Tri-Spiral Magazine

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Contents Operation Wildlife ..........................................................................................................................3 Kids Corner .....................................................................................................................................4 Places To Go: Hope Valley ...............................................................................................................5 Local Folklore .................................................................................................................................6 Defining Who We Are ....................................................................................................................8 Myths of Spring: Persephone and Demeter .................................................................................. 11 Mythbuster: 14th Century Witchcraft ............................................................................................ 12 Dear Crone ...................................................................................................................................12 Wellbeing ....................................................................................................................................13 Reader Submission: Elf Time by David Knight ............................................................................... 15 Book Review ................................................................................................................................16

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Operation Wildlife!

Composting is amazing! We at the magazine can’t get enough of it! We compost all biodegradable food scraps and even things like tea bags! Getting kids into composting will not only save you one more household and garden chore but it will also help them learn about the garden and how the ecosystem works. Just get them to follow the recommendations below and you’ll have compost in no time(no time being 6-8months depending on weather conditions). We recommend that all leaves and grass cuttings are piled up in the corner of the yard (this is what we do) or you can get one of those fancy bins to keep it in. We add food scraps (fruit and veg) to ours on a regular basis. Over the course of a year (with regular turning) this will degrade into a nice compost to add to your flower beds and it cost you nothing but a bit of time and patience. I would recommend that smaller twigs are kept separate as we need to give the birds something to build their nests out of!

We think wildlife is amazing here at the magazine! So much so one of our team would rather spend her day hanging out of a tree! Who could blame her? Anyway enough gossip. I was just reading this amazing bird book that gave me an idea for a short article on helping wildlife! With adult supervision this is also a great activity to do with the kids!

Making a bird feeder! Take 100-200g of suet (birds love this fat in the colder months). A good sized bag of multipurpose bird food or sunflower seeds (If they’re readily available). A coconut shell (halved and with a hole drilled through the top). Some string or a hook suitable for hanging on a bird table or clothes line post 1. Melt down the suet until it’s runny (this is best slowly over a low heat to reduce the risk of accidents). 2. Now add the seed until it forms a nice stiff mixture. 3. Generously spoon the mixture into the shell halves keeping a nice rough texture and allow them to thoroughly set. 4. Hang them in an open spot up high in the garden (away from the cats).


Kid’s Corner!

Coconut shells can be made into many things. The benefit in using them is that you have something delicious in the process and are recycling in a way that nature loves! An idea that I have had running through my head, as an activity for the kids, is using them to make offering bowls. Now with kids you don’t really want to be letting them use your best ceramic bowl so I was thinking of a way they could learn the ways of paganism without breaking the bank. If you decide to make the bird feeder why not use the other half of the shell to make an offering bowl? Here’s how: 1. Take half a coconut shell and lightly sand the underside with some coarse sandpaper until the bowl is completely flat at its lowest point (this will allow it to stand on a surface). 2. Sand any splinters from around the rim of the shell 3. Now this bit’s for the kids (or adults if you fancy this for yourself) Paint a design on the inside of the shell. The design itself doesn’t truly matter as long as it’s meaningful to yourself or your child’s imagination. 4. Leave to dry for about an hour (if using water based paints. Leave overnight for oil based). 5. Using clear varnish or natural soft bees wax coat the inside of the bowl to add a layer of protection. 6. And there you have it, a homemade offering bowl that won’t break the bank and is good for nature! If you intend on leaving the bowl outside, e.g. for animals to eat out of, I would advise against painting the bowl or using wax/varnish. A coating of olive oil should help make it last a little longer but it will survive only a few months, at the most, out in the elements.



www.paganpride.org.uk

Pride 2013 – Key Messages What’s Pagan Pride All About? Pagan Pride is the largest free Pagan festival in the UK - a celebration of the diversity of the Pagan community, aiming to raise awareness of Pagan faiths, beliefs and spirituality, as well as promoting positive images of witches, magical practice and all things Pagan. What’s Happening? Pagan Pride is a day of community and celebration… beginning with a parade (meeting at 10.30am) through the streets of the historic City of Nottingham to The Arboretum where a FREE festival of live music, workshops, dance, arts, crafts, and networking opportunities – as well as hosting many stalls, food and a real ale bar. There’s even an after show party at a local venue in the evening. A full list of performers, acts, speakers and workshops will be released nearer to the day. What Happened Last Year? In 2012, over 1400 people from all across the country joined us for the Pagan Pride Festival and Parade. Why in Nottingham? Whilst the organisers of Pagan Pride are based in the East Midlands and the event takes place in Nottingham, our aim is to encourage and include participation from all Pagans living anywhere. Everyone is welcome to celebrate with us and show support in a positive way. One day we’d like to see Pagan Pride events taking place all around the country. Why do I Need to Register? You can either register yourself as an individual or you can register your group, moot, coven, etc. It’s important to register your intent to join us on the parade as it helps to make sure we’re fully covered for insurance purposes and for health and safety. If you’re a secret coven (and don't want to declare yourselves openly), you can register simply as a ‘social group’. To register just go to the Pagan Pride website at www.paganpride.org.uk How Can I Help? • Come to one of our Fundraising Events – throughout the year in the run up to Pagan Pride we hold a number of smaller, fundraising events. These take all forms, from burlesque evenings and tea parties to fancy dressed themed parties. These events are open to anyone (not just Pagans – so bring your friends!) Check out the Pagan Pride website for details of forthcoming events. •

Volunteer to be a Marshal - we need marshals both in the Parade and on-site at the main festival. You will need to be available from 7am – 8pm on the day and you’ll be given training in your duties, plus any equipment will be provided. Duties include helping with collecting, litter picking, putting up tents, decorating the park, placing signage and get the chance to “stop traffic” as part of the parade. It’s hard work but it’s lots of fun being part of something that’s really important to your whole community… and you get FREE ENTRY to the After Show Party and a free lunch! To register to be a marshal go to www.paganpride.org.uk

Spread the Word – tell your friends! Get posting on newsgroups, show your support on your blog or web page and link to the Pagan Pride website. Put up posters and hand out flyers.


www.paganpride.org.uk •

Donate – its important we keep Pagan Pride a free event and inclusive to all. Help us to cover the event’s costs by donating what you can via Paypal on our website.

Pagan Pride Patchwork Project - for those who are unable to attend the festival, particularly our friends and supporters around the world, we have created the Pagan Pride Patchwork Project where everyone is invited to send us a piece of material with your logo, message or information displayed on - we will have all the patches sewn together to make a large patchwork sheet which will be added to year on year and demonstrate the growing Pagan Pride community.

Fund Raise – you could hold a raffle at a moot, coven meeting or just socially, get sponsored to eat as many cakes in a minute as you can, or you could get a Pagan Pride collecting tin and shake it baby! There’s all manner of fund raising ideas – think big and use your imagination! The money you help to raise goes towards the event’s insurance and organisation costs. Pagan Pride is a not-for-profit organisation.

Get in touch! I’d like to sell my wares at the event… Yes, please contact our Trade Liaison Team at traders@paganpride.org.uk Or book a stall online: http://www.paganpride.org.uk/traders/ Can our Moot or Pagan group get involved? Yes, please contact our Community Liaison Team at community@paganpride.org.uk I’m a musician / dancer / performer / speaker, can I get involved? Yes, please contact our Entertainments Team at events@paganpride.org.uk and tell us about yourself and what you have in mind. Can I volunteer to help as a marshal on the day? Yes, please contact our Chief Marshal at marshals@paganpride.org.uk I’m From the Media, can I Speak to Someone? Yes, please contact our Comms Team at media@paganpride.org.uk stating your request and we’ll ensure you speak to the appropriate person.


Places To Go: Hope Valley Some of my fondest memories are of places. Places not full of excitement but ones that have an immense energy about them. One such place is Edale; a small village in central England that sits in the hills of Hope Valley. One memorable visit to Hope Valley sticks out in my mind in particular. It wasn't a day that I had planned to be a visit that totally rocked my world but alas it was so. Walking up onto the main plateau was one of the hardest tasks I have ever faced. Steps carved up into the side of the cliff face, steep and unforgiving. It was these steps that told me that the gentle walk I had been promised was not going to be so. Being stubborn I continued up the steps! About half way I was in such a bluster that I wanted to turn back and go to the car and wait for the others. But I held my resolve. Three quarters of the way up the steps got steeper and all I wanted to do was take an hour to rest. Being of a pagan nature I drew upon the wind for respite and got more than I bargained for... With all the airs and grace of boulder rolling down a hill; the wind hit. Plastered against the side of the plateau, unable to move in this force of nature all I could do is wait it out. But I was in for more; within seconds the clear blue sky turned angry and grey and the rain fell at speeds that would astound you; the rain quickly turned to hail. I was cold and very wet but I fell alive! It was in this moment, battered down by the elements, that I gained the resolve to continue on with a spring in my step and warmth and glow of nature’s fury. The views from the top were breathtaking, my camera couldn't capture the shear magnificence and the part that made my heart beat and my smile grow was the waterfall. The day finished with the three of us exhilarated and exhausted with a pot of tea each in the famous Penny Pot cafÊ.


Local Folklore Sitting round the campfire with friends telling stories of ages past, the thrill of the chase; the horror of the shadows depths. This is something that has been done since time immemorial. Men of the forest and travellers down the dusty road; all would have a tale to tell‌ There was once a time when to be pious was a virtue of the highest regard. There was a time when to be pagan was of the lowest regard. Time does change but stories hold and immortal truth of history. If the story itself isn’t word for word true then the subtext behind such stories can certainly be an indicator as to its original intent. The Hemlock Stone. It was a time when the priories still held the villages and towns captivated in their doctrine. A priest of the Lenton Priory was such a pious man. The Devil hated and despised such men and in his anger hurled a great stone at the priory of Lenton but alas the Devil missed his mark by four miles. There are contemporary scholars who believe that this may have cause some strife with the locals and known pagans at the time. There are others who believe that this stone was an ancient druid worshipping ground linked to 2 others in the Nottinghamshire area. If people wish to visit the stone they may do so it can be found at: Stapleford Hill, Stapleford, Nottinghamshire

The Stones have also inspired many for instance here’s a Poem by H.S Sutton (1825-1901) What eyes innum'rable O ages Stone, Have gazed and gazed thy antique form upon? The woad-dyed savage, with his hunting spear, Has leapt, and stared, and wondered even here: Haply soldier here has stood, Strayed from his camp far into the wild wood. The monk, at least, on pony ambling past, Shaken by the rough bridle road, has cast


A hot glance on thee; - the knight, steel-array'd, A breathing moment near thy bulk hath stayed To bid his squire behold: gay Cavalier And solemn, stern old Roundhead have been here: Lovers and maidens, lords, and squires, and pages; Serf, farmer, village lass - ages on ages Of human life hast thou seen onward glide: At last I stand upon thy withered side, Another drop of that still flowing tide. H.S. Sutton



Defining who we are… In today’s modern world we’re not anyone of importance if some form with an alphanumeric reference doesn’t have a tick box which we can say “Yes that’s me”. As Pagans can we truly state that any tick box can define us? Let’s have a looks at a few definitions: The Collins Online Dictionary:

“Pagan-

noun

a member of a group professing a polytheistic religion or any religion other than Christianity, Judaism, or Islam a person without any religion; heathen” The first statement I could agree with but the second I’m having trouble with. All Pagans that I know would say they have a religion or belief. Perhaps if we looked at the origins of the word Pagan we can see just how much it is applicable to the above statement and in today’s society. Again from the Collins Online Dictionary:

“C14: from Church Latin pāgānus civilian (hence, not a soldier of Christ), from Latin: countryman, villager, from pāgus village” Both of these statements, for most Pagans, would be true as we would agree that the majority of us are not soldiers of Christ and we would see ourselves as country man/country woman for most of us again follow some kind of country craft or agricultural practice. (I say majority for I do know a few Christian Pagans) To look at another popular Dictionary (Dictionary.com)

“pa·gan noun 1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.Synonyms: polytheist. 2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim. Synonyms: heathen, gentile; idolator; nonbeliever.


3. an irreligious or hedonistic person. 4. a person deemed savage or uncivilized and morally deficient.”

There are four statements of definition here. The first I can call an apt description of some Pagans but I couldn’t say that all Pagans are polytheistic or that all follow a path that is synonymous with the Ancient Romans or Greeks. Whilst I do know some Pagans that do follow some practices I doubt they would say that they follow the ‘Ancient Practices’. The second statement I would have agree with from the point of view of the not believing in the aforementioned religions, however like the first definition from Collins I would have to say we cannot paint all Pagans with that definition The third statement I would have to wholly disagree with. I do not know a single Pagan that would or could be defined as a Hedonistic person. Whilst there may be some Pagans out there that lives a life devoted to self gratification I highly doubt some Pagans would be happy with this definition. And lastly the fourth Statement… I am personally shocked that definitions like this are still circulating publication and without getting myself in trouble an saying something that may offend other publishers I will leave that statement for your own ranting.

My question is can all Pagans relate to the definitions of Paganism? My personal definition of the world Pagan would be slightly different: Pagan: 1. A group or person that has a belief system that is not wholly synonymous with a religion or major world system. 2. A group or person that has the opinion that the planet and its creatures should be placed in high regard and tended with care. 3. A person who may practice a religion which draws upon older systems.

This is my personal definition; why not send your own definition to us and we’ll publish it! You can email it to submissions@tri-spiralmedia.co.uk If you could please make the subject ‘Definition’


Myths of Spring With the arrival of spring it only seems natural to connect back to the mythology of the season origins. The story of Demeter and Persephone (Kore) is linked in very deeply with the seasons. Persephone's abduction by Hades marked the beginning of the winter months due to Demeter's immense grief at the loss of her daughter. So much so that she prevented the crops from growing and any sign of life from the land. The beginnings of the story begin back when Persephone was known only by the name Kore (maiden) and within a field full of flowers. Happily picking she ventured away from the group of nymphs she was playing with and into a more secluded location. It was in this moment that Hades, God of the Underworld, sprang up from a crack in the ground upon his great chariot, snatched her up and took her back into the depths of his kingdom. The six months she is made to spend with her husband is in itself due to a trick or possibly just naivety. Eating any food from Hades (in this case the place not the God) means you must stay there forever, so when Persephone famously ate six pomegranate seeds from a fruit in the garden she doomed herself. It was only through Demeter's threat of never again allowing the crops to grow, and Zeus's intervention due to his fear for mankind, that Hades came to the agreement of allowing her to return. She would, however, be forced to live with him for half the year, each month represented by one of the seeds eaten. Spring therefore marks the time of reunion between mother and daughter, the flowers that were always a joy to Persephone before her abduction once again springing up to greet her. You can almost feel the happiness in the air as the sun comes out, the showers come down, and the blossoms open up. Look up the story in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter By Amy Hills


The Myths behind Witchcraft and Worshipping the Dark Legends and Stories passed on over generations tell us of the witches that gather in the night to bring about darkness in the world. The stigma that all witches worship the Devil on the high Sabbats is one that still has a shadow even in today’s world. Around 1450CE an anonymous book by the title Errores Gazariorum came into being; this book may be one of the reasons for the stigma that we still see. Within this book an “accurate” description of how all witches worship the Devil and feast upon the flesh of kidnapped infants; dancing in provocative and unnatural ways was described as normal and upon the Devils command of “Mestlet!” [Mingle] the witches would fall upon each other in a mass orgy of lustful sin! As many of our readers will agree this is totally normal and common amongst us magically active Pagans…. Just kidding! Well none of the Pagans or witches I know do these kinds of things… It is documents like the Errores Gazariorum that have been holding the Pagan community back for hundreds of years but I do like to think that in this modern age that we may become free of such stigma.


Dear Crone

Here we have our dear old Crone wanting to give you all some of her sage advice. If you have any questions for her please send them to submissions@tri-spiralmedia.co.uk with the subject as “Dear Crone”. She will aim to answer as many of the questions as she can. If they don’t make it into the magazine itself we promise that she will publish them on the tri-spiralmedia.co.uk blog




Wellbeing: It starts in the mind. Wellbeing isn't the same as health; it is the key to a healthy lifestyle. One thing I have always taught all of my students to the point of nagging is to keep the mind healthy by using the tools they have at their disposal. A large proportion of people groan at the thought of meditation but meditation isn't always done by sitting in an odd position and chanting a mantra. Sitting on the bus and staring out of the window, letting my mind drift and settle on nothing in particular, is one of my favourite ways of meditating. I find myself relaxing and any tension that I may be feeling simply becomes smaller and smaller until it is completely gone. Stress is a frame of mind that can affect the body. It isn't always triggered by pain or suffering on a physical level, but by a condition to your surroundings and current thought pattern; causing tension in your mind and if you're like me it spreads to the rest of the body with the grace of a sledge hammer hitting concrete. An easy solution: Control your breathing. When you're feeling tired and stressed control your breathing so your body believes the tension and stress is over. Start off by taking a few deep breaths and then follow it by a minute of slow breathing and you'll find that your blood pressure has dropped and your body is starting to relax; your mind will then follow the pattern and relax also. Illness: We all get ill, whether it is a headache or the flu and it makes us feel lousy and so full of self-pity that we come to a standstill in our daily lives. One of my tried and tested methods, when I'm not full of fever or too weak, is to go for a walk each day that I am Ill; just for an hour or so. Going for a walk is a simple task that gets the blood flowing and your body’s functions and states of awareness are heightened by this increase in breathing. Lying in bed and feeling sorry for yourself may be a good thing every now and again, but getting out and helping your body recover is better. I guarantee that this simple task will help you feel better and get better. When walking you're concentrating of your surroundings and that feeling of being ill is at the back of your mind; forgotten. Motivation (Or lack of): Not being motivated and wanting to sit around not doing anything but staring at the TV is all well and good for an hour or so but it can become a habit hard to break. This cycle of ‘I can't be bothered to do this or that’ is a never ending circle as it is the easy option. You'll start by making excuses for yourself; you know it's wrong and yet you do it. My advice is to turn the TV off and make something. Start crafting! You'll be surprised just how good you feel when you complete a project, especially if it’s an item you can use. It also builds up our trade skills and you never know, you may earn a bit of money in the process. All states of mind can be controlled by using simple steps to reduce the effect they have on you. Don't let these self-imposed feelings of not feeling great control you. Get up, get out and get


crafting. Simple is often the best remedy; you can even use these methods to help someone else break the cycles of self inflicted stress.


Elf-Time Awakening trees, skeletal fingers, open, Embrace the golden sky; Amid the haze of dew before the day Is spent; Our star, a flaming, blazing peach sinking to Milky lavender western sky; Springtime’s kiss stirs the icy touch of Winter’s last air; Haunted by the eyes of Elven-kind. Silent watchers in Nature’s domain; We see them not, we invite them not, For their world is in-between night And day; Originally written on Monday 4th March- Last Quarter Moon. By David Knight


30-Apr-13

Book review The Element encyclopaedia of 5000 spells by Judika Islles

Content **** Style ***** Reader accessibility **** Price ***** This book is nothing but amazing. Just on content and sheer volume it ticks all the boxes with something in it for every occasion. The author hasn't made it biased towards any specific path or even country. Given that it is an encyclopaedia do not expect a 'how to' guide but a reference book that every practicing witch needs on their shelf. Broken down into sections on all the basic subjects it really gets into the core of all the different magickal practices that fall under that heading. From folklore to rituals there is something in here for almost all of your needs. Also the formulary of different powders, waters and much more is an added bonus. The downside to this book is its depth. It has 5000 spells but doesn't go into a great deal of detail about them. It will give you a brief outline, ingredients and occasionally a sentence on how it can be performed but nothing about its background or the people who originally practiced it beyond the brief "Ancient Egyptian" etc. On the whole it is a good book as a starting point for any research; for as those of us who practice magick know, a spell written by the caster is much better than one written by someone else. Review by Martin



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