By Katrina Rasbold
Opal is a popular semi-precious stone and fire opals are especially known for their magical strength. A legend says that after emerging victorious from war, the god Zeus wept tears which turned to beautiful opals when they hit the ground. Continue reading Stone Power: Opals
By Katrina Rasbold
Those of us who are of a particular age remember using witch hazel as a facial astringent back in “the day.” I am sure few of us realized the intense magical influence we were dabbing all over our pretty faces. Intention is everything, but the inherent powers of this plant shine through on their own. I’m sure our parents were pleased with the results it gave to us. (wink) Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Witch Hazel
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 Lady Saoirse
Bright Blessings,
There are a lot of things I love about being a Tarot reader. I get to go spend time with my magical family at the shop where I read, and I get to help people. I remember many times when I was a baby witch that various readers helped me on my path, and I’ll bet they didn’t even know they were helping. To follow their example is a great honor, and I hope that I’m able to help people like Tarot readers have helped me. Continue reading Practical Magic with Saoirse: Somebody Put a Curse on Me! (No, They Didn’t)
By Katrina Rasbold
Shall we talk about my favorite stone? Let’s talk about my favorite stone. I am a huge fan of malachite, both for its beauty and its magical bang. Continue reading Stone Magic: Malachite
By Katrina Rasbold
In this line of work, you do get asked some fascinating questions, like “Do Witches use flying ointment? Did they ever? Is the rendered fat of an unbaptized baby one of the ingredients in flying ointment? Time to break these questions down. Continue reading Ask a Witch: What’s With the Flying Ointment & Unbaptized Babies?
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 Katrina Rasbold
What we loosely call “herbs” when we talk about magical herbalism is an inclusive label that also includes flowers, roots, barks, and in this case, trees. Where most people think of small green things growing in pretty pots when they talk about herbs, Witches and other magical folks basically mean, “botany” and we are voracious about studying the energy of all parts of pretty much any plant. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Slippery Elm
By Katrina Rasbold
The “third eye” is a concept embraced by many cultures. This uniquely empowered area of the physical body is associated with the brow chakra and with the color indigo. Friar Richard Rohr speculates that “First Eye” is what we perceive with the five physical senses. The “Second Eye” is our reasoning and reflection. The “Third Eye” goes further still and is, as Rohr puts it, “Having the mind of Christ.” It is a coming together of sacredness that puts one in a very holy and receptive state of mind. Many paths of yogic study use the third eye for inner focus. Continue reading Witch At The Crossroads: Third Eye Sight
By Katrina Rasbold
As magical people, we love our stones and crystals and there are a lot of terms that surround that fun and energetic topic. What is a gemstone? What makes one precious or semi-precious? Continue reading Stone Magic: Precious vs Semi-precious Stones
By Katrina Rasbold
Buckthorn was one of the first magical herbs I learned about back in the 1980s. I was in Scorpio Herbs (no longer in operation) in Texas and one of the folks working in the shop told me that buckthorn “brings the magic together.” She went on to explain that if you include herbs in your spell work, you should also throw in some buckthorn because it encourages the other herbs to work together more cohesively toward your goal.
By Katrina Rasbold
We know there are Tarot cards and we know there are Oracle cards, but what is the difference? Continue reading Ask a Witch: Tarot Cards vs Oracle Cards
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
Conveyed by Brahn th Blessed
Some things follow upon others. When you consider a proposition thoroughly, it leads to further conclusions, so some things follow upon others. The Essynian Mysteries express a pervasive view of reality, that it follows a course of Natural Process. Natural process is how and why everything occurs in time, from the first instant of time when consciousness awakens from deep-sleeping existence and gives birth to time until the final instant of time when consciousness closes its eyes and falls off again into the timeless sleep of existence. Time is change and all change follows the course of natural process. Each instant of time is brought about by a change from the previous instant of time, and the change that occurs is the change made most inevitable by the existing conditions of that previous instant; the change that occurs is the change that must occur owing to those conditions, which include a certain temporal momentum. Continue reading The Essynian Mysteries – Part Four
By Katrina Rasbold
Christian legend says that bloodstone (heliotrope) got its name because it formed as the blood of Christ dripped onto the green earth during the crucifixion. There is, however, documented use of bloodstone for magical purposes going back over seven thousand years to 5000 BC. Continue reading Stone Magic: Bloodstone
By Katrina Rasbold
Legend says Elecampane (Inula helenium) as named for Helen of Troy and grew in the places where her tears fell. Related to the sunflower, this plant is quite tall, up to sixty inches or so. It has a rigid stem with leaves that are green on the top and white on the bottom. It has vibrant yellow blooms that smell a bit like sweet camphor. Continue reading Herbalism For Your Day: Elecampane
By Katrina Rasbold
What is the difference between “baneful” and “coercive” magic? Continue reading Ask a Witch: Baneful vs Coercive Magic
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