Maeshowe © Frank Bradford
The Ancients built Maeshowe burial chamber to align with the Midwinter Solstice Sun Set in the Stone age ~ the exact reason why they did this has been lost, but we can imagine the reason, and it’s clear to see that it has a great deal to do with the Solstice when the sun is reborn to rise again.
In our modern age, of computers, webcams and the internet, we can share this experience as it happens; if it happens… weather up in the far north is chaotic and on Orkney, surrounded by sea, it changes every five minutes sometimes!
Still, the process of the sun’s traverse of the passage way into the inner chamber is a fascinating thing to observe, live, as it happens.
We can try to imagine the ancients and the rituals that must have taken place at this time.
With the recent…
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Take a look at this brilliant blog!
Week 9 (E): etiquette (and the snarky responses you’re likely to receive from me should you ask me these questions)
The following are some things you shouldn’t say to a pagan, particularly one you’ve just met. I’ve heard them all before, so no, you’re not as original as you think you are. Mostly this is just an excuse to do a snarky gif post. I ❤ gifs.
1) “Do you really fly on a broom?”
Yes. I also expect to be crushed by a falling house in about 5 years. Everything the movies say about witches is true.
2) “You’re going to hell.”
3) “Do your parents know? Are they ok with you being a witch?”
Yes. Mom actually read quite a few of the books I read in the early years, but she encouraged me to explore my spirituality. She raised me reading Greek and Roman mythology, so my interest in…
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Excellent post from Fanny Fae.
Djed Pillar as found in the Tomb of Nefertari, Valley of the Queens The Djed Pillar or Djed Column is representative of the idea of stability. The Djed pillar comes from as early as Pre-Dynastic times. Some Egyptologists believe it was a pillar that grain was once tied to and this symbol was associated with Ptah and Sokar and then later with Wasir (Osiris). Ptah of the Triad of Mennefer (Memphis) was often referred to as “The Great Djed”. It is because of the association with Sokar and the mummiform figure of Ptah, that the Djed is associated with Wasir. Some illustrations that have been found on papyri and tomb walls show the Djed with arms and a crook and flail – indicated Wasir’s resurrected state in the Duat (Underworld). 
Ptah
The ceremony of the ‘Raising the Djed Pillar took place in the city of Menefer or Memphis. The King…
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The broom is the one of those quintessential witchy items that stir the imagination. The earliest cleaning implement known to man, the besom is traditionally made from a staff of hazel with bristles of birch twigs. Every home no matter how rich or poor would have had their own which would have been made, and repaired, by the womenfolk of the house.
The idea of the broom being used to cleanse a space of negative is an ancient one, biblical even. Isaiah 14:23 states “I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts” and the image of the housewife beating unwanted guests from their front door is an old one in itself. Traditionally you would find a broom standing by the door, bristles pointing down, in order to protect the home from negative spirits.
The traditional besom woods have magical properties and associations with the…
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An excellent piece by Sarduríur Freydís Sverresdatter and definitely well worth the read. The subject of tattooing in Ancient Egypt. From slaves to Gods Wives of Amun, tattooing had special significance for certain sectors of society in the Two Lands.
For Service, Slavery, and Sex : Tattooing in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
This is a brilliant project.
With wings of gossamer white
You protect me with love and light
You come from Heaven above
And fill me with unconditional love
You sooth away my tears and fears
Always listen when no-one else hears
You taught me again to love and laugh
Guiding me along life’s rocky path
Lonely I will never be
You will always be here with me
When ever I feel sad or down
You’re there to chase away my frown
I’m lucky and so very glad
to have had you for my Dad
This looks like a deserted place
But there’s life beneath the surface
If you take another a look again
There’s a spider on a window pane
Her webs are scattered all around
And it teams with life on the ground
At night hear the squeak of mice
Beneath rotting stumps crawl woodlice
Over loose rubble a beetle scurries
To an unknown destination it hurries
The floor is reclaimed by weeds
On which a lone honey bee feeds
It’s not really deserted you see
Just take a closer look like me
