So this year I already did something I promised myself I would never do again and although it was likely for the best, I am not proud of it and hope to avoid it in the future. I totally checked out. I think the last time I did that was in 1992 and I had…
Author: Katrina Rasbold
Harvest: Bringing In Those Sheaves
For those of us who follow the CUSP (Climbing Up the Spiral Pathway) spiritual tradition, Harvest is a time of reward and celebration when all of our hard work through the year pays off. During this time, the “crops” are tall and strong in the field, heavy with the fruit of the first harvest. Far from…
When Bad Shit Happens
We spend a lot of time talking and thinking about why bad stuff happens, especially to people who we consider “good” and undeserving of strife and particularly when it comes in what feels like a disproportionate avalanche. We become deeply angry and philosophical when we try to understand why bad things happen to innocents like…
The Pagan Agenda
If you are unconvinced that everyone has an agenda, you desperately need a Facebook account. We all have agendas which we kindly refer to as “life goals.” Sure, we can parrot platitudes such as “all we want is to be treated with tolerance” and “if I don’t get a cast iron cauldron at a good price at…
Halfway
First, a musical interlude: Now, a little over halfway through my 2015, it seems like as decent a place as any to evaluate. I was told by several independent sources that this is “my year,” whatever that means, and I invested in the idea. I can honestly say I have never worked as hard in…
The Third Eye: Gateway to the Divine
The “third eye” is a concept embraced by many cultures. This uniquely empowered area of the physical body is associated with the brow chakra and with the color purple. Friar Richard Rohr speculates that “First Eye” is what we perceive with the five physical senses. The “Second Eye” is our reasoning and reflection. The “Third Eye” goes further…
10 Favorite Witchy Movies
Welcome to the list of my own 10 Favorite Witchy Movies. Are they predictable? Absolutely. They are at once predictable and cliche. There glaring omissions that will cause readers to say, “But what about…?” and “YOU LEFT OUT..!” This is not a list of ALL Witchy movies or the BEST Witchy movies, but my own favorite Witchy movies….
Moon Magic: The Ultimate Versatility
Slowly, silently, now the moon Walks the night in her silver shoon; This way, and that, she peers, and sees Silver fruit upon silver trees. – Walter de la Mare From the first moment that humans looked up into the sky, they felt an intense draw to the ever-changing moon. While the sun offers us…
Ceremonial Interruptus: When Rituals Fail
It can happen to all of us, although thankfully, not usually to the degree we see in the graphic above. Rituals fail. It is easy to raise one knowing eyebrow and say that it failed because it was intended to fail and all things are exactly as they should be and blah, blah, blah, but…
Weather Witchery: High Sun Magic
“It’s HOT!” “Um, you live in California!” “BUT IT’S HAWT!” There is little I enjoy less than a day out in the hot sun. My husband puts on his “Aztec Princess oil” and sits in the sun to bake, reading, surfing the internet with wi-fi, or playing his didgeridoo. He will plow around the lake…
Midsummer Ritual: How I Kick It Litha-Style
Author’s Note: My group and my spiritual path are both called CUSP (Climbing Up the Spiral Pathway), detailed in the books CUSP: A New Way to Walk the Old Path, The Real Magic, and Energy Magic Compleat and on the website, www.thecuspway.com. We use the ancient agricultural cycle of planning, planting, nurturing, and harvesting in conjunction with the eight…
Midsummer: Purge, Protect, & Burn Stuff
Of all of the holidays, it can be argued that most cultures at some time or another celebrated Midsummer. The Sun reigns at its full power and dominates the sky for the longest day of the year on Litha. It is commonly believed that the Faeries are most active during this time and that idea was…
Ritual Crafting: Creating Rituals That Work (Part 2)
In certain rites of passage, in high energy, advanced magical work, and in rituals such as sweat lodge ceremonies that demand endurance and stamina to maximize the spiritual benefits gained, we expect to be tested up to or sometimes past our own limits. In most rituals, however, we seek out personal fulfillment that comes at an…
Ritual Crafting: Creating Rituals That Work (Part 1)
A ritual is a specific set of actions, performed for their symbolic value. The words “ritual” and “tradition” are tied tightly together and are often deeply embedded in culture and family life. The usual purpose of ritual is to focus our intent and to connect to our Higher Self and Deity, as well as one another….
10 Spells For Money and Prosperity
photo from https://www.flickr.com/photos/koiquest10/8287469574 Most people find themselves in circumstances from time to time where a little more money is needed. Here are some quick and reliable spells, all personally vetted for effectiveness by the author, for upping the level of financial prosperity in your life and/or generating quick funds from sources expected and unexpected.
Despise the Mothers, Worship the Fathers
Several of my co-bloggers here at Patheos Pagan have stepped in with their rebuttals the post written by another Patheos blogger, Father Longenecker, called “Twelve Reasons Why You Can’t Call God, ‘Mother,‘” and after reading their wonderful write-ups, I felt inclined to include my own. Please also read the other Patheos Pagan opinions on this issue as…
Pagan Poetry
An old favorite of mine that I happily share with you. Some of the best Pagan literature came out of Green Egg and much of it lives on in canon now.
Spring’s Promise
At last in the area of Central California where I live, far up into the mountains of the El Dorado National Forest, we feel the touch of Spring. Although we have had snow in June before, by this time, we usually accept that the threat is gone and the biting chill in the air gives…
The Two Most Powerful Words
One of the primary premises not only of magic but also of spirituality itself is words are power. In Catholicism, for instance, the words of a priest have the power to condemn or to provide absolution for confessed sins. In Craft, we learn that our words, spoken, written, or in thought, create form. Our words can thrust…
Modern Myths and Parables
All religions bring with them a series of stories/parables designed to illustrate lessons that help us grasp essential truths. We often think of these fables as being works of the past and granted, the myths of old all hold wisdom critial to the human condition. Just as science has never stopped and human development has…