Category: Blog

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The Great Turning: Standing at the Crossroads of Dark and Light

By Katrina Rasbold

 

Welcome, travelers, to the ultimate crossroads in time.

 

The nights have stretched impossibly long, consuming the days in shades of indigo and charcoal. The air bites, the sap has sunk deep into the roots of the trees, and the Earth seems locked in an impenetrable slumber. We have reached the depth of the year.

Here at the Winter Solstice—Yule, Alban Arthan, the Longest Night—we stand at the most profound liminal space on the Wheel of the Year. As the Witch at the Crossroads, I am familiar with these in-between, liminal places where choices are made and realities shift. But this… this is the cosmic pivot point.

Many modern celebrations rush toward the light, eager to drape tinsel over the shadows and dispel the quiet with forced cheer, but the wise know that we cannot truly welcome the dawn if we have not first sat vigil in the dark.

Continue reading The Great Turning: Standing at the Crossroads of Dark and Light

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Loki: Trickster and Transformer by Dagulf Loptson

Reviewed By Katrina Rasbold

Let go, if you will, of the image and canon of the Marvel villain, Loki, and cast your mind back to the Norse legends. Don’t worry. Tom will be waiting for you when you finish.

To accurately clarify the legendary Loki, we also must shuck off any ideas of the Christianized “Devil of the North.” Instead, read this book to meet the real Loki.

In this book, author Dagulf Loptson delivers a groundbreaking guide that shatters the misconceptions surrounding the Norse pantheon’s most controversial figure. This isn’t just a history book or collection of lore. It is an invitation to dance with the fire without caring if you get burned. Continue reading Loki: Trickster and Transformer by Dagulf Loptson

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Two Lights, One Dawn: Eugene’s Historic Yule Celebration

By Echo Sherman

This winter, Eugene is about to witness something rare, radiant, and wonderfully unexpected: a Yule celebration that unites faiths, communities, and hearts in one shared evening of ritual, music, and care.

On December 21st, 2025, the First Christian Church will open its doors at 5:00 PM for a historic event: an interfaith solstice service where the Christian tradition of the Son meets the Pagan celebration of the returning light. For those who love the warmth of ceremony, the flicker of candles, and the poetry of ritual, this is a moment you won’t want to miss. Continue reading Two Lights, One Dawn: Eugene’s Historic Yule Celebration

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As Above, So Below: Awakening to The Magician’s Realm

By Tatiara

In the stillness of an ancient grove, I beheld a transcendent vision.

Among the lush greenery and flowers, a towering figure arose.

A Man whose height seemed to bridge the distance between earth and heaven.

His noble form draped in a purple mantle that rippled in the breeze. Continue reading As Above, So Below: Awakening to The Magician’s Realm

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The Longest Night and the Promise of Light: Why We Need Yule More Than Ever

hand lighting candle

If you look out the window right now, the world probably looks a little sleepy. The trees are bare skeletons against a steel-grey sky, the ground is hard (or slushy, depending on your latitude), and the sun seems to have packed its bags and left the office by 4:00 PM. Continue reading The Longest Night and the Promise of Light: Why We Need Yule More Than Ever

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THE FIVE FACULTIES OF THE MIND

By Cat Gina Cole

In the study of psychism, we often take mundane things and use them as tools in our psychic practices. The five faculties of the mind are the fundamental functions of psychism. We use them a thousand times a day without a second thought. But when we draw them out and hone them, they become powerful tools that lead to mastery of our psychic skills and spiritual self. As I work through the definitions of each, you will begin to see how they play a role in our spiritual, magical, and psychic work.

The five skills I speak of are reason, will, intellect, perception, and discrimination. Let’s explore what they really mean and how they apply to psychic skills, magic, and spirituality. Continue reading THE FIVE FACULTIES OF THE MIND

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It’s Witch O’Clock Somewhere

By Katrina Rasbold

Witches have a different relationship with time than most people. We feel the tug of moons and seasons, yes — but also the strange elasticity of hours that stretch and contract depending on the work we’re doing. Time is not a straight line to us but a soft, breathing thing. It bends. It listens. It waits until we’re paying attention.

Magic teaches us that time is never just one thing. Continue reading It’s Witch O’Clock Somewhere

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Where We Stand When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

By Katrina Rasbold

There is a quiet place in the life of a Witch that the outside world rarely witnesses. It isn’t dramatic. It isn’t cinematic. It doesn’t look like a movie scene where the moon hangs low over a forgotten road and bones rattle in the branches.

No, the real crossroads lives in far more ordinary places. Continue reading Where We Stand When Life Doesn’t Make Sense

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Where the Road Ends the Soul Begins, The Fool’s Gift of Trust

By Tatiara

Beneath the blazing sun, I beheld an enigmatic figure.

Solitary, he wandered down the dusty road. Limping yet unbroken, he carried on, as the sun seemed to smolder upon him with judgment.

His garments were threadbare, yet a light shimmered around him, protecting him.

His eyes held a mysterious fire. He seemed detached. Dreaming, lost, yet radiant with some forgotten knowledge. Continue reading Where the Road Ends the Soul Begins, The Fool’s Gift of Trust

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10 Favorite Witchy Movies

By Katrina Rasbold

Last week, I posted my “10 Favorite Witchy TV Shows & Mini Series” and I thought I would follow up with a list of my 10 Favorite Witchy Movies. Are they predictable? Absolutely. They are at once predictable and cliche. There are no doubt glaring omissions that will cause readers to say, “But what about…?” and “YOU LEFT OUT…!” This is not a list of ALL Witchy movies or the BEST Witchy movies, but my own favorite Witchy movies. Because it would be like choosing my favorite children, these are listed in no particular order but are the top ten favorites from a wonderful line of magical films I have enjoyed in my life. Continue reading 10 Favorite Witchy Movies

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A Hedge Witch and the Elements

By Cat Gina Cole

Many people assume a Hedge Witch is simply an herb worker or a kitchen witch. In my family tradition, however, a Hedge Witch is someone who lives and works with the elements—and with psychism—every day. We define witchcraft as the ability to work with all forces of nature, both those of the physical world and those beyond the veil.

Those who follow my blog may remember my entry, “Weather Magic With Clairvoyance in Time and Space,” where I describe how I built my relationship with the Element of Air. In this article, I expand on that work by sharing a core belief from my tradition: the directions and the elements are separate things. The Direction of East is the realm where Air resides. This distinction is fundamental to how I connect with the elements. Continue reading A Hedge Witch and the Elements

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My Top 10 Witchy TV Shows & Mini Series

By Katrina Rasbold
Recently in the Crossroads Occult Newsletter, I listed my favorite Witchy TV shows and mini-series and I thought I would share them with you here. These are my favorites and I do not expect them to agree with anyone else’s. If you think of some you feel I overlooked or didn’t list, it is likely I didn’t see the show or it was not one of my favorites.

Continue reading My Top 10 Witchy TV Shows & Mini Series

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Samhain: Gateway Between Worlds and Seasons

By Katrina Rasbold

As the last leaves fall and the year’s light wanes, the veil between the worlds thins. Samhain (pronounced SOW-in or SAH-win), one of the four great fire festivals of the Celtic calendar, stands as the final spoke on the Wheel of the Year. It is both an ending and a beginning—a time when the harvest is complete, and the dark half of the year begins. Continue reading Samhain: Gateway Between Worlds and Seasons

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The Daily Tarot Practice…Morning Predictions or Evening Hindsight?

By Tatiara

Looking to start off my day with intention, clarity, and a little magic, I used to shuffle my tarot deck over my morning coffee, pull a single card, and try to let its “message for the day” guide me. I used to think a daily morning card was the thing to do, and sometimes it is.

Continue reading The Daily Tarot Practice…Morning Predictions or Evening Hindsight?

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Paganism and Church

By Cat Gina Cole

How did Pagans ever become a church? I thought Pagans were anti-church! Similar questions flood social media these days. The word church has become something of a swearword in our time. It’s often associated with control, abuse of power, corruption, and dictating how people should live and what they should believe—essentially an attitude of “our way or the highway.” There’s now widespread resistance to that idea, not just among Pagans but in society at large—and they are not wrong. Christian churches do have that history. However, this made me wonder about the origins of the word church and its original meaning. Continue reading Paganism and Church

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Stone Magic: Crazy Lace Agate

By Katrina Rasbold

Crazy Lace Agate, often referred to as the “Laughter Stone” or “Happy Lace,” is a unique and captivating gemstone known for its intricate, swirling patterns and vivid, colorful bands. Found primarily in Chihuahua, Mexico, this stone is a type of chalcedony, a microcrystalline variety of quartz. Its mesmerizing beauty goes beyond aesthetics, as it holds profound metaphysical, magical, and healing properties that have been revered for centuries. Let’s delve into the many facets of this extraordinary gemstone.
Continue reading Stone Magic: Crazy Lace Agate

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Herb of the Week: Goat’s Rue

By Katrina Rasbold

Goat’s Rue (Galega officinalis), a flowering herb with a rich history in traditional medicine and folklore, holds a unique place in both magical and healing practices. Its name derives from its historical use to increase milk production in goats, but its powers extend far beyond this agricultural application. In metaphysical and hoodoo traditions, Goat’s Rue is valued for its protective, abundance-attracting, and transformative energies.

Let’s explore the healing, magical, and metaphysical properties of Goat’s Rue and its applications in hoodoo. Continue reading Herb of the Week: Goat’s Rue