Watchers of the Craft

Very thought provoking and I thought worth sharing, I hope you enjoy!

Knot Magick

I would say “it’s amazing when coincidences happen” but given this post is about how there are very few coincidences when you are a Witch I will restrain myself.

I was discussing the nature of being a witch with a colleague at work and whilst I was talking I thought back to my post I’ll Second That – Witchcraft is Not Safe. In it I talk about how, as a Witch, one becomes visible to the worlds of God’s and Spirits in a way that most people are not and how we can protect ourselves against negative experience. Not long after Sarah Anne Lawless was working through some of her more divisive posts, amongst which she included a post entitled They’re Watching You. A lot of what Sarah said in the post rang instantly true for me and I decided to jot some of my own thoughts down…

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Third instalment of Beltane Fire Festival pictures

Beltane Fire Society

It’s a beautiful sunny day in Edinburgh, and we’re celebrating with more fiery pictures from Monday’s Beltane Fire Festival. Here’s a taster of third selection of photographs, which you can view more of on our Facebook page.

Copyright Asier Goikoetxea for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Mark Taylor for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Martin McCarthy for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Neil Barton for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Scott Miller for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Vince Graham for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

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Second release of Beltane Fire Festival pictures

Second lot of photos from the amazing Beltane celebrations at Calton Hill, Edinburgh!

Beltane Fire Society

It’s the second lot of pictures, and the first big album to go up on our Facebook page. Head over to peruse the hundreds of dazzling photos from Monday’s fiery revelries.

Copyright Gordon Veitch for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Asier Goikoetxea for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Mark Taylor for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Martin McCarthy for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Neil Barton for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Prem Shah for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Scott A. Winchester for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Scott Miller for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Vince Graham for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

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The first set of Beltane Fire Festival pictures is here

Amazing spectacle!

Beltane Fire Society

Last night’s Beltane Fire Festival was truly magical. Clear skies, a full moon, and a wonderful audience to welcome the summer with. Our photographers spent the night capturing the beautiful sights all over Calton Hill, which we’ll be sharing with you here and on our Facebook page in the coming weeks. Here’s our first small collection to give you a taste for the rest.

Copyright Duncan Reddish for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Duncan Reddish for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Vince Graham for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Vince Graham for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Gordon Veitch for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Gordon Veitch for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. http://www.beltane.org / http://www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

Copyright Scott A. Winchester for Beltane Fire Society…

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3 Wild Herbs For Lucid Dreaming

Beltane 2017 – The First Look

Source: Beltane 2017 – The First Look

Fresh from Photopoint! The first official Beltane 2016 pictures.

Uploaded from the tech station at the Beltane 2016 after party to the sound of drums. Enjoy! Photos (x2 each) by Asier Goikoetxea, Bartlomiej Pyrz, Bleu Hope, Dan Mosley, Laura Wallace, Mark Taylor…

Source: Fresh from Photopoint! The first official Beltane 2016 pictures.

When we dance together, we dissolve

On the morning of Beltane Fire Festival 2016, our community is buzzing with excitement about the event that will begin in a few short hours after months of hard work. This is the perfect time to sh…

Source: When we dance together, we dissolve

~Wolfdogs in the snow~

Some photos of my two wolfdogs Achak and Mia enjoying the snow…

~*Imbolc House Cleansing Ceremony*~

No one really likes to clean, but we all know we feel better when our physical space is tidy. It’s one of life’s necessary chores. Start your spring off with a good thorough cleaning, and then follow that up with a spiritual cleansing. This is a great ritual to perform at Imbolc — remember that for many of our ancestors, washing came only a few times a year, so by February, a house was probably smelling pretty ripe. Pick a bright sunny day to do a clean sweep, and then invite friends and family to join you in a blessing of your home.

Here’s How:

1. First, do a complete physical cleaning of your house. Put on some music and thoroughly clean every room. Strip sheets off the beds, turn the mattresses, dust every surface, and vaccuum every floor. Sort through those piles of paper on your desk, and get rid of things you don’t need to keep; file everything else. Gather up the kids’ toys and put them in baskets for easy storage. If you need to get rid of things, do it now — set aside a box for charity and put gently used items in it. Set aside another box for trash, and see if you can fill it up!Read more: http://abt.cm/1ybISJP
2. Once your house is clean — and this assumes you did the kitchen as well — it’s time to have some fun. Call up some friends and invite them over for a potluck. Cook up some Imbolc-themed comfort foods, such as Braided Bread or Beer Battered Fish and Chips, and have a small potluck celebration. Ask each guest to bring a small token to bless your house — pebbles, shells, interesting bits of wood, beads, etc.

   You’ll also need the following”

   • A bowl of water
   • Some sea salt
   • A smudging bundle of sage or sweetgrass
   • A blue candle
   • Some Blessing Oil
   • A bowl or bag
3. Begin at the front door — it is, after all, where you welcome guests into your home — and go through the house in a sunwise direction (clockwise). Ask your guests to help you by smudging the perimeter of each room with the salt, sage, candle flame and water. You may wish to say some sort of incantation as they do this, something like:With the purifying power of water,
   with the clean breath of air,
   with the passionate heat of fire,
   with the grounding energy of earth
   we cleanse this space.
4. As you pass from room to room, anoint each door and windowsill with the Blessing Oil by tracing the shape of a pentagram or other symbol of your tradition. This prevents anything negative from crossing into the home. If you like, you can offer a small incantation as you do this, something like:May the goddess bless this home,
   making it sacred and pure,
   so that nothing but love and joy
   shall enter through this door.
5. Finally, once you’ve gone through the house, ask each of your guests to deposit their blessing token in your bowl or bag. Keep it in a place of honor in your home — on the mantel or in your kitchen is a good idea. Gather around the dinner table, break out the goodies, and enjoy a feast with your friends and family!

Tips:

1. * If you don’t have Blessing Oil, you can use rosemary oil instead. Make your own by infusing fresh rosemary in grapeseed or flaxseed oil.

What You Need

• Some sea salt
• Smudging material such as sage or sweetgrass
• A blue candle, for purification
• A bowl of water
• An empty bowl or bag
• Blessing Oil