Articles

DFW Pagan Unity Festival 2015

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

DFW Pagan Unity Festival 2015

We were thrilled to take part in this year's Pagan Unity Festival.  (Dallas didn't have an "official" Pagan Pride Day in 2015.) 400+ Dallas area Pagans and friends attended the free outdoor festival.  Beautiful weather and tons of activities and vendors made it a day to remember.  See you in 2016! I was peddling lots of awesome wares, including my new lathe-turned wands, leather journals, painted signs, jewelry and pendulums.  It was my first time bringing the whole shebang.  We had a canopy, three tables, and enough merchandise to fill a 10x10 space and boy, was I exhausted.  But it...

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Choosing and using black ritual salt

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Choosing and using black ritual salt

Today, we’ll look at a versatile and inexpensive addition to your spell kit: Black ritual salt. Black salt is a potent ingredient in defensive workings. Black salt combines the grounding properties of salt with the protective power of the color black. (Technically not a color, yes I know). In this article we’ll cover the basics of using black salt in spellworking. Most black salt spells have the same basic purpose: Creating a barrier of protection and/or “earthing” crummy energy to be disposed of later. Types of black salt There are basically two kinds of black salt on the market: Black...

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What plants and herbs are attributed to Fire?

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

What plants and herbs are attributed to Fire?

Herbs, spices and incenses with the energy of Fire are a powerful addition to your magick. Fire helps to cleanse and consecrate, banish and protect. Fire is also the element of confidence and fast action--a crucial ingredient in a lot of spellwork. In writing about the elemental rulership of herbs, I've tried not just to make a list. I couldn't possibly list all the herbs on the planet, anyway.  Instead, I wanted to consider what traits cause a plant to belong to one category or another. (This article is the third in a four-part series: Also read about the herbal...

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Grounding in under a minute: Energetic quick fixes

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Grounding in under a minute: Energetic quick fixes

If you've done even basic energetic or ritual work, you're probably familiar with the practice of grounding.  Grounding allows excess psychic energy to be released and re-establishes contact with the physical body.  It's especially important after energy transfers, trance work, and group rituals. While beginners often disdain grounding practices as un-magickal, experienced workers know that it's an essential part of healthy, sustainable psychic work.  Neglecting to ground properly most often results in a mildly unpleasant "spaced-out" feeling.  But it can also lead to loss of appetite, entity attachments, fatigue, and other more serious side effects. Grounding works best and feels...

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Pagan Pride Day in Dallas-Fort Worth: Some history (and gossip)

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Pagan Pride Day in Dallas-Fort Worth: Some history (and gossip)

Dallas is a vibrant city full of spiritual, artistic people--if you know where to look.  Our city's twin faults of searing summer heat and ridiculous sprawl have a way of keeping Pagans isolated (and indoors). Still, in recent years, Pagan events have begun to pop up around the city, uniting some of our scattered groups for a day of merriment and fellowship.  If you've never attended a Pagan Pride gathering, you're missing out.  Though increasing visibility and religious tolerance are part of the aim of a Pagan Pride Day, it's usually less of a demonstration or rally than a big...

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