As I sit here preparing to say good-bye to 2006 and indulging in a few decadent pleasures of food and drink before I embark on a new year of healthy living, lots of thoughts on how to wrap things up are floating in and out of my mind. I could be philosophical or whimsical, statistical or mystical. Truth is, I'm happy to be sitting here in my apartment watching Tivo'd episodes of my favorite TV and planning to just go to bed when I get sleepy, letting the old year slip quietly into the new without the fanfare of noise makers or confetti. I'm ready simply to wake up tomorrow to a bright and shining new year, filled with hope and promise.

Sunrise III © 2005-2006 JPP at deviantART

Brightest blessings and all best wishes for a 2007 filled with love and prosperity!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 5:37 PM | Comments (2)

Fighting to Stay Awake is hosting a Blog Post of the Year Contest. Bloggers are asked to pick our personal favorite post "written by you on your own blog (it can be funny, controversial, insightful - as long as it’s original)," written in 2006.

I decided that my criteria for choosing a submission would be that the post had to be universally accessible, an inspired idea of my own (as opposed to a response to a news item or someone else's blog post), covering a subject where I was able to offer some particular insight, and work that served to represent well certain Wiccan and pagan beliefs.

2006 was a good year for Blogickal. As I look back over the many posts I wrote throughout the year I realize that I managed a number of wise and insightful moments. The difficult part is deciding which post to submit. Below is a list of some of my favorite posts from 2006 that meet the criteria I've set for myself. I'd love to have comments and votes for your favorites to help me choose one that will be Blog Post of the Year worthy.

I'm eager to hear your thoughts on the following:

Epiphany

How Do You Solve A Problem Like St. Patrick?

Proof

I Am A Grey Witch

Nine of Pentacles: Feminist Icon

Perhaps there is another post I've overlooked that you think is better. I'm open to any suggestions.

Submissions must be made between January 3rd at Midnight EST and January 4th 11:59 PM EST. I'll let you know what happens!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 12:10 PM | Comments (1)

By way of Hecate I came across T. Thorn Coyle's musings on the subject of making ourselves strong to prepare for possible hardship to come. I tend to get my knickers in a twist worrying well enough about things happening in my own little sphere of the world; thinking too much about the "persistent current of impending doom" is enough to send me over the edge. But I also don't believe in being an ostrich with my head in the sand either. So what Thorn has to say struck a chord in me. Particularly this:

How are you in a crisis? What are you doing to get stronger? Are you doing more yoga? Lifting more weights? Are you looking at your propensity to explode or to hide? Are you figuring out how to bolster your alternative communities into more viable networks of support? Are you learning to govern yourself? Learning to garden? Buying less? Re-using more? Are you learning not to always place the blame on other people? Are you telling your friends how much you appreciate them? Are you crying when you need to and laughing when you wish? Stopping to smell the flowers? Are you spreading beauty as far and wide as possible? Pick two from this random list, or add two of your own. But do them. Two of them. At least.

Doom only spells doom if we let it. We should throw parties in the coming year and go dancing. We should also sit longer spells in meditation and at our altars. We should make it into a wild space at least once, and support those who are defending the last of our wild spaces. We should feed strangers. We should get as physically and mentally healthy as we can.

Have what you need and need what you have. A cold wind may blow, but we can keep each other warm.

Not only does this resonate with messages that have been coming out through the shamanic work I've been doing but it fits with my own personal conviction that with this new year comes a new attitude about my life, my health, my magick. I too am going to start doing yoga again. I'm going to start the new year with a healing cleanse. I am going to stop making excuses for not making my practice of the craft a natural part of every day. I am going to be more present in my own damn life!

What are you going to do?

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:07 AM | Comments (1)

I laughed. I couldn't help myself.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:19 PM | Comments (1)

Well, if you consider coverage in the Boston Globe to be the big time.

On Thursday, the Globe ran an article, Ho, ho, no!, highlighting some of the alternative holiday celebrations in the area:

Sure, everybody says ‘‘Happy Holidays,’’ but do they really mean it? Do any of your sensitive secular friends and relations have any idea what people do if they’re not waiting for Santa under the mistletoe? Whether you’re ready for a quiet evening by the fire, a ritual to honor ancient gods and goddesses, or a singles dance, all of winter’s delights await you. Be merry — but only if you want to.

The article included a brief interview with my friend, Carolyn, and a mention of tonight's Yule celebration:

YULE CIRCLE Dec. 23

Yule, or the winter solstice, is the longest night of the year, when many Pagans celebrate the rebirth of the sun. ‘‘It’s a very spirited, happy time,’’ says Carolyn Kepes, director of Lap of the Goddess Productions, which hosts a Yule ritual that night. To help people reflect on the seasons, spirits, and their lives, celebrant Christopher Penczak will ritually form the circle, then tell the story of Yule, when the young sun god emerges from the dark. Drumming, chants, and a guided meditation will help participants discover ‘‘what it is within ourselves we are rebirthing at this time,’’ Kepes said. The group will share sweet cakes and drinks to celebrate the ‘‘sweetness of community’’ that helps people survive this dark time. Participants are encouraged to wear festive dress, and newcomers and people of all faiths are welcome: The entire ritual will be explained before the ceremony begins. ‘‘Lots of people can relate to Yule,’’ Kepes says.

Masonic Hall, 1950 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-591-0209. Preregistration at 6:30 p.m.; ritual runs from 7-9. $15-$25 (sliding scale).

Since Unicorn Books in Porter Square closed its doors a few months ago, our local pagan community has been without a physical location to meet and hold classes. But Carolyn, through her fledgling production company In The Lap of the Goddess, has continued to hold Sabbat rituals, Full Moon circles, classes and other events in various locations around the Boston area. As a PR and marketing professional, I appreciate what a great boost this coverage will bring to her and her company

Carolyn's dedication to our community and the effort she has taken to keep us together is tremendous. It's wonderful to see her, our community and our Yule event receive such prominent recognition. We hope to see a few new faces at ritual tonight.

Wishing everyone a Blessed Yule!

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 2:10 PM | Comments (2)

My favorite resource for understanding the historic, symbolic and spiritual significance of the Celtic foundations for our Wiccan celebration of the turning of the Wheel of Year is Mara Freeman's book Kindling the Celtic Spirit: Ancient Traditions to Illumine Your Life Through the Seasons. It is organized in twelve monthly chapters that include seasonally appropriate mythology, folklore, literary references, crafts and recipes. Each chapter concludes with a meditation designed to promote personal and spiritual growth as we move through the cycle of the year: The Inner Cauldron.

The cauldron is one of Wicca's most powerful and revered objects. It is a symbol of transmutation, germination, and transformation. But above all it symbolizes the womb and the Goddess. The belief that the cauldron symbolizes the womb of the Great Goddess arises from the concept that everything is born out of it and returns to it. The cauldron mysteries are an integral part of Wiccan mythos.

Cauldrons have held a magical significance in many cultures throughout the centuries. In ancient Ireland, it was believed, cauldrons were never depleted of food during feasts. In ancient times they were use for human sacrifice, which was related to death and rebirth. In Greek mythology the Witch goddess Medea restored people to youth in a magic cauldron. In Celtic lore the cauldron is the symbol of the Underworld. In Greek and Roman mythology the cauldron was hidden in a cave. Some relate the cauldron to the Holy Grail (since the Grail is supposedly the chalice used by Christ at the Last Supper), and speculate this was why some Christians were not too eager to seek the Grail because of its association with the cauldron and the Goddess. One of the most famous cauldrons is the Gundestrup cauldron, now housed in the National Museum of Denmark, which dates back to the Second or First Century BC. The cauldron depicts Celtic deities and rituals and is believed to be druidic.

What better place to return to contemplate renewal on this, the darkest day of the year, on the eve of the birth of the Sun, than to the sacred cauldron?

Renewal

We have arrived at last at the close of the year, a time of endings and new beginnings. At Winter Solstice the seed of light is tightly folded within the bud of darkness. From now on, as the days grow longer, the sun-seed slowly unfurls from this center, through the spring days of Imbolc and Beltaine, to its full flowering at Summer Solstice. At this point it will reach the outermost ring of the year's spiral and begin to contract slowly toward the center once again. Perhaps this is the meaning of the spiral art carved by the ancient ones on the walls at Newgrange, aligned as it is to this most important time of the year. (It is also believed that there may be a hidden passage on the other side of the mound, aligned to the Summer Solstice sunset.)

As we look toward the threshold of a new year, we become more aware of our journey as a spiral that circles around yet continually moves us onward to the next cycle of our soul's evolution. Amid all the busy Christmas preparations, it is important to take some time to tune into the deep, dark womb of the year's midnight, to feel and enjoy the quiet interval that comes when the curtain has gone down over the stage of this year's rich drama and the new play has not yet commenced. (In my experience, a failure to take the "down" time in winter is the real reason behind those cold and flu bugs that make us rest whether we want to or not.) In the [year's final] meditation, we enter the silence of the Earth itself to experience its mysteries and to prepare for our rebirth into the light of a new cycle.

(Freeman, 2000, p. 377-378)

Sources:
Alan G. Hefner (1997-2006). the MYSTICA: An online encyclopedia of the occult, mysticism, magic, paranormal and more.

Freeman, Mara (2000). Kindling the Celtic Spirit: Ancient traditions to illumine your life throughout the seasons. New York: HarperSanFrancisco.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:22 PM | Comments (0)

This New Moon comes a day before the Winter Solstice, which is a time of equal light and dark, representing the birth of the Sun, and ushers in the Waxing year. We have a unique and ideal moment to banish the last things lingering from the old year before we concentrate on building a new year and celebrating the return of the Sun and new opportunities for growth. Tonight's Dark Moon will be about as dark as they come and an excellent time to work any magick that calls upon Hecate, Goddess of the Crossroads, to help us leave behind that which no longer serves and to point us in the right direction to embark upon the next phase of our journey.

Tonight, Tonight © 2004-2006 Chobi at deviantART

Cafe Astrology, my favorite resource for all matters astrological, has this to say about tomorrow's New Moon:

A New Moon in Sagittarius occurs at 9:01 AM EST. This is an ideal time to focus on some of the constructive traits of the sign of the Archer--optimistic, enthusiastic, adventurous, honest, outspoken, independent--and consider how to positively incorporate these qualities into our lives. It's time to focus on goals that will increase our understanding and awareness, give us courage to expand our horizons, and gain confidence and optimism through a broader perspective. We can too easily get lost in the details of mundane existence. With this potent Sagittarius energy, we can find ways to transcend these details of day-to-day life and nurture our faith, hope, and vision. Because Sagittarius thinks in big terms, we may have a tendency to overdo our expectations--something to watch for. It's time to be a little more adventurous, and to set the stage for reaping the rewards from our braveries, as little or big as they may be, in approximately two weeks' time after the Full Moon occurs. Note that the Cazimi Moon (from 8:29 AM and 9:33 AM EST) is considered a very potent period for new endeavors. The Moon enters Capricorn at 11:39 AM EST.

The Moon is void of course from 9:01 AM EST, with its last aspect before changing signs (a conjunction to the Sun), until the Moon enters Capricorn at 11:39 AM.

Most witches agree that a void-of-course Moon is not optimum for spell work, which makes New Moon spells tricky to time this month. My advice is to use any time before 9:01 am EST to work banishing or releasing spells and to wait until the Moon enters Capricorn - and is in a Waxing phase - to work any spells intended to manifest anything new. However, given the potential brought about by the Cazimi Moon, I suppose it's best to consider that which you hope to create in your life and evaluate what energy is most beneficial to your workings. Does a Cazimi Moon trump a void-of-course? Only you will know for sure.

In any case, the idea of spending some time considering how we might increase understanding and awareness, find courage to expand our horizons, and gain confidence and optimism through a broader perspective certainly seems a worthwhile way to prepare for the blessings of Yule. Embracing the last of Sagittarius' energy to meditate on how to incorporate these goals into the Waxing year makes sense, regardless of what the Moon is up to.

After a tumultuous year of personal and professional upheaval, my inclination for using the New Moon and new year energies centers around magick for finding a new job. It's interesting that an overwhelming majority of my Witchcraft 3 classmates have been having similar experiences. I don't think I'm alone in hoping that the new year will bring a new job and some new opportunities along with it. While I don't like Saturn's contracting influence, Capricorn, with its focus on material ambition and work, can be a good fit for a job spell. All other energies taken into consideration, this New Moon does seem auspicious for new job magick.

Crown of Success Employment Spells

The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells has a number of great job-related spells. My favorites are the ones using Crown of Success Oil. Crown of Success Oil assists in finding a job, landing the job, and keeping the job. It's also used to promote general professional success and to aid in career advancement, including promotions and greater financial benefits. Crown of Success Oil can be used to enhance any other employment charm or spell.

Crown of Success Oil

Essential oil of bay laurel or dried crushed bay leaves
Essential oil of frankincense or the powdered resin
Essential oil of sandalwood or the powder
Essential oil of vetiver or dried, powdered vetiver roots

Add the above to a blend of sunflower, olive, and/or jojoba oil.

Crown of Success Spell (1)

Crown of Success may be applied to the body so that by radiating its magic, you serve as a charm. Add Crown of Success to your bath, or massage it on to your body, especially your hands and feet.

Crown of Success Spell (2)

1. Dress a lodestone with Crown of Success Oil.
2. Place it in a red drawstring bag and carry it with you, at work or while searching for employment.

Crown of Success Spell (3)

This spell requires a candle to represent the person seeking employment.

1. Carve the person's name and identifying information into the wax.
2. Dress the candle with Crown of Success Oil, holding the candle in both hands to charge it with your desire.
3. Arrange images and items that represent the search for employment around and under the candle.
4. Burn the candle.

Illes, Judika (2004). The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells. London: HarperElement. pp. 176-177, 1052.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 10:58 PM | Comments (0)

A Christian blogger wishes us all Happy Holidays.

If A Line Exists, This Crosses It, says Mik Moore at jspot.org on why Jews support "church/state separation."

Jason Pitzi-Waters points out that Christmas Wars + Veteran Pentacle Quest = Editorial Goldmine.

And then there's Hecate: In Which Our Hera Writes A Letter To The Xians

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 2:08 PM | Comments (0)

I'm sick of hearing about the "war on Christmas" and yet here I am, chiming in with my two cents. With so many other things that people could be focusing their energy to resolve - a real war in Iraq, the lack of adequate health care and the continual devastation of our planet - instead it seems that people in this country are obsessed with the supposed "oppression of Christians" and whether greeters at Wal-Mart should be saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays." Media and bloggers join the fray, tossing around their particular variety of righteous indignation like school children throwing rocks in a playground scuffle.

I want to go on record saying, firstly, that I don't care what greeters at Wal-Mart say because I don't think anyone should support such a corrupt and exploitative company. Period. Secondly, I have always felt very strongly that government and religion should have nothing to do with each other and the trend toward a blurring of the line between them over the past few years worries me.

So what do Wal-Mart and the First Amendment have to do with each other? Nothing. Except that they are the blades that are being used to whip up this shit storm. Some Christians are angry because they think that being greeted with "Happy Holidays" belittles Christmas; some non-Christians are angry because they think that "Merry Christmas" is insulting and exclusionary. A certain vocal contingent proclaims to anyone they can that this is a Christian country. Except that, well, it's not. The constitution says so.

Underlying it all is a shameful lack of tolerance and unwillingness of people in general to *gasp* educate themselves about the cultural practices of others who share citizenship of this country with them. Wiccans generally consider Samhain to be the most important of their eight Sabbats, not Yule. A number of Jewish bloggers I read say they don't understand the fuss since Hanukkah is relatively low in the hierarchy of Jewish holy days. In fact, most Christians I know will tell you that Easter is more significant than Christmas because it represents Jesus' resurrection, the event upon which the major tenet of Christianity is based - Jesus sacrificing his life so that others may enjoy eternal life in heaven. So why all the arguing over Christmas? Religious relativism notwithstanding, this is a time of year when many faiths are celebrating holidays of some importance to them.

Now that Google includes blogs in their news alerts, I've been reading a lot of interesting (and I use this word in the most judicious, inclusive way possible) views on the subjects of winter holidays, the public celebration thereof, and the current state of our budding theocracy, some are more "interesting" than others. A particular Dragonlady had this to say about the separation of church and state in her Christmas Letter:

The first thing I'd like to point out is that nowhere in the first amendment do the words "separation of church and state" appear. It simply says that the government can't make laws establishing a state religion. In other words, the state can't say, "The official religion of the United States is Christianity (or Buddhism, or Wicca) and those who don't follow it will be executed." It doesn't mean that Christianity has to be wiped clean from everything to do with the government (nativity scenes on courthouse lawns, "In God We Trust" on our money). If people want equal say, religiously speaking, then have at it and set up your own festivals on courthouse lawns. That's what the first amendment is talking about, as far as I'm concerned. Everyone being able to practice their own religion without the state stepping in and saying "no, THIS will be your religion."

Not only do I think that this is one of the more accessible distillations of what the First Amendment actually stipulates regarding religion and government, I happen to agree with her point of view. Mostly. Herein, of course, lies the rub. Very rarely do practitioners of non-mainstream religions get to set up their own festivals on courthouse lawns - or get to have the symbol of their religion on memorials to their dead family members who died while in service to the US military.

Remember the story last year of Wiccan priestess Cynthia Simpson who took her case to court when she was excluded from a group of local clergy who were invited to pray at the opening of governmental meetings in Chesterfield County, Virginia? Simpson was told that invocations are led by Christians. The federal judge who ruled in Simpson's favor (she later lost the case on appeal after the county changed its policy) said the county's policy was unconstitutional because it stated a preference for a set of religious beliefs.

And there is the recent example of a Rabbi who asked the Sea-Tac Airport in Seattle, Washington to display a menorah alongside the Christmas trees they had on display. He threatened to sue when the airport refused and the entire affair blew up. The trees came down, the local media made the Rabbi out to be a Grinch, outraged Christians lodged hundreds of complaints with the airport and threatened the Rabbi with violence. Under public pressure, the Rabbi said he would not sue and the airport put the trees back up. The menorah? Nope.

So, while our constitution does provide the legal framework for equality of religion that allows people to practice whatever religion they choose without interference from the government, when it comes to the public expression of those religions, some, as they say, are more equal than others. It's perfectly understandable that those who have been continually marginalized by this country's general cultural myopia would become resentful after a while. And the pendulum of political correctness swings the other way, taking a few Christmas trees with it.

In an amusing story that illustrates this phenomenon, one of my favorite bloggers, who is a Druid, recently set out to decorate the classroom where she is substitute teaching with a few personal items: "a silk holly wreath, a metal wreath that said 'Merry Christmas' with angels on it, pictures of my kids and my dad, a Brian Froud card with the Faerie Godmother depicted in stunning purple tones." She was told that the "Merry Christmas" wreath was politically incorrect.

Not to belittle the genuine grievances that members of minority religions often have against the establishment, I personally don't see the harm in putting Christmas decorations anywhere. If the choice is all or nothing, I vote for all. Besides the fact that many Christmas decorations are pagan in origin anyway, they're just festive and serve to brighten both spirits and surroundings at what can be a dreary time of year. So, the more the merrier, literally. Menorahs - more lights - more merry!

Which brings me back to the Dragonlady:

And while I'm at it let me just say that to call something a "holiday tree" and people being offended by "Merry Christmas" is completely ignorant. Are people really so shallow and thin skinned that they don't understand that the tree is STILL a Christmas tree no matter what we're made to call it, and that the phrase "Merry Christmas" is a greeting of well wishes toward you? Who would be offended by that, other than some petty, thin-skinned, very selfish person. If a Wiccan greets me with "Merry Meet" I don't get all bent out of shape. I see it as a warm greeting toward me.

Amen, sister.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)

We've all heard of it, but how many have actually seen the legendary Jean Cocteau version of this iconic fairy tale? I hadn't until today, when it aired on IFC.

This masterpiece by cinematic poet Jean Cocteau has enchanted audiences for more than fifty years with its surreal beauty and magical visual effects. Josette Day and Jean Marais shine in the definitive filmed version of the classic romantic tale, which has come to supplant the original fable in the modern imagination.

At the end of World War II, when France was reeling from pain and exhaustion, Jean Marais suggested to Cocteau that a welcome diversion might be a film based on La Belle et la Bête, the famous 18th-century fable of Madame Leprince de Beaumont. Cocteau leaped at the idea, since it revived his own childhood fantasies and promised to introduce a new genre: fairy tale on film.

from frenchculture.org

The Beast says, "All I possess I possess by the power of magic." Despite the hystrionic acting, the overwrought background singing and the melodramatic skulking through the hallways of the Beast's castle, I found the film to be magical indeed. Some of the set details were delightful - architectural details and sculpture that are real people - sconces of arms holding candelabra and fireplace finials of human faces who move as they watch the main characters move about the room. Belle cries diamonds. The Beast conjures a pearl necklace by calling it into his hands - the necklace later turns into a shank of smoking hair when Belle tries to give it to her sister. The oracular mirror that reveals Belle's nasty sisters to be an old hag and a monkey.

One detail that this witch didn't fail to notice was when Belle's sister, Felicity, threatens to turn her in for practicing witchcraft after the incident with the necklace. Usually, when an evil character does something, the film is making a statement in support of the opposite view. Cocteau's Beast explains his condition to Belle: "My parent's didn't believe in magical spirits so the spirits took their revenge through me." When Belle's brother and his friend, Avenant, try to break into Diana's Pavilion to steal the Beast's fortune, a sculpture of Diana comes to life, shoots Avenant with her bow, and transforms him into a Beast. With all of the magic going on in the film, it's certainly easy to draw the conclusion that Cocteau is pro-magic. It would be a fun exercise to explore whether he or the original author of the story, Madame Leprince de Beaumont, had any pagan or occult leanings. But I digress.

The film is completely over the top, fun and amusing in the way that such stylized old films can be. Belle's sisters work in the fields and do laundry in their finery. At the castle, Belle's brother says he's not scared, he's thinking, and Avenant retorts, "Same thing." The Beast himself is perhaps the best example, as this line from a review in the Village Voice suggests: "All breathy exhortations, he comes off like a lovelorn drill sergeant with laryngitis." The Beast frequently appears literally smoking. Is this a none-too-subtle metaphor for his lust for Belle or we meant simply to take this as evidence of his beastliness?

The film, originally released in 1946, was re-released to theaters in 2002. The Village Voice didn't much care for the film, but I think the reviewer is missing the point. Miller writes, "What's both appealing and problematic is its visual opulence." I think whimsical frothiness was precisely what Cocteau wanted for his film, to draw people into its magic to make them forget the horrors of the war they'd just endured.

One of the enduring lessons from this fabled fairy tale is that love can turn a beast into a man. But we know that girls are always attracted to the bad boys. When the Prince, formerly the Beast, asks Belle if she doesn't prefer him to the Beast, she says, "I'll have to get used to it."

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:23 PM | Comments (1)

With the birth of the Sun God approaching, it's a good time to remember to keep our own light shining. Mama Moon at The Witch Within offered this wonderful quote, which is inspirational indeed after a year filled with challenges:

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration of the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.

The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, and it is yours!

~Ayn Rand

A New Moon, a new Sun, a new year are upon us. Let us use this collection of energy focused on new beginnings to bring the world we desire to manifestation.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 10:37 AM | Comments (1)

AP released a story yesterday declaring that researchers have officially declared the baiji, a rare, white dolphin whose habitat was largely the Yangtze River in China, effectively extinct. An international expedition underwent a fruitless six week search for any sign of the fresh-water dolphins. (The Wall Street Journal also had been following the story. Much of their coverage was reprinted here)

"The baiji is functionally extinct. We might have missed one or two animals but it won't survive in the wild," said August Pfluger, a Swiss economist turned naturalist who helped put together the expedition. "We are all incredibly sad."

A shy, nearly blind freshwater mammal known for centuries in Chinese legend as the Goddess of the Yangtze, the baiji were a beautiful, charismatic species that had survived for 20 million years. The first mention of the baiji dates back 2,000 years to Guo Po, a Jin dynasty scholar who described it in the Erya, China's oldest dictionary. Later, the strange creature found its way into a love story, where it turned into a beautiful woman like a mermaid. That's why fishermen called the baiji the Goddess of the Yangtze and said the animal could foretell bad weather.

The primary cause for the baiji's rapid decline was a degraded habitat - busy ship traffic, which confounds the sonar the dolphin uses to find food, and overfishing and pollution in the Yangtze waters of eastern China.

Randall Reeves, chairman of the Swiss-based World Conservation Union's Cetacean Specialist Group, who took part in the Yangtze mission, said expedition participants were surprised at how quickly the dolphins disappeared.

"Some of us didn't want to believe that this would really happen, especially so quickly," he said. "This particular species is the only living representative of a whole family of mammals. This is the end of a whole branch of evolution."

This is sad and disturbing news, particularly on the heels of a recent New York Times article that reports that the amount of money it would take to curb carbon dioxide emissions over the next 50 years (enough to have a meaningful effect on global warming and its consequences) is about equal to the Bush administration's tax cuts in 2001 and is also roughly equivalent the amount spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

It is more than a little disheartening that big business, energy companies and irresponsible governments have been allowed to run rampant through the resources and the wildlife on our Mother Earth. In the case of the Goddess of the Yangtze, it's too late to save her. Perhaps beginning at Yule, as we celebrate the return of the Sun to Earth, and in the following months as we celebrate his return to a robust vitality, we make an effort to direct some energy toward saving our planet and those for whom she is home, and also direct some powerful discouragement to those who would continue to destroy her.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:51 AM | Comments (1)

San Francisco and Boston seem to be having the same weather today.

Photo from SFGate's Day in Pictures.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:29 PM | Comments (0)

Pagan writer A.C. Fisher Aldag is doing an admirable job of presenting a clear and thoughtful overview on the history and origins of Wicca in a series of articles at Witches' Voice. Another Pagan History separates fact from fiction and offers a good argument for why a little of both is actually a good thing. She has sifted through countless resources ranging from the authors of modern Wicca to ancient texts and archeological records. Applying some solid intellectual analysis and basic common sense, she distills a vast amount of material into a very informative history lesson, addressing many of the informational controversies that seem to continually plague Pagan scholarship. Much of the content may be familiar, but to have it presented in such a clear and comprehensive form is most useful both for those who do not know much about the history of Wicca as a religion and for advanced practitioners who will be interested in the review of a large list of original texts.

In Part 1 A.C. discusses "Differing Viewpoints" and explores the question, "Wicca is not Ancient – or is it?"

During my own research, I learned that many common neo-Pagan practices really do date back to ancient times – sort of. Much of our modern earth-based religions are derived from the folk traditions of Celtic Britain, but they were affected by historic events, such as the Roman occupation, the Anglo-Saxon invasions, the Norman Conquest and the rise of Christianity. Many customs died out, others were incorporated into new ceremonies, and some rites continued without change. During the Renaissance, people were fascinated by all things mystical, just as they are today, and so Pagan practice enjoyed a revival. The Protestant Reformation forced many of the ceremonies underground, or ended their observation all together. The Victorian era saw an interest in “secret” societies, the Druids, spiritualism, and Egyptian and Persian magic. Gerald Gardner brought witchcraft to the attention of the masses with his books in the 1950s. During the 1960s many folk customs were preserved or renewed as a matter of cultural identity. And finally, the eco-feminist movement of the 1980s had a positive influence on Paganism. But what is genuinely historic and what is an invention? What is ancient and what is modern? We can’t always tell.

Part 2 takes a beginning look at "Gardner's Sources - and Inventions" and concludes in Part 3.

No matter his sources, Gardner brought witchcraft and Paganism into the consciousness of the general public. Whether he revived or created these practices, he can be thanked for several philosophies unique to modern day earth religions: Gardner united the material and spiritual worlds, combining natural and ceremonial magic systems. He also instituted the concepts of ethics and law into magical practice.

She takes up "The Pagan Holidays or the Wiccan Sabbats" in Part 4 and promises to continue the subject in future installments.

While some of the celebrations we enjoy today were recently invented, others were genuinely old, practiced for centuries in the British Islands. Other holiday traditions were brought to England, and thus to Wicca, from other civilizations. Some died out and were revived. Others survived into the present day, with little or no change. Gardner and others brought many of these customs into the modern practice of Wicca.

I am thoroughly enjoying the series and look forward to Parts 5 and 6.

From the series' footnotes:

If I wrote a bibliography for this essay series, it would probably be fifty pages long, so please go explore for yourself. All of the information contained in the text was either found online, in books attributed to the authors mentioned, in artwork or artifacts found in museums. Some of the information even came from news articles found in “The Wren’s Nest” here on “The Witches’ Voice”.

If you wish to explore a topic for yourself, I suggest using Google.com and typing in each subject, for instance, Gardner + “Book of Shadows”, “Gwen Thompson” + Rede, England + “harvest rituals”, pentagram + “witches foot”. Try using different wording, such as England + folklore, or Britain + folklore.

You’ll find some sources that insist that a custom is really old, especially on local history sites, in museums, and tourist excursion brochures. Others will be just as adamant that a custom is newer and without Pagan roots, such as the folkplay study. Many of the sites that I used to learn about the holidays / sabbats are from British and Irish tourist websites, which have really cool pictures of the customs.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:11 PM | Comments (0)

My Tree, 2006

Last year there was quite a kerfluffle about what to call that tree we set up in the living room some time in December, decorated with lights and ornaments, that drops pine needles and sap on the carpet and offers a dangerous temptation for curious climbing cats and toddlers within reach of those irresistible shiny balls. A certain vocal contingent insisted that anyone calling it anything other than a "Christmas Tree" was guilty of perpetrating war against Christmas. Of course, there was the expected cacophony of voices reminding everyone that decorating evergreen trees is entirely pagan in origin. But we shouldn't let historical accuracy get in the way of anyone's self-righteous rant!

Ornament Abstract

I remember being amused by a particularly down-to-earth member of the California branch of the Christmas Tree Growers Association who said he didn't care what people called them as long as they bought them from him. I cheekily suggested to someone that we should just call it the "Winter Weed."

The truth is, there's something simply festive and seasonal about decorating a tree during this holiday season, regardless of religious intentions. Many people feel the winter holidays wouldn't be the same without one. I have Jewish friends who "do" a tree every year. As someone who grew up in a Christian household, having a Christmas Tree feels as much a part of the fond nostalgia of celebrating the season as carols, eggnog and my mother's cookies. There's something magical about the twinkling lights and brightly colored decorations and the scent of pine that diffuses the house.

I Love Shoes!

After not having one for a while, this year I was determined to put up a tree. I'm really looking forward to Yule and am feeling full of holiday cheer. So I got a small potted fir, rounded up a tree skirt, some lights, ornaments and candy canes, and invited a couple of friends (witches, by the way) to join me for some bubbly and tree trimming. It was a lovely evening! And the end result is a charming tree with a decidedly personal aesthetic. I love it!

So, whether we're calling it a Christmas Tree, Solstice Shrub, or Winter Weed, I for one am delighted to be keeping up this particular holiday tradition.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 3:35 PM | Comments (0)

I think knitting is a wonderful form of knot magick. Knitting makes sweaters, scarves, mittens - all that can be worn by people you love - and every single stitch can be a magickal knot infused with whatever spell or medicine you wish. There are numerous sources of specific knot spells that could be incorporated into a knitting project. Two good websites on the subject are Knot & Cord Magick by aSkyeWolfe and Knot Magick by Sacred Spiral. Or, as I am doing now with a scarf I'm knitting for my sister, simply fill each stitch with intention. As I knit I will that the scarf will keep her warm and happy, in both actual and spiritual ways, and that the knots of the scarf will serve to strengthen the ties of sisterly love and bring us closer to each other.

I have a book, The Knitting Goddess, wherein the author, Deborah Bergman, offers stories of several spinning, weaving and creation goddesses and knitting projects inspired by them. As the book's tagline suggests, the book is a wonderful resource for "finding the heart and soul of knitting through instruction, projects, and stories." This passage, from her chapter on Grandmother Spider, sums of the magick of this book for me:

The invitation to knit usually doesn't arrive when we are feeling like everything in life has achieved a measure of Parisian fullness and balance and needs to get roughed up again. Not always, but more often, it seems to be in one of those ragged, odd moments of life - when we are feeling somehow at odds, in transition, at risk, out of sorts, or just plain awkward - when two needles and a skein of something intriguing manage to present themselves within arm's reach. A voice whispers in our ear. We pick up the rudimentary tools and fiber, put up with the fleeting added challenge of learning yet another new skill, and the next thing we know we are knitting our way through our transition, ordering our life into a new pattern while we also use our hands and needles to learn to pattern yarn. We counter one transition with another, and get through both, and then some.

Sound familiar?

One of my favorite myths related to knitting magick is that of The Three Fates, or Moirae, Zeus' older sisters. (When I was in Dublin this past summer, I posted a photo I took of a statue of The Three Fates from St. Stephen's Green.) Clotho is the "spinner" and Lachesis the apportioner of lots. The thread of life is spun upon Clotho's spindle, measured by the rod of Lachesis and finally snipped by the shears of Athropos, the inevitable one.

Deborah Bergman offers a ritual for making the Fates your allies, in creative projects and in life. She says you start by choosing your Fate. Clotho is helpful when you need to speed and solidify tenuous beginnings. She is a manifestor, facilitating the birth of something that already exists in the imagination. Lachesis helps us to stay the course when something seems daunting. She is the one to call upon when the distance between where we are and where we want to be seems too far or we feel unable to keep going. Somehow, when we know the answer to the question "how far?" it makes everything easier. Athropos, with her scissors, helps us to recognize when it is time to stop, to accept that something has reached its end, and to cut the thread and move on.

Part of what makes knitting magick fun and effective is your choice of yarn, the cord. As a witch, I can't help but be attracted to a resource for materials called Alchemy Yarns of Transformation. They make incredibly beautiful yarn from silk, wool and even bamboo in the most magickal range of colors. I haven't knit anything using this yarn yet, but I hope to soon. I think this yarn will make a most magickal project indeed.

Knot magick has a rich and ancient history:

Knot Magick A Brief History Eliza Fegley

Knot magick has been in use since ancient antiquity and can be found in the art and literature of all ancient cultures, from ancient Mesopotamia onwards. It is also found in all the religions of the world.

It was a practice among Catholics to tie a knot when invoking saints to bind the saints to them until they have done their bidding.

Mohammed, founder of Islam, was cursed by a knot and, had it not been found and untied, it is said that Mohammed would have died. Some male followers of the Islam religion will tie a knot in their beard to protect them from the evil eye. When at sea, they might tie several knots in their clothing to put an end to violent winds, but when going to Mecca they must not have any knots in their clothing.

In Hinduism, knot tying is often associated with the death gods.

Buddhists refer to the untying of knots as a "process of liberation." [5]

Knot tying was common in Roman magic as images of lovers were sometimes tied together to keep the couple bound to each other. Solemn oaths were also made to their deities while tying a knot.

In mythology, we have the Fates who wove, knotted, and cut the strings of life. We also have the famous Gordian Knot which Alexander was said to have cut in two with his sword.
In not so long ago times, there were men and women who were called blowers of knots. They would recite incantations while tying knots. The most famous of these incantations were done for wind knots.

Wind knots were three knots made in a string, rope, or rag and sold to sailors. If a sailor were to untie one knot, he would get a moderate wind. If he should untie 2 knots, the wind would blow half a gale. To untie all 3 knots would have caused a hurricane. [2]

Knots are prevailent in wedding lore, where two people are united in marriage which is also known as "tying the knot." From the Dark Ages to the 18th century, it was forbidden to tie a knot at someone's wedding for fear that it would prevent a true union between the bride and groom. Another form of knot magic associated with weddings is the wearing of a net over the bride's head. Today, brides often wear a veil, originally meant to protect them from the evil eye and evil sorcery during their wedding day.

During a woman's labor it was custom in many cultures worldwide to undo all knots within the house. In black magic, knots can be used to hinder or stop the birth of a child, killing both the mother and infant. It was also believed that a knot can cause a painful and difficult delivery.

To knot a cloth that had touched a man's penis was believed to bring about his impotence. The same was held true to tying a knot into a man's pubic hair and burying it in the earth.

When someone was dying, it was once a common practice to untie all knots within the room so as to not keep the dying person bound to life and suffering.

In Russia, knot magick was once very common. There are written accounts of the many types of knot spells including an 8 double-knot curse to use against an enemy in which wool yarn was used. As each double-knot was made, these words were spoken:

"1. I go out onto the road, 2. I throw into the open field, 3. into the distance, 4. between the homesteads, 5. into the fields, 6. into the seas, 7. into the forest, 8. into the quaking bag." [4]

This cord was then left in a place where its intended victim would step on it.

For protection from harm by a gun or other weapon, 5 knots were tied in a cord and kept about the body.

Red wool thread with nine knots was sometimes worn by children to protect them from fever.
A cord with 40 knots might be kept as an amulet for protection against thieves.

In todays world, knot magic continues to have its place. Examples of this would be in the dream catchers made by the Lakota's, the "Eye of God", and shell decorated nets that are hung in homes and businesses.

Select Bibliography: ?1. Amulets and Superstitions by E. A. Wallis Budge. Dover Publications. 1978. ?2. The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer. Collier Books. 1963. ?3. Taboo, Magic, Spirits: A Study of Primitive Elements In Roman Religion by Eli Edward Burriss. Greenwood Press. 1972. ?4. The Bathhouse at Midnight: Magic In Russia by W. F. Ryan. The Pennsylvania State University Press. 1999. ?5. The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols by Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant. Translated by John Buchanan-Brown. 1996.

Copyright 1997-2002, Eliza Fegley.
Knot Magick

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:46 PM | Comments (5)

It doesn't snow much in San Francisco.

Photo from SFGate's Day in Pictures.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 9:04 PM | Comments (0)

I wrote a few days ago about going to see the The Fountain and how I experienced it as a tremendously powerful and spiritual film. My brain was too overloaded with school work and other things to say anything more coherent about it at the time. Well, lucky for me (or perhaps lucky for those who are reading this and haven't yet seen the film) a few of my fellow Scribes also saw the film and had quite coherent things to say about it.

From Never Say Never To Your Traveling Self:

I went to see The Fountain with expectations of something bizarre and phony. Instead, it is a metaphysical love story/rumination on mortality that stretches the imagination in the way that a film like Hero did. It's a bit of dream-like fantasy mixed so well with familiar reality that our general understanding of human existence seems up for question.

From Pop Occulture Blog:

All I can say is that this is the most symbolically loaded and esoterically intriguing movie that I have ever seen. It literally put me into an altered state of consciousness. I was literally transfixed by it and found much to my surprise that this movie seemed to literally draw on a vast store of personal imagery and historical occurrences from my life. That is, there seemed to be specific elements which were targeted at me directly as a person. I went with two friends who reported similar results as well. We all felt the same way about it, and after we saw the movie and walked home, we began having extraordinary synchronistic hits related to symbols and content within the movie.

My personal experience of this film was certainly colored by the work I've done as part of my magickal training, both with the world tree and with the concept of the three levels of self. The Fountain created a beautiful visual metaphor for both of these ideas. Though, as Tim points out, the film seems to have the ability to speak to everyone on some sort of personal, synchronistic level, regardless of personal mythos and symbology. To be able to do that is one of the hallmarks of truly great art.

If, as Loreina says, the critics who thought The Fountain was "out there" have simply numbed their brains watching too much American movie pablum, then I agree with her that we need more film makers who are courageous and creative enough to create work that is "sincere and passionate." Maybe then the reviewers will know it when they see it and they too will feel about a film like The Fountain something akin to the spiritual connection I did.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 2:17 PM | Comments (2)

Tomorrow, Monday, December 4th, the Moon will be Full in Gemini, starting at 7:25 pm EST.

Recently I was reminded that, more than astrological events and energetic influence for magickal work, Full Moons are spiritual markings of time, known as Esbats. Witches use the Esbats to celebrate the cycles of our lives reflected in the cycles of the Moon through the seasons. Each month brings us an opportunity to experience the energy of the Moon’s movement through the Wheel of the Zodiac. Each Full Moon is a time to explore these different energies and to think about how we can use them to expand our awareness and our magick. With the Moon full and bright in the sky, we can experience symbolic "illumination" in our own lives.

Gemini, © 2005-2006, Milkgap at deviantART

The Full Moon also is a time of culmination and the promise of fulfillment of that which was started at the New Moon. Remember that the last New Moon, on November 20th, fell in the sign of Scorpio and much of the past few weeks have been spent in dark contemplation of our personal mysteries. The December Full Moon in particular represents a time of completion. When the Moon is in Gemini, our basic instinct is to communicate, think, and learn; we feel extremely adaptable and changeable. This is the ideal time to take what we've learned from all of the intense introspection done under Scorpio's influence to use the power of our shadow selves to grow, to create ourselves anew, to complete the cycle of personal transformation. Just as the Sun will return soon after its journey through the Underworld, we have an opportunity to emerge with a shiny, bright new self.

I am learning a lot from Cafe Astrology's discussions of the dynamic relationship between the position of the Full Moon and the Sun. While looking at the Full Moon energy is crucial for spell work, examining this relationship between the Moon's position and the Sun's helps us to better understand the ways these aspects will effect us on a personal, psychological level.

On Monday evening, the Moon is full, as the Gemini Moon exactly opposes the Sagittarius Sun. The Gemini-Sagittarius polarity is a mental axis, where Gemini represents the "lower mind" and Sagittarius represents the "higher mind". The Gemini Moon encourages us to think logically, while Sagittarius persuades us to think in a far broader manner. Sagittarius symbolizes the quest for meaning and ideas that expand upon the here and now. Gemini is quite comfortable in his or her immediate environment or neighborhood, while Sagittarius stimulates us to venture beyond. Neglecting either end of the axis will surely backfire on us. Ideally, a balance should be found between the two energies, and this is what the Full Moon invites us to do. This Full Moon is about communication, attitude, and our sense of adventure. Something has been building inside of us, and now is the time when the energy of the cosmos fairly demands that we let it out. Over the next two weeks, we will discover what this means for us. For now, we can't sit on our feelings. We need to express them.

The Full Moon is generally an emotional time—a time of romance, fertilization, and relationships. We have the sense of emotions bursting forth into our consciousness, which may be happening more powerfully than usual during this Full Moon, coming so soon on the heels of a period of such intense introspection. Doubtless emotions and relationship issues have been among the things we've discovered and this can be a very good thing.

Under Gemini's influence, we feel light-hearted, breezy, and curious, but it can also make us restless and fickle. A spontaneous expression may be true only for the moment. Part of the Gemini focus on intellectual pursuits is the desire to play mind games and when emotions are running high, it can be possible to imagine things that are not there. Remember that the mind can play without playing tricks and take care to protect yourself and others from this possible flip side of Gemini's energy. As eager as we are to move from darkness into light, we want to remember to keep ourselves in balance. Gemini is an air sign, which in the tarot is represented by the Swords. Think of the Knight of Swords; part of his message is to caution us against acting hastily without thinking first.

Spellcraft and Correspondences

The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon, so this is the most powerful time for any magickal work, but especially for fertility, divination and problem-solving magick. A Full Moon in Gemini is ideal for work involving communication, writing, mental actviity, freeing of mind blocks and travel. Gemini rules the lungs, arms, hands and nervous system; now is the time to perform healing rituals for these parts of the body.

A Gemini Full Moon is also referred to as the Dyad Moon, referring to the twin stars of the constellation Castor and Pollux. The December Full Moon is known primarily as the Cold Moon, but often is also referred to as the Oak Moon, Moon Before Yule or Long Night Moon. The Celts associated the December Full Moon with the Elder tree and used its energy for exorcism, prosperity, banishing and healing.

The energy of the December Full Moon inspires us to endure, to bring things to conclusion, to be reborn in a personal or spiritual sense. In this time of darkness before the return of the Sun it is a good time for personal alchemy and the exploration of spiritual paths. It is a good time to reach out to friends and family, the lonely and the needy. At this time our interests turn toward reading, learning, letters and emails, errands, writing, teaching, making connections, and taking short trips.

Winter's Kiss, © 2005-2006, vixelyn at deviantART

December Full Moon correspondences:

Deities: Hathor, Hecate, Neith, Athene, Minerva, Ixchel, Osiris, Norns, Fates
Nature Spirits: snow fairies, storm fairies, winter tree fairies
Herbs: holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe
Colors: blood red, white, black
Flowers: holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus
Scents: violet, patchouli, rose geranium, frankincense, myrrh, lilac
Stones: serpentine, jacinth, peridot
Trees: pine, fir, holly
Animals: mouse, deer, horse, bear
Birds: rook, robin, snowy owl

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 7:36 PM | Comments (0)