New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
Do you recall the first time you cast a solitary spell? A real spell. Do you remember the moment when you took power into your own hands, lit flickering candles, burned tendrils of incense, called to the corners, created sacred space, and invoked your intention to manifest in the universe? It was memorable, wasn't it? Like a teenager fumbling through the loss of virginity, there was likely an awkward reference back to the grimoire you were using, a bumbling pause to find right words, the correct order, or the proper invocation. Your magical results were likely surprising and unexpected, as the best things in life should be. Our desires often lead us to places where unanticipated wonders ...
One of the easiest ways to change your energy is by using sacred sprays. You can purchase these through online or brick and mortar establishments, but it is even more fun to make your own. Admittedly, my favorite is Pastor Davis 7 African Powers, which we call "The Holy Aquanet" at my shop because it is in a fat aerosol can. I have been unable to duplicate the scent, and we use it to seal our magical work, especially a spiritual cleansing. For most people, sacred sprays create an immediate effect. I like to spray it into the air above me and then let it rain over me in a soothing rush of scent. For that moment, I can merge with the energy of the spray and give myself over to its power. ...
Grave minding and grave decorating traditions run hand in hand with the season of Samhain, and perhaps nowhere is this as apparent as in Central and South America during Dias de los Muertos. However, elements of this practice are easily incorporated into modern Pagan traditions and offer a subtle yet powerful method of honoring the dead. It is a practice that I have been personally undertaking for the past twelve years, and it has become a valued addition to my Samhain rituals. Grave minding is an immersive ceremony where the graves of the dead are tended to and cleaned. Food, flowers, and lights are given as offerings, and a small meal is taken as a form of communion in memory of the ...
Halloween, All-hallow-even, All Hallow’s Eve, Samhain, and All Saints’ Eve are just a few of the names given to celebrations occurring on October 31st. Although they all share similarities in their festivities, I am going to focus on some of the Celtic customs related to Samhain. Samhain begins at dusk on October 31st and is the Celtic New Year’s Eve. The god of summer is defeated and the god of winter and death now presides over mother earth. This is a special day, the time of year when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is the thinnest, and a time when the communication between these worlds is the strongest. This has its good and bad points, ...
