ooohhh...lookie.....new book.....

Grimoire for the Green Witch; a Complete Book of Shadows by Ann Moura

This isn't technically a book review because I haven't really read this whole book yet, mostly I have just leafed through it going "ooohhh.....aaaahhh"

This is a great reference book. It is NOT Witchcraft 101. There is some basic information in it for the beginner, also useful if you want to make some changes to your basic rituals and freshen them up a bit.
Most of this book is reference material, it is a true Book of Shadows, not a 'how to' or 'why' kind of book.

Some of the information includes:
Spellcrafting
Witch's Sigil Wheel
Color Correspondences
Daily Influences
Elemental Influences
Tidal Influences
Herbal Correspondences
Trees and Shrubs
Sabbats Incenses and Herbs
Zodiac Associations
Names of Power
Runic Table
Energy Points
Stones and Crystals
Amulets
Planetary Squares

That's a partial list of one section of this book. There are also some spells and rituals designed to be rewritten for a specific intent.

This is a reference book for every witch. This book has jumped into my hands every time I have seen it in the bookstore and I have always carefully put it back and promised myself that I would buy it someday. I am patting myself on the back for finally having a copy of this to hold in my hands.

new moon on Thanksgiving Day

"This is the Moon of my Lady as Crone, Lady of Darkness, of Wisdom, of Mysteries revealed. The Wheel turns through birth, death and rebirth and every end is a new beginning." Ann Moura

The New Moon can be as powerful as the Full Moon. Rites, rituals and magick that center around new beginnings, new projects, a new phase in your life are powerful now. Welcome a new Goddess or spirit or other entity into your life. Make positive changes now. This is the time for opening yourself to the new.

Light a yellow candle and thank the Element of Air for a new intellectual pursuit, a red candle and thank the Element of Fire for a new passion, a blue candle and thank the Element of Water for new emotions and a brown patchouli candle for celebrating the season of the earth and giving thanks to the Gods and Goddess and the Element of Earth.

The new moon is on Thursday, November 27 at 11:54 am EST.

pause...

Water, Fire, Air and Earth,
Womb to life, death to rebirth.
Our Great Wheel of the seasons turns,
The mortal heart forever yearns.
The sacred Sabbat candle burns,
Within our souls its light sojourns.
We all are children of the Goddess
And to Her we shall return:
Womb to life, death to rebirth,
Water, Fire, Air and Earth.

Gerina Dunwich

to banish or not?

I ran into something this week that had me rethinking and questioning my use of banishing spells. Rethinking and questioning is good; it is, for me, what this path is all about. I love it when I run into the wall of another way of doing things and have to decide whether to stop or tear down the wall.

I don't know if I have mentioned this, but I listen to Ariel's lectures from the Druidic Craft of the Wise. I listen to them over and over. Ariel's insights have changed my practice and my life. That said, Druidism and especially the DCW is not Wicca and there are some very clear points where we disagree, yet the overall content of the lectures has always been helpful and more importantly, makes me think and question and reaffirm my own practice.

I do banishing spells. I usually use the waning phase of the moon and do banishing spells on a regular basis. I also cleanse the area where I work and beyond with sage on a semi-regular basis. I cleanse any magickal tool that I acquire.
I live in a very negative household, I'm a big believer in chasing negativity out the door.

This week Ariel's lecture was about the concept that banishing anything is a waste of time. Let me back up here a bit, one of the basic tenants of the DCW is that everything...EVERYTHING in this world falls into two catagories...that which brings us closer to perfection and that which does not. So there is not good and bad or positive and negative or healthy and sick. Everything is working to bring us to perfection or not. There is more to it, but that will do for the purpose of this post.
So his premise was that doing banishing spells or more simply, trying to get rid of anything is futile. Instead we have to find a way to fill our lives with what we want and need. The "bad" is a lack, a hole, an empty space...fill it with what you want to be there instead.

I thought about this a lot this week. I do this most of the time. I don't do a money spell to get rid of the inability to pay a bill or get rid of the lack of cash to buy what I want, I do a money spell to bring money.
I don't meditate on my health to get rid of something, I meditate to let my body heal itself and become healthy.

On the other hand, I do banishing spells to get rid of the negativity spewing out of people around me. I do banishing spells to get rid of my attraction to surfing the net when I should be working. I do banishing spells (this one is new) to ward off that driver weaving around eating lunch and talking on his cellphone in heavy traffic.

So, in conclusion, I decided that while his concept is a good one; for me, right now, I will continue to do banishing spells......I may go back and listen to him again later.

the dreaded podfade

A conversation with another blogger about podcasts reminded me that I need to update my own list here at A Pagan Tapestry.

One podcast that I listen to that I somehow left off of my list is The Crooked Path. I corrected that and Peter is now on the list.

But I am sad to note the number of podcasts that I have listened to and enjoyed that seem to be fading away. deo's shadow is no more. I have downloaded and burned his show to disk, it was that good.

Some others that seem to be fading away are The Broom Closet, last heard in July 08, hopefully to return, she did leave a message on her blog that she plans to come back.
The Forest at Night last heard in Feb 08.
Modern Musings of a Cultured Barbarian last heard in April 08
Pagan Wisdom last heard in Oct 07
Witch in the City last heard in May 08
The Gods Must be Crazy, after a good first show in Aug 08, never heard again.

These are just the ones that are still in my ipod, I am sure there are others.
This is a talented bunch of people, we miss hearing your voices. I hope that everything is well and just a busy and full life got in the way.

There is hope. Fey, of The Dark Side of Fey, took a long break and came back energized and with a better than ever show. I hope some of our other missing pagan podcasters do the same.

The Pagan Podcasters were my very first experience with other live pagans.
Up until then I had only the books to tell me that there were others with my beliefs. The pagan podcasters inspired me to reach out, contact other pagans and even to give this blog a try.

If you listen to pagan podcast shows, let them know that you appreciate them. Send them an email or vote on podcast alley. And if you don't listen to pagan podcast shows...why in the world not? You are missing out!

Help stamp out the dreaded podfade!

Epona

Epona, Celtic Goddess and protector of the horse.

One of the reasons that the Romans were so successful at enlarging their Empire is that they knew when to leave well enough alone. After the dust settled they generally left the newly conquered locals pretty much alone. A new governor, maybe some other officials. New taxes. But they left local government on its own, offered military careers to the men and mostly importantly, left the local Gods and Goddesses alone.

The Romans were pretty much happy with their own Gods and did not care about converting anybody else. By leaving the local gods, priests and rituals in place they sidestepped a lot of problems. They also showed little to no interest in those local gods.

But Epona was a different story. Goddess of the horse, a Celtic warrior in her own right and a fertility Goddess, the Romans were quite taken with her. So much so that they took her back to Rome and set her up on the altars of their own Gods. She didn't seem to mind and became part of everyday life in Rome.

The Celts honored several warrior goddesses, Epona, Rhiannon and Brigid are some of the better known.

Equal Rights means Everyone

If you think equal rights means everyone. If you think '...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...' should apply to everyone. If you think freedom of religion means any religion. If you think that discrimination is wrong. Visit this site.

Here is a list of the corporate donors, in and out of California, who funded the initiative to discriminate against gay couples.
Corporate Donors on 8

If you do business with any of these companies, please rethink that decision.
And please pass this list along.

The Trickster

My practice revolves primarily around Celtic mythology, with one very important exception. The North American Trickster. I have felt a special connection to the Trickster since childhood and after living in the southwest for many years and learning more about him I have incorporated him into my practices.
The Celtic Gods and Goddesses don't seem to mind.

Many mythological systems include a trickster of some kind. The best known of the European mythologies is probably the Norse God Loki. In European lore the Trickster is often seen as an entity somehow linked to the heroic figures. Sometimes he assists, sometimes he hinders. He sometimes changes shape, changes gender or even takes on the appearance of one of the other Gods. His goals are often unknown and remain undiscovered.

North American spirituality ascribes a slightly different role to the Trickster. While he still sometimes opposes and sometimes aids in a quest or project, he is often more than he seems. The Trickster nearly always has a lesson to teach and it is best to heed his presence. He is included in nearly all ritual as a reminder that there are often secrets and untold meanings around us and we should not accept the world at face value.

The Creator will sometimes take on the persona of the Trickster in order to work more closely with humans. So when dealing with the Trickster it is impossible to know and unwise to question his true identity.

The Trickster is generally depicted as the Coyote, an animal with the ability to blend into its natural surroundings and come and go unseen.
A Shaman with the Coyote for a spirit guide is fortunate indeed, he has been blessed with the greatest teacher.

The Trickster reminds me to step back and look at the world with wide eyes instead of the narrow vision that we tend to develop. Secrets, hidden meanings, dangers and treasures often lurk in the shadows. If you let him, he will point them out and even assist in uncovering what they reveal.

In this depiction by Susan Seddon Boulet, the Coyote is stealing fire.

Full Moon

Fabulous full moon over Colorado tonight. There is a storm moving in and the fast moving wispy clouds at the leading edge of the storm were racing across the sky.
It appeared as though the moon was the one moving, dancing in and out of the clouds.
I tried to get a picture but don't have a good enough camera to catch the light and reflections. It looked a little like this.

When you look at the moon, see the power of the Goddess.

November Moon, Snow Moon

The full moon occurs on November 13th at 12:13EST. This moon is variously known as the Snow Moon, Tree Moon, Beaver Moon and Mourning Moon.

This is a time of transformation and the time to work on the bonds between you and the people around you. It is also a good time to work on future prosperity. Green candles are appropriate for prosperity and money spells; as are jade, cat's eye, topaz, opal and peridot.

Remember those good intentions you set at Samhein? The waning phase of the moon coming up is the time for banishing the unwanted from your life. Why not pick one of those habits you want to break and work on it from after the full moon until the new moon on the 27th. For candle work, black is generally used for banishment, but yellow-green is good for banishing discord, anger and jealousy and magenta burned along with another color can increase energy and help produce quicker changes.

Calcite and brown zircon are helpful in centering and grounding, which can be harder to do when we are trying to break a bad habit or rid ourselves of something.

In astrological studies, this Full Moon is in Taurus. For more information about the astrological data, check out this article at About.com

book review, Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler

I am very happy to introduce a guest writer. HedonsDog graciously agreed to do a book review of Margot Adler's
Drawing Down the Moon.

With my thanks, here it is:

Drawing Down the Moon

Drawing Down the Moon was originally published in 1979. The author, Margot Adler, has made several revisions since then, but has made it a point to only make additions and corrections and has not "rewritten" the book in each revision. She has presented the content objectively, and did a very good job of giving all points of view when conflicts were identified.

The book contains 646 pages but the appendices start on page 461, so a good part of the book is reference material. Appendix 1 goes into some detail about the Scholars, Writers and Journalists. Appendix 2 is a description of Rituals, and Appendix 3 is a description of all of the resources used and referred to in the book.

The other 460 pages outline the history, the key people, the traditions, beliefs, and desires that she has found in Paganism in the last 30 years or so. Interviews and quotes are sprinkled throughout the pages, and the author tells of her own experiences along the way too. The chapters cover Paganism at the start, today, and in the future, Magic and Ritual, Feminist and Gay traditions, Reconstructionist, and even describe a couple traditions that were started as a joke and somewhere along the line, the joke caught hold and became serious traditions.

When I purchased this book, I was warned, "It reads like stereo instructions." I didn't think it was that bad but it is definitely written with a scholarly language. If your intent is to read the book cover to cover, be prepared to put a little effort into it. This is definitely not a light read.

Having said that let me also say that this book contains a wealth of information about the history and ideals of Paganism and traces the history from the beginning through today, and into tomorrow. There is so much information contained in these pages that all of it cannot be absorbed in one sitting. After having read it, it will remain on my shelf as a reference book.

By HedonsDog

Solitary or group practice?

Overall I am content with my solitary practice.

Good thing because I don't seem to be likely to find a compatible group. I fill my need for social contact and group think with groups that are not based on spiritual practice. But sometimes I make a tentative attempt to reach out to the pagan community in the flesh instead of in cyberspace.

Each time has been an enormous failure. Several years ago I went to a few meetings of pagans. I found notices posted in neighborhood bookstores and the locations were in the same neighborhood, seemed like a good start. I mostly found people who thought they were there for a casting call for Harry Potter.

That cured me of that for a while.

This week I went to a meeting of pagans at a pagan bookstore. I have to go on a tangent here...I did not know this bookstore existed and it is a delightful little place with coffee, books, crafts and wi-fi. A great place to spend some time.

The group however, was to say the very least, disappointing. I was greeted warmly, got some coffee and sat down. The leader of the group, an outgoing young lady with a small child, started the discussion. It was supposed to be about wealth and prosperity.

The only group discussion was some heartfelt agreement that wealth was bad and prosperity was good. The idea was that the two are incompatible. There was a short lived contest I will call Poor Pagan during which each attempted to show the others how poor they were.

Then the 'discussion' moved on to the prosperity part and we were treated to over an hour of the leader of the group talking about how prosperous she was. I found out more about her love life, finances and plans for the future than I know about some of my friends. Everyone else nodded along and seemed content to listen and say nothing. I remarked that wealth and prosperity were not mutually exclusive. That was greeted with silence and blank stares so I shut up.

A few minutes later the discourse on prosperity was interrupted by a rousing game of Show Off Your Tattoos, which involved removing some clothing. I don't have any tattoos so I kept my clothes on. Then one of the group announced that people who claimed to be pagan but did not have tattoos and piercings were obviously trying to fool others and not really pagan. This was met by some agreement all around.

Back to more of the ramblings about the prosperity of the group leader. Her child was repeatedly climbing over me, stepping on my feet and wiping Baklava on my jeans and I decided that it was time to go.

I chatted with the shop owner about how good the coffee was, waved a goodbye at the group and escaped. They seemed as relieved to see me go as I was to leave.

Not what I am looking for. Solitary looks really really really good right now.

a time to give thanks

Tonight I am going to light a candle and thank the God and Goddess for all of their blessings, including this chance that we have been given to set this country on a better path.

Hope, Excitement, Change

I want to enjoy this one more day...

President-Elect Barack Obama

Manifest something great!

It is the time of the waxing moon. It is a few days after Samhein. It is the day before the most important election in this country in a lifetime. I cannot think of a better time and place to cast a spell for bringing something into our lives. How about bringing a thoughtful, intellectual man into our lives to lead our government?
Don't think about getting the good ole boys out,
cast a spell to bring a good man in.

Say a prayer, cast a spell, light a candle, make an offering, meditate, sing, dance. Do whatever you do to get in touch with the energies of the universe and then manifest Obama winning the election tomorrow.

And then go and VOTE! Wishes don't elect Presidents, polls don't elect Presidents, that spell isn't going to work if you aren't doing your part.

Vote
Vote
Vote
Vote
Vote

New TV series. Magic, anyone?

There is a new fantasy TV series that started the season last night. Legend of the Seeker.

The two hour pilot had some rough spots. Most fantasy or sci-fi series have some glitches trying to set the background and environment for a complicated story. This one was no different.

Many of the critics are trashing it. I find that TV critics tend to hate anything that makes you think a little or follow a story line. They love 'reality' TV and game shows.

I rarely watch TV anymore, it is so mind numbing. I can count on one hand the shows that I watch regularly.

I am always willing to give a fantasy or sci fi series a chance and see what happens.

This one has villains, heroes, wizards, witches, magic, an enchanted sword, a destroyed Book of Shadows (damn!), horses, monsters, scenery and a story.
What more could you ask for?

I am hoping that it lasts long enough to smooth the rough spots and get going. I could use a heroic epic complete with magic on some upcoming winter evenings.

Here is the official site: Legend of the Seeker

spelling and a thanks

I want to give a big thanks to The Cauldron Brew for the very nice witchy art that I have been using for the last couple of weeks. The Cauldron Brew has a Library online full of great free witchy stuff. You will find the ones I used there as well as many others. Not everything on the site is free so check carefully before taking.




Well, the poll went against my spelling of Samhein 2 to 1. The majority use Samhain.
I'm just glad that anybody else spelled it the same way I do.
I did a little tour of the internet and found good stuff spelled both ways and whacky stuff spelled both ways.
*sigh*