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Spring Full Moon Ritual
Spring done sprung, and flowers done riz, so it’s a perfect time to hold a spring full moon ritual! The Wind Moon of April is rolling in on the 19th, so why not hold an outdoor celebration? This month is chock full of rain — remember that old chestnut about April showers? Along with the sun, water helps bring life back to the earth. It is the source of much of our existence and helps to cleanse and purify us. It can both destroy us and heal us. In ancient times, the well or spring was often seen as a sacred and holy place — a place in which we…
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Recipes for Your Beltane Celebrations
Beltane is a time to celebrate the fertility of the earth, and the return of spring blossoms and blooms. It’s a season of fire and passion, and when many of us honor the wild and lusty god of the forests. Beltane is a time for planting and sowing of seeds; again, the fertility theme appears. The buds and flowers of early May bring to mind the endless cycle of birth, growth, death, and rebirth that we see in the earth. Try one of these seven seasonally-appropriate recipes for your Beltane celebrations! Beltane Recipe Ideas
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The Wind Moon’s a-Coming
I woke up at zero-ass-thirty this morning to the sound of the lamp on my nightstand blowing over, because I like to sleep with my windows open, but I live in the Midwest, so this time of year we get a lot of blustery gustery breezes in the wee hours. This being April, the upcoming full moon is pretty aptly named — it’s the Wind Moon, and it rolls in on the 19th. Now is a good time to explore the winds that blow from each of the cardinal directions. For instance, the North Wind is associated with cold, destruction, and change–and not always the good kind of change. If…
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Celebrate Beltane with a Maypole Dance!
The maypole dance is a spring ritual long known to Western Europeans. Usually performed on May 1, which is Beltane, or May Day, the folk custom is done around a pole garnished with flowers and ribbon to symbolize a tree. Practiced for generations in countries such as Germany and England, this tradition dates back to the dances ancient people used to do around actual trees in hopes of harvesting a large crop. The pole was erected on the village green or common, or even a handy field—thrust into the ground either permanently or on a temporary…
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Beltane is Coming!
Okay, y’all, I know I’ve been a bit slack on the blogging lately, but I’ve been super swamped with my Real Job plus family stuff and Life Things, but here I am, back and as sassy as ever. First and foremost, I wanted to let everyone know that if you’ve been following my About Paganism page on Facebook, you may have noticed a lack of activity since about March 4. That’s not because I’ve been busy, it’s because those rat bastards at Facebook disconnected my admin privileges, and I’m still trying to get them back. Trying to get in touch with a real live person in Tech Support at FB…
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The Magic of Vesta and Juno
In ancient Rome, Juno was the goddess who watched over women and marriage. Vesta was the protector of the hearth, and of virginity. Together, these two mighty goddesses were sacred to Roman women. Although Juno’s festival, the Matronalia, was actually celebrated in March, the month of June was named for her. It’s a month for weddings and handfasting, so you could easily honor Juno at this time of the year. During the Matronalia, women received gifts from their husbands and daughters, and gave their female slaves the day off work. Like nearly all Roman deities, Vesta had her own holiday as well. The Vestalia was celebrated from June 7 to…
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Getting Handfast? Give Your Guests Magical Favors!
It’s become traditional to give each of your guests a small wedding favor. Typically, these are small trinkets with either the date of the event or the couples’ names on them. However, if you’re having a Pagan handfasting, rather than a traditional wedding ceremony, why not come up with an idea that celebrates your spiritual path, as well as announcing your commitment to the community? In some traditions, it’s become popular to have a besom wedding. Decorate small brooms with ribbons, flowers and a bundle of fresh herbs. You can usually pick up little brooms at the craft store, or you can make your own. Make a magical charm for…
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Coming in August: The Daily Spell Journal
You guys, I’m super excited about this! As many of you know, in 2017, the Daily Spell Book for the Good Witch was released, and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. Now, I’m pleased to announce that in August 2019, a tie-in journal is coming out! This gorgeous 4×6″ hardcover journal features the years’ worth of spells that you loved in Daily Spell Book, but now they’ve got places for you to make notes, keep records, and tweak your spell components. Add your own incantations, adjust the ingredients, and customize things to make them your own!The Daily Spell Journal: A Diary of Enchantments for Every Day of…
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Organize a Magical Swap Meet
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…
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John Dee, Occultist and Alchemist
I’m a history geek, so when I get a chance to write about someone or something that combines my love of history with my love of metaphysics and the occult, it’s like a Writer Bonus Round. This month, I decided to tackle the subject of John Dee. John Dee image from Wellcome [CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons To today’s readers, Dee was perhaps best known for his work as an alchemist and metaphysicist – he was one of the guys, along with Nicolas Flamel and Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, who spent decades trying to discover the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone. He never did – although, in fairness, neither did…
