All Blog Posts (988)

This week here on The Spiral Dance, we continue our celebration of Autumn as we look at some of the season's important associations.

Water is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, and in Occult circles it's associated with the Western Quarter of the Circle, and with the season of Autumn. So we'll look at how and why Water got associated with the Autumn as we tie in some of their similar Magickal Properties.

Then we'll take a walk into an Autumn Garden with Ellen…

Father’s day is celebrated on different days throughout the world.

Origin in the U.S.:

On June 19, 1910, a Father's Day celebration was held at the YMCA in Spokane,

Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd. Her father, the civil war veteran William

Jackson Smart, was a single parent who raised his six children there. She was also

a member of Old Centenary Presbyterian Church (now Knox Presbyterian

Church), where she first proposed the idea. After hearing a…

Deism as an encompassing thought and philosophy had a major influence over those we in American call our Founding Fathers. Thus the shape of our Constitution is very much a product of Deism.

But what's the connection between Deism and Paganism? Well, in the Eighteenth Century many Deists spoke of a Creator God, or The God of Nature. They connected to the Devine through Rational Thought Processes, and by connecting with Nature.

Clearly the Deists of 1775 would…

This week we talk about The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was formally establihed on March 1, 1888. It's had a tremendous influence on Western Occult thought over the past century. Indeed, it's easy to say that without the Golden Dawn, Wicca - and therefore the whole Pagan revival - might never have seen the light of day.

It's really too bad that today in Greece there is a neo-fascist group calling themselves Golden…

The Urban Myth is the subject of this week's show.

Why do we tell eachother such stories? They're always so extreme and fantastic that, really, the rational mind knows they can't be true. But not only do we tell them anyway; we, in fact listen to them as well. Maybe these fantastic set of circumstances just might be real afterall!

The Urban myth has alot in common with traditional myths and folklore, in the way they satisfy a need for storytelling. It may be…

Valentine's Day will be here on the 14th. Let's pass a couple love notes!

Some people believe that the Ancient Roman holiday of the Lupercalia was the forerunner to Valentine's Day. That's not actually true, but there are some associations so we'll take a look at what the Lupcalia was all about.

Then we'll talk a bit about the Christian St. Valentine - or ValentineS, plural. There was actually more than one Valentine - but were they all…

They say that February was made the shortest month because everybody wants it to be OVER WITH from the start!

February is one of the most primordial months. It's all about extremes. And, like the sabbat Imbolc, it's just as much about Fire as it is about Ice.

Fire and Ice are the Primordial elements that, in the Norse Tradition that formed to create our world. So this is a good time to think a bit about the Nordic Tradition; just what is and what it…

Welcome to our celebration of Imbolc.

We're at the midpoint between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Perfectly natural to want to jump up and down and start acting like Spring is Here! Folly, pure folly! Watch out if the weather is fine on Imbolc - you might find yourself shoveling the driveway on Eostara!

But before that, let's take some time to honor the Goddess Brigid, the Triple Goddess of Poetry, Healing and…

Are you among the Shiny Happy People? Or does the thought make you fear that you could be labled a fuzzy bunny Wiccan? Perhaps you are genuinely happy with your Dark Magicks!

Happiness is amorphous. It's hard to define, and sometimes it's hard to know if we really have it. But when we DO have happiness in our lives it truly is a Shiny thing.

So this week we're going to look at just what is meant by "happines", and we'll look at it from different perspectives -…

This week we Welcome The Guardians of the Watchtowers.

e on The Spiral DanceWe've all done it; we've created Sacred Space by calling the Spirits of the Four Directions. We stand at each direction and draw the appropriate pentagram and we Invoke the Spirits that have the appropriate character.

But where does all that mumbo jumbo come from? Some say Gerald Gardner, which is correct to a point. Others say that Witches have been doing that on their…

This week here on The Spiral Dance, we're talking about the Philosopher's Stone.

Just what IS the Philosopher's Stone? Where does it come from? Is it even a Stone?

This question has been bothering people for generations. Some people just give up and say it's just a lot of poetic rhetoric. Others say, "No, look! I've done it! I've got it right here!"

Some say it's all Devilry! Others say it's all God stuff. Well, you can choose as we try to sort…

Happy New Year, everyone!

The January Moon is known as the Cold Moon and the Wolf Moon. It is a time when shedding and cleansing takes place, the old year is released and the energy of the New Year is beginning. This is a time for letting go from the past and starting anew.

So this week, here on the Spiral Dance, let's work together to make this New Years Transition work so that we could Transcend toward our goals for 2019.

Be well! Do good! Enjoy the…

The Night is cold and Oh so long, for the lady has grown old and the god has long since died

But I learn there is reason for Hope, for there is newly born a child.

The Lord of the Sun has returned

Oh, Powers of Air, I seek the newborn child. Is he within your realm?

The powers of Air answer: Follow the Star to the Hidden cave

Oh Powers of Fire, I seek the newborn child. Is he within your realm?

The powers of Fire answer: Follow the…

This week let's celebrate the Dark of the Year.

We all know it's rediculous to be afraid of the Dark, but cultural associations with Darkness remain strong, and it seems almost natural to be uncomfortable with this time of the year..

So, we'll talk about the gifts that this time of the year bring us - such as much needed rest! And much needed introspection as well.

And we'll take a look at the Dark Side of Your Moon. You know when the Dark of…

This week here on The Spiral Dance, we celebrate the Full Moons of Winter.

All the full moons have names, as you know. But during the Winter, the Dark time of the year the moon has an ever stronger effect on us.

Each of the Full Moons of December, January, February and March have different qualities. So we'll take a look at each moon's quality.

This year's December full moon is on Saturday, the 22nd, the day after Yule! It will be the longest…

This week we talk about what in the scientific community is known as Cognitive Flexibility. Try to wrap your mind around that!

With a flexible mind you could do all sorts of things, like increase your creativity, get yourself unstuck from Pain and generally be happier and more productive in your life.

So, here's to all the things the mind can do for you if you only just let it!.

Be well. Do good. Enjoy the show!

Some of…

I once thought I was going to Live Hard and Die Young. That didn't work out! Maybe I didn't live hard enough, I don't know. But here I am, looking back at everything.

So, now what? Well, first thing, of course I DEMAND RESPECT!

But, Eldering isn't really something you are; it's something you DO. The idea around Eldering is how older people can relate and function in the world. But in order to do that at all, there has to be some understanding of how their society looks at them,…

"Now is the Night of November Eve, as the Samhain rites begin.

Spirits step from the World Beyond, this night when the Veil is thin.

Coming through the Land of Shadows, awakening from the World of Dreams,

joining hands with the Children of Midnight as the Moonlight Lantern gleams.

Drifting in the Wind of Evening, Chanting words in an ancient tongue,

dancing light to the music of Fearies, as the Sacred Prayer is…

This week we look at the so-called Holy Grail.

What is this thing that people are so enamored of? Did it even exist? People have been searching for it for hundreds of years, and it seems whenever they decide they can't find it, they create stories about it.

So, let's travel back to the 12th century, where the myth of the Holy Grail seems to have it's beginnings. And we'll take a look at some of the embellishments that have been attached to it over time.

There does seem…

This week, we continue our celebration of Autumn as we look at some of the season's important associations.

Water is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, and in Occult circles it's associated with the Western Quarter of the Circle, and with the season of Autumn. So we'll look at how and why Water got associated with the Autumn as we tie in some of their similar Magickal Properties.

Then we'll take a walk into an Autumn Garden with Ellen Dugan, well known…