This is going to be complicated. Also mysticism and personal experiences ahead. Proceed at your own risk.
I went to Ireland six months ago, and its been a time of transition and refocusing since then.I don’t tend to always share a lot of really deep personal stuff, for various reasons, including worry about how my experiences will be perceived. I’ve been reflecting a lot on that lately, but…
One figure that we see appearing in Scottish folklore in ballads, stories, and witch trial accounts is the Queen of Elfland or Queen of Fairies. This Queen is never named explicitly in these accounts but only referred to by her title and usually appears alone although in some rare cases she was known to have a king by her side. An enigmatic figure she traveled to the mortal world in some ballads…
There was a time when my magical practices were fairly complicated, and I suppose sometimes they still can be. I won’t deny that I like my fancy candles and herbs as much as most witches do, and I am fond of a variety of woods and natural materials. There is something visceral and satisfying in working with these tangible things, in – for example – making my own incense and watching a variety of…
When it comes to the denizens of Fairy, what’s in a name? As it happens a lot, but there’s also a great deal of confusion because many of the terms in English that we apply today to specific beings are rooted in generic terms that were once interchangeable. The water is further muddied by the widespread use of euphemisms, designed to encourage a positive response should you attract the attention…
Something I’ve been giving some thought to recently is the influence of the meaning of names. Most pagans I know are at least curious about what a deity or mythic figure’s name means and knowing the etymology then adds a layer of understanding about that deity. If we interpret the Morrigan’s name to mean ‘Great Queen’ I think that must in some way influence how we understand her more generally,…
The following is a poem said to have been spoken by Finn Mac Cumal
Cétemain, cain cucht 1 Cétemain, cain cucht, rée rosaír rann; canait luin laíd láin día laí (grían) gaí n-gann.2 Gairid cuí chrúaid den; is fo-chen sam saír: suidid síne serb i m-bi cerb caill chraíb.3 Cerbaid sam súaill sruth; saigid graig lúath linn; lethaid fota fraích; for-beir folt fann finn.4 Fúapair sceith scell scíach;…
“The first step in a new direction doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be a step.”
– Cassie Nightingale, ‘The Good Witch’
As you might imagine if you’ve read my blog for any length of time, I’m not generally a Hallmark Channel sort of person. More like SyFy Channel or Chiller. There is one big exception to that however in the form of The Good Witch. For those unfamiliar, The Good…
There seems to have been a recent uptick in interest in the Morrigan again and I’m seeing a lot of misinformation floating around, so I thought it would be helpful to offer clarification on some things. These aren’t personal opinions so much as facts from the Irish language and mythology. Keep in mind, however, that everyone makes mistakes when it comes to things coming from other languages and…
Dreams – aislingí – are sometimes a way that I receive communication from spirits and the Good People, as are other more controlled means like journeywork. This would fall into the realm of what’s usually called ‘upg’ or unverified personal gnosis in modern paganism. I have found a lot of value in the lessons and messages I get this way, but generally I find these things are too personal too…
There is a lot of power in names and naming, so today I want to look at the way we see that played out in mythology and folklore. I thought this would be a good topic to discuss in particular because of the confusion I sometimes see around the idea of True Names and magical names within modern paganism. So let’s look at what True Names and magical names are, and the difference between them, with…