Category: Archive
Articles that appeared in the previous iteration of this blog, called Mirth and Reverence with Amy Rhea.
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Sybil Leek’s Six Tenets of Witchcraft: Words from the Original Witch Queen
Before Laurie Cabot was the “Official Witch of Salem”, there was Sybil Leek, “Britain’s most famous witch”. Sybil Fawcett Leek (1917-1982) was called “Dame Sybil” by some and “That Damn Sybil” by others. A colorful character by any stretch of the imagination, she was a Witch, psychic, and occultist. She grew up in the New
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The Amateur Priestess: Serving for the Love of Goddess
Categories: ArchiveI am an amateur priestess. I serve the Pagan community out of love, and have been in some capacity or another since 2011. There was a time when I dreamed of monetizing my spiritual skills – I think every witch goes through this phase – but I learned through hard experience that the professional witch
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Teaching the Craft: The Fine Art and Science of Personal Responsibility
Categories: ArchiveI learned the Craft of the Wise in a few different ways. I first learned on my own by reading and experimentation. Then I found a community group that led me to a training circle led by a high priestess and learned through weekly study sessions, complete with handouts and homework assignments. My advanced training
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The Triple Ring: A Protection Spell
Categories: ArchiveOne of the first spells I learned as a young witch was the Triple Ring. When my teacher, a spry old crone named Susan, realized that my go-to shielding spell was making me oblivious to all sorts of things in my surroundings — which made perfect sense as I was visualizing a thick, red brick
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Don’t Just Do Something, Stand There!: Embracing Slow in a Fast-Paced World
Categories: ArchiveTags: personal experience“Don’t just do something, stand there!” I credit Deacon Pierce Hewlett (1916-2005) in my childhood Episcopal congregation for teaching me this wise play on words as a reminder to slow down and think things through before acting. My mother often reiterated it to me as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ignored
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Sci-Fi Parables: Teaching the Craft through Storytelling
Jesus wasn’t the first teacher to ever use stories to teach moral or spiritual concepts. Aesop – famous for his fables – lived in Greece six hundred years earlier. Before him, in the 8th Century BCE, Homer wrote down orally-transmitted epic poetry, including the Iliad and the Odyssey, that illustrated spiritual themes while also entertaining
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Recitation, Vibration, Intonation, and Resonation: Harnessing the Power of Sound
Sound has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m teaching my students about the power of recitation, vibration, intonation, and resonation in magick through the use of the Qabalistic Cross, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and the Middle Pillar exercise. These ceremonial magick operations are part of our tradition’s spiritual heritage, and
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Vo-Tech Clergy: Preparing Pagans for the Unglamorous Work of Ministry
Categories: ArchiveTags: priestesshoodAn elder in my tradition told me on more than one occasion that being Pagan clergy isn’t a master’s degree but rather a vo-tech certificate. She put it that way to illustrate the fact that much of what Pagan clergy do to serve their communities is learned through practical experience and on-the-job training. It’s a
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Multilayered Realities: Walking In Many Worlds
The Kingdom of Heaven is in this very moment, properly understood. I don’t remember now whether I heard that in a college religion course or at a sermon one Sunday as a child, but it has stuck with me for decades. I’ve interpreted it in various ways over the years, but I’ve come to understand
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The Good-Enough Work: Spiritual Progress When You’re Struggling
Categories: ArchiveIf you’ve been studying or practicing the Craft for very long, you’ve probably come across the concept of the Great Work. The Great Work, as it is understood by my tradition, is the process of discovering who you are, what your true will is, and how to manifest that true will. It’s a process that