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Why Trick or Treat? Why the Heck Not?
While many of us Pagans celebrate the holiday called Samhain, for some of us, it’s also the secular event of Halloween. I don’t care what anyone says, eating a full-size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is a pretty damn spiritual experience. The tradition of trick-or-treating isn’t quite as old as the holiday itself, but it’s certainly been around for a while. Let’s look at how this unique custom evolved. All Soul’s Night: In Britain, people celebrated All Soul’s Day for many years. Poor people went begging, and the middle-class wives handed out special treats known as Soul Cakes. When a beggar was given a Soul Cake, he promised to say a…
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Samhain Rite for Kids
If you’re raising kids in a Pagan tradition, it can sometimes be hard to find rituals and ceremonies that are both age appropriate and celebrate the aspects of the particular Sabbat. Factor in that small children tend to have a shorter attention span, and the days of standing in a circle for an hour watching someone chant are pretty much out of reach. That said, there are plenty of ways you can celebrate the different Sabbats with your children. This ritual is designed to celebrate Samhain with younger kids. Obviously, if your children are older, or you have younger kids who are very focused and mature, you may not need…
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Do Some Divination at Samhain!
In many agricultural societies, a popular pastime at Samhain was that of divining the name of one’s future lover. Some revealed a face, others an initial or even a full name. These traditional methods were practiced in rural societies for centuries. You can use them today for your own divination. Apple Divination Apples have always been popular tools for foretelling the future. There are a number of traditional methods in folklore for seeing who one’s lover might be. Peel the apple, keeping the peel in one long piece. When the peel comes off, drop it on the floor. The letter it forms is the first initial of your true love’s…
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Badass Ancestors Update
As some of you probably know, this summer I signed a contract with Llewellyn Worldwide for a new book, tentatively titled Badass Ancestors! I’m pleased to announce that the manuscript is complete and has been submitted — the book itself won’t be released for another year, but I’m super excited about this one. Badass Ancestors will teach you how to find your elusive kinfolk — it’s a crash course in sacred genealogy — as well as how to work with them for personal empowerment. You’ll learn how to set up an ancestor altar, petition your people for guidance, protection, and financial blessings, and even how to deal with those Problem…
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Hey Nonny Nonny: Pagans & Ren Faires
Every year, especially in the fall, I get a few emails from people asking why Pagans seem to really dig the cultural phenomenon of the Renaissance Festival or Faire. This got me wondering – I myself go to a nearby RenFest each year. In a week or two, I’ll get dressed up in full garb, gather a tribe of like-minded people, and drive an hour to spend a day with my friends in the town of Willy-Nilly On the Wash. We drink mead, flirt with large jousters, and we helpfully point confused, non-garbed visitors to the nearest privy (there seems to be an assumption at RenFest that if you’re in…
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Support Your Local Witchy Shops!
Many towns and cities are home to Pagan shops, but unfortunately they tend to come and go. It’s a rare Pagan shop indeed that lasts more than a few years — your favorite store may be there one day, and vanish the next. That’s partly because, like any small independent business — a locally-run Pagan shop depends on local customers for its livelihood. If customers don’t patronize these shops, they vanish, because it’s not cost-effective to run a business that’s doesn’t make a profit. Here are five reasons you should support local Pagan businesses if possible: Local businesses build the local economy. It’s a no-brainer that local businesses help the…
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Nutting Day: Make Your Own Nutella!
Around the middle of September, the nut season starts. Hazelnuts ripen in the hedges, and they have long been connected to folklore and legends. Hazel is associated to the Celtic tree month of Coll, from August 5 to September 1, and the very word Coll means “the life force inside you.” Hazelnuts are connected to wisdom and protection, and are often found near sacred wells and magical springs. Hazelnuts can be used in workings related to divination and dowsing – tie a ripe one onto a string and use it as a pendulum! In the British Isles, September 14 was the day when children would forage in the woods to…
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The Silly Sacred School Supplies Celebration
This is a ritual that I originally posted on my About.com site, but it has vanished into the aether, after About became ThoughtCo, and eventually LearnReligions. However, school is starting up again for a lot of us, so I wanted to share this, because it’s ridiculously fun, and it’s a great way to transition your kids into a new year with a new teacher, and celebrate your spirituality in a goofy and irreverent way. The Silly Celebration of the Sacred School Supplies In many Pagan traditions, it’s customary to consecrate your magical tools before beginning your practice. This creates a magical link between you, the tools, and the divine, and…
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Hey Guys I Made You a Thing
So last week was terrible for a number of reasons but holy cow, this one is shaping up to be magnificent! I got a box of these — it’s The Daily Spell Journal! Have you ordered yours yet? If not, you can grab a copy right HERE on Amazon. If you happen to be local to the Columbus area, you can get yours in person at the official Daily Spell Journal Launch Party on August 27, at Blessed Be Spiritual Shop! Oh, also… watch for Another Big Announcement in about a week 😉
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Why Would a Pagan Have a Bible?
A reader says, “I’ve got a weird situation and I need some advice. I’ve been Pagan for a long time, and I’ve made a point of studying a variety of religious paths just because I think it’s a great way to expand my knowledge base – plus it helps out a lot when I’m discussing religious matters with someone of another faith. I have dozens of books from different religions, including a Bible. Because this was my great-grandmother’s that she brought over from Germany before World War II, and is a family heirloom, I keep it displayed in a place of honor on my shelf. Recently, another Pagan was in…
