Wild Goddess Magick
Witchology Magazine The
second harvest: a time of giving thanks
Recipes for a Magickal
Witches’ Thanksgiving Your Guide to
Finding Balance at Mabon
Mabon
Celebrating the Autumn Equinox
Plan Ahead Under the
Harvest Moon
HOW TO WORK WITH A DARK
GODDESS
Mabon is the mid-harvest festival, and it is when we take time to celebrate the changing seasons give thanks for all that we have.
EDITORIAL Ambrosia Hawthorn, Editor Maya LeMaitre, Copy Editor WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS Miss Wondersmith, Monica Crosson, Jamie Della, Mike Sexton, Jennie Sharples, Karla Freeling, Lightworker Astrology. ART & PHOTOS Cover: Ambrosia Hawthorn Illustrations: Tiffany Sosa stock.adobe.com All other photos are from free stock sources or from contributors. SALES & SUBMISSIONS ambrosia@witchologymagazine.com www.witchologymagazine.com SOCIAL www.witchologymagazine.com www.instagram.com/witchologymag www.twitter.com/wgmagick www.facebook.com/witchologymag Copyright © 2019 by Wild Goddess Magick. All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Magazine is intended for ages 18 and up. We are a proud participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. All our content is reviewed and vetted in the process. The opinions expressed in our published works are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Witchology Magazine or Wild Goddess Magick. Wild Goddess Magick assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
W
elcome!
“These words herein are from me to you, each picture, thought, and quote we imbue. This issue reflects the knowledge I have to share, use each spell, ritual, and work with care.” September brings longer nights, colder days, and an abundance of harvest. The leaves are browning and beginning to shed as the bite of autumn takes root. In this issue we cover common thresholds of power, the importance of purifying the home, how to find balance at Mabon, feature a tarot spread for Mabon, how to divine with candle wax, a guide to the dark goddesses, earth cord magick, and delicious magickal recipes. That’s not all! We also have three wonderful interviews with authors and creators Liz Worth, Rhianna of Good Morning Moon, and Rosalina of Shadowlight Haven. Please also note, we cannot guarantee any outcomes from the content of this magazine, but please don't give up on the magick within you!
Blessed be witches,
Ambrosia Hawthorn
Wild Goddess Magick
Witchology Magazine
Cover by Ambrosia Hawthorn @wildgoddessmagick
Our Team
Ambrosia Hawthorn @wildgoddessmagick Witchologymagazine.com Editor, writer, illustrator, and eclectic witch.
Miss Wondersmith @misswondersmith Thewondersmith.com Writer, wondersmith, recipe creator, forager, event hostess.
Mike Sexton @artistmikes Mikesextonstudio.com Writer, eclectic Wiccan, artist, published author.
Sarah Justice @tinycauldron Tinycauldron.com Writer, recipe creator, metaphysical shop owner.
Karla Freeling @wiccanology Wiccanology.etsy.com Writer, mother in the military, Pagan, and shop owner.
Monica Crosson @monicacrosson Monicacrosson.com Writer, gardener, published author.
Jennie Sharples @jenniferksharples AutumnEnchantments.etsy.com Writer, healer, psychic, and shop owner.
Jamie Della @jamiedellawrites Jamiedella.com Writer, hearth witch, Priestess, and published author.
SEPTEMBER 7 What’s New in the Witchy Community 8 September Magickal Workings 9 Mabon Must-haves 12 Interview with Rosalina, Owner of Shadowlight Haven 17 Interview with Author, Liz Worth 26 Interview with Rhianna, Owner of Good Morning Moon 55 Witchy Shops Directory
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ARTICLES & LORE
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10 Finding Balance at Mabon 15 Mabon Tarot Spead 24 My Family Ritual and Witches' Thanksgiving Prayer 36 The Harvest Moon 38 Common Thresholds of Power 48 Symbols of the Feast
CORRESPONDENCES 41 Herb: Black Cohosh 43 Crystal: Moonstone 44 God Dionysus
MAGICK LEARNING 22 Working with Ceromancy 29 A Quick Witch's Guide to the Dark Goddesses 33 The Importance of Purifying the Home 39 Earth Cord Magick
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FEASTING 49 Fig Chutney 50 Mabon Mulled Pears with Juniper 52 Shepherded's Pie with Purple Potatoes and Wild Game
What’s New in the
Witchy Community
Want to know what’s happening in the Pagan community? Well, we’ve searched high and low to bring you the latest products, books, and more.
The Celtic Magic Series The Power of Tarot: To Know Tarot, Read Tarot, and Live Tarot
H. R. Conklin The Celtic Magic series is a unique tale connecting modern day California to the Scotland of centuries ago. Join Mairi and her family on a journey through the Celtic Year, as they learn the deeper meanings of Celtic Fairy Tales and modern day magic. Follow them through time as they meet druids, witches, and faeries of Light and Dark, and find out what role ancient Celtic traditions can play in saving the Earth from imminent destruction. The series will reach its inspiring conclusion in book 4, The Eternity Knot in 2020. An exciting read for ages 9-99, a series the whole family can enjoy. Learn more about the Celtic Magic series and the author at www.wildrosestories.com
By Liz Worth The Power of Tarot helps to bridge the gaps between studying tarot and putting your knowledge to use. If you feel like your tarot readings are missing something… If you feel like you’re ready to go deeper with tarot but you’re not sure how… If you are ready to develop the perspective you need to read tarot with confidence… The Power of Tarot is for you, no matter what stage of the journey you are on. Here, you will learn not just how to read tarot, but how to think about tarot. Now available on Amazon
The Illustrated Bestiary and Oracle Deck By Maia Toll In The Illustrated Bestiary, author and spiritual wellness guide Maia Toll turns the insight and wisdom that birthed The Illustrated Herbiary — her best-selling volume on the mystical power of plants — to the animal kingdom. Through profiles highlighting 36 animals’ most meaningful traits, Toll explores how those qualities can illuminate our habits, guide our intentions, and inform our actions. Available on October 1, 2019 Get an extra special gift when you pre-order!. 7
SEPTEMBER MAGICKAL WORKINGS
September is the month of the hearth and home. It’s a
great time to focus and prepare for the upcoming winter months by tending to your gardens, giving thanks for
all that the earth provides, and set up your altar with the symbols of the season.
Mabon falls on the Autumn Equinox when the days
and nights become equal. This is the moment when the nights grow longer. This year Mabon falls on September 21st in the Northern Hemisphere.
During this month focus on magick pertaining to
family, harmony, protection, prosperity, balance, and goals. 8
Braided Harvest Wheat $10.00
Morrigan Loose Incense $5.00 ForestDruidCreations
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Mabon Autumn Equinox Cross Stitch Pattern $7.00 TheElfinForest
Mabon Soy Crystal Candle $18.32 TheWaxingMoonShop
MABON Must-haves Our favorites for this month!
Cozy Flannel Body Butter $8.00 Witches Broom $25.00
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Finding Balance at Mabon By Mike Sexton We're at my favorite time of the year. The sabbats of Lughnasadh, Mabon, and Samhain, this is the sabbat when I feel the most "at home." Mabon is the time of year when we're reaping the fruits of our labor and seeing all of our hard work pay off. I don't mean just with our gardens but also with the goals we've been striving for since Imbolc back in February. This is also a time of balance, and as with everything, we need the right balance of everything going on in our lives to feel complete. This means Mabon is a wonderful time to bring this balance to the forefront. Take a step back and see if your own life is in balance. If you're feeling stressed more than usual, depressed, anxious, these are symptoms of a life out of balance. Maybe you're working too hard at work and not having enough family time. Perhaps you're not where you want to be professionally, and so you're hard on yourself. Maybe you're so busy driving the kids around to their activities that you haven't found any time to do anything you want to do for yourself. These things can all manifest themselves as stress, anxiety, depression, not to mention headaches, muscle aches, and the like. I'm guilty of this a lot myself. I 10
tend to be a self-described workaholic, and no one in my family disagrees with that. Unless someone is making me, I rarely take any time for myself or take a day to relax. Sound familiar? Now, with Mabon just around the corner, it's a great time to step back from all you're doing and see how you can bring your own life back into balance. Maybe spend a bit of time tending to your garden or yard. Maybe even go for a lovely evening walk and enjoy the beauty of nature all around you. This can be done even in the city. If you are lucky enough to have trees already changing colors for the upcoming autumn time, take a few extra minutes and enjoy the lovely colors all around you as the trees prepare for dormancy. Take a look at the squirrel, busily going around hiding his winter food supply. Mabon is also the perfect time to do magickal workings that involve balancing your life, so perform a ritual or spell to help you regain the balance you need so you can be the best you possible. Perform magickal workings for security, prosperity, even self-confidence workings, and it doesn't need to be an elaborate half-hour ritual.
Perhaps, if pressed for time, take 5-10 minutes in your evening and focus on a fall colored candle's flame. As you see the flame dancing around on the candle, focus on things you wish to accomplish, anything in your life you want to balance, anything you wish to do that'll aid in your security- this can be financial security, personal security, home security. If you have issues with selfconfidence, now is a great time to work on that. Perhaps put out a bowl of delicious red apples and bless them to provide confidence for anyone who partakes of the apples in the bowl. This is also a great way to bring your magick to your entire family. Perhaps bless the apples to provide the eater with prosperity.
clockwise to draw good things to you and your loved ones and counterclockwise to remove things you wish to have out of your lives.
Fix a little potpourri mixture of apple slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and an orange peel. Put this in a simmering pot of water and let the pleasant aroma fill your home. Each item in my example is also connected with prosperity, goodwill, selfconfidence, energy- all things you need if you're going to work at balancing your life during this Sabbat time.
There are so many things you can do during Mabon to help celebrate the life of the Goddess and God. To celebrate their many blessings, they have bestowed upon you and your family all year long. There are also many ways you can celebrate Mabon to help and aid you and your family so that you are all well and happy during the upcoming months. Think outside the box. Ask yourself what you would like more of for yourself as well as those who mean the most to you.
Mabon is also when we start doing a bit more baking and cooking. As you are creating your delicious baked creations or hearty soups and stews, bless the items you add to your recipes to provide you and your family with balance, prosperity, and the like. Even trace a pentacle into your pie crusts. Stir the food
Balance isn't just about you, it also pertains to your home. Everyone talks about spring cleaning, but how about an autumn cleaning? Take a day or if you have a big house, take an hour or two daily during this time and clean out your home. Get rid of things you no longer use or need, perhaps donating them to a thrift shop, to goodwill or sell them to make a little extra money. Clean each room of the home, and as you're cleaning, see the home's energy be restored while stagnant energy is removed.
Then ask yourself how you can make these things come to fruition. You'll be surprised at what you might come up with! I wish you all a very joyous Mabon. 11
Interview with Rosalina, Owner of Shadowlight Haven Rosalina creates beautiful wands, spell bottles, crowns, cauldrons, and jewelry. Can you tell us a little about you? My name is Rosalina, and I am a sixthgeneration witch with a penchant for creating new pieces inspired by the natural world that surrounds us.
What led you to create Shadowlight Haven? Shadowlight Haven was born out of a necessity for art. There hasn't been a time that I've gone without creating. I'm always itching to bring the joy of art to others, whether in jewelry, spell bottles, wands, sculptures, or paintings.
What is your favorite medium to use? I'd have to say my favorite medium is clay. When working with it, I can get a feel for what design is going to be created for each crystal. 12
Each piece is intuitively chosen and picked with anything from labradorite, moonstone, obsidian, quartz, and more.
Where do you get your inspiration for your pieces from? My inspiration, in general, has always been nature, I find comfort in Mother Earth, the roots of trees, the canopies, or the shapes of animals. I hope to embody that energy in every piece.
How can our readers connect with you? To find my work and connect with me, visit Instagram: @shadowlighthaven Etsy shop:Â Etsy.com/shop/shadowlighthaven
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Mabon is a day of balance, with equal amounts of darkness and light. 14
Mabon Balance with Tarot Summer is ending, and the leaves are starting to turn inspiring shades of orange, as Mabon begins to descend upon us. With the second harvest festival in full swing, we make way for the colder months ahead as we reflect upon what we have sown. Mabon falls just in time for the Autumnal Equinox on or around September 21, and March 21 for the southern hemisphere. And as the length of the days and nights become equal, many Pagan traditions give thanks for what has been brought into their lives, as well as what still needs balancing. Even if you do not fall under the Pagan umbrella, you can still celebrate and take the time to reflect upon the yin and yang of your life. Divination, specifically tarot, is a wonderful tool to find out what is hidden, what we still need to work on, and what is to come. In honor of this lovely time of year, I have created a tarot spread to assist you in your life’s journey. This spread can be used with either a Tarot or an oracle deck. I connect better with oracle decks than I do Tarot. So, please, take a moment to sit down and get yourself comfortable. Maybe brew a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate as you mentally and emotionally prepare yourself to find out how you can achieve balance in your life. And when you are ready, pick up the deck and shuffle until you feel called to stop. From here you can pick your cards one of two ways. Spread the deck out in front of you and pick the six that call to you. Then lay them out, as shown in the Mabon Tarot Spread. Alternatively, pull the top card of the deck and place it in position one. Shuffle the deck again, pick the top card and put it in position two, and so on. The cards will tell a story and, quite possibly, show you things you weren’t previously aware of. Be open to the messages you receive; for the spirit and your higher self have your back. But most importantly, have fun. 15
Mabon Tarot Spread
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By Jen Sharples This spread asks you to review your current blessings, the ever-changing facets of your inner world, and the aspects of your life that still need balancing and healing. What you find out about yourself may or may not surprise you.
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1.What I am currently harvesting? 2.What is changing for me at this time? 3.An emotion that needs healing. 4.What still needs to be release. 5.A lesson I need to still learn. 6.The balance that’s coming in.
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Your path can take any shape you need it to. Some of us work our magic through cards and planetary energies, others through herbs and plants, movement, hands-on healing. There are so many ways witchcraft can manifest. -Liz Worth
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Getting to know
Liz Worth
Liz Worth is successful tarot reader, astrologer, and author sharing with us how she began her journey into the esoteric and where she’s at now. Can you tell us a little about you? I am a tarot reader, astrologer, and author. My path had a lot of twists and turns, and stops and starts over the years, which seems to be pretty common for a lot of people who are living in esoteric and magical capacities. When I was a kid, I was interested in all things mythological and magical and esoteric. I spent a whole summer when I was 13 teaching myself how to read playing cards. A few years later I got my first tarot deck, but I didn't have the patience required to learn tarot, and I wrongly assumed that the cards would somehow tell me something. I didn't know yet that you had to work at it. I wouldn't return to it until I was in my 20s again and a point in my life where I had lost myself in chasing a career that wasn't going anywhere. I felt so lost at that time- I had all these ambitions that burned me out. 18
I went to an astrologer who talked to me about tarot and the importance of establishing a spiritual connection. He really woke me up to my old self. I started getting back into card reading, astrology, magic- everything I'd put off to the side. It was the healing I needed, but it was also the beginning of where I am now- even though I didn't know it at the time. In an era where everything is so fast-paced, and people are becoming professional intuitive within a matter of months. Sometimes, I took a long, slow road. Where I had been impatient in my teens, I now had an abundance of discipline. I practiced tarot for eight years before I ever charged for a reading. I took a lot longer than I probably needed to with it, but I am grateful I chose a slower route. When I decided to establish myself professionally, I knew I was well prepared.
What inspired you to write your book, The Power of Tarot? Everything in The Power of Tarot was inspired by my work as a tarot reader and tarot teacher. It's all from real-life observations and experiences, and questions that I hear a lot from clients and students. Even though tarot has been around for quite a while now, there is still so much confusion, superstition, and misinformation about it. And I found myself often frustrated by that because I was noticing that those pervasive beliefs were becoming blocks and barriers for people to be able to get the most out of tarot, whether they are receiving a reading or using it themselves. I found that a lot of tarot books are great at covering card meanings and spreads, rituals, and interpretations, but there were a lot of other questions still to be addressed. And after I had written my own book of meanings, I realized I had so much more to say about tarot. I wanted to really get people thinking about what tarot can and can't do, and how it reflects their own belief systems about fate, free will, destiny, and intuition. A lot of clients come to me assuming I am going to tell them a story about exactly what will happen to them in the future. They end up surprised when I say I don't believe that the future is worked out yet. Another reason I wrote The Power of Tarot was to start to shift the paradigms around how we associate tarot with other systems, like astrology and Kabbalah. Tarot is often linked to other systems and hasn't had much chance to stand on its own throughout history. But we also know, through the work of some great researchers and historians, that there is no historical connection to tarot and Kabbalah, or astrology. Yet a lot of people insist that to know tarot, you must know these other practices. And that tends to block a lot of people from learning how to read tarot purely as it is. I don't believe it needs the extra add-ons. There can be instances when tarot and astrology or Kabbalah complement each other, but I think it's time that we let tarot shine in its own right.
Who is this book written for? I first started writing it with my tarot students in mind- people who are really keen to develop a strong sense of philosophy and perspective about tarot, and who want to come to their own conclusions about divination rather than just have someone tell them what to think. But as I got further into the project, I started to imagine other people reading it too, like professional tarot readers who are dealing with the same assumptions and misconceptions that I run into. I also wrote it for tarot enthusiasts who are looking for a different perspective on tarot than what they might be used to. We have to remember that while we owe so much to the occult societies of past eras, it's important that we're allowing our spiritual tools to evolve and reflect our current knowledge and needs. And not to be afraid to admit it when certain practices don't resonate with us, or when we come across questionable or outdated claims, especially if they are creating fear or dis-empowerment. Thinking for yourself has always been an important message for me to share, and that probably came from my roots in punk and goth culture growing up in the '90s. Spiritual practices, whether in the form of tarot, witchcraft, or any other path, can bring you to an understanding and acceptance of yourself. Once you know who you are and are willing to cultivate a respectful relationship with yourself is when you start to work your own magic. So it's my hope that tarot practitioners of all levels will find something in The Power of Tarot. Not everyone will agree with me all the way through, and that's okay. This book is here to get people thinking, not to sustain dogma.
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Is there anything you want to share with the witchy community about your business in particular? I encourage tarot and astrology to be used in many different ways, not just for answering questions or divining a potential outcome. Both rely on the elemental correspondences of earth, air, fire, and water, and so these tools give us great inspiration for crafting spell work and rituals. While my book, The Power of Tarot, takes a very practical look at an esoteric tool, there's another level to my work beyond this book that takes you deeper into the spiritual side of tarot. Ritual is a huge part of my life, and I take time to work with the Moon every couple of weeks, at least, and every morning I have a private intention-setting practice I do at my altar. Though these things are important to me, I always have a "take or leave it" approach to what I offer in this way, too. And what I mean by that is I don't expect everyone who identifies as a witch to read tarot, or to practice astrology. Just as I don't expect everyone who gets a reading
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from me to want me to prescribe a ritual for them. I have strong memories of coming across repeated advice to learn to read tarot as part of your witchcraft practice when I was developing my own path years ago. And while there can be a crossover with divination and witchcraft, I don't think anyone should ever feel pressured to force these practices together. Your path can take any shape you need it to. Some of us work our magic through cards and planetary energies, others through herbs and plants, movement, hands-on healing. There are so many ways witchcraft can manifest. Where can our readers find you? You can connect with me on social media: Facebook: @lizworthtarot Instagram: @lizworthtarot Twitter: @lizworthtarot Website: www.lizworth.com
Dark Mother, bringer of darkness, I embrace you tonight. There is no happiness without sadness, no day without the night, no life without death, and no love without anger. Dark Mother of the night, I thank you.
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Working with
Ceromancy While candles are an essential and important part of any witch’s magickal tool-belt, one very specific use for candles is often forgotten or overlooked by modern witches. Ceromancy, or performing divination with candle wax, is a long-practiced form of fortune-telling that is done by reading the wax both during and after the candle is burnt. When selecting a candle for your ceromancy, make sure to take the color of the candle into account. Different colored candles are better for specific categories of divination questions. For instance, red candles are best for people seeking insight into love, while purple candles are best when seeking clarity on health and illness. Once you’ve picked out the right color of the candle for your specific question, it’s time to light it. Although not a particular part of ceromancy, the way that the wick lights should also be paid attention to. If the 22
candle lights quickly or smokes when being lit, that is generally considered a positive sign. If the wick is challenging to light, that can indicate problems or negativity surrounding the issue. Once the wax begins to melt, pay attention to it from start to finish. Two specific parts of the wax melting that are important and meaningful are known as transient images and persistent images. The transient images are the temporary forms and shapes that the wax takes as it melts and then starts to drip down the body of the candle. If the drips disappear by the time the candle is done burning, the common sentiment is that any of the troubles that you’re currently experiencing will soon resolve or reach fruition. However, if the candle stops burning while there are still noticeable drips on the sides, that may be a sign that your issues will persist for longer than you’d like or expect.
The persistent images are the shapes that the wax makes on the table after the candle has fully finished burning. The shapes should be read in relation to what type of issue that you were seeking insight into. For instance, if you were looking to divine information about a love interest and the persistent image at the end is that of a heart, that would be considered an excellent sign. One other way to use ceromancy is by dripping the candle wax into a shallow bowl of water. Hold the candle in your hand and focus strongly on the question you want an answer. After lighting the candle and letting it burn for a few seconds, tilt it over the bowl and let the wax drip slowly into it. The goal should be to create multiple, tiny drips on the surface. Watch the drips as they join together and form a shape, then interpret those shapes to how you would interpret a persistent image. No matter how you choose to perform your candle wax divination, the most important factor is that you focus your intention and believe in yourself. Often, the first thing that pops into your mind is the most accurate, so always trust your gut instinct. Any good witch should consider adding ceromancy to their bag of tricks. Give it a try today! It may help you gain insight into many different areas of your or others lives. Sources : The Magical Household, Cunningham and Harrington https://www.originalbotanica.com/blog/ ceromancy-divination-using-wax/ 23
My Family Ritual and Witches Thanksgiving Prayer By Monica Crosson The second of three harvest festivals, Mabon is known as the Witches Thanksgiving. And what better way to celebrate than at your home with your family. We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal and carry it down to the riverfront where I decorate with true Martha Stewart flair, including burlap table runners, buckets of sunflowers and festive garland. I hang tealights in mason jars from the low branches of the maples and have a campfire blazing to ward off an evening chill and maybe to roast a few marshmallows on, as well. Sometimes it's just our family, but we have also included friends and neighbors (magickal and mundane) who want to join in on our fun. There is one rule we abide by at our Mabon feast, and that is everything prepared must contain local or homegrown ingredients (flour and sugar are my exceptions). Chloe and I prepare the vegetable dishes, salads and a pie. Elijah makes Beet Pancakes from 24
his own beets, and our apples and Josh helps Steve with the smoking of ham and cheese we buy from local farmers. I don't eat pork, but I have to say it smells heavenly. I did take a cheese-making class this past summer and am excited to have Steve smoke our own cheese next fall. Something we always do before we eat our Mabon dinner is say a prayer of Thanksgiving to the god and goddess for the gift of nature and the bounty it provides. I have to say; it's very satisfying sitting under the giant sweeping branches of our maple trees and gazing at a table laden with fruits of the earth that we help to cultivate. We stand around our table and raise joined hands toward the sky. I usually start with something weepy and sappy, then each family member adds to the prayer. The energy raised from our words is palatable and still hangs prickly and electric as our guests arrive. Your Mabon feast certainly doesn't have to be as elaborate as the one I just described. But including
locally or homegrown ingredients in a dish or two at Mabon is a nice way to acknowledge Harvest Home celebrations of the past and to thank the god and goddess for the fruits of the earth. Our family does not typically “pray” before meals, but at Mabon thankfulness is a key element of the Sabbat and acknowledging those blessings we have received through the practice of prayer feels suitable. As modern Pagans we have so much to be thankful forthe fruits of the earth that nourish our body, the fruits of the soul which provide balance in a sometimes hectic world, not to mention the freedom to walk with our loved ones under a starry sky and worship our gods in the manner we feel appropriate. So on this day, before your meal of Thanksgiving, join your loved ones in raising your hands to the sky and give thanks. Family's linked hand and hand are a powerful kind of magick. On the next page is a simple Mabon blessing to get you started.
Balance in light, heart, soul, and mind, Balance between the Lord and Lady Divine, We give thanks for the bounty the harvest brings, We give thanks for the reassurance of new life in the spring, Blessed Be.
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Interview with Rhianna, Owner of Good Morning Moon
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Rhianna is an artist from Australia that uses rubber to create works of art inspired by old traditions of kitchen witchery. Can you tell us a little about you? I’m Rhianna, a full-time mother of two, an artist, and musician. I live in a coastal town on a beautiful stretch of rugged beach-line on the Bellarine Peninsula in Australia. I studied at art school when I left high school and majored in ceramics, but I haven’t been on a potting wheel in many years! I mix up playing live shows and working from home as a designer and rubber stamp maker.
What is your favorite medium to create with and why? Rubber! I love the process of drawing onto rubber and carving out a design. It’s the slow process of making something come to life with the simplicity of your bare hands and a wooden tool and blade. Plus you carve in reverse, so there’s something a little special and different about every print you make!
How can our readers connect with you? What inspires you and your pieces? I’m inspired by old traditions of kitchen witchery and stories of Appalachian ‘Granny Witches.’ From the songs they sang about harvests to the tools, they used, like broomsticks, rods, and potions for divination.
To find my work and connect with me, visit Instagram: @good_morning_moon
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I’m always posting snippets up of the design process up on Instagram, so if you’d like to know more, please join me there, and I can answer any questions you may have! -Rhianna
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A Quick Witch’s Guide to the Dark Goddesses Karla Freeling shares how to connect with the dark goddesses associated with the darker half of the year.
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A
s the dark half of the
year approaches, I can’t help but think about all the upcoming rituals and divination work I want to do with some of my favorite dark goddesses. I know that even now, in 2019, there are still witches out there that shy away or don’t work with them. Personally, I attribute this to two things: either they don’t understand what a dark goddess is, or they feel more comfortable working with lighter energies. The objective of this article is not to persuade, but rather inform and enlighten about what it means to work with a dark goddess. As an eclectic Pagan witch, I can sum up what it means to me to work with a dark goddess in one immortal quote from Segovia Amil: “the dark goddess moves within me; to me, she brings the fruit of the
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hidden.” The “hidden” is the part of ourselves that is unknown, such as feelings, thoughts, and actions which are kept hidden from our friends and those closest to us. Working with a dark goddess doesn’t always have to involve elaborate rituals- you can always connect with by understanding what you need and saying a quick invocation to the dark goddess who embodies those qualities. There is so much information I want to share. However, for the purpose of this article, I will only be covering the six dark goddesses I have personally worked with. I created a page with my views on when to call upon each goddess, and a few tools to not only honor but work with your goddess. Feel free to transcribe into your book of shadows. To me, dark goddesses are a necessary and vital aspect
of a balanced witch’s book of shadows or toolkit. Effectively harnessing these energies can enrich your spirit in many ways. The goddesses we will be working with are Hekate (Greek), Kali (Hindu), Lilith (Jewish), Nyx (Greek), Persephone (Greek), and Tiamat (Babylonian). I am hoping I can do a second part of this in the future and include other dark goddesses like The Morrigan, Nyx, Isis, and many more. I hope you enjoy the table I created as much as I enjoyed making it. Lastly, I wanted to do something special for this article. I reached out to my followers on Instagram and compiled a couple of their answers to what the term dark goddess means to them. Their responses provide some fantastic insight and fresh perspectives.
Other witches associated the term dark goddess with the darker aspects of life, things relating to death and rebirth, and being comfortable with the darkness, and seeing the beauty that it has to offer. These dark goddesses are also associated with night magick, moon, power, solitude, empowerment, beauty, resiliency, strength, unity, and balance. Regardless of what you associate a dark goddess with, know you are not alone in your quest.
“
I don’t worship any specific god or goddesses, but when I think of a dark goddess, I think of the feminine sides of us and the dark sides of us because we all have feminine/masculine and dark/light in each one of us. I think it’s healthy at times to release our dark energies or our dark sides to keep a balance. Some people express or release it in different ways. It could be dressing in black, casting spells in the dark or at night, positively releasing negative energy, or simply casting a curse on someone. Whatever the case may be, or how you release it, there are dark forces you can call upon for help. For example, I feel people would call upon a dark goddess when they need healing that comes from a dark place. They need a powerful but nurturing goddess to mend their soul. – Nick IG: @allhailhighsea
“
A dark goddess for me it’s the other side, a representation of the things we don’t always love or enjoy but must be handled. A side that needs to be represented, and sometimes honored. Like scolding your child, you don’t want to, but you have to for them to grow. – Sabrina IG: @sabrinascrystalvisions
A Quick Witch’s Guide to the Dark Goddesses
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The Importance of
Purifying the Home
“
As we celebrate this sabbat, we must remember the earth goddess in her guise as Demeter. She is the harvest queen and corn mother. Whether you’ve just moved into a new home or have been living in your home for many years, home purifications are an incredibly important part of making sure your space remains safe and cleansed of all negative energies. Even the most thorough physical house cleaning you perform isn’t enough to clear your home of energy. Our
homes, because we spend so much of our time in them, have a tendency to pick up all aspects of our lives - both the positive and the negative. However, it is the negative energy that we should be focusing most strongly on. This energy tends to soak itself into the very foundation of your home and can affect every part of your life inserting itself into your
relationships in sometimes quiet and unexpected ways. One of the best ways to combat this is by performing a monthly home purification ritual. The best time to perform one is during the moon’s waning cycle (the period between when it is full and when it is new). Start by opening all of the doors and windows in your home, which 33
gives the negative energy a pathway to leave. You should then physically clean your house, specifically the walls, windows, and floors. Add herbs to your water, like sage or sweetgrass, as well as salt, to increase its power. As you’re cleaning, imagine yourself physically washing away any negative energy in your home. Once your home is physically clean, it is time to move on to the energy purification. Today, we’re going to discuss a classic elemental purification. For this ritual, you’ll need a bowl filled with salt, an incense burner, incense (frankincense is preferred), a white candle, and a bowl filled with purified water. Light both the incense and the candle. Focus on opening yourself up to feeling the energy of your home, listening to what it may be trying to tell you. After you feel open, hold your hands out over all of your materials and charge and consecrate them for use in your purification. Starting with the salt, walk around your home in a clockwise motion, throwing salt in every corner while saying something about cleansing your home with the power of earth. Imagine the salt burning away any negative
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energy. You can also place the salt in any other area you feel may need consecrating. Do the same with the incense, speaking words about cleansing with the power of air. Focus again on the corners, as well as any doors and windows, imagining the smoke of the incense, clearing out the negative. After that, it’s time to move on to the candle. Carry it, lit, through your home in the same clockwise motion as you picture the fire burning away any negativity in your home. Make sure to pay special attention to any doorways, putting adding power by invoking the element of fire. Finally, take the bowl of water and sprinkle it with your fingers into every corner of your home, invoking the spirits of water. Make sure that you picture the water washing away all of the bad vibes, leaving only the good ones. Stand or sit silently once you are finished, enjoying the feeling of fresh, positive energy. Allow the incense and the candle to burn out on their own. It is crucial to keep in mind that home purification rituals are only good for energy, not for spirits. The Magical Household - Scott Cunningham and David Harrington
The Importance of Purifying the Home
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SEPTEMBER’S Moon IS THE Harvest MOON
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The Harvest Moon September’s Full Harvest Moon is also known as the Wine Moon or Singing Moon. This month the Full Moon happens on September 13th. This is a great time to work on balancing the light and shadow in your life and to focus on your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. We honor the God Dionysus this month for his connection with life. Other deities you can call on are Brighid, Demeter, Ceres, Isis, Nephthys, Freyja, and Thoth.
thresholds of power. This is a necessary time to take pause and focus on the home as we descend into the darker half. Samhain is when the veil is thinnest between worlds. If you don’t have your altar set up for the harvest season, spend time to create one for your spell-crafting. Incorporate the symbols of the season or even deities. Have fun and enjoy in giving thanks for all that you have.
Before the end of the month, focus on the hearth and home through purifyication and protecting common
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Common thresholds of power No matter what style of home you live in, one of the most important considerations any Pagan can make in their living situation is in the home’s “thresholds of power.” Common thresholds of power in a home include doors and windows, although there are certainly other thresholds that should be considered as well. While most thresholds don’t appear to have apparent power, any area of your home that serves as an opening point has the potential to be both powerful as well as vulnerable in the right circumstances. Many ancient texts- not only those based in witchcraft and paganism but also in other religions like Christianity and Hinduism- believe that spirits can take up residence in doorways. This makes it incredibly important that you protect both your family and your home by knowing how to keep your thresholds of power safe and sound. 38
One common and easy way to do this is by the hanging of various protections herbs and plants from the doorway. Serviceberry, boxwood, and hawthorne are all commonly used, as well as angelica root, frankincense, and juniper. Seal it with a protection rune, and you’ve already taken a significant step in keeping your home safe. Many old school pagans also choose to mount a broom above the doorway for similar reasons. The traditional evil eye will also work, as will symbols or statues of the Green Man. A great way to consecrate and charge your thresholds of power is to tie sprigs of dill together and hang in your doorway. This is to stop any person or entity who means to do you harm from being able to enter your home. If you have a doormat, take two sewing needles and cross them together. Stick them safely into the
corner of the doormat for protection. Dragon’s Blood is also a popular choice. Ground the resin into a fine powder and sprinkle on all of the windowsills and doorways for additional protection. Although it can be challenging to find, many Pagan stores online carry it and can ship it directly to your home. These small but powerful things can be sealed by invoking whatever deities you find important, which can also lend additional power and protection to your home. The most common that is called for protection is Athena, as she is known mostly as the Goddess of Protection. Whatever you decide, please take the time to seal off and protect all of the thresholds of power in your home. You never know what may enter if they are left open and welcoming. Blessed be! The Magical Household - Cunningham and Harrington
Earth Cord Magick By Sarah Justice
Though different in specifics, the three harvests celebrate the growth and abundance of sustenance. The sustenance emerges from earth nurtured and nourished to grow deep into the sky. However, we can take this time to look down and honor the foundation from which the stalks and vines emerge. To start your incantation, form a circle with salt. Ensure that your altar and all of your workings are inside that circle. It is vital to cast the circle before you begin, as it lends strength in protecting you from negative outside energies that can come and go during a ritual. If you would like to set up an altar, please use the traditional structure listed below. Face yourself and your altar in the north direction, as this corresponds to the element of earth. For the west, use half a dropper full of oil to represent water in an oil burner or small dish. For the south, use white, green, or brown candles which represent fire. For the north, use a palmful of salts or favorite herbs, representing earth in a pile or dish. For the east, use a smudge stick or palo santo, lit, over a dish to represent air; you could also use incense. For this spell, you will need: A green ribbon or cord A white or light-colored cord A brown cord or twine 11 small bells First, prepare your cords. Trim off about a footlength of each and have each meet together at the top. Twist them a little and tie them together so that they join at the top, but the rest flows freely.
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Take the white cord and, with it, tie a tiny bell above the knot. This ensures that this cord begins and stays rooted in purity and good intention. Braid the cords about one inch downward. If you would like to incorporate personal threads or beads into this cord, intertwine them within the braid as you maneuver the cords. Upon reaching one inch downward, make a knot using all cords. Then take the white cord and, with it, tie a bell. State the following: By bell of one, this spell’s begun; by braid of one, this spell is spun. Repeat this process, and with each bell and tying of the knot, state the appropriate incantation: By bell of two, my blessings queue; by braid of two, they start to root. By bell of three, they hear my plea; by braid of three, they start to weave. By bell of four, intertwine more; by braid of four, the fruits are born We reach the fifth by bell and braid, and with insistence, the spell is lain Sixth, to earth this spell we endow; strength, fortitude, a mindful plow Seven, the pulse through which all life’s sustained; we embed our thanks, earth manifested as braid Eight, we ring to signal the ether; to bless the land that’s scarred and made feeble By nine, we strengthen our hearty foundation; to carry us through this year’s duration. Upon reaching the end, tie the ribbons together. After, using the white cord, tie the remaining bell to the end.
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Next, state the following: Father sun, you complete the process and allow Take the white cord and, with it, tie a tiny bell for gains. With the first and ninth bell, we finish the spell and offer a mindful thanks. It is now time to close your circle, regardless of whether an altar was created. This is where you close the connection you made with the spiritual world. To leave it open means to invite those who may have come in unannounced, whether good or bad. Close the circle by reciting the following: This cord is tied, the magick’s planted, no spirits intertwine I loosen the thread for any undead to escape this enchanted vine. I prune the bad; I grow the good; I honor the mother of seed She ebbs and flows into earthen rows, a spiritual, selfless deed. If you have an altar set, let the candles and smudges or palo burn until gone. This is also true for any candle under an oil burner. Sprinkle the dish of salt or herbs along the northern threshold of your property or on the northern end of your garden. Burn any remaining oil. I hope this incantation works for you, but if you feel it hasn’t, you may repeat the spell. Remember that it is your energy that feeds this spell. Harness your energy and notice it when not in ritual. Beginners to the craft can do this by imagining a dull tingling in your fingertips and visualizing it moving and growing at your will.
Earth Cord Magick
B
lack Cohosh
Other names: Black Snake Root, Bugbane, Rattle Root, Squaw Root, Actaea, Cimicifuga. Plant family: Lamiaceae. This is a member of the buttercup family, and it has a long history of use in the treatment muscle pain. A key component of black cohosh is fukinolic acid, a compound that has estrogen-like properties. Cohosh is a Native American word for "rough", referring to the knobby rhizome.
Cimicifuga racemosa
Magickal properties: Love, courage, protection, and potency.
Magickal workings: Use in sachets for love, courage, and potency. Add to water and sprinkle around the room to drive off negative influences. Scent profile: Mildly unpleasant. Actions: Antispasmodic, astringent, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, sedative. Correspondences: Pluto, Fire.
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M
oonstone Moonstone is the crystal for new beginnings, inner strength, and growth. It also enhances intuition, promotes inspiration, success, and good fortune.
Moonstone is often blue, white, or pink and is an opalescent feldspar. Due to its connection with the moon, its energy reflects the waxing and waning energy of the moon phases.
Magickal properties: Love, divination, sleep, protection, and psychic abilities.
Magickal workings: This stone is receptive and love-drawing. Wear or carry a moonstone
to bring a love into your life. Because of its associations with the Moon, the bringer of sleep, the stone is often placed beneath the pillow, or moonstone beads worn to bed in order to
ensure restful sleep. The moonstone is also gently protective. Because the Moon seems to
travel through the zodiac, its stone is a traveler's protective charm. Carry or wear when away from home, especially during travel over or on the water.
Correspondences: Moon, Water.
D
ionysus
Dionysus, also known as Bacchus, is the god of the vine, connections, fruitfulness, and life. His message is often lost as he is thought of as a party god. He has complexity and layers that make him a very important deity to honor and invoke. He was the youngest Olympian god, the only one to have a mortal mother. Dionysus is often portrayed as a youthful man, wearing a crown of ivy or vines on his head. He is the embodyment of untamed
wilderness, male sexuality, celebration, joy, ecstasy, and sexual healing.
Work with Dionysus when you wan to focus on fertility, love, lust, sex, or creativity. He can also be invoked when you need to
open yourself to connecting with others or to learn to overcome and forgive.
Symbols: Grapes, ivy, figs, and goat cheese.
Connecting with the God Dionysus Dionysus comes from the Greek pantheon, born from Zeus and a mortal female named Semele. Semele was a princess from Thebes, who Zeus impregnated while hiding his true form. However, when Hera found out, she became jealous and used trickery to force Zeus to reveal his true, god form to Semele. When she looked at his real form, she immediately died. Before she died, Zeus was able to save the baby by removing him from the womb and sewing him into his own thigh. After a few months, Dionysus was birthed from Zeus’s thigh, which made him often known as a “dimetor (or someone who has been born twice having two “mothers”). Ultimately, Dionysus became the only Olympian that had a mortal mother. This made him somewhat of an outsider with the other gods and goddesses. This status also made him much more popular for worship from mortals, due to the feeling that he was a subversive figure. He was also known for being very benevolent toward mortals, unlike many of the other Greek pantheon. As we know him now, Dionysus is known as the god of the vine. In some
areas of Rome, Dionysus is referred to as Bacchus. He is also the god of vegetation and fruitfulness (especially with grapes, which are made into wine), as well as ecstasy and other things that are considered the lifeblood of nature. He was also well known for the rituals that were held by his followers, the Dionysus mysteries. In these rituals, many took intoxicants and used trance-induction things like music and dance, which were intended to remove all of their inhibitions and other social constraints. This left the followers of Dionysus in their most natural state, which allowed them to connect with not only the god but with their own spirit. These rituals also ended up with group sex and general nudity in the majority of situations, as people were no longer held back by society and could follow their pleasure. While one of the most traditional, ancient ways to connect with Dionysus is with an orgy, most pagans are looking for more appropriate and socially acceptable ways to celebrate the god. Symbols most closely associated with him are grapes, ivy, figs, and goat cheese. 45
However, anything considered decadent or sexy could be used to connect with him with the right motivation. Make sure to include wine in any ritual in which you seek Dionysus help. Dionysus is best invoked during rituals or spells seeking things like fertility, love, lust, sex, creativity, and just generally connecting with the ancient and wild within you. However, before you decide to call upon him, it is important to be aware of all of the possible implications. Dionysus is known for being free spirited, which can work both for you and against you depending on the circumstances. Calling him could potentially end with you feeling the urge to upend your entire life and move away or go on an extended journey to find yourself, so make sure you consider all possible angles and verify that he is the right god for your particular situation before beginning. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dionysus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Dionysian_Mysteries
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Connecting with the God Dionysus
Releases October 1st!
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Symbols of the Feast Although Mabon is considered a minor Sabbat, it is also one of the more interesting holidays on the pagan calendar. Along with Lughnasadh and Samhain, Mabon is a harvest festival celebrated on the Autumn Equinox in September. It is often referred to as being the Witches’ Thanksgiving, as many of the rituals and symbols related fairly directly to the holiday that many nonpagans celebrate in November. Many of the deities associated with Mabon are the commonly known harvest Gods and Goddesses - Persephone, Demeter, Dionysus, Mabon herself, and the Green Man. You don’t have to honor all of them for a successful harvest season; it’s best to just choose the one or two that you feel personally connected with and specifically honor them. To decorate your ritual space or your home with colors appropriate for Mabon, stick with any color that you might naturally see as the seasons change. Yellows, browns, golds, and oranges are most traditional, which you can bring into your space with ribbons, colored robes, pumpkins, leaves, or whatever else inspires you. 48
Stones that are best used for rituals or spells during this time of the year are often also associated with those colors, which give them additional power. Use amber for purification, golden topaz for communication, or tiger-eye for intuition and mental clarity. Other stones that have been related to Mabon are sapphire, yellow agates, and lapis lazuli. Before using them, make sure to perform a quick cleansing and clearing spell to start from a neutral place, as some of the stones mentioned tend to hold on to previous energy. One of the other symbols of Mabon will not surprise anyone familiar with American Thanksgiving. It is known as the cornucopia, or horn of plenty. This seemingly endless source of food has been associated with Persephone and is said to bring luck for the harvest. Fill yours with berries, apples, pomegranate, root vegetables, squash, and nuts, and place it in a prominent place on your altar. Surround it with other symbols of the season - gourds, pumpkins, acorns, and corn. Food, in general, is also an incredibly important part of this holiday, as is welcoming your family into your home for large meals. Making bread
together, or using the fruits and vegetables that have recently been harvested in your meals, is the perfect fusion of both of those things. Just make sure that you bless your meal in some way to honor the many hard-working men and women as well as the harvest gods and goddesses that helped provide you with your bounty. Raise a toast with a glass of mulled wine or apple cider, or even considering making your own wine! No matter which ways you choose to celebrate Mabon, make sure you take the time to relax and enjoy your time with family and friends. Most importantly, Mabon is about really appreciating the bounty you have in your life in all areas - food, family, friends, and home, while also focusing on personal balance. Take a step back, take a deep breath, and have a happy and bountiful Autumn Equinox! Mabon, Celebrating the Autumn Equinox Kristin Madden
Fig Chutney By Sarah Justice
Chutney is a popular alternative option for eating harvested fruits and combining fruits and nuts. It also reminds us of the thick stews and soups to come after the harvest and into the solstice. Our chutney's color palette is also ideal, with vibrant oranges, creams, and purples that match the upcoming autumn season. I don't use vinegar in our chutney, but we do use another ancient preservative: honey. If you'd prefer your chutney a tad less sweet, substitute a fourth of a cup of water with apple cider vinegar (see below). This will also correspond to the harvest of apples in the fall. INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
-1 1/2 c water (or 1 1/4 c water and 1/4 c apple cider vinegar) -About 2 c California figs (for rich color, though mission figs will work) -1/2 c currants (substitute raisins here if necessary; however, raisins will get puffy and slimy) -1/3 c diced almonds, or to taste. -1/2 c honey -A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
- Dice figs into eighths. Dice some into fourths for different textures. - -Mix together water (or water/vinegar mixture), half of the amount of honey, some of the almonds, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and figs into a pot. - -Allow mixture to reach a boil; boil for about 10 minutes. Lower temperature and let simmer for a total of 40 minutes. While it simmers, it will thicken. Stay with your mixture. You may want to thin it out or thicken it with honey. However, remember that it will thicken upon cooling. - At the 20-minute mark, add in more almonds. This allows for a variety of texture in the almonds, as the others will be a little softer. If you used apple cider vinegar, taste test to determine whether more honey is needed. - Keep stirring the mixture, and add in the rest of the almonds at the 30minute mark. - Ideally, allow the chutney to cool before nibbling so that it may thicken more, though you can use the mixture at any time. I recommend heating it in a pot if used as the main focus. - Use your chutney on pieces of bread or sandwiches as a sweet condiment.
 Optional: Add in diced apples if desired. 49
Mabon Mulled Pears with Juniper By Jamie Della
Now that the witches’ calendar is coming to a close, it is the time that we shed what no longer serves us. Let go of what is not in your highest good, with as much intention as if you were swinging on the monkey bars - moving with drive and momentum to something better. Like leaves falling from deciduous trees, we shed the unwanted thoughts that clutter in our mind and heart to be pure as the driven snow that is coming next season. We are doing double-time in some ways on Mabon. On the one hand, we are releasing what no longer serves us, such as negativity and doubts, and on the other end, we are reaping the abundance of the land, after all, it is the Witches’ Thanksgiving. Mabon is the time to forgive yourself and others for any wrongdoings and ask for forgiveness as well, which will cleanse your consciousness and karma. To err is human and to forgive is Divine. As you prepare this dish, visualize all the negative things that hold you back or hold you down. Be brave, even if you are uncomfortable. Look shame straight on. Let the emotions build as the mixture simmers. Use the heat, steam, sound, color, and bubble action to fuel your focus. Name each doubt or fear as you place each pear in the pan and say. “I release you.” As you baste, visualize anointing yourself with pure love, forgiveness, free, originally innocence, and chant to yourself many times: You were born of love. You are made of love. Hold your hands over the dish. Imagine white star-shine growing larger with each heartbeat. Visualize the white light streaming down your arms, into your hands, and throughout your fingers. Bind this spell, by sending the white light to surround your entire being to encase you and protect you. Say: This spell I make true Through Love and Light Harming None and Helping All Is how it shall be By the power of Three Times Three Times Three Repeat the chants as needed while you “eat your doubts” and feel the warmth of the wine fill you with love and light. Experiment with different wines and pear varietals for different effects. Just like how we each walk a unique magickal path because we are a singular vision of divine light, the images that accompany this recipe, show the diversity that is available to you.
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Mabon Mulled Pears with Juniper By Jamie Della
Recipe photo credit: Jennifer Carmel IG: @zenagaincatering www.zenagaincatering.com
The magickal ingredient in this recipe is the juniper berries. Juniper is associated with the god, Jupiter, the man who brings the cornucopia, the horn of plenty. He’s our jolly Santa Claus, dressed up like a Roman Pagan. Jupiter is expansive and generous. In balance reminiscent of the equinox this autumn, juniper berries are a known astringent, long associated with ritual cleansing and purifying of the soul. One hand giveth and the other taketh away, and so the wheel of the year turns.
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
4 firm Bartlett or Anjou Pears 2/3 c (160 Milliliters) red wine (I prefer a Petite Shiraz because it colors the pears nicely) 2/3 c (160 Milliliters) Fresh Pineapple Juice ½ c (76 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar 4-8 juniper berries
- -Peel, core, and quarter the pears. In a saucepan, mix the red wine, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and juniper berries. - Let the mixture simmer for 3 minutes. - Add the pears and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. - Stir and baste occasionally. - Serve in small decorative bowls or red wine glasses.
Excerpts(s) from THE WICCA COOKBOOK, SECOND EDITION: RECIPES, RITUAL, AND LORE by Jamie Wood, copyright @2000, 2010 by Jamie Wood and Tara Seefeldt. Used by permission of Celestial Arts, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
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Shepherded’s Pie with Purple Potatoes and Wild Game By Miss Wondersmith 52
SHEPHERDED’S PIE AS A BRIDGE TO FALL By Miss Wondersmith
The shift from summer to autumn is palpable in the way people carry themselves in the days leading up to the autumn equinox; some glide gracefully on an aromatic cloud of pumpkin spice, happily donning cardigans and cozy new boots. Others seem tense, with subtle changes such as a jaw a little more clenched than usual or shoulders a little higher than they should be. It makes sense that we’re all experiencing a shift; the dualities of this time of year are intense and intricate. We’re surrounded by a bounty of fall vegetables and fruits, but the increasing busy-ness of the squirrels gathering the first fallen acorns reminds us that the season of scarcity is just around the corner and it’s time to start preparing ourselves for it, in ways beyond the purely physical. At this time of year, I often feel a bit like a squirrel myself- I’m busy
freezing elderberries and gathering nuts and drying the last summer’s fruits to use in rich fruit cakes and bread in mid-winter. Even on days when I am mentally calm, my body calls my attention home with physical symptoms of anxiety that remind me just how important balance is in moving through this season. I sit in a sun-drenched window seat feeling fidgety and restless, wondering why I am having such trouble focusing or sitting still, why my attention seems to be pulled in a million directions at once, and my heart is beating just a bit faster than it should be. Perhaps the first yellow leaves falling outside my window are a subconscious reminder that now is a time to be busy, busy, busy or else winter’s hardships will hit me hard. But, unlike my ancestors, who relied solely on their crops or forages to make it through the cold season, I have the conveniences of modern living. My survival does
not depend on my frantic energy at the end of the harvest season. And yet, it still comes calling with a reminder to tune in. So I pause. When I feel like life is moving a little too fast, I go slow. I sink into the silky softness of a hot bath or a long wander. I let myself pause at those golden moments of life of early morning’s sunlight or evening’s lengthening rays. I remind myself that these days are a beautiful balance of light and dark, action and dreaming. I find ways to get closer to the land. I hunt for balance in the same way that I hunt for physical sustenance. Here in Idaho, fall marks the beginning of hunting season. People don camo and head out into the woods to become closer to nature, but also to fill their freezers with food for the winter ahead. For many hunters I know, this process is an important and beautiful seasonal practice as well as an affordable source of 53
Shepherded's Pie with Purple Potatoes and Wild Game By Miss Wondersmith
This hearty dish a glamorous re-make of the classic comfort food shepherd’s pie. Though shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with lamb or beef, it’s just as delicious when made with leaner wild games like venison or buffalo. Purple sweet potatoes add festive color and lots of healthy anthocyanins, and root vegetables such as turnips and sunchokes add a pleasant texture. Dried mushrooms give this hearty dish a little extra depth. INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS
2 lbs purple sweet potatoes 1/3 c butter 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste) 1 Tbsp vinegar 1 Tbsp oil 1 large onion diced, 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium turnip 2/3 c sliced sunchokes 1/2 c grated zucchini 2 lbs ground venison or buffalo 4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp dried mushroom powder 1/3 c catsup 2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Bring a medium pot of water to boil and peel the purple sweet potatoes. Cut them into 1” cubes and place in the water. Boil until they are very soft. Drain, reserving the liquid. - Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter, salt, and vinegar. Add some of the reserved purple liquid as needed to make a smooth consistency. (Alternatively, you could add milk.) Beat with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth, then spoon into a pastry bag with a large star tip. - Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet and add the onion pieces. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the turnip and sliced sunchokes and cook a few minutes longer. - Add the ground meat and cook until no pink shows and the meat is thoroughly browned. Add the grated zucchini, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mushroom powder, and catsup, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced. - Preheat the oven to 375˚F - Pipe the sweet potato mixture over the top of the pie in a pleasing design. Bake for 25 minutes near the top of the oven until the tops of the potatoes are starting to brown. (Place a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips!) - Remove from oven and garnish with the chopped parsley before serving.
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