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Self-Care Sundays: Cleaning House
I spent yesterday cleaning out my garage—or at least, the building that would be a garage if my driveway wasn’t weird and I could actually get a car up it and through the doors—because in the two years I’ve lived here it’s become a giant storage shed full of stuff I keep thinking I’ll maybe use some day. Who am I kidding? Other than the lawnmower and some camping equipment, I ain’t using anything that’s out there. Since we’re all stuck Quarantinalandia right now, my daughter and I decided the storage building/notgarage should become a weight room—after all, our gym has been closed for weeks and who knows when it…
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Book Review: Modern Wicca
Recently I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at a new book, Modern Wicca: Beliefs and Traditions for Contemporary Life, by Rowan Morgana, and I’m pleased to share my thoughts with you. Here’s a quick bit of full disclosure first—Modern Wicca is published by Rockridge/Callisto, the same publisher that I’m working with for my upcoming Herb Magic book. However, y’all know me well enough to know that I don’t say things I don’t mean, so this review isn’t influenced by my professional relationship with the publishing company. Anyhoo, let’s get started! Modern Wicca is a refreshing guide to today’s Wiccan religion, featuring all the things that someone new…
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Herbal Magic: Bloodroot Flowers
With the world being in a state of social distancing—and me being okay with not peopling for a while—I’ve had a lot of opportunities lately to get into the woods near my home. It’s springtime here in Middle Earth, and with the heavy rains we’ve had, a lot of stuff is beginning to sprout and bloom. I was out foraging the other day near a limestone outcropping, and encountered what I initially thought was mayapple… except mayapple shouldn’t be surfacing for a few more weeks here. A friend pointed out that it was probably bloodroot (thanks, Lisa!), and I realized she was correct. It’s one of those lesser-known flowers that…
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Self-Care Sundays: Deliberate Thankfulness
A little while ago I posted about discovering a sense of gratitude in small things when the world is pretty much turned into a post-apoc hellscape around us. After all, if the outside is a scene from Mad Max Fury Road only the crazy people are retrofitting their Honda Odysseys into tanks so they can descend like a plague of locusts on the local Kroger in their quest for a few rolls of two-ply Cottonelle, sometimes it’s just better to stay indoors. And when we stay inside—or simply choose to be alone, wherever we are—there’s time for reflection and looking inward. After a chat the other day with a friend…
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Yo, Don’t Eat That Plant: Dangerous Herbs
I get messages all the time from people who want to know what kind of herbs they should use to heal various sicknesses and ailments, and I always need to point out that I AM NOT an herbal medicine expert, and therefore am unqualified to offer any kind of recommendations for medical herbal usage. Honest. There are people out there with far more botanical knowledge than me. That said, what I do know a lot about is the magical and folkloric use of herbs. If you have questions about the use of an herb in a spell or ritual, I got your back. I’m more than happy to help out…
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Want to Win a Free Book Bundle?
IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME, Y’ALL! To celebrate the upcoming launch of my new book, Herb Magic, I’m giving away an advance copy before it becomes available to the public on April 21. As if that wasn’t enough, I’m gonna bundle in a copy of my 2017 book, Wicca Practical Magic, as well, so you can win TWO books instead of just one! To enter, follow the instructions on my About Paganism Facebook page, right here: It’s Giveaway Time!
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7 Pagan Podcasts to Listen to While You’re Stuck at Home
I’ve only recently discovered the joy of podcasts—I know, I’m late to the ball game here, but I struggle to listen to “talking voices” without seeing people’s faces, so it’s been hard for me to get into it. However, there are a ton of really great podcasts out there, and I figured since we’re all cooped up right now with zero meatworld social interaction, it’s a good time to share some of my favorites. These are in no particular order, but they’re worth a listen if you’ve got the time… and most of us do right now. The best thing about podcasts? You can listen to them while you do…
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The 9 Herbs Charm
About a thousand years or so ago, some clever soul sat down and wrote, in Old English and Latin, a collection of folk medicine, charms, and prayers. Later named the Lacnunga by a nineteenth-century editor, this text included what has come to be known as the Nine Herbs Charm. In addition to referencing Woden himself, the Nine Herbs Charm lists—wait for it—nine different medicinal herbs, which translate into the modern mugwort, betony (although some scholars say it’s cockspur), nettle, plantain, thyme, fennel, crabapple, lamb’s cress (or watercress), and chamomile (mayweed). Ben Slade over at Heorot has a great translation of the text, so I won’t rehash it here, but suffice…
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Self-Care Sundays: Magical Goal Setting
I’m one of those weird people who thrives on spontaneity but also likes to have some clear planning in place; like, I have to know what the end game is, but the journey there is a bit flexible. Because of that, I learned a long time ago that I thrive better if I set goals. How I arrive at them isn’t nearly as critical for me as knowing they’re out there. From a magical perspective, goal-setting is vital. You have to set your intent, and figure out where you want to go… because otherwise, you’re going to just half-ass it, and we all know that sometimes we do indeed get…
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Selling Your House When It’s Full of Pagan Stuff
A reader writes, “I’ve been trying to sell my house but I’m having some trouble. My realtor is trying to get me to “hide all that witch stuff,” but I don’t think I should have to, because I’m proud to be Wiccan and I don’t hide it. I feel like my realtor is being disrespectful of my beliefs.” No, your realtor is being a professional who is trying to sell your home for you. If that house sits on the market, unsold, your realtor isn’t making any money. Your realtor’s job is to market and sell your home, not coddle you. This is not about Pagan pride, your beliefs, or…
