The Pendle Craft - Mabon Edition - 2015

THE PENDLE CRAFT Mabon Sept. 2015

Here Comes The Rain Again!

Coloured Shadows By Samantha Wiltshire

By Sheena Cundy

Scenic Drive

By Victoria Furminger

Candle Magic

By Dorothy Workman

URBAN DRUID

By Andrew Sutcliffe

Regulars Letter From The Editor Meets & Moots Crystal Of The Month Flower Of The Month

COVER CANDLE MAGIC

By Dorothy Workman Coloured Shadows

By Samantha Wiltshire URBAN DRUID

By Andrew Sutcliffe HERB WORLD

BY Adele Sutcliffe Here Comes The Rain Again!

By Sheena Cundy

Scenic Drive

By Victoria Furminger

Dear Readers So here we are...Mabon is upon us, leaves are turning from greens to hues of reds, oranges, and browns; summer has come and gone, the warmer days have turned chilly and the long days and short nights are slowly turning to mirror themselves‌.short days and long nights.

What are you doing this Mabon? How are you celebrating the Autumnal equinox?

However you are spending it, be it with friends or family, or even alone, know that the deities watch over you, guide you and continually pass on their knowledge, for we never stop learning. Only the other day I learned something new, something that was a valuable lesson to me, something that opened my eyes. As my partner and I were sitting enjoying a film on TV, there came a knock on the door, being a Saturday I let out a sigh and feared it was the Jehovah Witnesses or even Mormons, the scorn and ridicule was already in my head and ready to be voiced as soon as I opened the door, but as I opened it I was surprised to find not two smartly dressed ladies handing out the Watch-tower magazine or smartly dressed Americans asking if we know the story of Christ, but a vicar and elder from the church opposite where we live. The scorn and ridicule I held simmered but I invited them in; we spoke at length about myself and my partner, our religious views, the way we had been brought up...the vicar, a lovely coloured man from Nigeria, spoke of his upbringing, asked about our beliefs and listened intently as we explained, and instead of calling us Satanists and condemning us, he shook my hand and thanked me for being so open and honest with him. Here was a man who believed in Jesus Christ shaking my hand and thanking me...why? Then it hit me, he was tolerant of my faith as I should be of his faith. At the end he asked if he and the elder could pray and I agreed. WAIT!!! Back-up!!! You Prayed with a Vicar??? Yes, my partner and I prayed with the vicar, and why not? Despite being of different faiths we are all the same, no matter creed, colour, or sexuality, we are all the same.

Next time you answer the door, or see someone not of the same colour, or see two men / women kissing or holding hands, do not scorn or ridicule, open your hearts and minds, be more tolerant, for this is truly the path to enlightenment.

Thank you one and all.

Brightest Blessings be upon you

Aaron, The Editor

SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE! SCRAMBLE! We moved to our farm cottage nearly five years ago and since then we’ve often experienced sounds of engines in the distance, mostly when we’re out in the garden. One day, as my husband Stuart and I were out walking the dog we heard what could only be described as an air-raid siren.

We stopped and looked at each other in silence then Stuart asked “Tell me you heard that?”

Of course I had. It was faint but I had heard it too. We headed home and Stuart headed into his snug and I didn't see him for the rest of the day. Finally, as I was preparing supper, Stuart came out with a printed sheet in his hands, waving it at me. “I got it,” he said.

“Got what?” I asked, setting down my coffee and taking the sheet of paper he was waving like a flag.

My jaw dropped as I read what Stuart had found out. Our farm was once home to a fighter squadron during World War II, protecting us from German bombers as they headed for London.

Its nice to know they are still protecting us now, almost seventy years on.

June Ashton Kent

LETTERS Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

When Cara was four we moved from our terraced house on a busy estate to a lovely village cottage. The village was lovely, a few rows of houses, a pub, and a small shop come post-office. I had just come out of an abusive marriage and needed a fresh start. It was the perfect place.

One afternoon, as we were sitting in our new garden, one of our neighbours came in to introduce themselves and welcome me to the village. I was made to feel at home, and I felt safe. As I was making coffee, Cara came racing in from the garden all excited…”Mummy, mummy, the fairies are dancing, come see….”

Taking our cups of tea, the neighbour and I followed her out to where the seeds of dandelions were floating in the air. Our neighbour laughed and asked why Cara thought they were fairies. Cara looked at the neighbour, head tilted to one side and said: “’Cause Mummy says so, and she’s a witch.” My neighbour laughed as I quickly explained about my beliefs and to my astonishment she told me it was alright and explained about magick in Cornwall, even offering a few books for me to read. I have finally found somewhere safe.

Lisa H Cornwall

Three years ago my dad died of cancer; he had been battling the disease for almost two years and had had treatment but everything had failed. Although it was a sad time of our lives, my dad was determined to make it the happiest and took me and my sisters away as often as he could. He was determined to live what life he had to the fullest. It was on a visit to Holland that he took me to one side as the others were enjoying a walk along the canals. “Karen, when I go I don’t want you and the others to be sad. I want you to remember this time now and as I was before the cancer.” He took me in his arms, arms that had once been really strong, and cuddled me tight.

“I will never forget you dad,” I promised. “Good. I will somehow find a way to come back and watch over you” A few months later, dad passed away peacefully in his sleep and on the morning of his funeral I was given a strong aroma of Old Spice, dad’s favourite aftershave. It was very faint, but I knew it was there. Then, as I was moving from the bathroom to the lounge-room, the light came on. I stopped and looked up as a waft of Old Spice filled my nostrils.

“Dad, is that you?” I asked and as if in answer the light switched off.

I finally knew my dad had kept his word and come back to see and watch over his family.

Now, whenever I feel down or need some advice, I call out his name and I feel him around me.

Miss you dad.

Jennifer Lawson Herts.

Drying up...a writer's nightmare

By Sheena Cundy

Mother's sleeping... don't you wake her, she needs her rest In the ground she's turning over what she knows best Digging deeper, reaching down...in the dark she grows Stretching out her skinny fingers Feeling where she goes Mother's thirsty, dust and dry...all parched again Gaping mouth to an open sky Here comes the rain!

She is mud and sand and bones Cracking up she knows...won't do any good Fill her cup 'Til it overflows!

Mother's Chant ~ Morrigans Path

Little did I know when writing that song how poignant it would be for me, right now It's been a busy month. School holidays always are. Many a time I've sat down to write and...Nothing. I mean NOTHING. Now that's scary for a writer at any time, but when books are planned, waiting to be written, it turns into a huge, scary monster. A monster who follows you around, looking over your shoulder and breathes down your neck at every blank page opportunity screaming - NOTHING! A bit like looking into an empty purse.

How bizarre I thought, to liken inspiration to money? But not really. Why, if we keep drawing from our bank of inspiration - heavily as some of us (writers) do - shouldn't we find ourselves overdrawn and spent out? It happens.

So what to do? Here it comes again... Nothing. Down tools, whistle a happy tune and bugger off to fill your inspirational cup until it runs over again. Do whatever you like, whatever takes your fancy. Whatever feels good.

But for the highly charged and revved up writer who never switches off, doing nothing is a challenge in itself. Not least because it is often laden with guilt and worry. That heavy, emotional draining stuff which has little regard for one's health or sense of humour and as a result can leave you lacking in both departments.

Then, after numerous episodes of a slightly unbalanced kind, you may want to have a word with yourself. That is, if somebody else hasn't already.

But be kind. Be good to yourself. No, it's not easy if you're used to driving yourself (and everyone else) mental. And I mean that in a good way. Writers use a lot of mental energy, heaps of it. It is the fuel of our inspiration and we may think that it's limitless and perhaps it is...but we aren't. Only less than magical beings in the face of our own mortality.

Take time to recharge and refuel. Take advantage of the weather, believe it or not we need it. Stand out in the rain, dance in the rain, sing in the bloody rain and fill up your cup.

The sweet taste of inspiration!

erb World

By Adele

Sutcliffe Hello , here we are again, did you get chance to have a go at making any loose incense at all?, hope so, already we are well in to August as I write this and it’s not long now for the Autumn Equinox, or Mabon as some call it, depends on which you prefer, Last month we looked at Allspice , Anis and Basil, among others for Lammas, this time we are going to look at, Blackberry, Chamomile and Cinnamon, as well as that we are also going to do a loose blend for Samhain, but more about that later, so let's start by looking at Blackberry: Blackberry, The leaves are used for wealth, and health, use the leaf in tea, spells and incense, the Blackberry is part of the wild rose plant, and bears fruit at this time, place in a pouch with other herbs such as basil, marjoram, and woodruff, for wealth, if you get fresh leaves and bruise them that can be used as a cooling agent for minor burns, pick the leaves fresh if you are near a blackberry bush, or about and about walking, dry them for later use.

Chamomile, This beautiful daisy like plant can be found in quite a few places, although you may find they are commonly use in Teas, they can be used to treat a range of ailments, such as Hay fever, inflammation, insomnia, to name a few, (PS TAKE CARE IF PREGNANT) Cinnamon, This is a wonderful aromatic spice, that has healing and protection properties, Its obtained from the inner bark of several trees and is burned in incense to raise energy, promote wealth and for protection.

That's a few more for you to maybe add to your collection.

So the Equinox is nearly here, it's a Harvest celebration as during the spring Equinox, it's a time of balance between dark and light, we now move from light to dark, you may have noticed that the nights are now drawing in, where as in the spring you may have noticed the days were getting longer, from warm to cold , we gather our harvest, all the fruits and vegetables we have grown over the long summer months, and stock our cupboard for the long winter months ahead, There is a whole array of Herbs, woods and Resins to use, Nutmeg, Cloves, Sandalwood, Heather, Pine and Cedar are good choices, along with Cinnamon, Juniper, Oak moss Ivy and Sage.

Along the way I have done a bit of research and looked at many different recipes for incenses, some more complex that the last, others not so, I personally find its best to start simple and small, as this is in its-self low cost too, as before we are working in parts, some are bigger that others so don't worry!

Lammas Incense...

2 parts Frankincense 1 part Sandalwood 1 part cinnamon 1 part juniper 1 part Pine or Spruce or 1 to 2 drops oil. 

So we begin by getting a piece of paper, if you're going to make a lot of this then a glass jar is better to store it in with an air tight lid, the paper is only to see it and blend it on .

2 parts frankincense, 2 parts Myrrh, 1 part Cedar, 1 part cinnamon, 1/2 part Sandalwood, 1part Rosemary, 1/2 part sage and 1/4part wormwood 1/2part Patchouli. 1 pinch of Marigold. look at the resins, if they are big crush them slightly, if you have a pestle and mortar then use that,(either keep it for future use on these blends or soak well after use) you're looking for resin that resembles something like crushed sugar lumps, not a fine powder, pop that on to the paper, now add the other herbs one at a time, mix this very well, breaking up any large pieces of herbs, when your happy start to add your oils Only 1 drop at a time, so 1 drop Rosemary, 1 drop Patchouli, and 1 drop Pine/spruce. mix this well, now time to test a bit, light some of your charcoal disk, when its ready, take a pinch and allow to burn, is it ok? Do you like it?

Now it the time to add more if you so wish, or make larger, it's up to you! the herbs are significant to Samhain , for Remembrance we have Rosemary, Purification we have, Sage, Protection we have Cinnamon, and Wormwood, To honour the Earth we have Patchouli and Pine and to Honour our Ancestors we have Marigold, These are the most commonly used, Sage is good for wisdom, and Apple leaves can be used for Samhain itself, Mugwort is good for psychic awareness, Bay oil and leaves for psychic powers There are others if you're feeling confident, or even adventurous.

Mullin seeds, Goats rue calendula, Sunflower petals and seeds Pumpkin seeds, ginseng, Tarragon, Passionflower, Pine needles, Nettles, Garlic, Mushrooms, Almond, hazelnut, Hemlock cones and Mandrake root.

Samhain I know we haven't had the autumn equinox yet and I'm already telling you about Samhain, at this time of year I really enjoy making loose incense, more so for Samhain. (Pronounced Sah-win or sow-win) This festival marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter or darker half of the year, and usually celebrated on October 31.IT also one of the two spirit nights, the other being Beltaine.

It’s a magical interval, when the mundane laws of time and space are suspended temporarily, the veil between the two worlds ids at its thinnest.

Communicating with our ancestors and dearly departed loved ones it easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the summerlands, So if your celebrating this wonderful sabbat, here are some things for you, as before I have listed some herbs and given a bit about them etc., but just for Samhain I wish to concentrate on that and that alone, so I have come up with an aroma oil to use during the day or in the evening if you wish, you can make a larger amount too if wished.

Samhain oil blend,

RECIPE 1, 4 drops pine, 2 drops Frankincense, 2 drops Patchouli, 2 drops lavender.

RECIPE 2 2 drops Rosemary, 2 drops pine, 2 drops bay, 2 drops Apple, 2 drops Patchouli RECIPE 3 1 drop Clove, 1 drop Cedar wood, 1 drop Rosemary, 1 drop Frankincense, 1 drop Patchouli, (NB.... Please Take Care Using Oils, I make these and dilute them with water in an oil burner, you can do these on the day.) 

Now on to the loose incense blends, I have to say Thanks to my great friend Simon at "Alchemy Incense”, for this as he worked with me and guided me so it's just perfect for you,

As before start this one by gathering all your herbs and resins and oils that you intend to use, look through your cupboards too, you may be surprised at what you have in there that can be used, As before we are working in parts, so don't worry if some parts look bigger than others, it's the end result that matters, There are quite a lot that can be used at this time too, which I will list after, But for now we are going to concentrate on these few resins oils and herbs, The resins I have chosen are Frankincense, Myrrh The herbs are, Cedar, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Rosemary, Sage, Wormwood, Patchouli, The oils are Patchouli, Rosemary pine/ spruce.

1/2 part sage or 1 drop oil 1 part Heather. 

Now this isn't set in stone, as I am aware some may not like certain herbs or resins or oils, I add the oils as this is a binder for the incense, plus it makes it easier to burn on the charcoal disk, here is a list of all others that can be sues if wished.

FRANKINCENSE, MYRRH, SANDALWOOD, HEATHER, PINE, SPRUCE, CEDAR, MACE, CINNAMON, CLOVES, CYPRESS, JUNIPER, OAKMOSS, MARIGOLD, IVY and SAGE. As before, set out a piece of tissue paper, get all your herbs and resins and oils out, then begin making you incense. once you have them in little piles in front of you, begin mixing them together, omitting the oils till last, when you are happy, take a small amount and a charcoal disk, and test burn, this will give you an indication of what the smell will be like, This is where you can add more if you wish, you may decide that sandalwood is good and wish to add more of that, you may prefer to make a larger quantity, that's fine, make sure that if you do it needs to be stored in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and label well, but for smaller amounts its fine to wrap in tissue paper and label it.

NB.... please do take care when using oils,

The Scenic Drive

By Victoria Furminger A few weeks ago, I was taking my dad home and we decided to g the scenic route. Now, this was a very scenic route – basically nowhere near where we were actually going. But it was such a lovely day that we wanted to enjoy being part of it.

The journey took us past an old church up on the moor-ops and I pulled in. I had a strong urge that I just had to look in the graveyard. I had a vague recollection of a tale about a long-passed family member being buried at that church and there was such a strong pull to go and take a look.

I’m not generally one for looking round graveyards. My partner loves them and usually has to drag me round. I think it’s the thought of all those bodies lying beneath the ground, forgotten and no real representation of the person they once housed.

And that’s the point of this article. My dad and I spent a good while wandering round the cemetery looking for our relative’s headstone. There must have been hundreds of stones there but the majority of them were overgrown, crumbling, or so weatherworn that the occupants below were lost forever.

But we took our time exactly so not every name wouldn’t be completely lost. Name after name we read. Many having the same surname and so likely from the same family. We pushed aside the overgrowth, reading and acknowledging every name we saw.

It might have been the first time in many years since those names had been seen, since the memory of them was brought to light. For those few moments, each person whose name was etched in the stone was given a moment back in this world.

Their stories – so important in their time but of no significance and long forgotten now – were shared and reflected upon. One lady was buried alongside her husband and two sons who had died 60 years previously (within the space of a year). I could almost see her visiting their graveside, keeping them alive in her. But now her resting place is unkempt. Who keeps her memory alive?

We found our relative – a 13 year old boy who died after being knocked off his bike. He was buried with his mother and father. A family together for always. But even though their deaths were not as far back as I thought, I didn’t know who they were. If Peter hadn’t died in such tragic circumstances, would he even have been remembered by my family? A sobering thought.

Leaving the graveyard, I vowed that I’d find out more about my ancestors. I know they’re stood by me so surely the very least they deserve is for me to know who they are and acknowledge them.

I’ve since visited my granddad and looked through hundreds of old photos of his family – long gone before I was born. He’s told me their names, their stories, and in some cases even their deaths. They’re no longer just names lost to time. My granddad remembers them. I will know of them. Future generations will be told about them.

So next time you visit a graveyard or see names on wall plagues, just take a moment to say their name and bring them out of the dark. They are there for us and we should be there for them.

Falmouth University Pagan Society Brightest Blessings everyone. It has been a strange week for me, full of ups and downs as we raced to get the magazine out. As I zipped through Facebook sussing out new material I came across a Sam Wiltshire who was in one of the many groups I trawl through, advertising a new Pagan council / Moot for Falmouth University. “Wow, here was an enterprising young 19 year old” I thought as I read the advert. I raced over to messages and fired off a quick introduction and asking whether she would want a mention in The Pendle Craft….here she is in her own words, Miss Samantha Wiltshire!

“Hello, I'm Sam Wiltshire. I'm a Creative Writing Student and over the next few weeks I intend to set up the first Pagan Society at Falmouth University. I'm nineteen and I come from Somerset erset. Last year, I came to university, eager to continue my education. I also came, eager to meet other people, pagans like myself Hello, I'm Sam Wiltshire. I'm a Creative Writing Student and over the next few weeks I intend to set up the first Pagan Society at Falmouth University. I'm nineteen and I come from Somerset. Last year, I came to university, eager to continue my education. I also came, eager to meet other people, pagans like myself but I found myself a little disappointed when I found around a hundred or so different societies, but none around my own beliefs, which I thought would have been pretty popular in Cornwall. I spoke to a few pagan students on Facebook but none seemed particularly interested in a society, instead preferring to keep to themselves. This led to me keeping to myself and I ended up neglecting my practices a bit due to all of the work I was doing. I found no kind of spiritual release. This year, I decided to do things differently with the hope that the Freshers would be keen for a pagan society. I set up Facebook interest page and The results of it have been quite exciting.

So, I drew up a big list of regular activities and less regular events that could occur over the next year or so. I also looked at how the 'FXU', our student union who deals with all or the sports and societies for the university, suggests I go about forming a society. I'd need to form a student run council, which I have put word out about and have had a few interested people put their names forward; I would need to fill in various pieces of paperwork, and have a minimum of ten interested people. The page so far has around twenty. Whether this drops massively, I will see on Tuesday's meet&greet at our bar/ canteen 'The Stannary', but I am very excited. After talking to a few Pagan Freshers, I realised that I was not the only student to come to Falmouth in high hopes of spiritual development, only to be let down by the fact that there was no one there to greet us. Hopefully with the founding of this society, the Pagan presence in Cornwall will increase and people will feel more comfortable about their beliefs.

On my gigantic list of hopes and plans for this society, I'd like to organise a weekly casual moot where we can get together and relax in a friendly environment of like-minded people. Then I'll be looking to organise things like discussions, talks, workshops, markets, balls, ritual gatherings, walks and mediation sessions, outside of and perhaps, instead of, the moot. I think that the organisation of this society is very important. The campus is home to The Christian Union, The Islamic Society and Deeksha meditation (Buddhist meditation) but does not have any kind of pagan presence. In Truro there is the 'Cornwall Faith Forum', which in part, gave me the idea to set up a Pagan Society due to the fact they are in the middle of building a multi-faith building called 'Dor kemmyn'. I became a member last year as I felt it is important that other, minority faiths, like Wicca, do get represented. I didn't actually get around to attending any meetings however, do to timetable and homesickness, admittedly; but I do feel it is important for paganism to be recognised, particularly in the community which is something I would like for the society. Education and volunteering is also an important aspect. I believe that it is important that, since we are at uni, and we are pagans, that we are represented properly.

Sorry if this has been a bit long and rambly, and thank you for approaching me. it makes this whole project feel that much more important. I have a blog that I write article for. I write about a lot of various subjects, one of which is faith and paganism in particular. It would be very good if you could check that out. www.thesamanthawilthshire.wordpress.com “ And there you have it folks. If you want to know more about the Falmouth University Pagan Moot / Council, then you can contact Sam by either emailing thependlecraft@hotmail.com or through The Pendle Craft’s Facebook Page.

Crystal of the Month This is my personal favourite, I LOVE, LOVE, this stone.. Perhaps growing up on the river, always arond the beauty of the oceans, the salt air... So, onto this month’s Crystal...

OCEAN JASPER Ocean Jasper; the stone of the Archangels Haniel & Sandalphon, Ruling the Angelic Principalities. Located along the shoreline at low tide, up on the North West Coast of Madagascar, at the very edge of the ocean, rest this beautiful stone, in all its rarity. With ties to Atlantis, this stone is believed to hold the mystical secrets of this lost city.

The ocean jasper has been used to honour several Goddesses; from the Greek Goddess of Sea and Storm Clouds; Electra, to the Roman Earth Goddess of Fertility, and to the Greek Goddess of Mother Earth; Gaia.

An element of water, this stone is one of strength and renewal. Honouring the principal that what you send out into the universe shall come back in return, it is the embodiment of all things connected. Reminding us to keep our words, thoughts, and actions in positive reflection.

Beneficial for patience, mediation, grounding and healing, the ocean jasper is an ideal companion for healers and counsellors. Additional uses of this stone include, alleviating stress, stabilizing your aura and eliminating negative energy. Often times used as a Talisman for patience and releasing emotional blockage.

(PHOTO ACCREDITED TO RAQUEL M REICHERT)

TAROT WITH MYSTICALWINDS

Jacob Myles, 43, Telford Your first card, Jacob, is the Two of Stones- Challenge.

Description- Two low worn stones stand side by side at the edge of the trees. On each one stands a hare. They are boxing furiously. Ripples of energy flow out from them as if their power and force we're manifesting.

Meaning- Female hares box for domination and territorial rights to breed. After drawing on your grounded energy to reach self- empowerment, a position may be challenged or a struggle for control initiated by others. Learning to deal with rivalry or adversity in a dispassionate manner is a practical skill that can be used to advantage.

Many challenges are rivalries are born of insecurity and subconscious issues with peers and colleagues. Usually, it is these emotions rather than actual malice or personal ill -will that dictates a rival's mistrust or undermining of your efforts. In the modern material world, where so much emphasis is placed on a show of power or wealth, it is often a perceived position or status that enflames jealousy, rather than the reality of a situation.

Holding your own ground and defending your position at such time can be achieved by keeping in touch with pure and positive motivations and holding on to personal integrety and sincerity, which is the basis for any fair and enduring material reward or advancement. Some competition and honest differences of opinion can be productive and even beneficial. Remain clear and focused on your objectives and stay firm in your ethical efforts to proceed with a plan or project.

My Thought- No matter what our challenge may be in life we have to be dominate in taking what is rightfully ours but in doing so we have to know that it is rightfully ours.

Your second card is the Six of Bows- Abundance.

In the heart of the forest clearing is a six -spoked star-shaped log fire, formed from trimmed but unfletched bow staves. It radiates light and heat forms the pattern of the seasons. The fire is surrounded with representations of all manner of natural forest riches from the summer season.

Meaning- A time to reap the benefits of summer abundance and to accept the rewards and blessings that are a result of endurance. By patiently attending to what you have sown, the blessings of the new growth will be bountiful and rich. We humbly share the plenty of the ripening year with those less fortunate than ourselves.

Wheel turns and the time to enjoy the fruits and rewards of the summer season has arrived. Patience acknowledges the plentiful bounty which delivers the gifts and rewards for your efforts. Now is the time to allow this generous feeling of well-being to flow freely through and around you, and to enjoy the pleasures and sustenance these healing and revitalizing gifts can offer. Sometimes, after a period of stress and hard struggle, the process of healthy relaxation is vital to re-arm and re-energize the spirit in preparation for the challenges of the coming winter. The joy of sharing and gifting your own abundance with others is also a natural part of the process and brings it's own inner peace and satisfaction. Your generous gifts to others will bring solace during the coming seasons and remind everyone that the Wheel continues to turn on it's inevitable and stocial journey. Give thanks and accept the blessing of the changes that occur in life at this time. We share the bounty of the forest and commune with the Wildwood denizens in our everyday life.

My Thoughts - Now is the time to enjoy what you have worked so hard for and enjoy the bounty of things it has brought to you and to be content in all that you have put forth that effort in. Sometimes we fail to realize the things that are laid before us that we have put all our effort and work into. Just as the seasons of life change so does that of our blessings...Blessings.... Mysticalwinds

Card 2 drawn for Megan The Wanderer Position on the Wheel.

The Wanderer stands at the heart of the human cycle, in the intermost circle of the Wheel, poised between the beginning and the end. This fiqure waits for guidance across the abyss of awareness and into the realm of archetypal consciousness.

Ten of Vessels- Happiness.

Description- A waterfall foams over rocks from a low cliff decked with trees. The cascade creates dozens of separate water flows, which fall into a river below. Near the bottom of the waterfall, ten vessels are arranged, and the water fills them to overflowing.

Meaning- Generous fulfilment of desires from a source that is pure and cleansing. Reward for patience and love giving selflessly. True emotional stability and freedom.

Reading Points.

With the deep and profound calm of true and lasting happiness flowing through your life, a sence of homecoming safety and beauty shines from an individual that lights others' lives and is infectious to everyone. Healing rays of affection and warmth radiate from your inner core. For those in love, the joy is in the sharing of tender and intimate support and understanding . Giving love and seeing that love reflected in the eyes of the one you care for is the most powerful and healing magic known to mankind.

For those who thrive on happiness derived from the fulfilment of ambitions and life-goals, happiness is filled by a sence of affirmation of selfworth and ideals. Being effective and productive in the practical world brings a sense of stability which can be shared and used as a vehicle to motivate and inspire others. No greater act of humanity can be achieved than by showing the way and opening a person's heart to the possibility of happiness. However much we love, however much we achieve, we empower ourselves to be emotionally alive by accepting that the circuit of life requires giving, as well as receiving. As we revel in the bliss of the journey, we remember with gratitude the patience, wisdom and synchronicity that brought that blessing into our lives.

My Thoughts. As individuals sometimes we can feel unworthy of many things and that includes being happy. We as individuals have to learn to love ourselves in order to be happy how can we generate that love to someone else when you can't love yourself. Loving yourself also helps to provide that stability in order for one to be happy and to be able to achieve the goals to fulfil that unhappiness they may have in their lives. Sometimes we have to search ourselves and see what we must do and be willing to do it in order to bring us that happiness we so desire....Blessings....

Description- Poised on the edge of a white chalk cliff, the Wanderer prepares to step across the abyss and into the Wildwood beyond.

Ahead lies the faint suggestion of a rainbow arch, onto which the Wanderer must step. This leap across the void is greeted with open arms and a deep trust that the wings of imagination and honesty will carry the figure onto the lush green turf of a new path.

Clothed in bark and the soft green mosses and foliage that symbolizes the protective and healing essence of nature . The Wanderer is neither strongly male nor female, both genders combining in the slender body. The figure's naked feet tread lightly on the sweet warm grass at the cliff edge and, across the divide, deep shadowed trees stand ready to receive this newcomer to the Wildwood. Amid the leaves of the tangled wood is the merest suggestion of a faceperhaps the spirit of the wood.

Meaning- At this moment the burdens of the path are set aside - either for the Wanderer to pick up and take along, or to leave behind if the weight is to great. The Wheel of the Year is beginning it's great cycle, bringing a new range of possibilities and challenges. The Wanderer is ready to make the leap into the unknown - all that is required is faith. The Wanderer represents the wisdom or courage to let go, to step into the void of the possible. Something within you may have already begun the unconscious, instinctive leap across the abyss; you know it is time to move on. Sometimes the fear or loss of failure may make you doubt the validity of change. You may want to wait or hesitate at the critical moment because of the comfort of security, but the momentum of the Great Wheel has already sent the true heart of the Wanderer into the future, leaping across the gap with courage and joy. Now the figure must leave the burdens that have been carried for so long and trust to the wings of imagination.

The Wanderer is both an end and a beginning. One journey has already come full circle and, as you distil your life experience into sacred memory and put the past and it's burdens to rest, the future waits patiently for you to make the first move.

Remember that your wisdom, strength and whatever personal experiences and skills you have may not help you now. The honest spirit if human inquisitiveness leads you beyond yourself and into a new life. This unconscious energy creates a Rainbow Bridge that rises and greets your foot. It will carry you over the void,as you step, trusting and empowered, into the unknown.

Megan, this is the way your cards read to me...

You have come to a junction or turning point in your life, Megan. It may be an unconscious state in which you feel the tide has turned or sense something is going to happen. In a way it already has. Your spirit must move on and the desire to leap into the unknown beckons. This may mean leaving behind or giving up some baggage or burden that you have carried with you from the past. Now is the time to be clear and not let fear or falling or sad disillusion with the universe hold you back. Let your imagination carry you into a new set of possibilities. It is a time to travel hopefully and open your arms to new and challenging aspects of the universe.

Roots and BranchesBlind faith.

A blank slate.

The inner child.

The leap in the dark.

Following your heart.

The seeker after knowledge or truth.

The primal impulse.

A vision of illumination that pulls you forward.

Sometimes, Megan, in our lives we are brought to a crossroads where it has come that time to make a decision on things that may affect our daily life.

Standing on the edge of the white chalk cliff as you look across into the Wildwood only you will know if you are ready to make that leap into the unknown it must be taken by faith. Something may be letting you know that it is time to move on time to reach for the things you thought impossible time now to trust your most inner feelings and take that leap that you have so desired to...Blessings....

May the Goddess guide your footsteps on this journey,Megan.

Mysticalwinds Xxx

GET GUIDANCE AND ENLIGHTENMENT FROM MYSTICALWINDS EMAIL: thependlecraft@hotmail.com OR THROUGH FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ www.thependlecraft

DID YOU KNOW BY VIKKI HARRISON Did you know?

In ancient times the opal was regarded as the luckiest and most magical of all the gems because it showed so many colours. Ancient Greeks believed anyone wearing an opal would receive the powers of foresight and prophecy. The Arabs of Mohammed's time were enamoured by the gem and were convinced they were carried to earth on bolts of lightning.

One myth about the origin of the opal tells of a storm god throwing a bolt of lightning at a rainbow that had ended his storm. The subsequent explosion of colours fell to the earth embedding themselves in the rocks becoming opals.

Did you know?

Ancient civilizations believed that the world was set upon an enormous sapphire which painted the sky blue with its reflection.

They were also thought to protect against envy and poisoning.

Sapphire has long symbolized truth, sincerity, and faithfulness.

Sapphires represent divine favour and that is why they were the choice of gemstone for kings and high priests.

Recipe using of DILL

Shrimp Salad

By Raquel M. Reichert This salad is simple, and INCREDIBLY tasty! It will disappear from your picnic , potluck or party...

Prep time: 20 min COOK: 10 min YIELD 6-8 LEVEL EASY Ingredients you will need: 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 lemon cut into quarters 4 pounds large shrimp in the shell (16 to 20 shrimp per pound) (you can use any size really, just chop into 3rds) (i also sometimes have the seafood dept steam them for me, cuts down on cooking time for me) 2 cups good mayonnaise (I eye ball the mayo, 2 cups is too much for my taste, and only use REAL mayonnaise) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons white wine or white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon black pepper 6 tablespoons minced fresh dill 1 cup minced red onion (1 onion) 3 cups minced celery (6 stalks) (I omit celery and used celery seeds instead, i don't care for celery) Directions Bring 5 quarts of water, 3 tablespoons salt, and the lemon to a boil in a large saucepan.

Add half the shrimp and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for only 3 minutes or until the shrimp are barely cooked through.

Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Bring the water back to a boil and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Let cool; then peel, and devein the shrimp.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, wine or vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and dill.

Combine with the peeled shrimp. Add the red onion and celery and check the seasonings. Serve or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

I served ours with pita chips. ENJOY!

Herb Of The Month—Dill (Photo credited to Raquel M. Reichert)

Gender: Masculine Planet: Mercury Element: Fire Zodiac affiliation: Gemini, Aquarius Magickal Uses: Protection, Luck, Lust and money. Dill seeds can be added to money spells. Also useful in love charms. Hang sachets in your children’s rooms to help protect them nightmare and evil spirits.

Words for Women

By Nimue Brown Biologically speaking I am and always have been female. I’ve even carried a child to term, but nonetheless, I often find it difficult to connect with anything styled as ‘women’s mysteries’. The reasons are many, and I am not alone in them. The assumption of heterosexual, fertility orientated, cig-gendered femininity tends to exclude all of us who don’t fit in with that in some way. Every book imagines its reader, and simply, the narrower a set of ideas the author has about the reader, the more people there are who won’t fit that.

Jane Meredith is one of the few authors of explicitly woman-orientated texts whose work I really like. Often with other books I don’t even make it past the blurb because they clearly aren’t for me, and don’t speak to my experiences. Jane’s concept of feminine is very broad – not assuming life stage, reproductive inclinations, or sexual preferences. There’s no dividing us up into maids, mothers and crones, and no definition of what a woman is, or is supposed to be. In her work, she talks about the experience of being in a female body, but she also talks about what isn’t there for many women - wombs taken, children never conceived. A woman who has had a mastectomy is still a woman. A woman who can’t carry a child in her body is still a woman. I can’t read Jane’s work as a transgendered person because I’m not that, but my feeling is that she creates the space to include anyone who identifies as female.

If we aren’t narrowing femininity down to a set of biological impulses, what are we doing? Jane’s books look at the ways womanhood is socially constructed, and the ways in which we might want to rage against that, or otherwise act out and make changes. “Journey to the Dark Goddess” is a book about dealing with difficulty, while “Aphrodite’s Magic’ is a book about sexuality. Both are books about blowing open what it might mean to be a woman.

We still tend to bring up girls to be nice. We are to be clean, polite, co-operative. We are to please others, sacrifice ourselves, be gentle, generous, home making, peace making domestic goddesses. Some of us do not belong to the goddesses of hearth and home. You don’t have to do much reading around as a Pagan to find there is more to concepts of Goddess than bountiful breasts, a sweet smile and an ever generous outpouring of life and abundance into the world. “Journey to the Dark Goddess” explores the consequences of having to be nice all the time, and offers instead the power of getting to be real all of the time.

In matters of sex, ‘good’ women are traditionally portrayed as passive, faithful, receptive but not too keen, largely there to please someone else. ‘Bad’ women are depicted as sexually demanding, promiscuous and immoral. The tradition of dividing us into angels and whores means we either try to live up to an impossible, and rather bland ideal, or our sexuality is treated as dirty and offensive. There’s no room for complexity here. You can’t be generous and discerning. You can’t be shy and experienced. You can’t even really want a lot of sex but only with one person. We need all of these models, and more, so that we have room to each find our own, true, unique expressions of self.

Jane’s books are course books – although you can gain a great deal from them without going through them and doing everything. Rather than try and pin down what we are, or what we should be, they offer ideas to pit yourself against. What is your truth? What are your shields? What sends you down into the darkness? How do you dance in celebration? Working through the actions, and ideas, any woman can explore how her own particular way of being responds to the experience. She can think about who and how she wants to be, and why she is as she is, but all of those details are hers and hers alone, and there is no mould being made to force her into any particular shape.

Working with Jane’s inspiration is all about asking ‘what is my experience and what does that mean to me?’ It’s about finding your own sense of your own body. Until I started on this work earlier in the year, I hadn’t appreciated the implications of the questions I can’t answer about my identity, my sexuality, what it means to be alive and in my own skin. I’ll keep asking the questions until I start finding replies to them.

Reading Jane Meredith’s work has set me on a path. It’s made me a good deal more aware of how things I thought were ‘me’ might have far to do with the cultures and traditions and stories I have been exposed to. What does it mean to be a woman in this time and in this place? And why is it that as a nottransgendered, biologically functional female person I’ve had so much trouble understanding myself in terms of my own physical gender? I start to realise there are things I don’t feel entitled to, and there are reasons for feeling not entitled, and maybe all of that can change.

No doubt a different woman with a different background would read these two books and emerge with a totally different set of experiences and insights.

That’s a big part of why these books are so powerful. They aren’t a prescribed way of being, but a series of doors opening onto new possibilities.

Jane Meredith’s Journey to the Dark Goddess, and Aphrodite’s Magic are published by Moon Books, and Jane runs courses based on the same material.

Nimue Brown is a Druid author, also published by Moon Books, and a big fan of Jane’s work.

URBAN DRUID

By Andrew Sutcliffe Earlier this year I did my first ever public talk at a local moot about my journey so far on the path of Druidry and why I call myself an Urban Druid.

After the talk I went away and really thought about the phrase “Urban Druid”, I think I call myself that as I live in a historic old mill town in West Yorkshire, Although it is surrounded by hills and the moorlands it is still very urban, the tower blocks, the old mills converted into apartments and shops, the cobbled streets (yes we still have a couple), and all the things that go with such a place, the sort of people who will tell you what they think and don't care, are polite and friendly but don’t suffer fools, this probably goes back to their ancestors, the mill workers, cotton weavers, the wool merchants, the landlords, the shopkeepers, normal everyday folk who lived, loved, laughed, fought, cried and died in this town.

These were the people who were my ancestors, they didn't work in fields and on farms but in the mills, the foundries, the buses and the trains To be amongst all that and remember those people and to just sit down and relax, empty your mind and to be able to feel the energies of those people who went before.

Surrounded by steel, glass and concrete other people i have spoken to on pagan forums and such have asked “how can you do it “”how can you feel the energies in such a place without the grass under your feet or the birds singing in the trees and the smell of the forest?”,my reply is that beneath all that concrete, glass and steel is the earth is still there, the soil, the mud and the rock, you can still connect if you concentrate and it get easier the more I do it, the glass, steel and concrete is all made from ingredients found on this planet and some or all of the elements are used in its construction so to me they all have energy just as wood and soil has.

Standing, concentrating and connecting on an old industrial site can be a very powerful, emotional and spiritual experience, feeling the “ghosts” of the people who toiled and worked their over the years, still there, the echoes of the past, the same people who now lie in the many graveyards that surround or are in the town, thinking about the man who had just clocked off, his flat cap on his head, his jacket tightly fastened about his body, thinking “i will just nip into the pub for a quick one on the way home”, the young lads going home to get ready for a night of drinking and trying to chat up the factory girls who themselves were getting ready to do the same.

I am just old enough to remember doing this myself, waiting at the office for my pay packet before going home giving my mum and dad the board for the week, although knowing that if spend it all on the weekend i can always tap a fiver off them until payday. Connecting with all that and feeling all that history and the energies left behind by those people in the middle of a town centre is what being an “Urban Druid”is to me all about, being able to ground and “zone out” as easy in a town centre as in a forest is a skill that i have learnt and is a skill that i am proud off.

I stand outside a fence, looking at waste-ground where the factory which housed my first place of work once stood, thinking of those I worked with, the people and building now gone, Where are those people now?, what are they up to?, are they still alive?, how have their lives changed over the years, do they have children?, do they still live in the town?. These are questions that as a Druid are always jumbling around my head. They inspire me and fire me on to think deeper and remember my past and to think about the future

One more thing please don't read this and think ”its grim ooop north” because it isn't, it’s a place that's alive with characters and steeped in history, after all the same town I am on about is the one where Blake was believed to have wrote the words to Jerusalem whilst sitting on a hill looking down upon it, sometimes it’s pretty good living ”among those dark satanic mills”

Autumn Equinox

By Victoria Furminger Last year for the autumn equinox (Mabon), I wrote a piece about spending it down at Stonehenge. It was a wonderful time that epitomised the very essence of the festival – of balance and equality.

As I stated previously, the ever-standing megaliths represent our past, our ancestors. Thousands of people have visited, worshipped and connected with Stonehenge. And that energy doesn’t fade. It resides in the very stones themselves and the ground beneath our feet.

At the same time, I was there with my partner and friends, who represented my future. All of them felt reenergised and more motivated from their visit. Creativity for new ventures flowed forth and stayed with us over the following months.

I’m lucky enough that I went down to Stonehenge again this year for the equinox. As I stood with my hand on the stones, I remembered all those who had stood there before me. I felt their presence and their understanding of that most beautiful place.

At the same time, I thought of the coming dark months and gave thanks for the fruits of the harvest that would see me through.

Because that is what this festival is about. It is the time to look back, not just on the past year, but also your life. It is a time to give thanks for the fruits of the earth and finish up old projects. But it is also a time to plan for the future and plant the seeds of new enterprises.

It’s all about balance. While we celebrate the gifts of the earth, we also accept that the soil is dying. Warmth is behind us, while the cold lies ahead. We can use this time to recognise and embrace this change. We know it comes as the cycle turns. We can’t have one without the other.

Night and day are again of equal length and in perfect equilibrium - dark and light, masculine and feminine, inner and outer, in balance both figuratively and literally.

This sense of balance should be brought down to a personal level and used to restore harmony within oneself. The past and the present should be brought into symmetry. It is a time to re-evaluate the big with the small, re-establish the balance of sickness and health, and enjoy the splendours of the hard work from the past year.

After Mabon, the darkness conquers the light. The Sun’s light begins to wane and the trees don their fiery cloaks. So for one day, we should stand in perfect balance, and feel the universe, the earth, the seasons, the landscape and ourselves begin to tip our focus.

You may have noticed that I’ve not really discussed ways to celebrate this festival. That’s not for me to suggest. Celebrations are such a personal choice. For me, personal reflection will be enough.

However you decided to mark the autumn equinox, I hope it was a lovely one – giving you balance and perspective.

Coloured Shadows

By Samantha Wiltshire This feeling, I’m scared; I feel it in my bones; He’s thereA light surrounded by dark, The colourful past, Against my black and white contrast.

I’m scared.

He won’t hurt me, he says; He doesn’t know my fear, My panic, my worry; He doesn’t know how I hurt, How I need and I want, My deepest desires, The plans I wish to conspire.

Yes, I’m scared.

I want to be with him; Really, I do, But I chase things away; I break them, I smash them; Things fall apart, When my hands touch them.

I’m scared.

But your hands fit mine, And everything feels right, And you stay in my head long through the night.

But I’m still scared.

I want him to stay, I can’t handle him being away; My heart, my head, my body it craves: His undivided attention; Oh, this feels so grave.

That’s why I’m afraid.

I get in too deep, So this seductive poison does seep, Into the heart of every man that holds me; Until he no longer believes he holds the key, And his only option is to ‘set me free’.

And I swear yet again, To those disastrous men, You will not take my heart!

You will not take my life!

And yet here I am, Falling yet again, For the colourful shadow from my shady childhood.

I’m scared.

Eleanor “Ray” Bone

By Lorraine Ellison Not much is known about Eleanor Bone save what she gave into Newspaper articles herself. Is much of it true? We may never really know. What we do know however is that Eleanor Bone was the matriarch of modern Wicca alongside Gerald Gardner, the patriarch.

On the 15th December, 1911, in Fleet, Hampshire, Eleanor Margaret Tilley, came into this world the daughter of a school mistress – Emma Tilly (nee Roper) and the secretary of a local golf club, Charlie Tilly. However, what is interesting is that on her wedding certificate, Emma’s father’s occupation is set down as retired army colonel.

As has already been said before, not much is known about Eleanor’s early life. She was called “Ray” by her friends, and according to newspaper articles, she developed an interest in alternative religions after her cat died when she was 8 and her vicar told her that cats and other animals do not go to heaven. This interest grew until the outbreak of war in 1939 and she fled to Cumbria to avoid the heavy bombing (Blitz) in London. It was here, in Cumbria that she claimed to have met a couple practicing traditional witchcraft.

After her initiation into this traditional coven, it is quite unclear how Eleanor spent the period between the Second World War and her involvement with Gardner and the London Witchcraft scene. She had two children before the war with Jacob Posner, a son called John and a daughter called Francesca. It is possible that she was married several times, because upon meeting and marrying her last husband, William “Bill” Bone, she was using the surname, Newton. Married on the 5th July, 1958, Eleanor was running the Brackenburn Rest Home in Toots Bec, London, and Bill, sixteen years her younger, was listed as an Engineers instrument maker. After the marriage they took residence in Eleanor’s home on Trinity Road, not far from the rest home.

It is unknown exactly when Eleanor became involved with Gerald Gardner, but it is believed to somewhere between late 1959 and early 1960. She wrote a letter to Gardner stating her interest in joining the craft and he referred her to the coven at Bricket Wood, London. However, being a stern matron of a rest home, the coven was not for her, as its members were young twenty-somethings who were more into the 1960’s political change and free love. However, as High Priest of the Bricket Wood Coven, Jack Bracelin could see no reason to deny her initiation and he arranged for it to be done by one of the coven’s other High Priests. After her initiation, the Bricket Wood group decided that there was not much more that could be done by them and so referred her back to Gerald Gardner who proceeded to oversee her second and third degrees. By 1961, Eleanor Bone was ready to start her own coven.

Over the next two decades, Eleanor ran her coven and appeared regularly in newspapers and magazines. She always made a very dignified impression and helped to make the craft what it is today, building a positive rather than a negative impression. She more than improved the Craft’s reputation, and helped train many people, guiding their way to starting their own covens.

In the late 1970’s, Eleanor and William Bone retired to Alston, in her beloved Cumbria, to run a nursing home, which sadly closed down after a few years due to financial mismanagement. After this, they had to move into a council house in Garrigill, a few miles from where the home was located.

The couple became estranged but continued to live in the same house until Bill died on the 24th August 1984. Eleanor had Bill cremated and buried his ashes in the local cemetery, performing the ceremony herself and without council permission. It is unknown today where the grave is.

During the years in Garrigill, after Bill’s death, Eleanor set up another coven that was to remain active for several years. Her son John visited her regularly until his death in 1999. He, like Bill, was also cremated, but Eleanor kept John’s ashes in her home. Her final years in Garrigill were lonely ones; the coven that she held so dear had disbanded, and most of the London Wiccan community had lost touch with her. Her only friend was an elderly lady who lived a few doors away, whom she did crossword puzzles and exchanged crime novels with from the local library. Some of the local women would cook her meals, and the inspector of the council would bring her shopping on a Thursday. Just before Mabon 2001, Eleanor’s health took a turn for the worse. Her carer checked up on her regularly each day, and on the 21st September, 2001, found Eleanor had passed away in her sleep.

Eleanor died penniless and many of her belongings were sold to cover the costs of a basic funeral. The ashes of her son John were buried with her, and she was interred in an unmarked grave at the back of the local cemetery, the superstitions of locals showing that they feared having a prominent witch buried in a marked grave.

Although it is fair to say that the Wiccan community may have lost touch with her during her later years, she is recognized today as one of the most important influential figure within the Wiccan community. Without her hard work, the Craft community would not be what it is today. The Eleanor Bone Memorial Fund was set up in recognition of her hard work and endeavours to give her the dignity and respect of a permanent marker of her life: a gravestone.

In Memory of Eleanor Bone (15/12/1911 – 21/09/2001 aged 90).

TODMORDEN PAGAN MOOT – HELD BY VICTORIA & TONY FURMINGER TOMORROW, THURSDAY, 30TH September, 2015 – TODMORDEN PAGAN MOOT –

Just for this month only, we're going to try The Queens instead of the Golden Lion. This isn't a reflection on The Lion at all, it's just that it's unfortunately too noisy with the open mic night going on too.

We hope to be in a more settled location next month, where we will have an exciting talk by Christaeon and Claire Baker Abergavenny Moot second Tuesday of every month, Hen and Chickens pub, flannel street, Abergavenny Starts 7pm Contact Laura or Craig, you can also e-mail the.shadows.light@hotmail.com Albion Moot First Thursday of the Month 7:30pm Start The Old Queens Head Pub, 40 Pond Hill, Sheffield https://www.facebook.com/ groups/72533580743/ CoA Bath Gathering Local Gathering in Bath. We will meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Saracens Head, 42 Broad Street, Bath, BA1 5LP at around 7.30PM Everyone is welcome to come along, look for the table with a Witchcraft&Wicca Magazine on it. For more details please email coacentral@witchcraft.org or follow our official facebook page on: https://www.facebook.com/coabathgathering Belfast Pagan Moot First Tuesday of the month 7pm start Croabh Rua Community Temple, Conway Mill, Belfast https:// www.facebook.com/groups/BelfastPaganMoot/ Bishops Stortford Gathering Third Monday of the month 8:00pm Start The Castle public house, Castle Street, Bishops Stortford Bradford Social Moot Last Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The Castle Pub, 20 Grattan Rd, Bradford Cannock Moot Third Sunday of the month 7:30pm Start Bridgetown Social Club, Bridgetown , Cannock Cardiff Pagan Moot Second Monday of the month Upstairs in the Rummer Tavern, Cardiff. Open from 7pm, starts properly at 730pm. Contact Catherine Abbott or Derek Storey or visit the page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/167919513251601/ Cardiff Coffee Moot Third Saturday of the month At Pipi's on Caroline Street, Cardiff Starts 10am Contact (to be added) Caerphilly Moot Every Thursday location varies, currently at the Grazing Ground on the high street (Nov 2014) Starts around 11am onwards A really informal group of mostly pagan people who like to meet up and have a natter :) Shout out on the South Wales Pagans group for up to date info.

Camarthen Pagans Last Thursday of the month Get Stuffed Pizza, John Street, Carmarthen 7:30pm onwards Contact the Camarthen Pagans group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarmarthenPagans/ Central London Gathering Last Tuesday of the month 6:00pm Start Bishopsgate, venue is subjected to change so please check our facebook for further details: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CoA-Central-London-Gathering/505714086232636 Chesterfield Moot Second Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Telemere Lodge, Hasland, Chesterfield Clacton on Sea Moot Third Monday of the month 7:00pm Start The Plough, 1 North Road, Clacton on Sea Coventry Earth Spirit Moot Third Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The Broomfield Tavern, Spoon End, coventry Cowbridge Moot First Saturday of the month Upstairs at the Little Shop of Calm, Cowbridge starts 11am -1pmKids welcome, tea, coffee and cake provided Contact Siany or vist their page https://www.facebook.com/groups/231922846985828/ Gloucester Moot Last Thursday of the month 8:00pm Start The Fountain Inn, Westgate Street, Gloucester Hertford Gathering Last Wednesday of the month 8:00pm Start The White Horse pub, 33 Castle street, Hertford Lampeter Pagan Society Folkmoot First Sunday of the month Cwmanne Tavern 7.00 - 7.30pm onwards Contact the Lampeter Pagan Society group ffi - https://www.facebook.com/groups/24065160648/ Lancaster CoA Gathering Meeting last Wednesday of the month. Table 11, Pendle Witch Public House, Penny Street Lancaster. For more information just email: friendsofthelancashirepagans@outlook.com or the official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lancaster-CoAGathering/457553581070731 Long Eaton Moot Last Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Harrington Arms, Derby Road, Long Eaton Long Eaton Coffee Morning Second Tuesday of the month 10:30am Start The Harrington Arms, Derby Road, Long Eaton Lyndon Moot Every Tuesday The Lyndon Pub, Olton, Solihull 8:00pm Start Manchester CoA Gathering Social meeting held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm at the upstairs of Churchill ’s Public House, 37 Chorlton Street. For more details please email coacentral@witchcraft.org or like the page at: https://www.facebook.com/manchestercoagathering Mansfield Moot First Tuesday of the month 7:00pm Start William IV pub, Stockwell Gate, Mansfield Market Moot first Saturday of every other month Bettws near Newport. Starts at about 1 pm. Have a look on their page for details of the next Market Moot https://www.facebook.com/groups/270507793048162/ Neath Pagan Moot last Thursday of the month, Upstairs in the Highlander Pub, (2-4 Lewis Road Neath, West Glamorgan SA11 1EQ) Starts 7:30pm until close Contact (to be added) Threefold Pagans Okehampton Gathering Third Tuesday of the month 7:30pm Start The Highwaymans Inn, Sourton, Devon Tefi Pagan Moot Last Thursday of the month (unless it clashes with something else) Camarthen (contact for venue details) 7pm - 9pm Contact Tamra at tamra66@hotmail.com True Spirit Moot Last Thursday of the month 7:30pm Start The Taste of England, Newbury & Thatcham in Berkshire Valleys Moot First Wednesday of every month At the GRIFFIN INN, Hendreforgan, Gilfach Goch Times 7:30pm til 10:30pm Contact Richard Blackburn for details Wyldwood MootFourth Monday of the MonthThe Royal Oak, Stafford7:30pm Start

Candle Magic - Rituals & Spells ~

By Dorothy Workman Many of us use candles in our spell work.

Candles are needed to any wiccan practice. They are used to symbolize the four elements (the wax is earth, the flame is fire, the melting wax is water, and the smoke is air) spirit (the sum of all elements). Their use in practice is both simple and complex. They are simple to use in spell work because they do not create the problem of disposal that talisman or poppets do. They stimulate the senses and can be made to suit each purpose by working the colour, scents, engravings, and other additions. They are also used for lighting in rituals to enhance the atmosphere, to create a more relaxed and intimate setting for a religious service.

There are a variety of different sizes, shapes, and colours. There are large, small, pillars, tapers, tea lights, votive, round, square, pyramid, paraffin, soy, beeswax, scented, and unscented, they come in every colour of the rainbow.

Many practitioners operate under the conclusion that whichever candle calls them is the one they should use. Because of this it is not uncommon to see witches picking up, mulling over, and discarding several candles before finding one that is suitable to them or deciding there isn't one in the store that works for them and their purpose.

When working with candles you might want to consider the material it is made of. Some practitioners wish to use only natural materials in their circles. Beeswax, soy, bayberry, or palm might be more appealing to them. Candles that are made from beeswax tend to burn brighter and cleaner for a longer period of time than most other candles. It is said they are to emit negative ions (much the same as sage) and to purify space, clean the air, and invigorate the body. Beeswax candles also emits a slight honey scent. Soy candles also burn clean and for a longer period of time than paraffin candles. They like beeswax candles are nontoxic, environmentally friendly they produce no soot and are made from a vegetable by product in the USA. Palm wax is also a renewable resource that is obtained from the oil palm of Southeast Asia and has many of the same benefits of the other two natural wax options. These type candles are hard to find than paraffin and are costlier....

TO GET A JOB You will need a green candle and a red candle, a needle and the day to do this on is Thursday evening.

You must be actively applying for jobs before you begin on any Thursday after the sun has set.

Take the green candle and carve into it the type of job you want. Be simple though (example: lawyer, nurse, or waitress).

Take the red candle and carve your name and on top of your name carve an arrow pointing up towards the flame.

Place the red candle to the left of the green candle and light them, green first.

For 15 minutes sit with the candles and focus only on getting the exact job you want. If you have applied to specific companies, you can meditate on or repeat the company names. After 15 minutes snuff the candles.

This spell should be repeated each Thursday until you have gotten the job, or the candles have burned down.

If the candles have burned down and you do not have the job you are looking for, start over from the beginning. If you do not get the job, leave both candles on your front porch for the following lunar cycle, and then remove them.... Blessings.

USING A CANDLE IN A RITUAL The most basic form of candle magic is using a piece of coloured paper along with the candle that matches the intent of your candle ritual.

Decide what your goal is and write it down on the piece of paper. As you write it down see yourself achieving that goal.

Once you have written down your goal fold the paper concentrating on your intent the whole time some people like to say a small incantation while doing this.

Place one corner of the folded paper into the candle flame and allow it to catch fire.

Hold the paper as long as possible without burning your fingers and then place it in a fire safe bowl or cauldron to burn the rest of the way out.

When the candle has burned out dispose of it rather than saving it to use again for another working.

HOW TO BLESS AND CLEANSE A SPACE You will need a white candle (always make sure you dress the candles you are using).

A copy of Psalm 37 or memorize it.

Go into the space you wish to cleanse and if possible, shut the door behind you. Light the candle and move in a clockwise direction around the room.

You should be reciting the 37th Psalm as you do this. As you are moving gently waft smoke from the candle up and around the room. There is no time limit in doing this. If you finish the Psalm and have not finished your circle, simply repeat the Psalm or add your own personal prayer. If you complete your circle and don't feel the space has been cleansed, make a circle again. When finished, leave the candle in the room safely, to finish burning on its own. The candle stub should be discarded out your door‌ TO CLEANSE SPACE OF NEGATIVE ENERGY. You will need a blue candle. Dried sage. A Bowl.

Place the blue candle in the centre of the space you want to cleanse and light it.

Burn the sage in the bowl. When the sage is finished leave the space. If it is a room, shut the door.

Remain away until the candle has had time to burn down. Then enter the space and take the remnants of the candle and the ashes of sage to be buried in the ground, in a place far from your home.

TO MEET A GOAL, you will need a candle to represent your goal in the colour that is most appropriate and a needle.

Carve your goal into the candle.

Each night before sleeping, light the candle and meditate on your goal being reached. When ready, snuff the candle.

The ritual should be repeated at least 7 nights and is finished when the candle has burned down, as long as at least 7 nights have passed. If the candle finishes before it has been 7 nights begin again.

This spell may be repeated as each milestone is achieved on the way to your final goal if necessary.

HEALING YOURSELF You will need a blue candle. Peppermint oil. A teaspoon of raw honey.

Anoint the candle and light it. Say 3 times: Goddess, hasten my body to heal, and release me from any negative energy or sickness. Swallow the teaspoon of honey and say: As I will, so mote it be!

The candle should be snuffed out. The spell can be done on any day you feel unwell, using the same candle each time.

TO BREAK BAD LUCK, you will need a BLACK candle, with clove oil. Anoint the candle with clove oil, place the candle in front of you light it and Say: "With this candle black, all negative energy or bad luck surrounding me shall be BURNED. By the power of my will by the power of flame, negativity I ERASE YOU�.

Allow the candle to burn for about 30 minutes, it is best if you stay away from it while it draws up and burns off the negativity.

When ready, approach the candle again and while snuffing out the candle Say: "All negativity is now burned as I will it. So mote it be!"

TO GAIN GOOD LUCK You will need a green candle and a needle.

This spell takes a week to complete and must begin on a Monday.

Carve your name and the words ‘good luck' into the candle. Light the candle.

After a few minutes, a bit of wax should have accumulated. Carefully dip the index finger on your dominant hand in the wax, and then place your fingerprint on the base of the candle.

Say out loud: Good luck flows towards me as easy as can be, this harms none, my will be done.

Let the candle burn for 10 minutes and then snuff it out.

Repeat this each night for the next 6 nights, not allowing the candle to burn down past the place where your fingerprint is. On the last night, take the stub of the candle with your fingerprint on it and keep it near your front door indefinitely.

BLESSING A PERSON. You will need a WHITE candle and a NEEDLE. Carve the person's name you are blessing into the candle.

Light the candle and say: (Person) you are now blessed. Only good things shall come to you, no harm shall be fall you. Your heart will be light, and your path will be safe, your mind will be calm. (Person) you are blessed in every way.

Allow the candle to burn for about 5 minutes, and then snuff it out. You may repeat this spell as often as you want, until the candle is finished. You cannot use the same candle to bless more than one person; each person should have a dedicated candle.

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