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I'm sorry, but I don't want to hear it.

(Actually, I'm not at all sorry, and I really don't want to hear it. But this is, after all, Minnesota, and that's just what we say.)

Self-pity is sentiment unbecoming a witch.

That's why witches don't whine.

Witches never whine.

Whining = air pollution. Whining poisons the air around you. Whining poisons everyone around you.

Whining poisons you.

Witches don't have time to whine; witches are too busy doing.

Did you know your pantry is like a pharmacy?  Thankfully, it is far cheaper. Cumin is loaded with phyto-chemical, antioxidants, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc and magnesium and contains high amounts of B-complex. Cumin helps with insomnia.  Cinnamon is truly a power spice. Just half a teaspoon daily can dramatically reduce blood glucose levels in those with type 2 diabetes and lower cholesterol. Cayennepromotes circulation and boosts metabolism. Clove is an antifungal and abets toothaches. Nutrient-rich parsley is a detoxifying herb and acts as anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic helping conditions from colic to indigestion. Rub it on itchy skin for instant relief! Sage is very beneficial in treating gum and throat infections. Sage tea has helped ease depression and anxiety for generations. Thyme is a cure for a hangover and doubles to alleviate colds and bronchitis. Cilantro is a good source of iron, magnesium, phytonutrients and flavonoids and is also high in dietary fiber. Cilantro has been used for thousands of years as a digestive, lowering blood sugar having hypoglycemic properties, possibly the result of stimulating insulin secretion. Ginger stimulates circulation and is an excellent digestive, aiding in absorption of food and rids bloat. Immune champion turmeric boosts production of antioxidants and reduction of inflammation. Blue Zone centenarians credit their long healthy life by drinking turmeric-root tea daily. Pack your pantry with these seasonings for optimal health and happiness.

 "The Horned God of the Brigantes"

(Guy Ragland Phillips)

If I told you that a Roman era image of the Horned God was being venerated in a parish church in Yorkshire, would you believe me?

Well, it's true.

Next time you're in the West Riding of Yorkshire, check out St. Andrew's Church in the little village of Aldborough (lit. “old fortified town”). There, set into a wall in the transept, you'll find a 1600+-year old bas relief of a mysterious figure that Guy Ragland Phillips, in his Brigantia: A Mysteriography (1976) calls “the Horned God of the Brigantes” ; for these were, indeed, the old tribal hunting runs of the Celtic people known as the Brigantes.

Despite its current diminished state, Aldborough was once a thriving Roman civitas called Isuriam Brigantum. Here, while digging foundations for St. Andrew's in the 1330s, was discovered the mysterious relief of the “Horned God.” The relief was subsequently set (aptly enough) into a churchyard wall; centuries of exposure to the elements explains its current weathered condition. The god was not moved to his current location inside the church until the 19^th century.

17^th century sources make it clear that the relief originally represented the Roman god Mercury; the herald's staff that he once held in his right hand is no longer visible. It's possible that the image was once part of a temple of Mercury on the same location.

Lest this identification should seem to consort but ill with Phillips' reading, bear in mind that, in Romano-Celtic times, it was not unusual for the old Celtic Horned God to be identified with (inter alia) the Roman Mercury. Cross-pantheon identification is, to say the very least, an inexact science. Mercury's virile nudity, his patronage of cattle, his fatherhood of the god Pan, and the wings on his hat made him a not unreasonable interpretatio Romana of the old horned god. Wings, horns: really, what's the big difference?

As one would expect, since the Pagan Revival, the Old God of Aldborough has become known to, and venerated by, local pagans. I have it from a local source who wishes to remain anonymous that the church's staff regularly find offerings of flowers, fruit, and money laid before the god.

A shared bed is warmer.

(Nils-Aslak Valkeapää)

Beltanes up at Sioux Portage were always cold, and that was the year that it snowed while we were dancing the Maypole.

I was skinny as a boy well into my 30s. In the time that it took to empty my bladder and fumble my way back into the tent, I was already shivering uncontrollably.

Fortunately, I had offered tent-room to my friend Daniel that year. Though we weren't lovers at the time—that would come later—in an act of pure body hospitality, only half-awake, he wordlessly opened his arms to me and enwrapped me in primal mammalian comfort. Willingly I dove into those warm waters.

I haven’t used store-bought cleansers since the year 2004 when a health challenge awakened me to the importance of ridding my environment of any toxins or potentially harmful chemicals. I think it is a very good idea for all of us to consider as our health is precious. I know this made a difference for me and my loved ones. And the smell of a home freshly cleaned with lemons and scentful natural oils feels wonderful. This magical floor wash rids your home of negative and unhealthy energy and will shift things to the positive. The scent alone is enchanted.

Gather the following: 

Using almonds and almond oil is a simple way to attract into your life whatever you want more of—love, money, a new home, you decide! The great psychic Edgar Cayce even believed that eating five almonds a day could prevent cancer. I anoint myself with almond oil every morning as a kind of self-blessing for health and wealth. A little dab of this attraction oil will go far for you, too.If you are feeling a financial pinch, try rubbing some almond oil on your wallet and visualize it filling up with bills. Rubbing this essence on magnetite can miraculously bring your wishes directly to you. A drop or two on green candles will also make an appreciable difference.

 Almond oil works quickly because it is ruled by Mercury, the god of speed and communication, who operates in the realm of air.

If you’ve ever done online research into incense making, you’ve almost certainly come across references to a mysterious material called “makko”.  Some places online even insist that you can’t make your own incense without it.  There is a lot of confusing information out there about makko, and I’m sadly to blame for a bit of that, so this is an effort to clear up the mysteries that surround makko.

The first thing I need to say is that is that you do NOT need to have makko to roll your own incense.  Makko is only one of many different “binders” that are available to modern incense makers.  In fact, makko isn’t the best choice for every incense making project.  In this age of online ordering, makko is a lot easier to locate than it was just a decade ago, but if you want to make your own incense you have lots of options beyond makko.  That being said, just what is makko and how is it used?  But first, a confession…