Witchy Update - Issue #8

For many of us, regardless of spiritual background, December is a time of gift giving. Why don’t we take some time this year and give gifts to our local spirits—the ones that hang around outside your door, protect you on the way down the sidewalk, and aid in your outdoor rituals and workings? Poppy Palin suggests in her book, Craft of the Wild Witch, that we ask these spirits what they would like of us, in order to find the right gift. The gift they request may be a spiritual one: the making of a promise or vow, or the sending out of prayers or healing energy. But, then again they may just ask you for something sparkly, especially if they are Fey creatures. As Poppy says in the following rhyme, they tend to be partial to those types of things:

A glimmer, a glamour, not a dismal dim-dimmer,
Oh bring us your sparklies, we want things that shimmer!

Poppy suggests for these spirits gemstones, fizzy cordial, honey cakes, good quality chocolate, pure apple juice, or silver and zirconium jewelry, but be sure to ask first, because other spirits want nothing more than a bit of cheese and some beer, and might be a bit annoyed with something sparkling that can’t be eaten. Whatever it is they ask for, it’s likely something you can part with, and certainly worth it to show your gratitude toward those unseen (and sometimes seen!) beings that help you work your magic throughout the year. Happy holidays!

A fun contest for teens & 'tweens
Llewellyn's Teens & 'Tweens website is running a contest for fans of Laurie Faria Stolarz's bestselling books Blue is for Nightmares and White is for Magic. Anyone under 18 can take a quick quiz and be eligible to win one of four awesome prize packages. Click here to find out more!

Vintage edition of Regardie's The Golden Dawn
Here's a treat for the holidays: Printed in 1982, these rare hardcover editions of the 1937 classic written by Israel Regardie are once again made available to the public. This classic version contains original materials and features a sophisticated hard-bound cover. This special edition makes a great gift, and is perfect for collectors. Learn about this special offer.

Plan Ahead for PantheaCon!
Held February 18 - 21, 2005 in San Jose, California, PantheaCon is a joyous pagan gathering with workshops, rituals, parties, people, and fun stuff galore. Plan to attend this year. Llewellyn will have a booth in the vendor area, and I will be giving a talk on the state of pagan publishing, please stop by and say hello, and bring book ideas, proposals, and/or manuscripts! If you’d like to set up a meeting with me in advance, feel free to contact me at WitchyUpdate@Llewellyn.com. For more information, see: www.ancientways.com/pantheacon. I hope to see you there!