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Gods. Pagans.

I've been hearing stories. So, I'm just going to say it.

Magic will not protect you from corona virus.

Magic will not protect you from corona virus.

Magic will not protect you from corona virus.

Not your magic. Not nobody's.

Magic will not protect you from corona virus because that's not how magic works. Magic is a finger on the scales of possibility, not a headlock that wrestles reality into submission.

For gods' sakes, hear the voice of experience. Back in the early days of the last Great Plague, I can remember hearing from a number of Radical Faeries that “Faeries can't get AIDS.”

Well, they were wrong. Faeries did indeed get AIDS, just like anybody else. Their Faerie magic did not protect them from the AIDS virus, just as your magic alone (whatever its variety and vintage) will not protect you from corona virus.

Let me add that every single one of those guys is dead now. They all died—predictably—of AIDS.

I'm no expert in Tarot – not by a long shot – but I've always had a particular fondness for card number IX, the Hermit.  This iconic image of an old, hooded man, staff in one hand and lantern in the other, resonates with me on a very deep level.  Folks who know me well would not be surprised by this at all.  Indeed, one of my best friends recently encouraged me (only half in jest) to offer my skills as a consultant in hermitting, in this new age of social distancing and self-isolation. Apparently, we are all be asked to become hermits for the time being, and many people find that exceedingly challenging.

As Covid-19 sweeps through the global population, everyone except essential workers are being told in no uncertain terms to go home and stay there.  Front line health-care staff and other service providers are already feeling exhausted by the demands of this pandemic, and the rest of us feel vaguely overwhelmed by the fact that we can really do nothing except stay home.  Of course, there are many interesting new ways being developed, mainly online, for people to stay connected and keep working.  Churches, libraries, and other community centres are empty, but their staff are working hard to provide their ministries and services in novel ways.

More than 35 years ago, we kindled a fire in the old way, wood on wood.

That same fire has burned here at Temple of the Moon ever since.

Candle lit from candle, fire from fire: the long, slow, patient work of years, keeping the Fire burning.

At midnight tonight, by order of the governor, the state of Minnesota goes into covid lockdown. All non-essential businesses are to be closed. All temples and other houses of worship will shut their doors. People will shelter in place.

So today I head across the River to pick up a case of temple candles. Some things are too important to lay down.

Here at the temple, the twice-daily offerings will continue. The prayers, the praise will not end.

Happy family spell

Lepidolite should be called the letting-go stone. It’s like a fresh breeze coming into a room filled with stale air. In elixir form, it’s a wonderful way to deal with addictive behavior or to rid yourself of old patterns that no longer serve you or are potentially unhealthy. This uncommon mica, an ore of lithium, has only recently come onto the gem and mineral market. It is shiny and plate-like in appearance, usually occurring in a pretty, pearly pink or purple color. On occasion, it appears white, and, very rarely, it shows up in gray or yellow. This mineral occurs in Brazil, Russia, California, and a few spots throughout Africa. My favorite specimens are the single, large sheets of the lovely mica, which are called books and are an unforgettable violet.

The coronavirus pandemic seems to weasel its way into every conversation these days. So I've been thinking about how the ancient Minoans might have dealt with something like this. Communicable disease was a big problem in the ancient world, partly because they didn't have the drugs and medical care that we do, and partly because they didn't always understand how disease spread.

The Minoans were apparently well known for their medical knowledge. The London Medical Papyrus, an Egyptian document, includes two Minoan incantations against disease. These would have been combined with herbal or other therapy, since illness was considered to have a magical or spiritual component as well as a physical one.

Spring is here, but for so many in the world right now, the great greening of nature is overshadowed by our need to guard our health and bring healing to ourselves and our communities. Herbal medicine has been used throughout the world for millennia, and there are a great many herbal home remedies that can be used at this time to ease the symptoms of the dreadful pandemic we are now facing- none of these can be used to completely defeat the virus, or are substitutes for medical assistance when necessary- but they can help ease the symptoms. Simple herbs like thyme for tea to ease coughs, garlic nettle and licorice to support our health and healing, etc, are all useful and safe…with a host of advice to be found online for their uses- but a little extra magic can go a long way to supporting our healing, and  our states of mind when tackling illness in the home, and I’d like to share with you a little Irish lore which I apply when making my home remedies. I invoke the goddess Airmed, mistress of the healing herbs at times like this, to guide me and bless my work.