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Going to a Sacred Site? Behave Yourself!
Last year Morgan Daimler, who I respect and admire greatly, published a wonderful piece over at Patheos Pagan on Being Pagan and Visiting a Sacred Site. Morgan points out some really helpful things that many people don’t think of; in addition to showing careless disregard of the physical site, there’s often a complete misunderstanding of the traditions involved. Anyway, it’s a great article and you should go read it, especially since if we’re ever out of lockdown again, a lot of us will be adventuring outside. Meanwhile, I thought I’d resurrect this one that I published on About.com back in 2014 or so, which is full of some helpful reminders…
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The Magic of Water
It’s rainy and wet here today, so let’s talk about water—I’ve got a couple jars out on the step doin’ some gathering. I keep different kinds of water on hand, for a variety of magical purposes, and I thought this would be a good time to share some of the types I have handy. First, it’s important to keep in mind that water in general, as an element, has some pretty specific connotations – it’s associated with healing, cleansing, and purification, just for starters. In most traditions, it also corresponds to goddess magic, and to the direction of West when you start looking at the four classical elements and their…
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Celebrating the Floralia
The Romans had a celebration for just about everything. Certainly, any Roman deity worth their salt got a holiday of their own, and Flora was no exception. Because FLOWERS AND SEX WORKERS, y’all. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for Flora. She was the goddess of spring flowers and vegetation, and one of many fertility goddesses. In fact, she was so well respected as a fertility deity that she was often seen as a the patron deity of Roman prostitutes. You guys, she was the goddess of sex workers! How cool is that? Flora’s holiday, the Floralia, originated around 235 b.c.e. It was believed…
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Free Digital Download: Pirate’s Alphabet
About fifteen years ago, when I was a newbie to the whole book-writing thing, I decided to try my hand at writing a kid’s book. My younger two children were only about seven, and we were super into piratey things, so the end result was a rollicking little book called Pirate’s Alphabet, which came out in 2007. Illustrator Kit Umscheid, who is an incredibly talented artist, provided the lovely artwork that follows a pirate captain and his gang through the alphabet. You can check out some of her other work over on Instagram, where she’s @illustrationbykit. Published by Moo Press, which went out of business a few years later, this…
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Happy Book Birthday! Herb Magic Launches Today!
Happy Book Birthday to me! Herb Magic: An Introduction to Magical Herbalism and Spells, releases today! If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, you can scootch on over to Amazon and get yours, or order it from Barnes & Noble or Books a Million. Better yet, support your favorite local witchy shop and get a copy from them! It’s been one hell of a ride for this one, and I can’t begin to thank all of you enough for your support, your love, and the kind words throughout this journey. I promise that once the world isn’t a dumpster fire anymore, I’ll get events scheduled so we can…
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Celebrate Beltane With a Giant Pole
The maypole dance is a spring ritual long known to Western Europeans. Usually performed on May 1, which is Beltane, or May Day, the folk custom is done around a pole garnished with flowers and ribbon to symbolize a tree. Practiced for generations in countries such as Germany and England, this tradition dates back to the dances ancient people used to do around actual trees in hopes of harvesting a large crop. The pole was erected on the village green or common, or even a handy field—thrust into the ground either permanently or on a temporary basis—and brightly colored…
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Herb Magic: The Reviews Are Coming In!
OMG, you guys, my black little heart is about to burst. Y’all are saying such kind things about Herb Magic: An Introduction to Magical Herbalism and Spells over on Amazon. I try to avoid reading reviews in general because they can be scary and soul-crushing, but here are just a few of the things people have said in their reviews so far: Herb Magic is beautifully formatted and engaging. From our wild plants to our simple kitchen spices, herbs are more than flavor and medicine, their folklore ties up the magic into what you need. Herb Magic will be your go to book for everyday magic and beyond. For someone…
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Beltane is Coming!
Beltane is coming soon, and most of you know that it’s my second favorite holiday (Samhain for the win!), so I wanted to share some really cool stuff about this spring Sabbat. I know we’re all stuck inside, isolated right now, thanks to social distancing, but even if you’re not carousing and doing ritual with a hundred other people, it’s still valuable to get outdoors and look at the history of this significant celebration. It’s a time of year when we’re celebrating the fertility of the earth, as the land returns to blossoms and blooms. The soil is beginning to warm, and the gardens are greening again. It’s like everything…
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Celebrate Nature with a Goddess Garden
Gardening is a magical act. It allows us to take the simplest form of life — a seed — and plant it so that weeks later it will bloom. Plants and magic have been associated for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, so when spring rolls around and you’re planning your seasonal garden, why not set up a special area to dedicate to the goddess (or god) of your tradition? If you don’t have a big yard to plant, don’t worry. You can still create a special goddess garden using a container. Start by figuring out which goddess you’d like to honor. It’s probably a bad idea to just pick…
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Monks, Mandrake, and Magical Mayhem
I’m a history geek, so every once in a while I peruse the interwebs looking for random historical stuff related to witchcraft, and the English Heritage website did NOT disappoint me today, y’all. Evidently the monks at Mount Grace Priory are growing some serious herbage, and most of the plants are the sort that you can’t just pick up in the bulk grocery aisle at Costco. No, these guys are inspired by their medieval predecessors, and are growing medicinal goodies like mandrake and deadly nightshade. Senior Gardens Advisor for the North and Midlands, Dr Michael Klemperer, presents a fabulous tour through the gardens, which include: Sea holly, an aphrodisiac and…
