ISSN 2159-9939
The Spirit of Christmas Children’s Book Review The Fool’s Journey Let It Snow A Witch’s Alphabet Graphic Story by Ankolie Pagan Items of Interest Online Raising Children in the Pagan Path
“Childhood Wonderment” December 2011 Volume 2 • Issue 12 ™• December 2011 • Volume 2
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PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS
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Eberhardt, Personal Visions jess*ca mae Tootie Marie Faelin Wolf Mya Om Lucille M Rose Ankolie Amina Racozy S. J. Drew Sister Nariel Natasha Francis Nina Pak, www.ninapak.com Refraction Design & Creative Services Personal Visions Eberhardt, Wendy Beth
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-based-spiritualists, 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, Refraction 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 those 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 of the content of this Magazine or web site. For additional details please see www.paganedge.com ™•
December 2011 • Volume 2 3
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contents 6 Dream Weaving Wonderment 8 Keeping the Edge An Invitation to the Fool’s Journey
10 Divine Mind The Spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Those Yet to Come
On The Cover: Winter Dreams by Loriann http://www.flickr.com/ people/imthinkingoutloud/
11 Elders Corner Raising Children in the Pagan Path
12 PE Book Review The Man in the Moon White Cat
13 Herbal Quickies Echinacea 14 The Call graphic story by Ankolie
16 A Witch’s Alphabet To Teach Children About Wicca
18 Life’s Wit Let It Snow 19 Finding Your Edge Eye Candy for the Pagan Heart
24 PE Book Review Pandora Gets Jealous Aisha’s Moonlit Walk
VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 12 • DECEMBER 2011 “CHILDHOOD WONDERMENT” PAGAN EDGE™ IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY PERSONAL VISIONS ADMIN@PAGANEDGE.COM ™•
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Dream Weaving Wonderment is one of the rare experiences that blesses us with with many emotions at the same time; joy, excitement, nervousness, all wrapped up in the shivers or goosebumps. It is a state of being that many more of us should feel as often as we can; for it nurtures us and helps us grow to new heights. Yet the pressures of life, of being “adult” push the opportunities for wonderment to the side. We also have the myth or the belief that as adults we have passed the time for this aspect of life. Believing we should focus instead on the collection of dower wisdom and weave personal emotional spells — that while allowing us to be “strong” cut us off from many chances for transcending experiences. Yule is a time for rebirth and renewal as the light returns and, depending on your path, the God is reborn in his mother Goddess’s care. With this issue we would like to reintroduce the possibility of wonderment and its wellsprings. If you go back for a moment and look at our cover done by Loriann and take in not only its beauty, but reach out with your mind to touch the sources of possible inspiration, you may find a heart of a child at the center. The inner innocence we all have is one of the places that we should all start each of our days from. Untroubled discovery and vision are two of the greatest gifts our childhoods can give us. Personally having lost touch with these elements of my life, leads me in the past to some of the darkest places in my experience, exactly the places where I needed the strength of my inner youth the most. However, the great news is that the solution is in reach for all of us. Simply spend time with a child and view the world as they 6
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publisher speaks
view the world. Let their young hand lead you to places you will find familiar full of all the things you hope for to enrich your life. Don’t sit in a chair and watch them, this takes getting down at your young teacher’s level and immerse yourself in their world. Like anything that needs to be relearned it may feel a bit awkward and certainly a bit embarrassing as our mistakes are bluntly pointed out. Take each critique in stride because your “teacher” will be moving on even as they tell you with all seriousness that “it does not go there, or it’s not time yet”. Rember the rules of childhood are mutable and experience dependant. It is more important to experience the flow of events than to let individual moments leave their mark. Children in their span of some 14 or so years will try on and discard more ideas, persona, looks, and moods in a day than some of us experience in a year. Don’t let your past tangle up your now, don’t let your mistakes limit you from making more. Instead enjoy each and every moment for what it is the chance to be anything you can imagine. On the flip side of experience we each play a role as a parent, teacher, mentor, or friend to someone that is younger than us. We should always be aware of the sacred nature of the gift and not teach negativity or limits or judgements. The more open, honest and factual we can be to any youth will show them that the high road is always the best road. Remember they will follow the examples that they see the most and if we claim to have any wisdom it should start with all things positive. As always we hope you enjoy this issue and will share with us the wonderment of creativity. Blessed Be! Eberhardt
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December 2011 • Volume 2 7
An Invitation to the Fool’s Journey As I started to contemplate having a sense of wonder, I started to write about appreciating life, about enjoying things like sunsets, five minute coffee breaks at work, and the ice cold feeling of breathing in cold air on a crisp winter morning. I even got as far as quoting Thoreau: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation… A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind. There is no play in them, for this comes after work. But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.1 As I read this quote over and over, I started to realize I had missed the point. Wonder isn’t about enjoying the good moments. It is about actually enjoying life –warts and all. Yup, that’s a touch harder to do. I mean, how do you do that? How do you escape living a life of quiet
desperation? What makes happy people different from unhappy people? Dictionary.com defines desperation as being without hope. Conversely wonder is defined as something strange and surprising; feeling excited by something strange; a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and sometimes awe. The real question is, can you be hopeless and still live your life with a sense of wonder? I started thinking about this on October 15th. Twenty days later I was still no closer to a real answer – what I had was a looming deadline and a life that was starting to gobble up what little free time I had. I started to quantify all the things I enjoyed – good coffee, lazy Sunday mornings, trees, my family, etc… I stopped when I remembered the quote about happy families from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. “Happy families are happy for one reason, unhappy families are unhappy for a multitude of reasons.” 2 It was then that I had my ah-ha moment (not
Keeping the Edge by Mya Om
the ah-ha moment that this month’s article is about Mya’s enjoyment of 19th century literature), rather the ah-ha moment that it is not one thing or another that causes people to live this life of quiet desperation, instead like Leo said through his protagonist Anna, it is a multitude of reasons. So where am I going with this, you wonder. Good questions – I wish I knew, but I intend to find out. The Fool is the first card of the major arcana in the Rider Waite tarot deck. He is signified by the number zero. In the story of the major arcana we meet The Fool on his first step in a long journey that will take a lifetime. I invite you to come on this fool’s journey with me, to delve into those things that cause you to feel discomfort or unhappiness. To question why some things hold you back, or why there are some things that you simply cannot master. What is it about your life that is keeping you from living a life filled with wonder? What is it about your life that makes it one of quiet desperation? Fool’s Journey continued on page 22
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Original Photography by Nina Pak ©2011 Model: Jorge Ruiz Desormaux Make-Up by Faye Smith ™•
December 2011 • Volume 2 9
Making the Divine Mind, Mine
by Sister Nariel, Contemplative Order of Anam Cara
The Spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Those Yet to Come It can be difficult to find the middle of the balance when it comes to Christmas and its celebration in pagan life. A discussion about Jesus’ birthday, or about the jolly fat man in the red suit, really doesn’t seem to ‘fit’ the situation. It’s not like a person couldn’t find these things everywhere they go in public and private. So as we arrive at the celebration of the holidays, I thought to share with my readers a deeply personal and cherished custom I began with my family some years ago. Let me begin by saying I am a bona fide holiday junkie.
There can’t be enough snow, hot chocolate, or shiny bows beneath the tree. I put the tree up as quickly as I can after Thanksgiving and even left it up for an entire year once (post-holiday let down always punches me in the gut). With that said, let me footnote it by admitting I raised two tinsel-toting holiday junkies, a son and a daughter. I guess I carried more influence than I realized. I don’t regret it. As the holidays approached in 2005, I found myself struggling to find that “something special” I could do for the family to make the yuletide more memorable. As we
settled in for the umpteenth hundred viewing of “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, the light went on and I knew what I was going to do. Each year there was a delightful battle of begging, “Can we open just one, Mom? Just one little one?” It was followed by the very short recitation of “Nope. No dice and nice try but we’ll see you in the morning” (I was nothing, if not consistent). That Christmas Eve, a new tradition would be born. Each person in my family received three small gifts, each bearing a tag that said The Spirit of Christmas Past, The Spirit of Christmas Present
Spirit of Christmas continued on page 20 10
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From the Elders Corner by Lucille M Rose
Raising Children in the Pagan Path Years ago when men hunted T-rex dinosaurs and I walked to school uphill both ways in a blizzard, the world in which I grew up was slightly different than today. In church and Sunday school we were taught that anyone who was a “Pagan” or a “Heathen” was someone who should be avoided. Every year the movie “The Ten Commandments” was aired on television, I sat in front of the TV and waited for the scene when Moses (Charlton Heston) would go up to the top of the mountain. The people he left behind would melt down the gold they accumulated and create a beautiful golden calf. They would drink wine, dance and chase each other. Moses would come down from the mountain, see what the people were doing, and go into a towering rage. Moses would tell the people that worshipping idols such as the golden calf, fornicating, dancing, drinking and engaging in unacceptable behavior was something only Pagans did and they were to
be punished. Children grew up with fear and terror when the word Pagan was uttered in their presence after viewing this movie. The last thing a child wanted to be called was “Pagan”. We knew as children what happened to Pagans. We were taught that “normal” people did not have something called psychic abilities. We were told psychics caused events to happen. Psychics were the Devil’s instruments. So, anyone who was unlucky enough to have psychic awareness knew they needed to hide it. There was even an occasional article in the newspaper where a young woman had been sent to an asylum because she was obviously possessed by something. Why did it seem that it was always a young woman who was possessed? We grew up watching horror/ thriller movies where people were tortured and killed after being accused of witchcraft. At school, in history class, we learned that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake after being accused of witchcraft.
So “Witch” was also on the list as something to be feared. We were also taught that the Gods and Goddesses were just myths, only characters in stories. They were on the list above Santa Claus, Snow White and the Tooth Fairy. In other words they had never been real. So the people who existed in past civilizations created these Deities to entertain their children during the rainy season or to scare them into cleaning their room or eating their vegetables? Is that the reason Medusa has snakes on her head? Raising Children continued on page 21
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The PaganEdge
Book Review
by Faelin Wolf
The Man in the Moon
White Cat
by William Joyce, 2011 ISBN: 978-1442430419
by Holly Black, 2010 ISBN: 978-1416963974
Have you ever wondered how the Man in the Moon (MiM) came to live in the moon? He was born far away among the stars, and after his family battles the King of Nightmares, he ends up safely orbiting the Earth in his broken moon ship. He becomes a Guardian of Childhood and protects the children of Earth (like you!) from nightmares, keeping their hopes and dreams safe. Enjoy the beautiful pictures and learn more about MiM.
Cassel lives in a world where magic, or curses, are illegal. If anyone is caught doing curse work like changing luck, manipulating emotions, modifying memories, or even causing deaths, they will go to prison. If you are discovered to be a curse worker, people avoid you and you experience high levels of discrimination. Everyone wears gloves to protect themselves and others. Cassel comes from a curse worker family, but seems to be the only one without the ability. He tries his hardest to fit into his private school and pretend to be normal, but his family’s ties to organized crime, his con artist upbringing, and his grief over his lost friend, Lila, contribute to his differences. And then he discovers several things that completely alter his world. Book Review continued on page 24
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echinacea Today, the use of echinacea seems to be almost as common as that of over the counter pain medicines. Echinacea is found in a variety of products used to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu as well as reducing some of their symptoms. Many herbalists also recommend echinacea to help boost the immune system and help the body fight infections. Echinacea has tall stems, bears single pink or purple flowers, and its central cone is usually purplish-brown in color. It is named for the prickly scales in its large conical seed head. The herb resembles the spines of an angry hedgehog (echinos is Greek for hedgehog) Echinacea is a genus of nine species of herbaceous plants in the family Asteraceae which are commonly called purple coneflowers. All are native to eastern and central North America, where they are found growing in a various environments from moist to dry prairies and open woods. They have large, showy heads of composite flowers, blooming from early to late summer. Alternate names: American cone flower, black Susan, black Sampson, comb flower, hedgehog, Indian head, Kansas snakeroot, narrow-leaved purple coneflower, scurvy root, and snakeroot, Rudbeckia, Brauneria pallida (Nutt.)
LORE/BACKGROUND Results of archeological digs indicate that Native Americans may have used echinacea for more than 400 years to treat infections and wounds and as a general “cure-all.” Echinacea was one of the basic antimicrobial herbs of eclectic medicine from the mid 19th century through the early 20th century, and its use was documented for snakebite, anthrax, and for relief of pain. In the 1930s echinacea became popular in both Europe and America as an herbal medicine. According to Wallace Sampson, MD, its modern day use as a treatment for the common cold began when a Swiss herbal supplement maker was “erroneously told” that echinacea was used for cold prevention by Native American tribes who lived in the area of South Dakota.[1. Study: Echinacea Cuts Colds by HalfWebMD Health News] Although Native American tribes didn’t use echinacea to prevent the common cold, some of the tribes did use echinacea to treat some of the symptoms that could be caused by the common cold: The Kiowa used it for coughs and sore throats, the Cheyenne for sore throats, the Pawnee for headaches, and many tribes used it as an analgesic, including the Sioux from South Dakota.[2. Moerman, Daniel E. (1998).Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press.] Native Americans learned of E. angustifolia by observing elk seeking out the plants and consuming them when sick or wounded, and identified those plants as elk root. [3. Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, Gregory L. Tilford] Although this herb was popular during from the 18th to early 20th centuries, its use began to decline in the United States after the introduction of antibiotics. Echinacea preparations became increasingly popular in Germany throughout the 20th century. In fact, most of the scientific research on echinacea has been conducted in Germany where it is a controlled medicine under the German Federal Health Office. Echinacea continued on page 26
Disclaimer Personal Visions makes neither warranties express or implied representations whatsoever regarding the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, comparative or controversial nature, or usefulness of any information contained or referenced on this Web site. Personal Visions does not assume any risk whatsoever for your use of this website or the information contained herein. Health-related information changes frequently and therefore information contained on this Web site may be outdated, incomplete or incorrect. Statements made about products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Use of this Web site does not create an expressed or implied physician-patient relationship. ™•
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s ’ h c t i AW
t e b A h p l A n e r d l i h C h c to Tea a c c i W about
by Natasha Francis
As parents, we do everything in our power to teach our children as much as we can to empower them with the knowledge for a wonderful life, a successful future, and to be good people. We do our best to help them grow as individuals and choose the path in life that is right for them, all the while guided by us to help make the right decisions. There are sometimes when we may feel like we can’t talk to them about certain things though, such as relationships, sex, drugs, or even faith, because we just honestly don’t know where to start at first. Whether your child be a toddler who’s just starting out in discovering the many wonders of the world, or a teenager you’re trying to prepare for college, they all have one thing in common… we love them, and we want to give them all the tools in life they will need, even if it is awkward for us to 16
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begin the conversations we need to have with them. Our children also have in common the need to ask us questions we may not know how to answer. The one main issue we as Pagan parents have is deciding how to approach teaching our children about our faith whether we raise them in it from birth, or wait until later in their life thinking they’ll understand better. The decision of when to address the matter is up to the individual parent of course, but it’s very important that your child know about your faith, your beliefs, and be able to ask questions about it because it is a major factor in who you are as a person, and as a parent. So whether your child is 4, 14, or 24, at some point they will want to know these things about you, and about your religion. You may feel unprepared to teach them or even talk to them about
it. Think back to when you discovered your faith, whether you were raised in it or found it later in life, and use the tools you picked up then, and along your spiritual journey as the icebreaker to teaching your child about your faith. An easy to use tool to help convey the lessons you want your child to learn is a simple ABC association list compiled to aid you in your explanation, and aid in your guidance. It is something memorable that your child can learn from and use while on their own spiritual journey, wherever it may lead them. If you feel you need further assistance, or more information to help your child learn about your faith, use the wonderful resources listed below the ABC’s to help you and your child together. You may feel like you don’t have all of the answers, but you can help your child find them with these tools.
Alphabet continued on page 25 ™•
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t It S ow e L n Tamara went outside to check on her daughter, Brandy. She found the four-year old girl sitting on the back steps watching the light snow fall onto the snow-covered backyard. “I thought you were going to build a snowman,” she said.
“Why did you stop?”
“Well,” Brandy answered, puckering her face with effort, “they think they’re pretty and they want to share them with us. But it’s hard to look at them. You’ve gotta catch them and then they melt if you don’t have gloves on. So maybe the faeries get mad when we smash them into snowmen. Maybe that’s why they sometimes let too many snowflakes go at once.”
“’Cause I started thinkin’.”
“That seems mean.”
“About what?” Tamara prompted.
“Well, you said faeries aren’t always nice.”
“I started,” the girl replied, pointing at a misshapen ball of snow.
“If the snow faeries would mind.” “What snow faeries, Brandy?” she prompted again. “The faeries that live in the clouds and make all the snowflakes. They take the fluff from clouds and then they weave it into pretty snowflakes and let them go. They can’t make snowflakes in summer. They just melt and all we get is boring old rain.” “Why do the snow faeries let the
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snowflakes go?”
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“That’s true, not all faeries are nice. But I hope the snow faeries understand we can’t look at every single snowflake. There are just too many,” Tamara said. “I think they know, but they still get mad sometimes. In summer when they get mad they smash up all their snowflakes so they won’t melt and throw them down. That’s where hail comes from,” Brandy said, proud of herself for making this connection.
Life’s Wit by S.J. Drew
“If they smash up their own snowflakes to make hail, I don’t think they’ll get made at you for smashing them up to make a snowman,” Tamara replied. The little girl seemed to think this over. “I guess so. I know! I’ll make a snow faerie instead of a snowman. I’ll bet that makes them happy,” she said, and walked back over to the misshapen ball. “Let me help you.” “Thanks, Mommy.” “Do you know there are lots of stories about where snowflakes come from?” “Really?” “Yes. Would you like to hear some while we make your snow faerie?” “OK, Mommy. It sounds like fun. And then we’ll get some hot cocoa. And maybe leave some out for the snow faeries.” “Alright, Brandy,” Tamara said with a smile.
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December 2011 • Volume 2 19
Spirit of Christmas continued from page 10 and The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come. These gifts would represent some aspect of each of these time periods. As they each reached for their gifts, there was no shortage of teary eyes when the Past gifts yielded small things that were filled with memories. For my son Edward, the uncirculated coins that bore his birth year, a gift from his grandfather he never even knew he had. For my daughter Rebekah, a necklace that had belonged to my great-grandmother. For my husband Kevin, a poem written over ten years before I met him, a poem that described him and our love, long before it existed. For each gift I had written a note describing why it was chosen and gifted to them, and what I hoped they would remember of Christmas. We wound our way through the three gifts, each with a note attached. As the evening wore on, it took on a magical feel and the warmth radiated from our hearts and filled the entire house. It was late in the evening when we finally stole away to our beds to await Santa’s visit and the 24 hour marathon of “A Christmas Story”. To be honest, I can’t tell you what else we got that Christmas. I imagine, neither could they.
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Those three gifts required such thought and preparation, they had become the shining star in our home that year. We couldn’t have known that in the span of a year and a half our family would lose the bright light of our son Edward, to a car accident in August of 2007. That first Christmas only a few short months afterward felt so empty and so painful, but the tradition went on as we knew it should. That year, The Spirit of Christmas Present gifts were three hand-blown glass ornaments that hung as tear drops. I couldn’t think of anything to better represent where we truly were, as our own tears mingled with those glass baubles and we hung them from the branches. It was a quiet Christmas that found us struggling to hold it together, searching for ways to survive. It’s been four years this year and though our loss and ache remain, we have attempted to find the joy where it could be had, and Christmas has become a bitter sweet celebration of memories, family and home. We’ve wound our way through two blizzard snow falls and “The Great Spam Christmas”. Yes, we wolfed down Spam
sandwiches because our plans to be with family were thwarted by 50 mile per hour whiteout conditions. We’ve smiled all the same. We welcomed a son-in-law to the family and his joy and youthful exuberance helps to heal our hearts. Christmas Yet to Come, well, we all only improvise and lay our hopes on. None of us knows what may come in the future but as long as hope glistens like new fallen snow in our hearts, we keep on going. Perhaps, the Spirits of Christmas can add another layer to your holiday celebrations. Take the time to really think about the holidays past and the one that you are present in. Take hold of the hope that is Christmas Yet to Come and BELIEVE. Maybe, you’re already thinking of your three Spirits and how they might come to visit during your holiday season. If you are, then I raise my glass to you... after all, in a world full of turmoil and strife we all need a little more magic right about now. Happy Holidays to each and every one of you. You truly are, deeply and securely nestled in my heart.
Raising Children continued from page 11
As we grew older many of us began to question what we were being taught. We realized that the Christian religion of our parents was not the religion for us. We rebelled when it came time to prepare for church. We slept late on Sunday mornings or slept Saturday night at a friend’s house. We had a zillion excuses of why we could not attend church with our parents. We plodded along in our own little worlds, searching for what seemed to be missing in our lives, unaware there were others who felt the same way we did. We were totally oblivious of the changes that were going on in other parts of the world that would, in the future, change our lives. When my son was born, I moved with my husband to a very rural area a couple miles from a little town. People who lived here had never heard of pabulum, pastina or ricotta. I had never heard of tractor pulls or county fairs. No HowTo-Live-Here booklet was handed to me on my arrival. The choices for religious practice
were Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Seventh Day Adventist, Christian Reformed, Christian Reformed and Christian Reformed. “The” religion was any of the different branches within Christianity. There were no Jewish and Buddhist temples or Muslim mosques. There were no Covens, Circles or Groves that performed rituals. In the early 1970’s people in the United States were just beginning to be aware of the various Pagan paths. Wicca and Asatru were not in the dictionary and Google and search engines did not yet exist. In fact only IBM owned and used computers. So how could we find information regarding these paths? How could we raise our children as little Pagans when we had no idea ourselves that Pagan paths existed? Had I known then what I know now, my son would have attended mass at the Catholic church, or service at the different Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist churches, and also the Pagan rituals when he was old enough to follow circle etiquette. He would have learned about the different Pagan paths. He would have learned about the eight Sabbats and the Wheel of the Year or the Threefold Law. He would have learned who the Holly and Oak Kings were and what months they rule. He would have learned
how to identify an empath or psychic vampire. He would have heard the Charge of the Goddess and the Charge of the God. He would be able to describe or give a definition for athame, smudge stick, esbat, besom or Runes. He would have learned what herbs were used for healing. And most important of all he would have learned that spirituality is a connection with Deity and religion is a man made construct. We are very fortunate to have had strong intelligent individuals in our Pagan community who persevered in bringing Paganism into the modern world. We should be grateful that there are people who feel that religious diversity is important enough to support it. And I for one applaud every parent who is raising and teaching their child/ren about the Pagan paths, because those children are our future.
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Fool’s Journey continued from page 8
... each step brings you closer to it and eagerly you begin to run, rushing towards the end of the journey. The Fools Meditation You will need: • 5-10 Minutes • A copy of The Fool card from the Rider Waite Tarot (this is available at: http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RiderWaite_tarot_deck#Major_ Arcana)
depends over his right shoulder a wallet curiously embroidered. He is a prince of the other world on his travels through this one — all amidst the morning glory, in the keen air. The sun, which shines behind him, knows whence he came, whither
Take a few moments and read the following excerpt from The Pictorial Key to the Tarot: With light step, as if earth and its trammels had little power to restrain him, a young man in gorgeous vestments pauses at the brink of a precipice among the great heights of the world; he surveys the blue distance before him - its expanse of sky rather than the prospect below. His act of eager walking is still indicated, though he is stationary at the given moment; his dog is still bounding. The edge which opens on the depth has no terror; it is as if angels were waiting to uphold him, if it came about that he leaped from the height. His countenance is full of intelligence and expectant dream. He has a rose in one hand and in the other a costly wand, from which 22
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the place of The Fool. You are the traveler on a journey of exploration. As you set your feet on the road and begin to walk down the path, you begin to see in the distance your destination. Each step brings you closer to it and eagerly you begin to run, rushing towards the end of the journey. The vistas around you change as you move – the sun moves across the horizon, the landscape transforms around you, but you do not notice – so focused are you on the destination. After a while of running you realize that the destination never seems to move closer, it is ever out of reach. In running towards the end you have missed the point of the journey – it is not the destination that matters, rather it is the road you take to get there that shapes who you are. Enlightened you open your eyes. Henry David Thoreau, Walden Pond, Ch1-Par 9. 1
he is going, and how he will return by another path after many days. He is the spirit in search of experience. 3 Then close your eyes and after taking a few deep calming breaths, visualize yourself in
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Ch 1
2
A.E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911 full text available at http://www. sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/ index.htm 3
Your Community • Your Connection
Upcoming Themes & Deadlines January 2012: Breaking Through Deadline: December 5th, 2011 February 2012: Matters of the Heart Deadline: January 5th, 2012 March 2012: Hearth & Home Deadline: February 5th, 2012
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December 2011 • Volume 2 23
Book Review continued from page 12
Pandora Gets Jealous
by Carolyn Hennesy, 2008 ISBN: 978-1599902913
Pandora Atheneus Andromaeche Helena, or Pandy, wants to be an ordinary, popular, pretty girl like the other maidens in Athens. Unfortunately, she isn’t—her father is Prometheus and her mother is a favored employee of Zeus because of her beauty. She has teeth that aren’t straight and hangs out with her best friends, Alcie and Iole, who are definitely not popular. In an effort to be noticed and liked, she brings a mysterious box to school for a school project. The box, something Zeus gave her father long ago, was never supposed to be opened. But due to a fight with the popular girls, it is opened, and seven evils are unleashed in the world. Zeus charges Pandy with finding and capturing them again in six months without any help from anyone in her family or the gods (although they manage to find ways to help). Pandy sets out on her mission to find and capture jealousy in this first book of the series. 24
™• December 2011 • Volume 2
Aisha’s Moonlit Walk:
Stories and Celebrations for the Pagan Year
by Anika Stafford, 2005 ISBN: 978-1558964853
Parents, are you looking for a way to explore and celebrate the sabbats with your children? This is the book for you! Stafford guides readers through each holiday, highlighting the meaning and values of each through a story about Aisha and how she celebrates with family and friends. Activities follow each story and can be adapted for spiritual or non-spiritual groups. Be aware, however, the traditions and activities from the book may not be those celebrated by all pagans (we are all different, aren’t we?). But I think this book is a nice way to introduce pagan holidays and offers some family focused elements to be incorporated into celebrations.
Alphabet continued from page 17
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December 2011 • Volume 2 25
Echinacea continued from page 13 What is it made of? Echinacea contains several chemicals that play a role in its possible therapeutic effects. These include polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids. The chemicals contained in the root differ considerably from those in the upper part of the plant. For example, the roots have high concentrations of volatile oils (odorous compounds) while the above-ground parts of the plant tend to contain more polysaccharides (substances known to trigger the activity of the immune system). The combination of these active substances is responsible for
s t l u d A
r) e d l o r o 8 1 d e g a ( a erb, as te root or h
ried xtract 2 grams d 1 incture e t d e e n iz u d r m ral im standa For gene ulation, - 3 mL of 2 uccus) tim d juice (s e s s e r p x system s s, flu, fe ed ld 6 - 9 ml o , powdecsr d e during co ator y tract iz d r a enoli stand spir 00 mg coofntaining 4% ph r 3 e u p p e r re d d la b s) s, o r extract - 90 drop 0 infection hoose (2 L m s, c :5): 1 - 3 3 infection llowing incture (1 T mL (15 - 2 5 .7 0 : t c fo a e r sh ext f ro m t h a k e t h re e bilized fre t a t d S n a s form lly s or d. drops) y g e n e ra s, cream a d d n a u eede s o n e w s g a tim alin be applied e h : s w y a lo d s For ents should for 7 - 10 ointm n in childrey e s u e h T days. reticall e than 10, because of theo m. The use r o m r fo ed te ed raindicat not be us mune sys ed, It should ear of age is contt on immature im not recommend ugh below 1 yundesirable effec 12 years of age isocumented altho t possible n between 1 and een sufficiently d sence of sufficiend. [5. in childreefficacy has not bmented. In the ab ot recommende s.org/ because isks are not docu and lactation is nttp://www.eflora specific r use in pregnancy acea purpurea h03 ] data, the nograph on Echin&taxon_id=1112 EMEA Mon.aspx?flora_id=1 florataxo
26
™• December 2011 • Volume 2
echinacea’s beneficial effects, though research suggests that the above ground portion of Echinacea purpurea is the most effective. In Germany, the above-ground parts of Echinacea purpurea are approved to treat colds, upper respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and slow-healing wounds. The root of the Echinacea pallida plant is also approved for the treatment of flu-like infections. Many echinacea products available in the United States contain one, two, or even all three plant species. CULINARY USES None currently known. The flavor of the extracts can often be bitter and sharp or “classic” medicine taste. MEDICAL USE Several laboratory and animal studies suggest that echinacea contains active substances that enhance the activity of the immune system, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and have hormonal, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. For this reason, professional herbalists may recommend echinacea to treat urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast (candida) infections, ear infections (also known as otitis media), athlete’s foot, sinusitis, hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis), as well as slowhealing wounds.
• If you choose to take
echinacea, use it as directed
•
•
• • •
•
on the package or as directed by your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider. When echinacea is being used for symptoms of the common cold, it should be started as soon as the symptoms are noticed. Also, three weeks of treatment with echinacea, followed by one week without the echinacea may provide the best results. Standardized extracts, tinctures, and solid formulations of herbal/health supplements may provide a more reliable dose of the product. Take the pill forms of echinacea with a full glass of water. Some forms of echinacea can be brewed to form a tea for drinking. Use the topical forms of echinacea externally only. Do not use different formulations (e.g., tablets, topical formulations, teas, tinctures, and others) of echinacea at the same time, unless specifically directed to do so by a health care professional. Using different formulations together increases the risk of an overdose of echinacea. Store echinacea as directed on the package. In general, echinacea should be protected from light.
Precautions When taken by mouth, echinacea usually does not cause side effects. However, some people experience allergic reactions, including rashes, increased
•
•
•
asthma, and anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction). In clinical trials, gastrointestinal side effects were most common. People are more likely to experience allergic reactions to echinacea if they are allergic to related plants in the daisy family, which includes ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, and daisies. Also, people with asthma or atopy (a genetic tendency toward allergic reactions) may be more likely to have an allergic reaction when taking echinacea. Talk to your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
Echinacea may alter the actions of other medicines that affect your immune system. Before taking echinacea, tell your doctor if you are taking. a steroid medicine including betamethasone (Celestone), dexamethasone (Hexadrol, Decadron, others), cortisone (Cortone), hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone, others), methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol, others), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone, others), prednisolone (Prelone, Pediapred, others), triamcinolone (Aristocort, others), and others; or cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), tacrolimus
•
•
(Prograf ), azathioprine (Imuran), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), or other immune system suppressants. You may not be able to take echinacea, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above. Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with echinacea. Talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care professional before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines or other herbal/health supplements. MAGICKAL USES Echinacea is often used in spells to strengthen their power, just as the herb is used to strengthen the immune system. It was used by the Native Americans not only to strengthen their spells, but as a precious offering to spirits. Zodiac Sign: Gemini Rules the shoulders, arms and hands as well as the lungs (breathing). God Associations: Hestia - Goddess of the hearth, domestic duties and the home life, Hestia is strong, nurturing and protective. According to Greek mythology, Hestia was the first born child of Cronos and Rhea. Her brothers were Poseidon, Hades and Zeus, and her sisters were Demeter and Hera.
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December 2011 • Volume 2 27
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