O Mother blessings manifold On this day given birth Protector kept the harvest safe As it grew up from the Earth
A Mabon Ritual
The Mabon ritual welcomes the coming second harvest and gives thanks for the first harvest. A designated leader may say the words that guide the group through the ritual or the speaking portions may be divided among group members. If you enjoy this ritual, you can learn more about the CUSP (Climbing Up the Spiral…
Kim Davis: Everybody Must Get Stoned
With offerings such as Kim Davis and Mitch McConnell, I am courting the idea of inventing a new life story where instead of hailing from my beloved home state of Kentucky, I was instead born to gypsies who raised me in an RV, moving all over the United States and stocking my mental larders with exciting adventures.
Josh Duggar: Why He Is Relevant to Pagans
This week, several articles on Josh Duggar popped up on my Patheos feed as news of his marital unfaithfulness spread across the interwebs. Not on Patheos Pagan, mind you, but throughout the other religious channels. Pagans are not much talking about him since he is not one of us and it is hard to see any…
5 Common Energy Killing Beliefs
Essential disclaimer: Some Pagans do not actively work magic, so this particular blog references those who do. My assessment of common mistakes energy-wielding Pagans make is not an attack on people who practice magic differently than I do. Goddess bless ya if it works for you. I openly and immediately concede that some of you may…
Dealing With Pagan Assholes
Within the past two weeks, I have seen several articles by Pagan columnists whose work I enjoy expressing surprise and dismay at how other Pagans speak to one another in online message boards. Honestly, I can only look stunned whenever I hear this. Like this: O_O
Defending the Realm
Jupiter is such a delight. On August 12, it began a year long trip through Virgo and the aspecting of Jupiter in one’s sun sign is always a blessing. It empowers. It brings luck and miracles. It brings money and stability. Love me some Jupiter. It is no accident that I came out of one…
8 Vital Considerations When Forming A Magical Group
Creating a new magical group is exciting, rewarding, and a ton of work. Often, particularly in eclectic work, the group forms spontaneously around a common desire to learn and practice more. Even in the most desirable circumstances, certain decisions must be made. This post takes you through some of the most vital points of forming…
Falling With Style
I learned when I turned ten that my purpose on this earth was as a utility…a tool for the benefit of others. My mother was often ill and as the oldest and the only daughter in the family, it fell to me to care for my brothers and my father. What I wanted, what dreams…
High Emotion Magic: Bonus or Bad News?
Emotion is what fuels magical practice because spell work begins with what you want to have happen. If you cannot feel, then you cannot want and feeling is emotion. All intense emotion is high energy and you can, with rational thought and careful planning, direct all the intensity of that energy toward your goal. Passion will…
Harm None: Paralysis & Hypocrisy
“An it harm none do what ye will.” We cling to these words, among other reasons, because they are our battle cry to legitimize us to other faiths. “Oh, no… We aren’t bad people. We even have a law that says ‘harm none.’” I saw this again with recent comments an ill-informed Florida sheriff made attributing ritualistic murders to…
Time Needs Its Wings Clipped
It is hard for me to believe that just a couple of short years ago, I had the house to myself all day long and wrote books. That was my job. It was a glorious moment as I turn 54 in September, I am trying not to imagine that it was the pinnacle best time…
Weaving the Harvest: A Lammas Poem
<p style=”text-align: center;”>We know that every grain and seed</p> <p style=”text-align: center;”>Is a record of ancient time,</p> <p style=”text-align: center;”>A promise of all that’s yet to be</p> <p style=”text-align: center;”>And what I claim as mine.<!–more–></p> <p style=”text-align: center;”>As the grape shall change to become the wine,</p> <p style=”text-align: center;”>I change in the cauldron of life.</p>…
A Lammas Ritual
Set Up: The ritual area is decorated with sheaves of wheat, corn on the husks, fresh vegetables, and brooms. The participants make corn dollies ahead of time. Corn dollies are actually, in our limited artistic ability, more often “corn joints” than “corn dollies,” so the aesthetics are not vital to the magic. We use corn husks,…
10 Favorite Witchy TV Shows & Mini Series
A while back, I did a post on my own favorite Witchy movies and in doing so, I found myself craving the inclusion of several TV shows and mini-series, so now I offer a list of my own favorite submissions in that category. As before, these are my favorites and I do not expect them…
Check, Please!
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…
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…
