Article Topic: Pagan

The ancient Egyptians had a different spin on prosperity, and it requires a change in thinking. Prosperity was not individual, though they did have upper and lower classes. Prosperity was agriculturally-based, so if the crops thrived, everyone benefited; if they failed, it affected everyone. Knowing this, how can a modern practitioner approach Egyptian prosperity magic? Claudia Dillaire, author of Egyptian Prosperity Magic, explains.

If you’re lucky enough to live within a reasonable distance of a metaphysical, New Age, or occult shop, you may not give a second thought as to where you can obtain your witchy supplies. However, I often find myself in conversation with those not lucky enough to be near such a store, and they express frustration and exasperation about where they are ever going to find that much-sought-after ritual supply or spell ingredient. In this day and age, of course, there are a myriad of websites and online shops; however, it is also a good idea to try balancing Internet resources with supporting your community’s economy by shopping locally. In reality, the answer to your magickal needs may be closer than you think.

No one likes to talk about it, but we've all experienced it: the disappointment of ineffective magick. Spells don't always work, and the frustration caused by magickal failure can build up over time and hold us back from achieving our full potential. So how can we avoid the mire of mediocre magick? Melanie Marquis, author of The Witch's Bag of Tricks, offers a few practices that—with just fifteen minutes a day—can strengthen your magickal practice.

Fairy tales. We have known these stories since we were young, likely so young we cannot remember the first time we heard them. These stories did more than entertain us; they were our constant companions. They helped us define who we were. They molded us into the person we would someday become. Kenny Klein, author of Through the Faerie Glass and the new Fairy Tale Rituals, explains how these tales have remained for centuries, changing and inspiring us.

King James I of England came to be one of the more prominent prosecutors of "witch mania" beginning in Scotland and Denmark in 1590. Believing that persecuting witches under the law would grant him protection from their "black magick," James took on a great role in the interrogations and prosecution. His book, Demonology, was written with the aim to "educate" others on the evils of witchcraft and the supernatural. While being a difficult subject matter for many to broach, Donald Tyson has revisited this important work and made it approachable and understandable as The Demonology of King James I.

As Pagans, we love what is natural, including the burning flame of ritual candles. But, are there times when using a flameless candle can be advantageous? If so, what about the magic of the flameless candle? Ember Grant, author of Magical Candle Crafting, discusses the magic of using flameless candles in ritual.

While working on her book Night of the Witches, author Linda Raedisch discovered a meeting and subsequent correspondence between a now-elderly friend and Gerald Gardner. Just how did the Father of Modern Witchcraft influence our present-day? As the author discovers, much more than you might initially think.

Cultures worldwide have long incorporated small bags containing herbs, stones, and other sacred items as part of their belief systems, whether to ward off evil, protect them while traveling, or to attract positive elements into their lives. Cheré Dastugue Coen and Jude Bradley, authors of Magic's in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags & Sachets, explain how to create such gris gris bags and imbue them with the power to attract prosperity.