stunning would be an understatement, and the book is a wonderful addition to any witchy collection. The Magic Pica’s is published in both a Dutch and English e-book /iBook (€ 5,99) and a Dutch audio book (€ 7,95). English version not yet planned.
Purchasing Options: E-Book/iBook: NL: http://tiny.cc/eheksters EN: http://tiny.cc/epicas Audio Book: NL: http://tiny.cc/aheksters Autor’s website: http://www.sarinastar.com
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he first book of Abe van der Veen, ‘De Symboliek van Bomen’ (The Symbolic of Trees) came about after extensive nature walks and guided tours. Abe is a known storyteller. He’s pretty famous in The Netherlands. This book focuses on the qualities of trees, as based on the Celtic source material. The book is a wonderful read and is divided into various months, linked to various trees. With this system, it becomes easy to look up some characteristics of yourself, your friends or other loved ones, by which tree you are, as linked to your—or their—birth month. Van der Veen is a true story teller; he has done his research, and you will certainly learn a lot from this book, but it never feels dense. A great read for Dutch tree lovers.
Purchasing Options: http://tiny.cc/symboliek
Examining the season the beauty of the fall - By aurelia bellis
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he growth of the Fall. Usually a time to rest. A time to look at what you have reaped. Yet, you can also look at what is still growing. When you go out for a bike ride or drive, you may stumble upon an orchard. These are filled with apples or pears. With a shine to their skins, they hang on the branch, waiting patiently in the Fall sun before they are plucked. Where the colorful meadows stole the show in Summer, the beautiful heaths are the pride of the autumnal season. They stand in stark contrast to the skies that grow ever darker. Between
the trees, curious toadstools are starting to peek above the ground. All around you, berry bushes hasten to ripen their fruits. Branches hang in deep arches, sighing under the weight of their ripening elderberries which are just about ready to be harvested. They can be eaten or worked into a powerful potion to boost one’s immune system for the cold winter months. Brambles snake towards the the sun, looking for the last rays of powerful sunshine to ripen the juicy blackberries and give them their nice, dark blue, hue. Even the animals are aware of the Fall season. Deer enter their rutting season and the males
fight amongst themselves to determine who is the strongest and deserves to mate first, and with which female. The first birds fly out in V-formation, looking for warmer places to spent the winter time. Hedgehogs and squirrels scour through the fallen leaves in search of nuts, insects and other tasty treats. The hedgehog prepares himself for hibernation, while the squirrel reinforces his nest and builds a couple of spares, just in case. All of this proves that Autumn is a very lively season, although the world seems to be slowing down. It is a time of rest, but it is still very much a time of preparation.
Activities for the fall Find eatable nuts and pick your own apples for a warm apple/ nut pie. Collect fallen leaves and
make a blanket around the plants in your garden for natural isolation during winter time. Make your
own seasonal runes on chestnuts or acorns, or harvest herbs to make a warming fall wine.
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Pagan World The Evil Eye - By Elani Temperance
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ccording to superstition, our anger, envy and spite can result in what is known as the Evil Eye; a curse upon another usually transferred by a look. We might not even intend to harm the other person but we will, regardless. In ancient Hellas (modern day Greece), this occurrence was as real as the sheep that grazed the fields and the slaves that worked the house. Interestingly enough, the belief in the Evil Eye--or ‘bad eye’, as it’s translated into Greek--is still upheld in modern Greece. When you suddenly feel dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous or every muscle in your body starts hurting for no apparent reason, it is most likely that someone wished you ill, either consciously or subconsciously. It is then prudent to think back and find the exact moment the bad eye was given. It could be a compliment given, a present received or it could really be just a glance from across the street. Children and women are
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considered especially susceptible to the bad eye. As for the givers of the bad eye; blue-eyed (or sometimes dark-eyed) people are considered a primary sources of the Evil Eye curse as well as old women. One way to prevent the curse from coming out is to spit on the ground three times after giving a compliment. That way, any jealousy or spite will never reach the person the compliment is paid upon. Back in ancient times, we assume there was actual spit involved but nowadays, it’s customary to imitate the process of spitting and saying ‘phtou’ three times. The Evil Eye may be linked to the ancient belief of spiritual pollution, which was prevalent in many ancient cultures. Spiritual pollution seems to occur simply by existing, by living. It has nothing to do with sin and does not need to be forgiven. In ancient Greece, this pollution was called ‘miasma’. Miasma can occur through hubris and nemesis. Both also seem to be the primary causes
of the transference of the bad eye. Hubris, in this instance, means presumptuous conduct while nemesis is the ill will or indignation (of the Gods or others) which such conduct arouses. The giver of the bad eye is not a bad person, because the bad eye is often not intentionally given. To prevent it, though, it speaks of good manners to refrain from complimenting someone too much or to, at least, keep your eyes from lingering. For countries and cultures where they still believe in the Evil Eye, see the side column on the right hand page. There are ancient ways to test if you have been cursed by the bad eye. The primary method is to take a dish or cup and pour some water into it. Then, you drop a few drops of olive oil into the cup. If the oil floats, you are not cursed; you may simply have a stomach flu. But if the oil dissolves, you have been given the bad eye and you should cleanse yourself of it. In modern day Greece and
Turkey, there are people—usually older women—who know the proper Christian prayers to recite to remove the mark of the bad eye and cast away the misfortune. They are called upon to remove the mark from those affected by it and do so with verve and dedication. Of course, the ancient practice looked a lot different. In Greece Artemis and (presumably) Hekate were prayed to, to remove the bad eye from the inflicted party. The oil-in-water test would still have been used. A common ancient practice seems to have been to spit on the middle finger and then rub the spit onto the forehead of the afflicted. This practice was mostly executed by elderly women upon infants. Interestingly enough there is a Delphic Maxim, an old Hellenic ethical proverb, that reads: ‘Control the eye’. While, in modern times, this would most likely be interpreted in terms of fidelity to your spouse, it could have easily been that, in ancient Greece, this maxim was almost entirely linked to the bad eye
and nemesis. By ‘controlling your eye’, you stopped yourself from checking if the grass was greener at the neighbor’s house and, inadvertently, transferring your greed and/or envy upon them. To this day, you can buy charms and amulets against the Evil Eye on every street corner in Greece and Turkey. These amulets are strong, magical symbols, that look like an eye. The blue disks reflect back the gaze and keep you safe. Blue is, and was, also considered a protective color. These eyes were found on pottery dating back at least two thousand years, showing that the belief is, indeed, very old. The Evil Eye, may be just a myth but witchy types would be wise to heed its warning, regardless. As we operate in a system that believes in the power of the bad eye, it might be prudent to keep your eyes to the ground when you feel the green-eyed monster come upon you. And if you suddenly feel ill, don’t hesitate to whip out the olive oil.
Where? The superstition of the Evil Eye was prevalent in many cultures. Some examples: The Middle East, East and West Africa, Central America, South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe—especially the Mediterranean region—but it has also spread to northern Europe—particularly in the Celtic regions—and the Americas, where it was brought to by European colonists and Middle Eastern immigrants.
Amulets? A talisman to ward off the Evil Eye is called a ‘apotropaic’, which is Greek for ‘prophylactic’ or ‘protective,’. Their purpose is literally to ‘turn away’ the evil. The ‘eye’ talismans are called ‘Nazar’, and consist of concentric blue and white circles.
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Witchy Things
Proper Pronunciation? - By Elani Temperance
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n many magickal Traditions the proper pronunciation of words is incredibly important. Especially in Ceremonial magick—high magick which characterizes itself by long, elaborate, rituals—the proper pronunciation of the ritual texts can make, break, or even completely warp the outcome of a ritual. In this issue, we won’t go into the various names, ritual texts and verses that marks Ceremonial magick, but we will take a look at the terms that are used often— and are often mispronounced— within Neo-Paganism. We’ll kick off with the eight festivals that mark the (Neo-)Wiccan and Witchcraft wheel of the year. Yule, the name of the Midwinter festival, tends to be pronounced correctly: ‘yool’. Imbolc is a lot trickier already. The name comes from the Irish Gaelic. This means that the ‘b’ is very soft, and you don’t pronounce it. As such, Imbolc is pronounced as ‘IM-molk’. Ostara is pronounced almost like
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you write it, with the focus on the second syllable: ‘o-STAHR-uh’. Beltane is another one that often gets mispronounced. A lot. It’s actually pronounced as ‘BELLchen-uh’, although the ‘e’ in ‘bell’ is a bit of a mix between an ‘e’ and an ‘a’ sound. Litha, or Midsummer, is pronounced pretty much like it’s spelled: ‘LEE-tha’. Another one that is very difficult is the Gaelic ‘Lughnasadh. Named after the God Lugh, it is pronounced ‘LOO-nah-sah’. Interestingly, the next one is often mispronounced, although you pronounce it exactly as you write it: Mabon, ‘MA-bon’. Many tend to stick an extra ‘y’ after the ‘ma’, which is not necessary. The last one is Samhain, and there are so many pronunciations for it, we have lost count. Still, there is only one right way, after the Irish Gaelic: ‘SOW-en’. So, those are the festivals. Now how about some tools? The basic Witch tool is the Athame, the double bladed, black hilted ritual knife. The original pronunciation is ‘AH-tha-may’, and this is the standard. The
white hilted, single bladed, work blade of the Witch, the Boline is pronounced ‘Bowl-in’, not ‘bowLINE’. The Besom, the name for the broom used to sweep circles is correctly pronounced ‘BEHsum’. Then a few random ones: deosil is not pronounced with a ‘d’ sound. It’s pronounced as ‘JEH-shil’. Widdershins is easy, though; exactly as you write it: ‘WIDD-ER-shins’. Then there are some language-specific letter pronunciations. The ‘c’ in the Celtic (Gaelic) language is always pronounced as a ‘k’. This means that Cerridwen is pronounced KER-id-when and Cernunnos is pronounced KEER-new-nose. The ‘h’ at the beginning of a Greek word, was not pronounced. Hestia is pronounced ‘æs-TEE’ah’, Hera as ‘EE-ra’. The ‘d’ at the beginning of a Greek word was pronounced as a ‘tee’ sound. Demeter, for example, is pronounced ‘THEE-mee-trah’. Of course, there are many more examples to give, but here is a basic guide. We hope it is helpful.
Discussion
Where did God go; revisited - By Heron Dawning
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his article is meant as a follow-up and to add to the article: ‘Where did God go?” which appeared in the previous magazine. As a man, I was especially delighted with the content of that article. It fitted seamlessly with things i had just recently experienced. Raised by all the books one can find, the internet and your environment, one receives all kinds of small pieces of the puzzle of your own Path. But Difficult it can be to place the male side of the Divine. With the summarized sources combined, the idea can come to be that God plays a small role in the play that centers around the Goddess. In the book ‘Wicca for Men’ a nice example was given; sneeze when within the pagan-community and count the amount of people saying ‘Goddess bless you” and how many ‘God bless you’. Another example are the many altars with beautiful Goddess statuettes. Sadly He is often missing. ‘God’ has almost
become a dirty word, maybe because of the christian-associations. Perhaps this then explains why I and perhaps others truly found him so late. Which of course is a pity! A pity, that is, coming from my perspective, seeing as I know what the male side of the Divine means to me. What God can mean to women I don’t know, but to me he is a father, a mentor and a source of male power. Odd enough I feel Him often too just before I’m going out dancing. Wild dancing, a sort of hunt. Ah, maybe it is not that odd that I feel Him so strongly then... But also in rainy forests, where deer wander through trees it is that I feel him strongly. I have always found the Hunter and the Horned One to be powerful facets of Him. But also when I try to communicate with the Gods I strongly feel a difference in how I am approached. At times I receive a firm spiritual rap over the knuckles from Him and am I confronted with the mirror. The Goddess too lets me reflect on myself, but hands me that mirror
with a soft gesture. However he is not the boogeyman. At other times He lets me see how strong I am and how proud I should be of that strength. The Goddess makes me feel loved, which perhaps when push comes to shove comes down to the same thing, but from a whole different angle. It is a somewhat more firm way, but to me often a more clear way too. This way I receive their messages very dually and I wouldn’t have it any other way. To be handled only in the kind and gentle touch would not work for me, nor would it to conclude every meditation with a difficult confrontation. Still, in the end everyone will experience God and Goddess, male and female very differently. Do you know your male energy? Do you know your God? Whats his place in your life? Heron is an Eclectic and wonderfully stubborn Witch with a deep bond to the God and Goddess. heron.dawning@littlewitchmagazine.com
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The Feasts - By Lunadea
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n Mabon, day and night last equally long. The God of light is defeated by the God of darkness. The latter of the Gods does bring a gift: the last of this year’s harvest. Once more, we thank the generous Earth mother for her kind gifts to us. Mabon is a time of prosperity and celebration. We sacrifice part of the harvest to the Mother
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amhain is better known as the modern American folk festival of Halloween. The two festivals have a lot in common; for one, the veil between the words is thin on this night. The gates to the other world open and the ghosts and nature spirits come into ours. The Celts believed that on this night, the spirits of lost loved
Mabon Goddess and ask her to look upon us kindly in the year to come. This feast also ends the hunt for Lugh; he dies with the last grain harvest. His essence lives on in the seed, however, and from these, next year’s harvest will grow to feed us once more. Another important aspect of Mabon is the remembrance of Mabon celebrations of year’s past. Not only do we look back on the plants and fruits that we
sowed and harvested, but also to the plans and resolutions we ‘sewed’ at the beginning of the year. We are thankful for those as well. We let go of the undesired and make plans for growth spurts in the time to come. Decorate your home or altar with harvested fruits, vegetables and fall leaves. Say thanks for what you have been able to harvest (literally and figuratively) and sacrifice to the Goddess and God.
ones could come to visit. Hilltops in the landscape were lit with flaming torches to repel spirits that meant harm. The ancestors were honored and the pumpkins that are such a well known part of modern day Halloween celebrations, were placed out in front of the house with a candle inside of them to keep harmful spirits out. Even now, candles are lit to protect the house and to light the way for the spirits of loved
ones to find their way home. Often, this day was one of the last days a family could eat fresh vegetables. When winter came, the meals consisted almost solely of pickled or otherwise stored foods. Samhain is a time of death. It is nothing to fear, because death is simply a part of life. Death can be a new beginning, and witches treat it as such; it’s seen as the beginning of the new year.
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Merry Meet Starhawk - By Calandriel an Cuiileur
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he woman known as Starhawk was born on June 17th in 1951 as Miriam Simos, in St. Paul Minnesota, USA. She was raised in the Jewish faith and attended Hebrew study sessions, which she later credited as a large influence on her religious and political ideas. She studied at Antioch University West where she received her Master’s degree in feminist therapy. After receiving her degree, she worked as a psychotherapist till 1986, after which she taught at Antioch west and other colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starhawk had a great influence on feminist spirituality, her view of witchcraft as a “Goddess religion” and the nurturing strength she saw in the traditional Witch helped cause an increased interest in the Neo-Pagan traditions. Her first book The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (1979) was a broad introduction to Wicca but in a
way that was truly feminist while welcoming men. Starhawk had explored the background of Wicca in prehistory comparing Wtchcraft to tribal and shamanistic practices instead of the monotheistic world religions. The book encompassed theology, feminist theory, exercises for the mind, poetry and rituals as well as explaining Starhawk’s three principles: the interconnectedness of everything, that therefore magick should be ethical, and a Goddess religion that re-balances and re-defines maleness and femaleness. Her second book Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics (1982), was about how rituals could be used as an agent of change in society. Her third book, Truth Or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority and Mystery (1987), covered her views on Witchcraft as a psychology of liberation, personal development and political action. In 1988 Starhawk taught at the institute of culture, creation and spirituality in Oakland, California as well as publishing Truth or
Dare (1988). In the 1990’s she continued teaching, at ‘Witch camps’, working for the Pagan awareness organization, ‘ The Covenant of the Goddess’, and published a fictional series The Fifth Sacred Thing (1993), Walking to Mercury (1997) and The Last Wild Witch (2009) though the series is often claimed by others to be largely autobiographical. She continued writing non-fiction as well with the books; Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising (2003); The Earth Path (2004) and The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups (2011). Many of Starhawks publications have been translated into a total of twelve languages and her creative efforts do not stop at books. She has contributed to films and documentaries as well as having participated in the creation of cd’s for meditation and ritual music. Starhawk is currently married to David Miller, and they live in San Francisco.
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Branching Out Recon Traditions - By Elani Temperance
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here are many Pagans under the Pagan umbrella, and many different ways to practice Paganism. (Neo-)Wicca seems the most common one but there are many others, among which the Reconstruction religions, and it are these religions we will discuss today. In general, ‘reconstruction’ is the practice of rebuilding something. This can be a crime-scene, a broken vase or any number of things. In Paganism, Reconstruction means the practice of reviving lost religious, social and practical practices from a specific time period or people. It is not that different from reconstructing a vase, actually. Imagine this; long ago, a potter made a vase. He needed to make one because he had something which needed a holder. He shaped it in a specific form, inspired by his culture and need, and when the shape was done, he decorated it with imagery that was also culturally inspired.
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Somewhere over the years, the vase broke into a dozen pieces. There was no need for that particular vase anymore, so no one put it back together. Now, people need a holder again, and it seems logical to put the original holder back together instead of making a new one, because the first one functioned very well. They realize that in order to put the vase back together, they need to understand the culture and whatever was going on in the head of the potter who made it; without that knowledge, they won’t be able to figure out how the pieces fit together and they can’t restore the imagery without knowing what the potter created in the first place. This is the basic idea of a religious Recon practice; religion was practiced, it got lost and now we try to piece together that ancient practice because we feel a need to revive it and serve the Gods in a way which They are familiar with. In order to do that, we need to look at the whole of the culture in which the religion was practiced.
There are many different forms of Reconstruction. The most well know are Asatru (Germanic), Hellenismos (Greek), Religio Romana (Roman) and Kemeticism (Egyptian), but any religion which is not currently in practice can be reconstructed. Examples of lesser known Reconstruction religions include Semitic Neopaganism (Canaanite) and Mesoamerican Reconstructionism. There is a difference between Reconstruction and polytheism practiced in the same pantheon. Where Reconstructionism actively tries to bring back the old way of honoring the pantheon, polytheists who worship the pantheon, simply choose to worship that pantheon alone. Their practice does not nessesarily change to accommodate the Gods of the pantheon. Reconstruction is a fascinating and often little seen part of Paganism. For those who feel drawn to it, the strong dogma that is inherent withing most Reconstruction practices can be a wonderful addition to your life.
Practical Pagan Amulet Making 101 - By Lunadea
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aking totems, amulets and talismans is an old, witchy, tradition. In the olden days, the people were far more superstitious than modern day men. Science offered fewer explanations and nature was very unpredictable. Fire was fought with fire and so a witchy person was asked to make talismans or amulets. Amulets and talismans are generally worn around a chain, cord or piece of string around the neck, and are made of natural products like wood, stone, bone, herbal pouches, feathers, shells and even pieces of parchment can serve as amulets or talismans. Making charms that offer protection or bring luck is a strictly personal practice; no one besides the owner should touch a talisman or amulet. Once you start delving into the art of making amulets and talismans, you discover that you are practicing a very ancient form of magick.
From the Neolithic down to the Egyptians, the Romans, the Celts, the Indies, Medieval men... all of them made amulets and talismans. The use of amulets and talismans is prevalent even in modern day society. Just think about the horse shoes that hang above the doors of farms. It’s an ancient custom that many farmers still adhere to, although most may not know why. Some may know the horse shoe brings good luck and perhaps they put it up just for that purpose. Just in case. Making talismans and amulets is a simple and creative way to practice witchcraft. Once you start, you come to realize how much the practice will speak to your creativity, because there are endless ways to make these charms. They can be used as a means for a lot of ends. They can be used to attract luck or prosperity, to banish negativity, to draw love to you, to banish those who wish to harm you, to promote health, to banish illness, the list goes on. You can make an
amulet for or against anything. The ways of making these magical charms are also endless. You can make pendants of clay and carve symbols in them, knot cords into bracelets, carry written symbols with you on a piece of paper, make a pouch with items that fit your goal, hang a mobile of branches and feathers in your home, or a stone with a hole in it. You can even make some herbal pouches to leave around the house or take with you, all promoting different positives or banishing different negatives. This is where your creativity kicks in. Making amulets and talismans does require a certain knowledge of symbols, herbs, and other correspondences. Fortunately, books on magickal correspondences exist and you can look most correspondences up on the internet. When you have the skill to combine herbs, symbols and other correspondences, you have a broad scala of options to make amulets and talismans. Enjoy!
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By the firelight
The harvesting of Sif’s Hair - By Ragnild
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here is a figure shrouded in shadows and you cannot see his face. A menacing air emanates from where he sits and you startle when he starts speaking in a low voice. “Let me tell you a tale. Perhaps you have heard it before, perhaps you have not. Before I tell it to you however, I have one question: What do you know about Lady Sif, wife to Thor the Thunderer, and her lovely golden hair?” Your eyes widen in surprise at the question and you think for a moment. Cautiously you give your answer, uncertain why it is that you are talking to this man. “I have heard that the Lady Sif’s hair is golden as wheat ready to be harvested. Mother tells me that it is not the lady’s hair that is the color of wheat, but that it is the wheat that has taken the color of her hair.” You shift in your seat a little as the man’s gaze is upon you . “it is true, though not anymore.
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There was an Aesir who was a jealous and cunning creature. He thought it fun to make the vain Lady Sif a little less vain and so, on a dark night he snuck into Sif’s chambers and cut off her golden locks.” The man sounds smug now. If the Lady’s hair had been cut off, then how did the wheat still mature? “You wish to know why the wheat still grows, do you not? Remain quiet and I shall tell you what transpired.” There is now a faraway look on the other’s face that is barely visible in the darkness of the corner where he sits. You do as he says though, and sit back in your chair, still not able to be quite comfortable. “When the Lady Sif found out in the morning, she cried and ran straight to her husband, Thor. The Thunderer grew furious and was certain that there could only have been one to commit such a vile act.” The man shifts in his own seat a little and leans back further into the shadows, making it impossible to see his features. “Soon they caught the culprit, Loki the Trickster, blood brother
to Thor. The Aesir could not appreciate the jest, for Loki swore it was a jest and Loki had to promise that he would go on a quest to restore the Lady’s golden locks. He journeyed to the realm of Svartalfheim, home of the dwarves.” You hang from the man’s every word, interested even though you should not be. There is something strange about the other but you can’t place it. “The dwarves are master crafters and they are not on good footing with Loki the Trickster or the other Aesir. Loki first visited Ivaldi’s sons, whom he convinced to craft for him in order to gain the favor of Odin, the Allfather. They crafted the Trickster a wig made of the finest strands of spun gold, the ship Skidbladnir which is made of parts of Yggdrasil itself and the spear Gugnir, which is unstoppable when used in combat. These sound like fine gifts, no? They sound as though they surely will grant Ivaldi’s sons the favor of Odin.” You nod, because they do indeed sound like fine gifts and then the other speaks again.
“Loki, being the sly creature that he is, visits the brothers Brokkr and Eitri after this. They have nothing but contempt for the Aesir and he can only get them to craft for him if he gives up his head if their craftsmanship outshines that of Ivaldi’s sons. They craft Loki Gullinbursti, a boar whose bristles and manes glow in the dark, Draupnir, a bracelet which multiplies itself by eight on every ninth night and Mjölnir, the great hammer.”He puts his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands for a moment, as though he is reliving a memory. “Unbeknows to the dwarves, the Liesmith cannot let them win and he sends a fly to terrorize Brokkr at the bellows. While creating Mjölnir, it stings Brokkr in the eye and for just a moment he stops moving to swat at the fly. This is enough for the hammer to come out differently. With the two brothers, Loki returns to Asgard and presents his gifts to Sif, Odin, Freyr and Thor. The Lady’s new hair is as glorious as it was before and the Aesir do indeed appreciate Loki’s gifts. However,
together, they decide that Mjölnir is the most splendid of the items the dwarves have crafted and so Loki must forfeit his head to Brokkr and Eitri. The Trickster tells them that they can have his head if they leave his neck untouched.” Subconsciously you have leaned forward, as you are almost able to see the tale told take place. “The dwarves demanded that the Trickster be stopped from speaking lies again, to which Odin and Thor agreed. This did not sit well with the Liesmith and he ran off, aided by shoes that can walk through air and over water. The dwarves bid Thor to catch the wayward deceiver, which he did with great fervor, then he held Loki down as Brokkr used Eitri’s awl to sew shut Loki’s lips with the thread, Vartari, after which the Trickster disappeared, humiliated.” He looks at you now. “Do not ever lie, child, for it will do nothing but cost you dearly.” And as the man stands up and walks away, you can swear you see scars around his mouth that could only have been made by a stitching awl.
Pagan agenda Activities by the Silver Circle (NL) http://tiny.cc/SilverCircle Activities by the Cirkel van de Godin (NL) http://tiny.cc/CirkelvandeGodin Festivals and fairs (NL) http://tiny.cc/MagicalFeeling
(Your Neopagan schedule or acti-vity here? Contact us!)
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Visiting:
The Largest Festivals - By Elani Temperance
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s a farewell to the ‘Visiting’ column, we’re listing some of the biggest Pagan festivals around the world. Of course, many of the big Pagan festivals are held in America.
More information: Pantheacon: http://pantheacon.com Starwood Festival: http://tiny.cc/starwoodff Summerland Spirit Festival: www.summerlandfest.com Pagan Spirit Gathering: www.circlesanctuary.org/psg Pagan Unity Festival: http://paganunityfestival.org Prometheia: http://tiny.cc/prometheia Pagan Pride UK: www.paganpride.org.uk
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Pantheacon is a good example. Pantheacon is a ‘conference for Pagans, Heathens, Indigenous Non-European and many of diverse beliefs that occurs annually over President’s Day weekend. Well over 2000 people attend more than 200 presentations that range from rituals to workshops and from classes to concerts’, organized in San Jose, California. Even larger is Starwood in Pomeroy, Ohio. The Starwood Festival is ‘the largest Pagan/Magickal/ Consciousness gathering in North America (perhaps the world)’ and it is in it’s 32nd year. Then there is the Summerland Spirit Festival, a ‘nine-day experiential spiritual retreat for followers of a nature-based spiritual path’. It’s a gathering place for activities, rites and rituals, intended to ‘feed you spiritually’. It’s held in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin. The oldest Pagan festival in the USA is Pagan Spirit Gathering. It’s one of the largest Nature Spirituality festivals. It’s been around since 1980, and
‘has been bringing together hundreds of people from the United States and other countries, to create community, celebrate Summer Solstice, and commune with Nature in a sacred environment’. It is sponsored by Circle Sanctuary. Circle Sanctuary is a non-profit Wiccan church which, amongst others, sponsors gatherings. The last of the American festivals is Pagan Unity Festival, a three day family friendly event, held in Tennessee. Presenters this year included: Oberon Zell, Christopher Penczak, Raven Grimassi & Stephanie Taylor, Dorothy Morrison and M. R. Sellars. There are other celebrations, however. The Greek Prometheia festival is held in at the foot of Mount Olympus and is now in it’s 17th year. In the UK, Pagan Pride drew 1400 Pagans this year. This is by no means an exhaustive list. It does, however, indicate that there are a lot of options for Pagans looking to find some nice, big, fully Pagan festivals to visit.
Next in LWM colophon Little Witch magazine was launched in November 2010 as an initiative to bring a personal and universally Neopagan magazine to Neopagans and those interested in the Neopagan paths in both the Dutch and English language. Little Witch magazine intends to be a grounded, modern take on a life with Neopaganism and hopes to inspire and enlighten. Feel free to contact us with any questions, tips, remarks, or to just let us know what you think. CONTACT US AT: www.littlewitchmagazine.com Twitter.com/LWMag Contact@littlewitchmagazine.com
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nd so, the second year of Little Witch magazine draws to a close. There have been a lot of changes over the past few years, but we are looking forward to the third year a lot. Next edition, we’ll have a winter theme again. Amongst others, we’ll be talking about weather magick in Pagan World, the difference between (Neo-)Wicca and Witchcraft in Witchy Things and the Druidry Tradition in Branching Out. We’ll also look at the life of Else Christensen and her contribution
to Asatru, Germanic Reconstruction, in Merry Meet and many other topics of interest. Like we mentioned in the editorial, our story will be longer this time (due to popular demand) and we’ll not focus on the Wheel of Year festivals as much as we used to; instead we’ll highlight the holidays of the various Pagan Traditions that take place in the season. We hope to hear from you about the things you would like to read through the various channels off to the side here. Until then, and have a fantastic autumnal season!
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Elani Temperance (Elani@littlewitchmagazine.com) Art DIRECTION: Elani Temperance ARTWORK: Maaike Kramer (www.maaikekramer.nl) All images copyrighted WRITERS: Calandriel an Cuiileur (Calandriel@littlewitchmagazine.com) Ragnild (Ragnild@littlewitchmagazine.com) Aurelia Bellis (Aurelia@Littlewitchmagazine.com)
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