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

Pagan Blog Prompt: Mercury in Retrograde

In response to the Prompt on Mercury in retrograde I thought I would share a story about last year's Coptic Conference.
Damon and I couldn't attend as we were working in Kentucky at the time so this was told to me by my friend Aly who went to the conference and attends many of the colloquiums and psychic sessions.

The first thing she said to me was "You'd think with this many people who pay attention to their astrology and horoscopes planning the conference we wouldn't have it when Mercury is in Retrograde."

Aly and I both agree that during this particular time of the year, if anything can change or go wrong, it will.

The conference this past year was moved from Johnson City to Bristol, TN. The move was due to the rise in promised participants and the need for more space not only in the conference rooms but also in the guest rooms. The move in concept seemed like a good idea only many of the guests were not willing to travel all the way to Bristol (which for some is 2+ hours away). When the move was to accommodate 800+ people, only around 400 showed up the whole weekend.

Other problems included:
The hotel mixing up rooms so that many guests went to their room only to find people already there and unpacked.
Guest speakers stranded at the airport for 3 hours waiting for a ride form the conference.

And then at least 2 of the speakers had a large amount of people walk out on their sessions, including John Davis himself as he covered the numerological points of 666.

Just seemed like all the points that could have gone wrong, did.
This just seemed like a perfect example of my idea of this time of the year.

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.

Pagan Blog Prompt: Illness

Today's Pagan Blog Prompt
How do you deal with illness?
Does being sick hinder your magic work?
Do you employ magic to make yourself healthy again?
What about others? Do you work magic to heal other people?

I deal with a cold with a big mug of tea (usually chamomile and lavender or some other herbal), a lot of naps, and, depending on the congestion, a few drops of tea tree oil in a bowl of hot water to inhale the steam.

I don't tend to do magic when I'm sick. I just don't have the energy.

When other people are sick, and are open to it, I'll do some magic for them. I've done small things like bless tea, make pillow satchets, and send energy with candle magick. On other occasions I've done full cleansing with body massage using lavender oil.

With each healing spell or exercise I've done I've always incorporated oils and herbs that have healing properties. I find that my energy with theirs works wonders. The few people I've done healing magick for have had varying experiences form a brief moment of comfort to feeling almost completely better by the next day. I think a lot of it depends on the illness and the receptiveness of the person I'm doing the magick for.

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.

Pagan Blog Prompts: Magical Herbs

Pagan Blog Prompts asks Do you use herbs in your magickal practice? Do you grow them or purchase them from someone else?

Yes I do use herbs in my practice. I make balms and salves for healing, bath products for beauty, healing, prosperity and more.
I wildcraft, grow and purchase my herbs.

Wildcrafting herbs is something I only recommend if you are 110% positive the herb you are gathering in the wild is one you are familiar with. Also, do not over-harvest an area. I tend to only harvest a very small amount of any herb (usually violets, violas (Johnny Jump-ups)) unless circumstances note otherwise (wild dandelions, clover and plantain are herbs I'm not overly worried about over harvesting as they grow plentifully in my area).

Herbs I've grown include roses, basil and mint.
I use roses a lot in my magickal and mundane practices.

When purchasing herbs I tend to stick to farmers markets and organic markets (Like Good Foods Coop, Earth Fare and Fresh Market) and go to main stream grocery stores only if necessary.

Totem Animals

Alright, so this blog might be a little vague and a little lengthy...there's my warning.

The Pagan Blog Prompt was about totem animals and what they have taught you...wow, what a subject. Whole books are written about these things.
-takes a deep breath-

My main spirit guide and totem animal is a dragon. He is very hard to describe but HUGE is an understatement. When I see him in my mind's eye I feel as small as the pupil of his eye. I know that his neck is longish and slender enough for me to ride upon the nape of his neck and press my hands against the back of his head.
I do not know his name...I don't think I can pronounce it in human tongue. It starts with an Akh.

Akh came to me when I was 13 years old and needed some help physically, spiritually, emotionally. I was under attack for the first time in my life by another witch, a boy who had been studying for a couple of years longer than myself and decided to attack me when I made it very clear I had no intention of working with him or dating him.
I had no one to turn to who would not think I was crazy and I kept having dreams that he would turn into this great naga (man snake) and wrap me in his tail and crush me to death.
Then, one evening I curled up in a ball on my bed and I began to pray to whoever would listen. "Please protect me, please." The prayer slowly began to change in my head, like the words were twisting themselves without my help. Suddenly I was chanting, and I sadly never wrote this chant down nor did I ever use it after that night, so I can't share it with you but it had something about Great Dragon, wings of night then rhymed with flight and might...eh -shrugs-.

That night I had no nightmares. Instead I dreamt I was sleeping against a wall of scaled muscle, perfectly safe and warm. This went on for a week and slowly I noticed the guy who was attacking me looking very, very tired. I never asked him about what happened, but he did call me one night when a mutual friend of ours was in a car accident and in the hospital. We talked for a bit but it was very strained and unnaturally polite on his part.

As for me and Akh. I saw him more and more. Soon I was able to make out the coloring of his great body (all grey and blue and black and purple). His astral realm is dark mostly and when he shows me things its like water reflecting images.

Akh was there for me when I went to the Coptic Conference and Dick Sutfen lead us to meditate and foresee the year 2012. He protected me and assured me that I was safe even though some of the things I saw were frightening.

Something I noticed about dragons, talking to others who have them as guides, is that they sleep for long periods of time. Sometimes months, sometimes years. I always know when he's sleeping and when he is awake. When he is awake I only have to close my eyes and he's there. Even though he is large its like I can feel him inside of me, wrapped around my spine, resting in my heart, throat and third eye chakras.

Damon has met my dragon before. He was astral projecting while I slept and he said it was like a great wall of scales and then it moved and looked at him. He told Damon his name...but he too only received an Akh sound, leaving me to believe we cannot pronounce it. He said that even though the Dragon know he wouldn't hurt me, he was still protective of me while I slept and wouldn't let Damon peek in on me while unconscious.

The only other person to talk to me about my dragon was a man I worked with for a little while named Michael. He said he knew a few others with Dragon guides but few that were as big and strong as Akh. That he had once had a vision about dragons and the relaying message was that come 2012 there will be 9 and 1. Not 10 but 9 and 1. He said he normally didn't tell people about that because he didn't really know what it meant but felt that I should know and that it should mean something to me.
Strangely enough I didn't think about pagan things when I heard it but was reminded of a verse from the Bible,  Revelations about the 10 horns on the head of the beast with the little horn in the middle. It was the first thing that came to mind and still makes me curious. I'd love to know if anyone else has any clue about this from a prophetic or intellectual (and non-evangelical) standpoint.

Other than that, Akh is always with me. I feel him now even as I type. He doesn't seem to care much that I talk about him, heh.

All in the Genes

Is it all in the genes?
Well first I want to say my family is not made up of pagans or practicing witches. They're mostly Southern Baptists and Non-denominational Christians.
That being said I have inherited a lot of my interests and abilities from certain people in my family.

My Aunt Venus, who I have spoken about on here before, was a great healer in the family and used herbs and herbcraft to heal many of our family members up to the point that she died 2 years ago. Many people in my family talk about how like her I am and I love it.

I also had many many uncles who saw the dead, saw ghosts, had dreams that came true, etc. As far as I know I'm the first female in the family able to do that.

So yea i believe certain things are in the family. I don't think genes have anything to do with it. I think its how you're born into each lifetime with the same people and that develops something with them that link each other.

My husband, Damon, and his mother and his step father are powerful psychics. They can read people like most can read a book. They've also demonstrated ability in telekinesis.
Just another example of connection in families.

31 Days of Samhain: an over view 11-18

Since I've missed 13 days of the 31 Days of Samhain fun posted by Salem Witch Child...I'll do an overview of some of the posts in the next few blog posts. I don't have kids, so I wont be doing the posts regarding them and I don't put my cat in costumes so I'm skipping Day 15 as well...
That leaves...

Day 11: What's your favorite recipe for Samhain Dinner?
Pumpkin pie of course but there are a few other pumpkin recipes I would like to try and share, most are from
www.PumpkinRecipes.org including
Pumpkin Curry
Pumpkin Stuffed with sausage - I would use a sweet and spicy sausage for this, preferably one that was apple smoked...mmm

And this recipe is not form that website: Pumpkin Risotto


Day 12: How do you celebrate Samhain/Halloween?

I normally go to a party or a club night thats local (there's usually one in Knoxville, TN that has a good goth crowd for Halloween). This year I'm hosting a birthday party for a friend of mine in Halloween style - a Witch's Tea Party ^_^ I'll also be making the cake

For the Samhain part of that, I celebrate alone. I normally set up a small altar, thank my ancestors, specifically my Aunt Venus and my great-grandmother Bertha and my grandfather Walter.
I ask for guidance form the Crone, my patron, and do some divination for the coming year.


Day 13: Favorite Halloween Movie

Oooo...thats tough as I am a major horror movie fan...
I suppose i would choose Nightmare on Elm Street (original), Pet Cemetery 2, Salem's Lot, Dracula...yea i can't pick one...sorry

Day 14: Favorite Costumes for Adults:

I will say I love group costumes

Day 17: What's your favorite scary monster?

Day 18: What God/dess do you invoke on Samhain?

The Crone. She is my patron deity and has been with me since birth. I dedicated my divination to her since i was 14, when she showed herself to me.

More to come in next post...

Pagan Prompts: Artwork (Body Art)

For the Pagan Prompt I thought I would do something a little different and share some Pagan Bodyart that I found appealing and inspiring:

I just love the coloring!

Very simple but beautiful

Gorgeous tree work

I just love this one, its like the YinYang gone Wiccan

I love the whimsy of this one, makes me want one similar to it

Pagan Prompts: Familiars

I have a cat who could be considered a shared familiar between myself and Damon. Her name is Halloween – due to the day we found her and her calico coloring of pumpkin orange, midnight black, and ghost white with moth green eyes.

Halloween talks to us in a way I’ve never seen of another cat (we have 2 others that are very intelligent but not quite at this level) and I’ve also done guided meditations with her – and she was the guide!

Halloween’s astral form varies from looking like herself now, to a larger white cat, to a human form that is tall, white and blonde. The same thing about all these forms is her eyes, the same luna moth color. The feel of her astral projection is both feral and protective, as if she would kill any ill meaning interloper on our journey.

On the down side, Halloween insists on being a part of all of our magickal activities and will yowl and scratch at the door of our bedroom during private meditations. She also in a bit of an energy hog and will snuggle everything from spread tarot cards to crystals laying in the lunar light.

She is also our surrogate fur-kid, especially for Damon. I believe if anything happened to that cat, he would be just as devastated as someone who had a hurt or lost child. 

Pagan Prompt: Wiccan Rede

When I was in high school, I was one of the few pagan students in the entired town I lived in as well as one of the most studied and experienced of the group (next to a young man who was raised in the Wiccan faith). There was a large push by the whole group for covenship and for me to take place as a sort of young High Priestess. I did not and, instead, removed myself from the group in many ways, though they were my friends. I was not ready for that sort of responsibility and now am glad that i made this decision.

My withdrawel from the pagan group at my school and in my town was viewed by many in two very different ways. One group saw this as an act of humility and modesty on my part, encouraged me and my work, and remained close friends to this day.
Another group felt I was being pompous, that my removal was in a way saying that I felt I was too good for them. One person in particular, though she acted as if she was my friend, began to perform certain spells, host certain rites and act in certain ways that were hurtful to myself and many of those around us.
In the end, I felt that if I did not do something to stop her someone was going to get hurt.

I did a simple, yet powerful bind spell on this person. I will not post the spell on here and it is listed in my BOS with words of precaution. After the binding I refused to speak to this young woman again. The binding was fairly thorough and this person found that not only could she not harm anyone but had a hard time performing any magical working. I heard from a mutal friend that her binding has lasted to this day and has caused her some problems in the magical and pagan community she has recently moved into (they will have nothing to do with her).
I did, however, set the spell so that she or someone of ability can break the binding if they do so in love, compassion and with the desire to not harm but help others (the opposite actions and emotions of why I performed the binding int he first place).

I tell this long story in order to say this.
ALL ACTIONS have an EQUAL REACTION! WHATEVER you send out WILL COME BACK! This can be viewed however you wish and be the basis of whatever lesson anyone would like to teach and set creed to: Golden Rule, 3-fold law, Wiccan Rede, Karma, etc. It is simply how the Universe works.

When I bound this person in high school, I did not consider that this act (which was done out of the desire to prevent harm, an it harm none) would eventually come back to me.
Almost a year later exactly, I began to have disturbances in my ability to perform any magical act or even meditate. It felt like my mind was in a fog any time I even thought about doing magic and when I meditated I felt literally bound up. At first I thought I had somehow picked up a leeching energy in astral travel, that recent stress had worn me thin, that I was somehow ill.
Finally, it struck me after a phone call from our mutual friend (the girl I had bound was getting married to another mutual friend). I realized that my binding spell had come back to me.

I worked through this ricochet magic slowly and with as much patience as I could muster. When I mentioned it to a local magical practitioner, she repremanded me not for binding another but for thinking I would be punished in some way for protecting myself.
I do not feel that I am being punished for trying to prevent harm. I don't think the Universe works that way. I think this was merely the Law of reaction. I did this, it was done to me. It is simple.