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We live in a world that oftentimes can be unjust. Whether it is the marked difference between the ‘West’ and the third world or the opposition to Gay Marriage. Whether it is bullies in our schools or preferential treatment in our workplaces.

This can be a harsh reality for children to face. That moment when they realize how unfair life can be. Some of them deal with it better while others choose to ‘opt out’. This is why we must teach our children this maxim.

But what does this mean? How can one be overcome by Justice?

The Norse stories tell us of Berserkers, those warriors of Odin that were overcome by the spirit and blood lust of the battle. Their focus became singular, to maim and destroy at all costs. Now I don’t advocate using this method in today’s society but the idea holds true. As Pagans, who have realized that we, ourselves, have the power to change the world, we have a responsibility to affect positive change in the world.

When you see a wrong that you are able to speak out on and affect change about, let it become your focus. Let the idea of Justice overcome you, let your focus become singular. And strive to right what wrongs you can.

Much like the Berserkers, let the wave of justice wipe away your timidity (not that Berserkers could ever be called timid) and your worry. Show your children that some small measure of justice and fairness can be brought to the world.

If you look at the top of the blog, you should now see the category ‘Delphic Maxims’. If you are interested in reading more about some of these Maxims, head over there. Also check out this blog for a list of others who are embarking on this journey through the Delphic Maxims.

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We’ve all heard this growing up, but I wanted to take this Maxim a tiny step further. What this maxim should read, instead, is respect the line of Your parents going back generations.

In Stephen King’s Dark Tower Series, Roland often repeats a line, ‘Remember the face of your Father’. What this means is to act in such a way that you continue to honor and bring honor to your family.

Now I know that not all of us have families that are deserving of respect. Our society is rife with deadbeats, abusers and those who abandon their families. But this should not stop us from acting in honor or stop us from building our own frith, with our current family.

Frith is a term from the Germanic tribes and one that is found in modern Asatru. While the definition of frith is ‘peace’, it extends far beyond that. Frith is the connection between family members, whether blood or adopted. There are a few other definitions of this term, but for today this is enough.

So when I speak of building our own frith, what I mean to say is  that if we have a great set of parents then we can begin to build upon this. Yet if we do not have this then we can start today on building new frith with our partners and our children. Crafting a new family going forward from this moment.

Just remember our children learn by imitation, most of the time, so how we treat our families is how they will grow to treat us. But if we act like we remember the face of our fathers (whether the real image or the one that you wished you had) and work to hold ourselves to bringing honor to our families, then we can begin to craft a legacy of a strong family. One that will last for generations to come.

Blessed Be!

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Third down the list of the Delphic Maxims is this one. Worship the Gods.

While this one is pretty self-explanatory, how many of us actually do this on a regular basis? I know that life is constantly in my way and it stops me from having the time and the sleep to do anything even remotely related to a ritual. So what can you do, in cases like this?

First you need to let go of any guilt that this may cause. While the Gods deserve our worship, they do not always need an elaborate ritual to be worshiped.

Then make the commitment to spend five minutes every day in some form of prayer. Think of it is as something like Daily Pages for your journal, take time to offer up thanksgivings for the blessings you have received. Both big and small. Ask for Them to watch over you through the day and to help guide your feet to and along your proper path.

And finally continue to hold them in your thoughts as you go forward through your day. Notice their presence in the natural world. From a bird or a dragonfly landing on a branch near you to sight and sounds of children playing. The Gods can be found in all things, we only have to look for Them and recognize Them.

Now I’m not saying here that ritual is unimportant. Not only do they serve to honor the Gods, they help to mark periods, not only in our lives but in the natural world around us. The energy of the Harvest cycle is there unfolding, it is us that has forgotten that cycle. Ritual can bring us back to a balance with that energy.

What I am saying is that Life happens, and often. So when we can’t get to ritual, for whatever reason, then we can still manage to Worship the Gods. Would love to hear some thoughts? Did I miss any tips or ideas?

Blessed Be!

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So be sure to like me on Facebook or Follow me on Twitter and look for the link to the entry form.

Then for a different entry form sign up for the Village and look for the message from me.

I will randomly draw a name in just over two weeks on the 3rd of June the day before the Pagan Summer Camp Newsletter starts.

And oh yeah for that time I have decided to lower the price to $7.99 for the ebook, in case you can’t wait to see if you win.

Blessed Be!

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Now I’ve spent some time this weekend, trying to figure out what is meant by this. Is it natural law, the law of the Universe or is it man’s law? What I mean is that the concept of and the term ‘Law’ is thrown around a lot.

Yet I have come to the conclusions that it doesn’t matter what specific law that they are speaking of here.We are all bound inextricably by natural law and the law of the Universe. We can’t choose to ignore gravity or the systems of energy that are at work around us.

And as for man’s law, we should strive to obey all the laws that stand before us. Unless of course they are unjust laws and then we must work within the system of laws to change those laws. For no system should have the power to force us to act against our nature.

But we should be careful on the laws we deem to be ‘unjust’. We can’t just declare laws that we ‘don’t like’ to be unjust. The law laid down by men is the foundation of a just society. And if we begin the process of declaring unfavorable laws unjust then the fabric of society can unravel, like pulling at loose threads on a piece of fabric.

Hence why we should Obey the Law as much within our power as possible. Thoughts?

Blessed Be!

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This is a period in my life that I have been thinking about a lot lately. I’ve been Pagan for almost 15 years this Autumn, and it has been a crazy road. I have lost faith and regained it. Had my faith challenged and grow stronger because of the challenge. And during this long period, I have found and lost the joy of my Faith as well.

It happens to all of us, anything we love can become routine and lose its luster. But as a Pagan parent, it is important that I hold onto that joy. So I can show it to my children. I’ve talked often on here, about the idea of just showing our kids our Pagan faith and that will be enough to give them that introduction.

So how can you find that joy, if you have lost it? Or hold onto it, if you haven’t? Well just return to the beginning.

When I started out as a Pagan, I had to smuggle tealights and votives (my parents would not have been friendly to my faith at the time) and do my rituals in public parks and small patches of woods. And I look back on those times as some of the most meaningful rituals that I have ever done.

What about you? What reminds you of the Joy of your Faith?

Blessed Be!

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OK, I know that the title may seem confusing but give me a moment and I will explain what I’m doing here. Star Foster over at Patheos has started a series on the Delphic Maxims and while I don’t follow the Hellenic Pantheon I thought that it might be worthwhile to spend some time over the next year, yes there are that many, looking at them from a parenting viewpoint.

The first in the series is simply, Follow God. And I know my first thought was but I don’t follow ‘God’. Being raised Christian I still carry some of that knee-jerk baggage to anything that might smell of Christianity. But I think it is more to it then that.

In India there is a phrase that many of you have probably heard, Namaste. This word, as explained to me many years ago, means the Divine in me recognizes the Divine in you. I think in here we find the heart of the phrase.

Follow God, is not talking about some desert god worshiped for thousands of years but rather it is talking about recognizing that we are all part of the Divine and that we should strive to find that part. That highest part of ourselves, our True Will so to speak, and to follow it.

But how does one begin to explain this our children? By teaching them to be true to themselves. I know, I know it’s a cliche, but it’s true. We are born and grow into a knowledge of ourselves but the older we get the more we begin to change and deny who we are. We do this for a variety of reasons, but the most common is the desire to fit in.

So if we praise and encourage our children to be themselves and make their own niche in the world, then they will better be able to touch upon the idea of Following God.

Also, as they get older, they will better be able to understand and implement the Wiccan Rede. I know that it might seem like I’m stretching here, but look at the words. ‘If it harms none, do as you will’. A lot of Pagans I have talked to think of this, as I can do whatever I want as long as I don’t hurt anyone. But the word is will not want. In other words it is our True Will, or our part of the Godhead.

Now I want to ask you all some questions. Is this series something that you are interested in seeing more of? I’m here to provide you guys with the information that you want to see. And what are your thoughts on the words ‘Follow God’?

Blessed Be!

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Yet this concept is also one of the reasons why raising your children Pagan, can be so difficult. As Pagans, we lack a central repository of religious knowledge, and this is because we are a mystery religion. A faith the relies more on revelation and experience then on book learning.

So how does one begin to explain to young children the concept of immanent Deity?

By pointing out the wonder in the smallest of things. From sprouting a seed in a clear sandwich bag, so that they can see Life is present even in the smallest of things. To slicing an apple so that they can see the five-pointed star in it. To taking the time to observe the natural world and watching the play of the birds and especially now,at this time of the year, their nests and their young.

The more you find the wonder in the small things the easier it will be for kids to grasp the idea that Goddess and God can be found everywhere. Yes there is a scientific process for seeds to sprout and mathematics to explain the patterns in the natural world, but who’s to say that Deity isn’t in there causing things to happen?

So as we go forward through this week and into Summer, take some time out. Drive out of the city and show your kids the Goddess in the water and earth and the God in the fire and the wind.

Blessed Be!

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To Know

This step is all about laying the framework and foundation for the task ahead. In magick this step is about researching the correspondences and knowing why you use the things you do.

In raising up the next generation in Faith, this is about giving them the basics. My free ebook (subscribe and look at the bottom of the next update) on Wicca/Paganism 101 for families is helpful in this. But either way focus on getting them through the basics and into living the Faith as part of their whole life.

Do regular rituals and be sure to take time to notice nature and the the fact the Gods are all around us. Show them what Paganism is all about in your every action and they will follow along.

To Will

Empower your children. Once they have the basics down pat, give them responsibility in Circle. Give them a task, or more then one, and hold them to it. The older they get, the more important this task should become. Just like confidence is needed for a spell to work, confidence is needed if one is going to stand on their own.

Think about this; In the long run your children will have families of their own. And they will, hopefully, be helping to raise up another generation in Paganism. If they have no confidence, no will,  to do this then they have the potential to fall short.

To Dare

This ties in closely to the last one. Always push them beyond what they can comfortably do now. If they can cast circle and call Quarters then move them onto Calling Deity. Or even onto leading ritual themselves.

Dare them onto bigger and better things. And if they don’t quite get there then they will have come close and be the better for it.

To Be Silent

This last one stands apart from the others. Our world focuses to much on filling the silence. Whether it is meaningless chatter or the sounds of music and video games. Why do you think the IPod is so popular?

But to truly serve the Gods as Priest or Priestess, we must learn to embrace the Silence and learn to listen. Not only to ourselves but to the Gods and to the world around us. Meditation is part of this, but so is Prayer. But sometimes it just necessary to be silent so that the natural world can relax and carry on around us.

Blessed Be!

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Starting last week and moving forward into this week and the next we are going to have a lot of new columnists start writing for both The Pagan Household and The Pagan Village. You’ll notice that both those links go to the respective Columnist Pages instead of the home pages. That way you can get a good luck at the flavor of the columns upcoming. You can also check out the posting schedule for an idea of when articles are scheduled.

After you click there be sure to click back to the homepages, for some fantastic articles. Today on the Village we have a columnist talking about ritual with a special needs child. And on the Household, a look at an unique totem.

Now while this doesn’t leave a lot of room for guest posters, we do have some room available if you are interested. Just use the contact form and send me a message.

In addition to all of this, I have also started announcing the 2nd Annual Pagan Summer Camp Newsletter. While the actual newsletter doesn’t start until June 4th this year, we are going to be trying some different things this year. Here is a list of the things you will find different.

1. There is currently a group available on the Pagan Village for us to start discussions about the newsletter and our experiences with the exercises.
2. There will be videos uploaded to my Youtube Channel, of the different meditations and anything else I think might be helpful. So subscribe now.
3. Also, while we are still going to cover teaching Paganism to our kids, I am doing it in a different format. This year we are going to be walking through the Chakra system, not talking about Chakras, but rather using the aspects of the different Chakras to approach the idea of teaching Paganism to our children.

I have recently launched an Amazon affiliate store. The reason for this, is while hosting is paid, there are many more things that I would like to have the money to get. From a better newsletter service to better themes and plugins (especially for the Village).  All of which cost money, so if you are looking for either books I have reviewed or are a beginner Pagan looking for books I recommend, then please head over and check the store out. For the record each purchase sends something like 6% back to me. Pennies really but every little bit counts.

Also there is a Zazzle store that I am in the middle of putting the finishing touches. Currently there is only Village-related children’s items in there. But I have some designs for adult items as well. And again the money will go back into paying the bills around here. And of course Village gear will help to promote the Village and help us to continue building a Tribe.

And lastly remember that my ebook, The Parent’s Guide to the Sabbats is still for sale.

So I think it is going to be an exciting summer and a wonderful rest of the year.

Thanks for listening, Blessed Be!

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So the question is how do you prepare your child for this? Especially if they are headed off to Kindergarten in the Fall?

Honestly I can’t think that they can be 100% truly prepared. At our hearts we don’t want to believe how cruel anyone can be. But there are steps you can take to try and soften the blow.

Now let me disclose here that my oldest is not raised Pagan and she is the only one who goes to public school. My youngest is Pagan and is home-schooled, although she does attend a Christian home-school co-op. Where we have had to apply some of these lessons.

1. Always teach that being different does not make someone wrong.
2. When they are moving closer to school. Be frank and be honest, respecting their maturity level at the same time. Let them know that those who follow the Goddess and God are not always accepted. And that other kids may say some ‘mean’ things. And that is OK to not be friends with these kids and to make other friends.
3. Keep an open door policy. Rather then let this kind of situation go on for months, talk to your kid everyday about how school is going. And let her know that it is OK to tell you anything. And that you won’t get upset.
4. And just keep at the maintenance. Eventually they will get a tough skin and will be better for it.
5. Don’t overreact. It is easy to want to don armor and go defend your child but unless there is physical violence involved you will likely only make it worse.
6. Finally don’t be afraid to stay in the closet. Even if it is just with the kids. Some kids handle being picked on better then others. So it might be better to urge them to not mention anything until they are older and have some friends that might accept them. Friends that they could fall back on.

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While I am blessed with a house and a yard, I know that many live in apartments and cities where they can’t just go to the local park and do ritual with their kids. So what is a busy parent to do?

I posed this question on Facebook earlier and got some great responses. (Any more are welcome here, just comment away) So I wanted to share some of those responses and my own thoughts as well.

Some of the greatest rituals I have done have been in limited space. So if you can remember that sometimes all the ‘trappings’ are unnecessary you will be able to do ritual in small spaces.

Casting Circle

Stand in a circle and have everyone join hands and close their eyes. Then have them visualize energy moving in a circle from person to person in this circle. Slowly expand this circle out into an area around you. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the area that you are planning on doing ritual in, you could cover the whole house if you want. Although if you have family that is not participating, this may not work for you.

Calling Elements

This is where the suggestion from Facebook comes into this. Janet suggested that you run in place to call fire, make swimming motions for water, blowing hard for air, and sitting still for earth. While I haven’t had a chance to try this out, I think that these are really great ideas.


Calling the Goddess and God

With my youngest one when we do this, I tell her about the aspects that we are going to be working with. By doing this I focus our attention on the Lady and Lord, with a little energy this works well to draw Them to us.

Ritual Content

Another suggestion from Janet was to have ritual around a table with everyone sitting. This would solve the issue of space but you could also stand in a circle, with joined hands, and talk about the ritual theme and raise any energy for magick that you have planned.

As you can see there are many easy ways to hold ritual and raise a spiritual child even if you only have a small place to work in. Again I would like to hear any suggestions that you have.

Blessed Be!

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We as pagan parents, who are striving to teach our children pagan tenets, beliefs and stories face an uphill battle against our Christian society. The influence of this society is prevalent; evident in our media (news, tv shows), our stores (Christmas vs Yule – the prevalence of Easter etc) and even our schools. Not that our schools specifically support a specific religion, but the students within those walls that espouse Christianity and seek to browbeat their religion into our children.

Personally to battle this I have chosen to home-school my youngest daughter. Yet this is not the only reason that I have chosen to do this. It is my personal belief that our current school system has failed our children miserably. Take for example the following; Nearly 1 in 3 high school students in the Class of 2006 will not graduate this year, as reported by the Editorial Projects in Education (EDE) Research Center. All of this has me convinced that the best way to give my child a better education without all the brainwashing is for me to do it myself.

Between evolution, global warming and how evil the Great America is; there is little left in the current American school system that I agree with. I refuse to put my children in a second rate education system that teaches the children things that I believe are based on shaky scientifical evidence at best.

Now homeschooling is not the easiest or best choice for everyone. Most parents are not prepared to make the huge sacrifice that is necessary to home-school a child. I know that eventually some things such as a new TV or a better car will take second or even third place to the education of my daughter. But I am prepared to make such decisions and sacrifices.

But this is not just a struggle against the overly Christian culture it is also a struggle against the lack of spirituality in our culture. I know this sounds like a very large dichotomy but look around you at the culture in the western world at large. Our children are not taught consequences, they are not taught how to lose with good sport. They are raised in a society with a very large entitlement mentality.

Are these really the things that you want your children to be taught? This is the school system that has succeeded in raising generations of children without spines. Generations of children that often cannot find their home state on a map.
Whether you decide to home-school or not, there still arises the question of how to instill pagan tenets and beliefs in our children. What exactly are these things, when are they old enough to understand them? Some of these tenets I have referenced in earlier posts, but a semi-complete list would be as follows:

• Self-responsibility
• A loving and kind-hearted nature
• Love and recognition of the Goddess and God
• Respect for nature
• Balance and compassion
• The Holidays and the Wheel of the Year
• The Circle of Life

These are just a few of the many tenets of paganism but the finished list is up to you. Yet the two biggest questions of them all are; How do you teach these things to your children and when are they old enough to understand them? I will cover these things in subsequent posts over the next few weeks so stay tuned.

Blessed Be!

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1. Courage
2. Truth
3. Honor
4. Fidelity
5. Discipline
6. Hospitality
7. Industriousness
8. Self-Reliance
9. Perseverance

In Latin, the word cor is the root for the word coraticum which means heart. This is the known etymology for the word courage, which is also translated as with heart. So Courage is to “have heart”. Now Courage can mean to be brave or can mean to face life head on with passion. To operate from the heart, seat of passion and love. But it also means to live your own life in the right way regardless of how others view you.
Truth probably sounds relatively easy. Tell no lies. But Truth means much more than that. I have found that it is easier to not tell lies when you don’t do things that you feel that you have to lie about. In other words be honest with yourself, first and foremost. Truth is also about having the courage to always own up to what you did.

Honor is synonymous with the word respect. When you honor other people you express your feeling that the other person has earned your respect. All of the Nine Noble Virtues center around Honor. If you act with courage, tell the truth, are loyal to others, behave with discipline, are hospitable and industrious, rely on yourself to accomplish things, and persevere until you finish what you set out to do, you will certainly command honor from others. More important, if you live that way, you can honor and respect yourself as well and never need to be ashamed of what you have done. Honor means to respect others and their beliefs and also to demand Honor from others and defending others that are not treated honorably.
But most importantly having Honor is to fulfill the promises that you make. Sometimes that this may mean that you have to think before you act and speak.

Fidelity is just a fancy word for being faithful or loyal to a person or thing and to give them help when they need it. But not if that means that you violate one of the other eight virtues to give them that help. And to not ally yourself with some group or person that stands against your own ethics. Having Fidelity also means being faithful to yourself.

Discipline is best described as self-discipline. It is the exercise of personal will that upholds honor and the other virtues. It is that which transforms impulse into action. Look around you at modern culture, and it isn’t hard to see the lack of discipline that is evident. We are surrounded people obsessed with their rights and that seem to forget their responsibilities entirely.

Hospitality is the center of ancient culture. Without hospitality and the included kindness for each other than we would have never made it this far as a race. And again this is something that is lacking in our modern culture. Kindness for strangers is gone, and is replaced by the “gimme” culture.

Industriousness is best defined as persevering determination to perform a task. To embody this is not to just simply work harder than anyone. Rather it is to live life to the fullest, complete to the end every task that we begin, and to be the best at everything that we do.

Self-Reliance in relation to the Nine Noble Virtues is important. The Virtues are basically a self-imposed morality, meaning that self-reliance is necessary if we are to follow this ethic system. This is also important in the religion of the Asatru, they believe that if we are to ask things of the Gods then we must be worthy of them and the things that we have asked for.
This can also be extended to embrace a minimalist lifestyle, to be truly self-reliant then we must learn to live with only those things that are absolutely necessary.

The final virtue is Perseverance. It is also the one that I believe that we must hold first in our mind. Our world is far from perfect and if we are to make anything out of ourselves then we must persevere. It is easy to have Perseverance when we continue to succeed but at some point we will eventually fail and it is the truest measure of our character if we continue on after a failure.

Blessed Be!

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The world around us is filled with energy. This energy can take many forms, and can have both positive and negative vibrations and effects. You cannot deny that there is a huge difference between a hospital room and a forest glen; between a crowded city and a quiet home. But this does not mean that simply because you live in a quiet home that it is clean of negative energies or even that positive energies cannot be found in a crowded city.

Anger. Stress. Sadness. Life itself and all its chaos can cause discordant vibrations. While purifying an area and restoring the positive vibrations, natural to an area, is essential to good ritual and magickal practice it is also a practical idea for your everyday life. For if you could choose chaos or peace, what would you choose?

And I think we have all noticed that this year has brought many changes and upheavals to our lives. So I wanted to talk about making your Home a Sacred Space.

The most important thing of all is to first purify the self. You need to make yourself a pure, clear and unfettered channel. This is because you must be able to project nothing but positive emotions and vibrations. Calm your mind and let go of negative vibrations and emotions. In your heart there should be naught but love and peace and light. Think also that the more you practice in your daily life the better the world around you will become.

This being said there are many ways to create sacred space, none more valid than any other. Whether through sound or scent or through vibrations, it is intent that makes it all work. When going through the following exercises focus your intent and visualize on all the negative energies being washed or brushed away.

Cleansing with Scent

There are many herbs that you can use that are beneficial to cleansing an area. Some of which are used by Native Americans still today. Sage, sweetgrass, tobacco, cedar, lavender or mint are all cleansing herbs. In the sections to follow we will cover these specific herbs in greater detail.

• SageBrush

Not to be confused with culinary sage, sagebrush belongs to the Artemsia genus and grows primarily in the Southwest of the Continental United States. It has a thick pungent thick smoke when burned. It is often mixed with sweetgrass and cedar but can be used by itself. It is a transforming herb that helps to facilatate the change from negative to positive.

• Sweetgrass

This plant grows across much of Eurasia and North America and has been used by Christians and Native Americans alike. Burned it has a vanilla scent and can be used to purify an area and as an offering to the ancestors. You will most often find this dried and braided but you will sometimes find it mixed with sage and cedar in smudging bundles. It can also be used to enter into a meditative state.

• Tobacco

Tobacco can be burnt to bring clarity and also as an offer to the gods and to the spirits. But one needs to be careful with this plant for it can be a two edged sword. It can bring clarity and absorb negativity but used to incorrectly or in excess it can lead to addiction and sickness. It must be used with respect.

• Cedar

Cedar is a strong smelling wood that can be burnt as a cleansing and purifying plant. It can be burned with sage or sweetgrass or by itself. The leaves or inner bark is often burnt to cleanse an area after sickness has passed.

• Lavender

As tobacco can be used to chase away the negative spirits and vibrations, lavender can be used to welcome the good spirits and vibrations. Medicinally lavender essential oil has been used as a sterilization wash.

Cleansing through Sound

To clear an area, one can ring a bell three times letting the clear sound cut through the negative vibrations let your body resonate with the sound. Know that the sound is chasing the negative energies and spirits out and away from your presence.

You can also Ohm. Hold the Ohm as long as you can, knowing that it connects you to the Divine and clears you as a channel to receive their energies and blessings.

Smuding Ceremony

Before smudging it is essential to physically clean the area. This does not mean that you have to scrub the floors and walls but at the least pick up the clutter and maybe sweep or vacuum the floors. Clutter attracts negativity so removing clutter is a necessary first step.

The next step is to use any combination of sage, cedar and sweetgrass in a shell or sturdy bowl and light them. While they are burning fan them with a feather or your hand and waft the smoke over first yourself, over your front and then your back. Then next carry the bowl or shell around the area to be cleaned and waft the smoke throughout all of the area. Finally offer the smoke to the seven directions. To the South to the guardians of fire. Then to the North-East to the Ancestors. Next to the West to the guardians of water and across then to East to the guardians of air. Then to the North-West to the guardians of the Earth. Then finally offer it up to Father Sky and then to Mother Earth. If there are others present offer them the herbs so that they can them smudge themselves.

Remember that the herbs alone are nothing but an aid it is up to you to provide the intent and energy. Visualize the smoke cleansing your and the area around you. Now that you have cleansed the area with air and fire now it is time to take water and earth around. Put some sea salt into a bowl of water and swirl it around with the intent that you are creating holy water. Use the water to wash your hands and arms and neck, cleansing yourself first. Then carry this around sprinkling a little water as you go. Remember to cover the same seven directions as before. As before if there are others present then offer them the water so that they may have a chance to cleanse themselves.

Next come through the area with a besom. The besom can be used to sweep an area, whether literally or just magickally, in which the besom nevers actually touches the ground, rather it stays an inch or so above the ground and is used to sweep the old and negative energies.

Now that the area is clean it is a good idea to light some lavender and meditate for a moment. Know that all negativity is gone and naught but good spirits remain. Next you can burn some tobacco and offer thanks up to the seven directions and the guardians of each and to the Goddess and God.

Now your area is clean and ready for any magickal or ritual working that you have planned. Or simply it is a better place to live your life. There is no limit to how often this ritual can be done and it is recommended that you do it regularly, something like once or twice a month or at least as often as you enter into ritual. This can also be done to cleanse your home and should be done at least twice a year.

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It may be the understatement of the year to say that being a Parent is hard and being a Pagan parents is harder, but bear with me. We struggle to pay our bills, especially now, we struggle and wrestle with ourselves as to whether we are raising are children to be good adults. On top of all this we try to honor our Gods and practice our religion in the best way we know how. Then we throw in trying to raise our children as Pagans and it is easy to get burnt out.

We’ve all been there, the moment where we realize that ritual has taken a back seat to everything else, maybe even the newest TV show or a good movie. When we realize that we have lost our Pagan ‘mojo’ so to speak. When we started on this path, we were gung-ho and almost fanatic in our rituals and ceremonies, then we lost our way. If you’re not one of these people, then please let us know your secret.

Now this article isn’t about that moment per se, but rather it is about what to do at that moment. My advice is simple; Just Stop!

Stop trying so hard. Stop trying to be a superhero. I know that I have struggled to stop trying to do it all. And while it may not look it from all the projects I have taken on recently, the fact that I have finished things and shut those doors that this method is working for me.

I have set limits on my time and the things that I have started. Not necessarily on the number of things I start (although that helps) but on how much of my life is affected by them. For me it is family first and then my Faith and finally writing, set in the order of due dates. And I focus on one project to the exclusion of the others, with very few exceptions. For example I don’t let an idea pass me by for one project, simply because I am not currently working on it.

My wife and kids are happier for it, as am I. Ritual has become fun again, instead of another task on my to-do list. My writing has improved (well I guess you guys have to judge that for me), and I’ve begun to finish things off. To clear that to-do list that I set for my writing and other project oriented goals.

But I would love to hear your thoughts on this? What have you done to get your Pagan ‘mojo’ back?

Blessed Be!

And don’t forget to check out my new ebook for sale.

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Eight words the Wiccan Rede, fulfills an’ it harm none do as ye will. Yes I know that is more Wiccan and not exactly Pagan, but most Pagans I know try to follow some version of the Rede in their own personal practice.
So what does the Rede have to do with the topic question? In one word, everything. We talk a lot about harming none and many Pagans go out of their way to do right and good by others. Yet many seem to neglect themselves.
We are a nation of overweight and sickly people. In 2004 the statistics say that 66% adults in the United States were overweight and obese. (Source jhsph.edu) And the evidence is overwhelming that being overweight or obese leads to a wide range of disease. From hypertension to arthritis and you can throw in heart disease and diabetes for good measure.
Now if we are to live a life dedicated to harming none, shouldn’t we strive to be as healthy as possible? For what good does it do to work to make the world a better place, when we are plagued by bad health? Whether from a life of gluttony or other bad choices. We preach to harm none but we still continue to harm ourselves. And if we have children, then what kind of example are we showing to our children? Should we not teach them to be healthy and to practice good habits in all of their life?
Now before many people get upset, I know that there are in some cases, extenuating circumstances. Their are diseases and medicines that we take, that can lead to an increase in weight. But in most cases and in many times people are to lazy to exercise and lack the self will to not eat that extra one, or sometimes two or three, pieces of pie.
But I don’t want to just talk about the obese, because there are many choices that we make in Western culture that are unhealthy. We sometimes drink to excess and we smoke, when we have a history of cancer.
In addition to being a nation of obese people we are also a nation of insomniacs. We, especially you Fathers out there, run our lives entirely to fast and do too much. We cut back on eating healthy and exercising and on sleeping, just to get that new job assignment done on time. Now lack of sleep may not lead to any known health problems. But being tired all the time cannot be good for our health.
So I encourage you to take an inventory of your life and the habits in it. Are you harming yourself? If so why? Make a choice to include yourselves in the word none, when you say Harm None. And try to improve your health.
Blessed Be!

Today is also the launch of my ebook The Parent’s Guide to the Sabbats. Head over here to take a look.

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The format for this ebook  is the same as the last two, but it bears repeating. Recipes for four courses and an appendix full of the magickal properties of the ingredients in those recipes.

For this one the theme is definitely romance. From oysters to spicy food to decadent desserts the recipes are rich and more then enough to make my mouth water, just from thinking about them. If I may, let me recommend both the Chicken Curry and the Texas-Style Chili as well as the mild salsa. Even though I have my own recipes for these, Stacy’s recipes added the right things to make better then my own.

So head over and check out the book Sabbat Cooking – Beltane by Stacy Evans at Wyrdwood Publications. But before you do check out Stacy’s blog. She has recently moved over to a new site and in honor of her new Grand Opening she is running a contest to giveaway a copy of this wonderful book.

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This being said, after the reading of this book I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. While it doesn’t do much in the way of Men’s Mysteries, although there is some of that in there, it is an essential book for parents of Pagan male teenagers.

From tips on small camping retreats to a focus on the change from boyhood to manhood and the self-responsibility that it entails. Also intriguing were his rituals for the rites of passage, they are written with the idea and purpose of a solitary male practicing the faith. In other words there are solitary rituals for the standard Rites of Passage for young men.

But don’t think that this book isn’t balanced. It approached both the Goddess and the God with almost equal attention. The author, Dancing Rabbit, spends a chapter on the Maiden, Mother and Crone and then moves onto a chapter on the Horned God and a small section on the Harvest Lord, neglecting the Sage archetype. Yet this book’s focus on young Pagan males doesn’t make this a huge problem. I only mention so that one can be prepared to either address it themselves, as Parents, or to find another book on the topic.

The only thing wrong with this book is that it is running to the end of its printed life and the publisher, as of yet, does not offer it in ebook. Although I recommend emailing the publisher, John Hunt Publishing and pushing for another run of this often overlooked treasure.

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Charge of the Horned Lord

I am the Horned Lord, Cernunnos, guardian of the cycle of birth and rebirth. I am the youth of Spring and exuberant life. My breath is the warming Southern wind. I am the Oak dressed in Brown and Green. I am the protective hunter, King of the animals and I am the wild Pan.

Lovemaking, laughter and feasting are all testaments to my power and might. To love is to worship me. I am the Lord of the Greenwood, The Sun King and Heaven’s Lord among countless other incarnations.

I give to man these gifts; little children of all ages, ecstasy of the spirit and of the body, and I provide the path to self-illumination.I am the Sun and consort to the Earth Mother and the Star Goddess. I am the priest of the Sun. I am the gnostic upon the throne at the center of all life. And I am the leader of the Wild Rade that leads to the Underworld, which is your inner self.

I am the fire in every beating heart and the waters of the soul, the Earth of the body and the breath of the mind. Call on me as protector and warrior for I am the God of Battles.I bring the rain, the ultimate promise of life, hear my voice and my laughter in the sound of the falling rain and be joyous.

Rede of the Lord of the Harvest 

I am the aging man toiling day after day to provide for his children. I am the Father who regardless of his worries always has a smile for his fellow man. I am the Earth aging and giving up its last crop.

Yet I am also the promise of life unending even into Death. I am true love made real by a willing sacrifice. I am the yellow corn that gives life to the masses.

But still I am feared because I bring death soon, robed in black I bring the scythe that cuts down the wheat. Yet do not worry for does not the wheat continue your life? See my willing death in the waning sun and the leaves turning crimson and orange. Yet remember my death is willing for in my death I end the battle between world in Summerland for I will be there to guide the souls of the dead and give them a chance at rebirth

Tale of the Grandfather

Grandchildren, grandchildren gathered around my chair. You warm my heart and keep me young. I am the storyteller and the keeper of tradition. My body won’t let me dance the sacred dances and my voice is to old to sing the Holy Songs. But my mind is still sharp and I can pass my wisdom down to the next generation.

What was that?

Oh yeah my name, who I am. Well I have been known by many names. I have been called Hephaestus, and the Holly King. I am grandfather Winter and the Ruler of the Underworld, Hades. If you come to seek wisdom. Listen for the lonely wind rattling through the trees and rocks. Look beneath the silence of the falling snow. Come and sit by the fire and if you look hard enough you will see me smiling out at you with a glint in my eye.

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