Author: Katrina Rasbold

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Herbalism For Your Day: Tinctures & Teas

By Cat Gina Cole

Today in my herbal journal from 2010 are notes about teaching an herbal class and I find some very good things to consider when using herbs.  First up is the question Why use tincture over tea? A great question. The answer depends on the why. There are times when sitting down with a comforting tea is all that is needed. So many of the teas are for relaxation. The combination of aroma, heat, taste, and affect triggers all the cues for calming someone. Their effectiveness for medicine comes sometime later as an individual digests the tea, like teas for an upset stomach. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Tinctures & Teas

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The Magic of Clutter Banishing

By Lady Saoirse

Bright Blessings,

No doubt, you are all enjoying your new year, and some of you will have set New Year’s Resolutions. I remember the days before I practiced magic when “I will lose x number of pounds” was my resolution every year. Now, I have lost the weight of societal expectations and I love my body. Pass the cake and wine, please! There is something that I do every year, multiple times per year, however this year, I did find myself doing it at the beginning of January. Continue reading The Magic of Clutter Banishing

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Vesta…Sacred Flame, Sacred Space

By Tatiara

Aeterna Flamma, the Sacred Flame. What does it symbolize? The presence of Spirit and our connection to the formless essence. Vesta, virgin goddess of hearth and home, preserves this sacred fire. She represents the container in which we center ourselves, be it temple, sweat lodge, meditation cushion, or our own home. Interestingly, the word hearth means “focus” in Latin. Vesta can help us improve our spiritual focus, dedication and commitment. This pertains to our home life and family or tribe unity, as well. Continue reading Vesta…Sacred Flame, Sacred Space

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Witch At The Crossroads: Jupiter Goes Direct

By Katrina Rasbold

On May 16, 2023, the planet Jupiter entered the sign of Taurus and on September 4, 2023, it shifted into a retrograde course. If you have paid even a cursory attention to astrological news, you already know that Mercury goes retrograde three to four times a year for approximately three weeks at a time. Jupiter, on the other hand, goes retrograde approximately every 13 months and stays retrograde for approximately four months each time. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Jupiter Goes Direct

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Vision Boards as Magickal Tools

Raven Digitalis

By Raven Digitalis

Vision boards are focal items that carry a particular set of intentions, with the goal of bringing about certain qualities, traits, experiences, and manifestations into one’s life. For some people, these boards are more like “affirmation boards,” containing positive written messages. For others, they’re more like pieces of art like a collage. Others prefer to simply focus on symbols, while others prefer to create a piece that combines these approaches. With daily focus, vision boards are believed to help the mind and spirit align to the energies and intentions at hand, thereby shaping one’s own life experience. Vision boards and affirmation boards have been amplified by New Age schools of thought, but they can easily be applied to self-transformative practices of Witchcraft. Continue reading Vision Boards as Magickal Tools

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The Cat’s Eye – My Neurodivergent Response

By Cat Gina Cole

I want to share the following because there is a group of people that are very seldom recognized or understood, the neurodiverse, and we are greater in number than most might think. I want to put words to what it is like for many of the neuro-diverse to cope with the invisible battle by sharing a recent experience I had as I too am neurodiverse. I aim to let the diverse know I see you and give those who are not diverse a very small glimpse into what being neuro-diverse is like. Continue reading The Cat’s Eye – My Neurodivergent Response

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Pagan Voices Unite

by Cat Gina Cole

This week, the Pagan community was a blaze on Facebook. The Atlantic newspaper published an article written by Rabbi Wolpe that in some twisted way connected Pagans to Trump and Elon Musk that was truly gasp-worthy. The majority of Pagan folk railed against it saying it was trash and poorly written. Others felt it was a shot across the bow, that it was written with the intent to let us Pagans know “they” are coming for us. Certainly, the article was written to incite and divide and it did as others felt they could see past the shock value of it and sort of see his point, but they were in the minority. I, too, was in the majority in feeling it was trash and that our Pagan voices should be raised against it. Continue reading Pagan Voices Unite

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Witch At The Crossroads: Reading for 2024

By Katrina Rasbold

I do not usually do these types of readings because when we ask the cards a question, they respond based on the current energetic climate and where things are heading. To predict out for a full year means nothing changes from the moment of the reading, which is, of course, not a reasonable assumption on which to base a forecast. Even the reading itself is potential for change.

That being the case, I am doing this for Karen. I have three Karens in my life who I completely adore. I know other Karens, but man… these three… they just have my heart: Karen Albeck, Karen Jacoby, and Karen Stanley. One of the Karens asked me to do a 2024 reading and out of love and respect, I am doing it. <3 Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Reading for 2024

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Ask a Witch: “Why Isn’t My Spellwork Working?”

By Katrina Rasbold

This is an older video from when we still had a brick and mortar store (Crossroads), but the information still rings true. So you arrange the tools correctly, light the perfect candle, invest your energy and… nothing? Why do we sometimes not see results from our spellwork? Sometimes, it is down to the properties of physics and laws of energy conservation… Continue reading Ask a Witch: “Why Isn’t My Spellwork Working?”

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Herbalism For Your Day: Herbal List

By Cat Gina Cole

An Herbal List

You ever have that moment when you look back on something you wrote and cannot read your own handwriting? My herbal journal is like that today. This is the first list of herbs I made that I wanted for myself and those I might want to teach about later, with some short notes on each herb. At the time I wrote this list I really had no idea about how using a powdered herb was different from using a leaf herb. Boy, did I find out in quick order when I tried to make a cough syrup from wild cherry bark powder! As inexperienced as I was back then, it did not go well. Powders are more often used in ointments, poltices, or creams for the purpose of skin issues. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Herbal List

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The Cat’s Eye – Yule 2023

By Cat Gina Cole

Wow! The “New Normal” since the pandemic is really challenging for almost all of us for a variety of reasons. As a freelance writer, I spend quite a bit of time on social media and the challenges are very evident. So too are the contentions those frustrations bring as we attempt to interact with each other. I say interacting, because it is not really communication. It is more “act” and “react,” and communication is a two-way conversation. That our social media interactions have become so black and white it got me thinking about Yule.  Continue reading The Cat’s Eye – Yule 2023

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From the Forum: Yule, etc

The Green Egg Forum is a lively hotbed of thoughtful discourse, moderated by Cat Gina Cole. In this column, Cat shares some of the most interesting and interactive posts and threads from the forum. Want to get in on the conversation? We would love to have you! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069823176940972/ to join.

This week in the forum the question was asked :

“What does Yule mean to you and what do you have planned for that day?  

I think the responses show just how eclectic Paganism and Witchcraft traditions can be. Let us know in the comments what your plans are or what you think of the response you see here. Continue reading From the Forum: Yule, etc

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A Winter Solstice Ritual

By Katrina Rasbold

The energy of this ritual is releasing the energy of Samhain and welcoming the spark of light that comes with the Winter Solstice/Yule. You will need six candles, one each in white, red, black, yellow, blue and brown. The God and Goddess invocation summons the triple aspect of both the Goddess and God for a duality working. It presumes a male-female Divine polarity, but could be adapted to accommodate any part of the gender spectrum. Continue reading A Winter Solstice Ritual

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Mercury Retrograde: Making It Work For You

By Katrina Rasbold

Author’s Note: For those who believe in magic but not in astrology, this post will hold no validity. Many of us use astrology and view the practice as a valuable and familiar magical tool. I wrote this post for those folks. The current Mercury Retrograde lasts from Dec. 13, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2024. Continue reading Mercury Retrograde: Making It Work For You

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Herbalism For Your Day: Kitchen Witchery

By Cat Gina Cole

It has been some time since I opened my herbal journal. As I open it today, the first things I see are the glossaries. Next, there is a list of herbal sources I used at the time so I will share those with you today. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Kitchen Witchery

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The Cat’s Eye: Life As An Empathic Medium

By Cat Gina Cole

Last week, I did an intuitive reading for my elderly cousin via video call and as always, such readings are unique, but this one was more usual. Typically, people I do readings for I am not overly connected with but that was the main reason this reading was so different. My cousin and I share issues, history, and ancestors. In standard reading, this is not the case and it is trying enough to keep your personal stuff out of their reading. With this, there was no keeping my stuff out of this reading, adding empathic skills to it that made it more impactful. I cried more than she did. Continue reading The Cat’s Eye: Life As An Empathic Medium

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From the Forum

Curated By Cat Gina Cole

The Green Egg Forum is a lively hotbed of thoughtful discourse, moderated by Cat Gina Cole. In this column, Cat shares some of the most interesting and interactive posts and threads from the forum. Want to get in on the conversation? We would love to have you! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069823176940972/ to join.

This week in the forum the conversation about Satanists continued with a member making this post:

Continue reading From the Forum