Censer and Smoke

Also, Pagan Book Reviews is now three years old--click here for the anniversary post!

Most of these are guest reviews, since I'm on semi-hiatus and asked for some help in cleaning up the backlog, but the first one is mine :) As always, click the links to see the full reviews!

Echoes of Alexandria by H. Jeremiah Lewis - Ritual verse, stories, and nonfiction of a Greco-Egyptian syncretic bent

Book of Witchery by Ellen Dugan - magical correspondences for every day of the week

The Idumean Covenant by Eugene Stovall - a novel about the fall of Jerusalem

Synarchy by D.C.S. - 2012-based novel

Llewellyn's 2010 Sabbats Almanac - a new annual from Llewellyn

Arbatel translated by Joseph Peterson - a new translation of this old grimoire

Do you have a core ethic you live your witchcraft by? Is there a core witchcraft ethic?

I am introducing this topic for discussion, its something I like to do to keep things kicking

I am making a huge change in my life here pretty soon; I am switching from a journalism major to a meteorology one, with a minor in math. Meteorology has always been a huge passion of mine, but my math skills at this time are very shaky, and on top of that I have ADHD, which means I have to work twice as hard to get something done right. xD; I decided to make a little altar for my desk to help me ground myself and focus, so I can do this the best I can. :3


The dish made by me in I think middle school. I used a green candle and salt as means of grounding myself so to speak, so I can focus better. The tarot card is "Courage", and the rune stands for change. The vial is an amulet I made with an Apache tear, patchouli and comfrey, which are all ruled by Saturn. The labradorite stands for transformation and the fluorite absorbs negative energy and aids with concentration.

I want to charge/bless some water on the night of the blue moon. Where I live, that's on December 31.

Have any of you done this before (during any moon phase)? If so, I'd love if you would share your stories of what your ritual consisted of.

What do you use your blessed water for?

At what point does "support" become "fostering delusions"?

Discuss.


Personally, I've encountered a lot of wacky things that your typical non-Pagan type of person would find ridiculous and beyond belief, but there's still the simple fact that it's completely delusional to believe that any one person can control the weather in the area where we live.

Hello community! I've not introduced myself formally - if I post you'll get to know me that way.

I've been out of practice for sixth months, and the little experience I had before that was almost entirely straight-from-the-book. I've read a few more books since then, and I have a few questions I'd prefer to address before I restart my practical work. I'd be glad for all advice, as I'd like to know whether I'm thinking 'Witchcraft 201' or 'Advanced Fluff'.

All the circles I cast in my past experience were based on standard Neo-Wicca practice (the only 'tradition' I have any experience of): cleansing and focusing my energy, invoking/inviting the elements, marking the circle with a dagger, unwinding the opposite way, grounding afterwards - this sufficed and succeeded for all my previous magical work, lunar meditations etc. Now, with a bit more independent thinking done, and I'd like to change my practice.

In the past, I only ever cast a circle/cast a spell/meditated indoors for convenience and privacy, as I favoured sky-clad with ritual jewellery. After months of thought, however, I am drawn to the outdoors for magic more than ever, and to a more personalised practice.

I feel uncomfortable with the Wiccan elemental-correspondence use on a few levels. I use few symbolic representations in my spell work, my favoured format being a petition with an offering - along with my own focus and will, of course. I forage for most of my material, locally available herbs, tree material and the like. As such, I'd like my magic to reflect the environment from which it is derived. I'm familiar with the idea of altering the directions to suit your location, but I feel a little... uneasy about calling Fire energies in my location (hemmed in by rivers and marshes, fairly north geographically and thus cold and wet). Still, I'd feel equally uneasy calling on the elements with one of them omitted; I respect the Western concept of the four elements in balance.

I know from experience the need for a circle to be protected, so my idea for replacing the elementals in circle casting is to become more acquainted with the nature and spirits of the local land in which I intend to work and call upon the protective elements indigenous to the area.

I ask for your two cents: should I work on moving away from the traditional four elements completely, or learn to adapt the elements?

I have two pre-schoolers and this will be their first all-out Yule celebration. We've celebrated the Solstice in the past and done our little rituals, but this is the first time they'll likely remember (they're 3 and 5) and I have a partner now who is also Pagan like myself and that makes a difference. I've thought a lot about things we can do and we've already started setting up a small family altar and gathered ivy and walnuts and juniper and berries and such from the nearby creek & woods... still at a loss for quite what to do with them, but waiting for inspiration to strike and I know it will. My big question is this: I've told them the basic story of welcoming the sun/Son back, and they're very interested and want to know more. I've looked up kids' Yuletide stories, but most of the ones I've found are geared towards older kids, and while they would understand them, I'm afraid they'd lose interest because the stories are rather long and/or detailed. They are very smart, but they do still have preschooler-sized attention spans. So I'm on the verge of writing one myself... but first, because I also have to make a stocking for my daughter and celebrate both of their birthdays this week, I thought I would ask the masses: do you know of any age-appropriate Yuletide stories? I'm particularly interested in the Holly King & the Oak King, as I think they would respond really well to that one, but I'm open to anything.

If no age-appropriate stories, perhaps you could point me towards a couple of awesome links I could use for inspiration in writing my own story for my kids.

Is it me, or is there just not a whole lot out there for raising little Witches?

My name is "Badgergirl" and I've just found this community.
I have only just posted this on yahoo answers, and I'm glad I've found a better place to get a good answer!
I actually had to ask that I didn't get comments telling me about the "Evils of witcraft".
So here goes!

My fiance and I had a mammoth tidy session in our bedroom yesterday. We live with my family, so we can't spread out into the house where we could do if we had our own place.

It feels so much better in here now, (If I don't think about the messy draws and overstuffed wardrobe!), like anything is possible.
Before the year is out, I'd love to get back into learning and practicing the Craft. I used to be very well versed in these things,way back in my teens, (no surprise there *hehe*).

Now the room is physically cleansed, can anyone suggest to me a good Re-Starting ritual? I'm rusty, my tools are lost or broken (or used as a screwdriver by my aetheist and dippy fiance!).
I'd like to get my head back in that zone, feel that otherworldlyness that I've missed all these years, and generally tell the Gods "I'm back"!


I can't use incense in the house because of Gran's asthma and Mum's migranes. SOME candles are ok.
Skyclad makes me giggle, especially on my own feeling like a bit of a plonker waving my wand around. I'm English, though I may grow up one day!

My only other request is that I don't get something straight from Silver Raven Wolf. I learned about the Craft in Cornwall, from the Museum at Boscastle. I always had a more rustic approach.


Additional Details
I know I don't need tools. An older high-priest (original Gardener coven no-less!), once told me that all you really need is devotion and love. But he also said tools were pretty and shiny!
I'm going to make a new collection of them though.
I don't need a wiccan "how to", I know how to prep for a ritual but I would like any nice ideas once I've made the circle.


In this day and age it's no surprise I'm influenced by Wicca, but I've never called myself a "Wiccan", I prefer "Pagan" and "Lapsed Witch in training!"

I'm doing a paper on Paganism in the Military for my Legal Studies program, and I'm looking for additional information. So far I'm focusing on military chaplaincy with Don Larsen, the Pentacle Quest (for which I am still trying to find the Supreme Court case number, if one exists -- I did find one for Wisconsin on the same page), and DFGL with Marci Drewry.

I am in need of more examples, if anyone can think of any. Preferably, I'd want examples of things that have some sort of legal bearing and were heard in court of some sort. I have access to WestLaw, so I can feasibly look these cases up, but none of my searches are turning up anything. And I'm a pretty decent Boolean searcher! (Unfortunately, my subscription does not cover JAG cases, so if any military-minded people can direct me to an appropriate way to search their cases, please let me know)

Anyway... so yes, if anyone can provide me with other examples of religious discrimination in the military (U.S. only, sorry, but any and all branches thereof), specifically regarding Pagans and all others under that expansive umbrella, that would be great! Thank you all in advance. :)

I did a little candle magick, and I think all of your thoughts and advice helped. I will be getting my tax information! He isn't going to give me any money but I don't know if I'd want it anyway at this point. Just glad to be free, gonna cleanse my house next week!

Thanks for all your help guys

I love television shows that deal with the paranormal, but I've noticed a trend. Many of them are clearly Christian in their approach to dealing with spirits, which I'm fine with. That doesn't bother me. Some of the heavily Christian groups (like Penn State Paranormal Society) also have someone familiar with the occult on their staff as a resource.

Today I was watching "A Haunting," an obviously cheesy but entertaining show that tells the stories of people who have dealt with the paranormal. There is an episode on about a woman who is interested in Wicca and, after a divorce from her husband and her son's departure as part of the Air Force, begins practicing. Throughout the show she deals with evil spirits and entities. I'm well aware that these are part of the spirituality and that it's not all fluffy bunnies and good spirit guides. However, instead of portraying this, the show makes it seem as though all pagans are evil and every pagan group/practice is only about evil spirits.

I wonder if any of you have seen these shows, noticed this, and what you thought about it? Did you simply ignore it because you knew it was untrue? Did it bother you? Or do you not even care about this question? I'm not looking to cause drama or wank about how pagans are portrayed in media, I'm genuinely curious about other people's thoughts on this.

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

So, month three of my mental discipline journal.

I am feeling so good about making a small part of my daily routine in service to the kindred.

When I started, I had no real idea of what I was supposed to do. But I just...started. At first it was weekly, then bi-weekly. Now it's daily and though I don't get a huge universal "You Did It" sign everytime, I feel each time I try something new, or get a great moment of clarity that I am learning more and more about what it takes to build up the energy I need to enter into a sacred mentality.

Moral of my story....JUST DO IT!

The rest will come in time. If *I* can do it....so can anyone!!!!!

Hi everybody. :) I just wanted to introduce myself, I hope that's ok.

My name is Charlotte but I also go by the nicknames Ginger and Iyeko. I'm 19 and living in the UK. I've been practicing witchcraft for about five years now ~ I've always worked as a solitary. I mostly stick to practical ritual magick and I have a soft spot for animal magick, totem work and crystal healing. I also dabble in kitchen witchery when the mood strikes me. For a few months I tried Wicca but the deity side of it didn't interest me ~ I'd much rather have nature itself as a religion, if you understand my meaning. Recently I've developed an interest in shamanism and I'm hoping to start on this new path come the new year.

And outside of paganism, I have an interest in therianthropy and otherkin, the film industry (Film student at Uni!), photography and gaming. <3

I've had some good experiences in lj communities so I'm hoping that will be the case here too. I'm always looking for new friends too so if we have anything in common please feel free to step forward. :3

I'm popping in to introduce myself, gang!

I'm 36, and American who is now permanently residing in England, with my very Geordie husband and out four kids. (Yes! Four!) We each have a son from a previous marriage-they are nine and ten, and we have 11 month old twin girls together. (Our Greenwood babies will be one on the Solstice! Ya gotta love that-conceived on Beltane, born on Solstice! :D)

I've been following a Witchy-Pagan sort of path since I was about 13, and try to just grow a little everyday. I hate to label myself, but sometimes I have to and so I call myself a Kitchen Witch. (I've been known to cast a circle with a bowl of potting soil, a cup of water from McDonalds, a cigarette lighter, and a kids whistle...lol)

I tried Wicca for awhile, as I'm sure many of us have, and just kind of got stuck in the dogma and hierarchy before finally realizing it wasn't for me.

So, anyhow, that's me for now! I'm sure I'll get to know you all better as we go along!

BB!
Neumsy

So, I was working in a new age/occult shop for about 3 months... and was recently fired. The owner there was a little strange and paranoid about black magic and the devil. He constantly thought people were putting curses on him... but I always laughed it off.

Anyway over my time there things got weirder and weirder until I eventually was fired. He told me one thing but I found out that he actually fired me because he thinks that I was doing black magic.

I think he is a powerful psychic but also suffers from schizophrenia. I am also starting to believe that he practices black magic... since he is so paranoid about it.

I have been emailing him asking for the info that I need for my taxes, and I have also asked for $200. I was abruptly fired and missed a weeks work (where I live he is required to give me notice) plus I did a lot of extra work for him at home like poster design, website etc. He has been ignoring my emails, and I know that he has read them.

Any help/advice in

a)protecting myself from this man spiritually
and/or
b)getting him to stop ignoring me and just get me my tax information (the money would be nice but I guess it doesn't really matter)

would be great. I have my own ideas and things I have been doing but any spells/meditations/rituals you can suggest would be amazing!

Thanks!

Does anyone know anything about this Correlian Nativist Tradition? They've got several books out and I was curious and skimmed through book 1 (First Degree) and am now confused.

They make claims that this was started by a traditional Scottish witch way back when, but pretty much everything I've read in the book is NeoWiccan.

Has anyone had an experience with this trad?

I'm doing a project for college that relates to my spirit guide... but calling him that seems kind cliche especially if they claim to be an extraterrestrial.
What other names that can be used for 'spirit guide'?