Valley Wands

Sometimes I despair! In one breath I hear people complaining that they don't get to take their Sabbatts off from work as religious holidays without using their annual leave, and that some would like Paganism to be included as a bona fide religion.  I've heard complaints that a Handfasting can't be a legal marriage in the UK.  That schools in the UK don't teach Paganism as part of the Religious Education classes, and it's always 'So Unfair' to quote a well known English comedian, tha...

I doubt many will be unaware of the recent problems with rioters here in the UK recently, it seemed to dominate the news in most countries for a few days.  What I found strange living here in the UK, was the change of attitude in a large section of the Pagan community that I keep in touch with on various forums.

Not long ago, during the G20 riots, and also during the Student Fee’s demonstration which inevitably led to rioting the police were continuall...

The text below has been doing the internet rounds for many years, but is as funny today as the first time I saw it.  Full credit must go to the original authors whoever they were.  If you've never seen it before, prepare yourself to giggle, if you have seen it before...it's always worth another read, and follows on nicely from my last blog.

A Fool And His Money

Are online training courses a rip off, or can they actually provide a much needed resource for people who are unable to find people to train them in the Craft?

Interesting question really when you think about it.  We can do most things with the aid of the internet and other media resources.  You can take University Degree’s, Diploma’s in anything from flower arranging to Engineering or childcare, so why not in ma...

“You asked me once, what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing inthe world.”

George Orwell ‘1984’

Jesus said, “If you bring forth what is within you,what you bring forth will save you, If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

The Gospel according...

What is spell work? I liken it to the idea of praying, but perhaps through the use of props and tools to create a ritual which helps to reinforce the psychological effect and fix the event in our minds. It can be done alone or in communion with others. It is the creation of a positive mental state wherein we can tap into the subconscious, thus utilising our minds to bring about a desired conclusion. Praying, or working a spell for ourselves, enables us to achieve this mental state, and, when ...

Totems and animal spirit guides.

Within Wicca we have no real tradition that equates to Totem animals and animal spirit guides, yet many of us feel a great affinity for specific creatures that seem to have had an influence on our lives. For me there are three that have been for one reason or another important in my life. The horse, the otter and the buzzard.

I worked with horses of one sort or another for many years, starting with polo po...

Happy New Year - Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Here we are at the end of 2009 and the start of 2010, well, the turn of the calendar year anyway. For us Wiccans the ‘real’ new year started way back at Samhain at the end of October. Interestingly though, this new year coincides with both the full moon and a lunar eclipse. Unfortunately the weather was far to bad here for it to be observed which is a pity because it’s a while since I have ...

Bah Humbug!

Well, that’s Yule and Christmas out of the way for another year. I always enjoy Yule but find Christmas, with all the excessive commercialism that comes with it, tedious in the extreme. In fact I can’t wait for it to be over. If you want to know how I feel about Christmas in general the great Australian folk musician and poet Kevin ‘Bloody’ Wilson’ summed it up in a number of his songs, just Google the name and sea...

Wiccan, or wiccan, or witch, or whatever?

There is huge diversity amongst pagans. There are Druids of a hundred different flavours, hedge witches, shamans, British Traditional Witches, thousands of different solitaries of one sort or another, Heathens (various), love and light Fluffies, and thousands of assorted others. Perhaps, though the greatest amount of bickering happens between Wiccans and wiccans, (note the use of upper and low...