Date: 2009-07-15
From Dance of the Moon, by Dan Furst Once the year moves past mid-May and into June, festivals celebrate days that are getting so long that the Russians still call the June summer solstice week the White Nights. For ancient peoples in the northern hemisphere, the point of the time leading to the next mid-season feast of Lughnasad (July 31—August 1) was the waxing power of the Sun,...
Date: 2008-12-08
While the Yule Log is smoldering in the fireplace, warming your house with its golden glow, casting dancing shadows on a sparkling Yule tree, the scene might not immediately evoke images of faeries. It should, however. Author Edain McCoy details just how these spritely guardians do not all hibernate in winter, and how they should be honored during these chilly months of warm celebration.
Date: 2008-10-06
From Yule, by Dorothy MorrisonOnce the Yule log is ready, turn your home into a magical wonderland. Get into the holiday spirit by decorating mantles, shelves, walls, and corners. Afraid it will be too expensive? Think again! The magical ideas below make great decorations without making short work of your pocketbook.Evergreen WreathMetal ring (the desired size of the wreath)Sprigs of pine,...
Date: 2008-02-28
After writing one book covering all eight of the sabbats (Sabbats), and another one about the Ostara sabbat (Ostara), I wanted a “fresh” angle for Ostara 2008. Most Pagans become familiar very early in their studies with the primary icons and concepts of our solar celebrations. Most of us know Ostara is the celebration of the spring equinox, a day of balance between dark and light....
Date: 2007-11-12
From Sabbats, by Edain McCoy The Wheel of the Year is often symbolized by the wreath. Its circle has no beginning and no end, thus illustrating that the Wheel of the Year is also like this, with everything in its time coming back to its point of origin and traveling onward, over and over again.Though they can be bought ready-made, enjoy some Yule fun by making your own unique Yule wreath out of...
Date: 2007-07-30
The autumnal equinox as well as what we now call the first of August have both been celebrated as festival days of the harvest season across Europe and North America. As August first approaches, we must reflect on what what these harvest celebrations mean and what they mean to us.
Date: 2006-12-18
Make your home a place of festive holiday cheer while teaching kids the important roots of Yule, the Solstice, and other winter holidays. A.C. Fisher Aldag shares several delicious Yuletide recipes and fun family craft projects, mixing in a dash of history, spirituality and divination. Crafts and projects are appropriate for all ages and are perfect for your whole family to create as a group.
You can host a Samhain party whether or not you have pagan friends. In her book Sabbats, author Edain McCoy provides some great tips on how to host a Samhain party. Avoid creepy séances, evil hags, and other negative images. These do not promote the truth about witches and pagans. Divinations are a great way to get people involved, even those who don’t take it seriously. Have...
From Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways, by Edain McCoy In Mexico and the American southwest, there is a beautiful Easter custom, also pagan in origin, revolving around cascarones. Cascarones (cahs-cah-roe-nays) are eggshells that have been carefully hallowed out, painted, filled, and then resealed with tape. Traditional fillings for them include perfume, confetti, lavender,...
