paganism
A Message Of Hope From Hel’s Pond
A yellow butterfly guided me to Blanke Helle, or “Hel’s Pond” during a recent visit to Berlin, Germany. It darted ahead of me all the way from the bus stop in AlboinStraße, until I reached the entrance to the park where lies forgotten, and hidden from public notice, the ancient pagan site sacred to Hela, or Hel, the Norse-Germanic goddess of death and the underworld.
I have been guided by butterflies on a regular basis over the past two years, since the first one appeared to me at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece. I was much encouraged by the sudden presence of this golden, magical creature, because it predicted that my visit to this sacred pagan site would be less somber than I had imagined. Yellow butterflies represent rebirth, new life, transformation and resurrection in several cultures. The Irish believe yellow butterflies to be an indicator of the peaceful transition of departed souls. And in Christian tradition yellow butterflies are symbolic of the Christ’s resurrection from death. They are also regarded as a sign of the presence of angels. Would Hel’s dark waters ultimately leave me with a message of hope? Continue reading
Being The Goddess
Being the Goddess was not an easy task, and the young girl knew this from the very first time she opened her hazel eyes to the world.
Inside herself she felt it, from the inside out, that she was meant to do different things, that she was meant to bring something to others from her own experiences.
“What does it mean?” she would whisper to herself late at night.
She was amazed at the fact of it sometimes, and at other times afraid. “Let it go”, They said to her, “now is the time to be what you were called to be, without thinking about it so much”.
All little girls are the Goddess, and the young girl discovered this as she grew older. She pondered these thoughts many times. How could she bring a message to bear that she herself knew nothing about yet?
But as she grew older, and lived some of what life had to offer, she knew there was plenty of tale to tell, about what went on in the heart of the Goddess. Continue reading
From The Inner Circle At Stonehenge
A radiant dusk was upon us when we reached the top of the concrete staircase. Emerging from below, our trivial conversation abruptly ceased. We were stunned into an instant, breathless, respectful silence. Before us rose the towering magnificence of Stonehenge… graceful and glimmering in the late Summer sunset!
Being so suddenly in the presence of the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, was the most memorable moment of my entire journey. I had the privilege of being a member of a small private party on a special tour to this magical place. Our visit took place after hours, with special permission from the authorities.
The exclusive access we were granted enabled us to visit Stonehenge at sunset, and later under starlight, after the site was closed to the public. Most importantly, we had the unique privilege to enter into the inner circle, which is not accessible to day visitors. Continue reading
The Magic Of Flowers
Like all living things, flowers and plants have unique personalities, wants and needs. Because they don’t speak, it is easy to overlook them. They have auras and have been shown to possess memories.
Anyone thinking of practicing magic should become familiar with a variety of plants and flowers. It is also a good idea to have a few favorites around the house.
Flowers speak to us. There is a good reason celebrations from birth to death, and everything in between, are synonymous with flowers. If you don’t know a Daisy from a Dogwood, here’s a look at some of the more familiar blooms and what they magically represent: Continue reading
The Pentacle – Ancient Magical Symbol
Possibly no other spiritual or religious icon in our culture is as misunderstood as the pentacle, or five-pointed star. Many people automatically believe the pentacle is connected to some form of darkness, evil or satanic worship. This could not be further from the truth.
Along with its powerful symbolism in Wicca and other pagan traditions, the pentacle also has roots in Christian and Jewish mysticism, as well as Native American religion.
Over the centuries the symbol has taken on many meanings. Its most lasting symbolism, however, is that of the five classical elements: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water, with Spirit at its head. Continue reading
In The Powerful Presence Of The Maiden Goddess
Many centuries have come and gone since the Athenians ascended the Acropolis to seek the guidance and protection of Athena, the maiden goddess of wisdom, war and divine intelligence. Her status as the favorite daughter of Zeus, and powerful patron deity of the city of Athens, remains evident to this day.
Expecting to be mostly drawn to the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, when I visited the Acropolis of Athens in Greece*, I was instead keenly aware of the omnipresence of Athena’s legacy. My undergraduate education in literature and drama afforded me a reasonably good understanding of the role of the god Dionysus in ancient Greek culture. I knew about the festivals and plays, and as a student I often imagined visiting the remains of those historic open-air auditoriums. Continue reading
How To Create Your Sacred Space
I used to get rather uptight about whether or not I was dedicating enough preparation time prior to seeing clients, both for psychic readings and energy healing sessions. That was until I visited a well-known elderly spiritualist, who lives in the countryside outside of Johannesburg, South Africa.
His words to me were, “You work with those on the other side, just like I do, but I feel you fret and think the preparation needs to be a lengthy process”. He was right, I was anxious as to whether the prep time with my guides was ample before sessions began. “I just want you to ‘set your intention’ each morning before you begin,” he concluded. Hearing him say that felt like a load off my shoulders. For me, keeping it simple was what I learned years ago in Alcoholics Anonymous, and of course it works. The main ingredient of successful preparation is after all the ‘intention’ to help others, and to open up to spirit working through you. Continue reading