Llewellyn Publications's Blog, page 32

Author Edain McCoy Has Passed

Today we sadly mark the passing of author Edain McCoy, who authored over twenty Llewellyn books (including Sabbats and A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk), and contributed to several of Llewellyn’s calendars, almanacs, and datebooks.

Her knowledge will live on in her books and through the countless people she enlightened with her work.

Additional information can be found and here.

Secrets of the Moon Spread

Learn more HERE.

One of lovely things about this book is the interior design. So I’m including one so you can see how pretty the pages are. Plus, a Secrets of the Moon Spread!

Happy International Astrology Day!

Today is International Astrology Day!

Considered by many to be the start of the astrological new year, International Astrology Day is celebrated each year on the Spring Equinox (the day the Sun enters Aries).

There are various observances around the world, including lectures and other events.

Anyone have any plans to celebrate this observance?

(PS: We’re celebrating with a sale…feel free to join in our celebration!)

 

Bigfoot: Welcome to the Family?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Jason Offutt, author of the new Chasing American Monsters.

The beast Bigfoot has fascinated me since childhood. However, when I became a journalist and started researching this legendary creature, I realized what I knew growing up was wrong. Bigfoot isn’t solely a North American monster—it’s worldwide, and, more importantly, it might not be a beast.

Native Americans traded with it, Australian aboriginals warred with it, and some lonely Russian villagers once mated with it. As I discovered researching my book, Chasing American Monsters, in the United States, encounters with these hairy giants have been reported in every state except Hawaii. Some are the stereotypical towering, bipedal, gorilla-like creatures with feet bigger than an NBA player’s. Others, such as the Florida Skunk Ape, more resemble an orangutan; Missouri’s Momo and Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp Monster have footprints with only three toes.

However, the reports that intrigue me the most involve something that doesn’t sound like an animal.

Native American legends considered Sasquatch as from another tribe. The Russian villagers who captured a female Alma (the Russian Bigfoot) named her Zana and produced offspring with her. Mormon apostle David Patten encountered a huge man covered in hair in Tennessee in 1835. The furry giant told Patten he was Cain of Genesis, cursed to wander the earth for his sin. Hunters who’ve had Sasquatch in their sights said they didn’t shoot because the entity looked too human.

James “Bobo” Fay from Finding Bigfoot on Animal Planet said in the Sun-Herald of Venice, Florida, “I wouldn’t capture or kill one, that would be murder….Ninety-nine percent of their DNA is the same as a human.”

In 2012, Dr. Melba Ketchum of the Sasquatch Genome Project revealed Bigfoot DNA her team collected was discovered to be human, although “novel,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Bigfoot researcher Todd Standing of Alberta, Canada, had what he claimed to be Bigfoot hair analyzed in 2014. It was also human, per the Calgary Herald. When Professor Bryan Sykes of the University of Oxford conducted DNA tests on saliva taken from Zana’s descendants in 2013, the samples were human, just odd, according to the UK’s Daily Mail.

Let’s take a step in a different, but similar direction. In 1999, the now-late author Lloyd Pye acquired the malformed skull of a child discovered in a cave south of Chihuahua, Mexico. From the shape, he believed the skull to be from an extraterrestrial/human hybrid; DNA testing revealed it to be human.

DNA is tricky. Organics carried on a researcher’s clothing can contaminate a sample; so can hair, skin, or a sneeze. Did someone pick up possible Bigfoot scat with bare fingers? Doubtful, but the human results could still be because of contamination.

Or something else.

Consider this: descriptions of Sasquatch and extraterrestrials (in some camps they’re thought to be the same) are human enough in description, and if DNA samples keep coming up human, maybe that’s what they are. Not us, but close relatives from a universal genetic pool.

Maybe.

Our thanks to Jason for her guest post! For more from Jason Offutt, read his article, “Six Monsters That May Exist.”

Author Raven Grimassi Has Passed

Today we sadly mark the passing of author Raven Grimassi, who authored several bestselling books, including The Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft. Raven’s wife Stephanie Taylor posted on Facebook that Raven passed away on March 10, 2019 due to complications from pancreatic cancer. Raven published his first of over 15 books and decks with Llewellyn, Ways of the Strega (later republished as Italian Witchcraft), in 1995, and also contributed to several of Llewellyn’s annual calendars, datebooks, and almanacs.

Sandra Weschcke remembers that, “Carl respected Raven and his work, and valued his relationship with Raven over the many years.  I personally enjoyed meeting Raven at various shows over the years and all of our communications about his books. He was a loved, respected, and valued Llewellyn author who will be deeply missed.  He truly was ‘one of the great ones.'”

Senior Acquisitions Editor Elysia Gallo had this to say of Raven: “I had the honor of working on two books with Raven and the pleasure of socializing with him at many witchy events over the years. He was such a smart man, had a fun sense of humor, was meticulous about every detail, and a great conversationalist. And he was such a big part of not only Wiccan history, but Llewellyn history—he even taught Aridian witchcraft to his friends Scott Cunningham and Donald Michael Kraig! He will be remembered through his legacy of wonderful books, decks, and teachings, just as he will be deeply missed by the entire community.”

Services will be at Hafey Funeral Service in Springfield, MA, where flowers of white and red roses can be sent or, in lieu of flowers, a donation in Raven’s name can be made to the Temple of Witchcraft at templeofwitchcraft.org. Calling hours will be on Saturday, March 23rd, 2019 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, followed by a memorial service at 7:00 pm to celebrate Raven’s life and legacy.

His knowledge will live on in his books and decks, and for the countless people he enlightened through his work.

Using the Tarot to Answer, “Will My Ex Come Back?”

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Melissa Cynova, author of Kitchen Table Tarot and the new Tarot Elements.

Most long-time tarot readers get an expression on their face when hearing about a client asking the question, “Will my ex come back?” It’s not an unkind reaction, not “No, they won’t.” It’s more of a, “Dear God, when will people start valuing themselves enough to not long for people who hurt them?”

And yeah, ok, a shortened version of that is, “No, they won’t.”

I’ve given this reading many, many times for many, many questions, and after thirty years, I feel qualified enough to offer advice on this subject.

The answer to this is generally (like 98.7% of the time), either A, B, or C.

No, honey. They’re not coming back. You’re torturing yourself with this hope instead of pointing all of that love and attention where it belongs—on you. Please, please date yourself for six months or so until you are fully healed, shiny, and happy—feet on the ground. If you do this, you’re more likely to pull folks towards you who are also healed, and you can be happy together. Unless you’d rather stay alone, which is awesome indeed.
No, and you don’t want them back. You want the person that you were when you met them back. That person is gone, and they’re not coming back. You are not the same person, and you are the only one who can rebuild yourself.
No. And they’re an asshole and you don’t want them back anyway.

The only time I’ve gotten a Yes—no hyperbole here, total honesty—the person came back, then cheated again and left. Again.

As a reader, it’s important to hold compassion and space for our clients. It’s also really important to be honest. Folks generally break up for a really, really good reason, and those reasons don’t just go away because we miss someone. Sometimes, it’s better to figure out how to be alone than to be with the wrong person. All of the energy that you’ll have to pour back into yourself can truly change your life.

Then, if they do come back, maybe you won’t be there anymore waiting around for them.

Our thanks to Melissa for her guest post! For more from Melissa Cynova, read her article, “Five Ways to Reset Your Life with Tarot.”

You Need Tarot Elements

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Learn more HERE.

Melissa’s new book is so good. Most people come to tarot readings feeling overwhelmed, like their whole life is out of whack and often cannot even pinpoint a general area to start exploring let alone come up with a clear question.

Tarot Elements presents five readings that can be used to sort out our sometimes-messy lives. Melissa knows that not everyone will always have the time available to do a long, multi-process reading. Each of the five readings can be done individually…because sometimes things are quite that messy. One of the five elemental readings is a great place to start. But how do you decide which to start with?

Melissa includes a chart to guide you. It includes lists of things that might be stressing you out and the corresponding suggested reading to use. For example:

Unhappy at work or school? Use the Air spread.

Moving or living situation? Earth.

Relationship issues? Water, water, water!

Tarot Elements is jam-packed with useful techniques, down-to-earth wisdom, and sassy advice. Suitable for an ambitious beginner or any experienced reader.

Your Pet—Once Upon a Time

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Cyndi Dale, author of a number of books, including the new Energy Wellness for Your Pet.

We love our pets. They love us. They are more than simply “pets,” however—they are our teachers.

Are we open to what they have to share?

According to many Creation stories, including those of the Hopi and the Creek Indians, the natural species preceded the human. Animals, reptiles, fish, and the like were replete with knowledge and wisdom bestowed by the Creator. We came along. Relatively defenseless and not terribly dialed in, we required their instruction.

Instead of being grateful for the amazing mentorship, we let evil enter our hearts, subsequently turning against the natural world. Our species became responsible for the violence and destruction currently running rampant. Our first teachers, however, are still reaching out, ready to bring us back into our birthright, which is to know ourselves as children of the light.

Our pets are those teachers, which means that your individual pet brings specific gifts to you.

What schoolings are your pet carrying?

In my book Energy Wellness for Your Pet, I explore how you can assist your pet with subtle energy concepts and techniques. But I also show how to receive your pet’s blessings. Part of your pet’s offering depends on its type. The following are the general teachings provided by a pet, according to animal type:

Mammals: Tribal bonding, love

Rodents: Details, focus

Birds: Freedom, transcendence

Reptiles: Survival, transformation

Arthropods: Destiny, owning dreams and desires

Amphibians: Flow, groundedness

Aquatics: Inspiration, luck

Besides these generic blessings, your individual pet will present specific contributions, often illuminated by its personality. For instance, your dog’s hyperactivity might mirror your own overly-busy traits. In learning how to calm your dog, you learn how to soothe yourself, too. Maybe your cat doesn’t know how to play. While passing out catnip, you also loosen up.

How can you figure out the wisdom granted by your pet? Examine the gifts associated with their type and reflect on how you might benefit by embracing those qualities. Then take out a paper and pencil and write down the ways your pet has taught you about love, connection, and goodness.

Just think. Once upon a time, natural beings were our teachers. How wonderful, to be coached again, in your own home.

Our thanks to Cyndi for her guest post! For more from Cyndi Dale, read her article, “Three Ways to Heal Your Pet Using Energy Techniques.”

Just What Is a Pagan?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Jason Mankey, author of The Witch’s Book of Shadows, The Witch’s Athame, and the new Transformative Witchcraft.

When people ask me what I do for a living, I generally reply with, “Write Pagan books and do some other Pagan stuff.” When talking to people outside of the magickal community, this often leads to questions such as, “Just what is a Pagan?” I think we’ve mostly moved beyond people equating Paganism with the imagery of the 1980’s Satanic Panic, though I’m not sure it will ever completely go away.

Today, when dealing with preconceived notions of Paganism I find that it generally falls into two camps. There are many who equate Paganism with atheism, and while I know many atheist Pagans, I’m certainly not one of them, and most of my Pagan friends aren’t, either. A little bit closer to home is the assumption that Pagans are tie-dye wearing tree huggers, eager to recreate the aesthetic of 1960’s counter-culture. While I do sometimes listen to the Grateful Dead, and certainly enjoy hugging trees, I don’t see either of those activities as strictly Pagan.

When I first got involved with the Pagan community in the 1990s, Paganism was generally seen as a religious or spiritual grouping. The idea back then was that Witches, Druids, Ceremonial Magicians, and several other magickal groupings shared just enough in common with one another that we were probably all members of some sort of “larger community.” To some extent I think this is still true. Many of us who identify in such ways share spaces (online and off), festivals, books, and several other things. I’m not a Druid, but some of my favorite people in the world are, and there are certainly places where their beliefs overlap with my own Wiccan-Witchcraft ones.

But the greater “Pagan world” has gone through a lot of change over the last twenty-five years, and there is now a great deal of variety under the Pagan umbrella. Sometimes what’s there is rather familiar, other times less so. There are days when I wonder just what a hardcore-devotional-polytheist-believer-in-all-the-gods has in common with a steadfast Atheo-Pagan dismissive of both deity and magick.

There’s a growing trend to define Paganism not as a religious or spiritual identity but as a social grouping. There’s probably a lot of wisdom in this. With so many disparate definitions of Paganism out there, this provides an inclusive way to keep the category “Pagan” and have it applied to a broad range of people. However, while the various parts of the Pagan umbrella still share a lot of spaces, I think we do it with less frequency than we did fifteen years ago. There are just so many resources out there now, and it’s easy to find a specific and narrow community and just stay there. We no longer have to all use the same resources because of the growth of the various traditions thought of as Pagan.

As people debate just what it means to be Pagan today, I can’t help but wonder if we are looking at it the wrong way? The spiritualities that we tend to think of as Pagan are generally not about fancy definitions—they are about doing, practicing, and feeling. Perhaps Paganism is less and less something that we can define, and more and more something we simply feel?

I know that I’m a Pagan when I stare into a beautiful sunset and feel the magick of the natural world. I know I’m a Pagan when the Goddess whispers in my ear, either on the wind or in the body of my High Priestess. For me Paganism is about embracing the divine, however one defines it, with wonder and awe. And everyone I know who identifies that way has had similar experiences.

Our thanks to Jason for his guest post! For more from Jason Mankey, read his article, “5 Ways to Connect with Your Craft.”

A Spread for Your Inner Child

Learn more HERE.

Leeza Robertson’s book on court cards is titled for beginners but truly anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the cards and of themselves will find value here. In addition to explorations of the card meanings, Leeza includes spreads and exercises that anyone can use. This one helps you explore your inner child…something that always feels right to me in the spring.

Your Inner Child Spread

The page cards are perfect cards to work with when it comes to inner child work. Some of us have happy and joyful inner children, some do not. They can be wounded, angry, hurt, neglected, alone, or feel unloved. Inner child energy is very powerful and can be responsible for bad habits and self- destructive patterns of behavior. Our inner child can be the biggest gift we have or the temper-tantrum-throwing drama queen that stops us from expanding, growing, and having the life of our dreams. This spread will give you a little insight into how your inner child is working and what sort of energy currently surrounds it.

Take some time to think about which part of your inner child you wish to work with in this spread. [Select one of the Pages to represent that part of your inner child.] Take your page card and place it in the center of your spread as illustrated. Once your page is in place, shuffle your deck. Draw four more cards, placing them in the order illustrated in the diagram.

Card 1: This card represents the environment in which your inner child grew up. This is an important card, as it is not emotionally invested in your personal memories. It simply lets you know what energy surrounded you at the time your page archetype was developing.

Card 2:This card represents what was missing while your page was growing. More to the point, it reveals what your inner child feels it missed out on. This card reveals wounds or issues that may still need some healing work.

Card Three: This card represents what kind of environment your inner child craves. Note that this may not always be constructive energy, so please don’t be dismayed if a not-so-friendly card shows up in this position.

In many ways, this card can shed light on self-destructive behaviors or inner triggers. If it is a positive and constructive card, that is fabulous. Above all, know that there is no wrong or right card in this position

Card Four: This card represents how best to harness your inner child energy moving forward. This card also gives you hints and clues for empowering your inner child if it feels shy or timid as well as how you might cool it off if it is somewhat reactive.

 

 

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