Practitioners of cottage magic possess a deep connection to their homes and the land around it. Although some may think of this as a connection to the beams and bricks that make up the house itself, many cottage witches also seek to build a connection with the rich spiritual energies that reside in their homes. For those who acknowledge the spirit realm and seek to walk in step with it, household spirits can be a source of peace and comfort as well as powerful magical allies.
Read MoreWhen we discuss the link between spirits and witchcraft, we often focus on the practitioner’s connection with spirits of nature or the spirits of the dead. While it is certainly true that we should celebrate our connection to these spiritual forces, there are many other types of spirits that are deserving of our attention. During the autumn months, when the cooler weather entices us into the warmth of our homes, it is also fitting for us to take time to connect with the household spirits that reside with us in our homes.
Read MoreAs the month of October unfolds and the daylight hours grow shorter, many witches and other practitioners of magic begin to turn their thoughts to honoring their ancestors. One practice that allows us to express this desire to reconnect with our honored dead is the creation of an ancestral altar or shrine. Creating an altar dedicated to honoring one’s ancestors is a magnificent way to connect with your roots, remember loved ones who have passed, and tap into the themes of death and remembrance associated with the autumn season.
Read More‘Aos sí’ is a term used to encompass a complex and powerful array of figures within Irish pagan theology and Celtic mythology, figures I sometimes refer to as the Otherworld Folk and Otherkin. You’ll hear them more commonly called the Sídhe, fairies/faeries/the fae, the Good Neighbors, the Folk, the Good Folk, daoine sídhe/daoine sìthe. There are no doubt countless terms and names used to mean the aos sí, and just as many theories as to who these figures are, where they come from, and what they do.
Read MoreSpirit work is a set of practices adjacent to—but not necessarily the same as—mediumship, spirit communication, spiritualism, astral practices and spirit-based magic. Note that I said they are not necessarily the same; but they can be used in tandem. There are many mediums, for example, who also practice a form of spirit work or who would identify their psychic practice as being spirit work. There are also many advocates of the Spirit Theory of Magic, practitioners of spirit-based magical paths who would say that spirit work was merely a part of their magical tradition rather than a standalone practice for them. They can be the same. They can be used together. They are not always.
Read MoreToday, Krampus and his traditions are being revived in places like Germany, Austria, and Bavaria with annual events such as Krampuslauf and Austria’s Krampusnacht parade. For the most part, Krampus has been adopted into popular culture to the extent that even Americans may occasionally send or receive a Krampus-themed holiday card. But what are the true origins of this dark Christmastime figure? And how did he come to be the counterpart—or, in some places, companion—of Jolly Old St. Nick?
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