Witch News/Pagan News

Was searching for news related to Pagan Happenings or Witchy News internationally. You know...something along the lines of events, studies, breakthroughs in magickal discussions, general happenings among the pagan community.

Unfortunately all I find are negatives. The mainstream media still follows the stereotypically "shock and horror and awfullness associated with witchcraft and practice.
What was found here:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/category/witchcraft

was all negative, still showing the fear that the world has of Witches. Is there a site?
I know Witchvox, but it is less news, and more essays about persons living in the craft........ If anyone has a link...point it out to me please.

Yule Decorations

In putting up our tree this year I looked at our decorations and saw the lack of yule icons for decorations. The only two I had was this Sun symbol...and the moon pictured below:

Made me yearn for some other decorations for the tree, which were more in keeping with the solstcie and pagan themes for YULE.
So I went one to ETSY...my favourite place for things hand made; and found this :

Which can be found here :

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64020521/charmed-triquetra-celtic-knot-gemstone?ref=sr_gallery_8&ga_search_query=yule+decorations&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&order=&includes[0]=tags&include

And then there was this:

Which can be found here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62788815/yule-ornaments-trio?ref=sr_gallery_31&ga_search_query=yule+decorations&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=3&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=handmade

I always like handmade ones the best!!!!! For the more elegant artsy type.......


   

Planetary Magick Poem- Pushing back Saturn

A few years ago on reading up about Planetary Magick, I penned this little poem. Although I remember the vibration of what I wanted to say....well the muse has left me...and I can no longer catch her Golden Thread......anyway...the poem:

Born I was with Saturn's Sight

And I too young to know this plight

Did wander round in restless night

His walls which kept me in.

I'd push until I could push no more

Rebelious and stifled

at Saturn's door

my mind will be trapped my emotions sore

My inner self just screaming

And Saturn taunted me

He teased me

Every where I turn to escape

Like some dreaded warden

he'd show me the bars which stopped

and blocked and limited my flight.

I'd befriended the aura of Venus fair

And so Saturn hated her there

He'd block and bar my lady fair

from showing me more minds

In my limited darkness I'd be in pain

bewildered and hopeless

and almost insane

the boundaries around me I pushed in vain.

And Venus would try to save me.

She'd send me gifts

and Saturn would block them.

Relationships and wealth were not to be mine.

He showed me their limits all of the time.

But Venus, being of quick mind

whispered a plan to me

We'd do a spell to push Saturn back

Enlist the help of Jupiter of expansive energies.

Jupiter! Thou expansive beast!

Neither light nor dark discerns.

And I got stuck here....ah well!

Snap, crackly, popply

Move over Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans (of Harry Potter Fame)!!!! Cadbury's has come out with their own spark!

Its MAGICAL ELVES!


*loud applause to be heard*




Had one just a few minutes ago for the first time, and then had one again. You get the smooth Cadbury Chocolate, and......a sparkly, crackly feeling as the magic crackles in your mouth....I swear! It is awesome. I think Cadbury has hit on something the kids would love....yummmmmmmmm chomp chomp.....well...if the get to taste them....chompy chompity...yummmmmmmmmmmm.

Puttering along

Sometimes I wonder what I can add to this blog to make it more interesting for people. I really didn't want it to be a resource for learning about witchcraft. I really wanted it to be fun and wacky with a witchy theme. But my stats tell me that the most looked at pages are the serious stuff that I wright when I am in the nether zones thinking away.

I don't post these things there because I want to instruct....I just post my thoughts. They seem to be a lot clearer when I blog them....than when I think them.

Sometimes I want to re-create the world, and let people invent themselves and their surroundings. I think we should all enjoy our time on this earth, and this is my way of doing it.

Right....so coming into 2011, my goal is to get 200 people per day on my blog...and I have no clue how I am going to do that!  Any suggestions?

Herbal Cupboard Make-over

Yes...I know...I have a warped sense of humour. But a witches Herbal Cupboard needs to have eerie things of fantasy fauna and witchy lore....or else its...well...boring.

So I dreamed up a bunch of labels and a nice collection of bottles, all the same size.

 So ..."ahem".... I have managed to collect a bit of "Dried Fairy Wings" taken from the donations of a special family of Fairies who shed their wings once per year. (so I told my daughter) and I have also managed to collect and dry some Toad Skin, which was then chipped up for easier use.

They are actually dried hibiscus petals (wings) and dried orange peel (toad skin)...LOL.... but these labels are waaaayyyy more fun, and they freak the hell out of people. My son had a good laugh.  I have also managed to collect a stash of "Road killed Newt Eyeballs" all flattened nicely...(pumpkin seeds), but still have to make the label for those.

Here is a tea which is good for gas, and bloated tummies:

TOAD TEA


Two tablespoons of Toad Skin Chips (Full moon alchemists brand)
One table spoon grated ginger


Boil with three cups of water and sweeten with brown sugar. 
Drink for bloated tummies, or gassy stomachs. Makes a great morning tea to wake up digestion.

Creepy short film from Pixar's Rodrigo Blaas

Heh heh heh........

Ark

Sharing a short Clip I found on you tube...can't find the creator's Name though.

Wyrd Sisters

Can't have a proper witchcraft blog without some Witchy fun.
About the best, most developed character I have read with regard to the theme is Terry Pratchett's Granny Weatherwax. You may want to take in the Witches Trilogy, three of Pratchett's books featuring Granny, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick.

I just think that the antics that they get up to are hilarious. Granny is cool...I love her character....ecclectic witch and all that. Although I think Granny herself would scoff at the description!

                                                       

Etsy Miniatures

Beautiful Miniature Bed from this Etsy Shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bearcabinminiatures?ref=seller_info

Spirits, Memes and energies- Dealing with negative influences

In the Christian revivalists’ faith, many speak about “Spirits” which are passed from person to person, just by constant associations with them. Evolutionary theorists call these phenomena “Behavioral Memes” which is observed when an idea passes from one individual or another, and is taken on as a “belief” system, which then affects the person’s reaction to certain situations.

I myself, after a few months of observing, realized that I had unconsciously adopted one such meme. There are two individuals working close to me who are constantly under the fear that they are being victimized. I caught myself the other day mentally brooding over the same idea, and started to observe this more carefully. It was indeed a meme, a spirit of…… choose which ever name you wish to call it. Added to that, was the tendency of the two of them to over dramatize every little event, as if it was deliberately put there to thwart them (I guess it’s the same thing as feeling victimized constantly).

Just noticing the phenomenon is enough to turn your mind around.

That we are able to adopt each other neurosis is a scary thing. For the opened mind, it is a scary thing.

Good thing I know about Psychic Shields.

BOS Entry 2008 - “Hold your hands out at your sides, with your palms facing the ground. Imagine all stress, strain and worry, and any other physical discomfort flowing from your body down into the ground. Imagine it all being transmuted to positive energy (it may glow a different happy colour like bright gold). Next, imagine the energy of the earth as a golden or citrine light. This light enters your feet and fills up your whole body. You feel the flow stop as it reaches the top of your head.

Then imagine a bubble of blue-white light surrounding you like an egg. It forms from the top of your head and arches all the way down into the ground under your feet. Now imagine zipping it up from the ground up. There is your Protective Sphere. All negative energies will now bounce off of it and not enter you. As you go about your day, you will see the negative energies coming. But they cannot touch you, as they bounce off your sphere!

Blessed Be.

Divali

One of my favourite festivals which is celebrated here is Divali.
On the darkest night of the year (Dark Moon night) the Hindu community light little lamps to commemorate the return of a son, many many years ago. There is more to the festival, I just don't feel confident that I know enough of the story to blog it....but I will find out.

So last night I visited a friend's home, and the neighbourhood was ablaze with lights and song. All the women were decked off in glittering sari's of greens and golds. My friend has six sisters, four blood relations and two adopted ones. I could imagine someone getting a kick out of seeing them lined up together and watching the East Indian/Spanish/Chinese ethnic groups in all of them. Family Heritage in this country is a convoluted tale...but the end results are beautiful to look at!

The principle Goddess in the celebration is Mother Lakshmi. Which is apt. The Deyas which light the streets and yards symbolize light over darkness, good over evil. Mother Lakshmi herself, sits on a Lotus Flower, which is another symbol of triumph over adversity, conquering darkness etc.

The food was great too...all vegetarian.  The six seater table was occupied several times as batch after batch of people sat and ate.
The fireworks, the fun snaps and the starlites all added to the air of festivity......I wonder if I should light up my house next year???

Tropical Storm Tomas....we were missed again

Tracking Tomas

The link will take you to Tomas.
Its gone northward, thank goodness. Many people are complaining that the authorities made much ado about nothing. I for one am glad that they did. Storms can turn at a moments notice.

The night was extremely still, no breezes at all, and not too warm. But the sun shone brightly in a blue sky this morning, amid reports of high winds and rain in Barbados, an island nearby.

There is a local saying : "God iza Trini"  we have rarely been hit by a Tropical storm, so much so that the last heavy storm I remember is as a child, probably three or four years old, and sleeping under my bed hearing the winds batter our little home.

On to Saturday.......and Halloween Parties tonight!