Magical Tools and Altars

November 23, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

An altar to me is a small place, an area that is set aside where you can place items in honour of deity, leave offerings, sit and meditate, a place to connect with deity and a place to leave spells to ‘do their thing’. It isn’t just a pretty place to keep your magical goodies, although that is part of it, for me an altar is also a place to honour deity. Over time and with use your altar will become a sacred place and it will gather magical energy from the workings, meditations and items that you have used it for or placed o Read more

An’ it Harm None, Do What Ye Will – or not?

November 17, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

I have seen the shortened term ‘harm none’ thrown around social media on a large scale, often just arbitrarily thrown in at the end of any or all statements made. Whether it is relevant to the content of the comment or not. It seems to be used as a ‘cover all, disclaimer’ of some sort. Two words that vindicate the user from holding any kind of responsibility for the words they have written. i.e. it doesn’t matter if you are offended by what I wrote because ‘harm none’. I am pretty sure that’s not what the Rede is meant for. Read more

Curative Magic: Working Magic for Self-esteem

November 13, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

Your self-esteem is a combination of a lot of things: your confidence in your abilities; what you think your worth is as a human being; and the faith and respect you have for yourself. If your self-esteem is low or has disappeared altogether, it can leave you feeling unconfident and unloved. You may feel bad about how you act, react, and look. You might ask yourself, Am I attractive? Does my bum look big in this? Low self-esteem leads to blame, guilt, and a desire to withdraw. We all have moments of self-doubt that make us question if we are good enough. It is debilitating to keep questioning whether we are worthy or not. (Trust me, you are worthy just the way you are.) So let’s turn things around—self-esteem really is just a state of mind. You are a wonderful human being and we need to celebrate that! Read more

Catch me going live…

November 5, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

One of the positives to come out of the bizarre world situation we are in at the moment is the emergence of 'going live' across various social media platforms. It has been a way of keeping in touch with family and friends via Zoom, Skype or social media. For me, it has meant that I can work face to face with students. I was scheduled for a number of talks at various events this year, all of which were postponed, going live has meant that I can still give those talks. And in fact it has opened up a wider audience, because it doesn't matter where you live in the world, you can access my talks via the internet. Many new friendships and connections have been made, for which I am truly grateful. Read more

Working with Deity

October 27, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

Within the pagan world everyone will probably have a slightly different idea of deity, some think of it as Gods and Goddesses, some think of it as one Source and every other definition in between, it is somewhat a personal thing. And everyone will visualise the Gods and Goddesses in a very personal way. As humans we seem to like to visualise them in human form. Read more

The Art of Ritual

October 19, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

Rituals are performed by groups but also by solitaries. Rituals can be as simple as daily actions you do to connect with deity right up to ceremonial circles and of course everything in between. Read more

What Books Couldn’t You or Wouldn’t You Do Without?

October 9, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

When the question is asked about what a person should read to introduce them to Witchcraft I find that a lot of the ‘old staples’ are rolled out. Those of Crowley, Valiente, Adler etc. All very worthy and written by probably the most influential people of their time in shaping what is now modern Wicca/Witchcraft. Definitely worth reading at some point during your journey. However I have personally struggled with some of the text and am not sure they are quite the right books to start your pathway with. Here are my own suggestions. One or two of these books I started with many years ago, others I read and digested along the way. Read more

October Magic and a Mirror Spell

October 3, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

October is particularly special because of Samhain. It is a period between times. The leaves are changing, and the air is crisp and clear as the dark nights begin to draw in. The veil between the worlds is said to be thinner at this time. Remember those that have gone before you and honour your ancestors. October lends itself to drama and atmosphere. It is a good excuse to make the most of this time by overloading on the witchy decorations. Read more

Create Your Own Retreat, Sound Bath, Cacao Ceremony

September 30, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

In the strange times we are living in at the moment, one of the things I have missed is being able to attend retreats, gong sound baths and cacao ceremonies. My solution is to create these things at home. Read more

Animal Spirit Guides

September 29, 2020 By Rachel Patterson

Animal spirit guides are those animals that you have had an affinity for or have seemed to have walked with you for a very long period of time. Read more