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NeoWiccan Texts and Reading Material
Are you interested in some of the popular NeoWiccan texts? There are a variety of documents available to explore if you’re interested in following a NeoWiccan path, and you can read nearly all of them online via these links. The Gardnerian Book of Shadows This is the text of the Book of Shadows composed and handed down by Gerald Gardner. In one sense, this is the central sacred text of the Wiccan religion. However, there is no ‘official’ Book of Shadows, and each coven usually has a hand-written copy of a Book of Shadows, sometimes in cypher or code, which reflects its own practices and knowledge. The Golden Bough The…
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Saturday Spellwork: Stop Casting These Spells Because They’re Crap
I know, I know, at least ten of y’all are going to see that headline up above and comment with DON’T U TELL ME HOW 2 MAGICK, but I really need you to hear me out on this. If you Google “Wiccan spells,” you’re going to get a metric fuckton of garbage from a lot of different websites, and nearly all of them are literal and total crap. They’re crap because they don’t work, and they’re crap because they encourage people to do spellwork for stuff that spellwork can’t do, and thus set you up for automatic failure. And then you’re going to email me or one of the other…
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Religion in Public and Private Schools
Every so often I get messages from students who have questions about what sort of religious expression is permitted in school. For instance, who can speak about religion, and in what context? Can your school prohibit you from wearing a shirt with a pentacle on it, or a piece of Pagan jewelry? The answer is going to depend on two things – first, which country you live in, and secondly, whether you attend a private or public school. For the purposes of this post, we’re going to focus on schools in the United States, simply because I don’t have the knowledge needed to speak with any semblance of authority on…
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Are You Really Cut Out for Spellwork?
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…
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Saturday Spellwork: Blessing Moon Hyssop Spell
July is the season of the Blessing Moon – this year, 2017, it appears on July 9 – and it’s a time in which our gardens are abundant and fertile. We’re watching the orchards and fruits trees ripen, the vegetables and herbs blossom and bloom, and our fall crops are rapidly growing towards the sunny sky. It’s a good time to do magic that focuses on counting our own good fortune – this simple spell uses hyssop, which is associated with not only purification, but with abundance and blessings. You’ll need some fresh hyssop leaves, and a cup of consecrated water. Go outside after the full moon has appeared in…
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Self Care During Tower Time
The past year has been pretty rough for a lot of us, as we see our country rapidly spiraling into the Republic of Gilead, thanks to the absolute shitshow that was the 2016 election cycle. We’ve watched as women’s rights and privileges are chopped away, and we have a giant toddler in the Oval Office who openly brags about grabbing us by the pussy. For many women in America, this has been extremely triggering, and we’re teetering on the raggedy edge of our own sanity. This is why now, more than ever before, self care is so damn important. What is self care? Well, it’s not just physical actions –…
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Maybe the Gods Don’t, But You Do
Even though it’s about a year old, recently a post over at The Shadows of Arden started appearing in my Facebook feed, so I thought I’d take a peek and see what was up. The post’s title, Tools of the Craft: The Gods don’t shop at Hobby Lobby, certainly got my attention, because coincidentally, I don’t shop there either. At any rate, most of the discussions I saw about this post were of the “Neither do I!” variety, which is perfectly okay, because like I said, I don’t patronize Hobby Lobby for a couple of reasons myself. First of all, they’re closed on Sundays, which is the only time I…
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Book Review: Embracing Willendorf
If you’re not familiar with Byron Ballard’s writing, you really should check out her blog over at My Village Witch. As the official village witch of Asheville, NC, Byron has spent many years studying and teaching the traditional mountain magic of her ancestors. She’s also an absolutely amazing person who always seems able to conjure up early morning coffee, even if you’re watching the sun rise in front of a tent in the woods with her. Her newest book, Embracing Willendorf: A Witch’s Way of Loving Your Body to Health & Fitness, is one that I can’t even begin to say enough good things about. It chronicles her journey to…
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Ritual Fire Safety
It’s summertime, which means plenty of us are celebrating ritual outdoors. Inevitably, each year a few cautionary tales trickle out about people who had a gigantic OOPSIE involving a ritual fire, so I wanted to take a few moments to talk about something that should be basic common sense. Ritual fire safety is super important, because few things can bring a ceremony screeching to a halt faster than someone sustaining a burn injury. In no particular order, here are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re cavorting around the ritual fire. Indoor Fires If you’re doing some sort of fire indoors, such as a candle or a tabletop…
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Satuday Spellwork: Break A Curse
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…
