Articles — 2016

Five (and a half) ways to build psychic rapport and improve your readings

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Five (and a half) ways to build psychic rapport and improve your readings

There are many scenarios in which it’s useful to create a temporary psychic bond between individuals. Perhaps you are about to do a reading or healing for a client. Maybe you’re about to work together in a magickal spell or ritual. Or maybe you just want to use your psychic skills to be a better listener, listening to the person’s energy as well as their words. Here are some easy ways to tune in psychically to another person. (You probably already use one or more of these methods!) Most can be used in combination with each other: #1: Synchronize your...

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A village of Witches: Witchcraft’s supply and demand problem

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

A village of Witches: Witchcraft’s supply and demand problem

The fable of the “village witch” is immensely appealing to many Witches and Pagans. Whether it’s historically accurate or not, we relish the idea of the lone magick worker whose gifts are supported by their local community. Yet the popularity of alternative spirituality has led to a classic supply-and-demand problem, in which spiritual services are oversupplied and undervalued. It’s time to drag the village witch out of her cottage, and introduce her to the modern marketplace. The myth of the village witch The story goes something like this: In the distant (or not-so-distant) past, each village had its witch. (Or...

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Deck review: The Faery Forest oracle

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Deck review: The Faery Forest oracle

The Faery Forest: An Oracle of the Wild Green World is the newest Faery-themed oracle deck. Released in May 2016, it is the first deck to collect the work of veteran fantasy artist Maxine Gadd. Before adding the title to our store's shelves, we opened one up to have a look. The Cards Right away, I was impressed by the quality of the cards and packaging. Publisher Blue Angel is known for doing right by its artists, and this deck is no exception. The printing is vibrant and crisp. (Printing dark colors on cardstock is tricky, but these seem able...

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The 6 craziest Pagan news stories this summer (so far)

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

The 6 craziest Pagan news stories this summer (so far)

It's heating up outside, and Pagan topics have been equally hot in the news this summer of 2016. From buzzkills at Stonehenge to the high-profile sentencing of an Arizona priestess, we've been scrolling through our news feed with a slack jaw. In case you missed 'em, here's the most noteworthy recent news stories relating to modern Paganism: Witch Trials: There Is Nothing Magical About Being a Pagan in Prison by Gabby Bess (VICE, July 8, 2016) A heart-wrenching article about one California inmate's struggle to be able to practice Wicca while incarcerated. Includes an interview with Witch and author Starhawk,...

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A Fae gift guide: Shopping for faeries, gnomes, and elves

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

A Fae gift guide: Shopping for faeries, gnomes, and elves

Buying gifts for humans is easy. You can just pick up some candles or a gift card and slap a bow on it. Done! But when your circle of friends includes such creatures as Elves and Mermaids, things can get complicated. Here’s a handy gift guide to help you find perfect presents for the otherkin in your life. Gifts for Faeries It wasn’t the Magi, but the Faeries who perfected the art of gift-giving and taught it to humans. Faeries love gifts at holiday time and “just because”. They receive gifts graciously and enjoy them thoroughly, which results in more...

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