December 2010

[Blessed_Scribe]

Blessed_Scribe

We are in need of writers for the following sections: Abilities, Advanced Practitioners, Animal Totems, Astral Projection, Astrology, Author of the Month, Beginner's Section, Book Review, Crystals and Gemstones, Current Affairs, Divination, Elements, Herb Garden, Meditation, Mythical Creatures and Pagan Art.

If you're interested, please head on over to this thread to pick up the application. Once you've filled it out, please send it to Blessed_Scribe.

It's a paying job (Gaia gold only), so it's well worth it! biggrin

Blessed Scribe

If you've enjoyed this issue of the newsletter, or have any suggestions, please feel free to post some feedback!

Table of Contents

- Introduction
- Guild Happenings
- Member's Section
- Classified Ads
- Gods & Goddesses
- Kitchen Witches
- Pagan Humor
- Pagan Music
- Spells  

[Blessed_Scribe]

- We celebrated Samhain/Beltane!

- We'll soon be celebrating Yule/Litha!

- We'd also like to apologise that the newspaper is late - a lot of us have been busy and also catching illnesses.  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Please welcome our new members!

sayingallineed, AdramlKisser, Night_of_the_Phoenix, Hellsing_Demon, Inorganic Adhesive, IileyahWithTheStars, FateTempter, Kotsuro Ikana, Hex Devoncroix, Jade_Silverwolf, Lexenos the Knight, sassyangel37, xtinex

Please wish these members a happy birthday for the months of December and January!

December 2nd - - hidden_in_the_shadows23
December 4th - - _IceGoddess15_
December 7th - - SiicoSeeren
December 9th - - Aiedaile
December 12th - - zabazor and zainith666
December 13th - - Wiccan_of_Shadow
December 16th - - xMoonlitShadowsx
December 17th - - Wraith_92
December 20th - - Sky Raven Moon
December 21st - - Oh Em Jesus
December 23rd - - Beautiful Propaganda
December 27th - - no1narutofan1992

January 3rd - - Shinigami-Rem_Death-Note
January 8th - - vampire_Kitty
January 11th - - Kyrellyan
January 14th - - yarrownick
January 16th - - shaddowchild
January 17th - - starkbane
January 22nd - - keltycphoenyx
January 23rd - - Indigo Night Vision
January 24th - - SwirlingDark
January 25th - - Little-Lenah
January 27th - - FizzyFoo
January 31st - - Sanutamar

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Member's Art

We now have a comics section biggrin Our first comic comes from Tarrien!



If you'd like to have your art featured here, just PM Blessed_Scribe. You'll get gold for anything that you submit.
(Art is defined as poetry, short stories, excerpts from a novel, photography, sculptures, graphic design, painting, drawings, collages, etc).  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Blessed_Scribe

We are in need of writers for the following sections: Abilities, Advanced Practitioners, Animal Totems, Astral Projection, Astrology, Author of the Month, Beginner's Section, Book Review, Crystals and Gemstones, Current Affairs, Divination, Elements, Herb Garden, Meditation, Mythical Creatures and Pagan Art.

If you're interested, please head on over to this thread to pick up the application. Once you've filled it out, please send it to Blessed_Scribe.

It's a paying job (Gaia gold only), so it's well worth it! biggrin

Blessed Scribe

If you've enjoyed this issue of the newsletter, or have any suggestions, please feel free to post some feedback!

 

[Blessed_Scribe]

Note from koudelkaW: As the current Gods & Goddesses writer is busy, we have used an old article. This article was written by Arthela for the November 2007 newspaper

Each month we will have a featured God and a featured Goddess. This month, we will talk about Persephone and Hades. This article was Written by: Arthela.

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She is called Proserpine be the Romans. Her name means something along the lines of “she who destroys light”. She is also referred to as Kore meaning "the Maiden". She is the goddess of spring growth. After her abduction by Hades, she became his wife and queen of his domain, the Underworld. She is bound to the Underworld due to eating pomegranate seeds while she is there. So she spends four months of the year there with him and the rest of the year with her mother. She is also the goddess of grain seed, curses, necromancy, ghostly visitations, passage to Elysium and reincarnation. She is the mistress of the Erinyes. She is often depicted as a young goddess holding sheafs of grain and a flaming torch. Asphodel is sacred to her.

Hades is the son of Cronus and Rhea, brother of Zeus. He is called Dis or Pluto by the Romans. He is also called Clymenus meaning "notorious", Eubuleus meaning "well guessing", and Polydegmon meaning "who receives many". He is the king of the Underworld and of wealth. As the king of the Underworld, he is the god of the dead, not the god of death. He is the god of wealth due to precious metals mined from the earth. He abducted Persephone by coming out of a crack in the earth near where she was picking flowers. He is also the god of funeral rites, mourning, necromancy, ghostly visitations, curses, Earth’s fertility, mining, and precious metals. He is the master of the Erinyes and dreams. He is often depicted as a dark-bearded, regal god enthroned in the underworld, holding a bird tipped scepter or as a giver of wealth, pouring fertility from a cornucopia. The narcissus and cypress are sacred to him.


Arthela used the following sources for information:
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/p/persephone.html
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/h/hades.html
http://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/olympian.html#Hades
http://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/lesserorgod.html#Persephone
http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html
http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Persephone.html  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Note from koudelkaW: As the current Kitchen Witches writer is busy, we have used an old article. This article was written by Rainbow_Flavoured_Pocky for the December 2007 newspaper

Each month we will also include several different recipes that contain our featured herb. If you use any of the following recipes, we'd love it if you could let us know how everything turned out! You can do this by posting on our Feedback page.

This article is by Rainbow_Flavoured_Pocky

Acorn Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup acorn flour
1 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
¼ cup oil
½ cup honey
2 cups milk

Instructions:
1. Mix dry ingredients first.
2. Add wet ingredients and mix together thoroughly (Note: the secret of keeping pancake batter from getting lumpy is to be sure to add all the wet ingredients before mixing.)
3. Adjust consistency by adding a little more milk or a little more flour if it’s too thick or thin. Pancake batter should be thin enough to pour, but not runny.
4. Cook on oiled grill.
5. Top with butter and Maple Syrup.


Acorn Hotdish

Ingredients:
4 cups Acorns
1 small onion, chopped
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 cups soft breadcrumbs (4 slices of bread)
2 eggs
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup oats
3 cups cubed cheese (1 lb)

Instructions:
1. Cook acorns in water until they are soft. (Skip this step if using frozen acorns).
2. Mash acorns somewhat with a potato masher.
3. Combine with remaining ingredients.
4. Add a little water if it seems dry.
5. Spread into a greased 9x9 square pan or 9x5 loaf pan.
6. Sprinkle sesame seeds and oats over the top.
7. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

These recipes and more can be found at
http://www.prodigalgardens.info/acorn recipes.htm

WARNING: Acorns contain Tannin, which is very poisonous. Please read this site to learn how to remove the Tannin.
 

[Blessed_Scribe]

Pagan Humor
Provided by Zydrate Addicted GENtern

Yulie and The Origin of Yule (completely satirical, of course)

Yule is named for the little-known Celtic goddess Yulie, who is in charge of gifts, alcohol, fertility, and cold nights. As a Celtic goddess, of course her worshippers were peaceful Wiccans, accepting of everyone including homosexuals. Also, since the Celts created the religion that was utilized the world over, she corresponds to the Roman Yulinius, the Greek Yulinex, and the Norse Yulo, as well as the Native American Yu.

The origin of the holiday Yule dates back to prehistoric times. Yulie and the other gods and goddesses would visit the earth once per year in their spacecraft on the Winter Solstice, and a large log would be set ablaze to guide the spacecraft to the villages. This is the origin of the traditional Yule log. Often the pumpkins left over from Samhain would be dried enough by this time to be used as kindling for the Yule log. The villagers would stand around the Yule log chanting "An it harm none, do what you will," until the spacecraft arrived. The spacecraft had spiny landing gear with small round globes on them, and the plant mistletoe, representing the landing gear, would be hung up as a symbol of the wishes of the faithful that Yulie would visit them with gifts. Often trees would be knocked down by the landing of the space ship. It was considered very beneficial to take one of these trees, decorate it and place it around your home to demonstrate your love of Yulie (obviously, as these were a very environmentally-conscious people, they would never dream of cutting down trees. That would be as bad as eating meat!).

The visits were time of even more love and peace than usual, as the gods and goddesses would exchange gifts with the mortals, using a complex system that was the basis for the modern "Chinese auction." Songs would be sung such as "Away in a Spacecraft," (later to become "Away in a Manger," as we will see), the "12 Days of Yulie," and the "Little Drummer Boy" (who originally banged out counterpoint to the chanting of "An it harm none, do what you will.")

Once she had landed, Yulie would take the role of high priestess in the Winter Solstice rituals. The actual ritual has been passed down from generation to generation, and is now available in any Llewellyn book, with the appropriate cultural alterations.

Yulie one year became enamored of a mortal, and gave birth to Yesus, a story which greatly affected a group of Jews. Unfortunately, the story became garbled over time, and the spaceship became a beacon star which marked the place of Yesus’s birth. Great wise ancient tolerant pagans who practiced Wicca hastened to the site, with gifts for the baby Yesus.

Unfortunately, as Christianity became more and more confused about Yesus’s nature, they turned on the peaceful Yulie worshippers, and forced them to worship their own mean version of Yesus. Yulie was demoted to a minor supporting character, supposedly simply being a virgin, sometimes depicted on a donkey. The ancient Wiccans (being a peace-loving people who accepted everyone) had no way to fight back, and either became Christians or went underground, keeping their secrets until Gerald Gardner arrived on the scene. Yulie’s role as a bringer of gifts was transferred to a older fat man with a beard, because of the patriarchal nature of the new religion, and the spacecraft was called a sleigh, which, although it still flew, had no life support systems to maintain life in space

Source:
http://www.ecauldron.net/humor52.php  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Note from koudelkaW: As the current Pagan Music writer is busy, we have used an old article. This article was written by StrawberryDaifuku for the August 2008 newspaper

Pagan Music - Hecate's Wheel
Written by StrawberryDaifuku

Hecate’s Wheel:
Based in Clearwater, Florida; this “acoustic folk trio,” as they call themselves, is made up of Vicki Scotti, LuAnn Morris, and Amy Otero. Their music, dedicated to the Goddess, is made up of cover songs and their own original work. Their CD, “Hecate’s Wheel,” has been out for about a year now, and having listened to a few of their songs, I will say that their music is relaxing and clearly comes from the heart.

Their website can be found here: http://hecateswheel.com/
They also have a MySpace, here: http://www.myspace.com/hecateswheel1
*Note, the image I used for the band is from their myspace.  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Note from koudelkaW: As the current Spells writer is busy, we have used an old article. This article was featured in the November 2007 newspaper.

Each month we will give you guys some spells that you can try at home! This month we'll be giving you some Elemental spells, one for each of the four elements!

Earth: House Plant Blessing

This is not intended for use with a cactus.

"Plants grown in the house are entirely dependent upon their caretakers for their lives. This blessing, when properly performed, will ensure that the plant thrives. Be certain that the plant receives the proper amount of light, water, and fertilizer at the recommended times. You will need:

One potted houseplant
One pencil or green pen
One 1-inch square piece of paper
A small amount of water

Place the houseplant and all other items on a flat surface near or in the place where you'll grow the plant. Using the pencil or green pen, draw a simple, small picture of the plant in vibrant health on the small piece of paper. Draw lines of energy streaming out from it. Visualize the plant's future health as you're doing this.

Next, gently brush the paper (picture side down) against the plant, giving it love and energy, and possibly saying the following words:

Quote:

Shoots unfurl;
Flowers bloom;
Leaves uncurl
In this room.
Plant of green,
Forever strong,
Grow now here
Where you belong.
Roots push deep and
Branches climb
By the power
Of this rhyme.
Grow now, plant; this is the time!

As you say these words, block out all thoughts of past failures that you may have had with houseplants. This will only negate the power of the ritual.

Next, fold the paper with two creases into a small square. Push this into the soil, close to the pot's wall. As you do this, say:

Quote:

I give you power!

Move the plant to its new home. Water it while saying:

Quote:

I give you life!

Set down the empty water container. Hold your hands palms downward above the pant and say:

Quote:

I give you love!

It should grow beautifully."

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Air: To Stimulate Creativity

"For this ritual you'll need a flute or air instrument of some kind. Panpipes, a harmonica, pennywhistle, even a trumpet are all fine, but an instrument made of wood or bamboo is best.[br][br]If you've never used such an instrument before, get to know it prior to using it in magic. Be certain that you can make it create the desired sounds. Then, do the following:

Light a yellow candle. Hold the flute before it while saying these or similar words:

Quote:

Music magic
Come to me;
Music magic
Let me see.
Music wakes the
Muse in me;
Music magic
Come to me.
Music magic
Opens me
To the music
Mystery.
Mystic mind
Awakened be.
Music magic
Sets me free.

Visualize yourself writing that letter, composing that speech, finishing that painting, weaving that rug, or beginning to work on that book that you've been meaning to write for some time.

Now play the instrument for a few seconds. You don't have to play a song; simply let the flute bring forth it's energy through its music. Once you've accomplished this, set down the instrument and, within sight of it, do your creative work.

If your conscious mind once again blocks you, play the flute for a few seconds and go back to your work. When you're finished for the moment, snuff out the candle flame and put the taper and instrument in a special place until the next time that you need them."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Fire: A Spell of Protection
"Sit or stand before any fire. Look into the flames (or flame, if using a candle). Visualize the fire bathing you with glowing, protective light. The fire creates a flaming, shimmering sphere around you. If you wish, say the following or similar words:

Quote:

Craft the spell
In the fire;
Craft it well;
Weave it higher.
Weave it now
Of shining flame;
None shall come
To hurt or maim.
None shall pass
This fiery wall;
None shall pass
No, none at all.

Repeat this simple yet effective ritual every day when in need."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Water: To Increase Psychic Awareness

"Go to a flat, slow-moving stream. Bury a coin at the base of a nearby tree or bush and gently collect three leaves. Thank the plant for its sacrifice as you collect the leaves.

Next, hold the leaves between your palms. Visualize yourself as a psychic person, who can call upon the psychic mind at will. Imagine what it would be like to be psychic. Push your personal power into the leaves with your visualization.

Set one leaf afloat on top of the water. Say these or similar words:

Quote:

Leaf afloat,
Leaf so green,
Help me see
What's unseen.

As the first leaf sails away, launch another, then the third, each time saying the same words.

As each leaf touches the water, it slowly dispels the energy that you've given it. This energy mixes with the psychic-inducing power of the water to bring your need into manifestation.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


You can find these spells and more in "Earth, Air, Fire, & Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic" by Scott Cunningham