Q is for Queen

Queen
Queen of Heaven
Queen of Hearts
Queen of Wands...Swords...Cups...Coins
Witch Queen
So many terms and titles come to mind when I think of Queen.

A Queen is a strong feminine figure in the minds of many. She can hold all the faces of the Goddess from the Virgin Queen Elizabeth to the Motherly Princess Diana (not a Queen but...you get my point) to the Dark Blood Queen Mary to the elderly Queen Elizabeth II of modern England (and that's just encompassing England in the fairly recent history).

There is also the Goddess herself. The Queen of Heaven.
When I was young I felt like the Queen of Heaven or Bride of Christ was a feature character of the Bible and was at the same time Eve, Mary, Mary Magdalene, The Harlot and the Woman clothed in the sun and crowned by the stars. I thought this as a child probably due to the idea that a book had the same character throughout. Now that I am older, this idea still rings true in a different way.
All women hold that Goddess spark that is the Queen of Heaven.
In some mythos the Queen of Heaven in Asia is actually the mother of King Solomon, Bathsheba, who traveled out of Israel to China and carried with her Solomon's wisdom.
In other beliefs, this is simply another name for the goddesses Isis, Inanna, Artemis, Juno, etc.

The Witch Queen is a term for a High Priestess whose coven has spawned at least 2 other covens. She is the head priestess to which other high priestesses defer. Her symbol is a tri-moon crown or a necklace of amber winged by jet.

And then there is the Queen of Wands. This is my tarot card. This has come up again and again as my significator. I've even heard of other people receiving readings and the Queen of Wands will come up and the reader will say "this is a person in your life" and they respond either aloud or silently that this was me - they simply felt it.
She has spoken to me often in her familial strength, her grounded nature. She has so many attributes that I look forward to building and nurturing in my own life and have taken her on as a totem.

Polyamory Pagan

I am a Pagan and I'm Polyamorous.

For many these two things have nothing to do with each other but for me I find they are inter-connected.
My religious beliefs and personal faith allows me to be happy with my relationship choices.



A book I recommend is Pagan Polyamory: Becoming a Tribe of Hearts by Raven Kaldera. Kaldera states in his book (specifically when citing an article on polyamory by Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart) that the term polyamory came out of the pagan community and thus the two groups of people, polyamorists and pagans, are indeed connected at least in that way.

O is for Ouija

I have never used an ouija board!
I know, I know, isn't that something every witch in the world (or at least western world) has used? Am I just that lame?

Well, when I was younger, young teens about, I wanted to use an ouija board and even asked my mom for one to use for slumber parties and whatnot. It seemed perfectly harmless as it was sold right next to Scrabble and cards in the toy section of the store. Mom was completely against it and later on, when she felt I was ready, she told me why.

When mom was in the military and traveling around a lot without me, she and her then roommate tried out the ouija board. The spirit answered all their questions but mom was sure that her roommate was moving the planchette. To prove to mom that she wasn't the roommate told her to ask a question only she knew the answer to. So mom asked what her father's name was - my grandfather died when mom was 14 years old and she doesn't talk about him hardly ever so her roommate wouldn't know his name.
Slowly, the planchette moved and spelled out my grandfather's name - Walter. Mom got so scared, she threw the planchette against the wall and hasn't touched one since. I have a feeling that more than that happened and mom simply isn't telling me.

Damon has used ouija boards and so has his mother - at one point his mom threw all of the boards in the house (about 3 of them total I'm told) out. I'm thinking she got a weird visitor or some bad news.

My belief about these boards is that the people asking questions of the spirits doesn't know who they're talking to and just because something is a spirit doesn't mean that they don't lie - they do. You could be talking to a dead relative...or something pretending to be one. I just recommend anyone using them to be careful, trust your gut instincts - if something feels wrong, it usually is.

K is for Kabbalah

Kabbalah (aka Cabala or Qabala) according to the Llewellyn encyclopedia is "A mystical system which forms the mystical underpinnings for the three major Western religions as well as for modern Ceremonial Magick. The word is transliterated Hebrew, and is spelled in English in various ways...a complete system of knowledge about all the dimensions of the universe and of the human psyche organized into "the Tree of Life" diagram showing the inner construction and the connections between levels and forms of consciousness, energy, and matter. It provides a resource for understanding and applying the principles of Magick, for understanding the dynamics of the psyche, and for interpreting human history and action. The present-day Tarot specifically relates to the Tree of Life."

That's a lot to wrap my head around >.<

To me, Kabbalah is a spiritual belief system and practice that stems from Judaism.
I had never had an interest in Kabbalah until I ran into the book Simple Kabbalah by Kim Zetter. I read it all in one day while vacationing at the lake house and it got my head spinning. If I someone had explained this stuff to me when I was younger in the way that Zetter did in this book I would have probably stayed in church.

The best lesson I've received so far was from that book and it was the Kabbalistic break down of the very first verse of the Bible Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
This verse took a few chapters to break down, just to give you an idea of the in-depth outlook on the Bible these scholars have. I don't want to copy all of the chapters here but I will say that in the end the true translation should read "In the mind, God created God and the alphabet of the heavens and the alphabet of the Earth." Don't have a clue as to what that means? Read her book - its enlightening.

Ever since reading that book, I have had a further interest in Kabbalah. I'd love to have a set of books called the Kabbalistic Bible, specifically Genesis and Revelations (which notably are the most studied books of the Bible where Kabbalah is concerned).

Looking back at this post, it's not very detailed on the subject but the said subject is so vast and detailed it's hard to put it all in one lil blog post. My suggestion is if this sounds like something you're interested in, learn more either online or through one of the books I've mentioned.

H is for Herbalism

Herbalism or Herbology is a passion of mine.
I am currently studying to be an Herbalist with the Herbal Healer Academy.

For me, Herbalism is a calling. I've learned so much about the world, my body, medicine, sustainable living, my health and the health of my family since I started studying herbs, their properties, and how to use them. Its an on-going study that can be started at so many different directions - local herbs, herbs for women, herbs for family, herbal first-aid, herbs for prevention or treatment of dis-ease and cancer, herbs for children, cooking, cleaning, relaxing, colds, flus, viruses, headaches...the list goes on and on. And learning about it can be strangely addictive, making my own herbal remedies is wholly gratifying, and being able to have an herbal remedy on hand when a friend or the child of a friend has a problem makes me feel like I've done something useful and am truly on the right path in life.

Herbalism in witchcraft?
For some this is a fine line. The creation of a lavender infused balm for the sun burns on my nieces and nephews can look a lot like the witch of old stirring magical ingredients collected from mountain and glen to give to those who dare to ask for a remedy.
For me, what makes the difference is faith and belief and desire. I can make a simple tea to relieve stress or I could call upon the soothing blessing of Mother Goddess or cast a cleansing circle as I blend the herbs, heat the water, create the infusion and chant before I take the first sip. The first, simply making tea, isn't witchcraft...so what's the difference? The ritual, the spellcraft, the intent, the actions taken in the creation.

Even still, herbalism walks well on the path of witchery. Witches have long used herbs and natural medicines in their works. Herbs are Mother Nature's children just as much as we are and we can work very well together.

H is for Hoodoo

What is the difference between VooDoo and HooDoo?
Well, Voodoo is a religion and Hoodoo is a practice.
I like to think of it as Voodoo is to Hoodoo like Wicca is to Witchcraft. It's probably over simplified but...that's how I see it.
Those of the Voodoo faith believe in 1 God and a pantheon of Loas or spirits. In this it is very similar to Santeria only instead of spirits they use saints (again this is over simplified).

Hoodoo Conjure, Rootwork, and similar terms refer to the practice of African American folk magic. It is a practice of folk beliefs that is derived from the Southern US and has its roots from the Congo region of Africa. Other African tribes such as the Ashanti and Senegalese have greatly influenced Hoodoo.
Hoodoo is an American term, originating in the 19th century or earlier - In the mid 19th century, ships that had suffered a series of ill-fated voyages and mishaps were said to have been hoodoo'd. The problems onboard these vessels were attributed to an evil spirit or presence. Those who attribute the word hoodoo to Irish seamen say that is is a phonetic transliteration of the Irish-Gaelic words Uath Dubh (pronounnced hooh dooh), which means dark phantom, evil entity, or spiky ghost.
Although most of its adherents are black, it has always been practiced by both whites and blacks in America.

Popular names in Hoodoo culture and history include Marie LeVeau the Queen of Voodoo,

Hoodoo was popularized through such movies as The Skeleton Key, The Princess and the Frog, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and even voodoo and zombie films.

How did I get into Hoodoo?


I've always had an interest in hoodoo ever since some people around me when I was in High School started calling me Nina Bruja when it got out that I practiced witchcraft. I looked into Brujeria then Santeria then Voodoo then Hoodoo.
My interest increased after I went to New Orleans for the first time at 15. I was intrigued by the magical practices of the people there and couldn't learn enough.
When I graduated high school and went to college, I did meet a few hoodoo ladies (the owners of Three of Cups, which is no longer open). This stirred my interest even more though, being a solitary practitioner, I wasn't very willing to join their coven in order to learn from them (which is good since they have since dispersed).

How do I learn Hoodoo?

Hoodoo is not necessarily an initiatory system of practice. One can apprentice themselves to another practitioner but one can also learn directly from the Spirits themselves if they're inclined to teach you.
Another way is to learn on your own by studying the history of Hoodoo, where it comes from, the ideas and concepts, the spells and tools, etc.
And still another way is to take a class or workshop. One of the online correspondence courses I've been recommended to again and again is Cat Yronwood's through her website LuckyMojo.

Hoodoo Shops and Resources

Cat Yronwood's website has a lot of interesting information about hoodoo and voodoo as well as a large variety of materials and curios.

Another shop I recommend highly is ConjuredCardea, owned by Moma Sarah. Her blog also has a lot of information available.

A book I recommend is Sticks, Stones, Roots & Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo & Conjuring with Herbsby Stephanie Rose Bird. It was the first compendium of hoodoo I ever read and it was amazing. I have recommended it to a few people who have come to me asking about rootworking and hoodoo and they too have liked it and gleaned a good deal of information from its pages.

G is for Ganesh

I'm 5 days early as far as the Pagan Blog Project prompting is concerned but I'm in the middle of a big move so I'd rather be early than super late...

Ganesh (aka Ganesha or Ganesa, Ganapati, Vinayaka, Pillaiyar) is one of my Patron deities and is one I go to whenever I have a goal I want to achieve of a change that I desire in my life. He is known as the Lord of Beginnings or Lord of Obstacles.

Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is depicted as having the head of an elephant, which sets him apart from the other Hindu gods. How he obtained the elephant head is up for debate as it seems each story of his conception has a different way of explaining it. Some say he was born with it, some say he was born with a human head that disintegrated due to the evil eye or was cut off. Some stories and depictions even show him with multiple elephant heads. Either way, he obtained the elephant head and it, along with his big belly are very distinctive.
Ganesh is shown in many poses. Sometimes he is with his family, other times alone. He is shown standing, dancing, fighting demons, reclining, playing, sitting, elevated, holding a number of objects to show his many aspects, etc. So many depictions and views reflect the fact that Ganesh is one of the most recognizable and widely worshiped deities in the world.

I was first introduced to Ganesh by my dear friend Edward. He suggested I do a mantra to Ganesh 108 times a day for 108 days with a specific goal in mind. I did so and counted the days. To aid my mantra I used a string of rose beads I had bought at an antique store months before that had 110 beads exactly on it. These became my prayer beads.
108 days later of continuous mantras - my goal came through. Not only did it work automatically, Ganesh became an important symbol and figure in my life and I now go to him for any goal and new path I want to take.


I later had a dream of Ganesh. He was truly so large I could not comprehend him. His size was not all that was large about him, his very presence would bowl you over. It was one of the most intense and realistic dreams I ever had. He was golden in color and such a happy, mellow vibe came off of him. I'll remember the dream for as long as I live.


Ganesh Mantra Videos

Traditional Ganesh mantra with beautiful video by Sonu Nigam


Techno mantra (my favorite)

F is for Familiars

My husband once had a Familiar, a calico cat named Halloween. She was like our baby. We recently had to give her a new home with a close friend of our because we're moving. If we had been moving in the state or even to one of the surrounding states we would have kept her but, sadly, I don't think she would have faired well in a month-long road trip. Plus, I've heard that I might not be able to take her over Canadian boarder and there's no way I was gonna dumper her out of the car in North Dakota. 

So what is a Familiar?

I believe they are animals we meet in this life, on this plane, who help guide and protect us. They can be cats, birds, dogs, lizards, mice, etc. They don't even have to be pets. 

I had a crow that used to stay outside my window all winter and summer when I lived in Kentucky. I dreamt he would talk to me, tell me things, and in the morning he flew above me as I got on the bus or in a friend's car to go to school. When I got back, the crow was still there. I think it was a guide that I needed at that time. By the time I reached senior year of high school, the crow was gone. 

The Difference between Familiars and Totems or Spirit Animals?

I believe a Familiar is or once was an animal on this physical plane that connected with a person.

A Totem or Spirit animal doesn't ever have to have been on this plane nor does it have to be an animal that even exists on this plane (i.e. 'mythical' creatures like dragons and unicorns). 

Both Familiars and Spirit Animals are still very important to a witch's growth. 

F is for Fairy

As I'm sure you've seen on previous posts, I've started a new blog project and it's just in time for this week's Pagan Blog Project prompt - F.

On my blog, The Fairy Door, I explain my first encounters with the fae, who the fae are to me, some fairy magic, and some history and lore about fairies.
For years I kept a fairy journal/scrap book and now I'm sharing it with you, dear readers.
So far I have shared a Fairy Altar spell for love, the story of the Cottingley fairies, and links to other fairy sites along with some basic information. Coming soon: information on Changelings, The Fairy Godmother Spell, and more fairy lore ^_^

Enjoy
With Love and light,
Dawn

E is for Evil Eye

Evil Eye – The Evil Eye is one of the oldest and most widespread curses, and simultaneous superstition to some, around the world.  You can find instances of the Evil Eye and protection from almost everywhere.  What is the origin and history of the Evil Eye and what are some of the charms and spells used to guard one against it?  What can happen if someone puts the Evil Eye on you?

We have an Evil Eye hanging from the rear-view mirror of our car. It was given to us by our dear friend Melanie who bought the glass eye from Dilly's, placed it on a leather thong and gave it to Damon for protection on the road. 
Since we received it we've had 2 cars and have been careful to cleanse and transition it between the first and the second. Other than some vandalizing (and we knew immediately who had done it) we've had no issues with the car. The first care was a POS (piece of something-not-so-good) and I'm really shocked that it didn't fall apart on us when driving. Our new one is a Scion xB (the toaster looking cars) and its our baby. 

I strangely feel safer with our evil eye hanging from the rear view. I don't mean that we drive crazy and rely only on it, but we've missed dozens of would-be crashes and I do think that that piece of protective blue glass may have had a hand (or an eye) in it. 

But what is an Evil Eye?

I knew it was supposed to be protective and I've read bits and pieces about them in such books as Dracula and what not but I didn't know all that much about it until I took Anthropology 101 with Dr. King. 

I was meeting Dr. King in her office to discuss making Anthropology my major (didn't happen but...) and she had various types of evil eyes all over her office. I pointed them out and said we had been given one for our car. 

Dr. King then explained why the evil eyes are blue.

Supposedly evil eyes are made by people in countries like India and South America where people usually have brown eyes. When western explorers and the like began to invade and explore they were called many names but one of them is Blue-eyed Devils. 

Evil eyes are made from blue glass or paint to resemble blue eyes, meaning they reflect back any evil the Blue-eyed Devils sent out to the people. 

I was intruiged by this so I began to do some more research...

There are more types of Evil Eyes than just the blue disks like the one we have in the car. 

There's simply looking at a person with ill-intent in your heart, which is a sort of laying the evil eye on someone. There's also looking at someone who owns something with jealousy (which is why the blue evil eyes are placed on babies, cars, houses, anything someone might covet).

Other ways to break these evil eyes and prevent them from doing harm is cleansing, placing salt or mojo bags on or around effected objects or people, and counter-curses. 

All in all, I'm very grateful to Melanie for giving us our evil eye and I will be using it in our car for a long long time. 

E is for Elves

In order to connect my new blog project with this one, I created a prompted post to go along with the Pagan Blog Project

E is for Elves describes the difference between Elves and Fairies.

E is for Empath

Empath – Are you an empath?  What does it mean to be an empath and how does being an empath affect your life and your spiritual work?  Being an empath is really hard for some people because it’s something that requires a lot of work to maintain balance with this kind of sensitivity.  If you’ve had personal experience with this your stories could be of great help to someone else that is dealing with this as well.


I am an empath. 
An empath, to me, is when I or another empath can pick up the emotions and energy of people, places, things around them and it sometimes can feel as if they take on those emotions and energies as their own. This can sometimes be taken as being psychic because an empath can feel when something has happened or what may about to happen but really its just picking up on the energy of a place or on people around them. 

Its sort of a love-hate relationship. I tend to hate it because I have to constantly shield and process emotions in places like hospitals, funerals, clubs, etc. 

I've broken down randomly crying when I've felt the loss of someone near me. 

I've had to take a cold shower when passing a couple making out at school...and when I go to strip clubs its intense and usually ends up with my husband and I having sex in the car before we can even get home. 

But all around hospitals and prisons are the worst. I've only ever been to 1 prison but it made me sick all over. Hospitals make me fidgety, nervous, nauseous, and all around scared. I tend to have to block everything when going into one and even that didn't help the last time I went to one because I was visiting a relative and right across the hall someone had died only hours before and I could feel the emotions of everyone like splinters...

My empathic abilities have helped in divination readings. I always know I'm on key even if someone says I'm totally off (which has happened a few times and each time I'm giving what could be interpreted as bad news and the person gets worried and pretends to not know what I'm talking about). 

They have also helped when I have gone into places that my husband is doing a reading. He can get carried away and sometimes say way too much and make people very uncomfortable and I have to sort of reign him in when he's gone to far even if the querent wants him to go on out of curiosity. 

I also have to decipher sometimes if its my intuition or Higher Self guiding me or the empathy of someone or someplace guiding me. That just takes practice and meditation on the inner self to learn which is which. 

E is for Eclectic

Here it goes, my first post for The Pagan Blog Project 2012

Eclectic Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism – Eclectic practice is something that can be a big debate in different part s of the Pagan community.  Some feel that being eclectic opens you up to a whole world of ideas and tools that with the more narrow view of a specific tradition just isn’t available.  Yet others feel that being eclectic equates to a practice that is lacking in structure and commitment to anything.  Are you eclectic?  What are your thoughts on eclectic vs. traditional practice and how do you feel eclectic work benefits you if that’s the path you follow?


I am an eclectic witch. 
I combine my beliefs in witchcraft (hedge witchery to be specific) with my beliefs in Kabbalah and Buddhism.
 As far as my life is concerned, these all go hand in and hand. 
Witchcraft is something I do. 
Kabbalah is my religion. 
Buddhism is my philosophy towards mankind. 


I do see the lure of a traditional path. The set beliefs, rules, guidelines as well as the community of other believers is a comforting ideal. However, when I followed traditional paths in the past, I felt too caught up in the regulation of this is what I was allowed to believe in and this is 'crossing the line'. I was too caught up in staying in the lines that I missed the important part of faith. 
When I stepped outside of the traditional box, I was free to make up my own mind. There was a time that I missed having peers who shared my beliefs completely but I've moved beyond that and now enjoy peers who share ideas with me if not steadfast beliefs. 


When I did step out, i came under some persecution. I was said to be flaky and unstable because I would only take what I liked and leave out whatever I didn't want to adhere to (very similar to a preacher saying that sinners take from the Bible what they felt justified their lifestyle and ignoring a Commandment). At first I was offended but then I agreed. 
Yes, I was taking what I liked and agreed with in a belief and leaving out what I didn't like. I took the idea of a code of ethics from Wiccan (the three-fold law) AND Christianity (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) as well as the concept of the Wiccan Rede that all things done in love and pleasure are the rites of the Goddess and left behind the hypocritical Dogma, the set-in-stone deities and the hierarchy. 

Now, I believe that whatever is based in unconditional love and compassion is true. This goes for any traditional, non-traditional or eclectic belief. 

I believe that Deity is a Universal Energy and that our purpose in life is to evolve and become like it - pure love and light. 

I'm not sure if this response to the prompt was what the creator of Pagan Blog Project had in mind but there you have it. I am an Eclectic witch and that is my path. 

The Pagan Blog Project 2012

Hey readers,

I'm a little late...well 2 months late...but I just joined The Pagan Blog Project 2012. I'm hoping by joining the project I'll be more likely to post on here regularly instead of sporadic and unorganized like I have been (sorry about that).

I'm late in the game so instead of starting at the letter A like other participants who began the project back in January, I'll be starting at E. There were a few different suggestions for E topics that I liked so as part of the 'catching up' of sorts, I'll be posting on a couple of them:

Eclectic
Empath
Evil Eye

I hope you all enjoy the posts.

Love and Light,
D. Corobane.