As a special Valentine's Day treat for you, my lovelies, I offer this "Ideal Paramour" Love spell of my own creation, and for kicks, I'll include my own charm that I once used to spectacular effect. I've led many love-spell workshops , and these can be loads of fun to do in a group, so crack open a bottle of vino, and git yer witch on with your friends! Better it be when the moon is full... Read more
Riddles are a special way of gaining knowledge and power within animist mystical traditions. A good riddle doesn’t just have one answer, it has a path to discovering answers. Open ended conundrums broaden a witch’s mind to the realms of possibility. The more ways a witch can think of to solve a problem the better they can approach ritual and spellwork. Read more
When I opened the padded envelope I expected to see a book. But no -- it was a box. Folded inside was a large piece of heavy paper printed with trisected circles of various colors. Under that was a black plastic tray containing the cutest little tooled-brass pendulum I ever saw, on a brass chain. Impressive. And under that, finally was the book, also impressive, with its beautiful full-color cover. And then, I opened it. Read more
The first groupies are collectively known as the nine Muses, and each is a specialist in her own field of the arts and sciences. These nine have another sister whom is seldom connected with them, although she, the mighty Athena, is the Goddess of Wisdom herself in that pantheon. I bet their mom was amazing. Read more
Sometimes we need to take some time to honor our losses. In this post Rev. Hill speaks to her own losses and give examples of ways to build devotional practices to help. Read more
People who know me know that I often express concern about the imbalance I perceive in modern spiritual paths that put all their focus and emphasis on the positive and the light, to the exclusion or vilification of the negative and the dark. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that the light is bad, or that darkness is better, but rather that any extreme can be unhealthy particularly when the other end of the spectrum is turned into an irredeemable negative. I'm all in favor of people choosing what works for them, light, gray, or dark. What worries me is people who try to totally ignore the other end of the spectrum in favor of their own. Read more
This past fall, I lost my mind again...I dove deep into a big project and got completely obsessed. "Go big or go home" is my motto when I get inspired. Thing is, I know this about myself, but I managed to forget how much sheer fuel there is when I'm lit up for a particular project. Imbolc is a fire festival sacred to Brigid--a goddess of fire--and the mysteries of fire are an apt metaphor for this kind of work. Have you ever struggled to find inspiration? Or have you found yourself struck by an idea, consumed by it? Read more
For many Pagans, Imbolc is about dedications; to me, dedication means work. It means sacrificing my time and energy to learn what is needed to follow my calling. Building skills takes motivation; to get good at these things, you have to put in the time. How did I get good at doing ritual? Years of work. Not hours, years. And here's the thing--Pagan communities need excellence. Read more
Another author recently wrote a piece here at Patheos about the future of Heathenry. Steven T. Abell has a different view of Heathenry’s greatest risks. Read more
The moment of creation, the theological Big Bang, is the dawn appearing in the heart of a fragile flower. It may be the past, the first moment, but it is not gone: it is always there. Read more
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