Frances Billinghurst's Blog, page 7

Queries Answered about the Online Course

In the following video I have attempted to answer some queries that I have received about the upcoming Gifts from the Dark Goddess online course that will be commencing on Thursday, 28 April 2022 with a zoom call that will be recorded for those who are not able to attend.

Over the month we will journey into the Underworld, a metaphor for the subconscious mind, utilising the concept of the Dark Goddess as a psychopomp, a "spiritual guide".  During this time, we will be tapping into the cosmic energies of both the partial solar eclipse on 30 April or 1 May (depending where you live) as well as the total lunar eclipse on 15 or 16 May 2022.

It is also interesting to note that just after our descension is the timing of two opposing Celtic festivals that mark the "gateways" to special turning points throughout the year - Samhain (for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere) or Bealtaine (for those in the Northern Hemisphere).  These festival occur on 30 April and according to their associated lore, are times when the veil between the land of the living and the realm of the dead is at its thinnest. 

Registrations for Gifts from the Dark Goddess are open until Wednesday, 27 April 2022.  After that time, the accompanying Facebook group will be changed to "secret" and we will commence our descent.

More information about Gifts from the Dark Goddess can be found here.

Gifts from the Dark Goddess

Gifts from the Dark Goddess is an exploration into your deep shadow self through the connection with various “darker” aspects of the divine feminine in order to commence positive change at the deepest level.

This workshop presents you with the unique opportunity to step through the veil and into the realm of the Inner Self, to meet and embrace your Shadow Self, to remove the unwanted and to reclaim what has been missing.

From the moment that you enter through the veil, you will be accompanied by various aspects of the divine feminine, those Goddess who prefer to reside in the shadowy realms, who move through the dreamscape, where linear concepts such as time have no meaning.

By awakening the “darkness” within your own soul, you can cast aside those rose-tinted glasses and see things for what they truly are.  Through her guidance and drawing upon her strength and power (that is often feared), you will find the courage to stand up and voice your own “truth” – to stand in your own “power”.

Deep soul work such as this requires 100% commitment.  If you are serious about wanting to make change in your life, to break free of cyclic patterns, to gain true closure, you need to step into the shadows and journey deep within yourself in order to face what resides there.

A month long on-line sadhana (spiritual journey) will be commencing Thursday, 28 April 2022 and will continue until Wednesday, 25 May 2022.

This journey is a spiritual exploration, into your deep shadow self through the connection with various “darker” aspects of the divine feminine in order to commence positive change at the deepest level.

During the month online journey you will receive:

:: Detailed information about the Dark Goddesses we will be exploring and working with over the month,

:: Instructions regarding how to set up altars and undertake daily devotional work,

:: Prayers, mantras, and offerings that relate to specific goddesses,

:: Weekly emails consisting on appropriate metaphysical and psychoanalytic concepts regarding working with the Dark Goddess and the “Shadow Self”,

:: Meditations,

:: A private Facebook group to connect with others who are undertaking this journey,

:: Group full moon lunar eclipse ritual,

and much more.

Investment: AUD $199 - (less than the cost of a daily cup of takeaway coffee)

Register online through Eventbrite or Paypal before 27 April 2022.  

Once registered, please email Frances with your preferred email address and Facebook profile so you can be invite to the secret Facebook group.

Moon Con is Happening Again

Due to the success of last year's event, Moon Books (the Pagan / Shaman imprint from John Hunt Publishing) will be organising another weekend long event where you get an opportunity to chat too and listen to a whole host Moon Book authors.
Commencing on Saturday, 2 July 2022 , at 11am (British Standard time - or 7.30pm ACST) with Australian druid author Julie Brett, other authors include Rachel Patterson, Lucya Starza, Ellen Evert Hopman, Jhenah Telyndru and Irisanya Moon - and that is only day one.
I kick of the Sunday round, along Elen Sentier, Andrew Anderson, Morgan Daimler and concluding with Cyndi Brannen.  Sunday will also see a popular Druidic panel consisting of Brendan Howlin, Robin Herne and Luke Eastwood.

The event will be run live from the Moon Books' facebook page, and the best news is that this two day event is free.
If you miss your favourite author or would like to check out last year's MoonCon, then the videos can be found on Moon Books' YouTube channel.

Semaphore Community Market this Sunday

I am delighted to announce that I will be at the Semaphore Community Market this Sunday, 3 April 2022, that will be held at St Bede's Anglican Church at 200 Military Road, Semaphore.

The market will be open from 10am until 3pm and not only will I have an assortment of my LunaNoire Creations, in particularly my crystal beaded bracelets, handknotted malas and unique devotional and prayer/worry beads.  I will also have a selection of my imported leather journals as well as copies of my books available for purchase.

Another treat is that I will also be available for tarot and oracle card readings. I do not usually read at markets, preferring to make myself available through the  Isian Centre of Metaphysics , so this will a bit of rarity.

So, if you are after a reading, there is no need to book.  Just simply come along on Sunday and I will fit you in.  

Weather wise, it is forecast to be a wonderful day, so a trip to Semaphore to check out the market and then a walk along the pier could make a perfect family outing.

Autumn Equinox has arrived

As the sun enters the sign of Pisces, those of us in the Southern Hemisphere find ourselves at a time of equilibrium once again, when the hours of light and darkness are equal.  At the spring equinox the energy is manifesting before action. Now here at the autumn equinox, it is repose after action.  We can take satisfaction in the work undertaken during the warmer months and reap the benefits.  Daylight saving is also about to end, and with it the realisation that summer is well and truly over.  It is now time to make preparations for the colder winter months, if we have not done so already.

The time of equilibrium has arrived and here in the Southern Hemisphere the energies point towards repose after action.

The Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains note the arrival of the star Parna in the sky near the moon as this marks the commencement of Autumn and the time for building waterproof houses, as the autumn rains are about to arrive.  To the Ngarrindjeri people, the “far distant dull star” of Marangani, the Crow, marks the end of his journey by arriving at the river we know today as the Murray, heralding the season of roaring gales from the west.

The autumn equinox marks the completion of the harvest and thanksgiving, with the emphasis on the future return of that abundance. 

Here is a short video sharing some information about the Autumn Equinox from my book, "Dancing the Sacred Wheel".

An Insight into the Norse Goddess Hel

Hel, the ruler of Niflheim the Norse Underworld, a realm that 13th century author Snorri described as the primordial realm of snow, mists and ice. Yet to some, this reference may have actually related a more recent Ice Age, thus denoting Hel as a pre-Viking age deity.

The daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboða, Hel is depicted with one half of her face beautiful and alive, and the other blue, the colour of cold, dead flesh, or that of a corpse.

She was also tasked by Óðin to give lodging to all who die of sickness and old age – a “straw death” - the people who did not die of honour and therefore were not able to enter Valhalla. This meant that oath breakers and murderers also entered Hel's realm, however they ended up in Nástrǫnd ("Corpse Shore") where lived the dragon Níðhöggr who devoured the corpses of the honourless dead, effectively destroying them entirely.

Using the Dark Goddess in Shadow Work

I am delighted to announce that I will be offering a presentation on  The Dark Goddess and Shadow Work  at the Gawler Psychic Fair, which will be held at the Gawler Racecourse over the weekend of Saturday, 26 March and Sunday, 27 March 2022.  My presentation will be at 12:15pm on the Saturday. 

In my presentation I will share some insights into how to work with this wild and often fearful aspect of the divine feminine in order to gain a truer sense of self.

Signed copies of my book, Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms, will also be available at my LunaNoire Creations stall (which you will find outside), as well as my other books including Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundations Practices for a Magical Life and Dancing the Sacred Wheel.  I will also have a selection of my LunaNoire Creations offerings that include imported quality leather journals, crystal beaded bracelets, handknotted crystal malas and devotional beads, as well as magical oils, resins and herbal products.

You will be able to find my LunaNoire Creations stall under the Wolf Blass Pavilion.  If you are not able to get to the Gawler Psychic Fair, my products are available through my  LunaNoire Creations  etsy store.

Contemporary Witchcraft reviewed by Wiccan Rede Online

Morgana is Anglo/Dutch and lives in the Netherlands. She is a practising Gardnerian HPS. Over the years, she has facilitated a variety of Wiccan groups. She is co-editor of the international and bilingual "Wiccan Rede" magazine. Therefore it is a great honour that she took time out of her busy schedule to review "Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life".

In the essay, ‘Contemporary Witchcraft’ Frances describes how Wicca & Witchcraft is evolving. “I am mindful however that some concepts, such as karma, cannot always easily be transposed into contemporary witchcraft philosophy, especially when understood in its original concept. It is also important to note that while these differing evolutions have turned Wicca very much into a personal belief system, as opposed to a dogmatic one when comparing it to more orthodox religions, an increasing number of such evolutions has in fact taken Wicca away from its roots, the very essence or vision that Gardner had. Where you stand personally will depend on whether this is seen as a negative or positive point. I personally see the benefit of having a foot in each camp, which can be seen in what I teach and, hopefully, what comes through in this book.”

For beginners / seekers and the experienced, this is an excellent book and should be in everyone’s library and used frequently!
The rest of Morgana's review can be found here.

Review Received for Contemporary Witchcraft

It’s rare that a book on witchcraft thoroughly covers foundational philosophy, theory, and practical training in an east to understand, and well written way. @francesbillinghurst wrote this amazing gem ‘Contemporary Witchcraft, Foundational practices for a magical life’ and I’ve read and re-read this to absorb the valuable information covered.

The Witchcraft I practice is derived from the works of Doreen Valiente, Janet & Stuart Farrar and Gavin Bone, Michael Howard, Paul Huson, Scott Cunningham, and many other witchcraft, Wiccan, and neo-pagan authors with the addition of grimoires and ceremonial magick. It’s quite eclectic, and often some books tend to have missing pieces that are found in others.

Frances’s book however covers so much! A brief history, information regarding the sabbats, ethics and philosophy, tools, working with deity and more. Arranged as to provide a good foundation for the reader in order to move on to the next steps. I absolutely love this book. It definitely belongs in every witch’s library and is a wonderful resource.

When I’m not reading this book, it sits with books by Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente, The Farrars, and Vivianne Crowley.

Cunning_hedgewitch's review

#contemporarywitchcraft #wica #wicca #pagan #australianwitchcraft

Honouring Aphrodite of the Seas

The Goddess House invites you to come and sit in the Circle of Sisterhood.

Each month we will gather online to explore an aspect of the divine feminine, through the telling of her sacred myths and discovery of her symbols before undertaking a powerful meditation in order to connect with her sacred energy.

Standing in her presence, we will learn how to utilise her sacred symbols as keys to unlock and (re)awaken gifts with ourselves.

Through learning her sacred myths, we gain a deeper insight into how we can embody her energy in our own lives.

February Goddess Circle - Aphrodite of the Seas.

We will look at relationships, especially with our own selves, focus on healing our heart centre (anahata), and undertake the internal sacred marriage, the Hieros Gamos.

Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm ACST (Adelaide time)

Held online. Zoom link will be provided upon registration.  If you are not able to make the live zoom call, you will be provided with a recording.

Book your place here.