Articles

All about wand woods: Magick and meaning from Alder to Zebrawood

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

All about wand woods: Magick and meaning from Alder to Zebrawood

Welcome to the world of woods! As a wand-maker (or wand purchaser), you may wish to know more about the different woods that lend their character to your magickal tools. This list is alphabetical and includes many of the most common wand woods. The woods on this list are drawn from three broad categories: The traditional Celtic (Ogham) trees, domestic trees that are more commonly found in American parks and backyards, and the exotic imported woods that are favored by luxury wandmakers. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a start. I’ve included an overview of each tree, personal notes...

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100+ Pagan or Witch names and their meanings

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

100+ Pagan or Witch names and their meanings

Looking for the perfect Pagan or witch name? Check out our list of over 100 magickal names drawn from the realms of the occult. Whether it’s for yourself, an animal familiar, or a fictional character, have fun perusing these delightfully witchy monikers. Christian names have usually honored Biblical figures and saints, but Pagans prefer to name themselves after nature, folklore, and the gods of antiquity. Many names are drawn from ancient stories and are charged with mythic power. Some of the names on this list didn’t start out magickal, but got that way in modern times through association with famous...

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Grove and Grotto Spring 2019 update

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Grove and Grotto Spring 2019 update

Greetings! It’s your friendly shop fairy Michelle with some updates on what’s new at the Grove! 2018 was a very busy year. We’ve added hundreds of new products and made many other changes and improvements. Here’s some highlights: New products We have a new house brand of resin incense, packaged under the Magick Cupboard label. Some of the pre-packaged resins we received weren’t meeting our quality standards, so we ditched them and started producing our own. The Magick Cupboard resins are shop-tested, practically dust-free versions of the world’s best resins for your altar and home. (View all our resin items...

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Five hard truths about magick

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Five hard truths about magick

Of the many laws of magick, there are a few that you’ll never see on a T-shirt or affirmation board. Here, we’ll cover some of the tough stuff: The harsh, the unsettling, the ambiguous facts of living an enchanted life. This article was inspired by some recent discussions of false positivity—that is, the habitual repetition of encouraging words and images. In short, false positivity means well, but it does harm by shutting down discussion of anything problematic. You can’t hide the truth forever—and when you try, it seeps out in sneaky and unexpected ways. There are certain aspects of magick...

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Deck review: Rackham Tarot

Posted by Michelle Gruben on

Deck review: Rackham Tarot

One of the most anticipated new Tarot decks of 2019, the Rackham Tarot is based on the artwork of the beloved illustrator Arthur Rackham. Rackham’s fantasy worlds are populated with elves and goblins, golden-haired princesses and sly old crones. His artwork appeals to occultists because of his skill in evoking the enchantment (and danger) of the Faery realms. Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was a major figure in the Golden Age of illustration, which lasted roughly from the 1890s to the start of the first World War. At this time, the major publishing houses in Britain would commission illustrators to embellish classic...

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