Happy Beltane

Have a sexy, magical Beltane everybody!

Need some celebration ideas? This article has great tips.

Here’s a beautiful article on the meaning of Beltane.

Have fun witchy people!

 

Happy Ostara!!!

Today is the first day of spring and the Pagan sabbat Ostara! Sooo paint some eggs, eat some chocolate and pet a bunny, like the Goddess Eostre would want you to…

Alexander Skarsgård and Other Reasons to like Sweden

His eyes are weirdly hypnotic... I think I'm turning into a sex zombie.

No need to thank me.

You’re totally welcome for the violently beautiful Swede located at the top of this post.

Ya, I just picked a random photo out of my wedding album. Whatever. No big deal.

Anyways… Guess what I just found out?

Sweden is amaaazing! About 4 people from Sweden visit my blog each day. So, to my Swedish readers I’d like to say:

Hej! Hur mår du? 

I happen to know a little Swedish. It has nothing to do with cyber-stalking A. Skars…

 Guess what else I found out?

You know what they have in Sweden?

EASTER WITCHES!!!!!

Finally! A reason for that useless holiday! #blasphemy (I’m totally tweeting that. Don’t steal it.)

Evidence:

 

Precariously dangling a leashed man over shark infested waters. I like her style. Oh wait. Those might be foggy rooftops. Meh, either way. Side note: "Oh Wait Those Might Be Foggy Rooftops" would totally be the name of my autobiography. Coming to an iPad near you, "Oh Wait Those Might Be Foggy Rooftops: The Randi Bergsma Story"

I’m told by the internet that Easter in Sweden is similar to Halloween in Canada/United States/maybe Britain, in that children dress up as witches and go door to door collecting candy in adorable copper pots. You can read more about it here.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is why you read my blog. #Education

 

 

Leap Year Myths and Superstitions

I don't know what the pictorial equivalent of Leap Day is, but I'm assuming this is close.

Today is Leap Day!

The 29th of February has a feminist history that dates back to the Middle Ages. Historically, Leap Day was the only day when a woman could propose marriage to a man. If the man refused her, he’d have to buy her a substantial gift, like a donkey or a pretty dress (I’m guessing.) Aside from marriage, Leap Days were considered to be a time when gender roles were reversed and women were sexually liberated for 24 hours.

The moral of this story is that Leap Day should really be called “Female Orgasm Day.”

So, why don’t you go celebrate.

NOW.

Esbats, the New Moon and Adding a Little Witchiness to Your Life

Hello my lovely readers!

I wrote a guest post for Lori-Lyn Hurley’s amazing site DreamLifeWellness.com. The post is titled “Full Moon Esbat Ritual” and it’s an installment of her Essential Spiritual Practice series. You will learn about tuning into the moon’s energy and using it to your advantage.

Go, read, comment and give me loooove!

The timing is perfect because tonight’s the new moon.

Esbats or “celebrations” can be done at new, full, dark or quarter moons. Every phase of the moon has a particular energy that can be tuned into for a particular purpose:

New Moon – beginnings, adding new thing to your life, drawing things toward you

First Quarter – similar to new moon, a great time to start 7-day candle spells for gaining something (as in employment, confidence,  health, etc) that will conclude on the full moon when its energy is strongest

Full – the most magical time in the moon cycle, great for magic of all kinds, an appropriate time to begin banishing magic to get rid of feelings/people/circumstances in your life

Last Quarter – a great time to start a 7-day spell for banishing something and concluding when the moon is dark

Dark – a great time to connect with ancestors or the dead, practice scrying or divination, discover the esoteric or unknown, communicate with dark goddesses (Hecate, Lilith, Kali. etc.)

 

It’s Valentine’s Day! (facts, superstitions and other malarkey)

Happy Tequila Day…. ahem…. Valentine’s Day to my awesome readers! I love all the ladies (and gentlemen?) who walk the hallowed halls of Bunny Sunday!

Here are some very interesting facts about Valentine’s Day, compliments of Ye Olde Toronto Sun.

Valentine’s customs and superstitions

Fun, witchy Valentine’s potions and spells can be found over at Gypsy Magic (I loooooove this site)

Hate Valentine’s Day? So did Al Capone (who, btw, was born on my birthday) so here’s an article on the Valentine’s Day Massacre

And now I will try to avoid clichéd Valentine’s images:

true story (weheartit.com)

This is my liiiiife! (weheartit.com)

Happy Valentine’s Day, whether you’re drinking alone or getting married!

February Full Moon: Quickening Moon

Tonight is the Quickening Moon, the perfect time for spells and Esbat celebrations!

February’s moon name alludes to the plants beginning to grow underground and the unborn animals stirring in the womb. February is the month of Aquarius and Pisces, so the colours aqua, blue and purple  are often used on altars, as are the corresponding stones: aquamarine and amethyst. February is a time for new beginnings, planning and ideas. Imbolc magic could also be cast tonight.

Use rose quartz or garnet in your spells for romance or Valentine’s Day plans. Aphrodite and Venus can be called on at this time of year. You might use roses, hearts, Valentine’s candy or the colors pink and red in your spell tonight. Candle magic is a wise choice; it works quickly and fire is related to passion. A 7-Day candle spell for love or lust could be done tonight and every night for the next week, culminating on Valentine’s Day.

Just some things to think about while you stare up at the night sky.

 

Happy Imbolc!

Tomorrow, February 2nd, is the first Sabbat of the calendar year.

Imbolc (im-bulk) is a Pagan fire festival that falls on February 2nd, the cross-quarter day between Yule (Winter Solstice, Dec 21-ish) and Ostara (Spring Equinox, March 21-ish.) Imbolc marks the half-way point of winter, much like Groundhog Day, and is a celebration of the lengthening days that signal the awakening spring.

Because Imbolc takes place in February, aspects of Valentine’s Day and New Year’s often make their way into festivities:

Imbolc celebrates fertility (this is the time of year when farm animals become pregnant) and the goddess Brigid, a fertility and fire goddess. Because Imbolc is a fire festival, elements of passion and lust are present as well. In this way, Imbolc relates to Valentine’s Day.

Because February is the second month of the calendar year, much of the magic and ritual done on Imbolc involves New Year’s resolutions and planning for the future. February is a time for incubation. Figure out what direction your life will go this year. Pin down specific ideas and think about what projects you want to spend time on. Write down the steps you need to take and ask a corresponding goddess for their help.

Imbolc Correspondences

Colours: white, yellow, red, light green

Stones: garnet, carnelian, ruby

Goddesses: virgin or maiden goddesses, like Diana, Brigid and Persephone

Foods: early spring flowers like tulips and snowdrops, milk, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, cinnamon, vanilla

Magical Workings: accomplishing goals, willpower, fertility, love, removing obstacles

Activities: spring cleaning, candle making, baking with milk and dairy, buying seeds

My advice: leave strips of cloth outside overnight on February 1st. Hang them in a tree or tie them to a railing. Goddess Brigid walks the earth on the eve of Imbolc and will bless the strips of cloth with healing and protection.

 

 

 

January Full Moon: The Cold Moon

via weheartit.com

On January 9th (Monday) we’ll see the first full moon of 2012 grace the sky. This month’s moon is called the Cold Moon, for obvious reasons. Other aboriginal names include Mulberry Moon, Cooking Moon and Rainbow Fish Moon. Monday’s full moon will be in Cancer, the cardinal water sign, meaning things are going to be EMOTIONAL. All water signs deal with deep emotions and subconscious beliefs, and on top of this, Cancer is also ruled by the Moon, which heightens emotions even further. So, WATCH OUT. If you end up crying in a bathroom stall over Monday’s lunch break, know that it’s not you, but the moon who’s to blame for your mental breakdown.

Witchy or not, January’s energies are felt by everyone. People who make resolutions, start new projects and begin adventures this month are tapping into January’s creative, inspiring energy. This full moon is the perfect time to cast a spell for motivation and will power, helping you stick to your resolutions. It’s also a good time for cleansing, banishing and protective magic, for all your “new beginning” needs (good-bye crappy job!)

Set aside some time on Monday night to meditate, cast spells or ask a goddess/saint/friend for help with your goals and projects.

January Correspondences

Colours and Stones: white, black, silver, red and purple are January’s colours that can also be seen in this month’s stones: garnet (birthstone,) hematite, obsidian and sugalite.

Goddesses whose energies correspond well to January are Freya, Inanna, Hera, Juno and Pax.

Animals are traditional Northern, winter animals: foxes, wolves, coyotes and blue jays and geese.

Plants: birch, nuts, pine and thistle

Element: Air, representing new ideas or information, also the seeking of wisdom.

For more information see this post on New Year’s magic that can be done any time in January.

 

2012: Apocalypse and Astrology

Oh, New York City... I miss you...

Fiancé and I were watching a live stream of Times Square when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve. While hundreds of people kissed and cheered in New York City, Fiancé turned to me and said, “Happy New Year! Let the apocalypse begin!”

And then I punched him in the arm for being a wise ass moment-ruiner.

Nobody loves like we do….

Anyways, according to the Mayan calendar, the world will end on the Winter Solstice (Dec.21st-ish.) I’ve listened to a bunch of people talk about how 2012 is the end of times and I have to say, I disagree. Not because scientists have said there’s no asteroid hurtling toward Earth and not because anthropologists have said that the Mayan calendar is wrong, oh no, but because of my trusty friend ASTROLOGY.

It just so happens that we’re in the middle of a centuries-long transition between the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius (yep…like the song says, “this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius”) which means our collective consciousness is shifting. True story. So 2012 is an important year, not because the world will phisycially end but because they way we see the world will change.

Each astrological age is thought to be about 2000 years, with the Age of Pisces stretching from around 1CE to present. “What does this meeeeeean?” you ask. Well, if you could sum up Pisces energy into a single phrase, it would be “I believe.” This makes sense if you consider the overarching themes of the last 2000 years: monotheism, Christianity, organized religion, atrocities committed in the name of God and heads of state being chosen by God. Also, the Age of Pisces saw the stagnation of scientific advancements that had peaked in Ancient Greece during the Age of Aries (the previous astrological age.) These years of stagnation and even backsliding are the Middle or “Dark” Ages and it’s interesting to note, science and scholarship gained speed only in the last 300 years with the arrival of the Aquarius cusp.

This is because Aquarius energy can be summed up as “I know.” Expect huge scientific and technological advancements in the next few years and continued innovation for the next 2000 years. The Age of Aquarius will also see the abandonment of organized religion in favour of personal spirituality. People will loose faith in their churches, as we’ve seen in recent years, and embrace a personal relationship with deity. They will begin to understand they don’t need a church to be close to the divine. We can see this currently, with New Age spirituality becoming increasingly mainstream.

Anyways, that’s what astrologers are saying.

But if we’re all consumed by a giant ball of fire on December 21st, boy, will my face be red.

Literally.

Because of the fire burns.