The Pen dl e Cr aft M ay Edition | Bel tan e
Contents Letter From The Editor Wand Making And Their History Why Are Black Cats Associated With Witchcraft? What Is Fracking? Crystal of The Month Music Review On The Sofa With "From The Other Side" Modern Wicca And Paganism Part 2 Herb of the month Literary Corner Recipes Moots and Events
LETTER FROM TH E EDI TOR B
right est Blessings everyone and welcome t o yet anot her mont hs' issue of The Pendle
Craft . Wit h Belt ane being upon us, t he circle is cont inuing t o t urn and soon summer will be here; children will be off school for t he holidays, excursions booked, and hopefully t he summer sun will last a bit longer here in t he UK t han last year. As t he magazine is published each mont h we look for more and more st ories t o add, so please, if you have a st ory or an art icle t hat you would like t o share, t hen please feel free t o email t o our edit orial st aff at t hemyst iccauldron@out look.com We also offer advert ising from ÂŁ 40.00 . Please enjoy t his mont hs edit ion and if you have any feedback t hen please feel free t o email us.
T he E di t or
Wand M ade By Padrix Evans and Sold at www.divinemyst iccauldron.com
W AND M AKING AND ITS H ISTORY By Gayl a Roger s
W
hen you want your own wand t he first t hing t o consider is whet her you will make it
or buy it . I f I was going t o buy a wand already made for me I 'd go t o a variety of st ores, bot h local and online. I would look at t he designs and symbols and what t hey mean, as well as t he mat erials t hat went int o t he wand. I would also go for t he wand I am most drawn t o. I suggest t o medit at e on t he choice. Do you want a wooden wand or a st one or cryst al one? Remember t o t ake int o account wood/ rock types and t he meaning and symbolism behind it . Being t horough insures t hat your wand has t he desired propert ies. I f you decide t o make your own you'll st ill need t o consider t he quest ion over mst erials. There are many helpful chart s t o help when comparing types of wood or cryst als. I f you're making a wooden wand you'll need t o seek out t he perfect branch or st ick. You can always purchase one if desired. I like t o t ake my t imd in nat ure and choose my own. TAK E your t ime wit h t his choice. Also, don't forget t o ask t he t rees permission before t aking a living branch from it . I f t he answer is yes, t hen go for it ! I f it 's no, t hen keep searching. The lengt h of your wand should be at least from elbow t o wrist . I t can vary t hough and shouldn't be go long as t o be unweilding. I f you choose t o make a wand out of anot her mat erial ghat s fine. You can eit her buy it or search for it in nat ure like you would for t he wooden wand. Once you are ready t o t ake it home and get st art ed some cleanse and consecrat e it first . Ot hers decorat e t heir wand and cleanse and consecrat e aft er. Some people choose t o decorat e t heir wand in t heir circle while asking deity t o join t hem. The choice is yours.
By Gayl a Roger s
T
here are many addit ions or decorat ions t hat can be used on your wand. Decorat ions
include, but are not limit ed t o, feat hers, gems, st oned, paint , hair (yours), met al and runes. I t is import ant t o know t he meaning of runes before put t ing t hem on your wand. M ost t end t o add a cryst al on t he end of t heir wand. The most popular type being quart z, alt hough some may choose t o use amet hyst for spirit ual cont act in t heir wand. You could even choose t o have wands for various purposes. The modern wand is a conduit of power and is oft en used in rit uals for direct ing power. This modern wand came from ceremonial st affs for kings and religious officials. I t 's was seen as a symbols of power. The rod of M oses is a popular example of wand lore passed around. One of t he first depict ions of in hist ory come from egypt . The Pharaohs had scept er in t heir hands in depict ions. There are many legends wit h wands incorporat ed. M ay your wand making experience be one of joyous wonder as you deepen your knowledge and wisdom on your pat h. Go wit h your int uit ion! This wand is an ext ent ion of you used in rit ual. M ake it shine wit h your unique power and personality. Blessed be!
Why AreBlack Cats Associated With Witches? Willow and Squeak (black cat)
By Lorraine Ellison
In tr o Par agr aph Looked upon as a symbol of evil omens, specifically being suspect ed of being familiar of wit ches, and so most of Europe considers t he black cat t o be a symbol of bad luck, especially if one crosses a person?s pat h ? misfort une and deat h is said t o follow soon aft er
Squeak
Black Cats and their association with Witchcraft Cat s were oft en believed t o be familiars of human wit ches. They are believed, by some Wiccans, t o have t he ability t o sense spirit s before humans can not ice t hem. Black cat s, because of t heir ability t o remain unseen in dark places at night , were especially desirable as a wit ches? familiar; however, it was said t hat some wit ches could t urn int o a cat nine t imes, hence t he archaic belief t hat a cat has nine lives and
black cat s were somet imes used in magical rit uals, more oft en t han not as sacrifices. During t he great wit ch t rials of mediaeval Europe ownership of a cat of any descript ion was oft en t aken as evidence of Sat anism and wit chcraft , cat s were purport ed t o be evil in t heir own right and were oft en commit t ed t o t he flames along wit h t heir owners, or drowned. Ot her punishment s for t he cat s of women accused of wit chcraft were being buried alive.
Like in hist ory, some religious and spirit ual groups pract ice animal sacrifice using cat s, but some st udies have t ried t o show t hat such report s belong in t he annals of urban legend. However, t his is not always t he case and t here are people out t here who believe t hat cat s hold magical ?powers? and do sacrifice t hese poor creat ures. I t has t o be said however t hat t his never happens in Wiccan rit uals since Wicca is a nat ure based religion t hat encourages respect for animals. M any modern wit ches keep black cat s as pet s and view t hem as sacred. I n Russia,
t here is st ill a popular belief t hat should a black cat cross a persons? pat h t hen t hey should choose anot her pat h or cross it holding a but t on in his or her fingers.
Fracking Friend Or Foe What is Fracking Fracking is t he process of drilling down int o t he eart h before a high-pressure wat er mixt ure is direct ed at t he rock t o release t he gas inside. Wat er, sand and chemicals are inject ed int o t he rock at high pressure which allows t he gas t o flow out t o t he head of t he well. The process is carried out vert ically or, more commonly, by drilling horizont ally t o t he rock layer. The process can creat e new pat hways t o release gas or can be used t o ext end exist ing channels. I n a st at ement given t o us, Caudrilla, who have been drilling in Lancashire for a lit t le over four years, t old us: ?Hydraulic fract uring or ?fracking? is t he long est ablished process of creat ing fract ures in impermeable rock format ions t o release t he nat ural gas or liquids t rapped inside. Fract uring fluid ? 99.95% wat er and sand ? is inject ed at high pressure int o t he rock format ion, 2-3 km below t he surface, t o creat e millimet re-sized cracks. These cracks are held open by sand grains cont ained wit hin t he fract uring fluid, allowing t he nat ural gas t o flow out of t he rock and int o t he wellbore and be collect ed at t he surface. Cont rary t o popular belief, apart from wat er and sand, Cuadrilla proposes t o use only one addit ional component in our fract uring fluid. This will be a non-hazardous frict ion reducer called Polyacrylamide which makes up 0.05% by volume of t he fluid. This composit ion has been assesed by t he Environment Agency as non-hazardous t o ground wat er.?
But why t hen is fracking considered so dangerous t o t he environment and cont roversial? I n t heir st at ement Caudrilla goes on t o t ell us t hat : ?We have conduct ed a rigorous environment al review of our proposed shale gas explorat ion sit es and have demonst rat ed t hat t he local environment will be well prot ect ed t hroughout our proposed operat ions. We will monit or and report on all relevant environment al paramet ers before, during and aft er operat ions t o verify t his. I n addit ion t o obt aining planning approval from t he local aut hority, a variety of consent s and permit s are required for different st ages of operat ions which Cuadrilla must adhere t o. All our operat ions in t he UK are highly regulat ed by t he Depart ment for Energy and Climat e Change, t he Environment Agency (EA) and t he Healt h and Safety Execut ive. The EA grant ed Cuadrilla a number of environment al permit s for it s proposed explorat ory sit es in Lancashire in early 2015. and were t he first permit s of t heir kind t o be grant ed in t he UK since t he morat orium on shale gas was lift ed.? This was an import ant seal of approval from t he regulat or, demonst rat ing t hat t he explorat ion of shale gas can be done responsibly. What Caudrilla fails t o t ell us is t he environment al concerns t hat have been raised. I n t he Unit ed St at es, where Hydraulic Fract uring has revolut ionised t he energy sect or, wat er is brought in over
vast dist ances in order t o be pumped t hrough t he massive drills. This is t hought by many t o have grave implicat ions on t he environment . The second concern is t hat fracking can cause minor eart h t remors. I n 2011 two eart hquakes st ruck Blackpool, t he first measuring only 1.5 and t he second 2.2 on t he Richt er scale, t his has never before happened in t his region. A report by t he Union of Concerned Scient ist s in t he US informs us t hat ?a number of recent st udies have come t o t he conclusion t hat abundant nat ural gas will do lit t le t o reduce power sect or heat t rapping emissions? ?1. We are t old t hat t he biggest reason for t his paradox is due t o t he delay in changing from t he old fuel types t o t he renewable energy and it is believed t hat inst ead of CO2 emissions decreasing t hey could increase by up t o 50 or 60%. However, what t he renewable energies also fail t o inform t he public about is t he increase not just in CO2 but also t he rise in fugit ive met hane. As t he drills go deeper int o t he eart h and t he fuel is ext ract ed from t he wells, we are t old in t he same report by t he Union of Concerned Scient ist s t hat ?The drilling and ext ract ion of t he fuel from wells, as well as it s processing, t ransmission, dist ribut ion, and st orage, also result in t he leakage of met hane? a primary component of nat ural gas t hat is 34 t imes st ronger t han carbon dioxide at t rapping
heat over a 100-year period and 86 t imes st ronger over 20 years.? But it ?s not just t he air we breat h t hat is affect ed by t he ext ract ion of nat ural gas, our wat er is also at risk. The US Environment Prot ect ion Agency (EPA) report s t hat between 15,000 and 60,000 gallons of chemicals are mixed wit h t he wat er in each well. The EPA ident ified in drinking wat er t he presence of a number of t oxic chemicals ? including Benzene, Lead, and M et hanol. Benzene is a chemical t hat is a colorless or light yellow liquid at room t emperat ure. I t has a sweet odor and is highly flammable and it evaporat es int o t he air very quickly. I t s vapor is heavier t han air and may sink int o low-lying areas. Benzene dissolves only slight ly in wat er and will float on t op of wat er. Drinking wat er cont aminat ed -Quote Author wit h high levels of Benzene can lead t o Vomit ing.
I rrit at ion of t he st omach Dizziness Sleepiness Convulsions Rapid or irregular heart beat Deat h (at very high levels) Long t erm effect s of Benzene can be as follows: The major effect of benzene from long-t erm exposure is on t he blood. (Long-t erm exposure means exposure of a year or more.) Benzene causes harmful effect s on t he bone marrow and can cause a decrease in red blood cells, leading t o anaemia. I t can also cause excessive bleeding and can affect t he immune syst em, increasing t he chance for infect ion. Some women who breat hed high levels of benzene for many mont hs had irregular menst rual periods and a decrease in t he size of t heir ovaries. I t is not known whet her benzene exposure affect s t he developing fet us in pregnant women or fert ility in men. Animal st udies have shown low birt h weight s, delayed bone format ion, and bone marrow damage when pregnant animals breat hed benzene. The Depart ment of Healt h and Human Services (DHHS) has det ermined t hat benzene causes cancer in humans. Long-t erm exposure t o high levels of benzene in t he air can cause leukemia, cancer of t he blood-forming organs. This is just one example of the
long term effects of chemical gas is not a clean source of exposure. I n a letter to the energy. M et hane is a pot ent British M edical Journal (BM J) greenhouse gas in it s own several key doctors also gave right , and when burnt , over their concerns on produces carbon dioxide. Shale fracking. gas ext ract ion would Please read the following letter undermine our commit ment t o (BM J 2014; 348 doi: reducing greenhouse gas http:/ / dx.doi.org/ 10.1136/ bmj.g2728 emissions and be incompat ible (Published 17 April 2014)Cite wit h global effort s t o prevent this as: BM J 2014;348:g2728. Š global warming from exceeding BM J Publishing Group Ltd two degrees cent igrade. 2015) The argument s against fracking Public Health England?s draft on public healt h and ecological report on shale gas extraction grounds are overwhelming. Dear Edit or, We writ e as concerned healt h professionals who seek t o draw t he public?s at t ent ion t o t he dangers associat ed wit h hydraulic fract uring (fracking) and shale gas ext ract ion in t he Unit ed K ingdom, as highlight ed by a recent report published by M edact . Fracking is an inherent ly risky act ivity t hat produces hazardous levels of air and wat er pollut ion t hat can have adverse impact s on healt h. The heavy t raffic, noise and odour t hat accompanies fracking, as well as t he socially disrupt ive effect s of t emporary ?boomt owns? and t he spoilage of t he nat ural environment are addit ional healt h hazards. Such risks would be magnified in t he UK where fracking is project ed t o t ake place in closer proximity t o more densely populat ed communit ies; and where t here are concerns about t he effect iveness of t he regulat ory syst em for onshore gas ext ract ion. But in addit ion t o t his, shale
There are clear grounds for adopt ing t he precaut ionary principle and prohibit ing fracking. Yours sincerely, Dr Robin St ot t , Co-Chair, Climat e and Healt h Council Professor Sue At kinson CBE, Co-Chair, Climat e and Healt h Counci Professor Hugh M ont gomery, -Quote Author UCL Professor M aya Rao OBE Professor M art in M cK ee, LSHTM Dr Clare Gerada, GP and former Chair of RGCP Dr Christ opher Birt , University of Liverpool and Christ ie Hospit al, M anchest er Professor John Yudkin, Emerit us Professor of M edicine, UCL Dr Sheila Adam, former Deputy Chief M edical Officer
Professor K lim M cPherson, Chair of t he UK Healt h Forum Dr John M iddlet on, Vice President UK FPH Professor Alan M aryon-Davis, KCL Helen Gordon, Board M ember, Climat e and Healt h Council Dr Frank Boult on, M edact and Sout hampt on University Dr Sarah Walpole, Academic Clinical Fellow Professor Allyson Pollock, QM UL Dr Julie Hot chkiss, Act ing Direct or of Public Healt h at City of a York Council Professor Jennie Popay, Lancast er University So far we have looked at t he air we breat he, t he wat er we drink, chemical leaks and t oxic chemicals, but what about t he landscape in which t hese sit es are t o be built . What impact do t hey have on our count ryside? Already we have, dot t ing t he landscape, wind-t urbines, t o produce more renewable energy t o help elect ricity supplies. These huge eye-sores blight t he landscape t hat once was green wit h fields and hist orical buildings. Here in Lancashire, close t o where I live, we see several wind-farms at op t he hills, but what of t he drilling sit es? As more and more areas are ident ified as being abundant in Shale gas we are going t o lose more and more of our greenbelt , our count ryside will become less and less which in t urn will also have an environment al impact . I init ially began t his art icle as one of he says she says now
you decide, but as I invest igat ed furt her and asked for informat ion, asked for st at ement s, especially in t he US, I found doors were closed on me, my calls hung up on or passed from one depart ment t o t he ot her. Surprisingly, I found t he worst culprit for t his was environment al campaigners Greenpeace. When I became persist ent and sent yet anot her email all I was sent was links t o t heir websit e. What is it about Fracking t hat people do not want ot hers t o know about ? What is t he big secret or cont roversy? I would like t o t hank however, The Union of Concerned Scient ist s, who were very helpful. The war on Fracking goes on and it is up t o you, t he readers, t o decide which way you decide. I have made up my mind. Fracking is somet hing t hat we should not allow t o happen. Yes we need renewable energies, but by allowing t his t o blight our landscape and our environment , we put not only t he next generat ion at risk, but t he one aft er t hat and t he one aft er t hat .
-Quote Author
Cr ystal Of The M on th GARNET
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Alt hough Garnet is t he birt hst one of January, Garnet is also associat ed wit h t he Belt ane. M agickal uses According t o t he I nt ernat ional Colored Gemst one Associat ion, garnet s have been used by t he ancient Egypt ians, Greeks and Romans in jewelry and t he garnet was a popular prot ect ive st one and t alisman. The I nt ernat ional Colored Gemst one Associat ion also explains t hat t he garnet was once believed t o light t he way of t he person who wore it and it was commonly held t hat t he st one prot ect ed t hose who carried it from disast ers and evil. Garnet s can be used in rest oring balance t o one?s energet ic syst em; The st one helps in improving one?s mood, at t it ude and focus on personal desires. Garnet s can be carried by t hose who seek t o increase personal awareness, creat ivity, endurance and vit ality. The st one is a project ive st one t hat act s as a purifier; I t has masculine energies; I t is associat ed wit h t he element of fire and it is somet imes used in rit es or spells for increased self-confidence, great er personal resolve and abundance. I n t he ?Encyclopedia of Cryst al, Gem and M et al M agic,? Scot t Cunningham explains t hat t his st one was once t hought t o ward off phant oms and demons and t oday t he st one is used for st rengt hening one?s personal aura and warding off negat ive psychic or physical at t acks. Cunningham also explains t hat t he garnet is a st one t hat can be worn if seeking prot ect ion from t hieves; I t can be used by ot hers who are t rying t o regulat e t he blood and heart and t he st one is used for dealing wit h skin condit ions. According t o 12 St ep Sobriety St ones, t he garnet has t he same energy vibrat ions as t he number two: A number of duality, connect ion, balance, t he unificat ion of opposit es, compromise and pairings of all kinds; The st one is used for increasing product ivity, good fort une in business and it is an ideal st one for writ ers and art ist s.
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Goddess associations
Cr ystal Of The M on th GARNET
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I f seeking t o align wit h a deity in rit es or spells where garnet is used, t his st one is associat ed wit h t he Greek goddess Persephone who consumed a deep red colored pomegranat e while in t he Underworld; The consumpt ion of t he pomegranat e ensured Persephone?s yearly ret urn t o t he Underworld and t he god Hades. According t o Valuable St ones, t he st ory of Persephone gave rise t o garnet s being associat ed wit h pomegranat e seeds, t he quick ret urn of a lover and t he healing of est ranged relat ionships. I n ?The Joy of Family Tradit ions: A Season-by-Season Companion t o 400 Celebrat ions and Act ivit ies,? Jennifer Trainer Thompson explains t hat garnet s were also sacred in ancient Egypt as t he st ones were viewed as t he ?life blood? of t he goddess I sis. Planetary associations Garnet s are st ones ruled by t he planet M ars; According t o Cafe Ast rology, t his is t he planet associat ed wit h survival, desire, act ion and energy; The planet rules over sexual desires, at t ract ion, and raw energet ic forces. Garnet is t herefore aligned wit h personal ambit ions, mot ivat ion and it serves as a suit able st one t o work wit h when t rying t o accomplish any personal goal.
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UTTER M ADNESS By Becci Freeman
A review of Sleeping Wit h Sirens' new album, M adness
"It's official. M adness has set in... And w e're loving it."
I t 's official. M adness has set in... And we're loving it . Sleeping wit h Sirens lat est album provides everyt hing we are looking for in a hit record: big drum beat s, infect ious riffs and cat chy lyrics t hat become engrained in your brain for days. I t 's ant hemic and emot ive, wit h a perfect ly balanced combinat ion of upbeat pop-punk and acoust ic melodies. The opening t rack, K ick me, sends a powerful message as it t akes an angry st ance against bullying. Lyrics like "F* * * you and your opinion" and "K eep looking down on me/ I am more t han you'll ever be" empower kids and adult s alike t o st and against t hose t hat put t hem down; all t he while maint aining an ent husiast ic sound. This cont agious effervescent energy cont inues in t racks like "Go Go Go", "We like it loud" and "Bet t er off dead" - which was a risky t ake on such a sensit ive t opic, but it was a risk t hat paid off. However, songs like "t he st rays", which plays wit h ideas of unity and accept ance among t hose who share feelings of being socially out cast , and "Left alone", which deals wit h let t ing go of t he past and fight ing for love, adopt a more moving and emot ional sound. M adness is, by far, Sleeping wit h Sirens best album t o dat e and, in conjunct ion wit h t heir world t our wit h Pierce t he Veil, t hey seem on t rack t o t ake t he world by st orm. Recommended t racks: "K ick me", "Left alone" and "Bet t er off dead"
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Beltane
by V ictoria Furminger
The year is quickly t urning and t he next day of celebrat ion is upon us ? Belt aine (or Belt ane, depending on your preference). An ancient fest ival of fert ility and ensuring good crops, it is st ill as relevant t oday as it was t hose oh so many years ago.
aspect s of t he celebrat ory calendar.
Belt aine is associat ed wit h t he Celt ic deity, Bel, who was t he God of light , fire and t he Sun. The fire fest ival celebrat es t he pending summer and t he fert ility of t he coming year. I n days gone by t his was done by t he light ing of two huge bonfires.
As t here are many rout es of t he pagan pat h, Belt aine celebrat ions can be very different despit e t he shared name of ?pagan?. Whet her t hat be merriment from sunset t o sunset of Belt aine Eve t o Belt aine, at t he ast ronomical midpoint between t he spring equinox and t he summer solst ice, or just at t he nearest convenient weekend, it makes lit t le difference. The act and int ent ion of celebrat ing are enough of a reverence t o your deity.
M en and women would leap t he flames t o ensure fert ility, and t he rit uals would oft en lead t o mat ches and marriages. Cat t le were driven t hrough t he ashes or between t he two fires in t he hope of healt hy and abundant crops. Rit uals were held t o prot ect t hem from harm, bot h nat ural and supernat ural.
M ost celebrat ions st ill concent rat e on t he significance of fert ility and many rit uals include harnessing fires or flames. The Sun God at Belt aine achieves t he st rengt h and mat urity t o become a lover t o t he Goddess. Along wit h t his, fire is seen t o have purifying qualit ies which cleanse and revit alise.
The first wat er drawn from a well or t he first dew of Belt aine was seen as especially pot ent ; and at dawn maidens would wash t heir faces in t he dew. There was also a t radit ion of dancing round a pole (represent at ive of a phallus); somet hing t hat st ill cont inues t o t his day, even if t hose doing it don?t underst and t he hist ory.
Emma Rest all Orr (?Spirit s of t he Scared Grove?, 1998) speaks of ?fert ility of our personal creat ivity?. I n ot her words, t he fert ility of t he fest ival, once somet hing t hat was so very lit eral, does not have t o be so nowadays. She refers t o t he need and wish for act ive, creat ive lives, and a personal growt h in all t hat we do.
I t was t ied in wit h a need for community wit hin t he farming calendar ? everyone joining t oget her in t he hope of a fruit ful year, bot h wit h t he fields and wit hin t heir own families.
I t was and is a fest ival of opt imism ? in t he hope of bringing good fort une and happiness for t he year, and for fert ility of t he mind, body and spirit . Along wit h t he ancest ors t hat st and at our sides, we t urn t o face t he Sun wit h t hanks and t he hope t hat it may cont inue in t he days ahead.
This has not massively changed. Though t he majority of us are no longer t oiling t he fields as our ancest ors once were, many pagans st ill see t he foundat ion of fert ility and t he power of t he flames as import ant
Belt aine Blessings
ON THE SOFA WI TH FROM THE OTHER SI DE Paranormal I nvestigators Last week as I sat and pondered who I could int erview for t he magazine a t hought occurred t o me? ..everyone loves a good ghost st ory, we worship our ancest ors and we worship t he spirit world, so why not do an int erview wit h a paranormal invest igat ion t eam. I got ont o t he lapt op and put int o t he search engine ?paranormal groups in Lancashire?, and t he first one t o pop up was a group all t he way over in Halifax. Not quit e Lancashire, in fact a complet ely different county, Yorkshire. I read t heir websit e and I t hought , ?I have t o int erview t his group,? so I jumped on t he phone and spoke t o a lovely woman by t he name of Louise, who seemed quiet on t he t elephone. I explained what I was looking for and asked whet her or not an int erview was possible and t o my surprise she suggest ed t hat she came t o my home for an int erview, I looked at my part ner wit h a quest ioning look and was t old ?yes? wit h no hesit at ion. We arranged for t he Sat urday aft ernoon at 3 pm? ? At 3 pm on t he dot I get a phone call from Louise, t he young woman coming all t he way t o Brierfield from Halifax for an int erview, asking where I was and as I opened t he front door I was pleasant ly surprised t o see not one but t hree members of t he ?From The Ot her Side Team,? Louise, Callum, and Lyn. Aft er shaking hands and int roducing ourselves and showing our guest s t o a very shabby two-seat er sofa, which can hold t hree people ? at a squash ? drinks were provided and I sat down? t he int erview could now begin. So wit hout furt her ado, I would like t o int roduce From The Ot her Side - Louise, Callu, and Lyn. Asking t hem what set s t hem apart from ot her paranormal t eams t he key t hing t hey said, ?We do not charge excessive prices like our compet it ors who charge anywhere from ÂŁ 50 upwards. Depending on cost s et c. our prices are ÂŁ 20.00 upward.? As Louise explained t hat anot her fun fact for cust omers is t hat t hey get t o use all t he equipment provided, allowing client s t o get t o underst and how t o invest igat e properly. Louise also explained anot her difference between From The Ot her Side and t heir compet it ors is t he size of t he groups going along. Whereas ot her groups could t ake anywhere from forty plus people, From The Ot her Side keep t hings small and low key, allowing a possible bet t er experience for everyone concerned.
Wishing t o know just how From The Ot her Side was creat ed bot h Callum and Louise explained how t hey had bot h been on dozens of ghost hunt ing experiences prior t o set t ing up, however, Louise explained t hat it was not unt il her Nan passed away t hat she decided t o at t end t he local spirit ualist church, where she met Lyn. Aft er a while, Louise t old us, bot h she and Lyn decided t o set up t heir own ghost -hunt ing company and so, in Oct ober 2013, From The Ot her Side was born. Callum explained how he had bought Louise a ghost hunt ing experience for t heir wedding anniversary all t he way down in St rat ford-Upon-Avon, at t he Falst aff Experience. Was Callum t rying t o t ell his wife somet hing, I never asked Louise. Callum explained t hat he was a complet e non-believer of t he paranormal unt il t he Falst aff Experience; Louise went on t o explain t hat on t he night of t he invest igat ion it was complet e non-st op act ion, from balls of cold air t hrough t o legs being pulled. Callum, having explained his scept icism and his scient ific way of t hinking t old us t hat t his was t he t urning point for him. Event s at t he Falst aff Experience had changed his way of viewing t he paranormal. Asking about locat ions, I asked t he t eam if t here was anywhere t hat would have been considered t oo scary. Thinking t his over, Louise rat t led off Asylums, crypt s, et c, but Callum int errupt ed and gave a shake of his head, st at ing ?nowhere is t oo scary, we will do it ? .? ?I would probably run out ,? Louise added, ?but I would st ill do it .? Speaking about being on t he psychic circuit , being connect ed wit h t he spirit ualist churches, bot h Lyn and Louise explained t hat t he churches do not like ghost invest igat ion t eams. Lyn went on t o explain t hat From The Ot her Side don?t like t o use guest mediums very much; Callum explained t hat t here have been t oo many ?fake? mediums in ot her groups making t hings up and bringing disgrace upon t he invest igat ions and t his indust ry. He furt her explained t hat if not hing happens on an invest igat ion t hen not hing happens, it s fine, but what t hey don?t want is for someone t o say t here is somet hing t here when t here isn?t .
Bot h Louise and Callum explained t hat t hey prefer t o use places t hat have never been done before and are unique. Louise explained t hat t heir first invest igat ion began at her grandfat her?s manor house property where, even t oday, she does not like t o walk t he corridors, preferring t o run due t o t he fear fact or. She says wit h a laugh. Diving int o a bag, Callum and Louise began pulling out bit s of equipment , laying a Ouija board ont o t he coffee t able and asking if we mind having a spirit board in t he house. I explained t hat I only ever use one as a last resort . Lift ing t he K I I (K 2) met er, Callum explained it s use. A K -I I (K 2) met er is a part of a class of inst rument s known as EM F det ect ors. When t he K -I I M et er is exposed t o an elect ric field an elect rical current is induced wit hin t he devices circuit ry. The st rengt h of t his field and t he induced current is t hen measured from a 5 LED light up scale which indicat es t he int ensity of t he field. The K -I I M et er was made popular by it s appearance in t he TV show ?Ghost Hunt ers?. St art ing around t he t hird season, t he Ghost Hunt ers t eam have used t he K -2 (or K -I I ) met er, a type of EM F met er t hat uses a series of LEDs t o measure t he st rengt h of an energy field. Next out was a sound enhancer; t his device allows t he human ear t o hear dist ant knocks and foot st eps. Next up was t he Franks Box, a device t hat races t hrough t he radio st at ions on AM / FM frequencies t o communicat e wit h t he ot her side? .equipment just kept coming. A planchet t e for Aut omat ic-writ ing, Dowsing Rods, Laser-grid pen, I nfra-Red Night Vision Goggles, and finally t he Ouija Board. Callum calmly explained each and every t ool along wit h t heir uses. Callum explained t hat each t ool is left out for t he client t o use whenever t hey feel t he need t o; Lyn t ook over t o explain about t rigger object s, explaining t hat t hey leave out t eddies for t he smaller spirit s. ?I f you see a t rigger object moving,? Lyn t old us, ?t hen draw around it wit h chalk t o see how far it is moving.?
As t ime wore on and t he int erview wound down, my part ner asked about favourit e locat ions and at once everyone said The Fleece in Elland, originally built in t he 17t h cent ury. Finally, it had t o be asked? .everyone?s favourit e piece of equipment . For Lyn it was t able t ipping, explaining t hat she has seen t he t able move up and down one or two st eps at t he Fleece I nn in Elland, for Callum it was pendulums, but for Louise it was t he K I I met ers as it was felt t hat once somet hing came t hrough and t he met er went off, it helps t o clarify what is being said. I t helps t o t urn non-believers int o believers. Lyn furt her explained t hat she was happy if she had t he sound enhancer and Night -Vision goggles, give her t hose, she t old us, and she would be away for t he night . I f you are looking for a Ghost Hunt ing experience, t hen I would definit ely recommend From The Ot her Side. This t eam of five really makes t hings fun. So go on, get in t ouch wit h t hem t oday on: Phone: 07453 603640 E-mail: book@fromt heot herside.org.uk Some of t heir upcoming event s for M ay are: Yordas Cave in Thornt on in Lonsdale, Lancashire, on t he 16t h M ay from 8pm t o 1am. This has only 5 spaces left and cost s ÂŁ 21.00 per person. Be quick as t hey have already had one event sold out t hat was at Savile Park and Wainhouse Tower, in Halifax on t he 2nd M ay. Let t hem know t he Pendle Craft sent you.
Modern Wicca And Paganism
By Merlyn of Children of Artemis and Witchfest PART II
These are some of t he most cont roversial t opics in t he world of Wicca. This has been a hot t opic since t he rise in t he numbers of people who consider t hemselves Wiccan, but have not been formally init iat ed. To discuss t his in a rat ional rat her t han emot ive way I will look at t he hist ory of bot h types of Wiccan, t he similarit ies between solit ary and init iat es, t he undeniable differences. The origins of Wicca is a coven organised init iat ed myst ery t radit ion. Gerald Gardner was t he fat her of modern Wicca
Now I can move ont o Wicca, while t he sit uat ion here is clearer it is not as obvious as it once was. The t erm was originally brought int o general usage by Gerald Gardner, alt hough he spelt it wit h a single ?c? (Wica). Some of t he recent development s have broken t he t radit ional underst anding of Wicca as a lineage based init iat ory pat h open only t o t hose over 18. These concept s handed down since t he birt h of Wicca in t he 50s are very obviously breached by solit ary Wiccans, TeenWit ches, and possibly eclect ics. So what is a Wiccan a Coven init iat e, a Solit ary, or bot h? Can someone become Wiccan before t he age of 18?
Gerald Gardner was born in 1884, and spent most of his life, overseas, mainly in M alaysia, wit h t hree years in Borneo. Gardner t ook long holidays t o Cyprus where he found t he inspirat ion for his Wiccan inspired novel, ?A Goddess Arrives? I n1939 Gerald Gardner claimed t hat he was init iat ed int o a Coven of t he Old Religion in t he New Forest . I n a quot e from his book: ?I realised t hat I had st umbled upon somet hing int erest ing; but I was half-init iat ed before t he word, ?Wica? which t hey used hit me like a t hunderbolt , and I knew where I was, and t hat t he Old Religion st ill exist ed. And so I found myself in t he Circle?, and t here t ook t he usual oat h of secrecy, which bound me not t o reveal cert ain t hings.? (Gerald Gardner, The M eaning of Wit chcraft , 1959.)
I t is int erest ing t hat in t his quot e, Gardner spells Wicca wit h only one ?c? ? in t he earlier High M agic?s Aid (1949) and Wit chcraft Today (1954) t he word ?Wicca? is not even used. His definit ion and hist ory of t he word, given in The M eaning of Wit chcraft , is: ?As [t he Dane and Saxon invaders of England] had no wit ches of t heir own t hey had no special name for t hem; however, t hey made one up from ?wig? an idol, and ?laer?, learning, ?wiglaer? which t hey short ened int o ?Wica?.? This is t he birt h of t he init iat ed coven Wiccan t radit ion t hat came t o be called Gardnerian, it exist ed in a form t hat we would recognise t oday by at t he lat est 1959, t he earliest maybe 20 years earlier. Doreen Valient e st rongly support ed Gerald's claim of a t radit ional coven init iat ion, somet hing t hat great ly st rengt hens his cause as she was usually not slow t o point out flaws in his claims. The origins of Solit ary Wicca, The American aut hor Scot t Cunningham was an init iat ed Wiccan, but he did not find belonging t o a coven suit ed him. He left soon aft er his init iat ion, but cont inued t o pract ice as a solit ary and in 1988 published his book Wicca for t he solit ary pract ioner. This was a massive change in t he use of t he word Wicca, formerly it had only been applied t o coven based Wicca.
The book became one of t he best selling Wit chcraft books ever and t he meaning of t he word Wicca had changed forever. The book was init ially sold many in t he USA and direct ly led t o an explosive growt h in t he number of self init iat ed solit ary Wiccans. The books influence spread t o Europe and t he rest of t he world more slowly, but now it has cert ainly had a massive impact Worldwide. I nt erest ingly Scot t was not t he first t o advocat e solit ary pract ice and t he abandonment of t he coven syst em, Doreen Valient e whose influence on t he Wiccan movement was second only t o Gerald's, some would claim even more of a guiding influence in fact . She published a book advocat ing and giving inst ruct ions for solit ary pract ice based on Wiccan principles called ?Wit chcraft for Tomorrow?. The only reason t his is not t he origin of t he solit ary Wiccan movement t oday is t hat she did not use t he word ?Wicca? and t he book was published by a small specialist company in t he UK and t herefore sold in far smaller numbers. What is Wicca? M y definit ion t hat bot h forms of Wicca conform t o is: I s a religion wit h definable beliefs, which always includes t he pract ice of Wit chcraft . I t is unique as a living west ern religion t hat explicit ly embraces t he female principal. Wiccans believe in and worship a god and goddess, t he deit ies can vary according t o t he t radit ion, and group. This principle is ext ended t o t he everyday world, Wiccans believe in duality, and equally value bot h males and females. Wicca is connect ed t o nat ure and t he cycle of t he seasons. The eight sabbat s are essent ially seasonal celebrat ions and allow Wiccans t o have a real relat ionship wit h t he Eart h. M agic is an essent ial part of Wicca, making every Wiccan a Wit ch.
An expanded definit ion relat ing specifically t o Gardnerian Wicca -
I nit iat ion and Oat h before t he Gods
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M yst ery of t he Goddess and God
Powers of t he M ighty Ones of t he Four Quart ers -
Reincarnat ion
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M agic and Wit ch Power
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Three-fold Law of Ret urn
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Wiccan Rede
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Circle of power
Wheel of t he Year I t can easily be argued t hat bot h forms of Wicca conform t o most of t his much st rict er definit ion, almost cert ainly because Scot t Cunningham included much of what he had learned of init iat ed Wicca in his first book. Effect ive Solit ary Wicca is a direct descendent of t he init iat ed craft and as such has inherit ed most of it ?s beliefs and ideals. THE UNDENI ABLE DI FFERENCES: There is one phrase in t he definit ion for Gardnerian Wicca t hat is only part ially present in Solit ary Wicca, t he " M yst ery of t he Goddess and God".
Solit ary Wiccans do worship bot h a goddess and a god, however t he myst ery element is not pract ical as I will now explain. I n coven based Wicca cert ain informat ion is revealed t o you by t he High Priest , or High Priest ess at t he appropriat e st age of your development in a similar fashion t o t he ancient classical myst ery religions. The idea behind t his process is t hat as you progress more myst eries are revealed t o you as you become ready t o receive t hem, t his gives t he insight more meaning, impact and relevance. This is simply not possible in Solit ary Wicca, as you are t raining and init iat ing yourself, so you cannot wait for t he right moment t o reveal a myst ery t o yourself, eit her you already know it or you don't so t he myst ery element of coven based Wicca is simply impract ical for any solit ary pat h. So while coven Wicca is a myst ery religion, solit ary Wicca by it 's very nat ure cannot be. This is an undeniable difference, but you have t o look at t he reasons behind why t here are myst eries in t he first place. The myst eries are int ended as revelat ions, t o aid spirit ual t ransformat ion, t o be given at precisely t he moment when t he recipient is ready t o comprehend t hem. The t iming has t o be precise, t o achieve t he maximum impact on t he init iat e, if t imed and delivered perfect ly it will be one of t he most vivid memories of t he init iat es life, a moment of t rue magic. This t echnique is simply not possible for any solit ary pat h. However while t his is a very powerful t ransformat ional t ool in a spirit ual armoury it is not t he only way, and solit ary Wiccans by t heir dedicat ion and belief in t heir pat h could achieve a similar effect over a longer period of t ime.
An init iat ed Wiccan of one of t he t radit ions such as Gardenerian or Alexandrian has been formally init iat ed int o bot h t he t radit ion and Wicca by an exist ing Wiccan High Priest or Priest ess. Some Wiccans would claim t his gives some form of quality cont rol. As t he individual has probably had some t raining and has been select ed by t he coven as being suit able for membership of t heir group. However t his is not always t he case as bot h Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders did perform unconvent ional init iat ions, in Alex's case reput edly he performed mass init iat ions on people he had never met before in Europe in his lat er years. Gerald was never one t o follow rules, even his own, so he definit ely init iat ed people out side of his coven if it suit ed his purposes. A coven Wiccan has t he opport unity t o learn from and t each coven mat es. They also have t he support of t he group and are able t o int eract on a regular basis wit h like minded individuals. There is no doubt t hat t his helps people develop fast er, and learn more easily, but it is not t he only way. A solit ary has t o have far more dedicat ion t o learn, and pract ice as t he buck really st ops wit h t hemselves alone. While t his pat h is harder t han group work it is ent irely possible t o t rain yourself. The only problem is when you get st uck, or need support t here is no-one else t o call on. So t he ult imat e difference is just t his. A Solit ary is init iat ed by t he God and Goddess t hru self dedicat ion/ init iat ion and generally works alone. An I nit iat e is init iat ed by an exist ing Wiccan t hrough t he ceremony of init iat ion and generally works in a group. The ot her development s are easier t o reconcile, first ly t he infamous Teen Wit ch. The media in t he form of Charmed, Harry Pot t er, The Craft , Secret Circle, Sabrina, Buffy and many ot hers have changed public percept ion of bot h Wit ches and Wicca in a way most Pagan pressure groups never could.
I t is ironic t hat fict ion has done what fact failed t o do. I f you ask a random sample of young people what is Wicca? Or simply what is a Wit ch? You will get a far more posit ive and accurat e descript ion t oday t han would have been conceivable just t en years ago. Wit hout being included in many religious st udies courses at t he school level, t he yout h of t oday in numerous count ries across t he globe already know what Wicca is. The negat ive part of t his t rend was t he init ial explosive fashionable t rend for t eenagers t o become what t hey called ?Wiccan? in t he lat e 1990s and early 2000s, for t he majority t his was purely a t rendy t hing t o be and t heir commit ment was negligible. However for a significant minority it was a serious spirit ual pat h, and t hey have become very knowledgeable and commit t ed Wiccans in lat er life. Today it is not fashionable for a Teen t o be Wiccan, it is possibly harder t han ever, t hose who now chose t his pat h are every bit as passionat e about it being t heir life?s pat h as any adult . Despit e being t he focus of media at t ent ion Teen Wit ches are now few in number, however t he quality has risen far more t han most beyond t he age of 18 realise. Their underst anding, commit ment and beliefs are as real as any of t heir older peers. The reality is t hat t hey have always exist ed, a quest ion for t hose who have been in t he Craft a long t ime, how many of t oday?s prominent Wiccans were unofficially init iat ed before t hey were 18? The similarit ies wit hin t hose t hat consider t hemselves Wiccan are legion and t he differences seem t iny by comparison so I feel we should celebrat e our similarit ies rat her t han dwell on t iny differences. While t he definit ion has been st ret ched way beyond t he original underst anding I do not believe it has been broken. I f we have learnt anyt hing from t he conflict s wit hin ot her religions we will welcome t his new reality not t urn it int o a conflict .
When t he changes in t he underst anding of t he words Pagan and Wicca are cont inuing t o evolve, what does t he fut ure hold for our pat hs. Alt hough change may be painful, and bring wit h it many challenges, t he fact t hat bot h belief syst ems are st ill flexible enough t o evolve is a good t hing. We have key advant ages over monot heist ic religions, we are not religions of t he book, and we do not have an est ablished hierarchy wit h an inherent int erest in t he st at us quo. Those feat ures of bot h Wicca and Paganism allow us t o adapt as a community t o changes in t he World, t o adopt new ideas, t o remain relevant t o t he populat ion globally. I t remains t o be seen whet her t he majority see t he price as t oo high.
Herb Of The M onth Sn ap-dr agon
COM M ON NAM E: snapdragon Genus: Ant irrhinum SPECI ES: A. majus FAM I LY: Scrophulariaceae BLOOM S: lat e spring TYPE: annual DESCRI PTI ON: Snapdragons have delight ed many generat ions of children wit h t heir bright ly colored mout hs t hat open when t he flowers are pressed on t he sides. Flowers are borne on long st alks and occur in all colors except blue. The flowers open at t he bot t om of t he st alk first . Plant breeders have enjoyed working wit h t is flower, and it is now possible t o get snapdragons in a variety of height s { from 8 t o 36 inches} , colors, and flower forms. CULTI VATI ON: Snapdragons will do best in well-drained soils locat ed in full sun. They like abundant amount s of calcium, neut ral soils, regular wat ering, and periodic feedings wit h a liquid fert ilizer. Plant seeds indoors in lat e wint er, or sow seeds direct ly int o t he flower beds in spring.
Herb Of The M onth Sn ap-dr agon M any common names for t his plant refer t o t he shape of t he blossoms. Toad's mout h, dog's mout h, or lion's mout h all refer t o t he fact t hat if you squeeze t he blossoms in just t he right way, t he pet als open t o reveal a yawning mout h. The seed pods look a bit like a nose or a snout , and t his has given rise t o names like calves' snout . The bot anical name also refers t o t his charact erist ic, for Ant irrhinum is from two Greek words, ant i, meaning "like," and rhinos, meaning "snout ." Snapdragon is nat ive t o sout hern Europe and is now nat uralized in many places in Europe. I n M edit erranean areas t he plant s were once cult ivat ed for t he seeds, which cont ain high amount s of oil. Thought of poorer quality, t his oil was used like olive oil. Superst it ion said t hat he who was anoint ed wit h t he oil of snapdragon would become famous. The plant has no medicinal value, but t he oil from t he seeds was supposed t o ward off wit chcraft and sorcery. Snapdragon depends almost ent irely on bumblebees for pollinat ion. Because of t he design of t he blossoms, honey bees are not heavy enough t o pollinat e it successfully.
THE DIVINE MYSTIC CAULDRON Welcome t o The Divine M yst ic Cauldron. Online Pagan and Wiccan supplies, gemst ones, t umblest ones, wit chcraft , wiccan, occult rit ual st ore. The Divine M yst ic cauldron is an online ret ail st ore of Wiccan, Pagan, Occult , and Wit chcraft supplies, alt arware, giftware, clot hing, jewellery, herbs, cryst als and t umblest ones. Not sure what st ones or cryst als t o use? Feel free t o send us a message and we will st rive t o answer your quest ions as best as we can. For everyday rit uals and spells we have incense, incense burners, herbs, spell kit s, candles, candle holders, cast iron cauldrons, magic wands, essent ial oils and oil burners. For t hose wishing t o show t heir fait h every day, we have a vast range of Pagan, Celt ic, Occult , and Wit chcraft Jewellery. For t hose wishing t o know what t heir fut ure holds, we offer Tarot Reading, Numerology Chart s from a psychic medium of 25 years experience. Our psychic also offers psychomet ry readings, house blessings and house cleansings.
By Nimue Brown
Courtesy of Moon Books Publishing
This mont h in Lit erary Corner we have five new t it les from five great aut hors. First up is The Druid Shaman by Danu Forest , part of t he Shaman Pat hways series, next we have M agic Cryst als and Sacred St ones, by M elusine Draco - aimed at t hose who have explored cryst als as a beginner but wish t o know t he eart h at a deeper level, our t hird t it le under review is The Coarse Wit chcraft Trilogy, int roduced by M elusine Draco, which t akes "A squint -eyed look at what passes for Craft in many modern groups and just how much of t he t eaching has been dumbed down." Next up is Druidry and t he Ancest ors, by our very own Nimue Brown, an excellent read and one t hat everyone should have in t heir library, and last up we have Divorcing a Real Wit ch, by Diana Rajchel which t ouches on t he emot ive subject of divorce / handpart ing. So, like all books t hat we review here in Lit erary Corner, go out and buy a copy, you'll be pleasant ly surprised.
Shaman Pathways ? The Druid Shaman: Exploring the Celtic Otherworld by Danu Forest ? A Review (20 May 2013) by Graeme Talboys Anot her slim volume. Can?t be much in t hat , you might t hink. And if you do, you would t hink wrong. This is an int roduct ion t o a complex subject and t o writ e a primer wit h such clarity as t his aut hor has done requires a deep underst anding of t he subject and an equally deep underst anding of how t o communicat e t hat t o ot hers. Working beyond t he boundaries of t his world requires lifelong dedicat ion; it is a journey t hat requires slow and careful st eps. The rules, such as t hey are, are simple and most ly about respect . Yet once learned and exercised t hey provide an endless variat ion of possibilit ies, opening up a vast series of worlds t hrough which you must learn t o navigat e. Guides, bot h human and ot herworldly, will help you, but you must do t his for yourself. You must do t his wit h caut ion. You might say, ?I don?t not mind what happens t o me,? and in doing so you will have missed t he whole point . I t is not about ?me?, but about your relat ionship wit h ot hers and t he effect you can have if you do not t read wit h care. I part icularly enjoyed t he emphasis in t his book on balance, on personal responsibility, and on service.
That is why t his book int roduces you t o t he basics and no more. You have t o make t he journey; you have t o est ablish a relat ionship wit h t he worlds beyond and t hose who live t here. No one else can do t hat for you and t here is no syst em beyond what you will learn here. You can read more deeply int o t he subject if you wish, but t hat won?t make t he journey any easier. There are no secret s beyond t he one revealed in t his book; t he secret t hat is in plain sight and which I have already repeat ed. I t is your journey and your relat ionship. You can only learn more about t hat by doing it , by journeying as oft en as you can. Clear and unpret ent ious, based on good and t horough research as well as sensible pract ice, and full of sound advice; you really do not need any ot her int roduct ion t o t his subject .
M AGI C CRYSTALS, SACRED STONES I f you t hought t his was just anot her book about cryst als, t hink again! Not only is t he aut hor an experienced magical pract it ioner in her own right , but her magical t ut or also held a doct orat e in geology ? and it shows. Not just in t he obvious love of t he subject but in t he vast st ore of magical informat ion crammed int o t hese 186 pages. Of course t here is t he usual list of gemst ones wit h t heir correspondences but M agic Cryst als, Sacred St ones goes much furt her in explaining t hat it can be t he very rocks beneat h our feet t hat generat es magical energy ? and how it can affect our own magical working. Did you know, for example, t hat many of t he st ones used in our ancient monument s cont ain a high percent age of quart z; and t hat quart z is t he most magically pot ent cryst al on t he planet ? Anot her int erest ing aspect t o t his book is t hat t he exercises at t he end of each chapt er are designed for t he purpose of creat ing your own personal syst em of divinat ion by cryst allomancy, t he ancient pract ice of cast ing lot s using small st ones or cryst als. As well as being a pract ical magical guide, it is a wort hy successor t o t hose two classic hist orical reference works The Curious Lore of Precious St ones (K unz) and M agical Jewels (Evans). Carys Llewellyn : Freelance writ er and book reviewer. M agic Cryst als, Sacred St ones by M elusine Draco Published by Axis M undi Books I SBM : 978 1 78099 137 5 : price ÂŁ 11.99 : 186pp
The Coarse Wit chcraft Trilogy The first part of t his unique series,? Craft Working?, was first published in 2002 by t he lat e lament ed ignot us press, followed two years lat er wit h ?Carry On Craft ing?. As occult aut hor Alan Richardson comment ed at t he t ime: ?Coarse Wit chcraft made me laugh out loud in more t han a few places. I n fact , I t hink it is t he first book of it s kind: alt hough it pokes fun at modern excesses and can laugh at it self, it st ill manages t o t each t he real st uff at a very high level.? The M oon Books edit ion published in 2013, includes t he last part , ?Cold Comfort Coven? and as M elusine Draco (herself a former ignores aut hor) observes in her I nt roduct ion: ?I n it s own way t he? Coarse Wit chcraft Trilogy? represent s a small but import ant capsule of Craft hist ory t hat we have been lucky enough t o preserve for t he next generat ion of wit ches.? Ten years aft er t he first part was published, t he ant ics of t he charact ers are st ill raising a chuckle, and st ill causing fellow wit ches t o shake t heir heads in disbelief. Alt hough based on a t rue st ory from t he t ime of t he 1990s ?wit ch wars? t he books were re-writ t en as humorous ?fact ion?, and included cont ribut ions from ot her Old Craft wit ches who were only t oo eager t o share t he indiscret ions of t heir own individual covens for post erity. All t oo oft en t he pagan scene get s a lit t le bit int rospect ive and serious ? ?Coarse Wit chcraft ? shows us t hat it is possible t o combine mirt h wit h reverence. Highly recommended. Carys Llewellyn : Freelance writ er and book reviewer The Coarse Wit chcraft Trilogy: int roduced by M elusine Draco Published by M oon Books : www.moon-books.net I SBN 978 1 78279 285 7 : ÂŁ 10.99 : 256pp
Druidry and t he Ancest ors, by Nimue Brown, published by M oon Books, reviewed by M organ Daimler. I recent ly read Nimue Brown's book Druidry and t he Ancest ors: finding our place in our own hist ory. I was int rigued by t he book's t it le but approached reading it wit h some t repidat ion as I have felt ambivalent about t he work of ot her OBOD aut hors in t he past . Generally my approach t o Druidism is very different from OBODs and while I have great respect for t he wisdom and vision of t heir organizat ion t he result is t hat books by t heir aut hors oft en leave me wit h st rongly mixed feelings. I must admit I was quit e pleasant ly surprised by t his book and found it t hought provoking and more t han wort h reading. The aut hor breaks t he book down int o a look at how we perceive hist ory, t he way t hat viewpoint shapes our ideas about ancest ors, and a discussion of t he ancest ors t hemselves. She is refreshingly open about her own biases and viewpoint s and uses anecdot es t o illust rat e her point s t o good effect creat ing a personal t ouch t o t he t ext . The aut hor is also not afraid t o t ackle t he more difficult or emot ional issues of ancest ry - including adopt ion, abuse, and invent ion - in a direct manner.
Aft er an init ial chapt er which defines who t he ancest ors were and are t he second chapt er delves int o "hist ory as st ory". I found t his sect ion t o be profoundly t hought provoking as it challenges t he reader t o look at what we know about hist ory, how we know it , and how our view of it shapes our underst anding at t he most basic level. The book raises several point s t hat I had never before considered but which will require some profound reflect ion long aft er I 've put t his book behind me. Next is a chapt er on 'spot t ing t he melons" which encourages crit ical t hinking in reading and offers a list of basic guidelines t o sort bad sources from good. The aut hor feels, as do I , t hat paganism is plagued by bad source mat erial and faulty or out dat ed fact s and t ries t o educat e readers about t he pit falls t o be found. Alt hough I felt t hat some of t he examples used were a bit vague, overall t he chapt er was a great edit ion t o t he book. Part icularly in Druidism sort ing fact from fict ion from fant asy is an endless process and discernment is essent ial.
M oving on t here is a chapt er on t he import ance of ancest ors and t hen several on individual types of ancest ors, including ancest ors of place and of t radit ion. I enjoyed t he way t hat a variety of non-blood ancest ors were included and t hat t he aut hor cont inues t o challenge readers wit h new perspect ives and ideas. The reality of ancest ors whose st ories we know well st and side by side wit h t hose who we have invent ed as part of our own narrat ive, and we are encouraged t o value fact as well as myt h in building pract ice. I n t his book knowing our ancest ors is about knowing ourselves, and indeed one of t he final chapt ers, "ancest ors of t he fut ure", encourages us t o look at ourselves as t omorrow's ancest ors. This book is not a workbook or how-t o of ancest or work; in it s pages you won't find how t o set up ancest or alt ars or what offerings t o make t o who. What you will find is an invaluable guide t o connect ing t o your own past , healing broken connect ions, and how t oday's Druids are and will be t he ancest ors of t omorrows spirit ual seekers. M ore t han wort h reading, more t han once.
Book Review: Divorcing a Real Wit ch, by Diana Rajchel, published by M oon Books, reviewed by Laura Perry. I ?ve just read an unusual book, but it ?s one we need. Divorcing a Real Wit ch by Diana Rajchel addresses a real need not just in t he Pagan community but in t he world at large. As progressive and modern as we t hink we are, many people st ill find divorce t o be an awkward, uncomfort able subject , whet her t hey?re t he ones experiencing it t hemselves or whet her t hey?re t rying t o deal wit h t he event in a friend or family member. This book helps t he reader work t heir way t hrough t he issues divorce brings up, bot h pract ical and spirit ual. Divorcing a Real Wit ch by Diana Rajchel Nowhere does M s. Rajchel condescend or preach. This is a book about making it t hrough a difficult t ime and healing from it . She is very right t o point out t hat people, especially women, feel a great deal of pressure t o get married and provide t heir parent s wit h grandchildren, among ot her requirement s. To t his end, many people view divorce as a failure. I t is not . I t is oft en t he best solut ion t o a bad sit uat ion. M s. Rajchel walks t he reader t hrough several different approaches t o dealing wit h divorce, from handling t he inevit able feelings of shame and failure, t o finding a life for yourself out side a relat ionship. I am especially impressed by her handpart ing rit ual. I included such a rit ual in my recent book Ariadne?s Thread and I honest ly felt a lit t le awkward doing so. We are so well t rained t o believe t hat t he breakup of a marriage is a failure t hat acknowledging it wit h a rit ual seems almost inappropriat e. Well, it ?s not . We need t o recognize t he changes in our lives, t he shift s from one st age of exist ence t o anot her. We also need t o admit t hat no one is perfect and t hat people change over t ime, two fact s t hat oft en lead t o t he end of a relat ionship. I wish I had read t his book twenty years ago, when I went t hrough a divorce. I t probably wouldn?t have lessened my pain, but it would have given me t he t ools t o deal wit h it and move forward in my life more easily. I f you or someone you know is dealing wit h t he collapse of a marriage, t his book is definit ely wort h your t ime.
Cook book Cor n er
Cheesy Straws I ngredient s * 80g of unsalt ed but t er or baking margerine( really cold from t he fridge) * 200g of plain whit e flour. * 80g of mat ure cheddar cheese. * 2 medium eggs........ preheat oven gas mark 5 (190 / 170 (Fan Assist ed Ovens) Cut some baking paper and place on 2 baking t rays.. Cut but t er int o small bit s and place t o one side. Sieve flour int o a large bowl and add t he but t er. Get t he children t o rub t he but t er in t o t he flour unt il t he mixt ure looks like bread crumbs.... Finely grat e t he cheese (wat ch fingers) and add t o t he bowl, leave a lit t le t o oneside.. Crack t he egg int o a separat e bowl and beat wit h a fork. Add t he eggs t o t he flour mix... Allow t he children t o combine t he mixt ure int o a big ball Divide t he past ry int o 4 pieces Sprinkle a lit t le flour on t he work surface. Uusing a rolling pin, roll out one piece unt il it s t he t hickness of a pound coin (or dollar), t hen use a knife t o cut t he past ry int o t hin st rips. Allow t he Children t o lift t he t hin st rips on t o t he baking t ray...carry on unt il all st rips are done. Brush over wit h t he remaining egg wash Sprinkle over t he cheese Place in t he oven and cook for ( 10-12 mins) cook t ill golden leave t o cool....job well done.
BELTANE CURRY Cook Time: 80 minut es First ly, you need t o make a blend of spices called t he ?Garam M asala?. To do t his, mix t he following in a bowl: 2 t easpoons of milled cardamom 1 t easpoon of milled cinnamon 4 t easpoons of milled coriander 2 t easpoons of milled cumin 2 t easpoons of black pepper 2 t easpoons of milled ginger Gent ly mix all of t hese and draw a pent agram below t he mixt ure wit h your finger or wit h an at hame. This is a ?wit ch blessing? t o make t he mixt ure unique. Use a lit t le bit of t he mixt ure right now, and save t he remains for lat er use. And now, on t o t he ingredient s for t he curry. 250g chicken (fillet is possible) or beans 1 onion, well chopped 2 garlic cloves, squeezed (or half a spoon of garlic powder) 2cm of ginger root A jar of sliced t omat oes 1 t easpoon of salt 1 t easpoon of chili (t his is not mandat ory) 2 t ablespoons of t he spice mixt ure (which you made above) 1 bouillon cube 1 t easpoon of t urmeric A lit t le sunflower oil I f you happen t o use meat , put
it t o st ew on low heat wit h a lit t le but t er, while st irring oft en. Add t he sliced onions and cook unt il reaching t ransparency. I f you don?t use meat , fry t he onions first , t hen add beans. Chop and crush a ginger root and add it t o t he dish. Now add t he spice mix, chili, t urmeric and garlic. St ir t he dish a minut e or two. Now add t he t omat oes, salt and bouillon cube (you might need an addit ional cube if you use beans, so t ast e it out while cooking). Let t he dish st ew from 20 t o 60 minut es. The result will be enough t o feed two hungry people. Now it ?s t ime t o cook t he rice. Pour 1 cup of rice int o t he pot and two cups of wat er wit h it . I t ?s bet t er t o choose t he Basmat i rice. Bring t he rice t o a boiling point , reduce t he heat and wait unt il t he st eam is gone. I t usually t akes about 15 minut es. Put t he rice on a place and t he curry on t op of it . Serve wit h chopped bananas and walnut s on a plat e, sliced t omat oes and fried onions on t he ot her plat e, and celery, apples and raisins on t he t hird plat e. That ?s it ! Creat e a nice at mosphere wit h candlelight and enjoy your food and Belt ane!
BELTANE BELTER CAKE RECI PE I NGREDI ENTS SERVI NGS 12-24 3 1?2 cups all-purpose flour 1 t ablespoon baking powder 1?2 nut nut meg, freshly grat ed 1 t easpoon ground cardamom 1 t easpoon ground cloves 6 ounces unsweet ened chocolat e 3?4 cup milk 1?2 cup brandy 1 t easpoon vanilla ext ract 1 1?2 t ablespoons fresh grat ed ginger 1 ounce damiana ext ract 1 1?2 cups but t er 1 lb dark brown sugar 6 eggs 375 ml amaret t o liqueur cocoa powder DI RECTI ONS Have all ingredient s at room t emperat ure. Preheat oven t o 350 degrees F. Grease a large bundt pan. M elt chocolat e in a double boiler or microwave t hen set aside t o cool. I n a small bowl mix milk, brandy, vanilla ext ract , ginger and damiana ext ract . I n a large bowl, cream t he but t er. Add t he brown sugar t o t he but t er and beat unt il fluffy. Beat t he eggs, one at a t ime, int o t he but t er mixt ure. When t he chocolat e has cooled t o body t emperat ure, mix it int o t he but t er mixt ure.
Alt ernat ely add t he flour mixt ure and milk mixt ure t o t he but t er mixt ure in small amount s at a t ime. Bake for 2 hours, or unt il done (knife t est ). Let t he cake cool for 20 minut es, t hen remove from pan. Allow t he cake t o cool fully, t hen invert it int o a bowl t hat is just large enough t o hold it , but no larger. Pierce t he cake bot t om (now on t op) in several (8-10) places wit h a skewer, being careful not t o go all t he way t hrough. Pour about 1/ 5t h of t he amaret t o over t he cake. When it has all been absorbed, add anot her 1/ 5t h of t he amaret t o. Cont inue unt il all of t he amaret t o has been absorbed by t he cake. This will t ake at least several hours. K eep t he bowl covered during t his t ime. When all of t he amaret t o has been absorbed, gent ly invert t he cake ont o a plat e. The cake is soaked wit h amaret t o, t hus every bump or brush will leave a scar, so t reat it delicat ely. Dust t he cake wit h cocoa powder unt il t here is a layer of dry powder (t he first applicat ions will soak up moist ure). K eep t he cake covered unt il serving. I t will get bet t er if you wait 8-24 hours, but can be eat en immediat ely. This cake is very rich and int ensely flavorful, so serve small slices. Also, you might want t o let guest s know t hat it cont ains a fair amount of alcohol.
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS So far we have only two event s t his mont h St affordshire Pagan Conference, being held in t he Lea Hall Social Club, Rugeley, on Sat urday 30t h M ay from 10am t o 10pm. Ticket s are st ill available from ÂŁ 5.00 for furt her informat ion go t o: ht t p:/ / st affordshirepaganconference.weebly.com/ or ht t p:/ / www.st affordshirepaganconference.bigcart el.com/ You can cont act Elric Sullivan t hrough t he cont act form or t hrough Facebook: ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ Elric2610 Spirit ual Development Group Being run at t he home of Pagan Federat ion Nort h Lancashire Regional Co-ordinat or, Janet You can cont act Janet on 07989 963399.
Janet also does hand-fast ings under t he umbrella of M oonmot her M yst eries.
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS Abergavenny M oot second Tuesday of every mont h, Hen and Chickens pub, flannel st reet , Abergavenny St art s 7pm Cont act Laura or Craig, You can also e-mail t he.shadows.light @hot mail.com Albion M oot First Thursday of t he M ont h 7:30pm St art The Old Queens Head Pub, 40 Pond Hill, Sheffield ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 72533580743/ Belfast Pagan M oot First Tuesday of t he mont h 7pm st art Croabh Rua Community Temple, Conway M ill, Belfast ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ Belfast PaganM oot / Bishops Stortford Gathering Third M onday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Cast le public house, Cast le St reet , Bishops St ort ford Bradford Social M oot Last Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Cast le Pub, 20 Grat t an Rd, Bradford Cannock M oot Third Sunday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art Bridget own Social Club, Bridget own , Cannock
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS Cardiff Pagan M oot Second M onday of t he mont h Upst airs in t he Rummer Tavern, Cardiff. Open from 7pm, st art s properly at 730pm. Cont act Cat herine Abbot t or Derek St orey or visit t he page at ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 167919513251601/ Cardiff Coffee M oot Third Sat urday of t he mont h At Pipi's on Caroline St reet , Cardiff St art s 10am Cont act (t o be added) Caerphilly M oot Every Thursday locat ion varies, current ly at t he Grazing Ground on t he high st reet (Nov 2014) St art s around 11am onwards A really informal group of most ly pagan people who like t o meet up an have a nat t er :) Shout out on t he Sout h Wales Pagans group for up t o dat e info. Camarthen Pagans Last Thursday of t he mont h Get St uffed Pizza, John St reet , Carmart hen 7:30pm onwards Cont act t he Camart hen Pagans group - ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ Carmart henPagans/ Central London Gathering Last Tuesday of t he mont h 6:00pm St art Bishopsgat e, venue is subject ed t o change so please check our facebook for furt her det ails: ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ pages/ CoA-Cent ral-London-Gat hering/ 505714086232636
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS Chesterfield M oot Second Tuesday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Telemere Lodge, Hasland, Chest erfield Clacton on Sea M oot Third M onday of t he mont h 7:00pm St art The Plough, 1 Nort h Road, Clact on on Sea Coventry Earth Spirit M oot Third Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Broomfield Tavern, Spoon End, covent ry Cowbridge M oot First Sat urday of t he mont h Upst airs at t he Lit t le Shop of Calm, Cowbridge st art s 11am-1pmK ids welcome, t ea, coffee and cake provided Cont act Siany or vist t heir page ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 231922846985828/ Gloucester M oot Last Thursday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Fount ain I nn, West gat e St reet , Gloucest er Hertford Gathering Last Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Whit e Horse pub, 33 Cast le st reet , Hert ford Lampeter Pagan Society Folkmoot First Sunday of t he mont h Cwmanne Tavern 7.00 - 7.30pm onwards Cont act t he Lampet er Pagan Society group ffi - ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 24065160648/
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS Long Eaton M oot Last Tuesday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Harringt on Arms, Derby Road, Long Eat on Long Eaton Coffee M orning Second Tuesday of t he mont h 10:30am St art The Harringt on Arms, Derby Road, Long Eat on Lyndon M oot Every Tuesday The Lyndon Pub, Olt on, Solihull 8:00pm St art M ansfield M oot First Tuesday of t he mont h 7:00pm St art William I V pub, St ockwell Gat e, M ansfield M arket M oot first Sat urday of every ot her mont h Bet tws near Newport . St art s at about 1 pm. Have a look on t heir page for det ails of t he next M arket M oot ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 270507793048162/ Neath Pagan M oot last Thursday of t he mont h, Upst airs in t he Highlander Pub, (2-4 Lewis Road Neat h, West Glamorgan SA11 1EQ) St art s 7:30pm unt il close Cont act (t o be added)
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS Newport coffee morning last Sat urday of every mont h coffee # 1, commercial st reet , Newport . St art s at 11am Cont act Laura or Craig, You can also e-mail t he.shadows.light @hot mail.com Potters Bar Gathering Third Wednesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Old M anor, Darkes Lane, Dagenham Rugeley Pagan M oot Last Thursday of t he M ont h Lamb & Flag, M ain Road, Lit t le Haywood7:30pm St art So M oot it Bee Last Tuesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art t he Good I nt ent Pub 3 John St reet , Rochest er Stafford M oot Third Tuesday of t he mont h 8:00pm St art The Shrewsbury Arms, 75 East gat e St reet , St afford Swansea Pagan M oot Third Tuesday of t he mont h M ozart s club, Uplands, Swansea. St art s at 7.30pm Cont act t he Swansea Pagan M oot page - ht t ps:/ / www.facebook.com/ groups/ 108929852508325/ Swansea Pagan M arket M oot Sat urday 7t h Sept ember 2013, 11.30am t o 4.30pm Sket ty Park Community Cent re in Sket ty, Swansea The Witches Gathering First Wednesday of t he mont h The Feat hers Hot el, M erst ham, Surrey 8:00pm st art
EV ENTS A ND M OOTS Threefold Pagans Okehampton Gathering Third Tuesday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Highwaymans I nn, Sourt on, Devon Tefi Pagan M oot Last Thursday of t he mont h (unless it clashes wit h somet hing else) Camart hen (cont act for venue det ails) 7pm - 9pm Cont act Tamra at t amra66@hot mail.com True Spirit M oot Last Thursday of t he mont h 7:30pm St art The Tast e of England, Newbury & That cham in Berkshire Valleys M oot First Wednesday of every mont h At t he GRI FFI N I NN, Hendreforgan, Gilfach Goch Times 7:30pm t il 10:30pm Cont act Richard Blackburn for det ails Wyldwood M oot Fourt h M onday of t he M ont hThe Royal Oak, St afford7:30pm St art
I f you know of any ot her M oot s and Event s you wish t o be added, please email t hemyst iccauldron@out look.com
TH E PEN DLE CRAFT
A l th ough th e magazi ne i s f ree, i t does h av e some costs i n order to k eep th i ngs runni ng. Pl ease f eel f ree to donate tow ards th i s usi ng paypal . Th e emai l address i s th emysti ccaul dron@outl ook .com