Yes its been a while since I posted anything to the blog, but its part of life it happens and things you aim to do don’t get dun or they do but not as you wish them to be, this is one of them. I would log in, things ready to be posted, updated and what have you and something would happen to prevent it from taking place (phone call, site wouldn’t save the file or something).

But I’ve not forgotten about the site, I’ve actually been exploring moving the site back onto my own server and making it into a buddypress community instead of the blog style that I’ve turned it into (after it being an interactive community though PostNuke), but so far I’m still exploring the ins and outs of using buddypress, which is a WP platform plug in from all I currently understand. So nothing to add for this atm, as I’m still not 100% sure moving things over would be wise or good as my life currently stands .. but I am going to try and make sure all the semi-posts and full posts that I have been making over the past year do get fully posted for all to read.

Write more as time does allow for it to take place.
Nyx

I would like to wish everyone a Blessed Beltane 2010
I hope today is a good day for everyone

Well we’ve moved in finally everyone from our main site is now here for everyone to view and be part of. Still for a week or so left for the old site to be active and direct traffic here, but its just a holding place right now no new activity will be going on there, its all going to be going on right here!

Yes I still have pages to be added to the site yet, but all the pages that I had managed to salvage from the old site are now here (now to add in the missing pages from my back ups that I’ve made over the years).

I hope everyone enjoys the new site, I’m still not finished adding graphics and everything but I hope to have everything of that nature added and ready by the end of the month.

Take care everyone,
Nyx

From our Family to your family, have a happy new year .. may this year be a good one for everyone!

I hope that everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season.

Yule Blessings

Marry Christmas

and Happy Holidays

To one and to all!

I am sorry to see an end of a decade with PathWalkers.Net but life is as it is and its time to move it forwards. Thus I am moving the site to back to its roots to a free service and over to a blog format as I’ve been meaning to do for the past year, but never got around to doing so.

It has been a great run with having our own domain and all, but as the past two years have proven I do not have the time that I once had to be able to maintain the site as it stands, nor to give it the attention that it needs at the level its at. That and I do not have the extra income to be able to keep the domain and the server that its currently on. No fear though once things are better I will relunch the site with a new name and look
and everything.

At the moment  I am in the process of moving everything over from the main site to this location, I still have just over a month to get things settled, so with luck everyone who is a member of the site itself will follow us here to our new home if not, its been a great run and I hope you have enjoyed what we have had to offer you for the past decade.

Take care everyone, post as time does allow it.
Nyx

Llewellyn’s 2009 Magical Almanac © 2008
Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN 978-0-7387-0722-8
360 pages
Paperback
$8.99 (U.S.) $10.50 (Canada)
Reviewed by: Mike Gleason

Thirty seven articles divided into four separate categories gives a nice range of topics to delve into. Each of these categories is introduced by a short article explaining the season and its relationships. You will find everything from gardening to stone lore to how to connect with the Pagan community. And that’s just in the Earth Magic segment of this yearly offering.

You will find a huge diversity in the articles contained in this book. You will find topics from family as coven to dark culture; from tattooing to Ganesha’s birthday; from clock magic to magic in times of trouble; and from cauldrons to retiring your magical tools.

I certainly don’t agree with everything in this book, but then I never do; having said that, I still have no hesitation in recommending this almanac.

I look forward to the arrival of this book every year for two reasons. The first reason is that I know there will be information in here that I need to know (even if I don’t know I need it yet). And the second reason is that know there will be things that will inspire me to do further reading and expand my own knowledge.

As is usual for this book, the Almanac section is fairly compact, but that is not the major draw for this book. This book is about the articles. There is always something to learn, or something which will inspire you to do further reading and research.

Feel free to dip into any section at any time and read an article or two. There is no need to read this almanac straight through, or even in the order it is presented.

There are several reasons I like this annual offering. The writing, even if I don’t agree with it, shows a diversity which is admirable. The reliability is a plus – you know it is going to be there year after year. The book holds up well (I have several years worth sitting on my shelves). I really feel that it is a good value.

Book of Shadows
by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler © 2005
Llewellyn Worldwide
ISBN 0-7387-0213-7
Paperback
240 pages
$12.95 (U.S.) $17.50 (Canada)
reviewed by: Mike Gleason

I have read some of Ms. Gonzalez-Wippler’s other books (on the subject of Santeria), so when I saw this one, I wanted to see what she had to say. Plus, I am a traditionalist, in a lot of ways, when it comes to Witchcraft and the idea of her being a “self-initiated” witch makes about as much sense as a “self-ordained” Catholic priest. I really felt a need to see what was in this book. In her introduction she acknowledges some of the “great names” in the Craft, even claiming acquaintance with them. Unfortunately these individuals have crossed the veil and can’t verify her claims.

She states (on page xv) “This book was written from the Gardnerian viewpoint.” This is an interesting statement since Gardnerian tradition does not recognize self-initiation, and the contents of the Book of Shadows are considered (to the best of my knowledge) to be oathbound material, and therefore not to be revealed outside of the Coven.

Having been an Alexandrian initiate since 1974 (and thus being more than a little familiar with Gardnerian/Alexandrian workings), I found Md. Gonzalez-Wippler’s statements in many cases to be misconceptions which would have been dispelled through actual attendance (and regular participation) in Coven activities. She makes very positive, and limiting, statements. Only to follow it with something along the lines of “…of course other groups may do it differently.” If this book is written “…from the Gardnerian viewpoint” let’s confine it to the viewpoint.

Ms. Gonzalez-Wippler speaks of invoking the law of three when one has been ill-used. That would be (in my opinion) like “invoking” the third law of motion. I mean, you can do it, but it is absolutely unnecessary as it is going to function whether you invoke it or not.

I know of very few Gardnerians (or any of the British Traditional Wicca [BTW]) covens who hold their Esbats “…once a week and generally on Saturdays.” Esbats are usually held monthly, and on (or near) the night of the Full Moon. Ms. Gonzalez-Wippler’s sources of information seem to be out of the BTW loop.

She refers to Sabbaths, but most Witches, Wiccans, and Pagans I know have lost that “h” and refer to Sabbats. Sabbath sounds too Judeo-Christian for most practitioners. She claims to have been involved for thirty years (which dates her involvement to about the same time frame as my own), but she makes mis-statements of fact that I had corrected by my teachers within six months of my involvement with BTW.

Some of the statements (“The waning moon is never used for any type of positive magic.” Page 36) sound like commandments, even if they aren’t borne out by main-line teachings. It is difficult to determine whether she is speaking from personal knowledge, inherited wisdom, or the conclusions of a cultural anthropologist. It would be beneficial for readers to know the source of some of these statements.

There are other problems with this work. On page 45 she says “As you can see in the accompanying diagram…” The problem is—there is no diagram (until 13 pages later)! On page 46 she identifies two types of pentagrams “…invocation and vanishing.” Funny, I was taught “invoking and banishing.” I don’t have a clue how to “vanish” an element, and wouldn’t want to try if I did. She also speaks of “vanishing” the circle??!!

Ms. Gonzalez-Wippler may a competent cultural anthropologist. That isn’t a specialty I can judge. I know several of her works on the religion of Santeria (some practitioners like them while others are less complimentary). One thing I can say is that before I was a quart of the way through this book, I was doubting her qualifications for writing it. I know that differing opinions are to be expected based on differences in training and personal experience, but to state something categorically when it is a matter of opinion is not good scholarship, or good writing, in my opinion.

Her identification of the pentagram within the arms of the crescent moon as “Wicca’s Symbol” (page 57) also confuses me a bit. I’ve always associated the pentagram (with or without a circle around it) with Wicca. Adding the crescent moon is nice, but I doubt that the average Wiccan (whatever that is) would identify is as “Wicca’s Symbol.”

There are a lot of typos in this book, but that doesn’t surprise me much anymore. What does surprise me is that they were allowed to sneak into a Book of Shadows. Since the Book of Shadows is intended to serve as the basis for an individual’s working in the religion of Wicca, it would seem to me that more than normal editorial vigilance would be called for.

I could enumerate many more items which I question based on my own BTW training, but I will pass on that. What I will do is to say that I am glad to have this book in my library so that I can use it to correct the many misconceptions which are sure to become entrenched in the popular mind.

Combine herbs, berries, flowers, and vinegar and what do you get? Healthful herbal or infused vinegars can be an extra boon to your health, too. Dioscorides, who reportedly traveled through Egypt with Nero’s army, found that Egyptian medicines included vinegar combined with honey, brine, thyme, or squill, and this mixture was used for many health ailments.’ Like healing vinegar, herbs-such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme-have been shown to contribute not only to good lyrics, thanks to Simon and Garfunkel, but to good health. You can make your own herbal vinegars and reap a host of therapeutic effects from these herbs mixed with wine, rice, or apple cider vinegar. Think about using some of these herbs steeped in vinegar for the therapeutic benefits you can obtain both outside and inside your body:

CHAMOMILE (Anthemis nobilis): Chamomile, a common folk medicinal herb, has been used to treat a variety of health ailments. The dried flowers brewed in a tea help combat gastrointestinal symptoms, minor infections, and skin disorders. Recent research shows that chamomile contains apigenin, a flavonoid which has antioxidant properties and may inhibit skin tumor formation. Thus it could be beneficial in sunscreens.

RED CLOVER (Trifolium pratense): This herb is phytoestrogenrich, which is believed to be soothing and healing.

COMFREY (Symphytum officinale): The herb comfrey may aid in healing cuts and help soothe minor burns and swelling faster.

***Note: There are warnings about ingesting Comfrey, but people did ingest it for long and long before the warnings. I’ve not been able to find a valid study to support the warning, but since there are many herbs without warnings that do the same thing, there’s no reason to ingest Comfrey. Comfrey is great in poultices to help heal fractures and broken bones.

ECHINACEA (Echinacea angustifolia): This infection-fighting herb can help kill bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other germs. Echinacea contains a natural antibiotic called echinacoside and a germ-fighting compound called echinacein. It is also used externally for cuts, burns, and cold sores.

EUCALYPTUS (Eucalyptus globulus): This herb relieves runny noses and helps clear the sinuses and respiratory system. It’s used in many saunas to help people breathe easy. I pgsonally use fresh eucalyptus in my shower for the wonderful aroma. It also has antiseptic, antiviral, and decongestant benefits.

FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare): Some mainstream doctors find that the use of herbs can treat everyday ailments. Fennel used in a tea has been known to relieve symptoms of abdominal discomfort, such as gas, bloating, and belching.

HORSETAIL (Equisetum arvense): Both the American Indians and the Chinese use silicon-containing horsetail to stop bleeding and to help wounds and broken bones heal faster. It’s the solubility of silica in fluids of wounds or in the poultice materials, and its absorption directly into blood and cells at the site of the wound, that makes horsetail work, according to herb expert Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D.3 European research reveals that horsetail stops bleeding and helps build up the blood. It has good antibiotic action, too. Silica acid, or horsetail tea,” adds Dr. Mowrey, “causes a slight rise in white blood cell count, and thereby enhances nonspecific resistance to diseases of many types.”

JUNIPER (luniperus communis): The dried fruit and Leah branches have been used as an antiseptic, and act as a diuretic. Also, juniper has been used as a detox and body cleanser, as well as for reducing muscle pain.

LAVENDER (Lavandula angustifolia): This fragrance is used in aromatherapy for relaxation. Also, you can drink lavender tea, which acts as a mild sedative. It is also used to help heal scars, minimize stretch marks, and soothe insect bites.

MINT (Mentha spp.): Mint is beneficial for normal skin, refreshes, and cools Peppermint not only can soothe tense muscles, but can be used to cure an upset stomach.

NETTLE (Urtica spp.): To stave off allergies, congestion, watery eyes, and other hay fever symptoms, nettle may do the trick.

OREGANO (Oregano vulgare): Oregano oil is both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Not only does it kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other germs, it also fights infection, from colds to the flu. Also, oregano contains carvacrol, a type of phenol that is potent as an antiseptic. As an anti-inflammatory, oregano can be rubbed on aching muscles to relieve strains, and used externally to help heal burns and wounds, reports Dr. Mindell.

PARSLEY (Petroselinum crispum): This cleansing herb is packed with disease-fighting antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E. Also, it boasts plenty of iron. Parsley gets its good reputation, however, for its diuretic action. Plus, it’s believed to ease PMS symptoms, including cramps, hormonal mood swings, and bloating.

“Parsley does not allow salt to be reabsorbed into body tissues and literally forces debris out to the kidneys, liver and bladder. It is this ability which has saved lives-especially in cases where urine was backing up and poisoning the kidneys and liver,” reports Laurel Dewey, an herbalist in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis): This ancient therapeutic herb contains calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, all of which help balance fluids surrounding nerves and heart tissues. In fact, rosemary may help to lower blood pressure. The rosemary leaf may have other positive cardiovascular effects owing to its rosemaricine content, and the flavonoid pigment diosmin Rosemary may also be known as the cancer-fighting herb. A research project at Penn State proves this to be true and shows that rosemary could reduce the risk of cancer in rats given a powerful carcinogen.

SAGE (Salvia officinalis): Herbalists claim sage is a natural astringent and antiseptic. It’s recommended for gingivitis and to soothe a sore throat. But caution: pregnant women should not take it.

THYME (Thymus vulgaris): Thyme is a delicate herb which is a natural source of iron, magnesium, silicon, sodium, and thiamine. Its power is as an antiseptic and a general healing tonic. It is believed to be helpful in cases of anemia. It can also subdue coughing and relieve intestinal ailments.

The Real Witches’ Book of Spells and Rituals
by Kate West © 2009
Llewellyn
ISBN: 978-0-7387-1511-7
304 pages
Paperback
$21.95 (U.S.) $25.50 (Canada)
Reviewed by: Mike Gleason

I need to point out that, while this is the first publication of this book by Llewellyn, this book saw print originally in 2003 (by Harper Element) and thus some of the contact information and such in the back of the book may need updating. Take a few minutes to check things out.

I find myself saying this every time I review, or discuss, and of Kate West’s books, but it bears repeating: The “Real” in the title does not imply that this is the only way to “do it.” It implies that this is the way witches in the “real” world (with families, work outside the home, social obligations beyond the coven, school, errands, etc.) deal with things in the opinion of the author. Your way of dealing with issues may, and probably will, vary. Ms. West simply provides one option.

Unlike many “Wicca 101″ books (of which this is definitely one) which focus most heavily on the arcane aspects of how and when to do magick, this book emphasizes the why and when – with the primary emphasis on the WHY. As well as the usual suggestions for attracting new people into your life, and finding work (especially relevant in today’s economy) there are suggestions for improving communications with family members, improving your memory, and other day-to-day topics often overlooked in other books.

Perhaps the single most surprising sections of the book occur on pages 149 through 152 where Kate gives advice on coming out of the broom closet (she doesn’t recommend it) and ways of keeping your personal beliefs hidden from public notice.

Like the majority of “basic,” “101″ books this one contains a large variety of sample rituals which are designed to stimulate the reader to modify them and create their own personal variations. With these, however there is an emphasis on practicality – not only creating and dismissing sacred space but physically preparing before and cleaning up afterwards.

I thoroughly enjoy Kate West’s writing. Every single book is a source of inspiration and completely enjoyable reading. If you haven’t read any of her other books, this is an excellent place to start. If you have read others by her, you will still want to add this one to your collection.