Copper Moon E-zine

Turtle Turds (or how life gets messy sometimes)

by Gwinevere Rain

Its been several months since Copper Moon E-zine has been updated. The best way to explain this is that my life went on a roller coaster ride. I didn't have the mindset to give Copper Moon the attention that it deserved.

I won't go into details here because hashing up the past won't do anyone good. But I went into a deep depression. It took me months to recover from an emotional trauma that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

But what I realized from a really messy situation was that I am a lot stronger than I ever imagined. With the help of friends, family and heck, even co-workers, I picked myself up and started moving forward again.

When something like this happens, something that tests your faith in human beings, challenges your belief in a higher power and wrecks you financially - you find out what you're made of.

Guess what? I'm tough shit.

This life lesson has shaped me into a new person. Believe it or not, I'm actually not a bitter person. I'm happier. Because once you see a darkness . . . hope and light and love feel better than before. Sure, I'm more skeptical, less trusting but that doesn't really negate the fact that I'm alive, free and still have so much goodness and blessings.

I found out that "This Too Shall Pass" is a really delicate way of saying: "hold the fuck on." Nobody's life is easy. And I think that . . . one of the biggest lesson's i've learned is compassion. Mostly, i've learned it through a recent study of Buddhism. In this path the word "compassion" literally means "to suffer with." Suffering, pain, uneasy circumstances are all part of our human life. We have to learn to adapt, learn to see things in a different way; change your mind and the world around you changes too.

I'm no Buddhist master. Not at all. And I don't agree with all the tenants of this belief system but, Wicca could learn a lot from Buddhism. In my heart, there is room for both faiths. At any rate, what I'm trying to say is that I still care for this magazine and its purpose. I can't promise to get articles up weekly like in the good ol' days but . . . you may end up seeing a few pieces here and there. Lots of new books are being published as well, so you'll find the occasional review too.

Feel free to follow my roller coaster life on Facebook: Gwinevere Rain's Facebook Profile.

For comments . . . i'd love for each reader to post the answer to these questions - when life throws you a curve ball - how do you handle the aftermath? What lessons have YOU learned?

Image of Divinity: The Goddess vs. The God (pt. 1)

by Mychal Bryan

In Witchcraft (and I'm beginning to think of this more in terms of Wicca as well) divinity is seen as dual, and from that duality comes countless expressions of the Divine personified by the goddesses and gods throughout culture.   These goddesses and gods are expressions of the raw and primal energies and powers of the universe, the building blocks of creation, which in turn are seen as coming from the Source, which is beyond concepts of good and evil, light and dark, beginning and end. It is timeless, eternal, and the spark within all the goddesses and gods personified. Though the Source is seen as genderless, I find myself facing conflicts, both internal and external, when the issue of gender-specific titles and roles as it relates to the Source occur within Paganism via literature, thoughts, and opinions. My belief is that this merely boils down to a difference in the human experience from one individual to another and how those individuals view the Divine.

 

Celebrate the Sabbat Lughnasadh

by Gwinevere Rain

 Lughnasadh is the first of three Wiccan "harvest festivals" of the Sabbats. As the grain harvest festival it represents the offerings of mother Goddess (nature) and they dying (sacrificing) God. There are several deities that can be worked with and honored on this day but the two often cited are Gaia and Lugh. Gaia is the goddess of the earth and Lugh a celtic God of light.

If you choose to mark the day with a ritual, consider researching these deities or similar archetypes if you would like to draw upon a higher power.

During this stop on the Sabbat cycle (or wheel of the year), spiritually we seek to be thankful for that which we've obtained and also start to shed any negatives in our lives.

Author and Copper Moon writer Gede Parma contributed to the Llewellyn's Sabbats almanac, writing an article called The Grain Harvest. He writes, "This is a time to share with family, and to indulge in the gifts of Mother Earth, the first harvest blessings." He discusses the mythology associated with the holiday and offers information on creating and using Corn Dollies.

If you'd like to create a ritual: learn about symbols linked to the day, read other peoples rituals, look for unifying themes, consider colors, scents, food ideas and craft suggestions.

Pagan Pages offers straight forward correspondences to help you create your own ritual.

Most of all, just enjoy. Whether you go all out with an ornate ritual or simply light a candle and meditate on the meaning behind the day - feel the power within and all around you. Things are changing and the wheel keeps turning!

Related:
Last year SteelWitch wrote a great piece called "Lammas Ritual Feast – For a Solitary or Group." It incorporates a bit of Kitchen Witchery!

Wiccan Prayer: The Goddess

The Goddess
by Gardenia

Bless those who wake by the Goddesses rays,
Bless those who thrive in Her Light,
Bless those who walk Her Path each day,
Even in the Night.
This day is sacred, as is all days that come forward,
Ever changing, growing, loving,
May I always be honest and caring
On my path today.

May my actions harm none.
May my word be only truth.
For My thoughts change the world,
Even in Youth.

The Goddess walks beside and in me,
And on this path today and always,
Guides me.

TODAY Gwinevere's Wicca 101: Introductory Class in Safety Harbor, FL

Today! Sunday May 23rd  at The Oak and The Ivy

4 p.m. - 6 p.m. / $5.00 Class Fee

Learn about the path of Wicca! Join author Gwinevere Rain as she offers insight into:

What is Wicca?

What do Wiccans believe?

How do Wiccans view God?

What are their ethics and spiritual goals?

How do Wiccans worship and what are their holidays?

Meet other seekers and examine the Wiccan faith with Gwinevere Rain author of  Spellcraft for Teens, Moonbeams & Shooting Stars and Confessions of a Teenage Witch. 

Coming Out of the Broomcloset & Relationships

by Bree

 Dating is sticky business, but add the fact that you are a broom closet witch to the mixture and you've got yourself one heck of an ordeal. Sadly, my story was not even that simple- I found my path half way through my relationship and had to deal with how to tell my boyfriend (who was a Christian) and my family (My father is a pastor). Yeah, good times. I am sure most of you can sympathize with what I am talking about here and maybe some of you are in a relationship where the other person doesn't even know about your faith. It’s a really difficult place to find yourself and it feels like if you are honest with one part of who you are that you may lose that person you care about. I can promise you that there is no mixture of herbs or any spell that you can cast that will make this issue go away: it is one of the few mundane things that magic[k] has no grasp on and you must deal with wholly on your own.

Favorite blogs, Spam and Spring Energy !

Hello Copper Moon readers on the eve before Earth Day. Submissions have been going through a dry spell lately, but the spammers are still going strong. There have been numerous comment spams lately with fly by night websites using the e-zine as an SEO tool. For that reason, comments are now moderated. I *hate* having to do this but . . . but even worse would be allowing comment spam get through and clog real people's opinions from shining through!

Anyway! The vernal equinox has brought all kinds of renewing energy (and allergies to some, unfortunately). It has got me on a reading and crafting kick! Thanks to Google Reader, i've been enjoying a few great witchy blogs. Here are a few Wiccan/Pagan blogs that I faithfully subscribe to:

• Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom
• The Domestic Witch
• Sexy Witch (contains adult themes/nudity)
• Witch School's Radio Show "Pagans Tonight"
(they archive past interviews so you can listen at your leisure, I'm a fan of the author chats personally)

As to crafting . . . . i've created headpieces for years. Just recently I came across a great supplier of darling fabric rosebuds so I had to weave some headpiece magick! Click to see the results at my Etsy shop Caroline Moon (which is affectionally named after my cherished cat).

Have an article or essay idea? Submit to Copper Moon!

The Mists of Avalon: Reviewed and Analyzed

by Mychal Bryan

Marion Zimmer Bradley was born in Albany, New York in 1930. She began her distinguished book publishing career in 1961 with her first novel, The Door Through Space. Though having authored many a fantastic work, thereby winning megalithic acclaim within the literary word, The Mists of Avalon was the single most successful   novel of Bradleys’ career. In the epic retelling of the Arthurian legend, Bradley weaves a tapestry of myth and magick as she creates a modern day tale of history long gone – the saga of the women behind Arthurs throne. And though it is a creation of a little American ladies mind, the novel holds within its pages the power to deeply move you, shake you, and at times touch a place within you that is so uncannily real, you may wonder if this is truly the book that you just happened to pick up while in the thrift store, that sat on your shelf for almost a decade, with many failed attempts to read it over the years due to its massive size or if this is the telling of the lives of several of your dearest friends – their joys, their love, their loss, their death; as Madeline L’Engle puts it, ‘the characters are alive, multidimensional’ (back cover). As we set sail on the barge that leads across the Holy Lake and through 876 pages of The Mists of Avalon, we find that at the end of our journey, we are taken to a place of deep contemplation of the world around us and the places in which we find our true spiritual nourishment.

Learning Magick

by Rose Tigerlilly

Everywhere in the world, people overplay the role of witches, from times back to the Salem Witch Trials to modern books such as the Night World series. I believe that the Wiccan religion should be just like every other religion: respected and tolerant to the other kinds of religions. I myself am part Wiccan and part Christian, which I like to call "Wistian." I also believe it is safe to have multiple religions. It's hard for me to just stick to one because they're all so interesting!

Wicca is such an interesting religion, by far the most interesting religion I have read or learned about in my life. I have read about Buddhism, Judaism, and the Christian faith (mostly because I was born Christian), but the Wiccan religion is obviously different in many ways. Just reading Gwinevere's book, "SpellCraft for Teens", opened my eyes to this wonderful religion. Although it is such a great one, it is difficult to learn all about as well. There are so many different customs and celebrations, I can't figure out how to fit them all in my schedule!

The Goddess is in the Details By Deborah Blake

Reviewed by Gwinevere Rain

I read The Goddess is in the Details at my lunch break over the course of two weeks. Each day I’d sample a few pages and think about the author’s message as I went back to work. One of the things that I liked about this book was the subject matter - how to incorporate spirituality into your life on a daily basis.

The author’s friendly tone and ability to laugh at herself was refreshing and relatable. The 24 short chapters were divided into six parts: The Everyday Witch, The Inner Witch, The Outer Witch, The Social Witch, The Practicing Witch and The Natural Witch.

Most of the information provided was helpful like chapter 2 “The Seven Beliefs at the Heart of Being a Witch” but some were totally unnecessary  like chapter 5 “Mindful Eating.” I don’t need yet another person telling me what to do (especially regarding dietary decisions). Even though Blake occasionally dipped into the overly basic and obvious, there were insightful gems that resonated. The “something to think about” and “something to try” found at the back of each chapter helps the reader contemplate and find a helpful suggestion for action - this small edition made a nice impact.

In the introduction Blake sums her book up well when she writes, “It is for any Witch who has mastered the fundamentals and longs to go deeper. It is for the Pagan who has been on his or her path for a while and feels like something is missing . . . but doesn’t quite know what”

Overall, The Goddess is in the Details brings something new to Wiccan book shelves.

Rating: 4 our of 5 magick wands