Author Archives: Ben Gruagach

Circle Sanctuary’s Online Yule 2020

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Here’s what Circle Sanctuary is offering for Yule 2020 online in this year of the pandemic: YULE FESTIVAL 2020 ONLINESaturday, December 19,  10 AM – 1 PM Central Time Registration is open for this year’s Community Yule! Blessings, toasting, sharing and giving thanks during the Yuletide period is tradition and social distancing  is making that hard for us this year.  But… Read more »

Online Samhain Celebrations 2020

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pentacle with pumpkins, candle and book

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic a number of events have opted to shift to online celebrations instead of outright cancellations. Here’s a few that you might want to participate in! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/samhain-online-ritual-tickets-123443507855 https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/events/samhain-2020

Think You’ve Been Cursed?

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Myths & Scams

This is another one of the topics that gets posted pretty regularly on occult and magickal discussion boards: “I think I’ve been cursed!” or “Don’t post pictures online or you’ll be cursed!” or some variation of those. Here’s the simple response: magick isn’t like Hollywood depicts — curses are actually very rare and it’s extremely unlikely you’ll ever encounter a… Read more »

Great Book Of Magical Art, Hindu Magic And East Indian Occultism – L. W. de Laurence [PDF]

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The Great Book of Magical Art, Hindu Magic and Indian Occultism by L. W. de Laurence

This book provides a lot of magickal lore and how-to information on a wide range of techniques. The author and publisher, L. W. de Laurence, produced a lot of popular books on these subjects – some were his own while others were written by others. His books were sold primarily through mail-order. This book was originally published in 1898, and… Read more »

So You Want To Be A Witch

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pentacle with pumpkins, candle and book

I see it all the time on message boards and forums on the internet. “I want to be a Witch — how should I start?” It is pretty bewildering to newcomers because there is so much information out there, so many different “kinds” of Witches that someone who is just getting started can easily become overwhelmed. Here’s some advice from… Read more »

Pagan Booklist: Witchcraft for Activists

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Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches

When your life is a disaster and you’ve tried everything to fix things, and it’s just not working, where do you turn? For many throughout history the answer is: witchcraft. Witchcraft has long been the last resort of the oppressed. One of the earliest practical texts documenting this relationship was published in 1899 as “Aradia: or the Gospel of the… Read more »

View an Online Beltane Festival

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Maypole in Columcille Megalith Park, Bangor PA

2020 has been a rather unusual year due to a global pandemic which has resulted in stay-at-home orders in many places, and all the usual public events being cancelled. Some, like the Beltane Fire Society in the UK, decided that this year they would hold their festival online instead of in the usual way. Even though the event is now… Read more »

So You Want to Become A Wiccan? Tips for Getting Started

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I’ve seen the question come up more and more often lately: “I’m interested in becoming a Wiccan. How do I start?” Here are some articles and suggestions for books to read that will give you a solid beginning. First, you need to get a better idea of if you want to become a Wiccan, a Witch, or a Pagan. What’s… Read more »

Pagan Booklist: Wicca for Beginners

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There are lots and lots of books out there about Wicca. Which ones are good for beginners? Here’s a list highlighting some of the best. “Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” by Scott Cunningham is probably the best book to start out with as it provides a solid foundation in the ideas that are the basis of Wicca, along… Read more »