Steph at The Witch Within (who is about to go on hiatus and will be missed) writes about her issues with Wicca in this post: Why it's not Mabon to me.

My biggest beef with Wicca is the practices and beliefs that were seemingly plucked from thin air decades ago. As more people study the historical records of ancient races they discovered that there is no historical proof that these peoples even worshipped this god or goddess or practiced a certain “sabbat”. There is no historical proof that a celebration called “Mabon” ever existed or that the Celts even celebrated it. To me that is highly suspect and I return to question the inventions of those who help foster the Witchcraft renaissance over 100 years ago.

I never really stopped to think about it that way. I've always been aware that Wiccans have had to "make up" much of the essence of our modern practice because the ancients didn't write theirs down. I'm also being trained in a tradition that encourages people to find what works best for them and use that in their practice, so perhaps from the get-go I've been more inclined to be accepting of this aspect of Wicca.

Without any direct influence from the Gardnerian tradition, I haven't experienced Wicca as a "creation of men based on vague ancient memories." I can understand why others who started on their paths as witches longer ago than I have might have chaffed under some restrictive influence of early Wiccan traditions, but my experience has been an entirely female-positive one. I don't accept the view that Wicca is solely a feminist religion either, but I do appreciate that Wicca enjoys far less institutionalized sexism than a number of other organized religions.

Hecate, in a recent post about celebrating Mabon with her new coven, quotes Carol Christ from The Politics of Women's Spirituality:

Religious symbol systems focused around exclusively male images of divinity create the impression that female power can never be fully legitimate or wholly beneficent. The message need never be explicitly stated (as, for example, it is in the story of Eve) for its effects to be felt. A woman completely ignorant of the myths of female evil in biblical religion nonetheless acknowledges the anomaly of female power when she prays exclusively to a male God. She may see herself as like God (created in the image of God) only by denying her own sexual identity and affirming God's transcendence of sexual identity. But she can never have the experience that is freely available to every man and boy in her culture of having her full sexual identity affirmed as being in the image and likeness of God.

Wicca allows us to celebrate the divinity within ourselves and gives us plenty of powerful role models to choose from.

Recently, I've come to accept the Wiccan mantle. Maybe I'm trying it on to see how it fits. But when I first launched this blog nearly a year ago, this is what I wrote about my beliefs on the subject:

A question that I have been asking myself is: am I a Wiccan? I think it's too soon to tell. As I said, I'm still not comfortable with the "religion" label - at this stage I see myself more as a practitioner of folk magick than a follower of Wicca as a formal religion.

While this is still partly true, I'm finding myself increasingly comfortable accepting myself as Wiccan. That said, I think it's more important to accept oneself and to follow a spiritual path that holds the deepest possible meaning rather than be overly concerned with finding a label to put on it.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 5:36 PM | Comments (2)

The other day I wrote about letting my personal Chariot, the metaphoric mode of transportation that takes me on life's journey, go astray. As I usually do when I need information I don't have about what to do in some area of my life, I turned to the tarot. One of my little reading quirks is that when a card falls out of the deck while shuffling, I always pick it up and consider it as part of the reading. It's usually the most important card, the universe's way of bringing something particular to my attention. What card popped out during this particular reading? The Chariot, of course. There are, as I've said numerous times, no coincidences.

The Chariot, The Fey Tarot

Lately, I've been doing most of my reading with The Fey Tarot. Its images are beautiful and compelling and I like the sensibility the Fey bring to considering what the cards mean.

Here is what The Fey Tarot book says about The Chariot:

The Sentence

Run fast, on roads and bridges, crossing the earth, prey to haste, to reach a place in time.

The Fey that runs with the chariot is sustained by her magic and from this magic velocity and purpose comes. Willingness, knowledge and wisdom, dominion and power, all come to nothing if a purpose remains unmoved and is not guided or held by reins.

The reflections of triumph and success are in the river that the chariot crosses, but it has already passed by.

Reflections

A card of movement and audacity, it shows intention. Without aims or desires, man is as empty as a deserted road. But if he gives his real nature a direction, this acquires form and each step brings him nearer.

Without purpose of action, man is lost, passive, waiting, but in the Chariot this waiting ends and he comes to the road.

These passages address so closely the feelings and impressions I expressed the other day that it gave me goose bumps to read them. The universe does have its ways of getting its messages across!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 4:10 PM | Comments (0)

Mark Morford, regular columnist for SFGate.com, the online San Francisco Chronicle, is my favorite columnist in the whole wide world. He has a singular wit and biting sarcasm, and when I grow up I want to be just like him (well, except for the being a boy part). In his regular column, notes & errata, Mark "writes about politics, pop culture, sex, music, design, a wry and punch-drunk universe, vibrators, scotch, media, spirituality and small European cars. And sometimes, parrots."

Today's column is one of the best yet: Is Bush Really The Devil? Satan has better taste in shoes. Is far sexier. Can actually spell 'Venezuela.' I mean, come on

If it didn't violate copyright laws, I would paste the entire article here for you to read. It's that good! Instead, I'll offer you a few of my favorite bits and encourage you to read the whole thing on your own.

It's a delightfully common appraisal, this Bush-is-the-Devil thing, one I hear frequently from my otherwise highly intelligent, liberal brethren. But is George W. Bush really Satan? Was he really sent to us by an angry and sighing God(dess) to test our ability to suffer toxic GOP fools with greater humor and more sex and good scotch? Let us examine the evidence.

Let us turn, for a moment, to Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost," perhaps the most heavily canonized and lovingly detailed examination of the underworld and its enraged minions, where Satan cuts, quite simply, one hell of a figure.

Here is Lucifer, a massive, thunderous hero, subtle and intelligent and enormously articulate, full of passion and red-hot anarchy, the ultimate rebel. He is often seen reclining in his cavernous, rocky lair, lying on his side, all muscled godlike beauty and ruined glory and deep seduction and heat. He is just terribly, wonderfully alluring.

See? Right there, already we're a galaxy away from Dubya. Bush, of course, has no such magnificence. Bush is small and quivery and eats his vanilla pudding with a fork. While Satan orates and philosophizes at great intellectual length, Dubya can't even sit still during an entire State of the Union address without fidgeting and moving his upper body back and forth like a little metronome, twitching and squirming like a child.

In Milton, the glorious angel Lucifer's incredible act of defiance, his stunning rebellion against God, marks him as not merely proud and insolent but powerfully courageous. After all, Satan chooses to endure unbelievable suffering for the sake of his independence, rather than endure numb cubicle-like servility in heaven. Also, hell has better booze. Cooler dance clubs. Less insufferable harp music. That sort of thing.

And lo, here is Bush. Dubya is, everyone agrees, a bit of an intellectual midget. He is a champion of sameness and mediocrity and unquestioned obedience, a hero to absolutely no one with a functioning soul, the cubicle personified.

Is this really the mark of the Beast? Verily I say unto thee, it is not.

The Devil smells of sulphur and fire. Bush smells of cow pies and stale beer. The Devil is wickedly, tremendously deceptive, bending entire armies of lowly demons to his will. Bush cleverly enflamed armies of lemming-like evangelical Christians to vote for him by way of gay bashing and woman bashing and fear, through the snarling machinations of his very own shiny Moloch, Karl Rove. It's a worthy comparison.

But alas, it is not enough. There is no majesty to Dubya. No real heat, depth, grand intellectual power to his evilness. Bush is to a real Lucifer what a rat terrier is to a werewolf, what Jack Daniel's is to a pure single malt, what a heat lamp is to global warming: A pale wannabe. A weak imitation, trying hard to scorch your soul but only managing a bit of a rug burn.

Sorry Mr. Chávez, but Bush is no Devil: He is not nearly capable enough, sexy enough, charming enough, debauched or gloriously ruined enough. Bush cannot possibly fill the Devil's gorgeous, tragic Prada shoes. He's far more akin to something to be scraped from the bottom of them.

Make sure to check out the archive of Recent Notes & Errata for other fabulous and wonderful writing by Mark Morford. And be sure not to miss the reader quotes in the right-hand column for some of the best unintentional hilarity on the web (intentionally chosen for that purpose, I'm sure).

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 10:10 AM | Comments (1)

While doing the reading for my Intro to Psych class, I came across this sentence in my textbook:

Your nose evolved to warm air and direct scents; and once you have a nose, you can use it to hold up your eyeglasses.

I'm pretty sure there's something profound in that statement but I'm not sure what it is yet.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 6:38 PM | Comments (5)

Ah, the sweet smell of humiliation in the morning. It's a bit of a shocker when looking at designs for build-your-own holiday cards (the ones at Photoworks are way cool, by the way) becomes a pointed commentary on how solitarily I've been leading my life. Considering which design I might like to choose for a Yule card, I realized that I don't have any photos of shiny happy faces to make a card with. I don't even have a dog! Somehow, I can't imagine that my pretty photos of scenery and buildings will have the same effect.

Before you reach for your tiny violin, I want to make clear that this isn't meant to be a bid for sympathy. It's really a reflection on the path I've allowed my life to take. Without a strong hand keeping a tight hold on the reigns, the creatures have taken the chariot wherever they damn well pleased. Falling asleep at the, erm... leather... is not a good thing!

Saturday evening I attended a Mabon ritual in Cambridge. It was made up largely of the community of people I have come to know through my witchcraft classes and through spending time at various events hosted by the former Unicorn Books. It was heartening to see that, even without a set of brick walls to provide a formal space for our community to exist within, the community is still strong and active. This is a testament to what can happen when people care enough to stay involved.

Part of the lesson of the evening's ritual - which is what we witches turn to thinking about at this time of year amongst all of the feasting and celebration of the "harvest" - is how we must be willing to accept death so that life can continue. At this time of year we must look at what is not working for us and let it go so that we can make room for the new. Over the past week, as I've written about the New Moon and the Eclipse and the Mabon Sabbat, I've commented a lot on this idea. The Goddess is standing up there with her megaphone trying to get my attention!

What I realize I need to do is let go of whatever habits, inhibitions and honest-to-goodness laziness I have allowed to get in the way of filling my life with people. I have to care enough to stay involved in my own progress - to strongly take the reigns of the chariot back in hand and purposefully guide my life in a direction that leads to the spiritual fulfillment, professional satisfaction, and family of shiny, happy faces that I yearn for. It is up to me. And maybe a little help from the Goddess.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:04 AM | Comments (2)

The Wiccan celebration of the Autumnal Equinox is known as Mabon. This name comes from Celtic legend. Mabon ap Modron, the Son of the Mother, in his story from birth to kingship, is a recurring theme found throughout Celtic mythological and legendary literature.

Caer Australis presents the most complete overview of the Mabon myth I have found.

The Mabon theme is that of the birth of a miraculous - divine - boy, born to a remarkable or significant - divine - mother, who is lost to her, performs amazing feats to attain manhood, and wins the hand of a beautiful - also divine - maiden. Mabon is the Celtic child solar deity; his mother the Celtic tripartite goddess in her mother aspect and the maiden the goddess as maiden. His story has a seasonal aspect, for we can identify the time of birth of the Celtic god's nativity, and also of his union with the goddess: these are recorded in the myths quite clearly.

Mabon literally means 'son' and comes from the Celtic 'maponos' now found in 'map', 'mab' and 'mac' (meaning 'son of') in the extant Celtic languages. Likewise, Modron literally means 'mother', from 'matronae', 'the Mothers', the Celtic tripartite Goddess.

A key element of the Mabon myth is the story of how he is taken from his mother into the underworld. Modron enlists the help of King Arthur and his knights to rescue her son and in the course of their search they enlist the help of many mythical and magickal creatures:

The party began their search for Mabon by asking the Ousel of Kilgrwri: "Do you know anything of Mabon son of Modron, who when three nights old was stolen away from between his mother and the wall?" Though the ousel was old enough to have worn down an anvil to the size of a nut working with nothing more than its beak, it did not know anything of the man they sought. It did offer to guide them to a more ancient creature who might be able to assist them.

Sequentially, and asking the same formula question, and obtaining the same answer and assistance, the party meets more and more ancient creatures, namely the Stag of Rhendevre (as old as a forest), the Owl of Cwn Cawlwyd (as old as three forests), the Eagle of Gwernabwy (who was so old that he had worn down a rock which he pecked at the height of the stars to the size of a hand) and finally the Salmon of Llyn Llyw.

It was finally the Salmon, through his wisdom, who knew where the knights could find Mabon. They battled his captors to rescue him and were able to return him to his mother.

This story is one of many representations of the universal pagan belief that as the Wheel of the Year turns through the seasons, the God is born, grows to vigorous manhood, dies and then is reborn again. The Goddess, as mother and consort, ushers him through this process. It follows the cycle of the agrarian life led by the ancient people from whom the many myths come.

As it falls on the Autumnal Equinox, Mabon is the other time of the year, along with the Vernal Equinox in the Spring, when night and day is in balance. This day begins the sign of Libra and it is no mistake that Libra's symbol is a set of scales. This is a time for spiritual reflection on the past year, what it has brought to us and what have we sown and harvested in our lives. It is a time to give thanks to the God and the Goddess for what we have been able to accomplish and it is an opportunity to cut away the chaff, the useless things and situations that are keeping us from realizing our truest potential and greatest happiness. How can we work to bring more balance to our lives? Since we are coming to the end of our Pagan year it also is a time to imagine what we hope and plan to accomplish next year. These things are our modern "harvest."

Mabon is the Witches’ version of Thanksgiving and we celebrate the coming of the Autumn and the end of the year with the "Harvest Home" celebration. The Wheel continues to turn, the nights will get longer, the days shorter and the weather cooler. For the night of the Mabon ritual, we know that we accomplished much and the hard work is done. The light from the sun is as golden as it will ever be and the feasting is a sumptuous buffet with wine and good company to share it with.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 12:38 PM | Comments (1)

Corn dollies are a form of straw work and one of the many harvest customs that come from the agrarian life of early Europeans. It was believed that the corn spirit lived amongst the crop and the harvest made it effectively homeless. People fashioned hollow shapes from the last sheaf of wheat or other grain. The corn spirit would then spend the winter in their homes until the "corn dolly" was ploughed into the first furrow of the new season, effectively returning the spirit to its home and the crops to life. (It's important to note that corn as we know it in the US is more universally referred to as "maize" and wasn't grown in Europe until relatively recently. The word "corn" generally applied to all of the ancient cereal crops.)

corn huskers dolly © 2002-2006 ear-parcel at deviantART

Modern Wiccans incorporate the corn dolly and its symbolism as part of our celebration of the turn of the Wheel of the Year. While most of us are no longer farming the land, the changing of the seasons and the ancient practices based on securing a successful Summer growing season, celebrating an abundant harvest in Autumn, providing food for the Winter, and ensuring the ability to grow new crops in the Spring take on a metaphoric place among our spiritual practice.

"Dolly" in this context is actually a corruption of the word "idol." While often the corn dolly is worked as an actual doll or straw figure of some sort, many traditions favored elaborate weavings that took many different shapes. The cornucopia that Americans associate with Thanksgiving was among the many corn dolly shapes. In Great Britain, where the practice of making corn dollies originated among ancient pagan peoples, there are very particular regional variations. Wikipedia has an interesting list of them.

Pagan Hearth Recipes has a great page on corn dollies that includes some regional folklore, a corn dolly poem, and instructions on how to make your own corn dolly. While it's more magickal if you make your own, I found a website for Maddy's Corn Dollies from which you can order a variety of beautiful dollies made in Wales.

Sir James Fraser discusses the Corn-mother and the Corn-maiden in Northern Europe and the harvest rituals that were being practiced at the beginning of the 20th century:

In the neighbourhood of Danzig the person who cuts the last ears of corn makes them into a doll, which is called the Corn-mother or the Old Woman and is brought home on the last waggon. In some parts of Holstein the last sheaf is dressed in women's clothes and called the Corn-mother. It is carried home on the last waggon, and then thoroughly drenched with water. The drenching with water is doubtless a rain-charm. In the district of Bruck in Styria the last sheaf, called the Corn-mother, is made up into the shape of a woman by the oldest married woman in the village, of an age from 50 to 55 years. The finest ears are plucked out of it and made into a wreath, which, twined with flowers, is carried on her head by the prettiest girl of the village to the farmer or squire, while the Corn-mother is laid down in the barn to keep off the mice. In other villages of the same district the Corn-mother, at the close of harvest, is carried by two lads at the top of a pole. They march behind the girl who wears the wreath to the squire's house, and while he receives the wreath and hangs it up in the hall, the Corn-mother is placed on the top of a pile of wood, where she is the centre of the harvest supper and dance.

The Golden Bough, Chapter 45

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 2:33 PM | Comments (2)

Lately it seems that every Esbat has taken on a deeper, more symbolic meaning than the obvious moon-phase effect we expect. The Full Moon on September 7th, coinciding as it did with a Lunar Eclipse, provided some powerful lunar energy indeed, pressing us to look more closely at the needs, lacks, and wants in our lives. The effects from that event are dovetailing into tomorrow's Solar Eclipse and New Moon. Add to the mix Saturday's Autumnal Equinox - our celebration of the Sabbat Mabon - and we get a magickal trifecta.

floral eclipse, © 2004-2006 ~ introversive at deviantART

There have been many forces at work to suggest that this is no ordinary September. Things are vibrating with a powerful energy that either is different from years past or simply coming to my attention for the first time. The confluence of these events is more interesting to me right now than a simple discussion of how to use this New Moon energy for spellwork (for those of you who like my timing and correspondence information, I have included them after the fold). Maybe it's just me, but it feels like something significant is about to break.

The New Moon on Friday, September 22nd arrives in the sign of Libra. A Libra New Moon brings up relationship issues, activities involving teamwork and cooperation, activities that involve self-examination, and activities related to beauty. We use New Moon energy to begin a new project or life phase, or to try to break out of old patterns. This is the time of the month when we should attempt to start or do these kinds of things. The New Moon is a time of looking within to locate the resources we need to affect the change we want for ourselves.

An Eclipse is a far more potent astrological event. Many people tend to fear eclipses, simply because they tend to bring about crises that lead to significant events or change. As we know from working with New Moon energy, this change can be very beneficial. Eclipses usually ask us to see that we are the ones to precipitate or attract change because our inner selves know that we need it. Human beings are progressive by nature, and although we might stay in situations that are making us miserable for longer than we should, deep down inside we know that change is necessary for growth.

Cafe Astrology has a terrific, detailed article on this Solar Eclipse, including how to interpret the affects of the Eclipse depending on where it falls in your personal astrological chart.

A Moon in Libra passing over the Sun seems like the perfect example of the balance between yin and yang, feminine and masculine, night and day. A moment of balance and harmony, but also of duality. The energies of this Moon and this Eclipse come together to highlight major themes of introspection, growth, change, letting go, and rebirth. Mabon, a stop on our journey around the Wheel of the Year, marks one of our celebrations of a bountiful harvest, of putting away food so that we can survive the winter to come, so that we - and the year - may live to see a new beginning in the Spring. So too, this New Moon gives us an opportunity to examine what we have experienced in the past year so that we can let go of what needs to be released in order to make room for new things. It's what the Wheel of the Year is all about. Life moves on in an ever-renewing circle. The Sun and the Moon are the beacons that show us the way.

Spell Work

For any of you who plan to use the Dark of the Moon to perform banishment spells or rituals, you'll want have things wrapped up before 7:45 tomorrow morning. Midnight would be perfect. The Moon will be void of course from 7:45 am until 9:06 am EDT Friday, when it makes its move into Libra.

The New Moon happens at 7:45 am. After that time, the Moon will move into its Waxing phase, which is the best time to perform all types of magick for healing, attracting good luck and increasing or advancing things. Some people believe that you shouldn't work any magick while the Moon is void-of-course, so you may want to wait until after 9:06 to perform your New Moon spells.

This New Moon is in Libra, which is ruled by Venus. The Libran nature is to search for harmony and balance, making this a good time for forming partnerships (friendships, marriage, business). It is an excellent time for artistic work and anything to do with affection, sentiment, sympathy, romance, friendship, beauty, pleasure, music, manners, art, attractiveness, values, appreciation and a sense of aesthetics. The New Moon gives us an opportunity for a fresh start. Once the Moon moves into its Waxing phase, it will be an excellent time to perform spells to increase any of these qualities in your life. Libra rules the kidneys, lower back, adrenal glands and ovaries. This also is a good time to do healing work for these parts of the body.

Correspondences

Color correspondences for a New Moon are silver or white. Goddesses with particular New Moon associations are Artemis and Nimue.

Libra correspondences:

Planet: Venus

Element: Air

Incense: galbanum

Colors: pastel green, royal blue, cerulean, black

Metal: copper

Crystals: opal, lapis lazuli, beryl, sapphire

Flowers: violet, white rose

Trees: almond, walnut, plum, myrtle

Birds: dove, swan, sparrow

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:23 PM | Comments (3)

Long before Eve got hold of one and Christianity promulgated the symbology of temptation and sin, apples were considered the fruits of life, symbols of love and happiness. "Golden apples of the sun" were often associated with goddesses like Freya, Hera, Idunn and Aphrodite and apples even had their own deity, the apple-goddess Pomona. Fairy-tale poisonings aside, witchcraft favors apples for love, seduction and divination, not for cursing. Apples possess strong magickal powers, corresponding to love, fertility, healing and immortality. If you slice one open horizontally, the pentacle is revealed within.

Apples, Vermont, 2003

Especially in our culture, September heralds a very apple-centric time of year. School begins and with it the modern mythology of bringing apples to the teacher. On bright sunny Saturdays when the air is crisp with the first hints of Autumn we revel in the glory of the weather and go apple picking - quintessential September fun. At the Autumnal Equinox we Wiccans celebrate Mabon, the second of the three harvest festivals, where apples are among the bounty of the feast. Favorite foods of the season begin to appear: caramel apples, apple cider and cider donuts.

With tomorrow's New Moon and Solar Eclipse coming right before Mabon, it seems like the perfect time to turn to the apple as a renewed source of love and abundance:

Apple Group Ritual for Good Luck

1. Distribute an apple to each person

2. While everyone holds an apple, make a wish or blessing. (One person may preside over the ritual or every individual might make personal wishes.)

3. Wish the assembled company good fortune and together eat the apples.

Source: The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Judika Illes

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 2:49 PM | Comments (2)

CNN reports that you can get official sick days from a witch doctor. If you live in Zimbabwe that is. Traditional healers and herbalists have the authority to grant up to a week of sick leave for their patients. If only that would work here!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

It's beautiful and sunny here in Boston - the perfect September day. And Cafe Astrology says that this is what the stars have in store for us today:

The Moon moves from introspective Cancer to outgoing Leo at 8:15 AM EDT. In Leo, the Moon is "sunny", dramatic, and generous. This is a self-expressive position of the Moon. We want to have fun, play, entertain, and get noticed. This is a time when we seek attention--when we want to stand out for our special qualities. It's a strong time for romance and any creative activity. The Moon connects to Mars tonight, heightening our feelings, awakening our impulses, and stirring our passions. Passionate liaisons occasionally begin under this transit. We are more in tune with our natural impulses, and less inclined to think things through before taking action. It's an excellent period for taking the initiative. Expressing our feelings comes naturally now, and we make no apologies for doing so! This transit gives us self-confidence and backbone without backlash from others. We are more resourceful and independent, and less demanding of people around us, which tends to earn us respect.

Works for me!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:14 PM | Comments (0)

What is one thing relating to your spiritual path that you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t due to lack of money, time, etc. (Examples could be….creating your own altar room, going to visit a historical monument related to your spirituality, etc).

Living as I do in a very small apartment in the city, I have always wanted to have an altar room that I could set up just so, with a place for tools and statuary and ingredients and books and everything else I could possibly want to have nearby for spellwork and other magick. My ex-fiance has an unfinished room in his house that, when we were still planning for me to move in, was going to become "my room". I dreamt about how I would finish it.

It would have a wooden floor with a compass and a pentacle inlaid into it for purposes of circle casting (and just because it would be cool). Along one wall I would have built-in bookcases and cabinets to store all of my reference books, ingredients, tools, etc.

The room has a huge picture window that overlooks the woods and beyond them the lake. I was going to put my main altar under it. The full moon always shines so brightly over that side of the house; it would be amazing to look at through that window.

I planned to scout around to find one of those old zinc tables that they had in high school chemistry lab to use as a table for mixing potions, burning candles, and magick that requires burning paper or anything else that might best be performed on a durable, non-flammable surface. And then I was going to furnish the room with soft, warm throw rugs, a reading chair and lamp, a desk, a comfy sofa for visitors and naps.

The room has it's own bathroom, also unfinished. I would tile it completely so that it would be a safe place for leaving candles burning. I liked the idea of using white purple and green glass tiles and a built-in tiled shower with little nooks and niches for candles and other things. I found a replica of the hugh pedestal sink I had in San Francisco that was rectangular and has lots of room to place things on. The bathroom would become another sacred space, used for ritual cleansing and working with water.

sigh

This room in that particular house was not meant to be, which is sad because I connected very strongly to the spirits in those woods. But maybe some day, somewhere else, in another house, I will get to have my dream altar room.

Thank you to Witches Weekly for the Q&A.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:25 AM | Comments (2)

A recent discussion thread among the Spells for Democracy group I belong to asked if people knew about wearing a purple ribbon on Mabon/Alban Elued/Autumnal Equinox to show solidarity for all Pagans. This practice actually refers to a campaign created by Fellowship of the Earth:

The Purple Ribbon Campaign was created in 1997 by Fellowship of the Earth to show solidarity of kindred spirits. "Fight the Fear" is the slogan chosen to represent the Purple Ribbons. Like many ribbon campaigns, this is a way for us to outwardly show our support for religious tolerance and the freedom to believe in our own paths. Pagans and those of Goddess or Nature centered spirituality are misunderstood by most people with mainstream religious backgrounds.

We believe that it is fear that fuels the fires of misunderstanding and intolerance. In order to ease the fear people have of others beliefs, we have adapted this ribbon campaign as our way of promoting respect and tolerance of all belief and non-belief systems. We all are on different paths with the same goal. None is more sacred than another. Everyone has their own personal connection to their spirituality, but regardless of what or who we call Goddess or God everyone should be able to worship in their own way without persecution.

The color purple for this particular campaign was chosen because of it's highly spiritual symbolism. Many cultures and religions signify the color purple with a higher spiritual calling. It's the favorite color of many Pagans I know, and it's a color most everyone seems drawn to. It's warm yet cool, a balance of the color energies.

In theory, I stand behind all of the ideals behind the "Fight The Fear" campaign. I like the idea of making a gesture of solidarity with my fellow Pagans and I staunchly support freedom of religion. But today the wearing of a colored ribbon is a universally accepted method of showing support for a cause and a witch wearing a purple ribbon to work would certainly be asked what the ribbon was for. Most people would be entirely well-meaning, simply wishing to express sympathetic support for your cause and wanting to know what it was. Doubtless, this is an intentional part of the campaign's design. When we are called to answer the question of what the purple ribbon stands for, we are then called upon to defend our freedom to practice our religion, whatever that religion may be.

Therein lies the challenge of participating in this campaign - it requires us to make the decision to be open to others about who we are. The desire to ease others' fear, to promote religious tolerance and to express solidarity with other Pagans is noble. Some may feel strongly about taking this opportunity to make a stand, to openly fight the fear people have of those whose faith is different from their own. Others may agree with the campaign in principle but remain reticent about making the step toward being so open. I'm sure it's the same personal dilemma that has faced many who fought for civil rights and other freedoms throughout the history of those struggles. Each of us must choose how much it is possible for us to do.

Beside the obvious issues of some people not being "out" at work or in other public areas of their lives, some people in the Spells for Democracy group expressed concerns that this would make us easy targets for discrimination and attack. We all have heard stories about witches who have been threatened with losing their children, who have literally been driven out of their homes. It would be understandable to chose not to make an outward gesture if you didn't feel safe doing so in your particular situation or environment.

If you want to participate in some way to show your solidarity with other Pagans but don't want to be put in the position of "outing" yourself or lying - neither of which appeals to many - some suggested options are to wear a purple t-shirt, a purple pair of shoes, or a hair ribbon as Fellowship of the Earth suggests. Those who can be more open could wear their purple ribbon, but those who wish to be more discreet could choose one of the other options or wear the ribbon hidden in some way. Whichever choice you make, it seems to me that your intention is more important than the actual action you take. The power of your intention will serve to amplify the energy raised by all others who are participating in the campaign.

To learn more about the campaign, go to the Fellowship of the Earth website. In addition to selling purple ribbons that have been blessed by the light and power of a Full Moon, they also provide banners you can post on your website.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 12:40 PM | Comments (3)

Well, the reviews are in and dude, they, like, suck.

Jason Pitzi-Waters at The Wild Hunt concludes his Wicker Man Remake Watch by telling us that Witches' Voice hated it. And the other reviews I've read about the movie are undoubtedly more entertaining than the movie is.

Ruthe Stein, movie critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, had this to say in her review:

Don't go into the woods is an admonition that should be heeded not just by prepubescent girls but also by actors. Nicolas Cage's finest hours are not spent frantically running through a forest in "The Wicker Man,'' especially when he must do so dressed in a bear suit. The reason for his laughable getup has to do with a pagan ritual portentously known as the Day of Death and Rebirth.

The movie itself is a kind of rebirth, or remake, as they say in the biz. The original 1973 version has become a cult classic. It is totally creepy, while the new model, while well intentioned, is only occasionally so. It's hard to sustain a scary mood when suddenly something unintentionally funny happens, such as Cage's cell phone ringing in a desolate area where reception would be highly unlikely.

My personal favorite, however, is a review by Gina Carbone for the Portsmouth Herald:

Sometimes you should listen to the local “Mean Girls.”

“That was worse than ‘The Village,’” one Alpha girl said, walking out of “The Wicker Man” in Newington. “Note to directors, ‘Don’t make horror movies about, like, the Amish.”

Disregarding the fact that nobody in either film was Amish, she has a point. But I might rephrase it as “Don’t remake cult classics about the modern culture clash between pagans and Christians, remove the religious subtext, add misogyny masked as female empowerment, substitute bees for suspense, try to market it as mainstream horror with an A-list star and be surprised when it, like, fails.”

I'm laughing my ass off all the way to the movie theater - to, like, see something else!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 6:08 PM | Comments (1)

For the past couple of days I have been getting the distinct impression that tomorrow's Full Moon in Pisces and Lunar Eclipse have serious things in store for all of us. Today, everyone I talked to had a really difficult day, mostly work-wise, and I have to believe that it has something to do with the Moon's power and position. What is going on?

Cafe Astrology puts it best:

This month's Full Moon is a Lunar Eclipse, with the Sun in Virgo opposing the Moon in Pisces. Lunar Eclipses are about relationships and polarities. With the Virgo-Pisces service axis involved, and as part of the Virgo New Moon cycle that began on August 23rd, this Lunar Eclipse presses us to look more closely at our needs, lacks, and wants in our lives. We are pushed to find a balance between day-to-day functions and routines, physical health, and the need for order (Virgo) and vision, spiritual health, disorder, and the infinite (Pisces). Virgo rules the tools and techniques that we use to deal with day-to-day life, while Pisces rules the tools that we use to deal with our spiritual selves. Some sort of crisis (which can be a crisis of consciousness) or sudden awareness of a lack in our lives provides us with a golden opportunity to explore our emotional needs within the context of the house polarity where the eclipse occurs in our natal charts. Relationships may be challenged, broken, or strengthened dramatically at this time. Our discovery is emotionally charged and dramatic. Epiphanies are likely at this time as we become acutely aware of our lack. This understanding can propel us into positive action.

Although the Full Moon can be an opportune time for casting fertility spells, I think that this month's Full Moon, under the power of the Eclipse and Pisces' tendency to bring us psychic impressions, we really should be concentrating on the Full Moon's power to support us in problem-solving magick and divination.

Little Birds © 2006 BlueBlack at deviantArt

A Moon in Pisces is the best time to work magick involving dream work, clairvoyance, and telepathy. Some people experience stirrings of vague memories (often identified as past lives) or insights into the spiritual meaning of current situations.

The Full Moon is the culmination of the Moon’s cycle, and the beginning of the waning phase. The two weeks following the Full Moon are a good period for working on ourselves, finalizing things, processing information, wrapping up, and letting go of the things we don’t need any more. This Piscean Moon will give us the psychic power to know what these things are.

A Lunar Eclipse is a very special Full Moon that brings particular import to the decisions we make, things we let go of, and things we finish during the waning cycle that follows the Full Moon. Many people fear eclipses because they tend to bring about a crisis that leads to a significant event or change. Right now, with the influences that are at work, this change is most likely to be for our benefit. We are likely to intuit the steps necessary to precipitate or to attract changes because our inner guides know that we need it. Human beings are progressive by nature, and although we might stay in situations that are making us miserable for longer than we should, deep down inside we know that change is necessary for growth.

Full Moons in general, and Lunar Eclipses in particular, are times of high emotion, and they bring awareness. The Sun and the Moon, our animus and our emotions, are on opposite sides of the sky, as if the other were a mirror. This is a time of mirroring, we can see ourselves in others if only we are willing to look.

The Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse occur Thursday, September 7th at 2:42 pm EDT.

Some common correspondences with the September Full Moon are listed below.

Correspondences

My Mother's Moon 2004-2006 TheGoodWitch at deviantArt

The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon, so this is the most powerful time for any magickal work. In addition to being an ideal time for dream work, clairvoyance and telepathy, a Full Moon in Pisces is also beneficial for work involving music and the creative arts. Pisces rules the feet; now is the time to perform healing rituals for ailments of the feet. It also can be a good time for healing of the lymph glands.

The Full Moon is a time of strength, love and power. At this time the Moon represents the Goddess in her Mother aspect. We should take the time to honor the Mother Goddesses: Cerridwen, Isis, Anu, Hera, Demeter, Freya, Luna, Diana, Frigg, Morrigan, Ceres, Nepthys, Ch'ang-O.

The September Full Moon is known primarily as the Harvest Moon, but often is also referred to as the Fruit Moon, Barley Moon, Moon of the Wise, or the Crone Moon. The Celts associated the September Full Moon with the Hazel tree and used its energy for manifestation, protection and fertility.

The energy of the September Full Moon inspires us to rest after labor, to strike a balance between the light and dark aspects of ourselves and our lives. We feel energized to organize and to clean and straighten up physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter.

Other September Full Moon correspondences:

Nature Spirits: trooping fairies
?Herbs: copal, hennel, rye, wheat, valerian, skullcap
?Colors: brown, yellow-green, yellow
?Flowers: narcissus, lily
?Scents: storax, mastic, gardenia, bergamot
?Stones: peridot, olivine, chrysolite, citrine
?Trees: hazel, larch, bay
?Animals: snake, jackal
?Birds: ibis, sparrow

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 8:25 PM | Comments (3)

Although the Autumnal Equinox is still nearly three weeks away, today is the day that many of us think of as the first day of Autumn. It is the day after Labor Day; the day when summer houses are closed and children return to school. Somehow we can just feel the presence of Autumn already in the air. And soon the social and cultural season will whirl back to life as the symphony, the ballet and all manner of other activities resume after taking summer hiatus.

I'm not sure if this is because, being on the East Coast, we feel the changes of the seasons more distinctly, but when I am 90 I will still associate this time of year with the beginning of school and the excitement that always meant for me as a child. New books, new shoes, new classes, new adventures.

To quote Joe Fox from You've Got Mail:

Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies.

This year I actually will be buying school supplies. How exciting!

I've been giving quite a bit of thought to what Red Raven has to say about Nature and Culture:

Not only are we seeking to build a religion that's sensitive to the cycles of the natural world, we're working out how to do this within a specific cultural framework. This is why many of us prefer the term "culture-based" paganism over "nature-based."

It occurred to me yesterday, after considering my own musings on being a witch in the city, that it might be appropriate to develop a ritual to mark the change we feel at this time of year. Seasonal to an extent, the change is more accurately cultural, based as it is on our memories of going back to school and the experience of beginning a new cultural season. Although no less important than observing Mabon, the traditional Sabbat, a new ritual to acknowledge and celebrate our "culture-based paganism" seems right for this self-proclaimed Grey Witch.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 4:19 PM | Comments (2)

This is a response to the callout from Steph at The Witch Within for "bloggers with boobs" to get ready for the Fifth Annual Blogger Boobie-Thon for Breast Cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Boobie-Thon will start accepting pledges on October 1st to raise money for the prestigious Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

They're looking for donations of another nature now! As witches who are accustomed to celebrating the goddess within, why not celebrate the goddess without for a good cause?

Boobie-Thon started as a joke among blogger girlfriends and a grassroots effort to buy a plane ticket so that one of them wouldn't have to spend Thanksgiving alone. It has since become a fundraiser for breast cancer that in its first four years has raised over $26,000.

In the spirit of blog sisterhood that launched Boobie-Thon, each year the first $359 raised — the price of the original plane ticket — is earmarked for a "bloggers helping bloggers" charity. This year, that charity will be Children's Hospital Boston. The remaining funds go directly to Komen.

In response to criticism they've received about the method of their fundraising, the founders of the event say that Boobie-Thon is:

Basically a celebration of boobies in order to save them...they're a common bond we all share in one form or another. We mean no harm to those who have had their lives and bodies permanently altered by the horrors of breast cancer — and in fact, we encourage survivors to submit their photos in order to remind everyone just why we're here in the first place!

If you'd like to "donate" a photo, here are Boobie-Thon's submission guidelines, including a link for uploading your photo. For ideas and inspiration, check out the 2005 photos. (These are boobies. We're all adults here. Only you know if this is work safe for you or not!)

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 8:53 AM | Comments (1)

No, it's not another Quizilla quiz (which I sometimes find fun) - it's an issue I've been mulling over while bunches of blog posts and book passages and other random bits of information have been floating about in my brain, turning into some kind of collective stew that hasn't quite congealed yet.

I've referred to myself on occasion as a green witch. This was because I had read a definition of "green witch" that essentially equated this path with the practice of a simpler folk magick, as opposed to formal, ceremonial, ritual-based magick. That definition certainly applies to me, so when trying to describe my path to others I've taken to using that terminology. But other sources have described being a green witch as one who is an herbalist, who works spells and mixes potions with a close affinity for and use of nature. Well, that's not quite me. Living in the city, it's difficult to live as a truly green witch, even if you are a skilled herbalist, which I'm not. So, if I'm not exactly a green witch, then what color witch am I?

Lately I've been reading Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein's book The Urban Primitive: Paganism In The Concrete Jungle. Another of my favorite books on the topic of being a witch in the city is Christopher Penczak's City Magick. One of the ideas that is common to both books is that the city has sources of energy unique to its urban essence and that we, as witches, can work with that energy just as we can work with the energy of trees, rocks, and oceans. These authors would argue that typical man-made constructs in an urban environment are no less from nature, although they do not fit many pagan ideals of being from the earth. All matter is natural. In the city, it just finds its way into forms that have evolved far from the states in which we find matter in the woods or in a meadow. In the city we have power lines, concrete, steel, and glass. Neon even!

Other sources of city energy are the radiated feelings and psychic residue from the vast number of its inhabitants. This energy is intense because of the density of living beings in the city. And by extension - and given that cities tend to be where hospitals are located - more people die in cities. Ghosts are much thicker here than in rural or suburban areas. All of this energy combines into a great, soupy morass made up of all of the disparate kinds of energy these beings exude.

If we try to imagine a color that might best represent the forms that energy in the city takes, the closest we might come (neon notwithstanding) is grey. So then, as an urban witch, does that make me a grey witch? It's actually an intriguing thought.

The primary association with the color grey is neutrality. Grey is a color of darkness tempered by light, a balancer of positive and negative, a color of complexity. In magick, grey is used to achieve balance, for attuning to the spirit world, to learn peace and patience, veiling, invisibility, and to assist with vision quests, theft and dreams. It also has to do with neutralization, cancellation, protection, grounding and hex deflecting.

The Urban Primitive posits that one of the most important things that the city witch must learn to do is self protect. We all learn to be street savvy and watchful for physical predators, but we also need to develop the ability to protect ourselves from energy:

... city dwellers need just as much to protect themselves from the constant swirl and fog of energy that billows and throbs in great glittering invisible clouds all around them. Effects of being immersed in that energy all the time range from fatigue to forgetfulness to depression. It's as if your third eye is constantly exposed to a strobe light, with the resulting dull headache. You need to be able to escape from the city's energy vortex, for your own health.

When we think of green, we think of healing. Herbs are used in remedies to heal a world of ills. Just as green witches are skilled herbalists, perhaps grey witches are those who are called upon to be skilled neutralizers of the immense amount of city energy around them. Just as green witches provide healing for themselves and others, so can grey witches achieve balance for ourselves and others through a uniquely urban approach to magick. Spells not only to protect us from harmful effects of the exuberance and abundance of urban energy, but also to provide patience standing in queues, to provide invisibility from psychic predators on the subway, and to deflect thieves who might be tempted to lurk on our fire escapes.

So now, if I'm called upon to define what kind of witch I am, I'll say: I am a Grey Witch!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:57 PM | Comments (7)

I love wind. To feel its power is exhilarating and borders on the frightening sometimes. But to walk in the wind is energizing in a way that few other things are. Before the rain comes, I think I'm going to go out to walk in the wind that I can hear blowing down the street.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:55 PM | Comments (1)

A few days ago I wrote about an article I'd read at ABC News online about the new movie Wicker Man. My interest was not so much in the movie as in the sympathetic treatment the author gave witches and Wicca. This morning, in my Google News inbox, I found a link to another ABC News Story: A Primer on Paganism: Witch Movie Opens This Weekend, Know Before You Go by Hari Sreenivasan.

The whole point of the article seems to be to set people straight on any misconceptions they may have about Pagans and Wiccans - perhaps in light of what I've already figured out is the conclusion of the film. This strikes me as remarkably responsible of ABC and unprecedented in my experience. I've never seen the mainstream media go out of its way to report accurately about Wicca, much less devote an entire article to it. What's going on over there at ABC? Not that I'm complaining!

A few things that particularly caught my attention were Sreenivasan's accurate definition of pagan, her explanation of Wicca as a particular faith among many, and the effort to discuss the historical role and persecution of witches. This is nothing that can't be found in any intro to witchcraft book, but I've rarely seen a news article contain this much factual and accurate information about witchcraft. In fact, Sreenivasan wrote something I hadn't read anywhere before:

Ever wonder why all the caricatures of witches include long noses, ears and chins? Susan said it is something that naturally happens when you reach very very old ages - a buildup of extra cartilage - so these women in the Middle Ages who might have lived to be 90 or 100 were more than anomalies, considering how short the life expectancy was for people of that era. Those who didn't understand how the witches were healing themselves, feared them.

Susan Weed is a high priestess in the Dianic tradition who lives near Woodstock, New York. Sreenivasan interviewed her for this article and visited Weed's home.

Another thing that struck me about Sreenivasan's writing is her use of the word witch throughout the story. She never tries to employ euphemisms or avoid this word that generally carries such a negative connotation in mainstream American culture.

It's a nice article and worth a quick read.

Hari Sreenivasan's article and the earlier one by Buck Wolf are remarkable to me mainly for the reason that they actually happened. At ABC News no less. One of the reasons why the blogosphere has become the juggernaut that it has is that so many people were tired of the mainstream news media reporting factually incorrect stories with no research to back them up. And witches almost always get a bad rap in the press. It is sad, though, when the most significant thing you take away from a piece of writing was amazement that it wasn't ignorant bigotry.

I am a bit curious, still, as to why ABC is choosing to feature such Wicca-friendly journalism. I'm trying not to succumb to the cynical view that they're merely fending off a law suit or have some other agenda. But the appearance of these articles is enough to make me take a closer look at ABC. Not a particular fan of network television, I may just have to consider the possibility that ABC is the one to witch!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 10:25 AM | Comments (1)

If it isn't yet happy hour where you are, it will be soon. Why not try some good, old-fashioned Celtic ale? And when I say old-fashioned, I'm not kidding! Scotland's Heather Ale has resurrected a number of centuries-old recipes for historic ales using gooseberry, spruce, elderberry, seaweed and, of course, heather.

Grozet is Auld Scots for "Gooseberry"

From the Gaelic Groseid. Since at least the 16th century Scots monks and alewives brewed indigenous drinks from cereals, wild herbs and ripe fruits. Tibbie Shiels green Grozet was immortalised by such Scots literati as Sir Walter Scott, Jas Hogg (The Ettrick shepherd) and Robert Burns, who considered it a most convivial drink.

Brewed with lager malt, wheat, bog myrtle, hops and meadowsweet then secondary fermented with ripe Scottish gooseberries. A pale golden beer, with a refreshing fruit aroma, clean palete, fruity wheat flavour and crisp finish. Recommended with, light foods, pastas and salads. Drink well chilled in a tall glass.

Alba is Gaelic for "Scotland"

Introduced by the Vikings, spruce and pine ales were very popular in the Scottish Highlands until the end of the 19th century. Many early explorers, including Captain Cook, used spruce ale during long sea voyages since it prevented scurvy and ill health. Shetland spruce ale was said to "stimulate animal instincts" and give you twins. Alba is a triple style ale brewed to a traditional Highland recipe from Scots pine and spruce shoots pickled during early spring. Pure malted barley is boiled with the young sprigs of pine for several hours then the fresh shoots of the spruce are added for a short infusion before fermentation.

A tawny brown strong ale with spruce aroma, rich malt texture, complex wood flavour and lingering finish. Best drunk at room temperature from a wine goblet as an after dinner digestive.

Fraoch is Gaelic for "Heather"

Brewed in Scotland since 2000 B.C. heather ale is probably the oldest style of ale still produced in the world. From an ancient Gaelic recipe for leann fraoich (heather ale) it has been revived and reintroduced to the Scottish culture.

Into the boiling bree of malted barley, sweet gale and flowering heather are added. Then, after cooling slightly, the hot ale is poured into a vat of fresh heather flowers where it infuses for an hour before being fermented.

A light amber ale with floral peaty aroma, full malt character, a spicy herbal flavour and dry wine-like finish. Recommended with rich and spicy foods. Drink slightly chilled from a fluted glass.

(They make a "Pictish" version of their Heather Ale that seems to be a limited edition sort of thing. This Pictish Nixie wants to get her hands (and lips!) on some of that!)

Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale

Introduced to Scotland by Welsh druids in the 9th Century, elderberry black ale was part of the Celtic Autumn festivals when the "elders" would make this strong ale and pass the drink round the people of the village. The recipe was taken from a 16th-century record of domestic drinking in the Scottish Highlands. Elderberries were used for many natural remedies to cure sciatica, other forms of neuralgia, influenza and rhumatism as they contain tannins and fruit oils.

Ebulum is made from roasted oats, barley and wheat boiled with herbs then fermented with ripe elderberries. A rich black ale with fruit aroma, silky soft texture, soft roasted flavour and gentle finish. Recommended with stewed and baked foods. Drink lightly chilled from a straight glass.

Kelpie Seaweed Ale

At least four hundred years ago, the coastal and Island farmers of Scotland used seaweed beds to grow their cereal crops. This barley produced very interesting flavours in the ale and whiskey they produced. Including bladderwrack seaweed in the mash tun along with organic barley gives this wholesome dark ale a distinctive flavour.

Rich chocolate ale with an aroma of sea breeze, a distinctive roast flavour and a crisp salty finish. Perfect with seafood and breads. Drink lightly chilled in a wine glass.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 6:01 PM | Comments (1)

Remember that old superstition from childhood - on the first day of the month you had to say "rabbit, rabbit" before you got out of bed? It was to bring you good luck for the rest of the month. Today is September 1st (so hard to believe it's here already). Did you say it?

© =wenndy at deviantART

Today is going to be "down the rabbit hole" day at Blogickal, where everything will be just a bit kooky and you never know what will happen or where we'll end up!

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where -" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"As long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explantion.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if only you walk long enough."

(Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)

Care to join me?

Info on Rabbit, Rabbit

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 8:30 AM | Comments (1)