Pagan Edge Vol. 1 No. 1

plants • cooking • music • art • books • urban paganism • advice • etiquette • sweeping the broom closet

Cleansing, “Our Maiden Issue” January 2010 Volume 1• Issue 1 ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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™• January 2010 • Volume I

Contents

5 Dream Weaving publisher & editor speak 7 News from the Edge meet our staff 8 Urban Shaman

The Art of Modernizing Ancient Techniques

On the Cover detail from: Summoning From Within

by Michael Schaafsma Publisher • Eberhardt, Personal Visions Executive Editor - jess*ca mae 1 • Issue 1 Gregory Proofreading &Volume Copy Editor - Maeve 2010 Layout & Design January - Refraction Creative Services “Cleansing” Our Maiden Issue Website Management - Personal Visions Pagan Edge™ is published monthly Consultants - Maeve Gregory, Dawn Sherwood,

by Personal Visions, admin@paganedge.com and Faelin Wolf Our goal at Pagan Edge is to provide readers a high quality, timely magazine with content relevant to modern pagans’ lifestyle and passions.

Our publication is a lifestyle magazine so while we may publish spells, rituals, and some magick how-to; we aim to focus on ways that pagans, wiccans, earth-basedspiritualists, and those of like mind can incorporate their values and beliefs into their everyday living.

Pagan Edge Magazine & paganedge.com exist solely to offer information to our readers. The publisher, editor, and the entire personnel of Pagan Edge., Pagan Edge Magazine, Personal Visions, Refractions Design and paganedge.com cannot be held responsible for misuse of any information provided. The views expressed in the articles and ads are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect these of Pagan Edge Magazine.

Product descriptions, recipes & any How-to information: While we, and our affiliates, attempt to provide accurate information in the magazine and on the site, we do not warrant that the content on this Site will be accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free. It is your sole responsibility for the use the content of this Magazine or web site. For additional details please see www. paganedge.com

10 The Pagan Edge Book Review 11 Wheel of Happenings Events Calendar 12 Note This! Music Review on Avalon Rising 13 Our Lady’s Counsel advice from Lady Fae 14 Art & Soul highlighting artist Michael Schaafsma 16 Keeping the Edge: Got Any Love Spells? statements like these keep me cleaning my broom closet

18 The Bardic Body

tattoos by Steve“Pharoh” Torrell

19 Plant Vibe Mother Nature, Come On In! 20 Eclectic Cooking Soup’s On! 23 Handecraft making sage bundles 24 Scribe’s Tablet Poetry from our readers 25 Life’s Wit Have you seen my conscience?

27 Fabulous Familiars creature feature 27 PE Classified Volume 1 • Issue 1 January 2010 “Cleansing” Our Maiden Issue Pagan Edge™ is published monthly

by Personal Visions, admin@paganedge.com ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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™• January 2010 • Volume I

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Dream Weaving “So why do you want to start a magazine?” asked my best friend of 26 years as we chatted online.

When he posed this question, I was more than a month into the planning of Pagan Edge’s first issue and it shocked me more than a bit. It was his polite way of saying “What did you just wake up one morning and decide it was a good idea?”

The simple answer is yes. Instead, I said: “My community is one of diversity, almost so much so that it can be hard to find common elements that bind us together.

I dream of highlighting our lifestyle and what a person mature in beliefs, rituals, and craft sometimes just need to be inspired.” My friend did not question my statement because I have always been a dreamer and it was good enough for him. However, for me it started a deeper look in to my own motivations. My personal truth is I envision the Western Pagan lifestyle as becoming the new template for how to live the next 90 years of this century.

There are plenty of people lined up to tell us all about the doom and horror that awaits us and our kin. Even if it is all true it does none of us any good in developing and using the solutions to living in and around inertia of our Great Mother’s dance.

Pagan Edge is going to be centered on the lifestyle both serious and light that can help shape a positive quality of life for anyone. I want to see those of us that live on the “edge” of mainstream culture be the people that provide the solutions for sustainable happy lifestyles. I think we can do this with Pagan Edge because change does start with one person and one act at a time. The more passion each of us finds in living our daily lives, the more positive energy will go into all the hopes and dreams we, and all of the life on this planet, share.

I hope you enjoy our offering of our first issue and I encourage all our readers to be active in feedback, new ideas, and our online community.

Thank you, Eberhardt

publisher & editor speak Greetings!

With faith and perseverance, good things come. In the coldest days of winter, the trees are hard and bare, the earth is frozen, and in Midwest USA a lot of our light comes from the brightness of the white snow blanketing the earth. It is easy to stay indoors and curl up with a good book and a cat on the lap. It is easy to procrastinate the chores one must do as the long nights and short days coax the animal inside to hibernate. I eat more, I sleep more, and on the outside it doesn’t look like a lot is going on. Like the trees bracing again the snowstorms, deep inside me is activity which nurtures my being of existence.

Activity of my dreams and plans for the new year. As the seeds wait for the earth to thaw, wait to break open, push to the sun’s warmth and light, so do the dreams inside each of us wait patiently but persistently for their chance to come forth and manifest.

When I said I wanted to start my own publication some day, I had no idea how quickly the opportunity would arise. When my friend Eberhardt called me up with a business proposal for an online magazine, I had no choice but to accept the gift the Universe granted me.

The powers that be had heard the thoughts and dreams to which I chose to give voice.

Now I return that gift to the Universe by sharing it with you, our readers. Welcome to Pagan Edge™ Magazine! We are very enthusiastic you made your way here, we feel very blessed that we have made our way to you. We have geared our magazine for those earth-based spiritualists “living the life” everyday. That is why we have included recipes and gardening as well as articles on ritual and the holidays. This magazine is for you, so please email me with feedback, critique, suggestions, and anything else that comes to mind.

Blessings, ~jess*ca ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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News from the Edge

meet our staff

Michelle Bond aka “Crowskin”

Faelin Wolf aka “Lady Fae”

writer & artist contributing to our “Urban Shaman” column

V.L.

counseling psychology PhD student • answering our advice column & reviewing books

Dawn Sherwood

musician and composer sharing music and sounds of interest in the pagan lifestyle

landscape artist, horticultural consultant, & writer • providing the lowdown on plant vibes

Maeve Gregory

Wendy Beth

rural Michigan meets California kitchen • a passion for delectables made proper so we know what’s cooking

Brian St. Clair

dancer & accountant showing us her secrets of crafting know-how

Mya Om

an insightful soul sharing with us the curiosities of life’s lessons

while attending Law School, this published author shares uses of magick in our everyday lives

Eberhardt

jess*ca mae

eclectic environmentalist pagan & teacher • as publisher, assuring our publication’s livelihood and timeliness admin@paganedge.com

W. Michigan graphic artist & spiritualist • as executive editor, assuring our publication’s high quality and aesthetic possibility chief-editor@paganedge.com

We Want to Hear It: good, bad, or edgy... Give Us Feedback! Have something to say? email letters@paganedge.com ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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The Art of

the Urban Shaman

by Michelle “Crowskin” Bond

ModernizingAncient Techniques

The good, the bad, and the digitally enhanced Modern magick has foundations based on older forms of energy work. It’s the way we learn and grow. Yet sometimes these foundations become outdated. Older traditions, as useful and needed as they are, can be adapted to times they are practiced in.

We modern pagans find ourselves in the position of needing to update our traditions for this bold new modern tribe by learning to adjust and build new foundations for future generations. Even the most traditional methods, with some common sense and creativity, can be given new life in our modern practices.

As an example, let’s look at one of the methods of divination: scrying. It has been a staple and stereotype of almost every divining art. Just look up fortune telling on Google, and I guarantee you will find crystal ball pictures everywhere.

Instead of a crystal ball, let’s introduce static or computer generated visualizations and suddenly we aren’t limited to simple elements or old fashioned tools but actually using electrical devices to help divine our future. We have a whole new branch of available tools opening up to us: online tarot shufflers, TV static for scrying, and biorhythm calculators. From bowls of water and brass mirrors to picture tubes and cables, our tools have certainly changed quite a bit, but their usefulness doesn’t have to. We don’t need to be afraid of using objects we’ve taken for granted as modern conveniences. We don’t have to be fearful of using them in our practices just as we do not hesitate to use brooms for more than just housework.

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Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) is another scrying instrument that has come into use with the explosion of technology. It was once strange to think about catching spirits’ voices in machines but now everyone can have a cassette recorder in their homes. Along with showcasing the use of EVP recordings in movies and ghost hunting series, we have given a new tool to the public to explore. We’ve opened up a new dimension of spirit communication. Modern ghost hunters use it as proof of their prowess and Hollywood uses it to sell movies, but the common energy worker forgets that our ancestors already knew this could be done. They just didn’t have the availability of resources we do now.

The technique of hearing voices is not a new experience.

Hearing the spirits in a raging fire, in the midst of a waterfall, or even through a pounding drumming session has been done for ages before we had the technology to capture it on audio. Flip on the recorder, ask a few questions and play it back. Our advantage is being able to hear them repeatedly on the rewind whereas the traditional techniques limit us to listen for what we hear first hand... getting only one shot at listening. Does that mean, in this case, the older techniques mean more? No, but it does mean available information and resources easily get overlooked as only having one use. Our world is filled with amazing opportunities to grow and expand our working selves, with even the most common objects.

We cannot escape modern influence in our work, because it is who we are now as a people. It effects us on deep personal levels and therefore needs to be looked at as a modern and powerful influence on us spiritually. Grow, evolve and change or be swallowed up in the evolution around you. It’s how we work with modern tools which will determine whether our work is a positive influence or a negative one, not the tool itself.

There is no clearer proof of this than the world wide web. There is a lot of information on the internet that is complete rubbish but it also can be a fantastic resource as well. There are millions of pages of information flowing around the web like one giant library. Present day occultists barely have to leave their room to marvel at the mysteries of the universe and debate endlessly about one theory or another. I am also among the many energy workers who have an electronic version of a Grimoire on my hard drive.

The internet isn’t just limited to research, but actual social connections. I’ve seen endless rituals directed on the internet, as well as guided meditations and long distance healing sessions. By using the connections it provides us the internet can be a very strong link in our workings as well. Amazingly, depending on the group of individuals involved, these rituals and meditations can be just as powerful when done online as they would be in person.

People scattered across the world can do a meditation together. They can share in practice and learn as if they were in the same room; they can advance their knowledge across continents, instead of just across

town. What an accomplishment! Sure we have to wade through annoying advertisements and spam but now we have the ability to form communities of our own and learn from other communities just as easily.

Communication is a powerful magick on its own isn’t it?

Occult knowledge has never been so easily accessed.

Take the good with the bad, because you get no other option. You can’t live in the past or the future in totality so we are stuck with what we have in the present. And it isn’t all that bad.

All these forms of divination started with observing and acting with the world’s forces. Among this urban jungle of concrete, apartment buildings, and digitally enhanced sounds and noise – there is a powerful magick that runs through it all. It is our time and our place as energy workers and pagans to not forget that the traditions we make now will one day influence the generations to come.

Go out there, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, modernize your own rituals and adapt a little of our modern chaos into your life. Embrace the fact that technology has some life in it. You might be glad you did.

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The Pagan EdgeBookReview

by Faelin Wolf

The Trouble with Magic

by Madelyn Alt, 2006, ISBN: 0425207463

I don’t know about you, but mysteries have never been my favorite type of book.

I’m more of a science fiction/fantasy type of girl myself, particularly books with vampires or werewolves or witches. But one summer, while trying to complete a demanding summer reading program, a really fantastic librarian suggested Janet Evanovich. Her mysteries are awesome—a spunky, tough, endearing female main character and hilarious story lines! Well, that hooked me on mysteries, but only of a certain type (and this is not a book review about Janet Evanovich!)— those with a strong and funny female protagonist. I later discovered that there are mysteries out there that deal with paranormal mysteries and that lead me to discover the Bewitching Mysteries by Madelyn Alt, The Trouble with Magic being the first in the series.

The main character is Maggie, a young woman who is frustrated with her current job and by chance, falls into a job at a local shop called Enchantments, run by Felicity.

As it turns out, Felicity’s shop is more than lovely gifts and antique items. Working for Felicity, Maggie is drawn into the world of magic, witches, and supernatural phenomenon, all of which seem out of place in her small Indiana town. Maggie cautiously explores these new ideas and beliefs in the midst of the murder of Felicity’s sister. Throw in a very Christian mother and two handsome men who seemed entranced by Maggie and you’ve got a pretty interesting story!

I think what I like best about this series (and not just this first book) is the education that Madelyn Alt provides.

Maggie is being educated in the book and as Maggie learns, so does the reader. Madelyn does an excellent job of explaining various magickal beliefs and practices while storytelling. It is also pretty cool to watch Maggie evolve and grow throughout the books.

Definitely worth the read, I think you’ll enjoy it!

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Pagan Prayer Beads:

Magic and Meditation with Pagan Rosaries

by John Michael Greer & Clare Vaughn, 2007, ISBN: 1578633842

I love beads. I can’t resist pretty colored beads, unique shapes, or cute little animal beads. For the last few years, I’ve been collecting various beads with the intent of creating some prayer beads—a pagan rosary of a sort. I like the idea of holding something, running it through my fingers as I pray or meditate. Every once in awhile the idea of the prayer beads would cross my mind, but I just wasn’t sure where to start.

Well, wasn’t it serendipitous that I saw Pagan Prayer Beads on one of my trips to the library! Amazingly useful; it is full of everything practical that a dreamer like me might need. Greer goes over all the logistics — to choose and plan a design; different types of beads; stringing materials and findings; symbolism of colors, shapes, and materials; prayers, meditations, and rituals to use; and even some ready made designs to follow! Vaughn seems to be the artist and there are several pictures of her creations in the book to use as visual guides.

A particular favorite of mine that I plan to create is The Triple Goddess Rosary using moonstone, carnelian, and black onyx beads. Among other lovely ideas are memorial rosaries; remembering a loved one with a small rosary to be used for special prayers or rituals.

I like the authors’ practical approach, too. Speaking of tailoring designs to fit who you are or what feels right with a special section on creating on a budget. One thing to note is that the authors focus on Druidic and Wiccan designs. I don’t think that takes away from the usefulness of the book, but the ready made designs may be less interesting to those who are not of those paths.

This is a great resource in such a small package. Send in pictures of your rosaries to chief-editor@paganedge. com. I’d love to see them!

Wheel of Happenings

Events Calendar

February 2010 12th – 15th Wicca Fest ......................................................... FirstChurch of Ancient Crafts (Auckland, New Zealand) 12th – 15th NZ Pagan Festival 2010 ............................... Natures Magick Ltd (Morrinsville, New Zealand) 12th – 15th PantheaCon 2010 .......................................... Ancient Ways - (San Jose, California) 18th – 21st Hawkfest ............................................................ Bonita Springs, FL Nighthawk - (BonitaSprings, Florida) 18th – 21st Sacred Space Con XX ................................... Sacred Space Foundation - (Timonium, Maryland) 18th – 21st Convocation 2010 ......................................... MEC (Troy, Michigan) 19th – 21st Wicked Faire V: The Mad Tea Party .......... Jeff Mach - (Somerset, New Jersey) March 2010 19th – 21st Grand Opening Psychic Fair for Ostara ... The Witches Castle (Eagle Lake, Florida) April 2010 1st – 4th Spring Mysteries Festival XXV ................... Aquarian Tabernacle Church (Nordland – Washington) 16th – 18th Beltane Fest & Grand Sabbat ..................... GreenSong Grove (St. Petersburg, Florida) 22nd – 25th Southeast Regional Pagan Festival ......... (Bowdon, Georgia) 24th – 25th Circle of Life Expo 2010 ............................... The Mystic Cottage (Pensacola, Florida) 28th – 2nd Beltaine ............................................................. Our Haven Sanctuary LLC - (French Lick, Indiana) 29th – 2nd Beltaine: A Pagan Odyssey Fest, year12! PantheanTemple- (Oxford, Connecticut) 30th – 2nd Mountain Mysteries Beltane Festival ...... Mountain Mysteries - (Stanardsville, Virginia) May 2010 6th – 9th Blue Ridge Beltane ........................................ Blue Ridge Beltane Planning Committee (Louisa, Virginia) 8th – 9th Mich. Pagan Fest Fed. of Circles & Solitaries (Belleville, Michigan) 14th – 16th Steampunk World’s Fair ............................... Jeff Mach & a Consortion of Steampunk Promoters ............................................................................... (Piscataway, New Jersey) 15th – 16th Maryland Faerie Festival Chesapeake Pagan Community ............................................................................... (Upper Marlboro, Maryland) 30th – 31st Beltane Bash and Pagan Pride Parade Jeanette Ellis of Caduceus (London, England) June 2010 20th – 27th Pagan Spirit Gathering (PSG) 2010 .......... Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve - (Salem, Missouri) 20th – 27th Wisteria’s Summer Solstice Gathering .... (Pomeroy, Ohio) July 2010 10th – 11th Chesapeake Pagan Summer Gathering . Chesapeake Pagan Community - (Darlington, Maryland) August 2010 7th – 10th 6th Annual World of Faeries Festival ....... David and Gloria Yaeger (South Elgin, Illinois 31st Yakima County Pagan Pride Day ............... Church of the Sacred Moon (Yakima, Washington) October 2010 1st – 3rd WitchStock 16 Celtic Groves ....................... (Buffalo,Texas)

If your festival is not listed here, please email us at admin@paganedge.com to have your listing added. ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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Music Review

Avalon Rising What looks like a mandolin but has the voice of a cello?

The mandocello, a mellow member of the mandolin family, can be heard in folk and Celtic groups all around the world. If you’re curious about what one sounds like, check out Avalon Rising. A group who knows how to twist jazz, rock, Celtic, and Medieval music would of course feature some obscure instruments. They hail from Oakland, California and have been performing together for twelve years.

Some of their influences are Jethro Tull, Loreena McKennitt, Grateful Dead, and Fairport Convention.

Avalon Rising’s music lifts the soul and takes it to another place. Without any hitches, they skillfully tie together multiple genres in their songs and still manage to write songs featuring only one style without making them dull. Their music fits many moods.

Though their tracks have an overall content and relaxed feeling, there are songs to express your emotion when you are at your lowest of moods, as well as songs that will make you fly when you feel on top of the world. The lyrics flow perfectly with the music and don’t come off as a separate entity inferior or superior to its counterpart.

The San Francisco Bay Area band often appears at charity shows and Celtic faires. The group’s stage presence is hypnotic. With full-blown emotion and energy, they play every song to its peak. Not a moment of their live performance is without excitement. Their most recent show was the All Hallow’s Fantasy Festival, hosted by Sonora Celtic Faire. They were also invited to play in China in May 2009. The band hosts five members: • Kristoph Klover plays electric and twelve string guitar, 12

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Note This!

by V.L.

as well as octave mandolin and oboe. Kristoph is also a member of Broceliande. Alongside his wife, Margaret, he owns and runs Flowinglass Music, the recording studio that puts out the band’s music.

• Margaret Davis knows how to make the recorder sound like an adult’s instrument. She also sings, plays flute and Celtic harp.

• Scott Irwin provides a rhythmic touch by playing the trap drums.

• Cat Taylor, former member of Amazon Queen, adds her own magical touch through electric and acoustic violin.

• Mark Ungar sings and plays the bass. Remember the mandocello? He’s your man if you want to hear it skillfully played. He was once a member of the bands Phoenyx and Annwn; and also toured with Shanachie.

The band has released two albums so far, Avalon Rising (1995) and Storming Heaven (2004). They are currently working on their third album and hope to release it soon. Their work has also been featured in two movie soundtracks--Far From the Sea and The Valley of Fear.

More information on Avalon Rising can be found at www.avalonrising.com, their myspace (www.myspace. com/avalonrisingcalifornia) or facebook. Other bands similar to Avalon Rising: Velvet Hammer, Three Weird Sisters, Triskalia, and PUZZLEBOX.

The music of Avalon Rising and our monthly featured artists can be heard on Pagan Edge’s myspace page: www.myspace.com/paganedgemagazine

Our Lady’sounsel C Advice from Lady Fae’s Wisdom Circle

Dear Lady Fae, I’ve recently moved to a new place because I got a new job. Back home, I had a great circle of friends. We celebrated the holidays/sabbats together by doing small rituals or even just getting together and hanging out. Now, I’m in this new place and I don’t know anyone with the same beliefs! I don’t even know where or how to start. I’m okay practicing and celebrating on my own, but it would be nice to make some new pagan friends.

Do you have any ideas? What should I do? ~ Lonely Lady of the Lake

Dear Lady Fae, I’m a proud pagan! I’m not ashamed of my religion and I’m not afraid to let everyone know what I believe!

I’m respectful, I think, of other people’s beliefs, but I don’t hesitate to let people know what my beliefs are when someone asks. I wear my pentacle every day—and let me tell you, it’s not a small one! It’s quite lovely and was a gift from a dear friend. It means so much to me. Well, lately, I’ve noticed some customers at the store where I work staring at it. They have these looks of disgust sometimes and I find it really offensive! One man even said “God loves you!” to me the other day. Knowing how I need to be respectful of customers, I didn’t come back with something. But I guess I’m a little worried. What if one of the customers complains to my boss? He’s not the most open-minded type and he’s actually someone I’ve kept my beliefs hush-hush around. I don’t want to give up my beautiful pentacle, but I don’t want to risk losing my job either. Do you have any suggestions? Has this happened to you before? ~ The Goddess Loves Me Too

Dear Lonely,

Dear Goddess,

Boy, can I understand your plight! I’ve just moved to a new area myself and have been hoping to meet some friendly pagan types. Here’s some things I’ve tried and had success with. First, check with the local Unitarian Universalist church. Some UU churches have pagan groups or women’s spirituality groups that meet and they often celebrate pagan holidays. Check online or in the phone book and give them a call! Second, poke around your new town and see if you can discover any “alternative” bookstores, coffee shops, or gift shops.

These places often have bulletin boards with posted flyers advertising various events or areas where people can leave flyers. You might see something witchy posted!

Check out any alternative newspapers too. Third, if you live near a college or university, they may have a pagan student group. If you’re too old to feel like you fit in, they may at least know of different groups or resources in the area.

Yes, my dear, that has come up for me before. My pentacle means something important to me too and I feel safer having it on. I’ve been in situations where I wasn’t sure how it might be received, both in work settings and in social settings. A couple of ideas for you. What do you think about a longer chain? That way, you could still be wearing your lovely pentacle, but it may be hidden farther down your shirt (and closer to your heart!). Or perhaps instead of wearing it around your neck, maybe tucking it in your pocket while you’re at work. Another idea, one that I frequently use, is changing necklaces. If I know I’m going somewhere where my pentacle might not be understood or embraced, I will wear another pendant that means just as much to me—like my star and crescent moon pendant or my goddess pendant. I save my biggest pentacle, the one with the moon phases around it, for special occasions. Each pendant has its own special energy and memories tied to it and they are all very meaningful.

That’s just a few ideas to get you started, Lonely. You might also do an internet search or consult the phone book. You’d be surprised at what you might find. Happy exploring, good luck, and many blessings!

~ Lady Fae

These are just some ideas that I or dear friends have tried.

I’m sure you can think of others. But let me know how it goes! Good luck and many blessings!

~ Lady Fae

Need some counsel from Lady Fae’s Wisdom Circle? email your questions to advice@paganedge.com ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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The Sculpture & Painting of

Michael Schaafsma

The swirling shapes and bold lines attract the eye initially.

With a second glance details such as figures and plant shapes emerge. Look again to see layers, hear stories, feel emotions.

Michael Schaafsma creates a variety of works including combinations of tile, wood, metal, and acrylics to form sculptures and paintings both functional and decorative.

This wide range of materials lend themselves to limitless pieces with various themes and purpose.

l,

bmeta Steel, LaSOLD ” n io t a “Meditercoat, Acrylic Powd

Schaafsma has always had a passion for the arts, especially drawing and visual arts. He chose a more traditional job for his profession earlier in life, working 9 to 5 to pay bills and take care of his family. However, a couple years ago he lost his job and chose a new career due to economic changes. He has no regrets however, “Life took me in a different direction for awhile but now I am reconnecting with my creative side.”

As part owner of Aenias Design Studio, Schaafsma designs and fabricates sculpture, home decor, and landscaping elements mostly composing of metal. Aenias began as a company using mostly tile and stone but found metal to be more affordable for their business and for their clients. Many of their works today include both. While Schaafsma’s designs and fabrications vary from curtain rods to custom wine racks to sculpture, it’s all about the process. “If I’m doing it right... the process is always part of the point.”

Besides Aenias, Schaafsma runs CipherWise: a company programming, designing and hosting websites and ecommerce. Somewhere between family and work, he even finds time to create his paintings: montages of acrylic, charcoal, and dreams.

“She Dreamt” - Acrylic, Charcoal, Chalk on luan panel - Collaborative piece with painter Trevania Gnodtke - SOLD

detail from “Lotus Sign” - Plywood, Stain, Michigan Field Stone - SOLD, changeable sign designed for massage 14

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Whether sculpture, functional wares, or paintings, Schaafsma always welcomes commissioned work, inspired by the conversations and challenges of his patrons. Non-commissioned work gathers inspiration from his surroundings as well as experiences within and without. With recurring themes of spirals, patterns, and hidden imagery one is caught up and consumed by the

“What I create in my artwork and in my life are going to be very similar even when I’m not actively putting that out there.” pieces themselves. Believing his work to be “more of an intuitive process than a plan,” his paintings do not usually start with a theme or forethought but develop one in the process of their creation. His style is inspired by a good friend who is also an artist and has collaborated with him in the past. After placing layered color fields of acrylic paint on a canvas, an image or idea emerges from the piece itself. These emerging images influence the drawings placed overtop the color fields, accentuated with chalk and charcoal. When asked how life’s blessing and challenges may influence the images with reveal themselves, Schaafsma responds: “What I create in my artwork and in my life are going to be very similar even when I’m not actively putting that out there.”

Art & Soul

featured artist

alk” - al, “Kell’s W Charco Acrylic,on canvas lk Cha - SOLD panel

For Schaafsma, his unique process connects him to his alternative spirituality, explaining the process and inspirations with a meditation like quality: “The intuitive process is a special process as well as a creative process... it connects me with the ether and offers glimpses of the realm of infinite possibilities. Infinite possibilities bring further awareness to myself.”

While Schaafsma does not have a gallery of his own, his pieces are often showcased in galleries, gift shops, art shows and on his business website. Check out more pieces at: www.aenias.com or contact Michael Schaafsma directly at ms@aenias.com

“Feeling the Flow” - Steel & Powdercoat - Approx 24” x 36” FOR SALE

“From the Depths” - Acrylic, Charcoal, Chalk on fiber board - 48” x 24”, FOR SALE $298.00

“Charlotte & Powdercoaint -the Garden” - Steel Faucet, FOR SALE Hose Hanger w/ $129.00 ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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Keeping the Edge

Got Any LOVE Spells?

by Mya Om

Statements like these keep me cleaning my broom closet Whenever I decide to tell someone about my faith and practices, I prefer to do it bluntly instead of beating around the bush. The conversation may start out something like this, “I’m a witch.” [1] The statement is generally followed by a confused look. Then I find myself saying again, “I’m a witch.” Like saying it twice will make it easier to understand.

services of any kind – love or otherwise. Sometimes though it does get a little cramped and lonely, and I decide to stick my head out to see what in the world is out there. My results have, thus far, been about fifty/fifty.

When I decided to tell my above mentioned friend about my faith and my Craft, I did not know what to expect – people constantly surprise me.

In my head, I imagine the conversation going one of two ways, either “get away from me you kitten killing Satan worshiper” or “that’s nice, pass the peas.” Instead, from the friend I tell today I get, “like on Charmed?” and I want to sigh or maybe scream out my frustration. I had spent months working up the courage to make my declaration, and my faith is being compared to a now defunct T.V. show — great! I do none of those things. “No, as in a person who practices witchcraft,” I say.

My experiences in stepping out of the broom closet have run the gamut from pleasant to excruciating. There was the one boyfriend who thought the declaration meant I was certifiably insane. Then there was the friend who took me to her church and tried to have me exorcised.

We are no longer friends by her choice. I personally found the experience quite funny, but I guess laughing through your exorcism is not the best way to make friends. Then there is the occasional and rare person who makes the startling declaration of “me too!” Sadly those kindred souls are few and far between.

“Oh, like real witchcraft?” In my head I am thinking no, like fake witchcraft, I have to remind myself that this girl is a friend and so I bite my tongue, and say, “yeah.” I know as I My mixed results have made me hesitant to shout agree that she has no idea what “real” witchcraft out the fact that I am a witch to the world. is. A fact that is confirmed moments later I always find myself weighing all of my When when she asks, “So do you like cast love options carefully. There are still so many you are in spells and stuff?” misconceptions about who we are and the closet there what we do that I hesitate to be the Now I am the one who is confused. is nothing more trailblazer dispelling the mythos of Seriously—I had worried for months evil deeds and damned souls. terrifying than the our about her reaction and this is what I But then I remember that the only idea that someone way to bring about change is to be get! Love spells! This time I roll my eyes at her and say, “I am being serious.”“So you are not ready to the instrument of that change. So am I,” she says. “My boyfriend dumped I grit my teeth and try again with a tell will find out diff me for your roommate’s cousin and I erent person from my mundane want him back. So got any love spells?” life. The conversations do not always your secret.

Out of all the reactions I was expecting end with a demand for a love spell — from my revelation this was the least likely. there have been the occasional demands for the winning lotto numbers too.

Most of the time, I really enjoy my broom closet. It is nice and quiet in there and no one demands that I provide When you are in the closet there is nothing more

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™• January 2010 • Volume I

terrifying than the idea that someone you are not ready to tell will find out your secret. The simple reality is that coming out of the closet is a matter of trust. You have to trust the person you tell to still love and accept you and to keep your secret from other people if you ask him or her to do so. Sometimes your trust is placed in the wrong person, and you learn the hard way to be more careful in your choices of friends and lovers.

yourself.[2] Then in your mind’s eye picture the person you plan to come out to. See yourself telling her. What would she say? Visualize the best possible reaction.

See her smiling as you give her the news. Feel love and acceptance flow from yourself to her and then back to you. Do this as many times as you need to until you work up the courage to tell her.

[1] I use the term Witch, rather than Wiccan or pagan because of its root meaning in old English as one who is wise, strong and lively – later it was used to refer to a woman versed in sorcery and magick. It is only after the introduction of Christian dogma that this word took on a negative meaning. I use it as part of the reclaiming tradition.

For more information read, Casting the Circle: A Woman’s Book of Ritual, Diane Stein, Crossing Press 1990 [2] The Spiral Dance by Starhawk (Harper Collins, 1979) has helpful instructions for doing this. In the 10th Edition exercises 5 &7 (pp. 58-59) when done together will both ground and center you.

Eventually though, you are going to have to face your fears and take a risk. The unthinkable alternative is to live a life of fear and secrecy when there is no need to live such a half life. Gone are the burning times when a witch feared for her life daily. Gone are the days when we have to accept persecution and misconceptions as the sad reality of our society. It is time to at least consider hesitantly stepping out of the closet to check out the wider world. My recommendation: Start by telling someone you really love and trust.

I do not randomly run around telling strangers that I am a witch, and I am not telling you to do that – not everyone needs to know your private business, (we have the keep silent adage for a reason). Before deciding to bluntly declare to a friend, lover, or family member that you are a witch, take a few moments to meditate on two things: (1) how comfortable are you with her them knowing, and (2) What possible draw backs could there be. I suggest being brutally honest with yourself and write it down if you need to.

Then find a few spare moments where you will not be disturbed and sit or lie down so that you are comfortable.

Take a few deep breaths to relax, releasing any tension in your body. When you are ready, ground and center ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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The

Bardic Body

Tattoo Artist: Steve Torell a.k.a “Pharoh” Hometown: born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada Current Residence: Brantford, Ontario, Canada Business: “Skin Vision Tattoos”

ADS

Influences to become a tattoo artist: “I love art. I love to draw. Something about it that soothes me. I’m a strong believer that one’s body is their sacred temple and it should be decorated as one sees fit. I’ve always had a fascination with tattoos when I was a child, and with my mother telling me I could never have one made me want them even more. My first one cost me over $90 and realizing that this was going to end up being an expensive addiction, I decided to learn the art for myself.”

Influences as a tattoo artist: dreams, friends, family and especially animals. “Sometimes I dream and wake up and tell myself ‘I need to draw that.’ Likewise when talking to friends or family a topic will come up and again... ’I need to draw that!’ My number one influence is my mom who over the years has always told me how great of an artist I am and has supported my talent through and through.”

Ways being a pagan influences the tattoos: “I’m an Egyptian pagan and it has immensely influenced my art. There are sooo many beautiful symbols and imagery in the ancient Egyptian culture. I’m working on a few designs for tattoos that include Bast, which is the goddess I’m most drawn to. I have tattooed some symbols such as the eye-of-Horus on a few including myself.”

“The Bardic Body” is focused on featuring tattoos, piercings, and body modifications as the art relates to the Pagan lifestyle. If you or someone you know is either a body modification artist or has modifications to show off, contact jess*ca mae at chief-editor@paganedge.com 18

™• January 2010 • Volume I

Mother Nature,

Plant Vibes

Come On In!

It doesn’t take a wizened Pagan to recognize and appreciate the balancing, restorative effects Mother Nature has on humankind. Anyone whose has spent time in the energies of Gaia’s woods, waterways, meadows and mountains, or worked her soil, has at least an inkling of these healing vibes. While all who enjoy nature may not be open to the idea of rocks and water having energy, few would dispute plants having energy. I believe we can successfully bring these energies into our own homes.

The mere presence of a lone Peace Lily tucked in the corner of the living room is nice. But, I must suggest that a bit more thought and effort with regards to placement, arrangement and interaction with your houseplants is needed to fully achieve benefits similar to those received from their outdoor kin. Of course, this is all based on having more plants than one… lone… Peace Lily. So, please ponder the following, then go plant shopping or rearrange your existing collection to its fullest effect.

Let’s start with the idea that if our home is to truly be a plant boosted sanctuary, we should place plants throughout the home. No excuses. There are houseplants suited or adaptable to every level of light and a bit of research or experimentation on our part will likely show that many of those plants we have crammed onto one windowsill would be just fine in other areas of our homes. Needing them all in one spot so we can quickly dump water on them once a week won’t fly either, if we truly desire to connect with the benefits of bringing nature indoors.

Beyond light and watering requirements, common sense, aesthetics and intuition should play a role in deciding where to place our houseplants. Avoid placing a spiky

by Dawn Sherwood

plant where it would seem to be waiting to reach out to poke you or elevating a large plant where it threatens to tumble down on someone’s head. Pause to really consider the plant’s overall size, texture and architectural form, as well as, the shape, texture and color of its foliage.

Use these traits to place plants where they look great, but just as importantly, decide if these characteristics feel right for the potential location.

These plant traits are also important if you wish to create energy-balancing groupings of plants in multiple pots or within a single pot. They can, for example, be utilized to get the energy of a miniature forest without needing the skills or patience of a Bonsai master. Taller plants take on the role of trees, while short, full ones fill in as shrubs or ferns would, and trailing ones become the forest floor.

This type of combination has energy generally wellsuited to entries, living rooms, bedrooms and meditation spaces. Groupings that focus more on contrasting colors, textures and shapes are great for areas where a high-energy feel is desired. And arrangements of plants with softly textured or dainty leaves, in various shades of green are very relaxing in the bedroom or near the bathtub.

Such thoughtful selection of a location for each of our plants gives us an opportunity for one on one interaction and a deeper appreciation of their unique qualities. Having to seek them out for watering and other care, in their varied locations, ultimately causes us to slow down and do these tasks with more meditative and nurturing energies. I always find these chores takes less time than my busy mind over guesstimates and that I feel very grounded and attuned when I’m done. And, of course, having living reminders of Mother Nature throughout my entire home helps me to stay more aware of, and connected to, her divine energies. ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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Eclectic Cooking

by Maeve Gregory

Soup’s On!

A bowl of hot soup can be nourishing for the soul as well as the body. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers and small amounts of nature’s bounty rather than letting them go to waste. If part of cleansing your home for the new year includes your pantry and refrigerator, consider making one from any odds and ends that you unearth. No recipe is required, just an understanding of the basics of soup making.

The pan. If possible, choose a heavy pot with thick bottom which will be less likely to overheat in spots and scorch the food during cooking. A lid is useful to retain the heat and moisture. A 3 quart pan is a good size to start out with. If needed, the contents can be transferred to a larger pot later.

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™• January 2010 • Volume I

The foundation. The ideal foundation is 2 parts chopped onion, and 1 part each carrot and celery. The French call this Mirepoix and it can include any number of other aromatics such as garlic, peppers, leeks, parsnips, shallots, ginger, chilies, tomatoes. When making a soup with what’s at hand, not all of these ingredients may be available. That’s fine. It’s possible to make a wonderful soup with no more than onion as a base. There might also be a number of ingredients to be used up and that’s fine too. For many of the ingredients, try to stick to the traditional ratio of 2 parts onion to one part any other ingredient, except in the case of garlic, ginger, and chilies which should be minced or grated and in the teaspoon to tablespoon range. These foundational ingredients should be sautéd in butter or cooking oil over medium heat until tender. If you’d like to include meat, now is the time to sauté any uncooked meats. Allowing it to brown at this point will develop its flavor.

Soup’s On!

The Recipe

1 part aro atic vegetablem 1 part cooked s (onions, carrots, cele pasta, ri ce or other gra ry , g a rl ic, peppers, etc.) ins liq uid to co r (s 2 parts ve tock bouillon or ve water) , frozen, cangneetadbles (fresh, , leftover) cooking oil (oliv 1 part cooked ca nola oil, buttee oil, m e at , beans or othe r, etc.) r legumes sa lt and pepper Sauté the aro to taste ingredients, comatics in oil until tender. Ad d the rest of th ver with liquid simmer. Stir occ ,b e asionally and a ring to a boil and lower to a dd liquid as ne eded. Enjoy!

Salt and Pepper. These are two of the most important ingredients to almost any dish including soup. Plan to add salt and pepper to taste at several points along your cooking path: while sautéing, when all the ingredients are added, and just before serving. Many store bought stocks and bouillons contain a lot of salt, so go easy on salt until after that has been added. It’s easy to add more salt and pepper, but nearly impossible to remove it. If in doubt, leave it out and let each person adjust the seasoning to his or her own serving.

The liquid. Chicken, beef or veggie stock (fresh or canned) are a great way to boost the flavor of final product. Bouillons and concentrated stocks store well and are helpful if you intend to make soup often and at short notice. If none of these are available, water will do.

Take care to add liquid slowly and in small amounts, say a cup at a time. Like the seasoning, it’s easy to add more but difficult to take away. Dried herbs will enhance the flavor as well. Onion and garlic powder, and celery seeds or salt can enhance the flavor if they weren’t available in the foundation stage.

The ingredients. What have you found from cleaning the pantry and refrigerator? Candidates include but are not limited to: • leftover vegetables from previous meals • unused portions of canned/frozen vegetables • vegetable juice • fresh vegetables including those past their prime (just be sure to discard any spoiled bits)

• canned tomato products or other canned vegetables • cooked rice, grains, pasta • cooked beans, chickpeas, lentils, other legumes • canned beans (drained and rinsed) • left over cooked meat Amounts of the ingredients you use will vary depending on individual taste, but a ratio of roughly 2 parts vegetable to 1 part beans/meat and 1 part grains is a good starting point. All ingredients should be in bite size pieces before going in the pot.

If using dried versions of beans, pasta, or grains, note the cooking time on the package. Ingredients with shorter cooking times can be added an appropriate amount of time before the soup is done. For example, many beans will need to cook for 2-3 hours, so wait to add pasta/rice/ grains until the beans are nearly finished cooking.

Pull it all together. Once the foundation is ready, add the rest of the ingredients, cover with stock or water, and place the lid on top. Once the soup begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Occasionally stir the soup, adding liquid, salt and pepper as needed. If all the ingredients are cooked, then the flavors should have combined well after 30 minutes of simmering. A cup of the finished product can be blended smooth and added back into the pot for a creamier thicker soup without adding dairy products. Serve with a sandwich or fresh bread for a heartier meal. ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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™• January 2010 • Volume I

Handecraft

a how-to by Wendy Beth

Simply Sage

Easy Grow, Dry, & Bundle

Typically, I buy my sage bundles because I have never lived in a place that it was feasible to have a herb garden.

But when I moved in with some friends that own a house with a spacious backyard I was pleased to discover one of my house mates enjoys gardening and plants herbs every year. This season she planted several kinds of sage for the first time. Not knowing how well it would grow, she ended up with significantly more sage than she would use for culinary purposes. Instead of throwing perfectly good sage to the rubbish bin, I had her save it for me to make a couple of small sage bundles.

1. Obtain some fresh sage. Sage is easily grown either indoors or outdoors, weather and season providing. If you choose to grow your own there are many varieties to choose from. I recommend buying seedlings so that the selection can be made based on smell. Or maybe a friend has an herb garden with some sage to spare. In a pinch, many grocery stores sell fresh sage in the produce department. This can be a pricey option and depending on season can be hard to find in store in the grocery store.

2. Fresh sage needs to be dried. I prefer to hang my sage to dry by tying it with an extra long string used later to wrap and hang it in a window to get sun. Air drying takes several days depending on room temperature and humidity. If time is a factor and you have access to one, herbs dry quickly and well in a food dehydrator.

4. Finish the bundle. Use scissors to trim any protruding parts of herb. The clippings can be reserved for culinary use, to be burned on a charcoal disc, or added to herb mixtures.

Common uses for sage bundles include house blessings and circle purifications. Use sage bundles in place of incense for casting and circle purification. Be aware and sensitive that it may cause some people headaches.

Sage bundles tend to smolder and frequently go out. To prevent having to relight the bundle while smudging, a fan or cluster of feather can be used to keep it burning and direct the smoke. Smudging is the act of using a sage bundle to purify a space, object or person.

Exercise care when burning your sage bundle. If you use a fan or feather cluster while smudging be careful not to graze the bundle as ambers could burn the object, person, or carpet in the space that is being purified. Place it in a fire safe dish when not in use for smudging. I use a abalone shell but ceramic, metal, and glass bowls work well also. Do not place it in or near a candle. The wax from a candle can cause the bundle to catch fire rather than smolder like it should causing disruption in ritual practice and physical discomfort to participants.

3. Bundle using a natural fiber cord or string such as hemp or cotton. If you want to add some color to the bundle, cotton embroidery floss can be used. After selecting the wrapping material, tie the string securely at the end of the bundle. If the sage was air dried and enough length was left on the cord, just use that to bind the bundle. Next wrap the cord around the bundle moving toward the opposite end. Once you reach the end, continue wrapping back towards the base. This should create a nice criss-cross pattern. Then tie the string off at the end. ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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Scribes’ Tablet

Poetry from Our Readers

diversify

invocation

will the trees tire of us and all those hardened places swathes of black hide evidence of inner decay as dark desires haunt

harmonics and overtones ripple over waves of pure potentiality reconstruct history ~ map space as they enter the realm of possibility, underlying baselines nested polyrthyms circadian in nature create spirals surrounded by fractal lights as the golden spheres of heart felt prayers soulful desires and pleasure seeking itself locate themselves in the epicenter of the cosmos evenly-s p a c e d ~ concurrently irrational highly complex downbeats complement, pulsate communicate ~ collaborate, unorthodox fretting manifests quarter-note triplets and improvised riffs as they enter the shamanic trance dance ~ afro beats reverberate against the skin of their drum bellies eyes closed the fingers of the drummers mark time inside their bodies, heads and hips undulate in unison gathering energies, letting loose the cathartic unyoking of regressive patterns, plunging them into the unfurling desire and pleasure seeking itself

by Jonina

by Jonina

moving coffins deliver office workers concrete they enter empty cubicles of customer service voices across the wire no more smoke signals precise clear language offering deals as others question…. desire the great mysteries fill with ancestral knowledge trust in web of life whisper to the wind listen to the trees speak with the old ones offer cleansing smoke cedar, sage smudge, tobacco enter shamanic trance drum rhythmic weaving thunder breath in – breath out they wait

they watch

remember the circle fires and drums of the medicine men live on in their dreams, cry out to the trees create prayers as they seek the sacred knowledge of spirits, the stone people the Grandfathers, Grandmothers speak in smoke remind us it is never too late to enter the circle

Poetry submissions welcomed at www.paganedge.com Scribes’ Tablet page 24

™• January 2010 • Volume I

JONINA KIRTON has only recently discovered poetry is indeed her passion. Blessed with a watery nature, an interest in emotional and spiritual healing, her Métis/Icelandic heritage has been an asset in her search to understand the nature of duality and the resilience of our spirits. Although she believes the answers we seek lie within, she also knows that our time here is not a solitary journey; that a good book or poem can crack us open and take us further inside than we ever could have gone alone.

She graduated from the Simon Fraser University’s Writer Studio in 2007 and attended the Emerging Aboriginal Writer’s Residency at the Banff Centre in 2008.

Her work has been featured in emerge, New Breed Magazine, Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine, Toronto Quarterly and a number of online magazines.

Life’s Wit

by Brian St. Clair

HaveYou Seen My Concience?

“Have you seen where I left my conscience?” He asked The Man With The Gold Hat. “I normally don’t go anywhere without it but its not here now”. “That’s odd”, said the man, “I thought you had it with you, but come to think of it, you were a bit rude with that nice waitress a moment ago. Perhaps you left it at the club last night, you seemed a bit distracted while talking with The Woman In Red Shoes, maybe you set it down at the bar. You could ask your wife, maybe she knows where it is.” “No no, that’s a bad idea, she always starts asking questions, “where did you last see it, what were you doing when you had it?”

She can be quite a nag.”

“She is always telling me to “clean up my mind”, says it’s too cluttered with lust and envy, anger, contempt and cynicism. She never stops harping about me leaving that stuff laying around all the time, and asking me why I need it. She is constantly telling me to go through my emotions and throw out the stuff I don’t have any use for.”

I was sure glad I had my conscience with me that time!”

“I guess that’s why I leave them out instead of locked in a closet, I never know when I might have a use for them, know what I mean? But without my conscience weighing the pros and cons it makes it more difficult to determine what may be the best course of action. Yeah, the more I think about it the more freaked out I get. I really need to find my conscience, too many things are tied to it. I might as well toss out integrity and honesty too, because without it they just become junk.”

“I guess I will go back to the club and see if maybe someone turned it in to the lost and found, but first I think I will take my wife’s advice and clean up a little around here.

No doubt I will be surprised with what I find, hopefully my conscience will be buried among these items.”

“Good luck”, said Mr. Gold Hat, “ a man shouldn’t be without his conscience.”

“Sometimes I think she has a good point, I don’t really need all that stuff. Quite often it just gets in the way and I trip over it all the time. I’m not sure where it all comes from either, it’s not like I go around collecting useless emotions or anything. Although I have to admit that I do kind of like having them around, they give me a sense of comfort.”

“Until something like this happens anyway, how could I have misplaced my conscience!? It’s kind of important to me, sometimes it even keeps me out of trouble. Like the time The Guy Who Cheats On His Taxes told me he found a “way” to get a huge return on his income tax by exploiting various “gray areas”, fortunately for me I declined. He got caught with his greed out and ended up in prison on a tax evasion charge. Another time it came in handy was when The Woman Who Loves Married Men asked if she could see my version of lust. She said she wanted to see how bright and shiny it was and wanted to compare it with hers. I almost took it out and let her see but decided I better not, a few minutes later my wife walked in to get another bottle of wine for some guests. ™• January 2010 • Volume I

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™• January 2010 • Volume I

“Cappy” the Goat

Fabulous Familiars

Ambitions: To have butted every coven member at least once..

Favorite Books: I prefer the Newspaper to most books, has a better flavor and not such a chalky mouth feel.

Full Name: Capricorn the Pan Man Nickname: Happy Cappy Favorite activities: Standing on the roof and scaring the newbies during open rituals.

Guilty Pleasures: Chewing on the hems of ritual robes.

Favorite TV show: Bah!

Favorite Movies: Really I am more of an outdoor Man I don’t have time for movies and really there are few positive goat role models in Hollywood anyway.

Sports played: Well other than knock the boss over (always good laughs). I am mostly into climbing and jumping. Individual sports I know, but I worry about my figure as I age.

Foods I crave: What don’t I crave? I am always first in line at any feast and I don’t mind starting early. “If it fits - try it!” is my motto!

People I admire: Mel Gibson (Don’t ask)..

Jobs before being a familiar: I tried out being a swim suit model but its a very hard industry for a guy to break into. Oh and I did have the one incident with me trunks taking a pop. I really feel for the poor assistant. I think she is still a bit scarred.

Favorite song to sing to: Come on feel the Noise! “Quiet Riot”

Submit your Fabulous Familiar’s photos & stats to chief-editor@paganedge.com

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