A Pentagram Rant

I have a real problem with the pentagram being given such a bad rap by so many people, especially when the beliefs they hold (and spread) about this symbol are misguided, wrong and frequently detrimental.

I enjoy watching a paranormal TV show that shall remain nameless, and while I find most of the show to be interesting and thought-provoking, I find that several of the cast members who are devout Christians of a specific faith regularly reference the pentagram as a symbol of devil worship, demon possession and something to be feared. And this really bothers me as it propagates the notion that those of us out of the 'broom closet' as it were, and openly wearing one at our throats, are evil, perhaps even satanic, and blatantly advertising it for all the world to see. It only serves to make our pagan lives more difficult than they already are when we are forced to defend or explain our beliefs to those who automatically assume we practice the Black Arts simply because of a small star enclosed in a circle.

The pentagram is a symbol of spirituality, with four of the points representing the four elements of earth, air, fire and water and the fifth representing the Spirit of the Divine. It has actually been in use since at least 3000 BC, where in Babylonia the five directions were astrological and represented the planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and the fifth point, Venus, as the Goddess of Heaven. In Taoism the pentagram represents the five Chinese elements of earth, wood, water, fire and metal. Early Christians at one time used the pentagram to represent the five wounds of Christ (the Mormons still use the symbol in much of their architecture) and it was even the symbol of the city of Jerusalem for a time.

But somehow, somewhere, probably in the 19th c when the occult and all its frightfulness and intrigue took hold of so much of the population, it became something to fear, something unsettling. And while there are some Satanists who use it reversed with the three points facing down to symbolize a rejection of the Holy Trinity, the majority of people who use a pentagram use it to honor Spirit and all that Spirit encompasses in this beautiful natural world. And while it can be symbolic of that which is magickal, as we use it so much in circle, from calling the quarters to decorating our altars, it shouldn't automatically be assumed that the magick it's used for is black and dangerous.

Close-mindedness and ignorance are never a good thing, and when coupled with religious intolerance, they are a very dangerous thing. I try very hard to remain gentle when questioned by curious or concerned strangers about my belief system, even when I feel threatened by their fear and anger. By being kind, even in the face of hostility and derision, perhaps I can teach the truth to a few people who hopefully might in turn enlighten others if the subject of the pentagram and devil worship ever arises again in their lives. In the meantime in my own life, I'll continue to be annoyed by people who should know better (read: people of any faith who are by profession paranormal researchers). Stop spreading hatred and fear. Please.

Full Strawberry Moon

Today is the Full Strawberry Moon, a name used by all the Algonquin tribes, and so (obviously) named because June is the month when strawberries are ripe for picking. The Lakota called this moon the Drying Up Moon as June is the month of the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and when it first begins to get hotter, thus drying up any residual spring flooding. In Europe it is known among their indigenous peoples as the Rose Moon and many tribes refer to it as the Hot Moon because it heralds the summer season and the hot days ahead. It's neo-pagan name is the Mead Moon.

Even though this is the Strawberry Moon, now is a great time to plant any berry bushes, such as raspberries or blueberries. I saw some lovely ones this afternoon, lush with soon-to-be ripened berries and I contemplated buying a few, but alas I have no place to put them (I guess I'll have to be satisfied with picking them at the small, local farm we've been picking them at for years now). By the next full moon, or shortly thereafter, these fruits will be ready for the picking, just as the days grow hotter and the coolness of tart and juicy fruits would be a welcome snack.

What better way to honor the moon and the Goddess than to plant a fruit-bearing plant on the day of the first full moon that symbolically heralds the season of growth and abundance?

Color: Magickal Properties

Color is a very powerful thing to work with, as all color is imbued with different energies. At some future time I'll talk about the healing properties of colors in relation to our chakras, but today I'll keep the discussion to color magick and working with color to create more potent spells. This might be basic 101 to a lot of people, but to some it's all new territory. Candles, herbs, flowers, paper and any decorations used for spellwork, circle and/or altars can be intensified by bringing objects made of the appropriate colors into play, and even more so by incorporating any gods or goddesses they are linked with, as well as the days of the week they are connected to. Keep this in mind when using them for spellwork: timing is everything when it comes to power!

Red. This is the color of pure vibrant energy. Passion and desire. Red represents the Life Force in everything. It attracts good luck, but can also stir up anger and other unsettling emotions. Because of its power, it's best to use it or be exposed to it in moderation as any emotions it draws out can quickly get out of hand. Use it in magick to overcome difficulties or to increase determination and courage. It's the color of the Celtic Goddess Brid, goddess of the forge, and all things creative. It is also linked with Tuesday and the planet Mars.

Orange. Orange symbolizes joy, optimism and a will to succeed. This is also another powerful color and in magick is used to garner personal happiness and fertility too. This is a color of communication as it is one of the colors associated with Mercury, the messenger of the Roman Gods. Orange is linked with Sunday and the Sun.

Yellow. This color is a mind stimulant and represents achievement and learning. In divination it is used for success, new beginnings and inspiration. It evokes the sun. Linked closely with the color gold, it is a secondary color of the God and male divinity. Be careful with too much yellow though as it can turn from courageous to cowardly quite fast. Yellow is linked with Wednesday and the planet Mercury.

Green. Green is the color of harmony, nature, calmness, balance and growth. In magick it symbolizes prosperity and wealth, as well as healing and luck. This is a very positive color to use in spellwork when attempting to draw something to you in the most positive of ways. It is a sub-color of the Goddess as it is symbolic of fertility and Mother Earth. Use it also in spells to draw new love to you or to strengthen an existing relationship. Green is linked with Saturday and the planet Saturn.

Blue. Blue is the color of Spirit. It also represents healing, water, idealism and has a calming energy. Blue can be used in magick for occult protection, to enhance psychic gifts and in dreamwork. This is a very protective color. Blue is linked with Friday and the planet Venus.

Purple. Purple is the color of high spirituality as it provides a link to higher planes, psychic gifts and our dreams. This a very powerful healing color as it represents the link between our mind, body and spirit. Magickally it is used to gain insight into all things esoteric that we are seeking. Purple is linked with Thursday and the planet Jupiter.

Pink. Pink is, not surprisingly, the color of love and friendship, happiness and harmony. It represents women's mysteries and is a lesser color of the Goddess. Like green, this color is linked to the Goddess Venus. It is used magickally to restore a sense of peace and calm when things have become difficult or chaotic in relation to our emotions.

Brown. Brown represents natural wisdom, an affinity with nature and healing for animals. In magickal applications it is used to create a protective shield, to guard our homes and keep them safe, and to keep us grounded when we are feeling like we are being pulled in a direction we don't necessarily wish to go.

Black. Black represents the unseen forces in our lives, though these don't necessarily have to be negative, despite black's reputation as a color of all that is "evil." It is used for communicating with the dead and for endings to situations. In magick it is used to sow the seeds of new beginnings where needed, to absorb negativity and in banishing and limitation spells.

White. White is the color of the Divine Force in our lives. It is the color of peace, purity and truth. White is a cleansing color. In magick white is used to enhance psychic matters, to begin a new phase and as protection. It is frequently used in visionary magick. The color white is linked with Monday and the Moon.

Silver. This is the color of the Goddess and is always present on the altar to represent her, usually in the form of a silver candle. Silver is also the color of visions and intuition, inspiration and transformation and aids in giving birth to our potential. This is the color of the moon.

Gold. This is the color of the God, and like silver and the Goddess above, is always present on the altar as well, usually in the form of a gold candle. Gold symbolizes achievement, success, wealth and longevity. In magick this color is used to cast spells for success in any area of our lives and to promote confidence. It is associated with the most powerful Sun gods such as Apollo in Greek and Roman mythology, and with Ra, the Egyptian God of the Sun.

By incorporating color magick into your daily practice, and being aware of how these colors can work, both very powerfully and intimately for you, you can expand your magickal possibilities only as far as the depths of your imagination can travel.

How Does My Garden Grow?

Here we are just a month later and it doesn't even look like the same garden. My yarrow is simply magnificent, as are my hyssop and valerian. There is still so much that hasn't even begun to mature yet, let alone bloom. Watching life unfold throughout the season is a blessing to behold. Nature is a truly amazing thing.

Poppet Spell

I've made and used poppets in magick for some time now and find them to be very useful when something a bit stronger than a simple herbal spell is needed. Having something tangible to use to empower your needs, in combination with a traditional spell, can be quite potent.

I recently was having an issue with something that was causing me some considerable anxiety and so I decided to work a poppet spell to remove that fear when I needed it to be gone, thus enabling me to function effectively and without the nerves, which my poppet friend kindly cleansed me of when it was needed. The following spell is for the removal of anxiety, but this can be altered and modified to whatever your personal needs might be, such as a need for money or to heal a cold virus, etc. Be sure to adjust your colors and herbs accordingly.

What you will need:
Fabric, for the poppet body in a color appropriate for the issue
Herbs, appropriate for the issue to be resolved
Candles, again in an appropriate color for resolution of the issue
Spell, a written spell isn't essential for this, but it adds to the potency of the poppet

For my poppet's body I chose a natural cotton, in the color pink, which I always find to be calming. You can use a color based on traditional magickal associations (for example: green for money, or blue for healing an illness) or one that you choose on your own based on how it makes you feel. There are no hard and fast rules with this. You can even purchase a pre-sewn empty poppet body, available in various basic colors and ready to be filled with herbs, from a magick shop but I prefer to make my own as it empowers the poppet that much more, coming from my own hands.

It's traditional to use an odd number of herbs in a spell and the usual magickal numbers are 3, 7, and 9 as well as multiples of these numbers. Personally, I like to keep things simple and so I tend to not adhere to this. For the most part I use only four herbs when I can, one for each of the elements, but considering how nervous I was in this instance, I used far more herbs than usual for this! For my fear-calming poppet, I used lavender, rose petals (blue roses, as those are my favorite roses and always make me happy), passionflower, yarrow, scullcap, vervain, thyme and a dash of cinnamon. I don't add any oils to the herbs that I prepare for poppet magick as they can leach through the fabric and make a mess.

Lavender: brings peace and banishes sorrows.
Rose: calms personal stress and heals emotional imbalances
Passionflower: calms troubles and brings peace
Yarrow: stops fears and grants courage
Scullcap: encourages peace and relaxation
Vervain: brings peace and calms emotions
Thyme: gives courage and removes all ills from one's past that have caused the fear
Cinnamon: helps ensure success in a spell and increases the spell's potency

Double your fabric and draw an outline of a human body on your fabric, a bit chubbier in size than normal and cut it out. Either hand sew or machine sew the pieces together, leaving a section on one side open and turn right side out.

Grind your herbs of choice, based on your personal needs, and be sure to remain conscious of your intentions the entire time you do this. Attuning to the vibrations of your herbs and enchanting them is always critical in maintaining their power throughout this process. The herbs need not be ground to a powder, but refrain from using any sharp or twiglike pieces as they can tear or poke through the fabric body, and keeping the herbs fairly small makes it easier to stuff the poppet. Sew your poppet closed.

Once your poppet is finished, hold it in your power hand (this is your dominant hand, the one you write with and which holds the most magickal power for you) and clearly state and visualize your intentions. Place the poppet on your altar, cast your circle and light the candles you have chosen in appropriate colors and in a quantity that feels right to you. If you've written a spell to accompany the empowering of your poppet it should be done during the spellwork period of your circle ritual. Again, this isn't essential. The poppet will work even if you simply visualize it working and light your candles while meditating on your needs.

And as a reminder: spells that draw something to you (in this case, a sense of calm, courage and peace) should always be performed during the waxing moon and those to banish things you don't want should be done during the waning moon. (If I had chosen herbs to quell fear rather than promote a sense of well-being this would have been the correct time to work that spell instead). In this case, this spell was worked at the full moon with the Goddess at her most potent and powerful.

Put the poppet in a safe place and take it out only when needed. I am of the belief that, like my magickal tools and implements, my poppet should never be handled by anyone else so as not to introduce the energies and beliefs of that person, especially those folks who tend to poo poo anything not of the mundane. Personally, I prefer to keep things pure and unmuddied, but this is a personal choice.

When you no longer need your poppet, carefully take it apart stitch by stitch and bury the opened cloth body and the herbs in the ground and thank the Divine for their help in your spellwork.

Trees 101: The Willow

My mother and I were talking about trees yesterday and I told her how much I loved to sit beneath the large old willow in the backyard of my childhood home, to which she replied that my father would never have planted a willow tree as it is symbolic of death and when one plants a willow, someone you love will die. While this isn't exactly true, the willow was a popular image engraved on Victorian headstones and along with the nickname of "weeping willow" is frequently thought of when it comes to the subject of death.

Instead of bringing death and misery, the willow can actually alleviate sadness and darkness and when one sits beneath its long embracing branches, will find their energies calmed. Willow is a favored wood for wands due to its flexibility. Native Americans wove their baskets and fishing nets from willow because of that flexibility. Medicinally, willow has been used to treat headaches and fevers by use of the leaves, bark and wood of the tree. To conjure spirits mix ground willow bark with sandalwood. The traditional besom, usually made of birch, is bound with willow branches.

The willow is the third sacred wood for the sabbat fire and, not surprisingly, it represents death. The tree is associated with the moon and thus the Goddess, giving it feminine energy. It's a magickal tree that vibrates to the elements of water and fire. The willow is the traditional tree of Samhain.

A Witch's Field Garden Awakes

We've just begun to get the gardens ready for the season, trimming away that which was dried and dead from the winter, but which I always like to leave for the birds and small animals to cull seeds from, as well as to provide nest materials in early spring. I'm most fond of our field garden behind my studio, the one David and I have spent innumerable hours tending over the last few years. I've carefully chosen the plants that we grow there, plants that serve several purposes: medicinal flowers and herbs, those with magickal properties that have been used for centuries and those that allow us to xeriscape garden for environmental reasons, doing our share to help save Mother Earth and conserve resources. These photos show the garden just starting to wake up. By the time we're in the heart of the season, there will be little mulch and soil showing and the plants will be several feet high and sporting a variety of vivid colors. In no particular order, here are a few of my favorite plants we grow out there:

Yarrow. This is a protective plant and when worn stops all fear and brings courage to the wearer. The flowers can be made into an infusion and when drunk will improve one's psychic powers. It can be used to exorcise evil from a person, place or thing.

Bergamot. This plant brings clarity to any situation. It attracts butterflies and the red varieties will draw hummingbirds to your garden.

Hyssop. This is the most popular herb used for purification. It can be used in any magickal applications for this purpose and can be worn to cleanse a person. It can also be used to purge a home of negative energy. This plant will also attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to your garden and the flowers and leaves can be steeped into an anise tea or used in any dish that you'd like to infuse with the scent and/or taste of anise. This is a plant that smells wonderful and whose scent can be enjoyed on the breeze while you toil.

Heliopsis. The herbal member of the sunflower and daisy family and also a plant native to American soil. They bring luck to those who grow them and will in theory guard a garden against pests. I haven't noticed this last attribute working, but they are beautiful and I adore them.

Coneflower. This is actually echinacea, which if taken regularly stimulates the immune system and can help to reduce cold symptoms. I love them for their glorious colors from purple to an almost neon pink and orange and couldn't imagine having a field garden without them.

Valerian. This is a purifying and protective plant. It can be worn in a sachet to protect one's person or in the house to guard against that which can threaten the home (even lightning!). It can be used in love charms, drawing men to a woman in droves as well as for what it's best known for today: used as a sleep aid and a muscle relaxant. And the best part of it is that witches from centuries past would refer to dried and ground, powdered valerian as "graveyard dust", which is really very cool.

Catmint. Aside from making your cat go berserk and get really wasted, catmint promotes beauty, happiness and love. Use it in love sachets with rose petals, and hang it in your home to attract good spirits and positive energy. It's said that if you give the catmint to your cat personally, you will forge a psychic bond between the two of you. This is also another plant that smells simply amazing in the garden and can be enjoyed while you work.

Reincarnation Dilemma

When I was just shy of two years old, I wandered out of my playroom with a long dark brown colored pencil in my hand and sought out my mother. I then put the pencil in my mouth, took an imaginary puff from my “long black cigarette” and told my mother that before I had died and been reborn I used to smoke these. Naturally, my mother freaked out. She called my aunt and by the time my aunt had arrived at our house, I was no longer talking about my past life. Some people believe in reincarnation and others think it’s a big load of bunk, but just about everyone has a strong opinion about it. Not surprisingly, I personally believe very strongly in it. I only wish that I were still able to conjure up memories of my past life (or lives), but unfortunately for most people, that ability fades away very quickly the longer we remain on this earthly plane, and usually while we are still quite young.

My father passed away in 1980 when I was 16 years old and not a day has gone by that I haven’t missed him more than I could ever express in words. Through these many years I’ve had a great many visitations from him in my dreams. How do I know these were visitation dreams and not just ordinary dreams? Visitation dreams are incredibly vivid in every last detail and stay with you forever, as rich years later as they were the moment you first woke from them. Every single detail of my father’s visitations remain in my mind in super sharp focus, as opposed to just dreams about my father, the particulars of which all faded within hours of my waking. I hold the visitation dreams dearly in my heart, every last one of them.

Back in 2003, I had a very vivid and uncomfortably intense visitation dream from my father and was certain that the purpose of it was for him to say goodbye to me once again as he was preparing to reincarnate. I’ve held on to that dream in my heart and in my mind for six years now and only recently spent some time discussing it with a shaman who agrees with me that it was in fact a reincarnation dream as he was coming back to this plane in another form and he needed to say his final goodbye to me. I have had some very conflicted feelings since I first had the dream and they’ve only intensified since talking with the shaman. While I am happy that my father has moved on to the next stage of his soul’s journey, I can’t help but feel lost and abandoned all over again. I know it’s selfish of me to wish he were still watching over me, but it’s nothing if not completely honest. After all, I have lived my life for the last 29 years believing that when it’s my time to die, my father will be there (wherever “there” is) waiting for me and it’s the belief that I will see him once again that has kept me unafraid of death for nearly three decades and honestly looking forward to that time when I will be with him once more. But if he’s not there anymore because he’s back here as someone I don’t know, what will happen when I die? And when I go there, will I then be alone there too? My talk with the shaman has shattered my personal belief system and I’m now no longer sure what to think or how to feel.

This is one of the dilemmas we face with reincarnation: at some point we all need or choose to come back and where does that leave our loved ones that we yet again leave behind? It’s something that I have occasionally questioned, but without a great deal of concern until now, when someone I love so much is simply gone. Now really gone. I know when we die and when it’s our turn to return, we don’t fret over what or who we have left behind, but how do those of us who have been left behind handle the knowledge that those we have loved have begun a new life somewhere with no knowledge of us and all we shared anymore in their minds or hearts? Reincarnation, like so many other rites of passage in our lives, clearly contains within it a great deal of pain and conflict.

That’s what my heart is telling me, but my head just thinks that because my dad is gone again and really gone for good now, that this sucks more than anything. And now nothing is the same, nor will it be ever again, and I don't like it at all.

Tree Day 2009

Today is Arbor Day, which is always celebrated on the last Friday in April. Although it might not be exactly accurate to refer to the observation of Arbor Day as a "celebration", it is just that for those of us who adore trees and Mother Earth and wish to keep her as healthy as possible and show her all the respect she deserves.

In the words of Julius Sterling Morton, the man who founded Arbor Day (which on the first observed Arbor Day on April 10, 1872, it's believed that one million trees were planted, by the way) “Arbor Day is not like other holidays. Each of those reposes on the past, while Arbor Day proposes for the future.”

You said it, Mr. Morton.

Full Pink Moon

Today is the Full Pink Moon, so named because it heralds the appearance of pinks, or ground phlox, one of the first spring flowers to bloom. I love pinks and have them bordering my perennial bed in enormous clumps. My favorites are the Cheddar Pinks: pale gray-green foliage with cool blue-pink blossoms. And who couldn't love anything with a name like that? Unfortunately, my ducks seem to love them just as much as I do and if I'm not careful, will eat them until there are just a few dirt-covered roots left here and there.

Today's moon is also known by many other names as well: the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, the Frog Moon, the Planter's Moon and among the coastal tribes, the Full Fish Moon. The Lakotas call it the Fast Waterflow Moon. It's neo-pagan name is the Growing Moon.

Take a moment tonight to step outside and bathe yourself in the cool silver light of the moon. Draw down the full moon and as you draw the moon's essence into you, feel both its power and the power of the goddess strengthening you and making you whole.