gdp's Comments

One Witch's Way : Ask A Witch: Love Spells

Fri, 7 Jan 2011 21:54:59 +0000

To get rid of negative energy and bring yourself back into balance I'm a big advocate of ritual baths. Putting together a simple bath of sea salt and any herbs that you find relaxing (I like rose and lavender for this) and add it to a hot bath and soak in it visualizing that all the dark, icky energy that you feel is weighing you down leaving your body and going into the water. When you're ready to get out leave that energy behind and see it flow down the drain when you drain the bath. When drying off visualize and feel any remaining energy being wiped away and be sure NOT to reuse that towel until after it's been through the wash. If you don't have a bath rub you can still do this in the shower by taking the sea salt and herbs and putting it in a muslin bag or wrapped in cheese cloth and tie it to the shower nozzle so that the water will flow through it when while you stand under it. Visualize the water running down your body while it takes the negative energy with it and then see it running down the drain. Negativity towards men is something that you could work on with ritual baths as well but you might also want to work on a spell on yourself to open your heart up to men in a positive way. This can be done with something as simple as a candle spell (pink candle would be the best color for this) or something as involved as a poppet spell. If you'd like some specific help, feel free to email me privately and I'll see what I can do to help. :)

One Witch's Way : Today's Animal Spirit Guides...The Gorilla!

Wed, 5 Jan 2011 19:53:50 +0000

Also, it's important to remember that you power animals can change over time and sometimes and animal that we feel connected to may not actually be our power animal. Often our power animals have lessons to teach us or things to help us get through. Because of that an animal that has connections to things we are already solid or set in within our lives and paths wouldn't have much to offer us. So it's possible that you may do a journey to meet your power animal and you may find that a completely different and somewhat unexpected animal may appear. Don't ignore it or discount it. Whoever arrives is there for a reason and has something to teach you.

One Witch's Way : Today's Animal Spirit Guides...The Gorilla!

Wed, 5 Jan 2011 19:50:06 +0000

Hi Christopher, My first recommendation would be to do a journey specifically to connect with your power animal. Here is the meditation process that I would recommend for that. Get yourself in a meditative state (relax, breathe deeply, etc). Visualize yourself standing in front of a giant tree with deep, deep roots and branches that reach so far up into the sky and clouds that you can't see where they end. This is the World Tree. Traveling through the World Tree will bring you to either the Upper, Middle, or Lower world. Walk around the tree, smell the earth and the leaves around you, reach your hand out and feel the bark of the tree. As you do this place the intention into the tree that you want to meet with your power animal. Find a place in the roots that open up and create a passage way or tunnel. Go into the tunnel and follow where it leads. Do this while still holding the intention that you are going to meet your power animal. When you come to the end of the tunnel it may either open up into a space like a forest or other surroundings or you may come to a door. Open the door or step into the space and ask that your power animal that is most right and correct for you right now to come to you. At this point the journey is all yours. You'll want to look around, take note of your surroundings, observe any sounds, smells, etc. Your power animal might come right away or it might take a little while. It's also possible that your power animal may not every show up; it's possible that they may be in the background or hiding so that they can observe you. If you wait and feel like they aren't going to show up you can always just let them know that you would like to connect on your next visit and then try this journey again in a few days. If your power animal does arrive you can ask it questions and communicate but they may or may not communicate back right away. Sometimes they may want to build up a trust or relationship first. Give it time and make these journeys regularly. Your gratitude is often all the repayment a power animal requires but you can always ask if there is something in the way of an offering that they would like in exchange.

One Witch's Way : Ask A Witch - Air in the North?

Sun, 2 Jan 2011 21:55:43 +0000

You know what they say about great minds...lol :)

One Witch's Way : A Tarot Spread for the New Year

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 05:11:55 +0000

Aww....thank you! :)

One Witch's Way : Announcing the 2011 One Witch's Way Calendar!

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:19:38 +0000

I received a few email questions about this calendar so I wanted to address them here (hopefully people with these questions will see this response). "What does the money get used for since they're donations?" The money that comes in from the calendar is used to pay for the monthly web hosting fees, the domain fees for the year, the photo storing account, and other small things that come up for the site. Money that is left over from paying these fees will be used for some new things that I'd like to do with the site including making some new items and features available that aren't feasible right now. "Is there any way to get a pre-printed version?" I actually received several requests about this today and I am going to look at making one available. If I am able to do it they wont be available for at least a few weeks and they will cost more than the current offering. If anyone else has any other questions, just ask! And if you've made a donation and received one and would like to share your thoughts on it, please do! I'd love to hear what you think of it!

One Witch's Way : Tonight's Lunar Eclipse

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:45:18 +0000

For letting go I would try something simple like a petition spell. I like burning and cutting things for letting go and I think that with the energy around the night simple would be fine. I would recommend a black candle and either a banishing oil or frankincense oil (has vibrations for exorcism) and anoint the candle. Take a piece of paper and and write something like this: "I __________________ (your name or magickal name) call upon the powers of the Goddess, God, and Great Spirit (or specific deities you might work with) to aid me in the power to let go of __________________ (be very specific in detailing what you want to let go of). I ask for the ability to become more _______________________ (what you would rather have once letting go of whatever it you are letting go of). I ask for this for my highest good, harming none. So more it be!" When you're ready light the paper from the candle flame and burn it in a cauldron or other fire safe container. Meditate for a bit on releasing what you need to release and then focus more of your energy on what you want in it's place. You can then either snuff the candle when you feel done (don't relight it, you're done with the spell at this point) or let it burn all the way down. Leave an offering on your altar or outdoors in thanks to the Gods for their help (wine, fruit, chocolate, etc...or whatever is right for the Gods you might be working with). Hope that helps! :)

One Witch's Way : Tonight's Lunar Eclipse

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:13:14 +0000

Magick, in this case, is often spelled with a "k". The practice originated with Aleister Crowley who used the "k" after the work "magic" to help show the difference between slight of hand tricks (magic) and spiritual, high ritual and what many considered spellwork (magick). Today it's often a matter of either preference of the writer/individual since many people feel that context will differentiate which is which. I personally use Crowley's spelling and philosophy, as many still do.

One Witch's Way : Day 9 of Yule – Pagan Roots to Holiday Traditions

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:04:04 +0000

Glad you\\\'re enjoying them! They\\\'re certainly fun to do. :) If you have any specific Yule related topics that you\\\'d like to see covered, by all means, let me know!

One Witch's Way : The Issue of Ritual Human Sacrifice

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Well, there are certainly a few things to bring up with your link and the information there. I think it's highly important to mention right from the start that your comment and link it stems from deals with things not at all mentioned in this article (so I do wonder if you yourself aren't Pamela Shuffert looking to spread your propaganda). My post deals with the history of human sacrifice in ancient cultures, not modern day Satanists. And as I mentioned in response to another's comment, abortion is not a subject that will be discussed here. That said... I think Ms. Schuffert needs to do a little looking into exactly what investigative journalism is because she is using that term to describe her work in the most loose of terms. Woodward and Berstein are text book investigative journalists. Ms. Schuffert is someone who has a pesronal agenda presenting baised information with no foundation. Investigative journalism is all about fact, it's"smoking gun" journalism that is backed by soild information that has been hidden from the public. This in hardly that. No facts with proof to back it up, just the typical "Satanic Panic" style Christian fear mongering. Top that off with the grammatical errors and horrendous, ammature style formatting it's really hard to take this as a serious piece of journalism rather than just a blog post by someone with a fanatical religious point of view. The entire "article" makes some grand accusations. I don't care how liberal the media may be, if there really was actual, tangible evidence about these illedged number of people in the "upper hundreds of thousands every year" being kidnapped, bought and sold, and otherwise aquired by Satanic cults in America for the purpose of human sacrifice I am pretty sure someone would let the cat out of bag on that and the media would eat that up! They love those sorts of sensational stories! Ted Gunderson has long been know to be an Illuminatti conspirist and extremly biased in his "investigations". Since Gunderson (supposedly) retired from the FBI he\'s found some way to be involved in any and every public case of suspected Satanic ritual abuse and is always very cryptic in his acusations, claming that the FBI knows the truth but nobody wants to tell. That doesn\'t make him sound creditble or even like he really knows anything but more as though he's simply paronoid and delusional. In general this blog post, and the whole blog in general, which I sent quite some time going through, is hardly proof of anything other than one Christain extremist who is convinced of some very crazy conspiary theories of the religious right. Maybe if Ms. Schuffert was more transparent in her "investigations" and actually presented hard evidence of her claims rather than hearsay it would help her cause. Maybe given the fact that she's isn't a a trained journalist or the fact that she believes her father was recruited into some government Satanic cult while working at the Pentagon in the 80s, or maybe it's the usual claims we often hear from Christians who have a desire to really push the "Satanic Panic" when it comes to the occult; she claims to have once been involved with the occult herself and "nearly died" as a result (reading her "My Testimony" article, which I found through archive.org http://web.archive.org/web/20050314222658/http://... since it's no longer hosted, reveals some really interesting information that explains the flavor of her "journalism", though this is one of those pieces that's the typical "I was in the occult and not I'm born again" stories that are always so extreme and almost undoubtedly fabricated). Other articles like this one by Kerr Cuhulain and the one on RumorMill News also shed some light on her only adding to the suspect of her work. I know that you are fully aware of what you're doing by posting something like this here. I am always open to having anyone share their thoughts and opinions regardless of what religion the affiliate with. While I can't speak for all of my readers, as they vary greatly, I can only speak for myself and say that I'm not a Satanist, I'm a Witch. And in all my years of being involved in the Craft, and even having known Satanists as well, I have never seen any evidence of any of the claims that Ms. Schuffert and those like her claim. And, frankly, I don't she or many of these others have either since no one has ever come forward with anything but acusations. But thank you for your thoughts and sharing the link.

One Witch's Way : Ghost Adventures aka Extreme Ghost Hunting aka Are You F'ing Serious?!

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 15:01:58 +0000

Thank you for your thoughts, Josh. Sadly, as is the case with many people outside of the Craft, their understanding of our beliefs and how they fit or don\\\'t fit with other religious and spiritual systems is still sorely lacking. Shows like this and many of the others, even the ones that I sometimes enjoy like \\\"Paranormal State\\\" use these misconceptions as ways to draw attention and ratings. I would love to see a Pagan or Wiccan family profiled on one of those shows as having activity that they need help with because it would be interesting to see how their beliefs are approached, especially in the cleansing process of the home since it\\\'s a common practice with (in my opinion) good paranormal teams to use cleansing and blessing methods that are within the belief system of the living residents. I\\\'d like to see how some of these shows would work with those sorts of families.

One Witch's Way : The Issue of Ritual Human Sacrifice

Mon, 1 Nov 2010 14:58:29 +0000

Interesting thoughts. Frankly, I personally don\\\'t see abortion, or euthanasia, as being akin to the human sacrificial practices of antiquity. And when you talk about it being a way to become unburdened and this being connected to the god Mammon or the idea of \\\"devil\\\'s bargains\\\", you\\\'re taking into consideration largely Biblical concepts which isn\\\'t something that we aren\\\'t really concerned with here since I would wager to say that the vast majority of readers, and myself as the author, are Pagan rather than Christian, so these things are not a concern. Abortion is a very highly debatable and touchy subject in our day and age and not something that I wish to debate here. Not all who have abortions today are doing it as a sort of \\\"bargain\\\" with any deity or supernatural force. In modern Pagan practices the act of sacrifice and offerings of life essence are still done and we do not see them as superstitious bargains but as a means of working in concert with the deities and energies around us.

One Witch's Way : Link Exchanges

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:58:29 +0000

I got your email, thank you! I had to chuckle because I thought I was getting a little excessive but you seem to have me completely beat. :) I will get your things added today.

One Witch's Way : Asking A Witch About Samhain

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 19:54:55 +0000

We don\\\'t do human sacrifice NOW but it is historical fact that it was a common practice throughout the world thousands of years ago. We need to stop imposing our modern views and values on things done in foreign cultures 2,000-3,000 years ago. Much like people need to do their research about our modern practices to remove their ignorance of us today, we need to do our own research and not be ignorant of our past. It isn\\\'t always going to be pretty and we aren\\\'t always going to agree with it but that doesn\\\'t make it not true. As for animal sacrifice, well, that\\\'s another story. There are traditions around the world today that still practice this. It just depends on what brand of Pagan or magickal practitioner you are (if you\\\'re Wiccan obviously you wouldn\\\'t do it but if you practiced Santeria you might). Those that do it don\\\'t devalue life (a misconception among many Pagans) but they have a different view of the process. There are practitioners who raise their own animals, use then in sacrificial capacities and then use all of the animal afterwards (meat for food, fur/feathers for clothing, etc) as a way of honoring its sacrifice. I like the comment about doing the research; we could all take away something from that idea.

One Witch's Way : Asking A Witch About Samhain

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:25:46 +0000

One interesting thing is that there seems to be little evidence of human sacrifice in Ireland (keeping in mind this is not the only part of the Celtic world) and that animal sacrifice was widely performed instead. It’s been suggested that this was because death wasn’t seen in the negative light that we see it today, instead it was just the beginning of another phase. It was more likely that death, not seen as the ultimate punishment and not feared by the people of Ireland, would have not been a likely method of retribution on criminals or those who had done wrong against the tribes (these were some of the types of people believed to have been sacrificed by the Druids in places like Gaul). Instead it is far more likely that various methods of torture, things perceived in their minds as “far worse than death”, would have been enacted. The truth is that human sacrifice was not something unknown or uncommon to the pre-Christian world, nor was it seen as abhorrently to them as we see it today. The idea that the Druids would have unequivocally been above these practices is unrealistic. Their value of life and the reasons why they would have done such sacrifices, to me, seem connected and not opposed. The sacrifices were believed to have been part of rites to ensure health, safety, and the overall well being of the tribes through appeasing the Gods and that it would have been a great honor for someone to give their lives knowing that it would (in their minds) be the thing that would ensure the lives of everyone else would be prosperous. In the end it all boils down to opposing possible views of history with evidence to support both theories. It has to come down to "what is more likely than not" and many scholars actually do leave the door open for the possibility of human sacrifice in some form or another. I liked one thing that I heard someone say years ago when this was a debate at a Pagan gathering I was at where the subject of sacrifice came up. They basically said that we are living and practicing today in a different world, a different culture, and with a different understanding of the past. Does it really matter if they did perform human sacrifice? And if they really did (and this person, a modern Druid, did believe that the Druids of the past did) was it so wrong? In their world at 2,000 years ago it made sense to them and it would have been nothing out of the ordinary. Today it would be a whole different story and religious autonomy wouldn't save you from the certain punishment that would come. Today we aren't striving to reenact the practices of the Pagans of antiquity but we are striving to understand them, know why they did what they did, and then use that to deeper our understanding and practice today. It doesn't mean you have to go out and reenact human sacrifice because that's what they did in the past, but it does give us cause to stop and contemplate the importance of sacrifice as a whole in our lives and the need to give something of value to the Gods to show our dedication and desires. A few bits and pieces of information that might be helpful... http://druidnetwork.org/es/node/1002692 http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/faqs/sacrific.h... http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/d/drui... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGtXW22RhRA (a video piece about the Lindow Man from National Geographic)

One Witch's Way : Asking A Witch About Samhain

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 02:25:38 +0000

The issue of human sacrifice and the Druids is certainly a debatable subject. Not only is it believed that they did human sacrifice but there has been archeological evidence found that leads some to believe that they also practiced cannibalism. I would also agree with you completely about the issue of Caesar having vilified the Druids and their practices in his writings, but that doesn’t mean every last word was propaganda intended to insight war with Gaul and gain support for it as some would like to believe. He certainly was working hard to rid the lands of the Druids and other similar people but it’s somewhat naïve to believe that all of it was a war-time fantasy. Personally, I like what Brandan Cathbad Myers says about human sacrifice in his book “The Mysteries of Druidry”. “For those who want to believe the answer is yes, there is plenty of literary and archaeological evidence to justify that belief. For those who want to believe the answer is no, there are plenty of other ways to interpret the evidence.” He presents some excellent arguments for both sides of the coin in his book. The fact is that much of the history of the Druids is speculative. Much is either flat out assumption or based on archeological evidence that is then often looked at with at least a little bit of our modern day understanding. Many bodies have been found throughout Celtic Europe and the British Isles over the years that have suggested human sacrifice as a cause of death. The 1984 discovery of Lindow Man, the body of a 20-something from the 1st century discovered at the Lindow Moss peat bogs in Cheshire in the North West region of England, is one of the big compelling cases for possible Druid human sacrifice. And, like all such finds, the actual cause of death has been debated greatly; it's possible that he could have been killed by anyone for any reason, but there are many ideas that lend to the fact that was a ritual style killing and that there are virtually no signs that he struggled for his life and instead accepted it and was a quite possibly a willing victim. (continued)...

One Witch's Way : Help me name my new Shop!

Fri, 8 Oct 2010 00:26:03 +0000

Congrats Ellie! Your name was the one I picked! Be sure to contact me at rowan@rowanpendragon.com so we can talk about your prizes!

One Witch's Way : Help me name my new Shop!

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:50:31 +0000

Thank you all for such wonderful choices! I'm going to be picking something today so I'll be announcing a winner soon! :)

One Witch's Way : Gypsy - The Enchantress of Song

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:48:17 +0000

You\\\'re so welcome! I am going to start posting more information on Pagan musicians and other artists in order to help drive more business and attention there way. I think that we need to really reach out to our own community and support one another in a very big way right now for more reasons than one! :)

Sacred Mists Blog : Altars Anywhere

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:02:10 +0000

Merry Meet Lorraine, Altar cloths are used for two reasons, one "magickal", so to speak, and one practical. In the magickal sense it's used to help create a sort of barrier between your magickal tools and the energy if your work surface. Some people find that the may be working on a table or other area that is normally used for mundane reasons and because of this energy that may not be conducive to their work could be built up in the table and the cloth will help to create a safe and sacred space to work on. Others feel that the magickal energy of the color and/or images on their altar cloth add to the work they are doing and make a more pleasing sacred space. In the mundane sense it helps to protect your work area from oils, falling wax, water, wine, etc. Do you HAVE to have one? No, but personally I would recommend it for all three of the reasons above but especially because the colors we use for our cloths add energy to the work we're doing. Color plays a great roll in a lot of our rituals and spells and by using an altar cloth of an appropriate color you bring in a bit of an added boost of energy to your work. I would recommend in getting started with altar cloths to have two available, one black and one white, and then build up your collection of colors and styles as you go on and each time you prepare your altar for a different type of work, use a cloth that corresponds with what you're going to be doing (black for the New Moon, white or silver for the Full Moon...yellow for spells for happiness, green for money spells, and then I like to use ones with prints for the Sabbats like holly and mistletoe prints for Yule). The type of cloth you use is up to you. Some people only use natural fiber cloths, like ones made from cotton, silk or hemp. Others, like myself, a little less rigid on that and instead focus on the color and any prints used and look for what that will add to the altar itself. I usually go to a local fabric or craft store periodically and just look for new fabric that I think will be helpful and useful or for something that might be seasonal to add to my collection. I find that overtime my tastes in altar cloths change and one that I might used every Mabon for 5 years no longer works for me and I'll retire the fabric and set it aside and use it for something else (make tarot bags, spell bags or dreams pillows with the fabric) and then start using something else. So be creative with it! It can really add a lot to your altar! Blessings, )O( Rowan