Spirit Writer

Image by Enrique Meseguer, Pixabay . I left hellfire and brimstone Christianity at age 13. I should say that I was still in a household run by a believer, but thankfully wasn't forced to go back to church when I said I didn't believe and actually felt sick to my stomach with the thought of going back. My path to Paganism started with reading Edgar Cayce, aka The Sleeping Prophet , in my teens. He was a devout Christian but was a conundrum to those of his faith who eschewed any kind of psychic phenomena or belief in reincarnation. This laid down the road for me to enter the '90s in my full New-Age girl glory. I loved this new path and experienced deep healing of childhood abuse and learned about Wicca and other Pagan paths. I became an energy healer and massage therapist for a decade, but I also saw some of the same hypocrisy in that community that Christians were accused of and often found myself in disagreement with some of the principles. As a childhood physical an

Odin as wanderer. Image credit: Hans Thoma [Public domain]. "People’s approval ain’t nothin’ you need. Half the time it ain’t true. Just be sure you think you’re right; and that you’re comfortable in your own skin; you’re all you can count on." The Poetic Edda , a record of early Norse poems, is one of the sources of our knowledge of the Norse deities and mythology. A more recent translation is by author, scholar and professor of Nordic Studies, Jackson Crawford, P.h.D. He shares his knowledge and his passion for myths on his popular Youtube channel . The Poetic Edda includes the Havamal , which in Crawford's translation is the Counsel of Odin the One-Eyed . This is a poem of stanzas purported to be sayings of Odin. Crawford gives his scholarly translation, but in an appendix, he also shares what he calls the Cowboy Havamal as sampled at the beginning of this post. It's a down-to-earth, Old West meets Norse myths rendition of stanzas 1-79 "give or ta

The author dedicates her work to Odin. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, public domain . "Where eclectic isn't a dirty word" is the subtitle of this blog, and that's true to my original intent of depositing old 101-type (or admittedly 099-type) articles from my days over a decade ago writing at the Pagan site at BellaOnline. The goal at that site was to be a unification point to provide free access to resources for new pagans of every stripe. My path has taken many turns since then, and while I believe I'll always be eclectic in some form, my daily practice is what I consider devotional polytheism. I remember the bad scholarship in books from the '80s and '90s, and understood the need for the backlash that happened in paganism. However, I always found the anti "fluffy-bunny" trend somewhat pretentious and unnecessary. Besides the derision towards new pagans and witches, there was a growing trend of anti-eclecticism and anti UPG* (see below) to th

Sugilite. Photo credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com </a> – CC BY-SA 3.0   via Wikimedia Commons Physical Properties Sugilite is a dense, beautiful stone that ranges in color from pink to purple. The translucent form is called gel sugilite. It's also known by the trade name of lavulite or luvulite to indicate its lavender color. Sugilite of the most intense purple is mainly found in South Africa. Empaths and Sensitives Sugilite is an excellent stone for those who consider themselves empathic or just simply sensitive souls who have a hard time coping with this reality. Sometimes these people become overloaded by the energy impressions of environments and people and have a hard time shielding themselves. Wearing, carrying or meditating with sugilite may help them become better able to cope with this. This stone helps ground the purple ray by connecting the third-eye chakra with the base chakra. Thus, it helps these sensitives feel more at home in this world and accept th

Amethyst cluster. Photo credit: Vidiaviola, Pixabay . Physical Properties Amethyst is a form of quartz crystal and ranges in color from lavender to deep purple. Mid to dark purple is the most common and is popular in jewelry, clusters, geodes, crystal wands and tumbled stones. The Meditation and Spirituality Stone Amethyst raises low vibratory levels to a higher rate, so is considered one of the most spiritual stones to work with. It's also an excellent stone for meditation to help take you to deeper levels. One of the most intense experiences I've had with crystals was with amethyst when I first started doing crystal work. After grounding and centering, I laid down and placed a small tumbled amethyst stone on my third eye area on my forehead. I focused on my breathing and did my best to let go of all thoughts. Eventually, I almost started to nod off to sleep. I suddenly felt pressure in my third eye area and heard a sort of turning on mechanism as well as saw a pu

Image credit: Fine Mayer, Pixabay . What is Binding Magic? Binding magic is used to stop someone from doing you or others harm. Since this is a debated subject, I will provide the following definitions of the word bind from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition: 1. To confine, restrain or restrict as is if with bonds. 2. To hamper free movement or natural action. 3. To exert a restraining or compelling effect. These definitions may induce a knee-jerk reaction, but bear with me. This form of magic is generally considered self-defense rather than attack. There are those who will disagree and believe that it hinders the free will of another. They might even invoke the harm none rule of Wicca. Others, including many Wiccans, will tell you that the ability to protect yourself is one of the most important magical concepts to be mastered. I personally consider self-defense important but will leave it up to the reader to decide whether to perform binding s

Celestite.  Aram Dulyan (User:Aramgutang) [Public domain] Physical Properties of Celestite Celestite, also known as celestine, is a mineral that often forms in crystals and is named for its lovely blue color. This crystal also comes in yellow, white, orange and red. But it's the heavenly blue that you will most likely see in shops and online for sale as crystals, geodes, beads and jewelry. A Stone of Spirituality and Angelic Connections Celestite is a good crystal to use during prayer and contemplation as it enhances spiritual pursuits, especially those aimed at making contact with celestial beings. If you work with angelic energies in your personal spiritual practice or are an angelic healing practitioner, consider bringing celestite into your practice. Angelic communication. Photo credit: Marisa04, Pixabay . To facilitate angelic communication during the dream state, place this stone near your pillow. This is also a good way to access celestite's ability

Illustration by Open-Clipart Vectors, Pixabay . This is a list of groups and individuals who are speaking out against the rising tide of white nationalism (WN) worldwide, especially against those who are co-opting pagan and heathen religious symbols and theology as a vehicle for their hate. It will be a work in progress. About a decade ago, I was a member for a year of the Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) and The Troth, two heathen organizations, as I had heard about the folkish vs. universalist argument and I wanted to make up my own mind.  I saw through the thinly veiled misogyny and racism of the AFA and didn't rejoin.  I also left the Troth as my path has taken many turns.  However, I've rejoined the Troth, though I don't identify as a heathen only and belong to another organization as well. I also, pre-2015, would have labeled myself a big-tent conservative. The GOP's support of Donald Trump changed that. I still would probably lean right of center, though the o

Photo credit: Comfreak at Pixabay . The Philosophy of Fire Do you think magic and Judeo-Christian beliefs don't mix? People have been blending these paths for centuries. The Book of Psalms lends itself beautifully to this. In The Master Book of Candle Burning: How to Burn Candles for Every Purpose , author Henri Gamache provides a valuable guide to this form of magic and devotion which he calls The Philosophy of Fire. Materials Needed The system presented in this book is more elaborate than one candle per ritual, but the materials are simple, attainable or adaptable and include the following: • White cross figure candles or white pillars. • Taper candles and holders. • Candle dressing oils. • Incense and burners. • Bible. • Altar. This can be a table, top of a dresser or an altar devoted completely to this practice. The tools are pretty basic and some are adaptable. Some spells call for figural candles such as in the shape of a man or woman. The most impo

Lepidolite. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, public domain . Physical Properties of Lepidolite Lepidolite is a beautiful purple mica mineral that forms in layers. It contains lithium and is somewhat fragile. It often forms with other stones like pink tourmaline. While it comes in various colors including pink, yellow and white, it's mostly know for its purple range. A Stone of Transition and Calm Lepidolite assists in making difficult transitions more smooth as well as calming the emotions that arise through such transitions as a relationship breakup, a move or job change. This mineral can be also be used to bring calm to an area. Crystal expert and author Melody recommends achieving this effect by gridding your environment with it. You can do this by placing lepidolite in the corners of a room, house or office or by burying stones in the perimeters of your property after meditating with them on your intention of calm and order. Healing Properties of Lepidolite Pur