Beltane kicks off this month of fun, frolicking, fertility, and oh yeah, staying at home some more. This is a mixed blessing for a lot of people, as I know a lot of folks are getting things done around the house. It’s nice to know that when we’re able to get out and about again,…
Category: Pagan
Deck Interview (kinda)- Super Attractor
This deck came to me for my birthday, a present from my wonderful sister. It was one that I knew I wanted, having loved Gabrielle Bernstein’s previous deck ‘The Universe Has Your Back’. Neither of these decks are particularly great for oracle work, as they provide affirmations instead. I have used both as oracles, but…
Magickal Month- April 2020
April is upon us, and so is the pollen. Everything is covered with a thin coating of the yellow stuff, and if people weren’t scared enough of the Corona Virus, now we have these terrifying allergies to contend with. Seriously, every sniffle is suspect, even if we’ve had allergies for years. However, the grape hyacinths…
Deck Interview- The Light Seer’s Tarot
This deck is one of those rare cases where I wanted it, I had money, and I bought it. I have quite a lot of decks, so a new one has to REALLY speak to me for me to spend the money. This one really did. I just love the energy of the art on…
Creating an Ostara or Spring Equinox altar
Now comes the time of year when everything is really starting to wake up and come alive after its Winter slumber. We’re seeing flowers cropping up everywhere, and the animals are all going a little crazy in their rush to mate. The ubiquitous red robin has shown its face, and there’s a lovely, iridescent green…
Magickal Month- March 2020
What strikes me about March is first the haze of pinks, browns, and pale greens that spread over the forest as buds begin to open. Then, later in the month, the iridescent green of the new growth as all the leaves burst forth. March is all about moving from the grey and brown of Winter…
Magickal Month- February 2020
February is that held breath between the Winter and Spring where we aren’t quite sure about what it is that we should be doing. We’ve spent the Winter going within, taking stock of our inner worlds, and our plans for the Spring are made. But it isn’t time to put them into practice yet. Fortunately,…
Magickal Month- January 2020
There was a time when I had a lot of trouble at this time of year. I have a little bit of Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it hit me hard. I also had a rough time around my birthday, and spent a good deal of January depressed because of it. As I’ve gotten older, however,…
Creating a Yule or Winter Solstice Altar
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…
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…
Deck Interview- Goddess Power Oracle
This is the second deck that my sister gifted me as an early Yule prezzy. I love it, and I’ve been using it a bit differently from my other oracle decks. I haven’t used it in a reading yet, but I’ve been using it to draw a new card every month to choose the deity…
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…
Deck Interview- Crystal Spirits Oracle
My sister loves me A LOT. When I was stressed and freaking out over DragonCon and how to get my tarot presentation done for the Paranormal Track, she noticed that Hay House was having its annual 50% off sale on cards. As it was right before DragonCon, I had $0 to get cards, and I…
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 Full Moon Tea and Ritual
The full moon is a time of celebration. We’ve grown over the past 2 weeks from the new moon, and hopefully worked towards the intentions that we set at the new moon. This is a time of light, of fullness, and of highlighting our spiritual practices. The energies of this moon are illumination, making magick,…
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…
Deck Interview- Arcane Bullshit Tarot
This deck was a surprise birthday gift from my A1 best, high-grade Husbear. And I LOVE IT. It was about 7 weeks late, because he backed it as a Kickstarter, but it came at exactly the right time. First, let’s look at the aesthetics. WOW. There are 105 cards, so shuffling this deck is completely…
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-February
February is the last bit of cold before the Spring comes, and we’re naturally beginning to think about the growth season ahead. We’re feeling the stirrings of activity as the days are getting longer and sunnier, though there’s still a strong chance of Winter weather. We can’t help but get excited when the snow drops,…