Everyone has heard of voodoo dolls, but poppets are not nearly as well known. Sewn of plain muslin or linen, a poppet is simply an herb- or cotton-stuffed head, tied with string or threaded about the neck. It can be used to charm, protect, or even heal a friend. You can add something that represents your friend—red yarn if your friend is lucky enough to be a redhead, for example. Your poppet can be placed on your altar and can be the beneficiary of any number of charms or spells of your design.
Take dried sage, a plain muslin square, and a white string to create a “head.” Tie the doll’s neck securely so she doesn’t lose her head, so to speak. Pin or sew charms representing the good fortune you wish for your friend—coins for money, a heart-shaped patch for love, a sun for luck and happiness, a pyramid or moon for wisdom, whatever suits you. Feel free to use your imagination, and remember to use this only for positive results. (To wish harm has a karmic price you do not want to pay!)
To inculcate the bond between you and a new acquaintance, grind together one part white sandalwood and one part frankincense; use a mortar and pestle if you have one. Add four generous drops of sandalwood oil and speak the following full moon blessing together:
Daughters under the sun,
sisters under the moon,
tonight, we bind our hearts and minds.
So mote it be.
You can alter this spell to reflect the gender of the people participating.
Anoint your bed with this special charm. In a red cup, mix a half- teaspoon of jasmine oil and a half-teaspoon of rose oil. Take a cotton ball and dip it into the bliss oil. Touch it to your clean sheets seven times from where you rest your head to the feet, for each chakra point. Then speak aloud:
In this bed, I show my love.
In this bed, I share my body.
In this bed, I give my heart.
In this bed, we are as one.
Here, my happiness lies as I give and live in total joy.
Blessed be to me and thee.
Now, lie down and roll around in the bed. After all, that is what it is for!
Pomona is beloved as the apple goddess and protectress of orchards. Associated with abundance, the flowering of nature, youth and beauty, her splendor is still celebrated every year in European festivals. One way to retain our blossoming beauty is to take good care of our skin and heighten the health of our complexions with this goddess-blessed prescription for eternal youth. Add the following essential pure oils into six ounces of scentless base oil, such as sesame:
The time you take to restore yourself is precious. Morning is the optimal time to perform a self-blessing, which will help you maintain both your physical health and provide an emotional boost each and every day. Take a bundle of dried lavender grown in your kitchen garden or from a purveyor of organic herbs and place it into a muslin sack. Knead the lavender three times and breathe in the calming scent. Beginning at the top of your head, your crown chakra, pass the pouch all the way down to your feet, gently touching your other sacred chakras: throat, solar plexus, stomach and pelvis. Holding the lavender bag over your heart, speak aloud:
Gone are sorrows, illness and woe;
Here wisdom and health flows. My heart is whole, joy fills my soul.
Plan this for an early morning when you can still see a sliver of the moon as the sun rises. Sit in a comfortable position in front of your altar and meditate. Think about your blessings. What are you grateful for at this moment? There is a powerful magic in recognizing all that you possess. Breathe steadily and deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly for twenty minutes. Then chant:
Great Goddess, giver of all the fruits of this earth, Of all bounty, beauty, and well-being, Bless all who give and receive these gifts. I am made of sacred earth, purest water,
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
Janet Boyer
I love the idea of green burials! I first heard of Recompose right before it launched. I wish there were more here on the East Coast; that's how I'd l...