Book Review: Pagan Portals-Fairy Witchcraft

Book Review: Pagan Portals: Fairy Witchcraft by Morgan Daimler ISBN 978-1782793434

Published by Moon Books ©2014 www.moon-books.net; book $9.95; ebook $3.99

This is a very short book- 83 pages from the introduction to the conclusion. The book is written from the author’s perspective on the subject and her personal experiences within this tradition. It offers information on the lore, traditions and magic of fairy witchcraft. This would be a good book for a new practioner, but not necessarily for an adept.

 

Ms. Daimler covers the basics including beliefs, tools used, basic practices: how to get started, prayers invocations, holidays, correspondences, etc. There are also a few things not really relative to only fairy witchcraft such as Four Thieves Vinegar and Witch Balls.

 

The author clearly believes in her path and seems to “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk”. She offers many of her own personal experiences with the fey. She also has a very decent bibliography for further reference and research.

 

I think this would be a good basic introduction for someone brand new to this path as a Fairy 101 book. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Gray Witches Grimoire

 

Book Review: Gray Witches Grimoire by Amythyst Raine ISBN 1780992734

Published by Moon Books ©2014 www.moon-books.net; book $19.95; ebook $11.99

Overall, I was a little let down by this book. There is very little on the actual path of the Gray Witch in it, only a few pages. I would have liked to have read more. Although the pages are few, I was very engaged in what the author had to say on this subject.

 

The preface of the book explains what the author’s concept of a gray witch is- not light, not dark, but in between (as you might have guessedJ). She also covers what she thinks is the most important of the witches ladder- to keep silent and the power this rung carries in doing so. Ms. Raine also goes into her views of what the principles, beliefs and code of ethics are for a gray witch. The book also covers many basic tenets such as the triangle of manifestation, the witches pyramid and the use of the heptagram.

 

A lot of the book covers different correspondences she uses (which are the same most pagans/witch may use, including myself). She does offer many spells, which certainly would fall under the category of “gray”.This book may not be for those who only profess love and light. Whether or not the author’s spells cross any lines is up to each practioner and what they believe to be as truth.

 

Ms. Raine does not offer a bibliography. She does state at the very beginning of the book that all the information is from her own grimoire and what has learned on her path as a gray witch. The books is written in a very easy to read format. If want an good book for correspondences and spells, this may be a good book for you, but as stated before, the actual information on the path of the gray witch is very limited. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Deep Heart of Witchcraft

 

 

Book Review: Deep Heart of Witchcraft-The Core of Magical Practice by David Salisbury

Moon Books Publishing ©2013 www.moon-books.net ISBN R00F1YZ0ZG book $22.95; ebook $13.99

 

LOVE this book! A must have for any practioner’s library: novice or adept. This book is about transforming how you practice your spirituality in today’s world. It pushes the reader to learn (and keep learning) but also to practice your craft, EVERY SINGLE Day, not just on holidays! I was very excited when I started with this book.

 

 Mr. Salisbury starts off by explaining how to read and use his book. He has written exercises for you to do, journaling prompts, meditations and rituals. The first four chapters cover the elements in great detail! He explains each element and also gives exercises on how to work with and connect with each element. He goes beyond a basic correspondence listing. The next few chapters cover spirit, the gods, ritual and the wheel of the year. Again, the author goes beyond just the basic information. The last chapter shows you how to put all this knowledge together to successfully practice your personal craft.

 

There is also a very nice bibliography for further reading/research.

 

Overall, this book offers a better understanding of the basics of witchcraft and takes the reader to next level. Although I might not consider this a 101 book, it is written in a way that anyone, novice or adept, can understand and absorb the information given. It certainly does go “deep”within the heart of witchcraft. J

 

Go out and buy this book today!! Five out of five stars. It will certainly find a home in my library!

Book Review: Pagan Portals-Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

Book Review- Pagan Portals-Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille, Moon Books Publishing, ©2012

ISBN 9781780993485; Book form $9.95; ebook form $3.99        www.moon-books.net

Overall, I found this book informative and easy to understand. Harmonia Saille writes in a way that anyone can understand the concepts she presents, including newbie witches and pagans.  She starts off stating this is a starter guide and has basic information. She goes on to state that further reading, research and practice are needed to become adept at hedge riding.

 

Hedge riding is a practice that is basically about altered states of consciousness and how to use this state for traveling within realms. She writes “When we hedge ride, we cross the hedge, which is the veil between the worlds and we become the bridge or link between the two.”  

 

Within this book, the author explains the different components on how to hedge ride and ends the book with how to bring it all together on how the process would actually work. The author also offers different methods on how to achieve altered states in preparation for any journey.  The book also stressed the importance of having experience in meditation, visualization or other path-working methods. If you are not adept at the time you read the book, make sure to learn these techniques before attempting to hedge ride! Some exercises are included to help gain experience in this area.

 

The author also writes about different tools that can be used for protection, guidance and preparing for your ride. She also tells the reader how to work through different realms, animal guides and spirit guides and how each of these might offer help or insight into your ride. Personal experiences of the author are also included to help illustrate this process.

 

This book was rather short, but it is packed with information that can be used by a novice or adept practioner. It offers do’s and don’ts and is easy to understand on any level of experience or knowledge.

 

I would highly recommend this book for any practioner looking to experience hedge riding and other states of altered consciousness. Four out of five stars!

 

Celebrating Imbolc and Welcoming Spring,

In early February my group, KOTH, celebrated the sabbat of Imbolc. In a lot of areas, this time of year is celebrated as the Return of Spring (and the decline of winter- at least in the Southern US).

This past winter has been very active, not only up North, but here in the South as well. I can't remember the last time we had a "real" winter.Normally here in Louisiana, we have a couple of weeks at most of temps 32 degrees or lower. The temps usually range from 40-60 degrees. So imagine our surprise when we have had "wintry" conditions here for a few weeks now. We even got snow, sleet and lots of ice on the roads. We Southerners are not used to these conditions to say the least. So of course if the temp goes below 32 degrees, the state pretty much shuts down.

On February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and "predicted" 6 more weeks of winter (at least for that part of the country). In Louisiana we have our own version of Phil, called Pierre Shadeaux, pronounced "Shadow".



(taken from: http://weirdsouth.blogspot.com/2014/01/will-pierre-see-his-shadeaux.html)

Pierre is not a groundhog, but actually a nutria rat, which are plentiful in this area. The weather here on February 2nd was cloudy and downcast with rain for most of the day. So Pierre did not see his shadow. I guess only time will tell which rodent is correct :) The past couple of weeks (late February) have been warmer temps in my local area, with temps reaching highs of 70 (nighttime lows in 40;s). So maybe Pierre is on to something. I am normally a winter person, but this year I am ready for spring.

At this time of year we celebrate Imbolc, a time of regeneration, purification and dedication. KOTH celebrated with a ritual and feasting afterwards. This year we honored Brigid in her many aspects as a triple goddess and asked for her blessings of healing, knowledge, transformation and creativity just to name a few.  We also rededicated ourselves to our gods and to following the ways of the ancient ones. Seeds were blessed and consecrated for future magical workings. And of course we ending with feasting. I don't ever remember having a celebration with out good food as a major part of the event. We Cajuns believe that we must live life to fullest, Laissez les bon temps roulet. (Let the good times roll).

I hope this season of Imbolc brings you health, prosperity and happiness. Be happy and make magic :)

May Brigid bless you always.

Autumn

Merry Yule and Happy New Year!!!

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it has been since I wrote on this blog. This past year has certainly kept me busy. It seems like all I had time to do was work, go home, eat, sleep and start the cycle again :( One of my goals for 2014 is to really delve into my creativity and find ways of expressing myself. This blog is certainly on my list of priorities for the new year.

Merry Yule!
Keepers of the Hearth spent this sabbat on a weekend retreat to Poverty Point, LA which is in Northern Louisiana not far from Monroe. This was a 3-4 hour drive for us, but definitely worth the drive. This state park is beautiful, has great hiking trails and an awesome man made lake on which some of the smaller lodges sit. As you can see in the pic, the weather was not exactly an inducement for merry making :)
It actually rained all day Saturday, but we managed to find things to do to keep in the holiday spirit.



We arrived Friday evening, unpacked and set up the cabin. That evening we visited with other local pagans who were also at Poverty Point for the weekend. After a brief visit, we returned to the cabin, fixed supper and enjoyed the tv show It's A Wonderful Life. It had been years since many of us had seem this show, and we were very happy to have shared it together as a coven and family.

Saturday started with a big family breakfast followed by a session of making Yule Ornaments.

                            

Everyone took turns making their own set of ornaments, adults and children alike.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching holiday shows, reading, meditating and walking the trails.

That evening we had our Yule Ritual in which we welcomed back the returning light. We honored the triple goddess by lighting candles in her honor as well as honoring the return of the light and the sun lord.



After ritual we indulged in feasting and adult beverages for those who were old enough :). We ended the night with a gift exchange. It was a long day, but a wonderful one. I am hoping this will be a KOTH tradition.

I hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Yule. May the love and light of the Lord and Lady bless you always.

BB,
Autumn

Happy Lupercalia and/or Valentine's Day!!

Happy Lupercalia! and Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Lupercalia is the Roman festival celebrated around the 15th of February, some say the 13-15th. This was considered a fertility ritual and also a purification ritual. We do not know for sure which god(s) were celebrated, how it was celebrated or its true origins. Historians have made educated guesses as to what may have happened during this time.

Priests called the Luperci would participate in a ritual that included the sacrifice of goats and perhaps dogs. The priests would have the blood of the sacrifices smeared upon them and would then soak pieces of pelt in the blood. These pelts would then be used to "strike" people, especially women to keep them from being sterile and to promote fertility. 

The Romans started their new year around March or springtime, so the time before (in February) was a time to get rid of anything old and make way for the new. So this was also a time for purification and cleansing. 

The festival of Lupercalia is said to honor the she-wolf, Lupa, who found the abandoned twins, Remus and Romulus. She became their mother for the most part and suckled them to maturity. She took care of them like a mother would. 

This festival may have started around 753 BC and was thought to end around 1200 years later at the end of the 5th century AD. 

Lupercalia does have some associations to Valentine’s Day. This was a time of match making of couples. Alliances were made between families to strengthen bonds (whether romantic or political). Its association with fertility rites also gives this festival a tie to Valentine’s Day as today Valentine’s Day is mainly a festival or time for romance which may lead to personal fertility rites :). 

So whether you celebrate Lupercalia or Valentine’s Day, I hope you have a wonderfully magical day. May love always be in your heart.

Autumn

Mardi Gras Magic

Laissez les bon temp roulet!! It is Mardi Gras Season or Carnival Time here in Louisiana. I live in South Louisiana, about 3 hours from New Orleans. And yes, other places in Louisiana have Mardi Gras celebrations as well :). I have to admit that it has been a long time since I have celebrated this occasion actually on the date of Mardi Gras. My family usually prefer to do a small town Mardi Gras, they can be just as fun and much more personal as most people know each other anyway. 

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French. This is the time that precedes the Lenten season for Catholics. I was raised Catholic but of course found the goddess later in life and now she is my reason for being :). For most people this is a time of partying and having a good time: great food and music and bringing community together.  Our ancestors used this time as a way to go through all meat, dairy and other food items that were "outlawed" during lent. I am a Cajun, and my Acadian ancestors did not believe in wasting anything. Once lent began (with Ash Wednesday) there was no more partying. People were expected to sacrifice and spend the next 40 days (until Easter Sunday) in repentance and reflection. 

Mardi Gras season here starts on Epiphany or 12th Night (January 6th). The season is celebrated by many balls and parades. In Lafayette there approximately 36-40 Mardi Gras Krewes. A krewe is a group of people who get together for the purpose of celebrating the season. Some krewes consist of members of both men and women while others are restricted to either just men, just women or children only. 

This is a list of some of the krewes here:

Krewe of Phoenix

Krewe of Titon

Mystick Krewe of Apollo

Royal Order of the Unicorns

Krewe of Atlantis

Krewe of Xanadu

Krewe of Celts

Krewe of Olympus

Krewe of Wideload

Krewe of Camelot

Krewe of Oberon

Krewe des Chiens-yes we even have a krewe that celebrates our canine brother and sisters!

See anything familiar in these names? LOL. Maybe a little pagan oriented. Not all the krewes have names like this, but I thought it was interesting that a lot of the krewes are named after pagan themes (or names).

Just a few facts about Mardi Gras in my area:

The most popular food is the King Cake.  It is said this cake origins began in 12th Century France  where the cake would be baked on the eve of Epiphany. A small token of a baby is hidden in the cake. Whoever gets the baby is said to have good luck. Later it meant that you had to buy the next king cake to share :)

1869-1st formal Mardi Gras ball and parade

1897-King Attakapas (1st Mardi Gras King) was crowned

1934- Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association was formed. King Gabriel and Queen Evangeline were "born".

The traditional colors for Mardi Gras are purple symbolizing justice, gold symbolizing power and green symbolizing faith. 

Even though Mardi Gras is a prelude to a Catholic rite (the season of lent), we as pagans can still enjoy this season and celebrate it. Below is a list of correspondences I use to help me celebrate my pagan roots in Mardi Gras.

Symbols- beads, crowns, parades, masks, doubloons (coins thrown at parades)

Colors- (the colors can be given new meanings) purple for divinity, gold for happiness and success and green for fertility and prosperity

Food- King Cake or anything Cajun such as gumbo or jambalaya (anything that can feed a crowd as this is a time of community building as well)

Magical workings- simply honoring the ancient ones, fertility magic, purification rites (Mardi Gras leads into lent, which is a time of repentance and sacrifice), time to build on community relations, and just having a good old party-enjoying life.

Some deities that may work for this season are: Bacchus/Dionysus- gods of the vine; Bast- party goddess herself; Hathor- godess of music and dance; Asar/Osiris-god of agriculture (wine-beer); Renenutet- goddess of the harvest, especially grapes.

This year I unfortunately have to work on the actual day of Mardi Gras. I was able to celebrate earlier in the season by attending the Krewe of Apollo Ball and the Carencro Mardi Gras parade. Tonight when I get off of work I plan to honor the ancient ones with a toast to a great new year.

Happy Mardi Gras!!

Autumn

Imbolc in Louisiana

This weekend is the sabbat of Imbolc/Oimelc. In the northern US, this is a time of winter and snow. Imbolc marks the beginning of Spring or the eventual return of Spring, depending on how you look at it. But here in Louisiana, we really haven't had a winter. At most, we had a week of winter with temps in the 30-40's. The rest of the time the temps have ranged from 40-70. Not exactly winter weather :). So sometimes it is a little harder for us to envision the coming of Spring, when it actually is here already. But we still find ways to celebrate the holiday.

Many people differ on what this word actually means. Some say "in the belly" or "ewe's milk". I think either can be used since this is a time that animals such as sheep and cows are pregnant and almost ready to give birth. The animals will of course begin lactating so they can feed their new broods. The Ancient Celts or at least a good portion of them were farmers and herders. Imbolc was one of their holidays celebrated. Probably the most celebrated deity at this time was Bridgit, goddess of "fire". Fire however is not necessarily referring to the heat of the fire or sun, but more along the lines of "light" or "enlightenment".  She is also linked to water as well due to the many sacred wells blessed in her honor. 

Many pictures of Bridgit show her with fire coming out of her head. This can be interpreted as the fires of inspiration and creativity. She is considered a triple goddess as she is the Goddess of Healing, Goddess of Inspiration (Poetry) and the Goddess of the Forge. 

There are many ways we can connect with Bridgit today. For example:

Healing: making your own tinctures or salves; learning about and growing your own herbs; energy healing, spiritual healing, midwifery (I actually have a coven sister who is in school for this now) :)

Inspiration/Creativity: of course writing or reading poetry, enjoying music and/or dance, learning something new, divination, etc.

Forge- includes smith-crafting, gold-crafting: which would include things like making your own jewelry, and any crafts you make for your home or practice.

Fire or water magic would also be appropriate at this time or any time when working with this goddess. 

Imbolc is also a time of new beginnings. This year my coven has decided to study the Celtic Pantheon. So of course for this sabbat we will be honoring Bridgit. We are also cleansing our sacred circle (which is located at my home) as well as ourselves, opening up to new beginnings. Dedication to the ancient gods is also on the agenda for this ritual.

I hope this new year brings you many new beginnings filled with happiness and beauty. May Bridgit always shine her love upon you. 

Blessed Imbolc to all.

Autumn

Happy New Year

As I write this entry I am listening to the boom boom boom of fireworks gone wild! My men are having a blast :). New Years is almost here. At this time of year, I see a lot of people writing about whether or not to make a resolution list this year. I can understand both points of view. Some say it is a definite to make goals for the year to come. Others say why bother, if you don't stick to it and complete your goals it can affect you in a negative way. So I compromise. I make a "to do" list for the next year. The goal of this list are to put things I would like to do, but they are not set in stone. I usually have way too much on my list, but if I can even accomplish just one or two, I feel like I have achieved something. Those who know me well, know that I am a "list" woman. I have a list for everything. Groceries, daily chores, daily to-do's-both at home and work, monthly goals for my coven, etcetera. I like being able to scratch off things on those lists. Maybe it is silly, but I like the feeling of accomplishment that I feel when I do. It also gives me validation that I didn't waste my day or time.

Past and more recent events have made me feel that I need to get on with living my life and not just watching it pass by. Many years ago, my sister in law and neice were killed in an auto accident, they were 31 and 13 respectively. I had certainly experienced death before-grandparents and great grandparents. But this was the first time to experience death of souls so young. In the next few years we lost one of our best friends to cancer, I think he was forty or close to it. Again, someone taken before their time. More recently I have received news of different friends who are struggling with the issues of illness and possibly death. This makes me think of my life and what have I done with it. How have I lived it? I can say that I am certainly happy with my life now, sure things might be much better if had more money, but I can honestly say I have a happy life. But I do want to do more with it, live more of it, live life every day.

So I do still have my list for 2013 of what I would like to do. But I think the most important one on the list is to live and love. To find joy in every moment you can, because unfortunately we never know when our time will be up. We always think it won't happen to us. Well I know first hand that good young people are taken before their time.

So for this year, I wish you all the normal: health, weath and happiness. But most of all I wish you love and and a good life. Make sure you tell those you love how much they mean to you. Make memories as often as you can. And be happy :)

Blessed be,
Autumn

Merry Yule

Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Warm Winter Blessings....... Whatever you celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful, magical day :).  Sorry I haven't blogged more. I have been dealing mostly with my medical issues, mainly my lupus and diabetes. They have been kicking my butt, but of course I haven't exactly been taking good care of myself either.

Our holiday celebrations started a week early as I officiated for the wedding of good friends. It was a lovely ceremony that was attended by both pagans and non pagans. I was a bit nervous for the ceremony as it was very pagan, but I received very nice reviews of the ceremony afterwards.

On the 22nd, my coven celebrated Yule at my home with ritual, feasting and gift giving. The weather was wonderful, sunny and the high was around 55 degrees. Of course as the sun went down, it got a little cooler, but we lit the bonfire and we stayed warm :) Every year we try to focus on one element of the sabbat and work with that symbol during our ritual. This year we made ornaments to use as talismans. I think everyone had a wonderful time. That evening we attended a "We Survived the Mayan Calendar" party at a friends house. Great food, great company :)

Being that our families are Catholic we also celebrate Christmas with them. Christmas has never been a particularly religious occasion, but more of a family oriented one. We have a large family, so spending time together is usually a great time. And again, being Cajun, we had plenty of good food!!

I am looking forward to this new year, we have new plans for our coven's study group. I think it will be both a challenge and a fun way to spend our time together. I wish you all good health, wealth and happiness this coming new year.

Blessed be,
Autumn

Pagan Blog Project- S is for Salt

I am a witch, but I am also a poor witch :). As such I have to make use of things I use on a regular basis or which can be obtained very cheaply.

So I usually go through my cabinets and see what I have on hand and I always have some salt :). Salt is cheap, easy to use and can be used in a variety of ways.

Protection Magic- salt can be used in spells and rituals as a protection item. Add a few grains to a gris gris or mojo bag and you have a portable device for protection. You can also sprinkle salt around the area you are working in to protect from negative energies. For example to form a protective circle or a circle of salt around a mirror for scrying.

Kitchen Magic- when cooking meals, you can add herbs to infuse magic into your meals. Salt can be added for protection or purification/cleansing.

Ritual bathing- when I do rituals I always like to prepare by taking a ritual bath. The salt not only softens the skin but helps cleanse away physical dirt as well as negativity. The Egyptians used natron in all of their cleansing needs. You can even color bath salts for use in sympathetic magic as well. For example, using blue food coloring with salt and then adding to the bath can help facilitate healing magic.

Earth magic- salt is considered related to the element of earth (at least in my way of doing things). You can use salt as a consecration tool for cleansing altars and altar tools. Just be careful of what you use salt on, it can be abrasive to certain objects. 

In most wiccan covens a ritual circle is usually cast prior to performing ritual. In some traditions, salt is mixed with water to help cast the circle. 

I had a friend who used to live in an old plantation home. She complained of being able to feel this negative energy throughout the home, so we put together a cleansing party. Once we were able to complete the cleansing we also added salt around windows to keep out negative energies. 

Do you use salt in your practice?

BB,

Autumn

Pagan Blog Project- R is for Repetition

The online free dictionary defines repetition as

rep·e·ti·tion   (rp-tshn) n. 1. The act or process or an instance of repeating or being repeated. 2. A recitation or recital, especially of prepared or memorized material. [Middle English repeticioun, from Old French repeticion, from Latin repetti, repettin-, from repettus, past participle of repetere, to repeat; see repeat.] repe·tition·al adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

---

repetition [ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃən]

n

1. the act or an instance of repeating; reiteration

2. a thing, word, action, etc., that is repeated

3. a replica or copy

4. (Law) Civil and Scots law the recovery or repayment of money paid or received by mistake, as when the same bill has been paid twice

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

I was raised Catholic and was active in the church until my early 30's. Anyone who has ever  been Catholic or just attended a service there knows that repetition is a big part of their rituals.  As children we are taught our prayers and had to recite them every night to make sure we learned them properly and retained the knowledge. Mass is always done on the exact same format, with maybe the exception of Easter Sunday or Christmas. Otherwise, regular masses are always done the same. One could walk into a church in another country, but still know what was going on at any time of the ceremony. This is one concept from my christian upbringing that I do firmly still believe in. 

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

I am not sure about anyone else, but for me, I learn faster by doing. So repetition is a staple in my life, including my pagan faith. Rituals and spells work so much better when you know what you are doing and learning things by heart or at least knowing them well enough for a good flow makes a world of difference. I do believe that words are power and if you are speaking from the heart and remember the words instead of just reading them off a paper makes the words so much more powerful. At least in my opinion. Now I do on occasion not remember everything and I do use note cards to guide my way, but I am at least familiar enough to still say the words with meaning. I am working on memorizing my invocations and such and I have seen a difference on how my rituals and spells work when I do it this way. Practice makes perfect. So practice, practice, practice and learn repetition, repetition, repetition.

Do you use repetition in your faith?

Blessings,

Autumn

Pagan Blog Project- R is for Rites of Passage

My definition of Rites of Passage are ceremonies that mark important/significant events that happen in a person's life. Wiccan's have many celebrations that can be performed and celebrated.


Belly Blessings- performed on mothers-to-be as a blessing for both mom and child. Mom can also be pampered during these ceremonies.

Wiccaning/Naming Ceremonies- done once a child is born. The child is blessed and introduced to the gods and elements. Different traditions will have different ways of doing this.

Becoming a Woman- done for girls who have started menstruating.

Becoming a Man- done for boys who are entering teen years.

Handfasting/Marriage- this can be a spiritual or legal ceremony, joining a couple together as husband and wife, or partners. In older times a Handfasting was for a year a day, but now people tend to go longer :)

Divorce/Handparting- done when a marriage or partnership ends.

Croning or Saging- done for elders who are ready to enter the next stage of their life.

Death- service to honor the dearly departed.

Other rites of passage can also include initiation into a coven or even your own dedication to your gods can be viewed as a rite of passage.

What rites do you celebrate in your faith?


Blessings,

Autumn

Q is for Q & A- Pagan Blog Project

I have seen others do a Q&A section as part of the PBP before, so I thought I would join on the band wagon :). I do think that if people get to know someone just a little better, the more they are likely to visit again. So here are a few questions I came up with. If there are any other questions you would like answered, just ask!


How long have you been on your current path? I found the goddess in 2001, so 11 years now.

How did you find your path? I was actually raised Roman Catholic. On a trip to Salem, MA in October of 2001, my sister came out of the broom closet to me and introduced me to the goddess. After that I started doing my own research and haven't looked back.

What is your path? I do consider myself Wiccan, but I am not a fanatic nor do I believe the rede is a law or commandment. I view it more as an ideal to strive for. I do not weigh every single decision I make against it, but I do think about the rede for important decisions. I am also very eclectic. I do not come from a specific tradition and take bits and pieces from here and there. My sister and I are very interested in bringing back hereditary witchcraft. Of course our children won't qualify as hereditary, but it is our hope that they will teach their kids, and their kids teach their kids, etc.

Do you practice solitary or with a coven? My sister, husband and I do have a coven, KOTH, Keepers of the Hearth which started as an Internet coven so my sister and I had a way to celebrate our faith together. Today KOTH is a physical coven here in SW Louisiana.

Are you in or out of the broom closet? Actually, a little of both :). I don't hide who I am. If you are on my facebook page then you have seen the pagan items plastered on it :). But at work or in public I don't scream "Hey look at me, I am pagan". But if asked, I certainly won't lie about it. Some of my immediate family knows, the others don't want to know :) We have told them, if you really want to know, just ask. To date no one has asked, I guess they are afraid of what the answer might be.


Are you active in the pagan community? Yes I try to be. Here locally, we have a few outings that are regularly scheduled. For example, we have coffee cackle which is the first Sunday of every month unless it falls on a holiday. This is just a networking idea for people of like minds to get together and get to know each other. We also have tarot study groups and sharing circles once a month. Our community is small, but we do have a dedicated few who try to make a difference. We do have a community yahoo group for new people to find us as well. On the not so local front, I am also involved in the planning for the NOLA PPD which will be held next year in New Orleans. We have a great line up happening, more details to follow later on.

What are your hobbies or interests? I love to read and have way too many books :) And my kindle is getting fuller each day as well. I also love movies, especially sci-fi. I am a Star Wars fanatic :) My family and I also enjoy being outdoors, taking nature walks and camping whenever we can. We also love to travel and attend as many pagan festivals as possible.

This is just a basic overview of me. If you have any specific question, just let me know.

BB,

Autumn

Pagan Blog Project- P is for Pampering

Pampering? Yes, Pampering. Everyday life can be extremely stressful. Trying to balance home, work and play can be very difficult at times. In my own life I am a wife, mother, high priestess, teacher, nurse, cook, maid, taxi driver, secretary, etcetera. And to top if off, I now have gained a mundane job as an administrative assistant which I start on Monday. Things were hard enough to handle as a SAHM (stay at home mom), but now things will really get interesting in the days to come :0. As a witch and high priestess, one of my main goals is to take care of myself. How can I possibly take care of my family and coven members if I can't do so for myself? The answer is you just can't. We need to live a balanced life to live a healthy and happy life. And of course life will always get in the way and throw you some interesting curves to make life difficult. We need to learn to take care of ourselves, relax, unwind, reduce stress and recharge. One of my favorite ways to combat these problems is to pamper myself.

Below are some suggestions and ideas that I use to accomplish the task of pampering:

Bubble bath- with the use of oils, candles, incense or bath salts, this can be a wonderful relaxing activity

Music- play music that moves your soul or simply makes you want to dance for joy

Aromatherapy- the use of incense and oils to enhance our senses

Meditation for quieting the mind and finding peace

Breathing exercises can help tremendously to reduce stress

Yoga for wellness

Lavender pillows or dream pillows for a good nights rest

Drink plenty of water to keep the body going

Eat healthy as well

Get a massage, give a massage, this can also be very beneficial in certain relationships :)

Enjoy a wonderful cup of tea, glass or wine or whatever beverage moves you

Laugh, laugh and laugh, your soul will be enriched all the more

Read a good book

Watch an up-lifting movie. The library offers many selections for free.

Walk a labyrinth, having a problem, see if the labyrinth can help. There may be places in your area which offer this for free. For example, in my town, there is one behind our local hospice.

Get in touch with your inner child, play, have fun

Coloring- I love coloring, especially mandalas

Make and use prayer flags

Schedule some “me” time even if it is only for a few minutes

Take a nap, even for just a few minutes

Take a nature walk in a park or on a beach

Sunbath

Practice a creative art such as henna. Many people use henna as an approach to spirituality, especially when getting ready for a ritual.

Change the vibrations around you-the use of candles, color, oils, incense, music can make a profound change in your current attitude.

These are just a few ways I like to take time and rejuvenate and de-stress. How do you pamper yourself?

BB,

Autumn

Happy Lammas/Lughnasadh

I hope everyone has a wonderfully magical sabbat for whatever or whichever you celebrate :). My coven and I celebrated Sunday evening by hosting a public ritual for our community. Considering we are a small community, we had a great turnout. The main focus of the ritual was gratitude for the blessings we have received and for the "crops" we have harvested. May the Lord and Lady bless us always and help us to maintain a bountiful harvest.

Blessed be,

Autumn

Pagan Blog Project- O is for Osiris

Osiris/Asar/Usir

King of the Dead

Supreme God and Judge of the dead, Resurrection and eternal life.  Provider of fertility and prosperity to the living.

Osiris is an Egyptian God and also ruled and lived on the Earth with his wife/sister/consort Aset/Isis. This couple was very popular and much loved. They were so loved that their brother Set was extremely jealous and he wanted to be king himself. So he devised a plan to get rid of his brother Osiris. Osiris decided to have a dinner party (some say to celebrate his birthday perhaps) and Set being his brother was there. He told Osiris he had a fun gift for the party. He had a sarcophagus made and who ever could fit perfectly in it, would own it. The sarcophagus was beautiful and everyone had their eye on it. Of course it was a trap set for Osiris. One by one, each guest laid in the sarcophagus to see if they were a perfect fit. Finally it was Osiris' turn and of course he was a perfect fit. However once he laid in it, Set slammed the door down entrapping Osiris within it. He then took the coffin and hid it so no one could find it, especially his wife Aset/Isis. She was heart broken and searched the ends of the earth for her beloved husband. Finally with the help of her sister Nepthys and others she was able to find the coffin. Set was furious. He stole the coffin with Osiris body back and this time had the body dismembered into several pieces and scattered across the globe. Aset/Isis was not one to give up. Finally she was able to recover all the pieces of her husband except one, his phallus. So she fashioned one from magic and then proceeded to impregnate herself with the child of Osiris- Horus. Because of this story and many others, Osiris became the god of the dead and the underworld. And because of the fact that he was able to impregnate Aset/Isis, he is also seen as a god of rebirth/resurrection. (This is just one interpretation of the myth, as there are many many more).

Osiris is the son of Geb (the earth) and Nut (the sky). His siblings include his wife/sister Aset/Isis, Nepthys, Set and Horus the elder. His son Horus was born of Aset/Isis. He also fathered (it is said) Bast and Annubis as well.

He is usually depicted in mummy wrappings, wearing what is known as the Atef crown. This is similar to the White Crown of Upper Egypt, with the addition of a feather along either side, and a small sphere at the top. He holds the crook and flail, symbols of ruler ship. In some depictions he has black skin symbolizing the underworld and rebirth and also symbolizing the black fertile soil deposited by the Nile every year.  In other depictions he has green skin-Lord of Vegetation- which represents life, death and rebirth of the cycles of grain and other plant life. His skin may also appear white as in reference to his bandages.

His cult was originated in Abydos where it is said his tomb resides even today. His associations with burial rites were also established by the 5^th dynasty. He had absorbed the funerary gods of Abydos.

Osiris brought civilization to the barbarous cannibals of the first people of Egypt. He taught them how and what to eat (and not each other!), raise crops like corn and vines. He also taught them how to worship the gods and made laws for them. He ruled by persuasion not by force. And because of this he was greatly loved. With his death by Set, he became God of the Dead and Underworld.

Due to his resurrection from the dead he is also considered a fertility god. This title is also attributed to the fact that he taught the people agriculture and how to take care of them selves. Osiris was at one time an ancient corn deity, identified with a pastoral deity called Andjeti. His cult object is the djeb column which is thought to represent the 4 pillars seen one behind the other or a man’s backbone.

The Nile is probably the most important natural resource to the early peoples. Osiris is seen as the god of death due to his own death and his death is associated with the drying up of the Nile or the drought season. It is said that when he dies, the Nile dries out. When the induation of the Nile happens, it is then said that he was returned from the dead to bring rebirth to the people by flooding the Nile again.

Osiris also has the job of Judge and he presides over the ceremony of the weighing of the heart and feather. He is the one who gives final judgment to those who have died.

He is the equivalent of the Greek Dionysus and Hades.

Correspondences:

Cult Center – Busiris, Abydos

Chief Festival - July 3

Main festivals –

Feast – February 15, April 10, July 26 & 28;

Festival of the resurrection – July 3

Statue – a bearded man wrapped as a mummy holding the flail and crook

Family – Son of Geb and Nut, Brother/Husband of Isis, Brother of Set, Nepthys and Horus the Elder.  Father of Horus, Father Bast and Annubis
Cardinal Point – North
Element - Earth
Herbs – Anise, Apple, Banana, Carnation, Cypress, Dogwood, Foxglove, Garlic, Holly, Honesty, Iris, Juniper, Lemon, Lettuce, Lime, Marigold, Mugwort, Oak, Orris, Peach, Peppermint, Red Clover, Summer Savory, Sunflower, Sage, Tansy, Turmeric, Violet, Yarrow
Crystals – Amethyst, Aventurine, Azurite, Citrine, Elestials, Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Moldavite, Moss Agate, Onyx, Ruby, Sugilite, Sunstone, Tektite, Yellow Topaz,
Metal – Copper, Gold
Wood – Elder, Oak
Color – Black, Green
Incense – Frankincense, Sandalwood, Sage
Day(s) – Sunday
Time(s) – Midnight and Dawn
Season – Winter and Spring

Pagan Blog Project- O is for Oak Tree Magic

The Oak Tree has long been associated with ancient peoples and has been seen as “magical” or “sacred”. For example the Druids. These “priests of nature” worshiped their religion under the Oak Tree or in sacred groves. Fred Hagender writes in his book, The Meaning of Trees, “our ancestors recognized that there is a vital balance in life: you take and you give. So they celebrated the forces of nature by offering them gifts, songs, prayers and blessings to revitalize the natural world – a world in which they felt themselves to be an intimate part.” It is certainly the tree I use most in my magic.

As pagans we are taught that nature is an important part of us. We need to respect it and learn from it. Humans and nature have a symbiotic relationship. We depend upon each other for survival. We offer nature our energy through prayers and blessings (and other offerings) and in turn nature (in particular trees) offers us a vast array of gifts. Wood from its trunk and limbs are used for shelter from the elements: heat, cold, rain, snow, etc. This wood is also used in crafting magical tools such as athames, wands and staffs. From its wood we also get fire to heat our homes , cook our food (kitchen witchery) and for cleaning ourselves (ritual bathing). Fires are also used as vehicle for offerings made to the gods.

The Oak Tree has many magical associations including: strength, endurance, durability, longevity, stamina, prosperity, will, protection, good luck, fertility, cleansing, success, wisdom, status, self confidence, masculine god energy, inner strength, bravery and leadership to name a few.

Oak trees come from a genus of more than 450 species. They are associated with weather gods due to the fact that the oak tree is the tree most often struck by lightening and survives the ordeal. The tree itself is a conductor of electricity. Because of this, ancient peoples would often call upon the weather gods, such as Zeus, Odin or Thor, to strike their enemies down with their lightening and give victory to their people.

The Oak Tree is a doorway of opportunity and is considered the doorway for shamanic portals. It is a symbol of “as above, so below”. Its limbs and leaves reach up into the skies/ heavens (as above) and its roots reach deep with the earth (so below). This makes it an ideal portal to use in connecting to the other-world.

This tree produces acorns which are a great tool for making magical charms. Acorns have the attributes of immortality, fertility, nurturing and sustenance. For prosperity, hang acorns in your home, get creative, make a wreath or other craft project. Acorns hung in windows are said to be a way to ward off evil. In ancient times, acorns were used as food and sustenance. Still today some peoples still roast and grind the nuts for bread or the making of beverages.

The leaves are just as magical. Use them in a bath for its cleansing properties. You can also used the leaves in magical spells. One of my favorite uses is to write my needs upon the leaves and then offer them to the gods through fire.

Oak chips can be used as a type of incense to burn away negativity. Oak chips are also used to cook meat as well. You can bless the chips before lighting them and infuse their magic into the food you are cooking.

The bark of the oak tree is said to have astringent properties. It has been brewed as a tea for help with congestion, hemorrhoids, fever, diarrhea, dysentery, inflamed gums and to treat wounds. In hoodoo practices, the tea is also used to remove jinxes.

Correspondences for the Oak Tree:

Celtic Year of the Oak Moon is June 10^th through July 7^th

Latin- white oak = quercus alba

red oak = quercus rubra

black oak = quercus velutina

Celtic word for Oak is Duir meaning door. Pronounced (dur) or (doo-er)

Parts used are the wood, leaves, bark and acorns

Folk names- Tanners Bark, Jove's Nuts, Tree of Jove, King of the Forest, Tree of Endurance

Animals associated with the oak tree are stag, squirrel, wren, white mare

Gods/Goddess: Dagda, Oak King/Holly King, Green Man, Cernunnous, Morrigan, Cerridwen, Rhiannon, Epona, Odin, Thor, Herne, Wodin, Jupiter, Cybele, Rhea, Pan, Hecate, Janus, Brigid

Gems- granite, amber

Element- earth, fire

So how do you use the magic of trees in your practice?

BB,

Autumn

Sources used:

The Meaning of Trees by Fred Hagender, ©2005 by Chronicle Books

Mickie Mueller’s Class on Celtic Tree Calendar-The Oak Tree Month (www.voiceoftrees.com)

Pagan Blog Project-N is for Nuit

                           

        

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Nut/Nuit,Nu/Newet/Neuth
The Sky

Pronounced Noot , Noot-it, New-Eat. It is believed her name came from the English words for night, nocturnal, equinox and the French terms la nuit which means the night.

Nut (Nuit) was the personification of the sky to the Egyptian people. She was originally a goddess of the sky only, but evolved into a goddess of the heavens and sky, whose body symbolizes the vault of the sky. She is the daughter of Shu and Tefnut, the granddaughter of the sun god Ra. Her husband was also her brother Geb. She is considered one of the oldest deities in the Egyptian pantheon, with her origins found in the creation story of Heliopolis.

“A scared symbol of Nut was the ladder, used by Osiris to enter her heavenly skies. This ladder-symbol was called maqet and was placed in tombs to protect the deceased, and to invoke the aid of deity of the dead. Nut is considered an enigma in the world of mythology because she is direct contrast to most other mythologies, which usually evolve into a sky father associated with an earth mother or Mother Nature.”

Some of Nut’s titles include:
Coverer of the Sky-She was said to be covered completely with stars
She Who Protects-One of her jobs was to protect Ra
Mistress of All or She Who Bore the Gods- She gave birth to her five children, probably the most familiar of the gods today.
She Who Holds a Thousand Souls-Because of her role of re-birthing Ra each day and because she helped with the resurrection of her son Osiris, Nut became associated with the afterlife.

Ra cursed Nut for her love of Geb and forbade her to bear children during any month of the year. Thoth outwitted the curse by playing draughts with the moon and winning 5 extra days, days not attached to any month. In these 5 days, Nut produced her 5 children. The days on which each of these deities were born are known as the five epagomental days of the year and were celebrated all over Egypt. The days were considered either lucky, unlucky, or neither. For example: The day of birth for Osiris was considered unlucky, the day for Horus the Elder was neither lucky nor unlucky, the day for Seth was unlucky, the day for Isis is lucky, and the day for Nephythys was considered unlucky.

Originally a Mother Goddess who had many children, Nut plays an important role in creation legends. In one myth Nut gives birth to the Sun-god daily and he passes over her body until he reaches her mouth at sunset. He then passed into her mouth and through her body and is reborn the next morning. Another myth described the sun as sailing up her legs and back in the Atet (Matet) boat until noon, when he entered the Sektet boat and continued his travels until sunset.

She is shown in profile, naked over the earth god Geb and may be supported by Shu and with her arms and legs bent down so she touches the horizon with hands and feet. Her body is usually covered with stars and because of this she is sometimes associated with the Milky Way. “There are some astronomical indications of this. It has been shown that at the winter solstice before dawn, in Pre-dynastic Egypt, the Milky Way would have looked very much like a stretched out body with arms and legs touching the horizons in the same manner as Nut was frequently shown in later times.” In zoomorphic form she is a sky cow or sky sow. Her 4 hooves were cardinal points and the sun god and stars are show sailing across her underside of her body. Because of her association with the cow, she is sometimes thought of as Hathor.

Nut is associated with rebirth through the renewing of the sun every day, but she was also a favorite funerary deity, in which she helped to give rebirth to the dead pharaoh and she became connected with the underworld, resurrection and the tomb. She was seen as a friend to the dead, as a mother-like protector to those who journeyed through the land of the dead. She was often painted on the inside lid of the sarcophagus, protecting the dead until he or she, like Ra, could be reborn in their new life.

In the Valley of the Kings, there are many tombs that have the ceilings painted blue with 5 pointed stars on them. These paintings reach down the walls of both side and end with Nut’s feet on one side of the passage and her upper body on the other side.

There were many festivals to Nut through the year. But, despite being a protector of the dead, she was a personification of the sky - a cosmic deity - and no temples or specific cult centers are linked to her. Some of her festivals were:

6th August – 19th Thuti – Festival of Nut and Ra
27th August – 10th Paopi- Birthday of Nut
30th August- 13th Paopi – Day of Satisfying the Hearts of the Ennead
4th January- 20 Mechir- Day of Nut and Raet proceeding southward
1st February- 18th Pamenot- Feast of Nut
2nd February- 19th Pamenot- Birthday of Nut
26th February- 13th Parmutit- Day of Nut
5th May- 21st Payni- Day of the Living Children of Nut

*taken from www.philae.nu/akhet/NetjeruN.html#Nut

Correspondences:

Cult Center – Throughout Egypt, although she had no physical temple specifically to her
Birthday – August 27
Statue – portrayed as bent over, stretching from horizon to horizon.
Family – Daughter of Shu and Tefnut, twin sister of Geb, wife of Geb, Mother of Osiris, Isis , Nephythys, Set and Horus the Elder
Cardinal Point – East
Element - Air
Herbs – Anise, Bean, Bromeliad, Clover, Dandelion, Fern, Goldenrod, Lavender, Maple, Marjoram, Mint, Oak, Parsley, Pine, Sage, Summer Savory,
Crystals – Ammonite, Angelite, Aventurine, Azurite, Bloodstone, Citrine, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Quartz, Selenite, Sodalite, Tektite, Turquoise
Metal – Copper, Silver
Wood – Oak
Color – light Blue
Incense – Jasmine, Sandalwood
Day(s) – Friday
Time(s) – Dawn
Season - Spring
Magic/Responsibilities: Sky and Heavens, Mother and Guardian, Death and Burial, Demi-Animals, Immortality, Physical Prowess

How can you bring Nut into your life?

Nut is known as a funerary goddess. If you have a loved one who is deceased, you can call upon Nut to watch over them and to help them transition into the next life (world).

She is also the great mother/creator. So if you need help with nurturing, whether it be people or projects, Nut would be a good choice to ask for help. She can give you the nurturing you need to see thing through to the end. As a mother, she does not give up on her children and will help them to succeed.

Nut is the barrier that separates chaos from the ordered cosmos. She helps to keep the universe in order so that all life goes on as it should. If chaos reigned, life would cease to exist (according to the Egyptians). If you ever feel that your life is getting out of control and that chaos is starting to rule your life, call upon Nut for help.

As a mother goddess, she is also a protector. Protection can encompass many ideas. For example if you need protection from evil, harm, illness, etc. Anything you can imagine that a mother would protect her child from, Nut can protect you from.

If you want to feel a connection to Nut, the simplest way would be to simply stare into a dark night sky and star gaze. Meditate on Nut and what she means to you. Feel the energy grow between you.

Prayer to Nut:

Great Mother Nut, Sky Goddess, Mother and Creator, hear my prayer.
My life has become chaotic, help me to restore order.
You, Great Goddess, are the barrier between chaos and order.
I beseech thee to lend me your energies. Help me to find order in my life.
Of my own free will, with harm to none. So mote it be.

(You can add correspondences such as blue or white stones, Sodalite would be a good combination of both colors. The night sky is usually depicted as blue or navy, so colored candles would also work well here.)


References:

www.touregypt.net

Temple Ankh research notes (www.templeankh.com)

www.ancientnile.co.uk/gods.php

www.philae.nu/akhet/NetjeruN.html#Nut

The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard H. Wilkinson

Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt by Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf

Circle of Isis by Ellen Cannon Reed

The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines by P. Monaghan