Article Topic: Pagan

This is a great season for magickal gardening; flowers are in bloom and we are surrounded by green. Garden Witch Ellen Dugan discusses being inspired by nature and the Wheel of the Year, as well as her newest book, Seasons of Witchery.

Many people would like to invite fairies into their garden, not knowing that they may well already be there. Patricia Monaghan, a gardener, Pagan, Irish-American, and author of Magical Gardens, discusses ways these mischievous beings can be invited into the garden—or thanked if already there.

When thinking about the world's history, the use of incense is not something that is likely to come to mind. However, incense has had a shaping role in the economies and politics of societies the world over for thousands of years. How can such a small, humble stick hold so much power? Carl F. Neal, author of Incense Magick, explains.

Life is made up of both the good and the bad; without the bad times, we wouldn't know how to appreciate the good. But when we are experiencing a tough time, it is becoming increasingly rare to find empathy from others. Kerri Connor, author of Spells for Tough Times, explains why we need to experience both the good and the bad, and provide empathy, sympathy, and support to those around us who may be going through the same.

In the simpler times of long ago, our ancestors struck flint to tinder and, with deer on the spit and wolf cubs at their feet, watched shadow monsters dance across cave walls. They knew Dragons intimately and held them close. How could they not? With primordial majesty, Dragons ruled earth, sea, and sky. They were reminders of the danger beyond the firelight, the world beyond comprehension. They were Awe personified, revered for their wisdom and at-one-ment with the Universe, dreaded for their strength and elemental energy. But what about the importance of Dragons in today's society? Shawn MacKenzie, author of The Dragon-Keeper's Handbook, explains just how truly relevant Dragons are to us.

In our daily lives, most of us are aware of a yearning to "Otherness:" an insistent pull to an ephemeral "something," which could make us dissatisfied with the world of the five senses. We feel instinctively that, "There is more than this." And, in our urge for connection to that mysterious "something," we start to look around. Some look up, some look down; many look away from their everyday lives. Druids look around, to the green and natural world around us. So how does one embrace the Druidic life? Penny Billington, author of The Path of Druidry, explains how to awaken the Druid within.

For thousands of years, human beings have honored our connection to the earth, seasons, and major life transitions through ceremony, ritual, and storytelling. These practices are the sacred technology of indigenous people and are an inherent part of our past and ancestral wisdom. In these current times of disconnection, feelings of lack and poverty, and polluted air and waters, the importance of creating ceremony is becoming more apparent. Katalin Koda, author of Fire of the Goddess and Sacred Path of Reiki, provides easy ways to create your own ceremony so that we too can reconnect with the earth, empower ourselves, heal, and transform into more balanced humans.

The stories of Tolkien and Rowling (and the subsequent movies based upon them) have enchanted the idea of a magic wand for many of us. But exactly how does one make a magical wand, imbuing it with the proper energy? Alferian Gwydion MacLir, author of Wandlore: The Art of Crafting the Ultimate Magical Tool, discusses the art of crafting a powerful magical wand.