By Katrina Rasbold
Humans often consider the power of speech and written word to be the defining quality that sets us apart from the rest of the animal world. With the exception of some animals specially trained to communicate, Koko the Gorilla, for instance, humans alone possess the demonstrated ability for the ongoing use of language. There is little denying the power of words. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: The Power of Words
By Katrina Rasbold
What is the difference in Witches, Wiccans, & Pagans? Katrina breaks it all down for you.
Continue reading Ask a Witch: Witches, Wiccans, & Pagans, Oh My!
By Tatiara
Happy Midsummer!! Litha is a time to revel in the fullness of life, honor the natural world, and prepare for the season of harvest. Embrace the magic of the Summer Solstice and let its vibrant energy illuminate your heart and spirit. Continue reading Summer Solstice Splendor
By Katrina Rasbold
Of all of the holidays, it can be argued that most cultures at some time or another celebrated Midsummer. The Sun reigns at its full power and dominates the sky for the longest day of the year on Litha. It is commonly believed that the Faeries are most active during this time; an idea perpetuated by William Shakespeare’s famous play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The power of herbs and plants is said to be strongest at this time, so many of the summer herbs are harvested on this day. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Purge, Protect, & Burn Stuff at Midsummer
By Katrina Rasbold
Do all Witches follow the rule of “As it harms none, do what you will?” Is there any code of ethics? Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together… MASS HYSTERIA! Continue reading Ask a Witch: Do Witches Have to Adhere to Doing No Harm?
By Lady Saoirse
Bright Blessings,
I don’t know about you, but I have moved around a lot. I do mean a lot. It seems like every year, Mom had us somewhere new and some years, she had us live more than one place. People ask, “Were you a military brat?” I tell them, ‘No, Mama had the wanderlust.” So is it any wonder why I always heard people’s stories about their love for their hometowns and I wished for what they had? At almost age 50, I am still wishing for that. I could lament my fate, but I’d rather explain how you can feel at home when no PLACE is really home. Because if you practice magic, it can be done. Continue reading Practical Magic With Saoirse: Making Yourself At Home
By Katrina Rasbold
We spend a lot of time talking and thinking about why bad stuff happens, especially to people who we consider “good” and undeserving of strife and particularly when it comes in what feels like a disproportionate avalanche. We become deeply angry and philosophical when we try to understand why bad things happen to innocents like children and animals. Often, we become so mired in our determination to understand why something happens that we fail to effectively manage the situation at all. The assignment of blame is one of the greatest time eaters and malice fertilizers ever and is usually the focus of tremendous attention. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: When Bad Stuff Happens
By Katrina Rasbold
What do Witches sacrifice other than their time? Animals? People? Their sanity? In this video, Katrina discusses the use of sacrifice in rituals. Continue reading Ask a Witch: Do Witches Sacrifice Animals In Their Rituals? People?
By Katrina Rasbold
Emotion magical practice because spell work begins with what you want to have happen. If you cannot feel, then you cannot want and feeling is emotion. All intense emotion is high energy and you can, with rational thought and careful planning, direct all the intensity of that energy toward your goal. Passion will spike energy right off the meter, whether that passion comes from lust, anger, fear, or exultation. High emotion of all kinds: love, fear, sadness, anger, frustration, etc, can fuel your magical energy like a stoked furnace. But should you? Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Magic & High Emotions
By Katrina Rasbold
Creating a new magical group is exciting, rewarding, and a ton of work. Often, particularly in eclectic work, the group forms spontaneously around a common desire to learn and practice more. Even in the most desirable circumstances, certain decisions must be made. This post takes you through some of the most vital points of forming your own spiritual group. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Forming a Magical Working Group
By Tatiara
Is hexing ever appropriate, or is it simply a misuse of power? With great power comes great responsibility. One important responsibility is self-development. This includes character development. Ultimately a person’s character is revealed by how they exercise the power they possess. Hexing once meant witchery in general, as in the adage, “a witch who can’t hex can’t heal.” Now it implies causing unpleasant, unlucky, or harmful things to happen to people, often as an act of revenge. However, hexing and healing are two sides of the same coin. A healing misapplied could bring evil consequences. A hex for the right reason could be used for good. This is very tricky territory, though. Continue reading The Mystic Witch’s Journey: Feeling Vexed? Before you Hex, Do X
By Katrina Rasbold
It can happen to all of us, although thankfully, not usually to the degree we see in the graphic above. Rituals fail. It is easy to raise one knowing eyebrow and say that it failed because it was intended to fail and all things are exactly as they should be and blah, blah, blah, but there is a huge difference in knowing that rituals sometimes do not go as planned versus understanding why rituals sometimes go in the ditch and how to manage that inevitability. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Ceremonial Interruptus
By Katrina Rasbold
You may have heard the word tossed around, but is the word “warlock” really a male witch? It’s more complicated than some folks would imagine. Continue reading Ask a Witch: Is a Male Witch a Warlock?
By Katrina Rasbold
What are you like in your relationship with the Deities you honor? How do you engage them? What role do they perform in your life? Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: The Lesson of the Grateful Child
By Lady Saoirse
Bright Blessings,
I write this on Beltane Eve, and my online memories have been showing me photos from years past. For many years, we used to gather at Beltane. We would rent a group campsite or Metro Park shelter and be there from the time the park opened until it closed. We had rituals, potlucks, talks, and for some years we camped. Continue reading Practical Magic with Saoirse: Beltane Memories
By Katrina Rasbold
I met a man from Glaston Town
He said, “They call me Bill.
I really dasn’t likes it ‘cause
Me name is really Will.” Continue reading A Celtic Woman’s Beltane Lament
By Katrina Rasbold
In our circle, we work a strong duality between male and female energies and although we love the traditional celebrations, we always like to put our own spin on things. Beltane is a delicious High Holiday, ribald with innuendo and fun, celebrating the union between the masculine and feminine archetypes. In this blessed time of coming together, we honor the fertilization of the land and revel in the pleasures brought to us by earthly existence. That being the case, we always thought it as a little one-sided to ritualize this sacred day with only a maypole, the representation of male virility, thrusting its mighty prominence up out of the ripened land. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: All Hail The Mayhole
By Tatiara
If you’re like me, then you have felt the intensity of transformation afoot lately. The eclipse energy symbolizing “out with the old, in with the new,” was magical, yet a little harrowing for some of us.
Continue reading The Mystic Witch’s Journey: Lunar Beltane: Love, Gratitude and Transformation
by Brahn the Blessed
Part Four. You will recall, I hope, our discussion of the trines in Part Two. There are three of them, the Lunar Trine is 1-4-7, the Solar Trine is 2-5-8, and the Stellar Trine is 3-6-9. The stellar trine is comprised of the divine menes [3], [6], and [9], whose properties are clearly different from, if not ‘greater’ than, the other menes. Each trine has one dominant mene whose properties define the trine most emphatically, for the Lunar Trine it’s one/1 which defines the element of continuity in the trine, for the Solar Trine it’s eight/8 which defines the element of change and contrast, complemence and duality in the trine, and for the Stellar Trine it’s nine/9 which defines the element of completion and wholeness in the trine. You may recall how each dominant mene was further indicated by the product of the trine members:
1 * 4 * 7 = 28 = 10 = [1] 2 * 5 * 8 = 80 = [8] 3 * 6 * 9 = 162 = [9] Continue reading Secrets of the Essynian Tradition: Meneology 4
By Lady Saoirse
Bright Blessings,
A school is being sued. A child could not come out trans to their parents, but they felt safe coming out at school. When the parents found this out at, this lead to the child attempting suicide, so the parents are suing the school accusing the school of forcing their child to identify as trans. The minute I found out about this I got on the telephone and called the school. I thanked them for being a safe place for kids. They really appreciated hearing from somebody that supported that. I gave them my contact information as a Priestess and I told them to let me know if they needed anything at all. I just might hear back from them. Know why? Allies need help in making a safe place for our kids. Continue reading Practical Magic With Saoirse: A Safe Place for Our LGBTQIA+ Kids