Witchvox - New Articles This Week
Clay Goddess [Spiderwitch]
Wed, 08/11/2010 - 5:55pmThe Goddess dwells within the center of our beings, deep within the collective unconscious of humankind. -- D.J ConwayA figurine rests on my altar, molded from red earthy clay. I painted her gold and carved on wavy lines, shaped arms, head and torso. Her closed eyes conceal mystery and inner wisdom. The clay goddess embodies the Divine Feminine. To me, spirituality is a spiritual relationship with the Divine Feminine. The Goddess Brighid reflects qualities in me, who I am and what I am
How To Be a Practicing Pagan with a Chronic Illness [Nobby]
Wed, 08/11/2010 - 5:55pmI have a chronic illness and all the healing magic, alternative medicines, herbs or conventional medicine cant make a lick of difference. My illness, while chronic and incurable, is also non-life threatening which is good. but does mean Im in constant pain and always suffering from differing levels of fatigue. This can make it difficult to be active in pagan life. Camps and gatherings are often too much to cope with. Going for a hike is right out. A simple walk in a park can be drainin
43rd Annual Gathering of the Tribes [Bronwen Forbes]
Wed, 08/11/2010 - 1:38pmThe moment I arrived at a small private camping area near Steamboat Rock, Iowa early afternoon on July 15, my trusty sidekick, Bridey the Amazing Grunting Beagle woke from the nap she started in Kansas City, stretched, and put her paws on the front passenger car window as if to say Were home, mom!And home we were indeed. I love small festivals and the deep sense of family that is created over the course of the event; large gatherings feel like a Pagan town small ones (under 75 peopl
Jennifer Graywolf Kendall [Bridesmane]
Sat, 08/07/2010 - 9:59pmMy spirit sister and former covenmate passed away after a very brief illness June 1, 2010. There will be a memorial Aug 7, 2010 at Saltwater State Park in Des Moines WA. Please email me peppirb@yahoo.com for more info if you plan on coming. She was active in our community after our coven disbanded and I no longer know who she bonded with.She was an eternal student, wise teacher, Aryuvedic herbalist, mother, sensual woman, lover of yoga, music, animals and life. She had a sweet myster
The Abundance of Lammas [CatDancing]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmAs you think of the month of August, what images come to mind? Depending on the part of the world that you live in the answers to that question may be quite different, but for many the first thought of this month is HEAT! Folks in my area often refer to these days as the dog days of summer - a phrase that reminds me of a quote from author Sam Keen who said, Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability. As one who has never been very tolerant of hot weather, I have to confess that
Lughnasadh: The Deeper Meaning [Morbek]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmOver the years, I have celebrated Lughnasadh in several ways. However, this year, while sitting in the outdoors, ever present sauna of an Oklahoma heat wave, I was gifted with the most profound meaning of the Sabbat Ive ever experienced. If youve never been in an Ozark heat wave, heres a little background on what it feels like Hot! Sticky! Damp! And ever present! It feels as if summer will never end and you know that you are just beginning to walk into the hot months. The only hope you feel i
When Did it Become Unfashionable To Be Monogamous? [Bronwen Forbes]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmI recently returned from a major Midwest Pagan gathering where, much to my surprise, in just four short days I was propositioned, invited to an orgy, and given the opportunity to play Naked Twister. I say much to my surprise because as someone who is bespectacled, approaching 50, greying, and who could stand to lose about one-third of my body weight, I honestly dont consider myself to be that much of a big deal, sexually speaking. Maybe Im wrong.I also say much to my surprise becau
What You Do On Your Knees [Fire Lyte]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmControversy seems to happen a lot when you get on your knees, but not more so than when what were doing on our knees is praying. The basic definition of prayer is a solemn request or thanksgiving to God or an object of worship. Prayer is what happens when people talk to themselves and hope somebody is listening. But, then again, its not. Prayer is also a powerful exchange of energy. There are many aspects of prayer to consider, but lets first look at the two sides of what prayer is:
Practicing What We Preach [Lynx Story]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmMany pagans have been ridiculing each others paths. Though they claim to be open and accepting of other views, they are human, and therefore opinionated. When hearing of a path that disagrees almost entirely with their own, many pagans will feel a need to explain how the other person is wrong. It is seen every day within the community in the ridicule of the openly intolerant practices of certain branches of Christianity. Although the majority of the pagan community has a higher average of open-
Paganism as a Path of Freedom [Maggi Setti]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmFreedom of belief and freedom to choose the specifics of ones path are some of the most highly valued ideas in Pagan religion and practice. It is something that I have come to almost take for granted. Recently I was exposed in a visceral way to the alternate viewpoints that other religions proscribe to. This exposure triggered some memories from my teenage years, when my quest for spiritual fulfillment became an important facet of those formative years.I was a very religious and devout
Quem é Deméter? - Um pouco sobre o culto a Deusa da Terra [Ines Raven]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmQuando Dem and eacute;ter entrou na minha vida, em 2007, eu n and atilde;o sabia direito quem Ela era e n and atilde;o entendi, a princ and iacute;pio, porque uma deusas dessas ia estar comigo. Assim como a maioria das pessoas, eu atribu and iacute;a and agrave; Deusa apenas atributos maternais que n and atilde;o tinham lugar na minha vida aos 21 anos. Mas aos poucos eu fui conhecendo a divindade, seus diversos atributos, suas formas de culto, suas oferendas... e assim eu entendi que, realmente, temos muito em comum.Apesar de sempre lembrarmos do mito do rapto d
Riches Upon Riches [Keyokwee]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmI have to really be concerned at the debate that is now waging in many religions over wealth. Must we walk in sackcloth, be dirt poor and have no possessions to show just how truly pious we are? Its a central focus around so many religions: To be or not to be wealthy?Whatever! Why this obsession with money? What about the gist of your religion? What about the concept? Lets examine the concept. If you want to be a good person: Love your fellow man. Dont break the
Shangri-La - EcoVillage [Starpalm]
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 8:35pmNearly seventy-five years ago, James Hilton imagined a magical city based upon Tibets version of the Garden of Eden, Shambhala (Berzin) . His book, The Lost Horizon, inspired Theodore Roosevelt to name the presidential retreat in its honor. Today, there are many, who like Hilton, envision a population of enlightened people who create a sustainable, balanced community in which the environment thrives ecologically, spiritually and culturally. If it can be imagined, it can be made manifest.
'Fishes and Loaves' vs. the 'Karma of Lack' [Rhavyn]
Sat, 07/31/2010 - 8:54pmOnce upon a time, at a sacred space long ago, I was taught the power of the spoken word and instant manifestation by witnessing over and over again the appearance of that which was both wished for/needed and dreaded in the span of one magickal weekend. It struck me how, as a community, we are made stronger and more susceptible to the weaknesses of our neighbors all at the same time and how one who is not aware of the concept of 'power of spoken word ' can be a detriment in a circle of sa
Love: Cast Thyself [Charlz]
Sat, 07/31/2010 - 8:54pmThis is not an article about the proper mixture of ingredients in casting a pathetic spell that will attract a desired person. Rather, this goes beyond the principles that hold the chemistry of love spells. Many of the worlds religions preach but one lesson --- Love.Love is also the same essence that lies within the pyramid of Magick. As we can read from the Christian Bible, Jesus taught the public the most powerful Magick in the guise of a commandment. Love is present and is preached b
Cooking Dinner Does Not Make You a Kitchen Witch [Deborah]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmI spent my twenties fighting against who I really was in oh so many ways. I didn't want to be a kitchen Witch. I thought that was the least impressive, most Holly Hobby branch of magic there is. You have to picture me from ten years ago: I'm constantly listening to NIN! I wear boots with sparkly laces to my corporate gig! I'm thrashing around on top of tables pumped full of piss and goldschlagger! I'm trying to break glass ceilings! I'm smoking cigars with the boys! I'm demanding my plac
I'm Right, You're Wrong: The Fight to be Different [Sarrestia]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmI was thinking about writing all the examples and instances up front, and then lay out the bottom-line, but then I decided, what the heck: Ladies and Gentlemen, there is not a damn thing you can do to be anything like the person next to you. No matter what you do, no matter how you live, no matter what you think, you will always, from before birth to after death, be different. This is not an opinion, this is not an in-a-perfect-world statement, and this is fact, genetically to psycholo
Draíochta i dTraidisiúin Gaelach: Magic (k) in Irish Tradition [Mike]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmIreland is often described as a and quot;magical place and quot; in literature, and modern tourist brochures. Those words are indeed hard to separate from the landscape, mythology, literature, and poems that have been expressed by so many writers produced by this unique island. Magic is a term open to personal interpretation to many people, with a wide range of definitions under its label. More specifically, I'm here to describe its role in Irish Paganism.Magic (k) can be viewed in correlation with relig
The Myth of Monotheism [Gus diZerega]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmFor thousands of years people lived in a world they experienced as populated by a multitude of spiritual forces, nor did they think of them as being subordinate to some central divine king. Today many scholars see this awareness of spiritual multiplicity as a first step towards more sophisticated spiritual understandings, a spiritual journey culminating in monotheism or, alternatively, a focus on NonDual reality. To them, we contemporary Pagans seem a kind of romantic throwback or perhaps even a
Realities of Acceptance [Crick]
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 6:22pmI have long felt that man-made religions are a device to control the hearts and minds of fellow humans. And to my mind have little if anything to do with true spirituality in regards to the individual. This is not to say that folks who are members of a religion, whatever path it may be, do not have spirituality. Rather I believe that said spirituality is more of an individual accomplishment rather than that of the religion in question. At any rate religions throughout the ages have focused a gre
