Yule is such a warm, festive time of year for most of us. And if we don’t enjoy Christmas for various reasons, Yule gives us a second chance to reinvent this Winter holiday for ourselves in a way that feeds our spirits through the Winter. The themes here are creating warmth as the weather gets…
Tag: witchcraft
Deck Interview- Osho Zen Tarot
I’m going to be honest here and let you in on a secret. I bought this deck never really thinking I was going to use it that much. I bought it so that I could take pictures for a panel I did on the history of art in tarot, and I thought it was important…
Magickal Month- December 2019
It’s December, and we have a lot of new birds coming to our feeder. House wrens and chickadees will be wintering here, it seems, and so we’re making sure they have lots of fatty seeds to see them through the cold months. Husbear found a dove wing in our shed, however, where it had been…
Magickal Month- November 2019
November was originally the 9th month of the year, but was changed to the 11th in the Julian calender. (Latin “Novem”= 9) If you follow the Wiccan calender, November 1st is New Year, as Samhain marks the transition between the old and the new. I like New Year in January, however, and so this month…
Creating a Samhain or Halloween altar
Creating a Samhain or Halloween Altar It’s no secret that witches really come alive around Samhain. This is kind of ‘our time’. While most other Pagan holidays were co-opted by Christianity and dulled down as the years passed, Samhain (and even Halloween) still retains so much Pagan lore and flavor. We have traditions that have…
Magickal Month- October 2019
Welcome to October, now affectionately known as WHY IS IT STILL SO HOT?? Also known as the month of Halloween. I’m drinking my Pumpkin Cream Nitro Cold Brew from Starbucks in leiu of a typical Pumpkin Spice Latte because it’s still in the mid 90s here in Georgia. Anyone who still thinks that global warming…
Creating a Mabon/Autumnal Equinox Altar
This is my favorite sabbat and my favorite time of year! Usually by now, it’s still hot during the day, but the nights have that tiny hint of coolness in the air. We can almost be convinced that the weather is breaking and there will be some relief from the incessant heat. And the Summer…
Magickal Month- September 2019
Is it possible that Autumn is right around the corner? It’s still sweltering hot here in Georgia, and it will stay sweltering hot for at least this month. But every time the weather breaks, even if by a few degrees, it’s a reminder that longer, cooler nights are ahead and it’s time to start wrapping…
Magickal Month- August 2019
In August our attention pivots from the work of tending our ‘crops’ (literal or metaphorical) to beginning the harvest. We’re seeing the rewards of all the work we’ve put in over the Spring and Summer, and it feels amazing. We’re also now on the downside of Summer, and though Autumn is still 6 weeks away,…
Building a Lughnassadh/Lammas Altar
Lughnassadh tide is upon us, and it’s almost time to start celebrating the grain harvest represented by the Celtic god Lugh. In the agricultural world, the grains that sustain us are coming ripe. This is a time to celebrate corn, wheat, barley, and anything else that is coming ripe in your area. I also like…
Sabbat Altars Series
So now that I’ve moved and things are calming back down, I have a dedicated space for an altar. I’ve been wanting to keep a seasonal altar (after numerous failed attempts to keep up with it), and I’ve found the perfect shelf on which to build it. I’ll keep my permanent shrines to Hecate and…
Magickal Month- July 2019
July was named after Julius Caesar, as it was his birth month. Previously, it was known as Quintilus because it was the 5th month of the old calendar. It became the 7th month when January and February were added to the beginning of the calendar, and a year became 12 months long. If you didn’t…
Magickal Month- June 2019
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calenders. It was named after Juno, the Roman mother goddess, wife of Jupiter, analogous to Greek Hera. Summer doesn’t start until the Solstice on the 21st, but it’s SOOOOOO hot here in Georgia. And worse yet, it doesn’t look like there’s any…
Magickal Month- May 2019
May was named after the Roman goddess Maia, a goddess of fertility and abundance. Several cultures marked May with fertility festivals of some sort or another, and our modern Pagan festival of Beltane is no exception. It’s a celebration of fertility, sexuality, flowers, and love. Spring has sprung, and it’s time to celebrate all the…
Beltane Celebration Bowls Recipe (vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore versions)
Looking for something ridiculously festive and bright to eat this Beltane? Try these. And then go have some fun! 1 cup dried adzuki beans Water for soaking and simmering beans 1 cup dried white quinoa 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth to cook quinoa 1/2 block extra firm tofu 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced 1/2…
Solitary New Moon Tea and Ritual
The new moon is a time to go within and reflect. This is the start of a new moon cycle where we can begin again, set our intentions, and deal with any inner work that needs to be done. So the energies of this moon are rest, reflection, going deep within, and deciding on our…
Magickal Month- April
April is such an exciting month! This time last month, we were seeing the first flowers and signs of new life, but now we’re seeing the real greening of the world. The forests are iridescent green, the azaleas, phlox, red buds, and cherry trees are coming in, and those first signs of life have become…
Magickal Month- March
I’m sorry this month’s post is so late! We’ve had a lot going on around Casa de Ravenson. March is in full swing, and there’s lots to do! March is when everything starts waking back up. The Bradford pear trees, cherry trees, daffodils, and forsythia, and hyacinths have been blooming for about 2 weeks now,…
Magickal Month- January 2019
January is kind of a mixed bag, depending on your mindset. For some, the holidays are over, and the long winter stretches ahead of us, bleak and depressing. But for some, this is a month of new possibilities, taking control of our lives after the chaos of the holiday season, and a time to rest,…
Creating a regular spiritual practice
I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this here, but New Year and New Year’s Eve are my favorite holidays. I love hitting the reset button and creating myself anew every January. It’s a chance to step back, see what worked, scrap what didn’t, and try to make some improvements. Naturally, me being me, I’ve…
Magickal Month- December
December is a month of extremes. There’s the cold and chill outside, and the warmth and comfort of our homes, our families, and our friends. There’s the stress and frustration of holiday shopping, finances, parties, etc., and there are the sweet, happy moments of seasonal joy. It can be incredibly difficult for a lot of…
Deck Interview- Spirit de la Lune
This deck has been on my wish list since I first saw it. How can you not love it? The cards are round, beautiful, evocative, and all based on lunar cycles and astrology. I also love that there’s a convention for working with the cards upright, reversed (seen as a blockage in that energy), or…
Magickal Month- November
November was originally the 9th month in the old Roman calendar, but became the 11th month in the updated Julian and Gregorian calendars when January and February were added to the beginning of the year. Here in the Southeastern US, it’s finally getting chilly. We may have a few sunny, warm days here and there,…
Greek ‘smudging’ substitute
So I’ve been thinking a lot about cultural appropriation lately. I never used to really worry about using sage or palo santo, feeling like I was OK as long as I honored the First Nations tradition of smudging but without trying to claim it as my own. However, if I’ve learned anything in my practice,…
Deck Interview- The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle
I’ve been using the Wild Unknown Tarot for almost 2 years now, and it’s quickly become my favorite deck. It’s my personal deck- the one I don’t use to read for anyone else. In fact, it just doesn’t read for anyone else. It gives really confusing, difficult readings when I try to read for others….
Magickal Month- October
October is the 10th month of the year, though it’s named after ‘octo’ meaning 8 in the old Roman calendar. Another one of those, right? It was moved into the 10th place with the establishment of January and February as the first and second months in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It was also known…
Magickal Month- September
September is such an exciting month for those of us who love Autumn. While the season doesn’t actually start until the Equinox on the 22nd (at 9:54pm here in the EDT zone), September still feels like that gateway month. We’ve suffered through the heat of June, July, and August, and we can feel the nights…
Magickal Month- August
August was originally named Sextilis in Latin because it was the sixth month of the Roman year. Now it’s the eighth month, but October (Octo= 8) was already taken. Because… Because… *sigh* Here in Georgia, we’re all pretty grateful to have gotten through July. August tends to be a little drier and less humid than…
My tarot decks for Summer
I haven’t been posting a lot outside of my Magickal Month posts lately. There’s a good reason for that. It’s hot and I don’t wanna. Nyeh! (Actually, I’ve had a lot of other things going on, including Camp NaNoWriMo, a group on Facebook that is meant to facilitate and support making positive changes in life,…
Magickal Month- July
July is the 7th month of the year, named after Julius Caesar because it was his birth month. The ‘Dog Days of Summer’ begin in July as well. They’re associated with the star Sirius “The Dog Star”, which is rumored to bring drought, lethargy, madness, and bad luck with its return to the night sky….
Magickal Month- June
June is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calenders. It was named after Juno, the Roman mother goddess, wife of Jupiter, analogous to Greek Hera. While Summer doesn’t officially start until June 21st on the Summer solstice, the weather is already fully hot and humid. Here, we’ve had rain for…