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Herbalism For Your Day: Aromatherapy

By Cat Gina Cole

Today in my journal as I turn the page, I find Magical Aroma Therapy and it begins with “Frankincense.” The first thing I wrote down is that frankincense heightened participants’ spiritual involvement in rites and has the word “euphoric” followed by a question mark. As it turns out, it can be euphoric as it contains the compound incensole acetate but for it to be effective one would have to use a very high concentration. Yet it is said the Greek philosopher Pythagoras used frankincense to enable him to prophesize.

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The Cat’s Eye: What Is Witchcraft, Magic, Psychism, and Paganism?

By Cat Gina Cole

What is Witchcraft?

That is a question that continues to be hotly debated on social media. There is a lot of “Who gets to decide that and why?” type of questions that come with it. The answer also depends on culture, pantheon, and personal beliefs. So, you may be asking why attempt to answer such a question? Well, as a teacher, and practicing Witch for over 50 years, I am in about 40-50 “witch” groups on social media and I see many looking for direction and firm answers, so I will attempt to provide some clarity. Continue reading The Cat’s Eye: What Is Witchcraft, Magic, Psychism, and Paganism?

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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.

Money & Ethics

This week in the forum there was a great discussion about money and ethics, that began with this question, “I am a victim of my own ethics. I have a hard time paying what I consider a high fee, meaning over what I myself would charge for such an event. I may very badly want to attend but as of yet, have not been able to break this ethic, and pay the fee even if I have the money it is just a hard no. I imagine the solution to my dilemma lies in my shadow work, but in the meantime what is an ethical poor Pagan to do when as a provider or a customer we have ethics that are conflicting that sometimes can hold us back? And I ask, where are you and your ethics on this issue?”

 

The responses varied and were very enlightening.

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Herbalism For Your Day: Datura

Greetings herbalists, today from my journal dated 2010, we have Datura as promised. Please remember the #1 rule of herbalism, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH! The articles and information I share in this column are from my journey and my research and not to be taken as gospel. I have learned so much about herbs since my journey began and datura is not an herb to be trifled with. It is widely regarded as unsafe, yet it does have its uses.

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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 I asked the forum this question: “What do you like or enjoy about being Pagan and the Pagan community in general?”

I truly enjoyed the response and this week I am just going to let the responses speak for themselves.

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The Cat’s Eye – Trance, The Fool, and Hope

By Cat Gina Cole

I have been a psychic my whole life and I am used to my head being full of thought and sound. In 2018, I got a traumatic brain injury in a car accident and suddenly, like someone flipped a light switch, my brain was completely quiet. The silence was so complete I could not even hear my own thoughts before I said them. This was almost surgical and quite distressing.

I had been in occupational therapy for about six months and was still very distressed. My dreams, inner voices, my intuition, my connection to the other side, and thoughts were gone! Just poof! I had gone from Witch and Psychic to muggle. My very identity was gone and I was lost.

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Witch At The Crossroads: New Year’s Resolutions

By Katrina Rasbold

Did you make resolutions this year? Have you stayed true to them? How many times have you made the same resolutions over and over, year after year, each time more determined to succeed and more frustrated and dejected when you do not? How many times do the failures of previous years stand in the way of your success for the coming year? Repeated failures are a heavy load to bear.

If you are struggling and need to regroup on the resolutions, here are some ideas for tightening up and streamlining the process.
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Witch At The Crossroads: 22 Major Arcana Archetypes of Pagan Groups

Archetypes, labels, and cubbyholes. Did we invent them or did they invent us?

There comes a time when you are an old crone sitting back and watching the world turn when you begin to feel like there is nothing new under the sun. When something does spark interest as a new thought, new idea, new concept, new approach, it is exciting, breath-taking even. Mostly because it is so rare. I never imagined that I would be as jaded as I am, thankful for all of the wonders in the world, but bored with them all the same. And yet, here I am, jaded as the evergreens that grow around me and almost as old. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: 22 Major Arcana Archetypes of Pagan Groups

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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.

Thank you all for your participation in the conversation about atheists. One comment was very skillfully laid out that I did not want to get lost in the shuffle the reply was…

Continue reading From the Forum

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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