Modern Fairyland, or Experiencing the Otherworld as a 21st Century City

John Beckett recently wrote a blog which tangentially touched on two things I want to expand on here: the way neopagans Romanticize the world of Fairy and experiencing a place in Fairy that seemed much like modern America. I think that both of these points deserve some discussion and that they tie together so it makes sense to tackle them together. I do want to preface this by saying that while I…

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Verba Scáthaige – a translation

Today I am going to offer a translation piece I did from the Ulster Cycle, a look at Scathach’s words to Cu Chulainn when he left her training to return to Ireland.

Incipiunt uerba Scathaige fri Con Culainn oc scarad doib isna rannuib tair. Ro scaith do Choin Culainn lanfogluim in milti la Scaithaigh. Do aurchechain Scathach do iarum ind ni arad m-biad, con-eipirt friss tria imbass for ossna….

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Mind The Three Fold Laws Ye Should.

Blessings Darlings!

Alternative title:  Have you paid your debts?

Today I’m looking at another phrase commonly quoted at folks in the NeoPagan community.  “The Three Fold Law.”  Which folks tend to think of as a bean counter computer in the sky that automatically returns to you what you send back, three times over.  In fact, tho’…

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Dangerous Things – A Poem

I may be cynical

but I have earned it

so I laugh

I do

when I hear people

talking about

the Good People

being drawn by wind chimes

and shiny baubles

although I probably said

much the same once myself.

I shake my head

at the idea

that They wish us

nothing but well.

Cynical, yes

sharp as a thorn prick

coated in blood

sharp as salt heavy…

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The Vices of Malkuth – Inertia and Greed

Blessings Darlings!

Since I am dreading and thus putting off blogging about the Wiccan Rede … this seems like a great time to talk about the Vice of Malkuth “Inertia”, since I’m experiencing it.  But as long as I’m here, I’ll look at the other vice of Malkuth as well.

You might not know …

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My Worship Is In The Heart That Rejoices.

Blessings Darlings!

This is the first in what will be (I hope) a multi-post series on phrases from Wicca bandied about in the neopagan community.

While Wicca is primarily an orthopraxic mystery religion, it has a few phrases that are quoted y some as orthodoxy.  One of them …

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Frogs in Irish Folklore

So a little while ago a good friend asked me about what, if anything, I had heard relating to frogs and Irish folklore. I had to admit that while I personally associated frogs with the Good People I wasn’t entirely sure why and I couldn’t recall offhand any specific frog folklore. So its been on the back of my mind for a few weeks now and recently while on the Duchas.ie site I decided to see…

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Tri Cuirn o Cormac ua Cuinn – The Three Goblets of Cormac grandson of Conn

Today I’d like to offer a shorter translation piece for you:

Cuirn sin tucad do Cormac u Cuinn dar muir
Feacht n-ann do luid Aedh Oirdnidhi mac Neill Frosaidh mic Fearghuile mic Maile Duin do ordugud fer cuigid Connacht. Do luid dar Eas Ruaidh ocus do baithed a fuis meisi ocus a cuirnn ann. Tainic Aedh co riacht Corca Tri, co n-deisidh a tigh righ Corca Tri. Coeca righ do riguibh Eirenn maille…

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Online Fairy Resources

I’ve posted various recommended reading lists before but I thought it would be both helpful and fun to post a selection of assorted links to online resources for the subject of fairylore here that don’t fall into the realm of ‘recommended reading’. There are after all other media one can look to for education on the subject and there’s some great music and fiction as well. Many of these are also…

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Magic in Motion – Circles and Compasses in Folklore

The idea that movement in magic has significance is of course an old one and can be found in both folk magic and folklore. In witchcraft we see this reflected in the idea of casting a circle and in some forms of modern traditional witchcraft in casting the compass*, and we also find the idea in references to early modern witchcraft which involve the idea of moving directionally around a space…

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