I’ve practiced Wiccan witchcraft for nearly 20 years and 8 years of that has been Gardnerian Wicca. Gardnerian Wicca is very different from the Wicca most often portrayed in books and on television. It’s more ecstatic than one might initially think and there are a lot of candles. Candles burn on the altar, in the quarters, and for other various purposes. My Temple Room is often sweltering after Gardnerian ritual because of all the flames and energy raised. Gardnerian Wicca... Read more
This post is dedicated to Seamus from West Hollywood. You’re welcome, WeHo. Shadow Work. Big. Bold. Beautiful. Until it’s not. But it’s a shiny phrase in today’s magical community. Why are so many of us obsessed with “Shadow Work”? What is it? What does it look like in practice? That answer varies from practitioner to practitioner. My own simple definition is that Shadow Work entails intentional, mindful attention and commitment to working through some serious shit. What kind of serious shit,... Read more
One thing is for certain about the occult community: we love books. I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of us own at least a couple dozen books on paganism and occult. But what about those who own upwards of a hundred or more magical volumes? You know, those folks whose bookshelves stand as testament to their insatiable appetite for knowledge? How the hell do we keep it all organized?! Read on for a few librarian pro-tips for... Read more
I was asked to give my thoughts on a current Witchtok trend concerning witch and pagan accounts being divided into “safelists” and “blacklists.” My understanding is that a Tiktok creator created a Discord server whereby people could submit accounts they feel should be added to either the “safelist” or “blacklist” with an accompanying reason. This whole thing screams Burn Book from “Mean Girls”. I’ll tell you something real: I finally had to download Tiktok just to see what the hell... Read more
Recently, I was led through a meditation to find a word that would define my spiritual work in the coming months. The word that I was eventually led to was “Peace.” I usually “see” words in my mind rather than hear them, so when “Peace” appeared I initially couldn’t read it because it was written backwards. The word appeared as a jumble of letters to be unscrambled, or so I thought. However, after sitting with the image for a few... Read more
I used to really dislike Yule and anything else associated with the season. This wasn’t always the case, though. When I was a little girl, my grandmother would require me and my siblings to attend the 11pm service on Christmas Eve. The service would end at midnight and all parishioners would sing in the midnight hour with “Silent Night” while holding lit candles. It was a beautiful service. Many years later, I attended an Episcopal mass on Christmas Eve. Entranced... Read more
The Horned One About My Heart Where do I feel you, Horned One? In the sting of my sunburned flesh, In the adrenaline rushing through my limbs, In the missed step up my staircase. Where do I see you, Horned One? As the sleek black cat crossing my path, As the crack in the sidewalk I must avoid, As the ladder I must not walk under, Where do I hear you, Horned One? In the ringing of a... Read more
In this post, I’ll be reviewing So Potent Art: the Magic of Shakespeare by Emily Carding, published in 2021 by Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. TLDR; Lovers of Shakespeare will revel in this work. So Potent Art is a thoughtfully written expose of the very real magic that influenced many of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Readers who enjoy reading academic analyses will connect well with Carding’s writing style. I had a lot of preconceptions about this book before I received a copy to review.... Read more
TLDR; reading fiction is good for the brain and for building social relationships. Pagan/witchy/occult fiction title recommendations at end of post. I work in a college library and so it should come as no surprise that our most popular materials don’t fall under fiction. The reality is that anyone who holds a regular 9-to-5, is a student, or a parent is less likely to have time to read, let alone read fiction. For some, reading anything other than nonfiction isn’t... Read more
I’ve been hearing some noise about people shaming anyone who enjoys reading Silver Ravenwolf. It isn’t uncommon to witness source shaming in the pagan community because a lot of clout is put on what and who we read. There are many avenues by which people come to witchcraft, though. Many of them “fluffy” by today’s standards but we should still honor them. I first heard the word “Wicca” on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” back in the late 90s and my... Read more
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