Inner Practices for the Twelve Nights of Yuletide
Inner Practices for the Twelve Nights of Yuletide

Author: Anne Stallkamp

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2021-10-05

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 1644113252

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• Explains how the 12 nights after the winter solstice offer the ideal opportunity for inner focusing, seeing signs, and laying the foundation for the year to come • Shares reflective themes and exercises for each night (and the day to follow) and guided meditations to deepen the experience The season of Yuletide--the 12 nights following the winter solstice--offers the ideal opportunity for inner focusing, for seeing signs, and for planting seeds for the future. This guide explores inner practices for the magical Yuletide season, the period between December 21 and January 2, when the veil between worlds is thin. Revealing the deeper meaning of the darkest time of the year, the authors discuss how the 12 nights of Yuletide were significant in pagan and Nordic traditions long before Christmas was grafted onto them. A special Yuletide channeling explains the ancient and modern significance of the heathen holy days. Each night (and the day that follows) has a particular energy quality and is dedicated to a theme upon which to reflect as you look at the 12 months past and ahead. The authors introduce and explain each of the respective themes of the 12 nights, such as humility and devotion, truth and clarity, the power of the heart, and self-care. They also share a series of ideas to consider for the year just gone by along with insights and guidance to contemplate for the one to come. Through the questions, exercises, and tools linked to each specific night and its theme we can gain valuable insights and shape our future. Journaling is an essential part of this work, enabling us to reflect our thoughts actively as well as record them for use during the coming year. The authors also include guided meditations for each of the Yuletide nights, enabling readers to deepen their experience. Working with the magical power of Yuletide and the 12 holy nights is a ritual that can be repeated year after year, offering the reader a completely new understanding of this very special time and a way to lay the foundations for the new year ahead.

Dragons and Serpents
Dragons and Serpents

Author: Stefan Broennle

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2024-02-27

Total Pages: 155

ISBN-13:

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• Explains how dragons and serpents are bearers of the elemental and archetypal energies of the Earth • Examines myths, legends, and symbols of dragons and serpents in many cultures, including their positive associations in Asia and their often misinterpreted negative meanings in Christianity • Reveals the geomantic meaning of dragon energy and how to reconnect to it for supporting the Earth in these times of change Revealing how dragons and serpents are deeply embedded in the story of humankind and the Earth itself, from prehistory to the present, Stefan Broennle takes us on a journey through the myths, legends, symbols, and geomantic powers of dragons in different cultures around the world. He shows how the ancient image of the dragon and the serpent are closely connected with each other. He explains how dragons are archetypes of the elemental force of the Earth, while the serpent, which can change its skin and regenerate, carries the elemental force of rebirth and is also connected to the Earth through its relationship with the feminine. Looking at lore from Europe and Asia, he shows how in Christian cultures, dragons and serpents were often connected to dark and evil forces whereas in Asia the dragon is considered the bearer of culture, the founder of countries, or even the primal father of the people. The author examines ancient pictorial representations of dragons on buildings and in paintings, interpreting their different forms and unveiling their hidden meanings. Illuminating the meanings of dragons in geomantic symbolism, he explains the differences between dragon paths, soul paths, and ley lines, which form an energetic network all over the globe. He shows how our ancestors recognized the dragon-earth energies of these energetic lines and identified them with dragon place names or sculptures at precise geographical points. He explains how dragon portals can be opened through geomantic work and includes a powerful exercise to awaken the dragon energies within you and connect more deeply to the Earth. Presenting a gateway into the ancient power of dragons, this book reveals how reconnecting with the archetypal Earth energies of dragons and serpents is crucial not only for our individual growth and transformation but also for the fate of humanity and the Earth during our present times of great change.

Wild Witchcraft
Wild Witchcraft

Author: Rebecca Beyer

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-05-10

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1982185635

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Learn how to cultivate your own magical garden, begin your journey with folk herbalism, and awaken to your place in nature through practical skills from an experienced Appalachian forager and witch. Witchcraft is wild at heart, calling us into a relationship with the untamed world around us. Through the power of developing a relationship with plants, a witch—beginner or experienced—can practice their art more deeply and authentically by interacting with the beings that grow around us all. Bridging the gap between armchair witchcraft and the hedge witches of old, Wild Witchcraft empowers you to work directly with a wide variety of plants and trees safely and sustainably. With Wild Witchcraft, Rebecca Beyer draws from her years of experience as an Appalachian witch and forager to give you a practical guide to herbalism and natural magic that will share: -The history of witchcraft and Western herbalism -How to create and maintain your own herbal garden -Recipes for tinctures, teas, salves, and other potions to use in rites and rituals -Spells, remedies, and rituals created with the wild green world around you, covering a range of topics, from self-healing to love to celebrating the turning of the seasons -And much more! Wild Witchcraft welcomes us home to the natural world we all dwell in by exploring practical folk herbal and magical rites grounded in historical practices and a sustainable, green ethic.

Imbolc
Imbolc

Author: Carl F. Neal

Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide

Published: 2015-12-08

Total Pages: 156

ISBN-13: 0738746487

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Imbolc—also known as Brigid's Day—is a time to awaken from our months of introspection and start making plans for the future. This guide to the history and modern celebration of Imbolc shows you how to perform rituals and magic to celebrate and work with the energy of the re-awakening earth. Rituals Recipes Lore Spells Divination Crafts Correspondences Invocations Prayers Meditations Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials explore the old and new ways of celebrating the seasonal rites that are the cornerstones of the witch's year.

Pagan Christmas
Pagan Christmas

Author: Christian Rätsch

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006-10-24

Total Pages: 559

ISBN-13: 1594776601

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An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.

Essential Asatru
Essential Asatru

Author: Diana L. Paxson

Publisher: Citadel Press

Published: 2021-02-23

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 080654113X

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In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers. A Journey to Fulfillment and Renewal Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru’s origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its recognition as an official religion in the 1970s and its widespread acceptance today. Essential Asatru also includes: · A complete history of Asatru gods and goddesses, including Odin, Thor, and Ostara · The life values, such as honor, truth, fidelity, and hospitality, that shape Asatru’s tenets · Indispensable information on rituals, rune casting, ethics, and divination Essential Asatru is an elegant and splendid introduction to a centuries-old religion that continues to enrich and fascinate its followers today. Praise for Essential Asatru “This mainstreamed book on Asatru offers a thorough grounding in both history and the present and shows how those values—the true heart of any religion—are expressed in the lives of its faithful. This book is recommended for personal education, library shelves, and world religion classes.” —Facing North “A solid and thorough yet concise introduction to the religion, its history, the gods and goddesses, and the basics of modern practice.” —Idunna

Spells for a Magical Year
Spells for a Magical Year

Author: Sarah Bartlett

Publisher: Crestline Books

Published: 2019-07-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780785837268

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The ideal reference for any modern witch, Spells for a Magical Year gives a month-by-month guide to spells, rituals, and enchantments. Using planetary, solar, and other natural influences, as well as the ancient power of pagan holidays, goddess energy, and traditional festive dates—draw upon beneficial universal energy at any time in the year to maximize your spell success. This comprehensive almanac by the best-selling author Sarah Bartlett includes all the important celebrations. Discover which spells work best on Sabbats, Halloween, and All Soul's Day; as well as days devoted to deities from world spiritual traditions such as Greek Demeter, Hindu Durga, or Persian god, Baal. Spells for a Magical Year reveals specially designed spells and rituals for all major dates to benefit you and your loved ones. Follow step-by-step instructions for performing the rituals, using talismans or amulets, and casting spells around New and Full Moons, solstices, and equinoxes. There is also a unique guide to bewitchments according to the apparent path of the sun through the sky to boost fertility, love, creativity, prosperity, and well-being. This eclectic spell book also uses invocations, blessings, talismans, and amulets drawn from a wide range of traditional magic practices from around the world, including medieval grimoires, ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian magical tablets, Greco-Roman Magic texts, all completely updated for the modern-day witch. By working with the cycles of nature, you can stay in tune with the rhythms of the universe to help manifest your dreams.

Llewellyn's Little Book of Yule
Llewellyn's Little Book of Yule

Author: Jason Mankey

Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide

Published: 2020-09-08

Total Pages: 154

ISBN-13: 0738763144

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Filled with dozens of magical tips, recipes, crafts, and spells, Llewellyn's Little Book of Yule shares everything you need to make your Yuletide memorable and enchanting. From wassail blessings to the spirits of the solstice, this book delves into the lore of familiar traditions as well as observances that may be brand new to you, making it an invaluable resource for bringing meaning and magic to your holiday season.

The Flowering Wand
The Flowering Wand

Author: Sophie Strand

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2022-11-29

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 1644115972

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A deep exploration of the regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern • Reveals the restorative fungi archetype of Osiris, the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables • Liberates Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell’s hero’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge Long before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were playful gods, animal-headed kings, mischievous lovers, trickster harpists, and vegetal magicians with flowering wands. As eco-feminist scholar Sophie Strand discovered, these wilder, more magical modes of the masculine have always been hidden in plain sight. Sharing the culmination of eight years of research into myth, folklore, and the history of religion, Strand leads us back into the forgotten landscapes and hidden secrets of familiar myths, revealing the beautiful range of the divine masculine, including expressions of male friendship, male intimacy, and male creative collaboration. In discussing Dionysus and Osiris, Strand encourages us to think like an ecosystem instead of like an individual. She connects dying, vegetal gods to the virtuous cycle of composting and decay, highlighting the ways in which mushrooms can restore soil and heal polluted landscapes. Exploring esoteric Christianity, the author celebrates the Gnostic Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas, imagining the ecology that the Rabbi Yeshua would have actually been referencing in his nature-focused parables. Strand frees Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell’s hero’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge. Strand reseeds our minds with new visions of male identity and shows how each of us, regardless of gender, can develop a matured ecological empathy and witness a blossoming of sacred masculine powers that are soft, curious, connective, and celebratory.