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Book Review: Wicca, Plain & Simple
I periodically open my mailbox and find copies of nifty stuff from publishers asking me to review new and upcoming titles. A lot of times I don’t get a chance to do it, because I’m writing my own stuff, and I have a personal policy of never reviewing someone else’s material when I’m working my own. However, right now I’m in the middle of a very brief lull, and so I thought I’d share a few reviews with you over the next couple of weeks. I’m going to begin with Wicca, Plain and Simple by Leanna Greenaway, because I really like it. Wicca, Plain and Simple, from Red Wheel/Weiser, is just…
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Epona, the Gaulish Horse Goddess
Many times, when people hear the word Celtic, there is an automatic assumption that we’re referring to things related to Ireland and/or Great Britain. This is not technically accurate, because in academic terms, Celtic actually refers to a language group. The Celtic languages were present not only on the island of what is now Great Britain, but also in several areas within the European mainland. One of the most influential groups of the pre-Roman era was the Gauls. This group, which was not a single unified culture but rather a collection of hundreds of tribes, inhabited the areas that are now France, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Germany and the…
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Basic Sigil Construction
Sigils are a great way to identify your intent when you’re working magic. A sigil is simply a symbol of your purpose – for instance, you could use a heart to identify love, or a dollar sign to indicate money. Those are the easy ones – and certainly, there are a floppity-million other symbols you can use. If you want to do the standard issue symbols, pick up a copy of Raymond Buckland’s Signs, Symbols, and Omens – it’s chock full of great suggestions. That being said, one way to connect your intent to your working even more effectively is to create a unique symbol of your own. This sort…
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The History of the Sheela na Gig
Although the Sheela-na-Gig is technically the name applied to the carvings of women with exaggerated vulvas that have been found in Ireland and England, there’s a theory that the carvings are representative of a lost pre-Christian goddess. Typically, the sheela-na-gig adorns buildings in areas of Ireland that were part of the Anglo-Norman conquests in the 12th century. She is shown as a homely woman with a giant yoni, which is spread wide to accept the seed of the male. Sheela na Gig image by Amanda Slater / Flickr / Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) Folkloric evidence indicates a long-standing theory that the figures were part of a fertility rite, similar…
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Saturday Spellwork: The Speed Bump Saga
I’m a big fan of using mundane stuff in spellwork, because there are always things around your house that you can finagle into a magical application. If you’re a parent, especially, I guarantee you that there are plenty of kids’ toys that are going to come in very useful at some point. To illustrate this, I’d like to share a tale from about fifteen years ago, when my twins (who are now high school juniors) were toddlers, and we had a fairly impressive collection of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. At the time, I lived on a one-way street in a residential area, and because it was the connector between…
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Book Update: Wicca Practical Magic
Book update! I know many of you are as excited as I am to get a copy of my new book, Wicca Practical Magic — and you will very soon! There was a slight printing delay and the new on-sale date for the print book is now 6/6 (the e-book will be available a couple weeks earlier on the original release date of 5/23). I want to make this book a real tool for you, one that will impact your practice for the long run, so in response to the delay, I’m putting together an EXCLUSIVE PREORDER GIFT FOR THOSE WHO ORDER THE BOOK NOW! The gift includes a special…
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Saturday Spellwork: Banishing Magic
I don’t care what anyone says, banishing magic sometimes is a necessity. Sure, there are plenty of people who approach it from the mindset of “Well if someone is that terrible, why don’t you do a spell to help them be kinder and more understanding?” Well, frankly, hell naw. Some people are just awful, and the onus of responsibility to make them less awful doesn’t have to fall upon the rest of us. Some people just need to get gone. And THAT is where a good banishing spell comes in super handy. I’m going to share four of my favorite types of banishing workings, with the caveat (as always) that…
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You Can Pre-Order Wicca Practical Magic Now!
Guys, I’m SO excited about my newest book! Wicca Practical Magic is available for pre-order on Amazon, both in a print and digital edition! Wicca Practical Magic will be released on May 23, 2017, through Althea Press/Callisto Media, and you’re going to LOVE it! Here’s what some of the advance reviewers have to say: "Patti Wigington has given us a rare sort of book. Wicca Practical Magic is treasure trove for the new practitioner while at the same time being a lovely refresher course for old-timers. This book is an important addition to your Pagan library." —Byron Ballard, author of Staubs and Ditchwater: a Friendly and Useful Introduction to…
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Saturday SpellWork: The I-Screwed-Up Jar
So I thought I’d start a new feature here on my website. I’ve been practicing as a Pagan for thirty years now, and I’ve written a metric shit-ton of original spells. Some I’ve published – there are 366 of them in The Good Witch’s Daily Spell Book and twenty more in the upcoming Wicca Practical Magic (#shamelessplug!) – but there are countless others that I’ve never put out before. I thought it would be fun to start sharing them here with y’all, so I’m going to try to do a weekly feature called Saturday Spellwork, where I’ll share something new and nifty that you can add to your Book of…
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Help Launch My Newest Book!
Help Launch the Wicca Practical Magic Book! I’m so excited to let you know that my newest book on Wiccan magic is coming out soon, and there are some really cool things in store for you! I’m assembling a street team to kick off Wicca Practical Magic, available on May 23, and I’d love it if you would help me launch this awesome book. What does a street team do? Well, if you sign up to be part of it, you’ll get an advance peek at the book before it releases, and you’ll get a chance to share some great content with your friends, family, and social media network. You’ll…
