New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
In England, this day is known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday. It’s the time of feasting before the Lenten sacrifices. Flat, crepe-like pancakes with fresh lemon juice and sprinkled sugar are eaten. This spell blesses the place where food is prepared and where people often gather together. You’ll need a new broom (I like an old-fashioned corn broom for this, but any broom will do), lavender oil, and salt. In the morning, rub lavender oil where the whisks of the broom join the ...
I have been obsessed with super-fine, high-quality incense—both stick and resin—since the age of fifteen. I attribute this to a past life, but whatever the case, there is something special about genuine, non-synthetic smoke sanctifying a room, home, or outside space. Simply collect all the incense you have. Feel free to be a connoisseur like me by tossing out the “fake” stuff. Face the east. Holding your hands over all your incense, take deep breaths and, when ...
An altar provides a focus for mystical practice. It can provide a place for worship, spellcasting, or whatever else you need. In the process, however, it tends to pick up stray bits of energy. Over time, these can build up enough to become distracting, rather like bug spots on a windshield. So an altar needs to be cleaned and blessed periodically. Begin by removing all the things on the altar—candlesticks, statuettes, bowls, and so on. Take off the altar cloth. If it’s washable, ...
It’s a cold, winter moon if you live in the Northern Hemisphere of planet Earth. It’s a bright, warm moon if you live in the Southern Hemisphere. But no matter where you live, whether north or south, it’s the full moon and magick is afoot! The full moon creeps up on us, pulling back the veil of our psyche and dreams and infiltrating our subconscious. I always seem to have some sort of crying jag or emotional fit before or during a full moon, no matter how hard I try to ...
