Sunday Stew Editors: Jennifer Rasmussen, Kallan Kennedy
The Sunday Stew is a free, e-publication delivered every Sunday as a loving gift to the Pagan community. All submissions are the intellectual property of their authors, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the blog owner. All photos are used with permission.
We welcome your feedback! Please be sure to tell us how we're doing and give us suggestions for improvement. Please leave a comment below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Happy Birthday this week to Stacey Spiech-Wagner, Christina Furmanek, Lorrie Gibson, Kim Ingram Deister, Tidal Ashburn, Jackie Robinson, Allysha Woods, Valerie Tirpak, and Tiffany Boggins. May this be your best birthday ever, and may your next year of life bring you joy, happiness, peace and success in abundance!
Ebola outbreak: 'Witchcraft' hampering treatment, says doctor (BBC)
Witchcraft: Boys allegedly transforming into cats caught by Police in Rivers state (Nigeria)
Tribal couple killed under witchcraft suspicion (India)
Katy Perry Visits Salem, Meets Witches, Casts Spells
Professing Faith: Take a quiz on ancient paganism
Owl Set On Fire Because Villagers Think It Is A Witch (Mexico, reported by Austrian Times)
Groups to propose atheist, Universalist and Pagan displays at Government Plaza
Witchcraft, Mass Hysteria and Uncanny Behavior in Namibia
Mentally ill man accused of witchcraft killed
Fresh effort to secure a pardon for Scotswoman convicted of witchcraft
Banke woman ‘thrashed’ on witchcraft charge (Nepal)
Traditional Healers Killed by Cambodian Mobs on Witch Hunt
Uganda: Witchcraft and Trauma Hinder Former LRA Soldiers From Integrating Back Home
Sunday, August 10
A centuries-old festival called Ghanta Karna Day is celebrated annually around this time in August in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. This event celebrates the death of Ghanta Karna, a blood thirsty Hindu demon who haunts crossroads and is the sworn enemy of the god Vishnu.
Monday, August 11
On this day, an Irish fertility festival known as the Puck Fair begins. This medieval-style festival, which pays homage to the mischievous sprite Robin Goodfellow, continues for three consecutive days.
Also on this day, Oddudua, the "Mother of all Gods", is honored by followers of Santeria in Africa and South America.
Tuesday, August 12
The Goddess Isis and her search for Osiris (her brother and consort) are commemorated on this day by the Lychnapsia (Festival of the Lights of Isis). Dried rose petals and vervain are burned in small cauldron pots or incense burners as offerings to Isis, and green candles are lit in her honor.
Wednesday, August 13
On this date, the major Pagan festival of Hecate is traditionally held at moonrise. Hecate, the mysterious Goddess of darkness and Protectress of all Witches, is a personification of the Moon and the dark side of the female principle.
Thursday, August 14
Every year on this date, a "burryman" (a man wearing a costume of thistle burrs and representing an ancient fertility god) walks through the streets in many of the fishing villages along the coast of Scotland collecting donations from the villagers. The origin of the burryman remains a mystery.
Friday, August 15
The ancient Roman Goddess of the hearth was honored annually on this date in ancient times during the Festival of Vesta. Many modern Witches light six red candles and cast herbs into hearth fires on this day to honor Vesta and to receive her blessings for family and home.
Saturday, August 16
On this date in the year 1987, the first Harmonic Convergence was observed worldwide during the Grand Trine (the alignment of all nine planets in our solar system). The event, which lasted for two consecutive days, was believed to be the beginning of five years of peace and spiritual purification. Thousands of New Age enthusiasts gathered at various sacred sites to dance, chant, meditate, and tune into the positive energies of the Earth and the universe.
There you are, all set with another week of Pagan Lore to think about and maybe explore a bit more! See you next week,
Karen
Independent Avon Representative
Serving all your Avon needs -- come see what's new!
http://www.youravon.com/karenszabo
Many cultures around the world have festivals in which they honor their ancestors. On the 15th of August, some Chinese celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival. It generally falls in line with the full moon and some believe that Hell is opened up, and ghosts walk freely around the earth. They may be in Hell because of lack of tribute or an improper burial ritual.
As in many other festivals, offerings are given to the dead in the form of food, drink, and even money. On Dia de Los Muertos, many leave offerings of fruit, chocolate or cigarettes, most often items that the ancestor enjoyed while living. The Ghost Festival is no exception. Descendants not only set out food offerings to their ancestors, but also create a special place to allow offerings to wandering or homeless spirits that may not have anyone to look out for them.
This festival reminds me so much of Hecate’s Supper. On the dark moon of each month (some use the 13th as a set date, I do not), devotees of the Goddess Hecate set out a meal for her. It is a ritual supper that’s prepared with her favorite ingredients and then left at the crossroads. Some do this only on November 16th and others around the entire year. This strikes me as similar based on the following quote:
Aristophanes, Plutus 410 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.):
"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month [i.e. food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served." - http://www.theoi.com/Cult/HekateCult.html
Her offerings were left and were often collected by the poor in antiquity. I cannot see how the items left out in a modern festival would be treated any differently.
One of the most beautiful parts of the Hungry Ghost Festival is the paper lanterns lit and released onto the water. These are thought to help guide the ghosts to the food. These boats are sometimes created in the shape of lotus flowers and are pushed out over the river. The paper lantern eventually catches fire and sinks to the bottom.
I have a special place in my life for the dead. I enjoy working with them, and honoring them. Recently, I had a conversation in which someone asked me, “You don’t really think you can get information from your dead relatives, do you?” To that I replied, “I believe that if we stop long enough and listen close enough that the hopes and dreams of the world can be realized. We can see it in our mind, feel it in our heart, and hear it from the lips of the grave.”
Other Festivals related to the dead:
Samhain – Pagan New Year – When the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.
Bon Festival – Buddhist festival in Japan celebrated in August.
Chuseok - Korean festival celebrating the harvest & the dead.
Gaijatra – Eight day festival celebrated in Nepal.
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
www.sosannascloset.com
www.confessionsofamodernwitch.blogspot.com
The minute I was born, I had to fight: fight against the stereotypes that come with being a black woman in America. Daily, I (and women like me) am bombarded with images telling me our skin is ugly, our hair is disgusting the way it grows out of our head, but equally gross when we chemically process it or wear wigs/weaves, our noses are too big, lips too full, or curves TOO curvy.
We get told that men find us to have too much attitude and too little substance. The media is the worst. We are bombarded with TV shows depicting us as either a desexualized 'Mammy' stereotype whose only meaning is providing comfort to the white stars while simultaneously enduring constant pain and disappointment, (see: Mercedes Jones, Glee; Bonnie Bennett, The Vampire Diaries; Tara Thornton, True Blood), or a hyper-sexualized Jezebel (see: Brenda, Scary Movie; just about every character on white-owned BET*).
As a consequence, we grow up thinking that's all we can be. We start seeing ourselves as lesser because that's how the media portrays us. We struggle daily with ourselves, our womanhood under constant bombardment. In recent years, there has been a movement to push affirming black women's worth, and even that has been met with everything from derision to calls of racism for not being all inclusive.
And to that I say this: this is our movement. Our chance to make sure little girls don't grow up thinking the only way to be beautiful is through straight blonde hair and blue eyes; our chance to prove that we are just as beautiful as the women that society holds in such high regard. And for my sisters, I will scream that we matter from the rooftops. I will growl it in people's faces. I will whisper it into the wind. We are black women, and we are beautiful.
*BET was sold to Viacom in 2001
Many years ago, I had the opportunity of a lifetime: Margot Adler was coming to the Unitarian Universalist church I attended to do a weekend of circle work with local Pagans. The price of attendance was prohibitive, but I worked out an arrangement with the promoter who had brought Margot to Amherst and found a way to be there.
We set up shop in a large room upstairs, which was used for our Religious Education classes and events. Before forming our circle, we spent some time milling about socializing. I met a lovely Witch from Allentown who was sorting talismans. She had a buoyant and expansive way about her. She sized me up and handed me a tiny hippopotamus, saying, “She told me she wants to go home with you.” I was touched by her generosity.
Margot was very chatty, and quick to laugh. She divided her attention among the 20 or so participants with ease. We assembled and sat, going around the room with introductions. We had been instructed to bring an object of significance to share in a communal altar. I brought the umbilical cord stump from my toddler daughter, my only child at the time. (Relax -- it was in a zip-loc. I didn’t just toss a bio-hazard into the Circle.)
The day progressed in warm storytelling, singing, and dancing. We broke for lunch, and being local, I was able to direct a few people to good places to eat. I took a lovely woman from Romania with me to a vegetarian cafe. When we returned, we shared some desserts we had brought with us. If I leave no other distinct footprint upon the Pagan world, I can at least claim that Margot Adler ate one of my homemade whole wheat banana muffins.
After lunch we did a ceremony that became my favorite memory of the weekend: Honoring our Elders. We assembled in age order, from a teenage girl to a giggling crone scurrying to her place of distinction. We sang as we moved around the circle honoring each woman in turn as we felt; embracing, whispering words of gratitude, tracing the lines on her face, kneeling. I hugged Margot, thanked her, and stroked her long hair.
We sang more, chanted more, shared more -- and ate more. The tremendous power of so much combined energy left us glowing and humming with electricity at the end.
Many years have passed; I am now nearly the age that Margot was then. Many things have been written about her in the past weeks by those who worked with, loved, and respected her. Her body of work stands as a great monument to her intelligence, talent, wit, and passion.
I honor her still.
This having a job thing is really cramping my gardening style. My husband got to tie my tomato plants up because I had to go to work. In fact, I have had to neglect my garden a lot this year. Last year, I very luckily was not working and could spend hours and hours out there with my plants in a big floppy hat, mp3 player with earbuds stuck in my ears drowning out everything, ignoring the world and even dancing a little if I felt like it, and my garden looked great.
This year, it’s pretty messy. My tomatoes were drooping, and I’m pretty sure I fretted about it the same time last year, but they just aren’t turning red yet! There are weeds everywhere. I go to work, and my job is a good one. My nails are perfect, if a bit too long. They never have dirt under them. I don’t have a sock-line tan. I sit in central-air splendor.
I MISS THE DIRT! There has been an article going around Facebook about microbes in dirt and how they make you happy - you know, the article you see once and think “oh how interesting!” then you see it 260 more times over the next few weeks and by then are thinking, “that is SO last month!” But yeah, I miss the happy microbes in my dirt, my hands in it, the smell of the plants, the bug-ducking. I have fallen victim to the typical life, and I pretty much can’t stand it.
How did our grandparents do it? They worked and still had amazing gardens. Didn’t they? Maybe they didn’t. My Dad was a schoolteacher, so he had his summer off to work in the garden - er, I mean, make US work in the garden. I’d give anything to be out there this year. It’s a fleeting time. The day I had free to work in it, it rained. I went out in bare feet just to feel the Earth between my toes. It was glorious.
We’ve lost this. We’ve lost a great connection. Gardens should be required - we should get time off work to be in gardens, to grow food, and teach the children where food really comes from and how to appreciate it. We have lost it, and it is costing up plenty: our health, the planet’s health, our kids’ future.
Here’s the weird/cool/great thing: I’m still going to get food out of my garden. Even though I neglect it, it will still reward me. Mother Nature still rewards us, even though we have largely turned our back on her. She still gives us what we need; we just ignore it. The bounty is still there. For now. We had better be careful, because like my tomatoes, the bounty will only be there for so long before it is just gone; missed out on. The ramifications will be a lot bigger. I will enjoy the bounty given to me, and I won’t take it for granted. I wish I knew how to spread that.
Something very magical happens every year around this time in my garden. It is not a ritual or a spell, a Sabbat or an Esbat. The magic is clearly visible, heavily scents the air, and can be heard in a constant buzz throughout the day, from sunrise to sunset, for only a few weeks each summer. It is so amazing and so wondrous that it could only be the true magic of nature, of Mother Earth Herself.
The magic begins with a shrub, a beautiful low-growing spreading shrub with glossy dark green leaves that give way to yellow and golden brown in the fall and with sweet white flowers in late July and early August. Its proper name is Clethra alnifolia, better known as Summersweet. It was a gift from my mom when my husband and I first moved into our home. We planted it in what is now our patio garden and there it has happily grown for the past 14 years. “Sweets”, as I like to call it, has proven to be extremely hardy, having survived heavy snowfalls, Nor’easters, hurricanes, and this year’s Polar Vortex, and to be quite the attraction in summer.
As mid-July rolls around, the shrub begins to send out these narrow cylindrical clusters (we Master Gardeners call them panicles) of white flowers at the end of each branch. They almost look like a cone-shaped bottlebrush. As soon as the hubby and I spot the first buds, we know that the true magic will begin any day. We keep a very watchful eye on Sweets and a camera close at hand.
Then it happens! The first few clusters begin to open, a sweet scent like honey begins to waft in the air, and the first visitors arrive, usually just a handful of bumblebees. As more flowers open, more visitors arrive and Sweets vibrates with life. Bumble bees, honey bees, mason bees, carpenter bees, green sweat bees, paper wasps, organ pipe mud daubers, and even the occasional cicada killer take up daily residence among the blossoms, gathering pollen and nectar. At any given time, there can be up to about 50 bees, wasps and hornets all working diligently, sometime to the point of drunkenness, through the branches of flowers. They are there from first morning light to the last streaks of red and pink in the western sky.
The hubby and I can spend hours watching all of our buzzing visitors. They are not disturbed by our presence at all. In fact, we have a chair on the patio not more than a foot away from Sweets that my husband often sits in. Not once has a bee bothered him or stung him! However, a bumble bee did come and sit on his chest for a bit just the other day. My hubby thought the bee just needed a break from all the work and let the poor thing just hang out there. After a few minutes, it drifted back into the flowers and buried itself into a newly opened cluster. I tend to keep a bit more distance, simply because I am allergic to bees. Bees used to be terrifying to me because of that, but we have since come to an understanding and made a lasting peace.
You would think there would be a turf war or a bar brawl with all these different species of bees but there is not. They all seem to get along happily, peacefully, without incident. The bumble bees make room for the organ pipe mud daubers and the honey bees share the same branch as a paper wasp. There is no prejudice, no cliques, no hatred, only cooperation and harmony. It is as if a circle was cast and they all came together in perfect love and perfect trust to create a ritual of survival.
By mid-August, the flowers have all died back, sucked dry of pollen and nectar. There is a whispered “so mote it be” in the air. The circle is opened and most of our visitors depart. The bumbles still hang around for the Catmint or the Joe Pye Weed but we will not see the organ pipe mud daubers or the cicada killers again until the next July. The Summersweet goes still and quiet and begins turning a golden yellow. Autumn is upon us. We will have to wait a whole turn of the wheel to witness the magic again.
My Blog: http://johanna-villagewisewoman.blogspot.com/
Macbeth:
If we should fail?
Lady Macbeth:
We fail?
But screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we'll not fail.
Macbeth Act 1, scene 7, 59–61
In this Shakespearean scene, Lady Macbeth gives perfect 7 of wands advice. This week, it's time to stand your ground and hold your position with courage and determination. There may be challenges to your authority or attempts to undermine you in some way. The good news is that you already hold the high ground, you simply have to maintain it. Valor is the watchword, and communication is key. Stand up for what you believe is right- your integrity and strength of character will see you through to victory.
Kallan Kennedy is a professional tarot/totem reader with more than 20 years of divination experience. She offers private readings to her clients. Read what they have to say about her accuracy and services here.
Clik here to view.![]()
How it works:
There are 50 slots total.
Your buy-in is only $21.00 for a chance.
Send your money via PayPal to info@secret-services.net and I’ll put your name into the next available slot. Be sure your name is attached to the email address you send from!
When we fill that 50th slot, it’ll trigger the drawing.
You are welcome to buy-in to more than one chance, and sharing with friends is not only appreciated but welcomed, as it’ll make the raffle happen faster, and put me on the road again sooner.
The raffle will take place via random number generator and will be announced via the Secret Services Facebook page. (Disclaimer: Facebook does not endorse this raffle or Secret Services in any way).
You’re both helping me be mobile again, and getting a chance at a really great prize.
The Sunday Stew is a free, e-publication delivered every Sunday as a loving gift to the Pagan community. All submissions are the intellectual property of their authors, and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the blog owner. All photos are used with permission.
We welcome your feedback! Please be sure to tell us how we're doing and give us suggestions for improvement. Please leave a comment below. We look forward to hearing from you!
Happy Birthday this week to Stacey Spiech-Wagner, Christina Furmanek, Lorrie Gibson, Kim Ingram Deister, Tidal Ashburn, Jackie Robinson, Allysha Woods, Valerie Tirpak, and Tiffany Boggins. May this be your best birthday ever, and may your next year of life bring you joy, happiness, peace and success in abundance!
In the News
This segment features news from around the world. The articles do not reflect the views of the staff of The Sunday Stew, nor the blog owner. We believe you should be informed as to what is going on in the world where the terms Paganism and Witchcraft are concerned.
Ebola outbreak: 'Witchcraft' hampering treatment, says doctor (BBC)
Witchcraft: Boys allegedly transforming into cats caught by Police in Rivers state (Nigeria)
Tribal couple killed under witchcraft suspicion (India)
Katy Perry Visits Salem, Meets Witches, Casts Spells
Professing Faith: Take a quiz on ancient paganism
Owl Set On Fire Because Villagers Think It Is A Witch (Mexico, reported by Austrian Times)
Groups to propose atheist, Universalist and Pagan displays at Government Plaza
Witchcraft, Mass Hysteria and Uncanny Behavior in Namibia
Mentally ill man accused of witchcraft killed
Fresh effort to secure a pardon for Scotswoman convicted of witchcraft
Banke woman ‘thrashed’ on witchcraft charge (Nepal)
Traditional Healers Killed by Cambodian Mobs on Witch Hunt
Uganda: Witchcraft and Trauma Hinder Former LRA Soldiers From Integrating Back Home
Pagan Lore with Karen Szabo
Good Morning! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. This week's Pagan Lore wanders all around the world and finds celebrations and events that are most interesting and diverse! Hope you enjoy.
Sunday, August 10
A centuries-old festival called Ghanta Karna Day is celebrated annually around this time in August in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. This event celebrates the death of Ghanta Karna, a blood thirsty Hindu demon who haunts crossroads and is the sworn enemy of the god Vishnu.
Monday, August 11
On this day, an Irish fertility festival known as the Puck Fair begins. This medieval-style festival, which pays homage to the mischievous sprite Robin Goodfellow, continues for three consecutive days.
Also on this day, Oddudua, the "Mother of all Gods", is honored by followers of Santeria in Africa and South America.
Tuesday, August 12
The Goddess Isis and her search for Osiris (her brother and consort) are commemorated on this day by the Lychnapsia (Festival of the Lights of Isis). Dried rose petals and vervain are burned in small cauldron pots or incense burners as offerings to Isis, and green candles are lit in her honor.
Wednesday, August 13
On this date, the major Pagan festival of Hecate is traditionally held at moonrise. Hecate, the mysterious Goddess of darkness and Protectress of all Witches, is a personification of the Moon and the dark side of the female principle.
Thursday, August 14
Every year on this date, a "burryman" (a man wearing a costume of thistle burrs and representing an ancient fertility god) walks through the streets in many of the fishing villages along the coast of Scotland collecting donations from the villagers. The origin of the burryman remains a mystery.
Friday, August 15
The ancient Roman Goddess of the hearth was honored annually on this date in ancient times during the Festival of Vesta. Many modern Witches light six red candles and cast herbs into hearth fires on this day to honor Vesta and to receive her blessings for family and home.
Saturday, August 16
On this date in the year 1987, the first Harmonic Convergence was observed worldwide during the Grand Trine (the alignment of all nine planets in our solar system). The event, which lasted for two consecutive days, was believed to be the beginning of five years of peace and spiritual purification. Thousands of New Age enthusiasts gathered at various sacred sites to dance, chant, meditate, and tune into the positive energies of the Earth and the universe.
There you are, all set with another week of Pagan Lore to think about and maybe explore a bit more! See you next week,
Karen
Independent Avon Representative
Serving all your Avon needs -- come see what's new!
http://www.youravon.com/karenszabo
Sparkle and Shine with Sosanna
Festivals of the Dead
Many cultures around the world have festivals in which they honor their ancestors. On the 15th of August, some Chinese celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival. It generally falls in line with the full moon and some believe that Hell is opened up, and ghosts walk freely around the earth. They may be in Hell because of lack of tribute or an improper burial ritual.
As in many other festivals, offerings are given to the dead in the form of food, drink, and even money. On Dia de Los Muertos, many leave offerings of fruit, chocolate or cigarettes, most often items that the ancestor enjoyed while living. The Ghost Festival is no exception. Descendants not only set out food offerings to their ancestors, but also create a special place to allow offerings to wandering or homeless spirits that may not have anyone to look out for them.
This festival reminds me so much of Hecate’s Supper. On the dark moon of each month (some use the 13th as a set date, I do not), devotees of the Goddess Hecate set out a meal for her. It is a ritual supper that’s prepared with her favorite ingredients and then left at the crossroads. Some do this only on November 16th and others around the entire year. This strikes me as similar based on the following quote:
Aristophanes, Plutus 410 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.):
"Ask Hekate whether it is better to be rich or starving; she will tell you that the rich send her a meal every month [i.e. food placed inside her door-front shrines] and that the poor make it disappear before it is even served." - http://www.theoi.com/Cult/HekateCult.html
Her offerings were left and were often collected by the poor in antiquity. I cannot see how the items left out in a modern festival would be treated any differently.
One of the most beautiful parts of the Hungry Ghost Festival is the paper lanterns lit and released onto the water. These are thought to help guide the ghosts to the food. These boats are sometimes created in the shape of lotus flowers and are pushed out over the river. The paper lantern eventually catches fire and sinks to the bottom.
I have a special place in my life for the dead. I enjoy working with them, and honoring them. Recently, I had a conversation in which someone asked me, “You don’t really think you can get information from your dead relatives, do you?” To that I replied, “I believe that if we stop long enough and listen close enough that the hopes and dreams of the world can be realized. We can see it in our mind, feel it in our heart, and hear it from the lips of the grave.”
Other Festivals related to the dead:
Samhain – Pagan New Year – When the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.
Bon Festival – Buddhist festival in Japan celebrated in August.
Chuseok - Korean festival celebrating the harvest & the dead.
Gaijatra – Eight day festival celebrated in Nepal.
Namaste & Blessed Be
Sosanna
)O(
www.sosannascloset.com
www.confessionsofamodernwitch.blogspot.com
Stirring the Pot with Marissa Dean
Ain’t I a Woman Redux
The minute I was born, I had to fight: fight against the stereotypes that come with being a black woman in America. Daily, I (and women like me) am bombarded with images telling me our skin is ugly, our hair is disgusting the way it grows out of our head, but equally gross when we chemically process it or wear wigs/weaves, our noses are too big, lips too full, or curves TOO curvy.
We get told that men find us to have too much attitude and too little substance. The media is the worst. We are bombarded with TV shows depicting us as either a desexualized 'Mammy' stereotype whose only meaning is providing comfort to the white stars while simultaneously enduring constant pain and disappointment, (see: Mercedes Jones, Glee; Bonnie Bennett, The Vampire Diaries; Tara Thornton, True Blood), or a hyper-sexualized Jezebel (see: Brenda, Scary Movie; just about every character on white-owned BET*).
As a consequence, we grow up thinking that's all we can be. We start seeing ourselves as lesser because that's how the media portrays us. We struggle daily with ourselves, our womanhood under constant bombardment. In recent years, there has been a movement to push affirming black women's worth, and even that has been met with everything from derision to calls of racism for not being all inclusive.
And to that I say this: this is our movement. Our chance to make sure little girls don't grow up thinking the only way to be beautiful is through straight blonde hair and blue eyes; our chance to prove that we are just as beautiful as the women that society holds in such high regard. And for my sisters, I will scream that we matter from the rooftops. I will growl it in people's faces. I will whisper it into the wind. We are black women, and we are beautiful.
*BET was sold to Viacom in 2001
There and Back A-hen: Just a bunch of clucking nonsense with Melissa "Chicky" Cassick
Farewell
Many years ago, I had the opportunity of a lifetime: Margot Adler was coming to the Unitarian Universalist church I attended to do a weekend of circle work with local Pagans. The price of attendance was prohibitive, but I worked out an arrangement with the promoter who had brought Margot to Amherst and found a way to be there.
We set up shop in a large room upstairs, which was used for our Religious Education classes and events. Before forming our circle, we spent some time milling about socializing. I met a lovely Witch from Allentown who was sorting talismans. She had a buoyant and expansive way about her. She sized me up and handed me a tiny hippopotamus, saying, “She told me she wants to go home with you.” I was touched by her generosity.
Margot was very chatty, and quick to laugh. She divided her attention among the 20 or so participants with ease. We assembled and sat, going around the room with introductions. We had been instructed to bring an object of significance to share in a communal altar. I brought the umbilical cord stump from my toddler daughter, my only child at the time. (Relax -- it was in a zip-loc. I didn’t just toss a bio-hazard into the Circle.)
The day progressed in warm storytelling, singing, and dancing. We broke for lunch, and being local, I was able to direct a few people to good places to eat. I took a lovely woman from Romania with me to a vegetarian cafe. When we returned, we shared some desserts we had brought with us. If I leave no other distinct footprint upon the Pagan world, I can at least claim that Margot Adler ate one of my homemade whole wheat banana muffins.
After lunch we did a ceremony that became my favorite memory of the weekend: Honoring our Elders. We assembled in age order, from a teenage girl to a giggling crone scurrying to her place of distinction. We sang as we moved around the circle honoring each woman in turn as we felt; embracing, whispering words of gratitude, tracing the lines on her face, kneeling. I hugged Margot, thanked her, and stroked her long hair.
We sang more, chanted more, shared more -- and ate more. The tremendous power of so much combined energy left us glowing and humming with electricity at the end.
Many years have passed; I am now nearly the age that Margot was then. Many things have been written about her in the past weeks by those who worked with, loved, and respected her. Her body of work stands as a great monument to her intelligence, talent, wit, and passion.
I honor her still.
The Good Green Witch with Rhonda De Felice
Undeserved Bounty
This having a job thing is really cramping my gardening style. My husband got to tie my tomato plants up because I had to go to work. In fact, I have had to neglect my garden a lot this year. Last year, I very luckily was not working and could spend hours and hours out there with my plants in a big floppy hat, mp3 player with earbuds stuck in my ears drowning out everything, ignoring the world and even dancing a little if I felt like it, and my garden looked great.
This year, it’s pretty messy. My tomatoes were drooping, and I’m pretty sure I fretted about it the same time last year, but they just aren’t turning red yet! There are weeds everywhere. I go to work, and my job is a good one. My nails are perfect, if a bit too long. They never have dirt under them. I don’t have a sock-line tan. I sit in central-air splendor.
I MISS THE DIRT! There has been an article going around Facebook about microbes in dirt and how they make you happy - you know, the article you see once and think “oh how interesting!” then you see it 260 more times over the next few weeks and by then are thinking, “that is SO last month!” But yeah, I miss the happy microbes in my dirt, my hands in it, the smell of the plants, the bug-ducking. I have fallen victim to the typical life, and I pretty much can’t stand it.
How did our grandparents do it? They worked and still had amazing gardens. Didn’t they? Maybe they didn’t. My Dad was a schoolteacher, so he had his summer off to work in the garden - er, I mean, make US work in the garden. I’d give anything to be out there this year. It’s a fleeting time. The day I had free to work in it, it rained. I went out in bare feet just to feel the Earth between my toes. It was glorious.
We’ve lost this. We’ve lost a great connection. Gardens should be required - we should get time off work to be in gardens, to grow food, and teach the children where food really comes from and how to appreciate it. We have lost it, and it is costing up plenty: our health, the planet’s health, our kids’ future.
Here’s the weird/cool/great thing: I’m still going to get food out of my garden. Even though I neglect it, it will still reward me. Mother Nature still rewards us, even though we have largely turned our back on her. She still gives us what we need; we just ignore it. The bounty is still there. For now. We had better be careful, because like my tomatoes, the bounty will only be there for so long before it is just gone; missed out on. The ramifications will be a lot bigger. I will enjoy the bounty given to me, and I won’t take it for granted. I wish I knew how to spread that.
The Magical Gardener with Johanna Lawson
A Garden Buzzing With Magic
Something very magical happens every year around this time in my garden. It is not a ritual or a spell, a Sabbat or an Esbat. The magic is clearly visible, heavily scents the air, and can be heard in a constant buzz throughout the day, from sunrise to sunset, for only a few weeks each summer. It is so amazing and so wondrous that it could only be the true magic of nature, of Mother Earth Herself.
The magic begins with a shrub, a beautiful low-growing spreading shrub with glossy dark green leaves that give way to yellow and golden brown in the fall and with sweet white flowers in late July and early August. Its proper name is Clethra alnifolia, better known as Summersweet. It was a gift from my mom when my husband and I first moved into our home. We planted it in what is now our patio garden and there it has happily grown for the past 14 years. “Sweets”, as I like to call it, has proven to be extremely hardy, having survived heavy snowfalls, Nor’easters, hurricanes, and this year’s Polar Vortex, and to be quite the attraction in summer.
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| Cicada Killer |
As mid-July rolls around, the shrub begins to send out these narrow cylindrical clusters (we Master Gardeners call them panicles) of white flowers at the end of each branch. They almost look like a cone-shaped bottlebrush. As soon as the hubby and I spot the first buds, we know that the true magic will begin any day. We keep a very watchful eye on Sweets and a camera close at hand.
Then it happens! The first few clusters begin to open, a sweet scent like honey begins to waft in the air, and the first visitors arrive, usually just a handful of bumblebees. As more flowers open, more visitors arrive and Sweets vibrates with life. Bumble bees, honey bees, mason bees, carpenter bees, green sweat bees, paper wasps, organ pipe mud daubers, and even the occasional cicada killer take up daily residence among the blossoms, gathering pollen and nectar. At any given time, there can be up to about 50 bees, wasps and hornets all working diligently, sometime to the point of drunkenness, through the branches of flowers. They are there from first morning light to the last streaks of red and pink in the western sky.
The hubby and I can spend hours watching all of our buzzing visitors. They are not disturbed by our presence at all. In fact, we have a chair on the patio not more than a foot away from Sweets that my husband often sits in. Not once has a bee bothered him or stung him! However, a bumble bee did come and sit on his chest for a bit just the other day. My hubby thought the bee just needed a break from all the work and let the poor thing just hang out there. After a few minutes, it drifted back into the flowers and buried itself into a newly opened cluster. I tend to keep a bit more distance, simply because I am allergic to bees. Bees used to be terrifying to me because of that, but we have since come to an understanding and made a lasting peace.
You would think there would be a turf war or a bar brawl with all these different species of bees but there is not. They all seem to get along happily, peacefully, without incident. The bumble bees make room for the organ pipe mud daubers and the honey bees share the same branch as a paper wasp. There is no prejudice, no cliques, no hatred, only cooperation and harmony. It is as if a circle was cast and they all came together in perfect love and perfect trust to create a ritual of survival.
By mid-August, the flowers have all died back, sucked dry of pollen and nectar. There is a whispered “so mote it be” in the air. The circle is opened and most of our visitors depart. The bumbles still hang around for the Catmint or the Joe Pye Weed but we will not see the organ pipe mud daubers or the cicada killers again until the next July. The Summersweet goes still and quiet and begins turning a golden yellow. Autumn is upon us. We will have to wait a whole turn of the wheel to witness the magic again.
My Blog: http://johanna-villagewisewoman.blogspot.com/
The Witches' Cupboard with Autumn Earthsong
This week I made an amazing bread for Lughnasadh. It was a recipe that I hadn’t shared with you all. The bread is sinfully good!! My hubby ate almost the whole loaf in one sitting LOL. I posted a picture to my Facebook page and got several people asking me for the recipe. So I decided to share it here for everybody. Hope you like it. It smells and tastes of Fall!!!
Praline Apple Bread
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
8 oz sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 cups all- purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled apples
Preheat oven to 350*
Toast 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan in the oven for 6-8 mins, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
Beat with a mixer the sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla at low speed for 2 mins.
In a large bowl, mix well the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to sour cream mixture beating with mixer until blended. Stir in apples and the 1/2 cup of toasted pecans.
Spoon batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of pecans and lightly press them into batter.
Bake at 350* for about 1 hour until top is golden brown. You may need to cover the bread the last 10 minutes of baking or so to keep the pecans from burning. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 mins.
While the bread is cooling, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly for 1 minute until butter and brown sugar become like a caramel sauce. Remove bread from the pan and put on a serving plate. Pour the hot caramel sauce over the bread and let cool!
Now, the caramel was so good and of course, the gooey stuff on the plate got inhaled. So, I made up the caramel sauce again using 1/4 cup measurements when the bread was half gone to make it all gooey with the caramel sauce again. Just sayin…if your family loves caramel…so, so good!
Hope you enjoy the bread if you try it!
Something I’d like to put in your head: fall is coming and fast. Check your cupboard to be sure you have fresh spices. Cinnamon, clove, star anise, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, all spice, and apple pie spice are all good spices to have in the house for the autumn season. Stirring these into your everyday meals like pancakes, waffles, French toast, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, apple pie, apple cobbler, apple crisp, coffee, teas, apple cider, etc. makes everything taste better and your house smell amazing!! I use these spices a LOT to make simmering potpourris on the stovetop as well. So, check your stock and stock up if you need to!
Blessings and Love, Autumn
To read my blog visit www.autumnearthsong.com
To visit my herbal shop go to www.etsy.com/shop/verbenalaneshoppe
Saga's Spirit with Loren Morris
August Full Moon Rune Craft For Success
When I started on my endeavor of a Full Moon Project, I thought that it wouldn't be too hard to come up with things to go with each moon. I mean, after all, there are several names for each moon to choose from. Boy was I wrong. This month I was again semi-stumped. I am not keen on the name Sturgeon Moon. I have already created a craft for one fish moon after all, so I don't want another. Fish things for me are "meh".
However, this month I am combining two of the names. I have decided to combine the names lightning moon and red moon with a rune sequence to bring some triumph, victory, and passion to my life. Everyone can use that in their life, for sure. Red is the color of life, our blood, vitality. Lightning is a symbol of power. August is a hot month with summer storms and lightning, so let's take advantage of the red moon and bring ourselves prosperity and success.
This project will be made like the project from the Wolf Moon. We will be using felt and herbs and gemstones to go inside the full moon shape. We will also be putting a rune sequence on the back.
My spirit boards: http://lapuliabookofshadows.com/product-category/spirit-ouija-weejie-boards
Planets in Retrograde (Rx):
Broome Shtick with Rob Houck
Broome Shtick' was born out of cartoonist Rob Houck's desire to hear less crickets at night, and more cackling witches. Check out more of his witchy/toony goodness on Facebook, and find out why the Reverend John Hale is saying, 'God save us all from Rob Houck.'
This Week in Astrology
All times EDT
Planets in Retrograde (Rx):
The Week At a Glance
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Weekly Tarot: 7 of Wands
Macbeth:
If we should fail?
Lady Macbeth:
We fail?
But screw your courage to the sticking place,
And we'll not fail.
Macbeth Act 1, scene 7, 59–61
In this Shakespearean scene, Lady Macbeth gives perfect 7 of wands advice. This week, it's time to stand your ground and hold your position with courage and determination. There may be challenges to your authority or attempts to undermine you in some way. The good news is that you already hold the high ground, you simply have to maintain it. Valor is the watchword, and communication is key. Stand up for what you believe is right- your integrity and strength of character will see you through to victory.
This Week's Totem: Bull
Key words: Stability, Virility, Strength, Reliability, Provision, Peacefulness, Helpfulness, Determination
To the Celts, the bull represented physical strength and power. To the Celtic way of thought, the bull was also extremely virile and so symbolized fertility and the power to procreate - to extend the life of the clans. Druids associated the bull with solar energy and the female cow with earth energy. The bull was also symbolic of great luxury, wealth and provision.
To the Greeks, the bull was an attribute of Zeus (as represented by the constellation of Taurus) who transformed himself into a glistening white bull. Fully tame and quite striking, Zeus (in the guise of the white bull) unassumingly planted himself amongst the herds in an effort to capture the attention of the lovely Europa with whom Zeus was completely smitten. Classic art will show Europa riding a white bull. This is Zeus in the form of a bull, is the symbolism of passion, transformation, virility, strength and fulfillment.
To the Chinese, the bull is symbolic of perseverance, determination, stability and long-suffering.
To the ancient Hebrews, the bull was symbolic of harmony and provision.
To the Native Nations, Bull Medicine brought many gifts through their physical contribution, and they were also believed to bring rain to the tribe with their thundering hooves, which is another symbol of abundance. This is because the sound of their hooves hitting the ground sounded just like an earthquake. This sound gave them dominion over the earth, even when the earth quaked.
Bull also represents fertility since one single bull can impregnate entire herds of cows,(another form of abundance) For this reason, Bull Medicine is called upon to bless intimate relations.
Bull warns us to use our inner strength without bullying others. Likewise, he teaches us to be assertive without becoming stubborn. In its most raw state, untamed Bull energy literally manifests itself as uncontrollable anger or passion. Guard against this tendency with great care!
Bull People know how to use their strength and power to hold their ground in order to manifest desires into physical reality.
When Bull enters into your life, it is asking you to gather your strength and power, which are not only physical, but mental as well. Bringing together strength and power from within to create will-power in order to hold your ground when the going seems to be getting tough.
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Bull's message is about using your inner strength and power in order to call abundance into your Life. Bull is asking you to embrace abundance in ALL forms. Look around you; there may be something in your space that has the capacity to create more abundance than you realize. When Bull Medicine comes in front of you, it is reminding you to think abundantly and the ability to replicate is in your grasp
Kallan Kennedy is a professional tarot/totem reader with more than 20 years of divination experience. She offers private readings to her clients. Read what they have to say about her accuracy and services here.
Coming soon-
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I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends Raffle Update
The Raffle is still ongoing, so if you'd like to get in on it, you still have a chance to enter. The prize is worth $565.00:How it works:
There are 50 slots total.
Your buy-in is only $21.00 for a chance.
Send your money via PayPal to info@secret-services.net and I’ll put your name into the next available slot. Be sure your name is attached to the email address you send from!
When we fill that 50th slot, it’ll trigger the drawing.
You are welcome to buy-in to more than one chance, and sharing with friends is not only appreciated but welcomed, as it’ll make the raffle happen faster, and put me on the road again sooner.
The raffle will take place via random number generator and will be announced via the Secret Services Facebook page. (Disclaimer: Facebook does not endorse this raffle or Secret Services in any way).
You’re both helping me be mobile again, and getting a chance at a really great prize.
That's it for this week's Stew. Mull. Digest. Enjoy!
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