The next sabbat in the Wheel of the Year – in the southern hemisphere anyway – is Lughnasadh. It marks the first day of autumn and the first harvest festival, and in 2018 it falls on February 4. It’s a day of celebrating the things we have metaphorically harvested, the things we’ve achieved, the gifts
Beltane : First Day of Summer : Growth Beltane, the festival of love and fertility that marks the end of spring and the start of the heat and energy of summer, falls in early November in the southern hemisphere, and early May in the northern hemisphere. It’s the third fertility festival of the year, and
Samhain : First Day of Winter : Death Samhain, the festival of the ancestors and the dead that marks the beginning of winter, falls in early May in the southern hemisphere and early November in the northern hemisphere – and on October 31 in popular culture, where it is celebrated as Halloween. It honours the
Ostara : Spring Equinox : Blossoming The spring equinox is celebrated around September 22 or 23 in the southern hemisphere – in 2017 it falls on September 23 – and March 20 or 21 in the northern hemisphere – in 2017 it fell on March 20. At this point night and day are of equal
Mabon : Autumn Equinox : Harvest The autumn equinox falls around March 20 or 21 – in 2017 it fell on March 20 – in the southern hemisphere and September 22 or 23 in the northern hemisphere – in 2017 it falls on September 22. It’s characterised by the length of day and night being
This week I am so grateful to be back "home" in Glastonbury, the mystical Isle of Avalon With thanks… Friday November 4… NaNoWriMo day 4 – 628 words… Today I am grateful for coming home – to our home away from home… The day dawned soft and silver and wet, and we packed up our
Wishing all my friends in the south a magical, blessed Yule, and those in the north an inspiring, energising summer solstice. The winter solstice is about the re-emergence of light from the dark, so it is a celebration of the earth – and our – renewal. Symbolically and energetically it’s a time to honour your
Samhain, the festival of the Ancestors and the dead that marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, honours the Wheel of the Year as it turns towards the barrenness of the coldest season, in nature and in our lives, and is a time of withdrawal and withering. It is the third and
Lughnasadh ~ Summer’s End Seasonal foods and herbs play a large part in witchy celebrations, so below are a few of the Lughnasadh recipes I experimented with for Witchy Magic. Lughnasadh marks the end of summer and the first harvest festival, and it has long been a time of feasting and of thanksgiving for the
Seasonal foods and herbs play a large part in witchy celebrations, so below are a few of the Imbolc recipes I experimented with for Witchy Magic. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Lemon Balm Bread Ingredients: ✩ ¾ cup milk ✩ 1 cup fresh lemon balm, plus 2 tblsps
Being An Upside Down Witch Written for Goddess Pages – British spiritual magazine Living in Australia – or anywhere in the southern hemisphere for that matter – can be a little confusing for a witch. All the books about magic print elemental correspondences that are back to front (the fire of the sun is certainly
Wishing everyone in the southern hemisphere a magical spring equinox, and everyone in the north an enchanted autumn equinox… Today is my tenth wedding anniversary, and because we got married in New York and honeymooned in Glastonbury, I always feel a little bit of northern energy in with the south, a melding of the energies
June was a month full of the beauty of Sydney winters, all blue skies and sunshine, with a chill in the air – so pretty and vivid and crisp. It was also a month of book adventures: – The awesome online launch of Into the Light, with friend and magical author Felicity Pulman, who was
Wishing all my friends in the south an enchanted, enchanting Yule on this Midwinter night, and my friends in the north a magical Litha on this Midsummer day... The winter solstice occurs today, June 22, at 2.38am (Sydney time). This is the moment of Midwinter in the southern hemisphere, from which the days begin to
Equinox blessings to you! Today is the day of harmony and balance, when the sun is directly above the equator and there are 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. In the southern hemisphere it is the autumn equinox, and in Australia the moment of equinox is 8.45am AEST today, Saturday March 20.
Today is Lughnasadh – in the southern hemisphere anyway – the first day of autumn and the first harvest festival, a day of celebrating the things we have metaphorically harvested, the things we’ve achieved, the gifts we’ve received, the experiences we’ve had, the talents we’ve developed and the things we’ve learned… I am so grateful
Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the shortest night, and the moment that the sun halts its journey southward and stands still, before turning back and heading towards the north. (Of course it’s not really the sun doing the moving, it’s us and our position relative to the sun,
When I was in Scotland late last year, an English journalist emailed me to request an interview, and to review Seven Sacred Sites. My mum sent off a copy of the book for me, and we emailed back and forth quite a bit, and I later sent my other books for review as well. I
The Power of Power Animals New Idea – national weekly magazine Want guidance for your problems and physical healing? Dr Steven Farmer, a shaman and psychotherapist from LA, says forging a relationship with your power animal will help you do this. “A power animal is a spirit guide in animal form. They help us deal
