Issue 2

Samhain 2011

In This Issue ...

3 5-10 11-14
Cover photo: Babalons Forge by Laurelei Black, 2010

Editors Spark Festival Forum: Pagan Pride Day in the Midwest Festival Forum: Yuletide and Longest Night Sacrifice in Ancient Religion by Laura Britton Alchemy Astrology: Sidereal Reading for Samhain by Tim KC Wilkerson Moral Musings: The Golden Rule by Gwenhwyvar Victoria Michels The Golden Yule by Daun Fields The Continuing Adventures of Dragon and Bunny Sacred Sexuality: Symposium of the Hetaerae by Laurelei Black Vendors View: The Magic Candle, Indianapolis, IN

15-20 22-23

The Balefire is a quarterly publication of Asteria Books, Martinsville, Indiana. All of the writing and art in this publication are the property of the individual contributors. No part of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express permission of the copyright holders.

25-27

29 30 31-34

35-36

Also in this Issue ...

38-40 41- 42 Community Services: Works Gaia-

Submissions
The Balefire is always accepting submissions of original writing in the form of articles, rituals, poetry, short fiction, and reviews. We are also continually open to contributions of photography and other artwork. Our topics cover the broad range of magical and spiritual experience within the Pagan and Occult communities, while retaining a clear focus on the manifestations of those communities in the Midwest. We welcome contributions to any of our regular features as well as any submissions related to a particular topic of interest to our readers. Topics might include: magical practices * spells * magical and spiritual traditions * ritual texts * reviews of rituals, events, and festivals * group profiles * Pagan children, teens, and families * polyamory * sacred sexuality * spiritual ecstasy * pantheons and Deity profiles * music and book reviews * sustainable living * ecomagic * community service * and so much more Our regular features include: Vendors View Community Services Festival Forum Rites of Passage (announcements) Teen Retreat Fireside Chat Red Straps Lifestyles of the Witch and Magus Riding a Broom in the Bible Belt We are also willing to accept proposals for on-going columns, comics or art installations. To submit your writing, artwork or photography to The Balefire, please send .doc, .rtf and .jpg files to balefire@asteriabooks.com.

The Red Straps: OZAs Roots in the Vedic Dawn Goddess by Vorpal Bunny The Magic of Herbs: Immerse Yourself in Natural Healing by Paula Dorsen Hearth Witch: The Integrated Magical Home by Rhana TQayn Lifestyles of the Witch and Magus: Colleen Kelly A Smattering of Sabbat Lore Pagan Sun Day School by GiGi Hopkins Imminently Quotable: Samhain,Yule, Imbolc, Spring Equinox

43-45

47-52

53-56 62-67 69-77

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Editors Spark
Oh, sometimes even a great project that nurtures our spirits will demand of us that we set it aside for a moment and TAKE A BREAK. So it has been with THE BALEFIRE. We came out strong with our inaugural issue at Beltane 2009, but without a solid base of contributors to keep the magazine going in the next publishing rounds, we needed to change our strategies and recruit some help. The recruitment has begun! We are very proud to welcome Gwenhwyvar Victoria Caput Draconis photo by Laurelei Black Michels to the editorial staff. Furthermore, Tim KC Wilkerson (Alchemy Astrology) and Paula Dorsen (The Magic of Herbs) have confirmed their columns with THE BALEFIRE, insuring that we will be able to bring you high-quality astrological and herbal lore with each issue. We still have room for you at the fireside. Our regular sections are designed to focus on the accomplishments of individuals, the work of groups, the offerings of merchants here in the Midwest; but we need you to nominate (or volunteer) for coverage. Have an area of expertise? A fantastic ritual? A poem or picture? Please share your magic! THE BALEFIRE is a special magazine, reaching a targeted audience. Who else focuses their material on the magical folk of our region? We KNOW you. We WANT to know you. You can keep up with us on Facebook now at www.facebook.com/balefiremagazine.

In Love, Laughter, & Illumination ~ Laurelei Black Managing Editor

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Gaia Works Inc.

Valentines for Vets (February) Indianapolis Masquerade Ball (March) Stars & Stripes for Vets (July) Gaia Works Birthday Bash (July) Thanksgiving for Vets (Nov) Gaia's Closet (year long) Kyle Oak Cleanup Holidays for the Homeless (Dec.) Pen-Pal for Soldiers (year long) Gaias Pantry (year long) Time Ideas Services Skills Money Goods Or places to hold events

Jan Deferbrache (Director) Phone: 317-357-8801 www.gaiaworksinc.org

We're a unique store nestled in the heart of Irvington, an historic district east of downtown Indianapolis, IN. We offer a unique array of gifts, jewelry, books both used and new, herbal items, candles, incense, ritual supplies and handcrafted oils and soaps that you won't find anywhere else. Whether you're looking for eclectic clothing or items that are key for your magickal workings, you'll find an unrivaled selection that is geared to meet the needs of practitioners from all paths.

The Magick Candle

203 S. Audubon St. Indianapolis, IN. 46219 Phone: 317-357-8801 Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. - Sat.

Festival Forum: Pagan Pride 2011

All over the world, Pagans celebrate the autumns harvest, revel together with their local communities, and declare their pride in Pagan Pride events. At the very minimum, in each area where a Pagan Pride Day event occurs, these three things will happen: 1. Public Ritual to celebrate, network, and educate 2. Food Drive to gather donations for those in need at harvest time 3. Press Release to educate and inform neighbors and communities

Upper Midwest Regional Coordinator: Gregory Michael Brewer auttumnleaves@yahoo.com This region includes Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Ohio Valley Regional Coordinator: Jill Medicine Heart ohiovalleyrc@yahoo.com This region includes Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

index.html Sponsored by: Pagans In Touch Bloomington Event Benefits: MidWest Food Bank Chicago Sept. 17th 2011, 11:00-6:00 PM, Pleasant Home (217 Home Ave. Oak Park.) Event Organizers: Gregory Michael Brewer, auttumnleaves@yahoo.com Debbie Spensley, debbiesp@gmail.com Twila York twilayork86@gmail.com Website: http://chicagopaganpride.org/ Sponsored by: Greater Chicagoland Pagan Pride, Circle of the Spirit Tree St. Louis New Event coming in 2012 Event Organizer: Julia Maupin thesacredkitchen@gmail.com

Illinois Bloomington October 8, 2011, Noon to dusk, Anderson Park, Normal IL Event Organizer: Brigid, pagansatthegate@yahoo.com Leathra, windchild26@gmail.com Lord ShiningStarr, LordShiningStarr1@yahoo.com Website: http://www.pagansintouch.com/ppd/

Opposite: Morgan Tom Jones with Indy PPDs food donations. (Used with permission of Indy PPD)

Indiana Indianapolis September 24, 2011, 10 to 5, Broadripple Park Event Organizer: Tom Jones, dad@nonmainstream.org Website: http://www.indypaganpride.org, Indy PPD Facebook Page Sponsored by: Indianapolis Pagan Pride, Inc. Iowa Des Moines Event Organizer: Gypsy, iowapaganpride@yahoo.com Lunarprayers, lunarprayers@yahoo.com Nightwind, oyapal@yahoo.com Website: Des Moines PPD Facebook page Sponsored by: Iowa Pagan Alliance

Kentucky Covington August 28, 2011, 11 am to dark, Goebel Park, Covington Event Organizer: Rev. Bonnie Campaniello, DD, rhccbonnie@yahoo.com Jeanette Stingley, jstingley@fuse.net Website: http://covingtonppd.webs.com Covington PPD Facebook page Covington PPD MySpace page Sponsored by: Robin's Hood Community Center Event Benefits: Welcome House of Covington Kentucky
Covington PPD Bottom left: Vendors Row; Top right: Witchy hats for sale; Bottom right: Zahara and Mayan Ruins entertain audience (Used with permission of CPPD)

Lexington September 17, 2011, 11 to 6, UU Church of Lexington Event Organizer: Coragus, coragus@hotmail.com Cindy B. Glaze, cerridwyn@rocketmail.com Website: http://lexpaganpride.org/ Sponsored by: LexCUUPS, Degarrin Event Benefits: Catholic Action Center Louisville October 1, 2011, 11 to 7, Waterfront Park, Brown-Forman Amphitheater Event Organizer: Mike Avery, mavery@iglou.com Website: http://www.louisvillepaganpride.org; Louisville PPD Facebook page Sponsored by: Kentuckiana Pagan Community Fellowship Event Benefits: Dare To Care Food Bank Michigan Detroit Event Organizer: Susan Morgan, PaganPrideDetroit@live.com Website: http://paganpridedetroit.com/; Detroit PPD Facebook page Grand Rapids September 17, 2011, 10 to 6, Richmond Hills Park Event Organizer: Shell Cimini, grppd_michigan@yahoo.com Website: http:// www.grandrapidspaganpride.bravehost.com, Grand Rapids PPD Facebook page Sponsored by: Sanctuary of the Winds Kalamazoo September 3, 2011, 10 to 6 Event Organizer: Anna Pecora, mza-

nana@yahoo.com Website: http://www.myspace.com/ kalamazoopaganpride Sponsored by: Michigan Pagans Event Benefits: Loaves & Fishes, goodwill, Humane Society Animal Rescue League, The Lion's Club Lansing September 24, 2011, 10 to 6, Valhalla Park Event Organizer: Carrie Zay, carrie.zay@gmail.com Website: www.lansingppd.com Sponsored by: Mid-Michigan Pagan Council, Green Spiral, Cedarsong Grove ADF Event Benefits: Capital Area Humane Society, MidMichigan Food Bank Mt. Pleasant Event Organizer: Silver, silver_gr@comcast.net Website: http://www.mpppd.org Sponsored by: ADT, WRWSS, & PFFM

Minnesota Twin Cities Metro September 10, 2011, 10 to 6, Minnehaha Park Event Organizer: Wendy Seidl, TCPaganPride@PlanetSeidl.com Website: http://www.tcpaganpride.org Sponsored by: Twin Cities Pagan Pride

The Twin Cities PPD featured a labyrinth with many altars built throughout. Shown above are photos depicting the entrance to the labyrinth (top), the childrens altar (left), and a fae altar (right). (Photos used with permission of TC PPD, Joy Zeidan photographer)

Ohio Cleveland August 27, 2011, 12pm - 10pm, Bedford Square Event Organizer: Melissa Stewart, melissa@spiritapothecary.com Donna Seemuth, athens_cat@yahoo.com Matthew Stewart, matthew@spiritapothecary.com Website: http:// www.clevelandpaganpride.org/; Cleveland PPD Facebook Page Sponsored by: Kindred Spirit Sanctuary, Aradia's Garden and Labyrinth of Light Coven, Spirit Apothecary, NE OH Witches Network, VisionWeavers Coven

Cleveland PPD (above) Kenny Klein and friends were among an extraordinary entertainment line-up in Cleveland; (below left) Grecian ritual featured the power of the serpent; (below right) Hooping for fun, fitness and personal expression. (All photos used with permission of Cleveland PPD)

Columbus November 12, 2011 Noon to 6 pm,

UU Church, 1789 Lancaster Road, 43068

Event Organizer: Cynthia Hartline, artemis@netwalk.com Website: http:// www.paganpridedaycolumbus.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Columbus_PPD Sponsored by: Event Benefits: Mid-Ohio Food Bank

Dayton September 10, 2011, 11am - 4pm, Eastwood Metropark Event Organizer: Sheila Blancard, sheila.blancard@yahoo.com Website: http://www.daytonpaganprideday.com/ Sponsored by: Dayton Area Pagan Network (DAPN) Event Benefits: The Food Bank

Serpent Mound (Peebles area) October 16, 2011, Serpent Mound Park Event Organizer: Tom "Singingcrow" Smith, templepriest@royal.net Website: http:// southwesternohioserpentmoundpaganprideday.weebly.com/, Serpent Mound PPD Facebook page Sponsored by: Circle of Mother Earth North Dakota Fargo August 7, 2011, 2:30 to 5:30, Lindenwood Park Main Shelter Event Organizer: AzureStar, jannzei3@yahoo.com Heather Garrett rubyrosewater@yahoo.com Website: Facebook fargopaganpride Event Benefits: YWCA Cass County and Dorothy Day House of Hospitality

kaetppd/, Knoxville PPD Facebook page Sponsored by: Event Benefits: Second Harvest Memphis September 3, 2011, 4 to 9, Levitt Shell, Overton Park Event Organizer: Cerea, cerea_@hotmail.com Rev. Michael Sims (Beorn), ancientpaths.assembly@hotmail.com Website: http:// www.memphispaganpride.org/, Memphis PPD Facebook page Sponsored by: Memphis Pagan Pride Association Event Benefits: Friends For Life Nashville Event Organizer: Nightwind, bellandcandle@yahoo.com Website: http://www.nashvillepaganpride.org Nashville PPD Facebook page Wisconsin North East Wisconsin (Appleton/Oshkosh) July 23, 2011, 10 a.m., Jefferson Park, Menasha Event Organizer: Sharon Collins, sharondawn@live.com Jeff, kainslance2000@yahoo.com Website: http://foxvalleypaganpride.webs.com Event Benefits: Saving Paws No Kill Shelter Madison October 1, 2011, 10 to 6, Lakeview Park, Middleton WI Event Organizer: Jessica Maus, sscmaus@gmail.com Beckie, beckiekuipers@gmail.com Website: http://mappd.webs.com/ Sponsored by: Northern Lakes Temple, Circle Sanctuary, Mimosa, Sweetwood Temenos Event Benefits: Second Harvest Food Bank, Angel's Wish

Fargo PPD Main ritual (Photo used with permission of Fargo PPD)

South Dakota No events at this time. Tennessee Knoxville/East Tennessee September 17, 2011, Noon to Midnight, Westside U.U. Church Event Organizer: Thorne Crossroads, thorne_crossroads@yahoo.com Website: http://pagan.meetup.com/1024/pages/

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Festival Forum: Yuletide and longest night

The weather will most certainly be frightful in the Midwest on the years longest night, but that wont stop the nations hardiest Pagans from coming together to camp, celebrate, make merry and hold vigil as we wait for and welcome back the sun. Throughout the region, spiritual sanctuaries, CUUPS groups, open circles, magical shops, and Pagan alliances will be hosting events both small and large to commemorate this ancient festival of light. At THE BALEFIRE, we hope that you find cheer and comfort in the long, dark night as you pass the hours with friends both old and new.

The group is open to men and women, adults and youth and range all spiritual paths. We meet to nourish our souls and bodies and create a deeper relationship with the coming season while we enjoy an increased sense of community. NW Sub. Directions: Friend Gathering is a semi-private group. We welcome people interested in joining us to make application to participate and receive a password to access our site as a guest. Phone: (773) 307-2128 Website: http://FriendGathering.com Yule/Winter Solstice in Honor of Odin When: Dec. 18th. 2011 Where: Chicago, Illinois Location: 3148 N Lincoln Ave in Chicago TIME : 2-7pm Details: Please join us as we celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice. The Deity of the occasion will be Odin. There will be a potluck feast following the ritual. As always, we will also be gathering food donations for the Chicago Food Repository, so feel free to bring a contribution (no glass containers, please) . Please contact us (http://www.wildoniongrove.org/ contact.shtml ) with any questions, need for directions, etc. Also, now you can RSVP (http:// www.wildoniongrove.org/rsvp.shtml ) directly on the website!

Yule Goat Decoration (photo by Ludmila Pilecka)

Illinois
FriendGathering Celebrates Winter When: Dec. 17th. 2011 Where: Chicago-Land, Illinois Location: PineManor in Chicago-Land TIME: 4pm - 10:30pm Details: Friend Gathering is a group of friends who gather together to explore and celebrate the four main solar holidays of the year. The Summer and Winter Solstice, and the Spring and Fall Equinox. We meet the Saturday before the actual holiday.

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Directions: Life Force Arts Center (http:// www.lifeforcearts.org/ ) Website: http://www.wildoniongrove.org

Iowa
No events found/submitted

Indiana
Longest Night When: December 16-18, 2011 Where: Our Haven Nature Sanctuary, French Lick, Indiana Details: Join members of Fire Tribe and the Our Haven family on the main field as we keep vigil together by a blazing bonfire through the darkest night (s) of the year. Dress for wet, cold weather as this is an outdoor event. Bring food and drink to share for the potluck in the pole barn. Website: http://www.ourhaven.info/ Lothloriens Yule When: December 20th - 21st, 2011 Where: Lothlorien, Needmore, Indiana Website: http://www.elvinhome.org/ UUI's 8th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration When:Saturday, December 17, 2011 Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, 615 West 43rd St Time:6:00pm-9:00pm EST Details: UUI's 8th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration is an all-ages event full of story and song. Bring a dish to share for the feast that follows! More information: Pam Blevins Hinkle, pbhinkle@gmail.com

Kentucky
CUUPS Yule Circle Celebration When: Dec. 18th. 2011 Where: Louisville, Kentucky Location: 809 S Fourth Street in Louisville TIME Details: Doors open at 5:30 PM Circle Celebration at 6:00PM Event Details: Please join the Covenant of UU Pagans of First Unitarian Church as we celebrate YULE on December 18th 2011. We are a free and open community of people who practice earth-based spirituality. Circle celebration will begin the evening at 6:00PM followed by a Potluck Dinner. Please feel free to bring a dish to share or just bring yourself and join us. We will begin promptly. Doors open at 5:30PM. If you are new to earth-based spirituality or a solitary needing to meet in group celebration with others of like mind, please join us. Directions: First Unitarian Church is located directly across York Street from the Louisville Main Library between 3rd and 4th street. Park on the south side of the church and use the alley entrance. Website: http://www.firstulou.org/groups/ cuups.html

The Wassail by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Wassailing is an old winter custom of driving the evil spirits away from the apple trees and blessing the orchard with health and abundance for the coming growing season. Many American families drink a mulled, citrusy cider known as wassail and even sing the carol Here We Come A-Wassailing without understanding its Pagan roots.

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Mystic Life Sanctuary Yule/New Moon Celebration When: Dec. 21st. 2011 Where: Louisville, Kentucky Event Location: 3046 Bardstown Rd. in Louisville Event TIME Details: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Event Details: After ritual fellowship and dinner. Food & drink donations are encouraged to share. Phone: Mystic Life Sanctuary (502) -648-1239 Cost: FREE -- Small Monetary Donations welcomed to defray yearly rental expense. Food & Drink donation to share after Ritual. Directions: : Rainbow Blossom Highlands Market 3046 Bardstown Rd. Louisville, KY 40205 Phone: (502) 648-1239 Website: http://www.mysticlifesanctuary.org

Wisconsin
Circle Sanctuary Winter Solstice Pageant When: Dec. 16th. 2011 Where: Madison, Wisconsin Location: 900 University Bay Drive in Madison TIME : 7 - 9 PM Details: * Yuletide Music & Storytelling * Musical Performances * Costumed Characters conveying Winter Solstice customs & lore across time, cultures, nationalities * Interfaith World Peace Candlelight Meditation by Selena Fox * And much more! Suggested donations: $10/adult; $5/youth; canned goods for charity food drive. Bring a bell to ring, if you have one. Bring Yuletide cheer to share! Open to all ages. This 33nd annual celebration is produced by Circle Sanctuary, with the support of others. * Financial proceeds support Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/ land/ * Food donations will go to the Barneveld Food Pantry at Barneveld Lutheran Church to feed migrant farm workers & others in rural Dane & Iowa counties; affiliated with the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin: http:// www.secondharvestmadison.org/ Directions: For Directions to the Site & Parking: http://www.fusmadison.org/Transportation/ transport.shtml Phone: (608) 924-2216 Website: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/ wintersolstice

Yule Goat by Tony Nordin

Michigan Minnesota North Dakota Ohio South Dakota Tennessee

No events found/submitted for these areas.

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Circle Sanctuary Yule Festival When: Dec. 17th. 2011 Where: Barneveld, Wisconsin Location: 30 miles west of Madison in Barneveld Details: Winter Solstice also known as Yule, Christmas, and Saturnalia, occurs in mid December. It celebrates the birth of the new Solar year and the beginning of Winter. The Goddess manifests as the Great Mother and the God as the Sun Child. The God also appears as Santa Claus and Old Man Winter. Colors are Red, Green, and White. This is a festival of inner renewal. Registration opening in November 2011. Phone: (608) 924-2216 Website: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/yule

Yule Goat Toy by Wolfgang Sauber

Liber Resh vel Helios

(A sun salutation adapted from Egyptian sources by Aleister Crowley. This portion is recited at sunrise while facing East.) Hail unto thee who art Ra in thy rising, Even unto thee who art Ra in thy strength, Who travellest across the heavens in thy bark At the uprising hour of the sun! Tahuti standeth in his splendor at the prow And Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto thee from the abodes of night!

FESTIVAL FORUM BELTANE 2012

Well bring back our festival planning guide at Beltane so you can make those all-important choices for the summer. Send Word files and .jpg photos to balefire@asteriabooks.com. Deadline: March 15, 2012

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Sacrifice in ancient religion

By Laura Britton

Offering and sacrifice have been intimately linked with the practice of religion as far back as the human mind can conceive. Modern religions practice a great deal of sacrifice in order for their celebrants to reach a closer attunement to their ideals and Gods. In nearly every religion the world over, in this day and time, the faithful give of their money, their goods, their control, their pleasure, etc. as requested or ordained by their clergy, their Deities or the voice within. If we have numerous ways today that we consider appropriate sacrifices according to the edicts of our various religions, the ancients had more. Indeed, most contemporary sacrifices no longer include the loss of either animal or human life. Modern religions that practice animal or human sacrifice tend to keep that secret closely guarded, due to obvious modern ethical constructs that pervade our society. However, in nearly all of the ancient religions, the giving (either freely or forced) of a life was not something that was generally hidden or greatly feared. In fact, these sacrifices were typically honored and celebrated by the community on whose behalf the sacrifice was given. In researching various aspects of sacrifice in the ancient religions, one easily finds references to sacrifice in Classical Greek and Roman as well as Celtic, Chinese, Pre-Columbian, African and Middle Eastern cultures. In fact, at the Perseus Encyclopedia (an online repository of source documents compiled by Tufts University) there are no less than 90 categories by which a researcher can look up examples of sacrifice in ancient Greece. Just two men, incidentally, recorded all of these Pausanias in his Description of Greece and Apollodorius in his work, Library and Epitome. Hermes leads goat to sacrifice. 3rd century CE

Preparation of a sacrifice. 2nd century CE Rome

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The essay at hand is only a cursory look at sacrifice in ancient religion. It is narrow in its scope, admittedly. However, as a scholar could spend years studying this topic alone, perhaps a little specificity is needed. In my initial research, most of the types of sacrifice and offering I found of particular interest were a part of either the Celtic or the Greek practices. I am sure this is because my own study of religion has been focused on these two distinct areas of the world. Furthermore, the scope and brutality of the Mayan and Aztec sacrificial rites, and the impersonality of the Chinese practices (who generally killed prisoners that were not even part of the community or culture to benefit from the giving of their lives), are simply a little beyond my personal ability to understand. I have far greater respect for the Celts, for instance, who tended to give of themselves; and, therefore, truly felt some part of loss at the sacrifice of person, animal or object. Finally, I narrowed my focus mainly Celtic and Greek examples due to their unique influence over the form of religion that I currently practice. Cattle Globally, the sacrifice of cattle has been a common practice. For a great many cultures, cattle have been a very real and tangible identification of prosperity, health, ancestral and Otherworld ties. The reasons have been as varied as the Deities to whom the animals were offered: divination, blessing of the herd, simple offering, and many reasons associated with deeper mystery. Pausanias describes a very interesting ritual in Corinth involving the sacrifice of four cows in honor of a goddess named Chthonia (2.35.5-7). He describes it in the following way:

ARTISTS
The Balefire is calling for submissions of art and photography for upcoming issues. If you have artwork or photography with a Pagan, magical, ritual, occult, or spiritual theme, please consider sending them for possible inclusion in the magazine. As with all work in The Balefire, you retain all rights to your own work. We just want to showcase your talent! Send JPGs to fire@asteriabooks.com. bale-

The procession is headed by the priests of the gods and by all those who hold the annual magistracies; these are followed by both men and women. It is now a custom that some who are still children should honor the goddess in the procession. These are dressed in white, and wear wreaths upon their heads. Their wreaths are woven of the flower called by the natives cosmosandalon, which, from its size and color, seems to me to be an iris; it even has inscribed upon it the same letters of mourning. Those who form the procession are followed by men leading from the herd a full-grown cow, fastened with ropes, and still untamed and frisky. Having driven the cow to the temple, some loose her from the ropes that she may rush into the sanctuary, others, who hitherto have been holding the doors open, when they see the cow within the temple, close the doors. Four old women, left behind inside, are they who dispatch the cow. Whichever gets the chance cuts the throat of the cow with a sickle. Afterwards the doors are opened, and those who are appointed drive up a second cow, and a third after that, and yet a fourth. All are dispatched in the same way by the old women, and the sac-

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rifice has yet another strange feature. On whichever of her sides the first cow falls, all the others must fall on the same. Of course, Pausanias doesnt tell us why the sacrifice is performed except that it is in honor of this goddess (who is in some way related to Demeter, though that connection is not made clear by his writing). He also informs us that this ritual is held annually during the summer. Burnt Animal Offerings Plenty of other animals are offered in sacrifice to the many Deities known to the various religions of the ancient world. In fact, Pausanias and Apollodorius make reference to the sacrifice of bears, birds, boars, bulls, cows, deer, geese, goats, guinea-fowl, horses, lambs, mares, oxen, pigs, puppies, rams, sheep and wolf-cubs to name a few. Of course they also refer to sacrificial rites where nearly any animal can be sacrificed, depending on the means of the people present. Most of these animal sacrifices are mentioned in conjunction with an act of burning. In some cases, the animals are burned only in the cooking process and then used in a feast in which the celebrants then consume the flesh of their sacrifices. In other cases they are burnt beyond being edible, and, thus, are given directly into the world of spirit. Some rituals require burning with a certain type of wood or incense. All of this, naturally, is dictated by the customs of the place in regards to the particular wishes of the Deity involved. Chastity /Sex Sex can be a very powerful tool for sacrifice, as both ancient and modern worshippers in nearly every religion are aware. Of course, depending on the beliefs and practices of the religion, the use of sexual energy as a sacrifice can vary to great extent. Both the release and the restraint of sexual energy can be used as a sacrifice. In regards to the giving of unleashed sexual energy, there are at least two general forms of practice that are quite ancient. One is the act of raising sexual energy through a sex act (or through concentration) and releasing it to the Deity being honored. The other is a more direct worship of the Deity by participating in a sex act with that Deity, usually by proxy. For example, among the many ways of honoring Aphrodite is by engaging in sexual intercourse with one of Her Priestesses. In many of Her temples, the Priestesses had private rooms in which they could receive the devotion of Her worshippers. In this way, the Priestesses are honoring Aphrodite by giving freely of their bodies and their talents, and the celebrants are able to come as close as possible to the Golden Lady that they so adore.

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Of course, at first glance, one may not consider such a pleasurable experience to be a sacrifice. However, at its most basic level, any giving up of the life force of the person (through blood, flesh, or fluids) is sacrifice. However, there is another way to sacrifice ones sexual energy to Deity. Chastity has been practiced in honor of several Deities over the centuries. The most common example of this practice in modern times is the expected chastity of various groups of Christian priests and nuns. However, the expectation that individuals in the service of certain Deities would refrain from sexual activities certainly predates the Christian constructs of morality. If having sex with a priestess of Aphrodite was considered appropriate and respectable, the same act with a priestess of Hestia (the Roman Vesta) was punishable by a very painful death. The Vestal Virgins chose a life of chastity, following the same pattern as the Goddess whom they serve. Grain Grains of all varieties have been given as sacrifice all over the world. I have heard references to a Celtic practice of burning grain, and I have read several examples of Greek sacrifices of grain in both water and fire. It seems that many of the Greek sacrifices of grain were also given in order to receive oracle or vision from a particular Deity. However, some were given as food gifts (frequently in the form of cakes of the particular grain) to a particular Deity or hero who is a guardian or protector of a given place or whose beneficence brought about a particular bounty. Year King Celtic Pagans are familiar with the idea of the Year King or the Sacral King. These two kingships are similar in several ways, but they are also a bit different.

The Oak and Holly King battles at Summer and Winter Solstice are a variation on the Year King concept. The king must thrive (or be slaughtered) for the benefit of the land. (Picture by Natalie Black.)

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Specifically, significant information exists regarding the Sacral Kingship, so I will start there. In Topographia Hibernica, Giraldu Cambrensis related the king-making rituals of old. Essentially, the king-to-be would literally mate with a white mare, a representation of the land and sovereignty. The horse would then be sacrificed, her blood shed upon the ground to bring fertility and prosperity to the land and its people. If the king failed, at any time, to impregnate the land and bring this fertility, his blood would then be shed upon the land and a new king would be chosen. At certain times in history, or in certain parts of the Celtic world, this seems to have happened at regular intervals, whether the land was flourishing or not. In regards to the Year King, few ancient texts are available that deal with this reign and sacrifice. However, modern popular Pagan culture holds that a king is chosen every year to bear the burdens of the people. If all is well, he lives and a new king is chosen at the end of the year-cycle. If aught goes ill, the Year King is sacrificed and then replaced. Either way, the Year King, though perhaps a villager or priest from a certain region, is treated as royalty and given all honor and respect during his reign. Wickerman The Wickerman was definitely used as a tool for sacrifice by the ancient Celtic peoples. A few examples of this device have been unearthed in anthropological studies in the Celtic isles and in mainland Celtic areas. It may also have been used as a punishment for severe offenses, though this was likely to be viewed as a sacrifice to the Deity that would have been offended by the crime and criminal. The Wickerman was a large wicker frame, sometimes in the shape of a man and sometimes just as a basket, in which every type of sacrifice was burned. Sometimes the Wickerman would be filled with people, perhaps conquered people from a recent war, and sometimes it would contain a combination of people, animals and grain. At any rate, the whole device was set on fire, consuming whatever was inside the wicker cage. Three-fold Death The final, and I think the most interesting, form of sacrifice discussed here is called the Three-fold Death. There are several bog bodies that seem to be examples of this sacrifice. The Lindow Man, for example, was strangled, but not to the point of death. Then he was hit on the head with an axe, again, not so deeply as to kill him immediately, and then thrown into the bog to drown. It was no one injury that killed him, so he died from three causes simultaneously.
Lindow Man by Gourami Watcher

Stone of Destiny at Tara in Ireland is said to roar when touched by the rightful king. Photo by Sarah Gallagher.

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Another example, though not of a bog body, involves a Scottish Druid named Lailoken. It seems that he was pushed from a cliff so that he would fall onto a spike in the river below. In this way, he died from the fall, the impalement and from drowning (as his head was under the water at impact). In both of these cases, the men experienced death not just in three ways, which is significant in a Celtic cosmology on its own, but also in the Three Realms. The strangulation and falling through the air are First Realm (Upper World) deaths. The axe wound and impalement are Second Realm (Green World) deaths. The drowning of both men, in the bog and in the river, are Third Realm (Under World) deaths. So these men were not just killed in the here and now, they were sacrificed in all Three Realms as desired by the Gods. Again, these forms of sacrifice are only a small sampling of the types of rituals that were performed by the ancients. Humans, animals, plants and individual parts of each have been sacrificed to every Deity ever honored on this planet. The reasons and procedures behind each vary from culture to culture and from Deity to Deity. Though human sacrifice is no longer considered acceptable in most modern practices, acts of sacrifice still permeate throughout religions the world over.

Sappho of Mytiline is the earliest female poet from the Classical world whose writings, fragmentary as they are in their current condition, have come down to us. Precious little is known about the historical life of Sappho, except what we can glean from poetry written by and about her. Hailed as the Tenth Muse, her poems of love and longing were directed at the men and women whom she loved on her island home of Lesvos. Laura Britton, in this debut title, offers readers a peek at the life and loves of a priestess of a Aphrodite a priestess so notable that she is responsible for our modern usage of the word Lesbian. Laura Britton teaches literature and creative writing in the Midwest, where she lives with her post-modern family and studies the ancient world. This is her first novel.

www.asteriabooks.com
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Poem
I want nothing more of that worldThe one that covered my face The one that held me down By one fingertip, always stubbornly saying no. I want nothing more of that worldThe lessons of the fathers broken and wounded, The mothers put down and separated from each other, Mothers mocking love with cold quick embraces; Were escaping on horseback with paint on our faces I want the smell of the hot forest floorI want the sight of life and death Dancing to the perfect harmonies sung by birth and rung out by rot: Oh Honey bless my sideways soul! And Ill bless you Honey! Well always walk crooked through the moonlight thickets!
Narcisse: A Bacchante by Leon Bakst

By Daun Fields

By Timothy A. Wilkerson
Through the centuries, alchemists and astrologers have compiled similar observations based on the positioning of the sun, moon, and planets. They found that these cosmic clues could be applied to determine the best opportunity to begin work on laboratory experiments and developed systems to calculate these macrocosmic opportunities. Additionally this knowledge can be used to plan any important event. Most importantly, learn why alchemy astrology is the lost key, and realize how modern scientific discoveries support the theories behind the philosopher's stone.

A 'How To' astrology handbook for practical alchemical laboratory work. A great astrology resource for beginners. Includes blank charts and tables.

Available at:

www.alchemyastrology.com
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Alchemy Astrology: Sidereal Reading for Samhain

By Tim KC Wilkerson

For the evening of October 31st, 2011in the Midwest People with focused spirits will find it uncommonly easy to intellectualize their feelings. People with unfocused spirits may tend to embrace the transformation of the Phoenix.

The Planets: This will be a passively open and friendly evening, with an almost naive intensity. A strong attraction to beautiful objects, and harmonious relations, will be in the air. Many truths may come out or be internally realized, and care should be taken not to worry too much about them. They will burn-off easily and clarity will most likely return in t h e m o r n i n g o r n e a r f u t u r e . You may experience a compulsion to over-indulge in memories from the past and feel a strong desire to leap to conclusions about the future. Impulsive verbal expression could lead to intense disruption, notably regarding relationships. Sharing your revelations, especially if they are about other people, should be done carefully because this evening is susceptible to attracting intense rejection. Impulsive Mars flows and disruptive Saturn finds opportunity with the Galactic Center. The Stars: It will be extremely easy to pay attention to your awareness of the unknown. You may want to announce and/or commit to finding major resolve for buried internal issues. It should be very easy to actively represent an alternate life-choice breakthrough regarding any long term struggle. Abundant joy, humor, compassion, and empathy are available tools.

Photo by Stardust

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The Moon: The changing Moon challenges the Midheaven. The New Moon passes 5 days prior to Samhain, at its closest position to the Earth since March. The Moon phase is waxing crescent (getting bigger) at 32% illumination. Moon rise will be at 1:18 P.M., and Moon set will be at 11:20 P.M., 30 altitude (0 is the horizon, 90 is straight up).

Moon and Sun by Yaroslav B

Tim "KC" Wilkerson is the author Alchemy Astrology, Lost Key to the Philosopher's Stone. http://www.alchemyastrology.com/

of

the

handbook,

Be a Part of THE BALEFIREs Regular Features!

Vendors View: Wed love to write a profile of your brick & mortar, online or festival-based business. Community Services: Doing good work in your community? Let us give you recognition! Festival Forum: Send us your reviews of recent festivals, or let us know about your upcoming event. Rites of Passage (announcements): Let us share in your liminal moments the births, deaths, and all the important transitions in between. Teen Retreat: Teens have an important and often-unheard voice in our community. Teens, heres a great chance to speak up! Let us know what magical life is like for YOU in the Midwest. Fireside Chat: Let us know how were doing. Letters to the editor/feedback loop keep us on the right track. Red Straps: Woodbusters, waterbearers, drummers, dancers lets keep Fire Tribe in the Heartland connected. Lifestyles of the Witch and Magus: Know a notable Witch or Magician living in our coverage area? Are you one? Give us a peek into your magical world. Riding a Broom in the Bible Belt: Were fighting the good fight for religious tolerance. Share your story.

Send submissions, inquiries and proposals to balefire@asteriabooks.com

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Membership is only $25 annually.

Your membership entitles you to come any time you like for only $5 per night, or you can barter the camping fee for one hour of work on the land. Where else can you find a camping deal like that? In addition, members receive reduced rates to Our Haven sponsored events, like our world famous Beltane festival.

In addition to hosting some of the finest outdoor festivals in the Midwest, Our Haven has ample space and very reasonable rates for holding your own events.

www.ourhaven.info

Come make Our Haven YOUR Haven!

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Moral Musings: the Golden rule

By Gwenhwyvar Victoria Michels

I love my faith. Im still in meditations and a path of discovery as to exactly how I define my faith and how I wish to incorporate it into my daily life. For some this means Im no better than the Easter-Christmas Christians, those who only attend church for one or two holy days and, therefore, arent true believers. This view of some Pagans by Pagans, let alone this view of Christians by other Christians and Pagans, fascinates me. It has always bothered me a little in the back of my mind. Recently, however, Ive begun to really think about it. And for better or worse, Ive decided to share my thoughts. I grew up in a Christian church, as did many of you. Our flavor of Christianity was one of those that believed our version was the only version, and that the Catholics and all the rest were just as bad as non-Christians because they were tainted by Pagan influences and observances of non-Biblical holy days. I was taught intolerance for any other religion or church from birth. And, yet, I could never quite conform to that idea. I can remember being a preschooler, hoping for snow so that the poor false Christians could enjoy their false little holiday because, even though they were wrong, why shouldnt they be happy in their ignorance? I looked at the kids I went to school with and just couldnt refuse to be friends with them. I couldnt see a fundamental difference between them and me to justify shunning them and also isolating myself. When I was around 13 years old, my prior understanding was all over turned and other Christians could be seen as Christians, too. I knew that it wasnt about ones label; it was about how one lived ones life. A Christian is one who walks in the footsteps of Christ. In theory, many of us are actually Christians by this definition. Do we not preach love and acceptance for all? That none of us are perfect, without blemish? That we should treat others as we wish to be treated? That last precept is, I believe, the easiest and most difficult rule for all of humanity. Its so simple and so obvious. And, yet ... We see it again and again and again throughout history. The oppressed become the oppressors.

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Once, the Christians were persecuted by the Romans (Pagans). Then, the Christians grew and multiplied and suppressed and persecuted any and all other religions. Today? Non-Christian faiths are on the rise. And I have hope and fear. In May 2011, Circle of Moms (an online community) had a voting contest for the top 25 faith-based mom blogs. It is my hope that someone involved in the running of this site knew that this would be a touchy subject, that they decided to run the contest anyway, and werent surprised by the uproar that ensued. What constitutes a faithbased blog? More to the point, which religions and faiths could participate? It should come as no surprise that the answer depends on the faith of the person answering. Perhaps surprisingly, the biggest uproar was over one particular Christian womans blog response decrying the allowance of non-Christian entries. I cant imagine that she was the only one, but for some reason, Pagans and Christians attacked this woman for being closed-minded. I read the blog in question, which has been deleted and is no longer accessible at this time, and at first glance, the instinct is horror, derision, and dismissal of her views as indeed closed-minded, narrow, just plain wrong, and all the usual epithets we give to those spouting the Fundamentalist rhetoric. Even many Christians were upset by her views. "Different faith is wrong faith. You have a right to believe it, but believing it doesn't make it right. It makes you lost and without salvation." This seems to be one of the statements that incurred the most excitement. Everyone reads the first part, skips over the middle part, and jumps on the last part. Yes, the womans blog in a nutshell was about how from her Christian viewpoint, non-Christians have invalid beliefs. However, on a second, more open-minded perusal, one sees certain other statements jump out: You have a right to believe it, being one of them. As her blog

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post is no longer accessible, I cannot accurately quote more, but her posting was not about taking away our rights and not about actively persecuting us. As I saw more and more people putting down this woman, I became confused. I dont agree with her views in the least bit. But seeing as how her views dont mean Pagan blogs have to be deleted, why should she not be able to have her say? If its not okay to threaten a Pagan blogger, why would it be ok to send her hate letters? As distasteful as I found her beliefs to be, I believe that if we want to be able to have our beliefs tolerated, we have to tolerate hers. I have found many Pagan bloggers who felt this way, too, but the majority of the people of any faith who disagreed with this woman were spouting just as much, if not more, intolerance as her. Theres something in human nature that seems to want to hurt our attackers as badly as we were hurt, if not worse. Treat others as we wish to be treated. Easy when were telling our kids not to hit each other or call each other names. Not so easy when theres a conflict of our religious beliefs. The results of the faith-based blog contest? The most -voted blog was a Pagan womans blog: Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom. Altogether, there were 11 Pagan blogs that made it into the top 25. While there are many areas of the country and our government where Christianity still has a hold, folks, we are on the rise and the fundamentalist Christians are on the decline. I believe, one day soon, this country will finally reach the tolerance and rights for all concepts upon which it was founded. I hope that I live to see this day. I fear that those of Christian faith will become the ones persecuted. I believe we should be gracious in our victory, when and as it happens. I hope for this. It is my hope, as well, that as a community, we can learn from this experience. Putting down their beliefs doesnt make us better than them, it makes us worse for not being better. Meditate and muse on what you think and say about a Christians beliefs or even another Pagans. Is that how you want them to speak of your beliefs? And what does it say about your own beliefs?

Gwenhwyvar Victoria Michels lives in Indiana with her family.

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Crown of Violets, the devotional chapbook compiled by Temple of Aphrodite Asteria, is now available for purchase. For just $7, you can order your own hard copy of this collection of poetry, photography and art. Not a bad deal to have so many poems, hymns, images and the like readily on hand.

For millennia, the Goddess of Love has been the subject of poetry, painting, prose and sculpture. This devotional chapbook is a vault of offerings for Aphrodite.

Available from

Asteria Books

Www.asteriabooks.com
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The Golden Yule Or, the importance of a hot bath

by Daun Fields Winter Solstice is a long, magnificent night for introspection. A couple of years ago in preparation for a Yule party, I put on my trusty Tori Amos album To Venus and Back and ran a nice hot purification bath. My aim was to let go of negativities of the day; to let them wash down the drain. As I tried to relax and let these unwanted energies flow out, I started to think and to worry. Where are these going? Im putting unwanted energies into the water and the earth. Where does this go? How could I release all this negative energy and just let it float around? I should hold on to it so that it doesnt affect anyone else. I should keep this. I want to keep my worries and my little pockets of anger and hold on to them so they wont hurt anyone else. Ill keep my secrets and fears here within me. I lay under the hot lavender scented water for a long time. As I tried to think of a place to situate these pains I was holding on to, I began floating in a small wooden boat on a vast ocean. My boat was the vessel for my consciousnessmy spirit. It was also filled with trash. Plastic water bottles, tissues, old chip bags, milk jugs. I worried that the trash would fall out and litter the beautiful water. Each time the boat rocked with a wave I held tight to the garbage. I realized the ocean was everything the collective spirit of everything that ever was or will be. I would not ruin it so I chose to forever float in my little trash pile. Then a voice came saying, Throw something out. I didnt want to. Then it came again, Throw something out. The waves rocked my boat. Get rid of something. Dont you want to throw it out? I did want to. I wanted to stretch out in my clean boat and to not worry about things falling out. So I picked up a plastic bottle and threw it overboard. I saw it arch up against the sky. It fell straight down into the waves and to my amazement, a big chubby shining goldfish the size of my arm jumped out of the water! Throw something else, sounded the voice again. I threw more and more trash, and each time the pieces turned into big goldfish the color of polished coins. I unloaded everything until I was alone in my boat with my legs stretched out, the golden sun on my face. Let go of your anger. Let go of your fears and your worries, and they will be transformed.

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The Continuing Adventures of DRAGON and BUNNY

Laurelei and Natalie Long

The Dragoness is fiercely protective and delightfully playful, especially where her Bunny companion is concerned. Here, the two can be seen in a magic circle dance, as one is often the familiar spirit of the other.

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Sacred Sexuality: Symposium of the hetaerae

Laurelei Black
Excerpted from Cult of Aphrodite: Rites for the Golden One Asteria Books

Background
The Symposium of the Hetaerae is based on a reference to an Athenian celebration involving Aphrodite in which women revel with men. The symposia were drinking parties which were attended by men and a mixture of Aphrodites women that included both costly courtesans (hetaerae) and common prostitutes (pornai). An entire category of Greek vase painting depicted scenes from these drinking parties and are among the earliest known pornography. The women were hired for a variety of skills, all of which involved pleasure of some sort. The courtesans were educated in politics, philosophy, art, and science and could hold conversations with the men in a way that wellborn ladies destined for marriage were not usually permitted. They were also trained as musicians and dancers and provided these entertainments to their hosts. We hold our symposium on or at the full moon in November, at which time it serves as a release from the mourning experienced at the last two rites.

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Materials
Khernips (pure water) Wine, glasses Honey Libation bowl Food to share Gifts for the courtesans Condoms (just in case)

Preparation
Since this is a group rite in which participants may express intimacy sexual or otherwise begin the groups preparations by administering a vow of silence once everyone is assembled. The man whose home is being used for the symposium would administer this vow as follows: We have come, in this home blessed by the Kyprian, to partake of an ancient custom the drinking party. The gentlemen of the house welcome the courtesans, and as an act of respect, all who are assembled here must vow not to break the silence of the rite with any who are not among us. I ask you now, before we begin, will you keep this oath? Those who are uncomfortable or unwilling are allowed to leave without judgment or anger. All who stay are expected not to talk about what happens at the symposium with anyone who isnt in attendance. Following the vow, one member of the company should conduct the cleansing by sprinkling the khernips throughout the space. Pass the water so that each person can wash his face. Light the candles and incense as everyone centers themselves and focuses their energy.

The Rite
The chief courtesan reads a poem in honor of Aphrodite. Use a favorite piece by Sappho or Homer, if you like. You may also use the following piece, titled Scarlet Woman from Crown of Violets: Words and Images Inspired by Aphrodite: Scarlet Woman by Laurelei Black I wear the red with pride for I am no plain matron. When I take you into my sacred bedchamber you will know that I am Aphrodites daughter, Ishtars pupil, 32

a woman of the light. Let me lay you down among the crimson and golden cushions below the grape-colored canopy of my bower. Lie among the rose petals as I enter your heart and hold you in the eternal embrace of the beloved. You will never leave me. Our shared touch will remain on your skin. You will share me with your lovers, and I will visit your dreams. I am your Muse, your Sappho, your Helen, your Elissa. Love me and find bliss. The Host makes a libation of wine into the libation bowl. The group says, Sponde! The Chief Hetaera makes a libation of honey into the libation bowl. The group says, Sponde! The Host addresses the assembled group. Welcome, my friends, to the symposium. Eat and drink. Talk of art, politics, science, philosophy and theatre. Dance and revel, for this is our purpose tonight. The Chief Hetaera addresses the group. We courtesans are here to enjoy your company and divert your attention from the rigors of daily life. Our services are available to you, for a small price. You may bargain for a kiss, a dance, a shoulder rub, a walk under the stars or a few minutes of focused conversation. Any of this can be yours for the price of a small gift, a token of your affection.

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Encourage participants to stay for at least one hour of revelry. At that time, celebrants may leave if they are sober or have a designated driver.

Laurelei Black is a contemporary priestess of Aphrodite, serving the Golden One through essays, poetry, rituals, and fiction, in addition to offering in-person opportunities for devotees to honor and work with the Goddess of Love and Beauty. She is the author of Aphrodites Priestess and Cult of Aphrodite, and editor of Crown of Violets all available through Asteria Books.

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Vendors View: The Magic candle

Owner - Jan DeFerbrache When you enter the Magic Candle in Indianapolis, youll undoubtedly receive a warm welcome from Jan (the proprietress), and Kali and Emma (her two feline shop assistants). Jan has been meeting the magical needs of the Indy community for 31 years, though her store has grown and transformed significantly in that time. The shops first face was Just Cards on Ohio Street in downtown Indianapolis, then she moved to Delaware, and eventually across the street from her current spot on Audubon. As the shop relocated and the time and technology shifted, so did the merchandise. No longer focusing on just cards, the Magic Candle proudly features herbs, artwork, jewelry, sculpture, handcrafts, ritual garments, candles, books, body products, and so much more. Significantly, the Magic Candle, and especially its forward Location - 203 S. Audubon in Indianapolis, IN

-thinking (and socially-conscious) owner, support the Buy Local movement. More than 90% of the goods in the store are produced by local artists. Even the majority of the herbs come from a local source, a farm just outside of the city. Twentyseven artists display their work on consignment in the Magic Candle. The store is not merely about product, either. Indeed, Jan and her students have been teaching magic, Goddess Worship, and esoteric classes in the Indianapolis community long enough to have developed a reputation as a center for Pagan studies in the area. Many classes are offered on a continual basis by Jan and the students shes trained whove shown proficiency and aptitude in specific areas. Other classes are offered on an occasional or recurring basis by other members of the Indianapolis community, whom Jan welcomes into her teaching space to share knowledge.

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The Magic Candle also has a long history of offering musical performances in the shop. Playing to a crowd about 30 in the one of the versatile teaching spaces, performers such as Celia, the Gypsy Nomads and Elexian have delighted magical, music-loving Hoosiers for years. With renovations under way in her new location, Jan is looking forward to offering outdoor performances around a lush garden pond in warm seasons to come.

Ongoing Classes at the Magic Candle:

Magick 101 Advanced Magick Goddess Worship Goddess Mystery School Chakra Tarot Teachers of these classes instruct for free. Students are only paying for materials.

Services available at the Magic Candle include: Tarot Readings Cranio-Sacral Therapy Message Therapy Reiki Reflexology Chakra Cleansing Ear Candling

Finally, Jan and the community surrounding her store maintain an online knowledge repository and a real-world working circle. These two are tied together under the name Blue Moon Circle http://groups.yahoo.com/ group/BlueMoonCircle

www.themagickcandle.com 317-357-8801 203 S. Audubon Rd Indianapolis, In

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This liturgical compilation in honor of Golden Aphrodite begins with foundational lessons in Hellenic Polytheistic ritual practice and the rich lore of Aphrodisian worship before providing useful and beautiful rituals for solitary or group use.

Laurelei Black, herself the Hiereia of the Temple of Aphrodite Asteria, has created a festival schedule to honor the Starry Queen of Heaven and composed easily adaptable rituals that serve as the foundation of this Aphrodisian ritual practice.

Available from

Asteria Books

Www.asteriabooks.com
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Community services: Gaia works

Gaia Works, based in Indianapolis, is a faith-based community service organization that strives to promote religious tolerance. While Gaia Works is open to any person regardless of religious affiliation who seeks to promote religious tolerance while performing community service, Gaia Works is notable for its magical and earth-based underpinnings. The founders and current leaders of this extraordinary organization are magical store owners, coven elders, and Pagan rights activists throughout the state of Indiana. Proselytization is antithetical to the Gaia Works mission, however. When volunteers help those in need, or work with each other, they hold to the tenant that each person is entitled to their own religious structure. Needy families and veterans looking for friendly correspondence need not worry about a sermon in addition to the support they receive through Gaia Works. Gaias Pantry is the food bank associated with the organization. In the week prior this articles writing, 18 Indianapolis families were served from the larder housed at the Magic Candle, Gaia Works primary base of operations. More donations are needed all the time to keep up with the demand.

Above: Gaia Works logo; Below: Old fashioned food panties (both photos are in the public domain)

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by the Kyle family that they tore down their home rather than risking the trees life. Gaia Works collections donations year-round for Cats Haven, Indianapolis oldest no-kill cat shelter, proving that the organization does what it can for the citys animals, as well. (Donations include wet and dry cat food, alcohol-free baby wipes, trash bags, clay cat litter, cleaning supplies, and more. For a complete list, visit www.catshaven.org.) Above: Venetian Mask by Mark J Sebastian Below: Coat (photo in public domain); Well Clothed Baby by Andrew Vargas; Women in Winter Clothes (historical photo in public domain) Similarly, Gaias Closet accepts year-round donations of clothing items. During the cold winter months, coats, hats, scarves and gloves are especially appreciated. The Indianapolis Masquerade Ball, held annually in March, is one of Gaia Works major fundraising events, while the Birthday Bash (held in July) is an annual celebration of the organizations founding in 2005. As part of the groups commitment to the environment and city neighborhoods, volunteers participate in the Kyle Oak Clean-Up caring for one of Indianapoliss oldest residents, a Bur Oak so beloved Recently, Gaia Works has joined the Komen Race for the Cure. A team walks in the race, of course, and women are additionally encouraged to decorate a bra for a pre-walk fundraising auction. The organization has had a commitment to veterans since its inception, which is evident through programs like Valentines for Vets, Stars and Stripes for Vets, Thanksgiving for Vets and PenPals for Soldiers. At the winter holidays, Gaia Works does its best to offer light and warmth of spirit in the darkest days of the year by sponsoring Holidays for the Homeless and stuffing Stockings for Kids (for the children of Coburn Place).

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Above: Order of the Pentacle patch (associated with Circle Sanctuary and Lady Liberty League) a proud symbol for Pagan service personnel; Right: Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the heart of downtown Indianapolis and a lasting tribute to all veterans Below: Little girl hanging her stocking on Christmas Eve (historical photo in public domain)

Gaia Works needs your:

Time Ideas Services Skills Money Goods Places to hold events

To get involved or make a contribution, contact Jan DeFerbrache (director):

Gaia Works 203 S. Audubon Rd Indianapolis, IN 317-357-8801 www.gaiaworksinc.org

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Red Straps:
ozas roots in the vedic dawn goddess
By the Vorpal Bunny

Members of the Cult of the Living Bull are all familiar with our Bull God AZO. Some of us a more familiar than others with the history and symbolism of our Discordian fire traditions, but we all know some basic concepts: fire, O's, red straps, dancing, drumming, passing water, Liber Resh vel Helios at dawn. BULL!!!! There's so much more, but other people have written about that. I'm not going into all of it here. Okay, the women of the Cult of the Living Bull at Our Haven (in French Lick, Indiana) witnessed the beginning of a new deity within the pantheon of the Cult. Well, we thought she was new, but I'll get to her potentially ancient roots in a moment. Let me Ladies of Fire Tribe at the Womens Goddess Rebegin by introducing her as we were introduced.
treate on the night of OZAs newest reincarnation.

At the Women's Goddess Retreat in 2009, one of our circles was an evening fire circle, and the women of Fyre Trybe were asked to step forward. There were something like 14 of us, and we named another 6-8 that hadn't been able to make it. We realized in that moment how many women were in the Cult of the Living Bull just at Our Haven. Prior to that night, some of us had teased about being "Concubines of the Living Bull" because we lost our men to the fire, she was their first wife and we were on the sidelines. But standing there together, tending the fire with the just the women, we realized that we had a helluva lot of firetenders among us -- women who LOVED the fire as much as the men. Someone said, "We are the Sisterhood of the Holy Cow" (later re-spelled Wholly Chao), and we gave that female cow the name OZA, the same letters and meaning as her male consort (just backwards) -- the O's we do around the fire and everything from Z to A. Her chant is a serene one, "Ooooom" (Moo, backwards). Discordian Fire Women at work and play! OZA has been with us at Our Haven ever since. Now, I've seen Deities created before. Manbat, Lobo, Mabel the Parking goddess. But I'm starting to think OZA was already around and we merely recognized her. Let me share with you a passage that I found in Paul Friedrich's The Meaning of Aphrodite. He is writing about a Vedic Goddess of the Dawn. "Ushas (usas) is herself radiantly beautiful and white or golden in color; 'she rises, light and clothes in white, from out of the darkness.' Her rays are repeatedly described as (depending on the passage and translator) red, purple, ruddy or red-tinted and are said to resemble cows, oxen, or steeds of these colors dispersing from their stalls; she is sometimes called 'the mother of cows.' She mounts the heavens in a large shining chariot drawn by ruddy beasts." He goes on to describe how she is associated with dancing, fire, water and walking or making paths.

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The last thing he says of her is that "the full signification of Ushas combines cosmic order with cosmic ambiguity." So, from the similarities in the name of the Goddess, to the attributes, to the cow itself, it seems to me that the Sisterhood of the Wholly Chao, and our beloved OZA, taps into something old and deep and awesome. For what it's worth, I wanted to share it with you all. Oom!

Sunset Moon by Ian Patterson

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The Magic of Herbs: Immerse yourself in natures healing

By Paula Dorsen

This column is an introduction to the magic of herbs. Each article will explain the history, powers, magical uses of a particular herb and share some personal experiences I have had with it. A lot of the photos will be from my Goddess Garden of Herbs, but I have to admit, I will be borrowing a lot (with permission) from the Internet. And if you have some that you would like to share, I would enjoy seeing them. From time to time I will be sharing tales about the mysterious, magical herbal powers that friends have shared with me. So walk with me down this path, and let us recapture the time when nature spirits dwelled in sacred groves and faeries danced.

Paula ~ Your Herbal Guide

Being an eclectic green Witch, I love and embrace the Mother Earth. Being an only child, I was never a lonely child my world was the woods behind our house. Nature was my best friend. There were trees to climb, a creek to take my shoes off and walk through and also to wash off the wild onions I would dig and eat. It was acres of a mystical, magical world. I found my first nest of mice, constantly picked flowers for my mother, would munch on different plants that smelled good when I rolled the leaves between my fingers, let butterflies land on my hand, and would lay on the ground and watch the sun move through the tops of the trees. It was the happiest of childhoods all because of my best friend, Nature. Being a transplant from southern Ohio to northwestern Illinois was quite a shock, not only me, but to all the perennials I brought with me. Our land now flourishes with generations of herbs and flowers. My one fern originally came from my grandmothers house, to my mothers, then to mine, then dug up and brought to my new home. My daughter now has a house and next spring I will be giving her starts to carry on the magic of herbs.

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Lavender
FOLK NAMES: Elf Leaf, Nard, Nardus, Spike POWERS: Love, Protection, Sleep, Chastity, Longevity, Purification, Happiness, Peace Lavender has been used for over 2000 years of history. The Egyptians used it in their mummification process, and decorative urns were found in the pyramids with residues still inside. The Egyptians also perfumed their skin with it. Lavender, from "lavare" (Latin meaning 'to wash') or "livendulo" (meaning 'livid or bluish') was also used by the Romans. The lavender flower was used for cooking and, added to the water, used for bathing. There are many varieties of lavender plants that grow across several continents with over 30 different species in the genus lavandula. MAGICAL POWERS: Lavender has long been used in love spells and sachets. Clothing adorned with the flowers or placed in drawers attracts love. Rub lavender on the paper you will use to write love notes. The scent particularly attracts men, and lavender water or oil was worn by prostitutes centuries ago both to advertise their profession as well as to attract customers through magic. Lavender also protects against cruel treatment at the hands of a spouse, if worn.

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Burn flowers to induce sleep and scatter around the home for peacefulness. This plant is so powerful that if you gaze long enough, all sorrow will depart and joyous feelings will flow into the body. Its healing, carried to see spirits, and worn to protect against the evil eye. Also used in purification baths. A WISH DIVINATION: Place lavender under your pillow while thinking of your wish. In the morning if you have dreamt of anything relating to your wish, it will come true.

www.magickwillow.com

Our coverage area includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Handcrafted oils, potions, natural soaps and more. Paula Dorsen blends.
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Too long ago, sexuality was stripped of its sacred nature, leaving men and women ashamed of their natural desire to enjoy one of the purest, most transformative sacraments ever known in religion. Aphrodite was, and IS, a Goddess of Love on every level, from the maternal and filial to the sexual. Her priestesses were the embodiments of this love, bringing Aphrodites grace, beauty, gentleness, and passion into the lives of the devotees who worshipped with them. As a contemporary priestess of Aphrodite, Laureleis goals are the same, but she found a desperate lack of resources available to the women and men who are called to work with any of the Goddesses of Love from the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern precincts. As she culled the information that she needed in order to serve Aphrodite, this book was born.

Available from

Asteria Books

Www.asteriabooks.com
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The Hearth Witch: The integrated magical home

By Rhana TQayn

Cottage at Witchs Quay by Zorba the Greek

Connecting to the Home Space One of the trademarks of the Hedge Witch or Hearth Witch is that he is generally very connected to the space in which he lives. This connection isnt just a matter of decorating a house or apartment to suit his tastes or style, but, really, charging it with little bits of himself. This connection can be created even in the most drab and distasteful of accommodations, but it is, always, helpful to start with a home that you already feel drawn to. From that basic beginning, you are at greater ease to integrate the energy of the home with your own energy. The integration of Witch and Hearth (or Hedge) happens through living and breathing in the space, as a natural course, but the Hearth Witch is prone to give this process a magical boost. By creating magical objects, like talismans, by setting Guardians and Watchers, by practicing magic, and living a magical lifestyle, the house or apartment will be able to take on the magical energy of its resident. Hearth Magic Doesnt End in the Kitchen Savory smells emanate from the kitchen. The stove is alight with red and blue flames as dinner cooks and the tea kettle boils. This kitchen witnesses the magic of the family dinner, and it is also the medical lab of home brews and

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herbal teas. It is the modern hearth, since most of us dont cook daily meals in our fireplaces. The kitchen becomes the heart of the home, and it is a place of comfort, companionship, and council. In any happy home, the kitchen, however small, is a transformative and familial place, full of its own special magic. Its really no wonder that so many Witches are drawn to the ways of the Kitchen Witch. We all need food. Why not recognize and work with the magic inherent in making it? Instead of eating every meal from a box, instead of stirring idly while the contents of a pot boil, instead of rushing through the processes of daily nutrition, Kitchen Witches honor and work with the deeply powerful practices and practicalities of cooking. With every stir, a Kitchen Witch is conscious of the energy she pours into the pot. Every ingredient in a meal is chosen with care, to nourish herself and her family, and to add that boost of magic that one or more family members may need. The spoon becomes a magical tool unknown to other Witches. The blade is no longer strictly for ritual, but is used to cut meat, vegetables, and herbs. The cauldron is not a symbol that sits on an altar only to be seen. No, it is the cooking pot that holds pasta and sauces and soups. It is, literally, not just figuratively, filled with every good thing. The magical practicality of the Hearth Witch doesnt end in the kitchen, though. He knows and works with the magic of every nook within his home. Nor is magic reserved for the space that includes his altar or temple room. High magic is praiseworthy and valid, but it is not the core of the Hearth Witchs practice. He is not an Esbat Witch in the way that some Christians are Sunday Christians, aware of his religious beliefs and practices only at holy days or a regular Sabbath day. No, for the Hearth Witch, magic is a lifestyle; a way of meeting his existence every day with the knowledge and power of the Craft as close companions. Daily Rituals When magic begins your day, protects you during the night while you sleep, and punctuates all of your daily

Kitchen Witch Doll by Malcolm Lidbury

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activities, you are leading a magical life. Youll find that you no longer require complicated spells and rituals for many of the needs that once had you running to spell books and magical websites for ideas. You will be adept at working with the magic that you carry, directing it throughout your world, and effortlessly creating magic that enhances your life. For most Witches, this type of integrative practice is the mark of advanced practice. Because we are not, for the most part, reared in magical families, our pursuit of magical understanding has come later in life. We may have been mentally receptive to it, but we tend to compartmentalize it. Magic and ritual are things we do as Witches, but they are undertaken at specific times, under specific circumstances, for specific reasons. We start this way because we have no practical experience with magic or with ritual. We need to understand and experience them, for their own sakes, before we can feel comfortable playing with them. When we do push past those original boundaries, though, we can see that magic is not just for high ritual. Indeed, the word Pagan stems from the Latin word for country person. For early Witches, Id wager, daily practice was as important as the Sabbats. Even today, a country dwellers life is noted by his practical approach to work, protection, prosperity and love. And so it is for the Hearth Witch. The daily rituals of meal preparation, personal grooming, dressing, warming up the car in cool weather, reviewing homework, sharing dinner, and getting ready for bed can all be infused with a magical purpose. When viewed through the lens of the Hearth Witch, each of these activities already has a magical purpose. The Witchs power comes from recognizing the magic inherent in these, seemingly, mundane rituals. Take warming up the car in the winter, for example. On the surface, it seems like an entirely mundane task. How can it possibly be seen as a magical act? Well, we need to look at the purpose that it serves. Why warm up the car? For those of us living in frigid

Bowl of flowers and a glass lantern for a ritual. Photo by Mullybinks.

Zodiac chimes hanging as a charm from a tree branch. Photo by Csaba Polgar.

Oral hygiene is one of the daily rituals we can imbue with magical intention. Photo by Teresa Labante.

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climates for any part of the year, heating the car before we try to drive is an act of self-preservation. Climbing into a car, with its own sub-zero atmosphere, makes ones hands cramp. It makes ones whole body tighten and shiver, while you should be focused on road conditions and other drivers. At its essence, warming up the car can be viewed as a practical protection for driver and passengers. Moreover, its a protective act for the machinery of the car itself, since an engine that hasnt been warmed can malfunction or deteriorate over time. So car-starting, the once wholly mundane and un-magical act, is now a practical ritual for protection. Its so much more powerful an act when it is entered into consciously. For instance, if I walk out to my carport to start the engine on a cold January morning and visualize the car being surrounded in a protective bubble of heat, Im giving a boost to the protection that is already offered. Ill drive my children to school that morning, shielded by heat (and maybe light, if I add that to the visualization), knowing that the killing Indiana temperatures arent going to harm us as we drive. Ill know, as I drive, that my attention is on the road and the other drivers, most of whom wont be nearly so well-protected from the dangers of the icy road and wind.
Photos by Cathy Kaplan

Magical Maintenance Not only do the daily activities of the Hearth Witch take on magical importance, but her home maintenance projects become the equivalent of temple service. Washing and cleaning, sweeping and dusting are rites that cleanse the home of the negativity that is brought in or stirred up from within. Remodeling is a refocusing of a shrines energy flow and purpose. Yard work, from mowing grass to raking leaves to shoveling snow, signifies the points on a yearly cycle of life and death and rebirth. Painting can become protective when the paint is seen as a shield against the weather and natural disasters. Just like certain spells for protection and prosperity need to be repeated intermittently to boost their effectiveness, the magical maintenance of a household can reinvigorate the homes energy centers. And just like a Witch needs to practice his energy-raising, meditation and visualization skills to keep them sharp, so does a home need constant care to keep it functioning optimally.

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As We Will It The key to living a magical life from rising to retiring is infusing every act with magical will and intention. If you view your daily tasks as a torturous tedium, your home will be infused with that energy. If, on the other hand, you recognize as the magical intentions behind the vacuuming and dusting, behind the raking and shoveling, behind the pruning and painting, then you will be one step closer to pouring your magical might into the work. Indeed, you will already be infusing the work with positive associations, which is the first step in the right direction. This work isnt intended as another basic magical how-to book. There are already several titles that are readily available that deal with the process of raising and directing magical energy. If you are new to magical practice, I would recommend reading those works for an introduction to magical practice. Instead, what I want to point out, to current practitioners of the Craft, is that vacuuming, dusting, and all the other tasks mentioned above are just as effective at raising energy as chanting, dancing, and drumming. Magic doesnt require high ritual to be effective. If you use daily chores as the vehicle to raise energy, focus on your intention (protection, cleansing, or prosperity, for example), and then release your will at the end of the work, you have just completed a very effective bit of Hearth Witch magic. Exercises The following exercises are not rituals or spells, by themselves. They are intended as warm-ups or thoughtgenerators on the topics covered in this chapter. At the end of each chapter, you will find similar exercises that you can do to connect to the material discussed and apply it more directly to your own home and magical practice. I recommend getting a notebook that you can use for recording your thoughts and responses to the suggested exercises. You can also use it to sketch talismans, write your own spells, and more. In fact, this could be the beginning of your own Hearth Witch Book of Shadows!

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Exercise 1 Connecting to the Home Space What landscape makes you feel most powerful? (Most connected to your power? Most connected to your personal Deities?) How does that differ from the landscape in which you currently live? What could you change in your decorating (both interior and exterior) to infuse your home with the energies of the landscape that empower you? Exercise 2 Magical Places and Magical Spaces Make a list of all the rooms and spaces within your house. Include closets, balconies, porches, bathrooms, utility rooms, offices and any other nook or cranny your home might have. Brainstorm a list of magical associations that you might attribute to each room and place. Think about the magical intentions or Deities that might correspond to each.

Exercise 3 Daily Rituals Think about the processes you work through every day. Focus on those that take place inside your home or on your homestead. Which ones would you label as cleansing rites? Which ones are protective rituals? Which could be associated with prosperity? With beauty? With healing?

Exercise 4 Working Your Will Meditation and visualization are great practices for beefing up your magical muscles. Set aside some time on a regular basis to meditate, perhaps focusing on the natural magic of your home, your connection to it, and the Deities that you associate with that work.

Further Reading Farrar, Janet and Stewart. The Witches God: Lord of the Dance. WA: Phoenix, 1989. ISBN-13: 978-0919345478 Farrar, Janet and Stewart The Witches Goddess: The Feminine Principle of Divinity.. WA: Phoenix, 1987. ISBN-13: 978-0919345911 McCoy, Edain. Advanced Witchcraft: Go Deeper, Reach Further, Fly Higher. WI: Llewellyn, 2004. ISBN-13: 9780738705132

Rhana TQayn is a mother of two and a High Priestess within American Folkloric Witchcraft. She lives in Indiana with her family and is currently writing two books one about Hearth Witchcraft, the other about American Folkloric Witchcraft. 52

Lifestyles of the witch and magus: Colleen kelly

BALEFIRE: What magical/spiritual projects does the community know you for? How long and in what capacity have you been involved in these? COLLEEN KELLY: I have been very active in the Pagan Faith Community since the late 1990s. Before that time I was pretty much a solitary practitioner with occasional group ritual. What really instigated the change was a move to Michigan. I decided to move back to MI (I was born there but moved away the day after high school graduation) after my father died and my mother needed care. But I found myself in the mid-west (having moved from Long Island New York) and in a bit of culture shock! WOW what a difference. I tried to find other pagans (for fellowship and ritual) but they were well hidden.

As I was a computer geek I figured that would be a good place to start. Remember back then there was no such thing as a social network so we had to make due with AOL, Yahoo Messenger and ever IRC. I eventually heard from a local woman, lets call her Susan and together we decided to begin to form a local community. At that time PINK was born (Pagan Individuals Near Kalamazoo). It was meant to be both an online and a real time group. PINK in its current form still exists and meets for a monthly brunch at a local Kalamazoo restaurant today, 11 plus years later. PINK spawned another organization called, Seekers of Light (SOL) which helped people find other people of like mind. SOL sponsored the wheel of the year rituals (mostly in my back yard) and in its first year of existence talked to over 1,000 people and helped many of them find local groups to participate with. After a wonderful weekend at Convocation (http://www.convocation.org/) I got the PPD bug and decided to set up a Kalamazoo PPD (KPPD). Working with some great folks, we had over 600 people in attendance our first year and over 1200 our second year. While operating on a smaller scale, the KPPD event still continues today. I moved to Indy in July of 2004 and met Dave Sassman and Jan DeFerbrache at a great little pagan meetup. By

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March the three of us (with others) had put on the first Masquerade Ball (which still takes place every March) and by the next year had incorporated as Gaia Works. Jan still runs Gaia Works today and they do a great deal of service work in the Indy area. BF: I know you're very busy these days. What currently fills your time? CK: Today I split my time among many things. On the mundane level, I have my own Web Design and Development company which I am rebranding as Red-Kelly.com. I am working two part time jobs and going to school full time for a degree in Website Design and Development. As for spiritual/religious/magical aspects, I am the founder and (defacto) director of IPPM (Indianapolis Pagan Prison Ministry. We provide Wiccan and Asatru services behind the walls at 5 local state facilities; serving an inmate population of over 300 individuals. We facilitate 5 Wiccan groups and 2 Asatru groups with 4 very active and dedicated volunteers. IPPM can be found on facebook and accepts donations of Pagan books for prison libraries in the facilities. We have a special need for Norse or Asatru books at this time and will happily arrange to pick up or get book donations. I also am the Co-leader of the CUUPs group (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans) which is in its seventh year of meeting at UUI (Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis). Currently the open group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month, from 7 PM to 9 PM in the Fellowship Hall at UUI. It should be noted that YOU, Laurelei, were one of the original founders of this group. And on a personal level, I am the lucky participant in a small, closed, crone group. This group feeds me personally and is comprised of 5 wonderful, loving, spiritually wise and deeply caring women. I pray that each of you is able to find such a supportive group of people to do your personal practice with. And lest I forget, I am also the coordinator of the Winter Solstice Celebration which takes place at UUI the Saturday before the actual Winter Solstice. Every year we have a full crowd of 300 who come to celebrate the season in story and song with us. It is a moving experience of going into the dark and reemerging into the light of the new day. This is a free event (there is a free will offering taken during the celebration and a feast afterwards bring a dish or drink to share) which is open to all and is appropriate for young and old. Arrive early as the building will only hold 300 7 to 9 PM on Saturday December 17, 2011. We also take this event into the Womens Prison here in Indianapolis. BF: If you could start a new endeavor (of any sort) without the risk of failure, what would

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it be? Why that? Do you believe that you will one day attempt this? CK: Where is the fun, sense of adventure or challenge in starting a new endeavor without the risk of failure? Anybody could (and should) do something that gives back to community but if things were that easy there would be no need to start things! They would already be done. BF: What do you do to relax or recharge your batteries when you feel depleted? CK: When I feel drained or depleted I do one of three things: Call my friends and meet over coffee or tea to chat and get recharged Watch a little TV (love Sci-Fi/Fantasy) or read a good escape novel And on occasion, go to some kind of ritual where nobody knows me. When my dog died a couple of weeks ago I went to a local Episcopal Church where I knew they did high ritual and just sat in the pew and immersed myself in the beauty of ritual. Deity is everywhere and we can observe them in any type of religious service so long as we know that. BF: Which magical/spiritual systems have you studied? Are you currently involved with a coven/ grove/circle? CK: When I was a teenager I spent at least 6 weeks at every church in my small town I wanted to get a feel and understanding for everything that was available (remember this was pre-internet). As an adult I have studied as many paths as I could find information about. My formal studies in Comparative Religion and my training for my ordination exposed me to many belief paths. Personally I have spent a good deal of time with the following belief paths (no order or ranking implied): Asatru Druidry Wicca Voodoo/Voodou Santeria Buddhism Christianity in many forms Shamanistic studies Herbalism And a small bit of Islam and Judaism (Traditional and Messianic) BF: What led you to the type of magical/spiritual path that you currently follow? CK: In Paganism, each of us has the responsibility to discover deity for ourselves. During that process, we may come to know many faces of the gods and thus come to different understandings or views of the world. In my study and practice I have incorporated each phase of my learnings somewhere into my path. Often a light bulb turns on in my head and I realize where some deep seated belief came from. Then I can take that belief, examine it and decide where it fits into my world view.

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I find that surrounding yourself with people who are on a similar search makes the path easier as you discuss life and belief openly you have the opportunity to better define yourself and understand why you believe what you do. There is nothing more valuable in life than knowing you have choices and believing that you can really make those choices. BF: In what ways do you see your magical/spiritual life as connected to your mundane/physical life? CK: There is no magical and mundane. There is only life. Everything is sacred. Once we begin to look at things in that vein we no longer struggle (much smiling) with a dichotomy between the two. For example: when we have dirty dishes to wash, it means we have had food to eat and been the recipients of the gifts of the goddess for which we give thanks as we wash the dishes (usually with plenty of hot water!). Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.

Colleen in a recent folk choir performance of El Paso

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Midwest Magical Writing Retreat Are you interested in

devoting time and attention to the craft of writing in a pristine natural setting? collaborating with fellow writers and editors walking a magical path? getting feedback on your writing from top editors, authors and publishers the magical community?

Asteria Books and THE BALEFIRE are planning to sponsor the first-ever Midwest Magical Writing Retreat in Autumn 2012 or Spring 2013. We need feedback and participation from writers (and aspiring writers) like you! Wed love your suggestions regarding: possible facilitators (great writers, editors and publishers whose techniques you want to learn) preferred season (spring or fall) topic ideas

To get involved or make suggestions, contact Laurelei Black at:

laurelei@asteriabooks.com

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Maski Weneckie (Venetian Masks)

Photo by Ludmila Pilecka

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http://www.freewebs.com/thefaerierealm/index.htm

We welcome cash donations, which are tax deductible. We are also constantly seeking donation of food and non-food items like shampoo, deodorant, soaps, toilet paper, cleaning products, laundry soap, diapers and wipes, sanitary products, shave cream, blankets, bus passes, coats, hats, gloves, clothes, shoes and boots.

OUROBOROS COPYWRITING & DESIGN STUDIO

Magickal Design for the Pagan & Occult Communities

Logo design Website design Marketing brochures Business cards Special event scipts

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Laughing Ladybug Botanicals offers handmade, small-batch essential tinctures, oils, salves, & capsules made from organic botanicals harvested from their own gardens.

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Both women-born-women and transgendered women are welcome at this retreat.

September 7-9, 2012

www.asteriabooks.com/retreat

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Silent Hill by Dimitri Castrique

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A Smattering of sabbat lore

By Laurelei Black

Samhain
Samhain is the point in the Wheel that is directly opposite to Beltaine, and the intents behind the holiday and the season are, subsequently, directly opposite to those of the fertility and mirth of Beltaine. Furthermore, Samhain is the beginning of the New Year in Celtic lands. The Celtic calendar had 13 months. Samhain was the last night of the 13th month. In the ancient Celtic world, Samhain was seen as the beginning of the dark half of the year. It was a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was the thinnest, and communication and passage

Skull by Hajnalk Ardai

between the worlds was easiest. It was a time to commune with deceased ancestors and loved ones. Though the ancients honored and revered their ancestors throughout the year, this was the perfect time of year to set aside sacred time to honor those who had passed. Of course, since the veil was so thin, it was also expected that some rather nasty spirits might enter through the veil at that time, which would cause folks to be wary. Guardians of various types would be placed at doors and windows and hearth (all the entry ways into the home) to keep unwanted and unwelcome spirits out. The custom of dressing in costume comes from the idea of disguising oneself so as not to be recognized by unfriendly spirits.

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Furthermore, it was a time of remembrance. The ancients had a deep respect for their ancestors, and this was a time to remember the deeds of forefathers and foremothers. They would recall the names of the people in their lineage and honor them with feasts and gifts. The ancestors would have a special place in the home during this time. Since this was the last festival of the harvest, it was imperative that farmers have all of their crops harvested before sundown on Samhain night. If not, tradition held that whatever was left in the fields belonged to the Sidhe. Finally, this was a time for the Gods to go away, in many traditions. The method of a God or a groups of Gods leaving is different from tradition to tradition. Some claim that They die. Some say They go to various islands or castles to rest. Some say They sleep. (However, the time of the return is generally placed at Yule, though some traditions have Them returning at Imbolc.)

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Yule
Yule is celebrated on December 21st, though the Winter Solstices date changes from year to year based on the astronomical calendar. Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year. Solstice celebrations are universal, being celebrated in nearly every culture the world over. Groups as different as Iranians are to the Swedes, Chumash Indians to the peoples of Tibet and Spain to Germany have very old traditions for the same solar event. The impetus for the holiday, nearly the world over, is the fear that the failing light of the sun may not return and therefore needs some help. According to many traditions, there are evil spirits that thrive in the darkness and require light and warmth to drive them out. This accounts, in part, for the extensive use of candles and lanterns to drive away the darkness. Of course, the flame of a candle is also similar (though a much smaller representative) to the light of the Sun itself. Structures have been built, as far back as the dim memory of mankind and beyond, that mark and honor the Winter Solstice. Stonehenge (which marks both Solstices), Newgrange in Ireland, and Maeshowe in the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland are some of the most well known of these ancient pieces of architecture. However, there are also similar structures throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Indonesia and the Americas. One has even been found recently in Africa. In fact, there are even many medieval Catholic churches that were built as solar observatories, capturing part of the importance of the Winter Solstice. (The Church, of course, has to keep track of the Solstices and Equinoxes in order to determine the date of Easter each year.) The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, which was a combination of the traditions already in use by the Egyptians and Persians. These groups met in trade in Rome, and the Romans sensed both the fun and the significance of the potential for a Solstice holiday. Saturnalia was a 12-day celebration that involved decorating with greenery and burning candles to chase

Above: Julfest Wintersonnenwend (Yule Fest Winter Sun Wheel) Below: Santa and Goat

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away evil spirits. Naturally, it became a party in the pure Roman style with the passage of time. Yule was the Norse and Celtic celebration of the Solstice. Yule means feast or, possibly, wheel. As with the other cultures, the Celtic and Norse traditions tend to revolve around the return of light, warmth and fertility brought by the Sun. Of course, the peoples to the North had a much rougher time in winter than their neighbors to the South, so their need for the return of light (and heat) may have helped imbue this holiday with special significance. Boughs of holly were used in decoration because their verdant color was a strong reminder of life in the midst of the white, snow-covered world they lived in. White, interestingly, was a color of death and mourning to the Northern people, and winter was the time of the Earths death in preparation for rebirth. (Holly was also hung in windows because of its prickly leaves and poisonous berries, which make it excellent for guardianship.) Mistletoe (also called the golden bough) was especially sacred to the Druids, the priests of the Celts. Hundreds of customs and remedies were established around the mistletoe. (A whole paper could be written on the importance of mistletoe to the Druids.) However, one tradition from the past seems to influence one of our modern customs quite significantly. In older days, if two opposing armies met for battle under mistletoe, a truce would be called until the next day. This peace under the golden bough has evolved into the kissing under the mistletoe that we currently enjoy.

Left: Holly Tree by Trish Steel Top Right: Old Father Christmas Middle Right: Yule Log Bottom Right: Holly Berries by Alan Fryer

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The Oak King and Holly King struggle is re-played at this time of year, as well. His rival, the Oak King, defeats the Holly King, who rules the waning part of the year. With the return of the Oak King, the sun is once again aloud to gain strength and power in the day. (This hearkens back to the far older concept of the Year King, who would protect the people for one year, and be given much honor and privilege for the sacrifice he is willing to make. In case of need, the Year King would be sacrificed for the good of the people.)

Imbolc
Imbolc is the mid-point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It is the time of the year when one begins to notice that the sunlight is waxing once again. In colder climes, like the ones many of our European pagan forebears lived in, this would have been the coldest part of the year. They would know that Spring was on its way, but there was very little physical evidence in the land that gave obvious witness to this fact. In fact, the returning light was about the only thing that really heralded the return of warmth and growth. Because this was the time of year that the ewes would come into their milk (for the lambs they were about to bear), the holiday was named Oimelc in some places. For human women, too, this could be a season of birth. (If you get pregnant at Beltaine, and carry the baby to term, youll be in labor near the beginning of February.) Brighid is associated with this holiday due, in part, to her association with birthing and midwifery. She was one of the highly loved and honored pan-Celtic Goddesses, and this was an ideal holiday for celebrating her role as midwife and mother. Because of this, some traditions refer to this holiday as Brighid or The Feast of Brighid. Some traditions, ours included, work within the Celtic framework of the John Barley-Corn cycle. At this time of year, John Barley-Corn would be in the womb, waiting to be born. As a part of the John Barley-Corn celebrations, the last mug of beer and the last loaf of bread would be drunk and eaten to help revitalize John Barley-Corn. Many traditions send the Gods to their rest around the time of Samhain. Among those that do, there is a portion who would be calling the Gods back to life and fertility at this time of year, leaving them to rest during the darkest part of the cycle. Candlemas, a festival that the Christians picked up on some centuries ago, is also associated with this time of year. Many covens use this time of returning light to make and/or bless their candles.

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Spring Equinox
It seems that the most popular/common name for this holiday (and many of the traditions surrounding it) has sprung from the Teutonic Goddess Eostre (or Ostara). She was a fertility Goddess whose symbols were bunnies and eggs and the like. The idea of fertility has definitely stuck close to this time of the year, and even the Christians couldnt get rid of the symbols (or the name) and were forced to adopt some of the imagery into their celebration of Easter. Within Systems that focus on the cycles of the sun, this is one of the four major events in the year. The vernal equinox is the solar event that marks the point of balance between day and night, while moving into longer and longer days. It is viewed as a time of balance with the understanding that we are moving into a time of increased light, action and fertility. Within the Greek cycle of the Eleusian Mysteries, this is the time when Persephone returns from her stay with her husband, Hades, in the Underworld. She is welcomed home by her rejoicing mother, Demeter, who is a Goddess of the fields. During Persephones long absence, the fields gave no food and the land was dark and cold. With her return, flowers spring to life at her feet and the land is blessed with fertility. This is the joy of the reunion between mother and daughter. This is also one of the two times of year attributed to Aphrodites ritual/sacred bath. Some groups use this as a time of cleansing and renewal. The Great Rite, in symbol or otherwise, can be done at this time.

Upper right: Ostara by Johannes Gerhts Lower right: Frigg als Ostara (Frigga as Ostara)

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Pagan Sun day School

By GiGi Hopkins

Samhain
Objectives: To acquaint your child with the Pagan aspects of already well-known Halloween customs To mark the passage of the childs first purposeful Samhain observance To reinforce Wheel of the Year concept Intro Take a look at the large Wheel of the Year that youve already made together. Materials Point out the orange circle in the dark half. Remind your child that this circle represents Samhain. Ask if it reminds him of anything related to Halloween/ Wheel of Year craft (from issue Samhain? A pumpkin? 1 of THE BALEFIRE) 1. Talk to your child about the fact that pumpkins are often associated with this holiday. Even her non-Pagan friends are likely to have a jack-o-lantern on their front porches at this time of year. 2. Explain that Pagans long ago carved pumpkins and other gourds to scare away dangerous or unfriendly spirits. The living and the dead can see and feel each other more easily right now, and the jack-o-lanterns protected houses and people from harmful ghosts. 3. Talk about (or maybe even sketch) the faces your family has carved on pumpkins in previous years. Which ones are scariest?

Through

Beyond

Draw faces on the blank pumpkins on the activity page. Cut one out, if you Pumpkin Aclike, and glue it to the orange circle on the Wheel of the Year. tivity Page

Supplemental: Carve the familys pumpkin guardian together, using one of the faces your child drew.

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Pagan Sun day School

Photocopy these activity pages for use with each child.

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Pagan Sun day School

Yule
Objectives: To acquaint your child with the Pagan aspect of already well-known Christmas customs To mark the passage of your childs first purposeful Yule observance To reinforce Wheel of the Year concept Intro Look at the Wheel. Point out that the yellow circle is for the Winter Solstice, Materials which many Pagans call Yule. Does the yellow circle remind your child of anything? The sun, maybe? Wheel of the Year craft 1. Explain that the yellow circle does represent the sun. Talk with your child about the way the suns light doesnt brighten the sky as long in the winter as it does in the summer. Also point out that the Winter Solstice is the day with the shortest amount of sunlight in the whole year. 2. In very ancient times, people believed that they had to help the sun return to its strength, and they would stay awake all through the longest night until the sun rose again the next morning. 3. Lighting candles or a special log are other ways people have helped the light return. Point out the candle ceremonies or tree lights used within your home or community as examples of how these traditions still exist. 4. Explain that some Pagans describe the sun as a king and celebrate Yule as his birthday.

Through

Beyond

Decorate and color the sun crown on the activity page. Cut a smaller crown Sun Crown Acto glue to the yellow circle on your Wheel of the Year. tivity Page

Supplemental: Make sun ornaments for your Yule tree by painting yellow balls or hanging spiced citruses (oranges with clove poked into the skins) on the tree.

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Pagan Sun day School

Photocopy these activity pages for use with each child.

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Pagan Sun day School

Imbolc
Objectives: To acquaint your child with the Sabbat Imbolc To mark the passage of the childs first purposeful Imbolc observance To reinforce Wheel of the Year concept Intro Look again at the Wheel of the Year youve begun making. Point out the white Materials circle. Does it remind you of snow? Have you had snow this winter? Do you get snow where you live? Does it seem like a short winter or a long winter? Wheel of the How do we know winter is ending? Year craft

Through

1. Explain that we picked the white circle to represent the snow that covers the ground in so many places right now. 2. Whether or not you experience snow in your region, talk with your child about the fact that this holiday comes to us from a place where the snow is heavy and the ground is frozen at this time of year. Nothing looks like its growing, but deep under the ice and snow, seeds are coming to life. 3. Tell your child that the Goddess Brighid is usually honored at this holiday, and one of her symbols is a special kind of cross. Show a picture of a traditional Brighids cross. 4. Follow the instructions on the following page to make your own version of a Brighids cross (a Gods eye).

Beyond

Color the activity page & cut out the cross to add to your Wheel of the Year.

2 popsicle/craft sticks, yarn Brighids Cross Activity Page

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Pagan Sun day School

Imbolc Brighids Cross Instructions
1. Glue two Popsicle or craft sticks together in the shape of a cross. 2. Take a length of yarn and wrap it over and around one of the arms of the cross, then move on to the next, again wrapping the yarn over and around the arm. Continue wrapping until the cross is the desired size. 3. If you run out of yarn, tie another piece to the old yard with a tight knot, and continue wrapping. 4. Tie off the yarn on one of the arms of the cross. 5. This project works very well with self-striping yarn or other multi-colored varieties. 6. You can also slide beads or charms onto the strands, or tie feathers or sticks into them to give added meanings.

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Pagan Sun day School

Photocopy these activity pages for use with each child.

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Pagan Sun day School

Ostara Objectives: To acquaint child with the Pagan aspect of already well-known Easter customs To mark the passage of the childs first purposeful Ostara observance To reinforce Wheel of the Year concept Intro Point out the pink circle on the Wheel of the Year that represents Spring Equi- Materials nox, which many Pagans also call Ostara. Does it look a little like an Easter egg? Wheel of the Year craft 1. Ostara is another name for the Spring Equinox the day in the spring when the day and night are equal. By now, certain flowers and trees are blooming, even in the coldest places, and some warm days have let us know that summer is coming. 2. Eggs and seeds and bunnies are symbols of spring because they remind us that everything is coming to life all around us. Chicks and baby animals are being born. Plants are growing. Spring is here! 3. Hard boil a few eggs and use your favorite egg-dye to color them. You can also use crayons and markers for a more hands-on approach. Eggs, dye, vinegar, crayons, markers Beyond Color and decorate the eggs on the activity page. Add one of them to your Egg Activity Wheel of the Year. Page

Throug h

All Pagan Sun Day School lessons and activities are excerpted from GiGi Hopkins work-in-progress by the same name. Dame Hopkins is a mother, a teacher, and a Witch living in Indiana whose work currently includes rearing her son and daughter, raising chickens and rabbits, and writing about the Craft for families. Look for her work soon from Asteria Books. 76

Pagan Sun day School

Photocopy these activity pages for use with each child.

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Imminently Quotable

Photo by Benjamin Earwicker

Samhain/Halloween Eat, drink and be scary. ~Author Unknown A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween. ~Erma Bombeck There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls. ~George Carlin A gypsy fire is on the hearth, Sign of the carnival of mirth; Through the dun fields and from the glade Flash merry folk in masquerade, For this is Hallowe'en! ~Author Unknown They that are born on Halloween shall see more than other folk. ~Saying of unknown origin

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Yule
"The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown, Of all trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown: O, the rising of the sun, And the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir." - Traditional Carol

"Holly and mistletoe Candles and bells, I know the message That each of you tells." - Leland B. Jacobs, Mrs. Ritters First Grade Critters

Inglenook Fireplace by Penny Mayes

"Every year at just this time, In cold and dark December, Families around the world All gather to remember, With presents and with parties, With feasting and with fun, Customs and traditions for people old and young." - Helen H. Moore

Here we come a-wassailing Among the leaves so green; Here we come a-wand'ring So fair to be seen . - Traditional Carol

Sun Dial by Andrew Bierle

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Imbolc
Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius. ~Pietro Aretino Every mile is two in winter. ~George Herbert Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so. ~Stanley Crawford "Hear! hear!" screamed the jay from a neighboring tree, where I had heard a tittering for some time, "winter has a concentrated and nutty kernel, if you know where to look for it." ~Henry David Thoreau, 28 November 1858 journal entry The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination. ~Terri Guillemets Brew me a cup for a winter's night. For the wind howls loud and the furies fight; Spice it with love and stir it with care, And I'll toast our bright eyes, my sweetheart fair. ~Minna Thomas Antrim "If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant." - Anne Bradstreet

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Spring Equinox
Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn. ~Quoted by Lewis Grizzard in Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night. ~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke Awake, thou wintry earth Fling off thy sadness! Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth Your ancient gladness! ~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn" In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. ~Margaret Atwood Indoors or out, no one relaxes in March, that month of wind and taxes, the wind will presently disappear, the taxes last us all the year. ~Ogden Nash

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WyldFyre Priestess of the Flame

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