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Gemma Gary

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Traditional Witchcraft TWPT talks to Gemma Gary

Gemma is a student, practitioner, author and artist of the Old Craft. She lives in a remote farm cottage on the outskirts of St Buryan, in Cornwall’s Penwith region; Mainland Britain’s most south-westerly region.  The village and the surrounding area are particularly rich in Witch-lore and ancient sacred stone monuments. From her study window Gemma can see the famous ‘Merry Maidens’ stone circle. 

Gemma’s working interests and research encompass witchcraft, folk-magical traditions, folklore and customs of Cornwall, the West and beyond, as well as ‘Modern Traditional Witchcraft’ and the ‘Craft of the Wica’.  

In addition to her practices as a working Cornish witch and charm maker, Gemma is the current serving Magistra of Ros An Bucca, a traditionalist Cornish witch kord (clan).  

Whilst the public have been well served with numerous books dealing with the history of Cornish witchcraft, Gemma’s first book Traditional Witchcraft - A Cornish Book of Ways has been the first to explore Cornish witchcraft as a continuing, developing and evolving contemporary practice; for working witches and their clients in Cornwall still remain.

Click here to read our interview with Gemma Gary.

Secret Lives
by Barbara Ardinger

Bookviews Home

Secret Lives by Barbara Ardinger

Being of the male persuasion I had my doubts as to how much I would relate to and be drawn into a novel about a group of older women who follow Goddess traditions and teachings. After reading Secret Lives I now see that my doubts were wholly unfounded and that Barbara Ardinger has written a marvelous book that is engaging, heartwarming and even instructive if you are open to the spirit in which this novel was written. The grandmothers, the daughters and the granddaughters of this novel are well drawn characters that personify the struggles that women in general face living in a world that still sees them as worth less than their male counterparts but in particular it also delves into the struggles that women face who follow a spiritual path that does not adhere to a patriarchal model that has come to dominate this modern world we live in.

Read Imajicka's review of Secret Lives by Barbara Ardinger

Barbara Moore

Book Spotlight Home

Steampunk Tarot TWPT talks to Barbara Moore

Tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over two decades. In college, tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Today she continues her tarot journey, both by learning from others and sharing her ideas through writing and teaching. Indeed, this erstwhile Hermit is discovering that she is enjoying traveling all over the world to share her love of tarot. Barbara enjoys writing about tarot; some of her favorite works include A Guide to Mystic Faerie Tarot, The Gilded Tarot Companion, Tarot for Beginners, and Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings.

Click here to read the interview.

Other Book Spotlights

• Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook TWPT talks to Deborah Blake

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paperback copy by
clicking here.

TWPT Talks to...
10 Authors of the Pagan Community

The Wiccan/Pagan Times has been on line since March 1999. Over the years, we have interviewed many of the most notable Authors in the Pagan Community.

Authors mean a lot to the pagan community. We have been referenced as the people of the books, and many will start their path with a book. How the author feels about the pagan community is important, as we like to think that the information in the books are practiced as well as printed.

Presented here are some of the many memorable interviews we have published over the last 13 years. We have taken 10 of these interviews and put them together with author bios, pictures and weblinks so you can explore the authors further.

Interviewed are Anna Frankin, Dorothy Morrison, Edain McCoy, John Michael Greer, Kristin Madden, M. R. Sellars, Margot Adler, Patricia Telesco, Raymond Buckland and Yasmine Galenorn. Preserved here is a place in time within the pagan community when we were still new, but growing. We feel these interviews convey the flavor and the heart of the pagan community.  

TWPT Video

Britain's Wicca Man

Ginger Doss

WP Beat Video

Urban Elements
by Ginger Doss

Chris Highland

Cherry Hill Seminary TWPT Column

Here's to a More Natural Holiday Season: from a Christmas Baby by Chris Highland

Trees and turkeys hate this time of year, especially Christmas.  Well, I suppose if you’re an oak tree or a palm or a sequoia you may not dread the axe before Gratefulness Day.  And if you’re a wild turkey who can shut your gobble long enough to hide in the hedgerow you may be safe. Nevertheless, it’s not a good time to be an evergreen or a fat tom.  There be fowl play in the air.  

Though I was born on December 25th, I don’t like it much myself anymore.  I love the Season but not the seasonings, Solstice but not the silly Santa and the same-old-Sacred.  I think I’ll celebrate with the forest and the birds.

Don’t get me wrong.  I have no desire to make good will and peace go away.  I like a few lights, some cider and a little more time with family and friends, if they can leave the cellphones in the car.  I enjoy a simple exchange of a few presents.  But what I really celebrate is that wetstuff from the sky with the gifts of greening hills, the freshness of the air, hikes to the glorious waterfalls, migrating birds and maybe a bit of wine-tasting by a fire.

For the rest of this column please click here.

Other Columns from Cherry Hill Seminary

• Bare Hands, Faithful Attendance, Open Heart by Khalila RedBird
• Whitman and Muir as Guides to Restoring Connectedness by Holli S. Emore
• Nourishing the Body Sacred by Selina Rifkin

Taylor Ellwood

The Samhain Elemental Ritual by Taylor Ellwood

Traditionally, Samhain is considered to be the day when the dead and living can mingle. The veils of the world are at their thinnest and there is a sense of liminal space in the air. Liminal space is border space, the in between place, where anything can happen.
From Taylor's article called The Samhain Elemental Ritual.
Click here to read the entire article.

Other Samhain Articles for Samhain

• The Veil Between the Worlds by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
• Samhain: A Time for Introspection--and Activism by Morgan Ravenwood
• Speaking With the Dead at Samhain by Dark Willow
• I'm Going to Be Myself For Samhain by Lupa

Melanie Marquis

Articles Home

Summertime Tarot Magick by Melanie Marquis

Who doesn’t like a summer romance? Try these simple spells based on the principles of attraction magick and see what happens! Attraction magick can be carried out with different methods. One technique is to combine the energies of what you wish to attract with your own energies. You simply weave the energies together, entwining them, through visualization, will, and symbolic action. So for a tarot love spell based on this principle, you can choose a card to represent yourself, a card to represent your ideal lover, and a card to represent the feelings you wish to share. Place the Sun card above these cards to amplify the spell with summer’s magick. Imagine all the energies shown in the cards combining. Look at the images and stack the cards on top of one another. You can say an affirmation if you like, a positive statement in your own words such as, “These energies are now entwined, in love, united.”

Click here to read more of this article.

October Project

W/P Beat

Different Eyes: TWPT Talks to Julie Flanders from October Project

October Project is its own Brill Building of spiritually-transformative pop. Like the famed American music landmark, the trio has its own distinct division of talents with Marina Belica’s sensually angelic vocals, Emil Adler’s imaginative and dreamy compositions, and Julie Flanders’ achingly beautiful harmonies, supportive counter-melodies, and revelatory lyrics that mesmerize as they illuminate. The three’s connection dates back to their teenage years and their richly storied history together fortifies their nearly 20 year professional career as October Project.  

The power of October Project’s emotional resonance lies in how lushly scenic its music is. "Always Wanted to You," from Uncovered, is rife with nature imagery that creates an openness where in a dreamy state the listener can superimpose his or her own moonlight romance. "If you go to songwriting class they tell you what makes a good song is concreteness, but when you use natural imagery, you give more room for the listener to enter the images," Emil offers. Julie adds: "This is music for you to live by, mark your transitions by; it’s a lullaby and embrace for your losses and celebrations."

Click here to read the interview

Other Music Interviews on The Wiccan/Pagan Times

• From the Mist: TWPT Talks to Adrienne Piggott
• Elemental TWPT talks to Kellianna
• The Golden Section TWPT talks to Michelle Mays

(photo by Brittany Sherman)

Mickie Mueller

Artist's Canvas Home

Art of Fantasy, Fairie, and Myth: TWPT Talks to Mickie Mueller

“I decided to make my dreams reality, drawing upon the magic that I grew up with, singing to inchworms with my mother and watching nature create miracles in the sun and under the moon. I love researching the legends of fairies, Goddesses, nature spirits, folklore and history.  I feel these themes are a part of us all on a deeper level, so when I have an opportunity to reach into that realm and bring something back, it’s an honor and I feel that I have a certain responsibility to do it with respect to these powerful entities.  When I work on a piece, these beings speak with me, and when someone else sees it, and loves it, they get to be a part of that fantastic realm where anything and everything is possible too, and bring that energy into their lives.”  -Mickie Mueller

Today Mickie has a growing business with her magical fantasy art.  Her work has been seen in magazines and books internationally, including a school textbook in Norway.  Her prints are sold in catalogues and on the Internet all over the world. She has two critically acclaimed divination decks published by Llewellyn, The Well Worn Path and The Hidden Path.  Mickie’s third deck comes out in 2011 and is her first deck that she created on her own, concept, writing, and art.  The Voice of the Trees, A Celtic Ogham Oracle is based on the rich and fantastic Celtic history, myths and legends and the Ogham system of letters used in 4th-6th century.

Click here to read the interview

M. Macha Nightmare

Community Focus

M. Macha Nightmare Cherry Hill Seminary Interview

• Our Mission: Cherry Hill Seminary provides quality higher education and practical training in Pagan ministry.
   

• Our Vision:  Cherry Hill Seminary supports Pagans and their communities by —
  Providing an extensive education in diverse aspects of Pagan philosophy, practice, and skilled ministry;
  Supplementing existing ritual and magical skills with training for professional ministry and counseling;
  Serving as an ongoing resource for individual continuing education; and
  Providing a forum for scholarship and community 

• Our Values: Cherry Hill Seminary —
  Honors the sacredness of the Earth
  Values scholarship
  Respects diversity
  Encourages individual and spiritual autonomy
  Values community
  Promotes service

 Read this interview with M. Macha Nightmare  by clicking here.

Seasonal Celebrations Home

Next Holiday: Midsummer/Litha June 21, 2013

In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four “quarter days” of the year, and modern Witches call them the four “Lesser Sabbats”, or the four “Low Holidays”. The summer solstice is one of them. 

Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the calendar creep of the leap-year cycle, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer. 

However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over toStonehenge and sight down its main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24. The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration, which is astronomically on or about December 21, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25, Yule, later adopted by the Christians. 

For the rest of Mike Nichols' article on Midsummer click here.

Next Holiday Southern Hemisphere:
Yule
June 21, 2013

For an article on Yule by Mike Nichols click here.  

2013 Wiccan/Pagan Calendar

Link

Link's Lesson Book

Your Own Celebrations of Summer

There’s a village one year’s journey from here.  And in that village lives a woman with four children.  Like any family, all four children are kindred and similar -- yet very, very unique.  One is a feisty child, with brilliant golden hair, and a natural glow warmer than any other.  This child’s name is Summer.

In an entire year, perhaps the 91 days (and nights) of Summer seem to fly by the quickest…  When you think of summer, what comes to mind?

Summer is the peak, the pinnacle, the realization of what took root during the Spring.  One lesson the seasons teach is that many things in nature grow, mature, and then fade.  Imagine yourself old and gray and wise.  Look back upon your own life as if it were a single turn of the year.  What part of your life was your high point, your “Summer,” your peak?  Where did you shine your brightest, glow your hottest?

We too change like the seasons.  When Mother Nature puts on Her Summer wardrobe, so do we.  Except these wardrobes seem quite opposite.  In Summer, the forest grows more thickly covered, while we become less covered.  Summer is a season of short sleeves, short pants, short skirts and bare toes.  While the trees might wear their thick green coats, we often frolic clad with nothing but the sky!  More of our natural selves comes out in the Summer – arms, legs, skin – what we are beneath all those layers of cold Winter clothes can shine forth in the Summer.  Maybe we resemble our animal cousins, who also shed much of their fur and feathers in Summer.

 Read the rest of this article by clicking here.

Posted June 12, 2013

Pagan Values Month: Service by THERIOSHAMANISM

Posted February 17, 2013

Good Words, Bad Words--Which Do We Use? by Barbara Ardinger
Thoughts on Spirituality, Politics and Values by Anne Hill, D.Min.

Posted February 10, 2013

A Darker Shade of Pagan: Pagan sounds from the underground Listen to the 02/10/2013 show.

Posted February 8, 2013

Donald Michael Kraig named Acquisitions Editor at Llewellyn for titles dealing with Magic(k) and Occult Topics.

Posted July 24, 2012

New Alexandrian Library Foundation is Laid

Posted July 18, 2012

A Tragedy Creates Potential for a National Pagan Discussion on Health by Tara "Masery" Miller
What Is a Witch? by Aidan Kelly

Posted July 12, 2012

Temple to Demeter unearthed in Sicily
Spirit of the Grain - Honoring the Soul of the Harvest
Where Are the Pagan Fundamentalists? by Gus diZerega

Posted July 11, 2012

David Grega of Pagan Centered Podcast obit 1984-2012

Posted July 9, 2012

Witchy Books That Aren’t About Witches!
Scavenge & Synthesize by Christopher Penczak
The Great Beast 666: Taking Another Look At Crowley by Star Foster

Posted July 8, 2012

All About Lammas (Lughnasadh) What is it and how to celebrate
Lughnasadh: Celebration of the First Harvest A Ritual for the Solitary Practitioner by Boudica
The Witch's Sabbat - Lammas/Lughnasadh

Posted July 5, 2012

TWPT's Boudica on Akasha Temple Blogtalk Radio tonight talking about Plagiarism
‘Religion’ is not a synonym for ‘Christianity’

Posted July 4, 2012

Our Gay Founding Father
Pagans Celebrating July 4

Posted July 3, 2012

To Live Your Story: Cat Treadwell's Blog Post
Titles, Labels and Names

Posted July 2, 2012

The (Pagan) Declaration of Independence
Life Moves Pretty Fast: Learning to Love the Law
The Deepest Well: Uncrossing Spell

Posted June 30, 2012

Survey Results: Pagans Strike a Balance, Find Inspiration in Nature
Christianity is a Pagan Religion with Deep Roots in Astrology
Virginia refuses to recognize High Priestess as clergy
Modesty, a “laughable non-problem” for Pagans?
The Growing Threat of Christian Dominionism
Why Britain's woodlands are so precious

Posted March 6, 2011

5 environmental revelations from WikiLeaks
What can 28,000 rubber duckies lost at sea teach us about our oceans?
Eastern cougar officially declared extinct

Posted November 27, 2010

Shakmah Winddrum passed away November 27, 2010

Posted November 17, 2010

Women and the Changing Faces of Paganism: T. Thorn Coyle's latest podcast Episode # 37

Posted November 13, 2010

Camp Zoe, Site of Schwagstock (and PSG) , Facing Seizure After Drug Investigation
Pagan Spirit Gathering Looking for new site for 2011

Posted August 11, 2010

Where Are the Pagan Role Models?
A Pagan site to visit in the SF Bay Area
Reclaiming a San Francisco Pagan Tradition
Pagan Group Listings Now Available

Posted August 6, 2010

An Argentine Gem Hidden No More
Past Lives and Reincarnation
Fertility Statues May Work, Believe it or Not
The Wigglian Way Pagan Podcast Episode 72

Posted August 5, 2010

LA area Pagans celebrate Lammas/Lughnasadh
Los Angeles area Pagans cope with economic slump

Posted August 4, 2010

Bonewits Papers to be Donated

Posted August 2, 2010

Psychics stir up conversation, provide perspective

Posted August 1, 2010

Witch School International Names First Board of Directors, Faces Major Challenges
Sunday conversation: Byron Ballard loves her Earth religion, and her community
Wicca
A Brief History of Nakedness
Smith: Lammas celebrates first harvest of fall season
Pagan Travel Examiner Musician of the Month: July 2010: Caera: Part 1 of 2
New Book on Convicted Highland Witch

Posted July 31, 2010

Witch at a Catholic Celebration
Jesus the new Pagan God
Ancient Spirituality and Commerce Clash in Mari El
Five stunning stone circles (besides Stonehenge)
Confluence of harvest celebrations on August 1st
Anne Rice 'quits being a Christian'
Bread God-figure for Lammas: a recipe

Jesse Wolf Hardin

Columns Home

TWPT's Earth Magic

This month Jesse's new article is entitled
Pitfalls on the Magical or Spiritual Path.

Otherwise benign New Spiritual practices can suffer from some of the same pitfalls as conventional organized religion. Fortunately, once we’re aware of these diversions we can make the informed choices that reunite us with the inspirited world, rather than contribute to our estrangement.

In my life of pilgrimage the voices of the earthen Anima have repeatedly contradicted what I’ve read, was taught, once thought, and so badly wanted to believe... Thus as I became a teacher myself, I deferred again and again— not to presumed authorities or established traditions, but to the actual Source of every real truth they contain. Our realization of wholeness/holiness begins not in contemplation or conclusion but in a great listening. It begins in a vulnerable condition of openness, with fierce focus, gentle humility, and the overwhelming gratitude that makes us worthy of such gifts.

Read Jesse's column on TWPT

Networking Home

Featuring the links page and the events calendar.