It all started when my therapist recommended ancestor work. I was initially resistant. “My ancestors were racist. I don’t want to work with them,” I said. “Also they were Christian. Why would they want to talk to a Witch?” She assured me that she finds the ancestors want to be in relationship and are genuinely helpful. So I opened an Ancestry account. This turned into my new research obsession. If you’ve traced your own lineage you know what I’m talking... Read more
How did it get to be Yule already? It’s rather late to be decorating, pulling together ritual and making a solstice blog post. If like me the season has caught you off guard here are a few last minute tricks for instant Yule inspiration. Instant Books These little books are quick reads. I dip into them for ideas and they also make good last minute gifts. They’re all available as ebooks. There’s one idea from each of them in this... Read more
Debra Burris changed my mind about weather magic. I’ve been afraid to work with weather for fear I’ll do accidentally cause harm. Burris offers the reassurance that it’s just another way to do energy work. If you’ve ever wished for a storm to pass by that’s weather magic. So why not learn about it? That refreshingly commonsensical approach would be enough to recommend the book, but there’s a truly revolutionary thought hidden here in the practical spells. The genius of... Read more
Arthur Avalon brought Tantra to the west. That is, westerners knew Tantra existed, but it was classified as a degenerate form of Hinduism involving black magick rituals and sex. The majestic Arthur Avalon books changed all that. They presented Tantra as a legitimate spiritual pursuit and established the whole field of Tantric studies in the western academy. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. So who was Arthur Avalon? For a century we’ve thought this was a pseudonym for John Woodroffe. The real... Read more
Are we afraid of our gods? Should we be? Read more
This winter I’ve become a recluse. Everything is just hard. Here is what you do not want a person my age to say: I fell this summer and hurt my hip. I do the exercises I learned in physical therapy but it hasn’t been the same since. The focus of my magick these days is health. I give myself the affirmation that I move around as I wish in the world and chant the Mrityunjaya mantra faithfully every day for... Read more
At Patheos Star and Snake Brandy Williams reconnects with Thelemic community at Babalon Rising. Read more
I’m not a big fan of surprise. I’ve developed a particular dislike of surprises in initiations. I define initiation as a ritual that inducts the candidate into something new. In magical communities initiations connect the candidate with a group or an organization. They can also impart an energy. For example Tantric initiations can unlock the energy of a particular mantra. Somehow we’ve developed the idea that an initiation has to be a surprise to be effective. We shouldn’t know what’s... Read more
I am a Witch and a magician. There are more of us than you might expect. Witchcraft and ceremonial magic are compatible and complementary. The Original Connection Witches my age generally know something about ceremonial magic. When I became a Witch information about practice was scarce – I personally own every book before 1975 that talked about how to actually do Witchcraft. When we ran out of other things to study we picked up Israel Regardie’s books about Golden Dawn... Read more
Dr. Megan Rose shares her personal story and how she came to write about spirit marriage. Read more
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