Uncategorized
-
My Favorite Weird Plant Names
Shakespeare’s Macbeth opens with three witches stirring a cauldron, into which they throw all sorts of vile-sounding things such as eye of newt, toe of frog, and tongue of dog, just to name a few. Where, exactly, does one obtain eye of newt? Well, it as luck would have it, Shakespeare was pretty knowledgeable about the folk magic of his era, and included in his Scottish play a number of ingredients that he called by their folkloric names rather than their botanical ones. There are actually hundreds of plants and flowers called by folkloric names which often make them sound much stranger than they really are. Let’s take a look…
-
How Disability-Inclusive is Your Pagan Event?
Did you know that there are a significant number of people in today’s Pagan community who have a disability? Pagans with disabilities find themselves facing a unique set of issues that able-bodied people don’t have to content with. While non-disabled people may automatically assume that “disabled” means “in a wheelchair,” often disabilities are something that we cannot see. Because of this, there are sometimes conflicts between event or ritual organizers, and members of the disabled community. While the Americans with Disabilities Act created a set of guidelines for businesses, employers and other organizations, many people with disabilities are still limited in how much participation they have in their community. Please…
-
Change Your Diet, Boost Your Chakras
In many metaphysical belief systems, the body’s seven chakras are the source of all energy. Many people believe that if one or more of our chakras is blocked or out of balance, it can have an effect us on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. There are a number of ways to get your chakras back into alignment–meditation and Reiki, for instance–but some people believe that the foods we eat can help us keep our chakras where they need to be. If you’ve been feeling off-kilter lately, consider modifying your diet in a way that will be beneficial to your chakras. Please keep in mind that a balanced diet is…
-
Clean House by Swapping Your Magical Stuff
At some point in your life as a Pagan, you’ll probably have moments where you look at a book on your shelf and think, “I will never read that again.” Or perhaps there’s a deck of Tarot cards that you own, but have never really connected with. Maybe you’ve got an athame that’s outlived its appeal, and you’ve replaced it with something new. So what’s a Pagan to do with all that stuff? Why not organize a magical swap meet? Look at it this way – if you’ve got a dozen things you don’t want or need, and you have nine friends who have a dozen things they don’t want…
-
The Magic of Sound
In many metaphysical disciplines and traditions, sound therapy is used as a healing modality. This is because certain tones, frequencies, and vibrations are associated with healing in a number of belief systems – people have been doing this for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular methods, and why they’ve become traditional. Obviously, this isn’t a comprehensive list, because there’s no way I can cover everything in a single blog post – entire books have been written on the subject – but these are some of the most popular. Shamanic Sounds In many traditions, instruments like bowls, bells, rain sticks, rattles,…
You May Also Like
Magical Discussion Prompts for Witchy Fiction
The Badass Cover Reveal
Shell Powder
-
Paganism, Islam, and Why They Ain’t The Same
Recently, a couple of readers have reached out to me asking for clarification on items they had read elsewhere online; specifically, articles that correlated Islam with Paganism. According to these articles – which I’m deliberately not linking to here, because they’re fucking AWFUL, but you’re more than welcome to Google them if you’re really interested – Islam has its roots in Pagan beliefs, and therefore the two are the same, right? Actually, no, not really, and I’m going to explain why. However, before I do, I should clarify that the information I’m about to present shouldn’t be interpreted one way or another as an approval or disapproval of another religion.…
-
Coffee Magic
This is a simple spell that you can use to change your own fortune – and let’s face it, we’ve all had some runs of bad luck, where it seemed like nothing would ever get better. It does, eventually, but using a bit of magic is a great way to move the process forward. You’ll need a cup of unused coffee grounds, a clean washcloth, and a green ribbon, because green is associated with luck. Put the coffee grounds inside the washcloth and tie it up in a bundle, securing it with the ribbon so the grounds don’t come out. Go take a shower, and use your handy dandy coffee…
-
Break a Curse With Stabby Things
In general, most of us go our entire lives without encountering anyone who has the skill set or level of motivation required to hex or curse us. In fact, if things are going badly for you, the odds are good that you’re NOT cursed or hexed, but simply (1) having a run of bad luck or (2) making really shitty life choices. However, it’s always POSSIBLE that bad things in your life are a result of some sort of magical attack. Before you go assuming this is the case, though, ask yourself a few questions: Did you seriously piss someone off in some way? If so, does that person have…
-
Can You Even Magic? Not if You’re Lazy
I periodically (and by periodically I mean A LOT OF TIMES) get emails and Facebook messages from people who lead in with What A Powerful Witch they are, and then by the second paragraph they’re begging me for spells. This weird juxtaposition tells me a couple of things. First, it means they’re not as Oh So Powerful as they think they are, and more importantly that they actually think Powerful is something that can be measured, when really what matters more than Powerful is Effective. I’d much rather be effective – and I am – than so-called powerful, which is all relative anyway. The second thing it tells me is…
-
Mirror Magic: Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kid
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the most magical of them all? Well, YOU ARE, if you incorporate mirrors into your magical practice. From scrying to repelling spells to beauty rituals, mirrors can come in handy in a number of ways. Here are a few of my favorite magical uses for mirrors: Make a Scrying Mirror Scrying is one of the best known forms of divination, and can be done in a variety of ways. Basically, it’s the practice of looking into some sort of reflective surface — such as water, fire, glass, dark stones, etc. — to see what messages, symbols, or visions may appear. A scrying mirror is a…
