June 2012

[Blessed_Scribe]

Blessed_Scribe

Abilities, Advanced Practitioners, Astral Projection, Author of the Month, Beginner's Section, Book Review, Comics, Crystals and Gemstones, Current Affairs, Elements, Gods and Goddesses, Herb Garden, Kitchen Witches, Meditation, Mythical Creatures, Mythology, Pagan Art, Pagan Humor, Spells.

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

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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
- Animal Totems
- Divination
- Kitchen Witches  

[Blessed_Scribe]

- We celebrated the Guild's 6th Birthday Party!

- We celebrated Beltane/Samhain!  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Please welcome our new members!

Rune Daeron, Angel in my Dreams, Corann Enid, AllisaNero, Superficial Depth, Teh Kir, XxXPinkster_girlXxX, KayaTesagi

Please wish these members a happy birthday for the months of June and July!

June 11th - - Lunaki3
June 16th - - FaeryGoddess2006 and Lilith Le Rouge
June 24th - - hp_artist
June 25th - - themadwriter
June 29th - - Zydrate Addicted GENtern

July 2nd - - Youroka Kage
July 4th - - Blood_Thorn07 and E l i x i e r
July 18th - - Bunniegurl123
July 22nd - - Lady Unlaced
July 23rd - - Funa Spectrum and Usagi Akumu
July 26th - - leowitch and Together Again
July 27th - - captains bootie and Kuro Magami
July 31st - - loveblackbutterflies

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Member's Art

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(Art is defined as poetry, short stories, excerpts from a novel, photography, sculptures, graphic design, painting, drawings, collages, etc).  

[Blessed_Scribe]

This is the spot where you can advertise just about anything you want.

Want to advertise your quest? Do you want to advertise something you're trying to sell? Or maybe you're looking for a mentor.

Whatever it may be, this is the place to do it!

It's completely free. All you have to do is send a PM to me, Blessed_Scribe, with your ad and which months issue you'd like it to be in. It can be as many months as you'd like, not just one.

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Blessed_Scribe

Abilities, Advanced Practitioners, Astral Projection, Author of the Month, Beginner's Section, Book Review, Comics, Crystals and Gemstones, Current Affairs, Elements, Gods and Goddesses, Herb Garden, Kitchen Witches, Meditation, Mythical Creatures, Mythology, Pagan Art, Pagan Humor, Spells

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]

Animal Totems - The Dragon
Written by SlaineWildfire

I debated including Dragons in this because they are not strictly "real", but many people over the years (including my best friend) have deep connections to Dragons and the ideals that they represent. Because of this, I thought that perhaps we can all learn a little something from the dragons after all.

Generally speaking, there are two categories of dragons into which most will fall - Western Dragons which usually appear as large lizards with only four feet/claws and two wings, or Eastern Dragons which usually appear much more closely resembling snakes with facial embellishments, sometimes multiple legs or wings, and sometimes no wings or legs at all.

Western Dragons teach us about the power of wealth, along with a good deal of magic. Traditionally, Western Dragons are fiercely greedy. They hoard, teaching us to save our pennies for a rainy day, and they are also passionate about knowledge, showing us the power of learning - both from books and from life experience. Dragons are also thought to be inherently magical, and therefore sought after creatures.

From early literature we can see the Dragon as a powerful force to be reckoned with, something which is large and scary and demonstrates the power of the unknown and the unknowable. Even though knights supposedly killed Dragons, we can take away the lesson that to be powerful is to be feared, and to embrace the unknown rather than to wish to destroy it.

Finally, Western Dragons were usually solitary creatures, which most likely contributed to their demise. From this, we can learn to place trust in others and to seek them out for their skills or companionship.

Eastern Dragons are a very different sort of creature. While they too were inherently powerful beings, they were considered very wise, and usually seen as representatives of powerful elemental forces. In China, most Dragons were connected to the elemental directions and to water. In Japan, most Dragons are also related to water, but they are seen as Imperial creatures, wise and regal.

The color of the Dragon also lends credence to what it can teach us, as each Dragon color says something about the Dragon. Different Dragons have different roles and abilities, teaching us to accept our fate in life and to work hard to become our best self. Dragons are also fiercely long lived, and they transition through different stages of growth, which shows us that we need to be patient as we grow up and not rush through any of our own developmental mile markers. It is important to enjoy the time you have, not to try to hurry it along.

There is so much more that Dragons can teach us, and I hope that you will follow the links to find out more about the different types of Dragons and what they can bring into your life.

Sources:
The Circle of the Dragon: Eastern Dragon Overview
Western Dragon - Mythical Creatures Guide
Uncovering the Myths of Dragons  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Divination - Chaomancy
Written by oceantail

Chaomancy is the practice of divination through the medium of clouds or other bodies in the air. This form of divination is a branch of Aeromancy (divination through atmospheric phenomenon). In ancient times there would be trained diviners who would be able to interpret a vast variety of symbols in the skies. Many of these correspondences were lost to time due to the secrecy commonly associated with divining practices in the ancient world.

Modern practitioners tend to rely on intuition to interpret the symbols. In this way it is not so dissimilar from other practices where the knowledge is gleaned though interpreting observation. This is useful to modern diviners because it allows them to practice Chaomancy without any tools. Compared to crystal gazing which uses similar strategies but requiring the purchase of a gemstone, which can be quite expensive, Chaomancy only requires a day that is neither completely overcast nor cloud free. In Cunningham's Divination for Beginners, he offers a method of Chaomancy that has the diviner ask their question earnestly and look up for a sign.

Because of local weather patterns Chaomancy might not always be ideal for all places. Areas that tend to be constantly overcast may find it difficult to distinguish one cloud's shape from its surroundings. Transversely an environment that rarely has clouds would make Chaomancy impossible on many occasions. This isn't to say that only the extreme locations would have practical difficulties with Chaomancy as most places will have either overcast days or cloud free days, and many will experience both. On those days Chaomancy may not be an ideal method to divine with, however for all its flaws it is worth having some idea about it. If the weather allows and one decides to go for a walk to contemplate a question in one's life, it may be helpful to look up for some advice.

Sources:
http://www.themystica.org/mystica/articles/c/chaomancy.html
Cunningham, Scott Divination for Beginners. Llewellyn, 2003.  

[Blessed_Scribe]

Peas and Strawberries
Provided by koudelkaW

Pan Fried Salmon With Pea and Citrus Crush

2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
4 Salmon fillets (one for each person, so add or take away what you need)
4 branches of cherry tomatoes on the vine (one for each person again)
A squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper

For the citrus crush:
750g of frozen peas
Juice and rind of 2 large lemons
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
A pinch of sugar

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6

2. Heat a frying pan and add the rapeseed oil, seal the salmon fillets on each side and place on a baking sheet with the cherry tomatoes, drizzle over the juices from out of the frying pan along with a good squeeze of lemon juice, season well with sea salt and black pepper and roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the salmon is just about cooked.

3. Meanwhile, boil the peas in salted water for 3 minutes, drain and return to the pan and reserve. When the fish is cooked, drain the fish cooking juices over the peas, add the lemon rind, season with sea salt and black pepper and crush the peas with a potato masher. Mix the oil and lemon juice together with a pinch of sugar, sea salt and black pepper. Place the pea crush on 4 plates and top with the salmon, the vine tomatoes and drizzle with the lemon dressing.

Taken from here.

Eton Mess

1 punnet strawberries (about 500g)
4 meringue nests
1 pint double cream
1 tablespoon soft demerara sugar

1. Wash, de-stalk and halve your strawberries.

2. Take about 1/3 of the fruit and place in a blender with 1 tablespoon sugar. Whiz until you have a puree. Set aside for use later.

3. Whip the cream until it's beginning to stiffen: If you pick up a dollop on a spoon, it should retain its shape.

4. Place whipped cream in mixing bowl and stir in the remaining strawberry halves. Gently crush the meringue nests into smaller chunks and fold those in to the cream and strawberries.

5. Take the strawberry puree and fold through the mixture to create a marble effect.

6. Spoon the mix into sundae glasses to serve, topping off with a swirl of puree and a cluster of delicious ripe strawberries.

Taken from here.