Rowan Pendragon
I'm a Witch and Priestess, practicing for 22+ years, who is also a professional psychic, Reiki Master, writer and teacher. Here you'll find me writing about everything from my spiritual practices, Pagan news and my many other completely unrelated interests and adventures, some which include my Atheist husband and three cats.
Homepage: http://www.rowanpendragon.com
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Posts by Rowan Pendragon
Today’s Goddess Message
Sep 8th
At this point you’ve probably noticed a little bit of a slow down of things here on the blog and things being a little later than usual. I’m working hard right now on finalizing everything for both the online “In The Cards” class which will begin in a few weeks as well as an in-person intro to tarot class I’ll be teaching locally in October. So it’s been a busy couple of weeks so far and will likely continue to be until at least the end of October. So if things seem to come late, go slow, and so on, know that it’s just because I have so many other great things in the works and not a matter of neglect (really). So with that, let’s look at today’s message from the Goddess through The Goddess Oracle .
Yemaya
Surrender
(from the book)
Come with your cares
come with your woes
come when life is joyful
come when life weighs you down
come when you take on too much
come when you are spread too thin
come when you are danced out
come when you seek renewal
all I ask when you come
is that you surrender to me
mother ocean
my watery womb waits to hold you
nurture you
birth you anew
when you let go and give over all to me
I have to admit that it makes me excited to see Yemaya here in today’s Goddess message since she is one of my favorite Goddesses. And seeing the message shown in the book, I know that for me, today’s message certainly carries some weight and gives me something to think about.
In the card in the deck, Yemaya is depicted as a dark skinned mermaid (one of the forms she often takes in myth), deep in sea, with a crown of shells, holding a scepter of shells with a start in the center in one hand and another shell in the other. A sea turtle swims past her in the background and water lilies cascade around the back of her. It’s a little different from the usual images that you see of her but it’s clear from this image that she is very much the Mother Ocean, Queen of the Sea that she is known to be.
Yemaya’s name is a shortened version of Yey Omo Eja which means “Mother whose children are the fish”. This represents both her rule over the ocean waters but especially speaks to her position of Great Mother in Yoruba, indicating that her children and many and uncountable. She is an Orisha within Yourban and Santerian practices; the Orishas are spirits or deities that reflect one of the manifestations of God and are often seen through some sort of representation of the natural world, such as Yemaya and her connection to the ocean. She is a Goddess of renewal and a patron to pregnant women. She is especially called on by women when in need of “motherly” aid, such as help with the family, the home, children, and so on. While she has this motherly side, she is a fierce protector of those who she cares for and over the domain that she rules. This makes her a wonderful protectress to call for when children need someone to watch over them, especially daughters. Yemaya can be found in one of many forms in most of the African religions and is known by different names in different parts of the world. She can also be seen sometimes mixed in with other deities such as Mary Star of the Sea and Mermaid Goddess of the Sea.
The message with Yemaya today is one that carries both a need for renewal through surrender but also a need to protect ourselves from the dangers of doing too much. If you’re working on too much right now and feel that you’re coming into a place of not being able to control what is going on around you, it’s time to surrender some of those things to Yemaya and take a bit of a break. Sometimes we forget that surrender doesn’t mean giving in or giving up but it means asking for help. Whether that assistance is going to come in the form of another person helping to get a task done or asking for the Goddess to come into our lives and give us some sort of spiritual relief, we need to not be afraid, or even ashamed, to surrender when the time for that comes. We all know when we have hit that wall and it’s easier to ask someone to help lift you up over it than to try and run through it.
Today take a moment to reflect on what you might be carrying too much of and make the call to Yemaya for assistance by offering to surrender. This is very much an act of sacrifice; you can’t ask for help and then do nothing to change yourself and not allow her energy to come in and work with you. When you make the offer to surrender in exchange for spiritual assistance, be willing to let her do what she needs to for you and step aside. You’ll be amazed at what can happen if you’re willing to let go of some things that otherwise you hold on to so tightly. Surrender is also about trust so trust that the Goddess knows how to best help you in this situation and let her work her magick.
Today’s Affirmation
“I surrender to the Goddess and place my trust in her.”
Witchy Apps for your Android
Sep 7th
About a year ago I decided it was time to switch from a Blackberry to something new. I was heavily considering an iPhone but after hearing nothing but gripes about it from a number of people and seeing how ridiculous the ultimate cost of having one would be I decided to go with one of the new Android phones that had just come out. I bought an HTC Hero and have now had the phone for the full year and have loved it. The one thing that I liked so much was the open application feature that allowed people to create and share apps of all kinds for free. There are certainly a number of apps that cost money and you can purchase them for (usually) reasonable fees with the option to return them and refund your purchase in 24 hours if you really don’t feel the app is what you were looking for. One thing that I began to get frustrated with was the lack of Pagan apps that I was noticing people were able to get for their iPhone. Programs that followed the moon phases and cycles, calculators that told you the planetary hours, even aura photography apps. Recently there have been some new, Witchy apps that have started to pop up and hopefully with Andriod really having become as popular as it has, these will only increase as people learn the programming to make the apps. I figure there are a few other Android users out there that would like to find some cool, magickal apps for their phones so I wanted to share a few of the ones that I’ve found and have enjoyed so far.
Hours – This app may not be as fancy as some of the iPhone ones out there but if you’re looking for a planetary hours app that will calculate the planetary hours for any day, any time, from virtually anywhere, this app is worth the (roughly) $4.50. It helps to take out all the guesswork with figuring out what hour is the best for certain types of spells and magick. You can set a predefined location, use your GPS to find where you are or you can use the “custom location” feature to set your location manually.
iLuna – This app is by the same developer as the Hours app and is a great addition to that one. This application show you the moon phase, let’s you know when the moon is Void of Course and lets you know the sign the moon is in as well as when it will transition and what it will transition to. By clicking on the moon icon you’ll get details on the energy of that moon phase; clicking on the astrological sign will tell you what the energies of the moon in that phase are. This is another paid application but only costs around $2 or so and is also well worth the money.
MoonPhase Widget – As much as I like iLuna I also like having a widget showing the moon’s current phase on my home screen. MoonPhase Widget is so far the best one that I have found because it’s simple, only takes up one icon space on the screen, and if you click on it it will open up a screen that will show you the moon phases for the next month. This is a free app and is a nice addition to help you know instantly at a glance what the phase is today.
Zen Timer – If you are a Reiki practitioner or someone that would love to have a simple, gentle and easy to use meditation timer, Zen Timer is a great app to add to your phone. There are a number of different chimes and sound to pick from, mostly made from the sounds of various sized singing bowls, with the options to set up interval chimes which is fantastic for doing Reiki. You can adjust the length and volume of the chimes so that you beginning and end chimes are more “stand out” sounds from the interval ones if you use them. This is another paid app but only costs about $3 and is worth the cost. The developer does updates one a semi regular basis and new features get added along the way.
There are other apps that you can use to build up the Pagan aspect of your Android phone such as using shared online calendars for your phone calendar app to remind you of seasonal dates the Sabbats and other festivals, you can use one of the many RSS feed programs to add your favorite Pagan and Wiccan themed blogs right to your phone (like One Witch’s Way!) and you can use the theme customizing to add any of a number of Wiccan and Pagan themes to your phone to adjust the look and feel to however Witchy you’d like it to be.
Know of an Android app that would be idea for Wiccans and Pagans and wish to share? Post links and suggestions in the comment section!
Tarotscopes for September 7 to September 12
Sep 7th
The long weekend here in the US has us looking at the tarotscopes this week a day behind; for this week we’ll be looking at Tuesday through Sunday with the cards. I have gone back to working with my current favorite deck, the Gaian Tarot. I also felt drawn to work with reversed cards this week so you will see those annotated with the Rx next to the cards pulled. This week is all about building, growing and creating foundations for the future. It’s going to be a week to start making change and progress, or at the very least, creating the important ground work for change or various kinds in the near future. We always look to the fall season, which is rapidly approaching, as the time of harvest, and rightly so. But we sometimes forget that in the harvest there also comes a time for growth; growth from our experiences that brought us to the harvest and the growth to come as we prepare to clear things away for another planting season in the future. This week be sure to take time to honor your growth and foundation for other big changes you’d like to see in the future.
Tarotscopes for Tuesday September 7, 2010 through Sunday, September 12, 2010
Aries The Canoe
This week you’ll find that, whether you want to or not, it’s time to get moving on some project or plan that has been sitting somewhat stagnate for a while. Make no mistake about it, you have your work cut out for you, but you’ll find there will be others willing to help you, especially if you are willing to put out the vibe that you would like some assistance. Don’t rush through but instead take the time to get a look at the bigger picture in the process and know that moves you make this week will be ones that shall have a big impact on where you’ll see your work go next.
Taurus Seven of Earth (Rx)
Delays may be possible this week as you try and get new plans or projects to take root. These delays could very well be of your own doing because of some impatience and a desire to hurry things along to their later stages before they are truly ready. This week you’ll want to take time to slow down, letting yourself be patient with everything, especially with yourself. Giving yourself and others around you a little breathing room and letting things flow in a more organic sense will bring you better results down the road where as rushing things will easily stunt the growth of your hard labor.
Gemini Six of Fire (Rx)
During the week you may find that the best use of your energy is to keep it in a low and contained state. Whether it’s been a wild three day weekend behind you now or the fact that Mercury Retrograde is coming to its end and you had a tough time with it this time, you’re certainly burning out and probably feeling it in more ways than one. Rather than push yourself this week, work to rekindle your inner fire by surrounding yourself with people who refresh and replenish you rather than those that you find draining. Give yourself time to relax and recharge this week.
Cancer Six of Earth (Rx)
Every now and then we may find that we are in a position where, financially, we just can’t be as generous or giving as we might like to be. And then there are times where the lack of generosity goes from necessity to habit. Do you have resources that you have been keeping all to yourself and not sharing with others when you easily could with comfort? This week look and see what you have in abundance that you could share with your local community. It doesn’t have to be cash but maybe extra canned or boxed food in the kitchen that could be donated to a food drive or clothes you no longer wear that a homeless shelter could use. Take a moment to find what you have that you no longer need and share it with those who could use a helping hand.
Leo Ten of Air
Letting go of emotions, ideas, and plans that have either been weighing you down or keeping you from moving forward will finally be at a point where they can be released and positive change will begin to make its way into your life. No matter how dark or difficult things may have been in the past you’ll now finally feel the clouds part and see a path forward. This week you may at last start to feel that sense of relief and peace that you’ve been looking for by easily being able to let go of something that was so hard to release previously.
Virgo Five of Fire
This week you may find yourself a little challenged to keep tempers and frustration in check. Remember that quite often fear can be misdirected as anger towards the person or situation causing us stress. Be sure that, before you potentially explode in anger or rage, that you check your emotions and see who or what it is that you are really angry at. In may just be that something has you nervous, scared, or caught off guard. You may find that the problem is a long time fear or concern that you just haven’t fully addressed. Let the people and situations that raise these emotions this week serve as mirrors to reflect your true feelings for you, and do your best to stay calm and in control.
Libra The Moon (Rx)
A concern or worry that has been nagging at you over the last few weeks may finally become too much to deal with and you may find your mind assuming the worse for lack of evidence to the contrary. You may find yourself especially suspicious of others this week, feeling they are keeping something from you. If you feel really off this week with these things know that often what seems scary and fearful in the twisted shadows of night become harmless in the light of day. You may find yourself in too dark of a place to see that light so ask a trusted friend or family member to help sort things out with you in hopes of an outside opinion being all you need to see things more clearly.
Scorpio Child of Fire
There are some great opportunities for fun and laughter coming your way this week, especially if you’re willing to break out of your shell and your routine a little more than normal and really try something new. The Child of Fire is willing to get out there and take a risk to try something different and discover more about themselves and the world around them. This week take a chance and do something you never do on a normal week. Go rock climbing, go to a karaoke bar and belt out a Whitney Houston song no matter how bad you think you sound. Do something daring and keep in my the old saying “Dance as if no one were watching; Sing as if no one were listening; And live each day as if it were your last.”
Sagittarius Three of Earth
Working hard at things that really matter and taking pride in the results will be an underlying theme for you this week whether that means taking on a special task at work or making things seem extra nice at home this week. You’ll find that things will not only work out smoother but also have better final results by working with others who are also looking to see the same goals meet a positive end. A group effort may bring out more ideas and future opportunities as well, especially if you find yourself able to work with close friends. Be sure to keep thing light while working and take time to toast to a job well done at the end of the day.
Capricorn Four of Earth (Rx)
Have you ever stopped and wondered what the difference is between collecting something and hoarding something? Sometimes there can be a real fine line between the two and this week will be a good time to try and see where you may fall in the frame of things here. When we hoard we have the mentality of either willingly wanting something all to ourselves or we may feel that we’ll never have enough of something to sustain ourselves for a period of time. What might you be hoarding in your life? Take time this week to begin that too often over-looked idea of fall cleaning and get a jump on clearing things in your home that you truly don’t need. Donate or sell what is taking up space in your life and make some breathing room for yourself for the coming fall season.
Aquarius Three of Air (Rx)
It’s not uncommon to find that from time to time we get caught in a web of negative thought or even a state of depression. Sometimes we know exactly what triggers this and that makes it easy to find a way to change things around when we are ready and able. But we do go through bouts of having no clue why we just have the glass half empty days. If you find this week that you can’t break free of some negative thinking start keeping a gratitude journal to help you remember what you have to be grateful for and to open doorways to binging in more positivity and abundance into your life. All that you write about serves as positive thoughts and as you send them into the Universe you will begin the process of reprogramming that negative thinking and soon you’ll see things in a whole new light.
Pisces Seven of Water
Making decisions this week may seem quite difficult and complicated especially if more and more options are being presented to you. It’s important to make sure that this week, especially in this winding down of Mercury Retrograde, that you take the time to do your homework before making any final decisions. Once you do make a decision fully embrace it and take it on with gusto. At that point there’s no sense in holding back and changes are you’ll have made the best, most informed choice possible that will lead you to where you need to go.
Have a great week everyone!
This week’s recommendations
Sep 4th
Well, it’s the weekend and, if you’re like me, you like to do a little shopping on the weekends! I don’t know if it’s a female thing or what, but when the weekend comes around, whether it’s online or in the mall I just have this desire to go shopping. So I thought that each week on the weekends I would share some of my favorite Witchy recommendations, especially things I’m really enjoying right now, that some of you might be interested in or that might inspire you. Each week I’ll post a little Amazon list of 5 products that I recommend and a brief comment. Some things I’ve reviewed before, some I’ll review in the future, but all come as recommendations based on my actual experience with them. So every book, every deck, every CD and every movie that I recommend is something I’ve experienced personally and truly enjoyed and wish to share with you! So treat yourself, you know you want to.
Creative Visualization and The Mind’s Eye
Sep 3rd
We talk about ritual tools quite a bit, especially when we’re getting started with magick and ritual. Everyone is looking for the perfect wand or athame, but the most important of all ritual items is something that we all possess already and which costs no money at all, but certainly needs some polishing and preparation before we can really put it to use. Our mind’s eye. It’s arguably the most important of all tools a Witch has because without it, the true power behind our work may not be harnessed. And let’s face it, no wand in the world can make up for the lack of ability to ground, focus and visualize our intent and send energy to our goal.
When you’re just getting started you hear a lot in books about the mind’s eye. You’ll see a lot of phrases like “Visualize your desire in your mind’s eye” or “See the elements in your mind’s eye”. A lot of people get a little confused, unsure of what and where the information that the mind’s eye calls on is going to come from. In the simplest of terms, the mind’s eye is your imagination. When we work in meditation, trying to envision something coming to us, or something happening to us, we are working to “see” with “eye” in our mind (aka the mind’s eye). For some people it can help to have almost a physical place to focus on when doing this; if you’re one of those people imagine that the there is a large movie screen or white board in your mind right around where your third eye is located. When you’re eyes are closed, imagine that this eye then opens, and when it does you can now see this screen or board through this eye. This is where you can call up any image or any energy you desire.
If you have ever read either Laurie Cabot’s book “Power of the Witch” or you have read Christopher Penczak’s Inner Temple books or listened to his meditation CDs, then you will be familiar with a countdown meditation technique that can help to develop your mind’s eye as well as help you reach that lower brainwave state that helps to bring us into deep, magickal levels of meditation. The technique that both Cabot and Penczak have used as a reference point is called the Silva Method or Silva Mind Control. This is a technique developed by José Silva, a parapsychologist and founder of the Silva Method, which were developed to help reach higher levels of mental function by naturally bringing the brain to a frequency of 8 to 13 Hz, also known as alpha state. Here the brain could be trained to and programmed to open up the psychic senses, specifically helping people be able to learn remote viewing and develop lucid dreaming skills, as well as help people raise their overall IQ and increase their personal well-being. It is basically self-hypnosis and it helps to open up, train and work with the mind’s eye. (You can learn more about the Silva Method here.)
Some people, when hearing the word “imagination” in relation to Witchcraft become a little uncomfortable, feeling that the deeper work of magick and ritual are being relegated to nothing more than a play thing. Imagination is really nothing more than allowing the mind to wander while calling up and creating images that aren’t physically real but that can be very real within our minds. This is what we often do within magick. We sometimes talk about how when we daydream we are actually in a state of spontaneous meditation, creating realities in our minds that we would like to see in reality. Often beginners will say they can’t meditate or can’t visualize anything, feeling that they will never be able to work magick, yet when asked if they ever find themselves daydreaming most of them say they do that all the time without realizing it. The work of the mind’s eye while daydreaming is the same as what you would use for visualization and meditation, only in those instances you have more conscious control over it than when you daydream. So if you can daydream, you can learn to work with your mind’s eye in a controlled way in order to visualize in magick and meditation.
Creative Visualization is a technique used in just about all forms of magickal work. It is a way of accessing levels of the imagination where we can create images in a visual in our mind’s eye while also creating and raising energy which can then be used in magickal work. So for example if you have a friend who is sick and you wanted to help them get well, after lighting a candle for them you might spend some time focusing on visualizing in your mind what they are like when they are healthy. If you friend is bed-sick because of a chest infection and they can’t breath well enough right now to do their normal activities, you would want to create in your mind the image of them breathing deeply, taking in large, healthy breaths. You’d want to see them doing a physical activity that you know they enjoy such as jogging or hiking, something that right now they can’t possibly be doing. While you’re doing this and creating the images in your mind, you also want to really feel them as well. So you could imagine being with your friend on that jog or hike and seeing them enjoying themselves, being happy and healthy and feeling that joy with them. Then you can send that energy to them in one of many different ways (e.g. direct the energy into the candle and as the candle burns the energy is released toward your friend or sense the energy forming in the shape of a large balloon in a specific color and imagine it traveling to your friend and giving them the energy when they receive it). Different traditions and types of magick have different techniques for sending energy.
Learning how to do some basic visualization techniques will help you to grow more comfortable with working with your mind’s eye as well as helping you become more confident with creating mental images. Learning to ground with creative visualization is a great way to start with this or even to refresh yourself on the basics. Give this a try. All you’ll need for this is a white candle and stone of either onyx, black tourmaline, hematite, jet, obsidian or smokey quartz in any size.
1. Sitting either on the floor or in a comfortable chair, light a candle. Make sure your feet are on the ground if you are in a chair so that some part of you is physically connected to the ground or earth. Take up the stone with both hands (if you’re using a small raw or tumbled stone, place the stone in one hand and cup with the other).
2. Begin breathing slow, rhythmic breaths and close your eyes. Take the time to feel yourself comfortable and solid in your physical position. Then begin to visualize that thick tree roots are growing either from your feet if you are sitting in a chair, or from your spine if you are sitting directly on the ground. See them going down into the earth, cutting through the earth’s crust, through the soil, and moving down around rock and stone below. As you do this think about how strong tree roots are but also see the tiny, vain-like roots that grow from the larger ones. These roots help to connect to the soil to gather nourishment and to help anchor the tree. Feel those roots as well as the larger ones and visualize your roots moving downward, toward the center of the earth.
3. Turn your mind back to your breath again, but still sensing the tree roots. As you exhale, visualize the roots move deeper, going further toward the center of the earth. Take the time on your inhaled breaths to feel what the roots feel under the earth. Are they damp from hitting ground water? Are they gritting with rock and sand? Are they getting warm as they reach the molten center of the earth’s core? When you exhale feel the roots moving, see them move through the rock, dirt, and water.
4. When you get to the point where you can feel heat, or where you feel or see heat, imagine that you roots come to a halt. You are at the center of the earth. Being to feel that warmth come up through your roots, up all the way through to your feel or spine, up your body, down your arms and out the top of your head through your crown chakra. See it as a bright white light, of if you can, visualize it the color of the molten core of the earth. Feel it heat up and energize your roots and your body.
5. When you have this feeling running firmly through you, being to feel the energy withdraw back into the earth. Imagine closing a hatch over the crown chakra and the energy retreating down your body. Feel your body cool as the energy retreats. Feel it flow back down your trunk, your legs and feet, down into the earth through your roots. When you see and feel your roots have released the earth’s energy, begin to bring your roots back. See them retreat upward just as you saw them move down. Feel the tiny roots release from the earth as your larger roots return back to your feet or spine.
6. Once you see the roots completely return to your body focus back on your breathing, relaxed breaths in and out. While you are doing this, if you feel there is any left over energy that may make you anxious or nervous, visualize that energy running down your arms like drops of water and collecting in the stone in your hand. The stone will ground the energy for you. Gently open your eyes and come back to waking consciousness.
Some other simple ways to practice include visualizing a piece of fruit, like an apple or orange, hanging from a tree branch in front of you. Imagine picking it from the tree and taking a bit. Taste the fruit, smell it, feel the juice in your hands and on your chin. As you advance, another way that you can work with visualization that can also help you with your psychic development is to work on visualizing a friend who is not with you at the moment (they can be anywhere else, even if it’s just in another room) and imagine what they are wearing. If you are in the same location when they leave the room you’ll want to ask them to change a piece of their clothing. When you get a strong visualization of what they have on either call them on the phone and describe what you see, or in the case of being in the same place you can simply ask them to come in the room and you can tell them what you are getting but don’t turn to face them until they give you some feedback. Practicing things like this helps with not just creative visualization and being able to create solid images in your mind but you’ll be able to slowly develop the psychic senses, especially remote viewing.
The mind’s eye is your most critical magickal tool. Learning to develop it from the beginning of your practice and taking the time to give it regular tune-ups along the way is key in being able to do successful magick of all kinds.
For more help with creative visualization, check out the classic book Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain.
Today’s Faerie Message
Sep 3rd
For today’s message I decided to take out a deck that I haven’t been working with as much as I had anticipated. I’m a big fan of the Froud’s and all of their wonderful faerie offerings and artwork. I had used their first deck The Faeries’ Oracle for along time and it became my primary deck for oracle or non-tarot work of pretty much any kind. Then a handful of months ago when the The Heart of Faerie Oracle
was released I was thrilled. I had found that the first deck worked so well in getting a different perspective on things that I a deck that looked at matters of the heart, which is one of the focal points of this deck, sounded fantastic. The art is lovely, as always, and it is a fun deck to work with, it’s just not one that pulled me in as much as I had originally thought. But then, the fey can work in strange ways, so you never know if this will be the time that something especially captivating comes through. Let’s find out!
The Blessing
Blessings of the Day, Journey, Beginnings
The message with this faerie card is simple but important. We should begin each day and each new journey with a blessing. This means that we need to not only bless ourselves and all we do but also be open to receive blessings. This is very much about give and take, the exchange of energy between people and things in a Universe that is ultimately connected. Blessings and gratitude, if part of our daily lives and our every action will not only enhance our own lives but also the lives of those around us, even those people that we don’t know we are directly impacting. Every day and every journey has a start and an end and by starting from a place of blessing we will find the journey and the day takes us through blessed experiences and brings us to a positive end.
For today, make sure that you do what you do with a conscious awareness of how you approach people and activities. Do you give thanks for being able to get up in the morning and get out of bed? Do you give thanks for being able to care for yourself and others in your life? Even when you have the worst day ever, do you give thanks for being able to go to sleep and get up and do it again the next day? We need to remember to treat ourselves and others with kindness and gratitude, even when things are difficult. Be sure that today you keep yourself aware of how you treat others. Do you bless them or do you curse them? Do you enhance their day and their journey? And are you open to receiving blessings from them?
Today’s Affirmation
“I bless each day and each journey with love and gratitude.”
Enrollment is now open for “In The Cards”
Sep 3rd
This is just a quick post to let everyone know that enrollment is now open for my 8 week tarot course, “In The Cards”. The first class will be assigned on September 27th and all enrollments must be completed by September 24th to ensure everyone is settled in for the class. As I’ve explained before, this is a class for everyone, whether you are brand new and just got your first deck or if you’re someone that’s been working with the cards for a few years. Anyone that is interested in reading tarot for themselves or for others will be able to gain some useful and interesting new knowledge and techniques from this course. The class is designed to have you reading with confidence by the end of the eight weeks for both yourself and for other people, mostly people you likely don’t even know because you’ll be working with other students in the class. You can find all the details about the class and about the enrollment process by visiting the enrollment page at my website RowanPendragon.com. And, as always, if you have any questions, please drop me a line and I’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!
What’s Happening at One Witch’s Way
Sep 1st
I thought it would be a good idea to do a post with some details on what is happening and what’s coming up here at One Witch’s Way. I also wanted to make sure that those of you who read the blog through an RSS reader or email subscriptions and who don’t regularly visit the actual page would know about a few things happening as well. Plus it’s always good to do some sort of “state of the union” from time to time.
In The Cards – An Intro To Tarot class
By now most of you know that I have an eight week tarot class coming up later this month. I had originally planned to hold off on opening up enrollments to the class until around a week or so before the class was set to start. I have realized that isn’t the best way to go since many of you are going to need time to get supplies and I’m sure many of you would like to have a chance to get settled in, get to know each other, etc. So I am going to be opening up enrollment at the end of this week. I have already had a good response to the pre-registration and have a number of spots filled through this. If you haven’t contacted me about getting signed up for the class and you would like to be part of it, please email me at rowan@rowanpendragon.com with your name and email address so that I can be sure to send out sign up info to you first! If you’re still looking for details on the class you can find all the info about it here.
One Witch’s Way Circle
In case you haven’t heard about the One Witch’s Way Circle I’d like to give you some info on that as well. If you’re planning to take the tarot class, or if you have interest in any other classes and workshops that I plan to teach in the future, you’ll want to make sure to go over and sign up for this free community site. This is where all the classes will take place as well as serving as a great place for us to all chat and share with one another. There are a number of great community features and I would encourage you to take advantage of them once you get there! Post and share info, join a club or group, participate in existing conversations, etc. This is very much your place, so feel free to get comfy over there!
August Reading Special extended
I have decided to extent the August reading special into September since I’ve enjoyed working with the tarot profiles so much! Be sure to pop over to the Readings page to take a look and get more info about these great readings that also make great gifts!
Tarot Poll
I have a tarot poll going on in the sidebar of the website. I am looking to get a feel of the level of interest in a weekly tarot lesson/discussion on the blog. Because this would be something that would best be done with an interactive audience I would mostly be interested in doing this if there are people that are not only interested in reading such posts but who would also be willing to participate by commenting and sharing their own thoughts and experiences. Only a few people have voted and the poll will end in about a week, so please stop by and vote! Trust me, in this vote your voice does matter because if the interest isn’t there then I’m going to likely shelve this for a while. So if you’d like to see these post and be part of this, come and vote!
Got News? Let me know!
Is there something really interesting or exciting happening in your local Pagan community? Have you heard some interesting Wiccan news and you want to share? Let me know! I’m always willing to help people get out the word on their shops, their festivals and so on, no matter where you are! We have readers from all over the world visiting and subscribing each day so chances are someone else in your area reads the blog as well and would be interested to know in what you have to share. If you have info that you’d like to share and get out to my readers, please drop me an email and let me know!
Banner and Link Exchange
Would you like to share links? Have a button or banner and want to do an exchange? I’m looking for other great bloggers and Witchy Pagans with sites that they’d like to share and get out there. If you’d like to be in my link list or have your button or banner featured on my site, be sure to let me know and I’d be happy to check out your site and add you! The more we help each other the stronger of a community we create.
And right now that’s about it! I’m hard at work on writing for the tarot class and gettings moving with the Circle so until the class gets started, that’s where my time and efforts are mainly focused. But fear not, I’ve got some awesome new things in the works.
If you’d like to be the first to find out about them be sure to join the One Witch’s Way Circle because that’s where everything is being announced first!
Today’s Goddess Message
Sep 1st
Greetings everyone and welcome to September! Can you believe it’s almost Mabon!?! The last few days have been exhausting for me and I had to take a little time for myself to rest, which ended up consisting of a lot of sleeping, much to my surprise. Today I’m feeling pretty good and decided that a little Goddess Guidance would be great for us all today. Once again I’m working with the The Goddess Oracle. Today’s Goddess and message is really interesting because, for me personally, it references an issue I had last week with someone but it’s been something that has been running around in my mind since. Let’s see what message she has for us…
Durga
Boundaries
(from the book)
When threatened by demons
I fiercely protect myself
with all that I am
with all that I have
from deep within
I call forth all that I need
I am the “Inaccessible”
for I place myself beyond the reach of all that would destroy me
all that would annihilate me
all that tries to wound me
I am the “Unapproachable”
for nothing can get at me that I do not willingly let in
I dance my dance of oneness
only with what supports me
nurtures me
loves me
For all that does not
I say: approach at your own risk!
Durga is a very powerful form of the Divine found in the Hindu tradition. Her name is pronounced “der’gah” and means “the invincible”. There are several different stories about how Durga came to be, but ultimately she was born out of a need to protect the Gods from evil demons that threatened their very existence. Each of the Gods extended some form of energy to help create Durga, giving her power and weapons in order to help defend them and defeat the great demon Mahishasur. In the Hindu tradition Durga is also sometimes known as Devi which means Divine. Some versions of her story talk about her name originally being Devi and she takes on the name Durga after the slaying of the demon (which in those stories has the name Durga) in order to never forget the battle that she won. She is often seen riding a tiger, which represents her strength and determination, and has multiple arms (typically 10 but I’ve also seen images of her with only 8 arms) which carry the implements given to her at her creation to defeat the demon. These include a trident given to her by Shiva and the third eye chakra for vision given by Vishnu. She also carries a lotus in one hand which isn’t fully in bloom and is said to represent the certainty of success but that is hasn’t been fully realized as of yet.
Durga’s representation here and her message goes back to her work to protect the Gods by telling the demon “No, you cannot have power here.” Sometimes we forget to take power over our own demons or other things that intrude on our happy and healthy lives. Durga comes to us to remind us that we need to create boundaries in order to maintain balance, peace and health in our lives and that there is nothing wrong with doing this! We sometime feel like we have to say yes to all the demands put on us and we forget that we need to stop and care for ourselves just as much as we care for those around us. If we don’t keep our boundaries in tact, if we don’t stop and say “today is not a day for you, but a day for me” we can easily become run down and open to attack by those looking to feed off our energy and our weak state.
Today take a moment to evaluate your own shield and boundary that you carry. Keep in mind that creating a boundary isn’t just about keeping things out, but filtering what comes in as well. Does it seem strong and firm? Does it even exist anymore? Are you in need of recreating your boundaries in certain situations or with certain people? It’s a great idea to take this time to reevaluate your energetic and mental shields on a regular basis because they often crack and weaken when we least expect and when we don’t realize. We get too caught up in the “go go go” of modern life, saying “yes, I’m right on that” and not thinking that we’re doing any harm to ourselves in the process. If you’re feeling sick, rundown, out of balance and out of sorts, it’s quite likely that this is where you’re able to do some work to fix that. Learn that “no” isn’t a bad word.
Today’s Affirmation
“I create boundaries to keep myself safe and healthy.”
Ask A Witch: Am I a Witch?
Aug 30th
Recently I received two different questions through Ask A Witch and they both deal with a similar issue and I thought I would address them together. Both individuals wrote in with questions about being a Witch; how do you know you’re a Witch and does a Witch have to be born or can a Witch be made. Here we’re going to look at both of these questions and see what information I can give to help sort out these questions for these two readers.
I have always wondered if you had to be born into witchcraft and all other or can you tap into it and learn? I have always wanted to learn and have always been very fascinated by it.
~ Maria
I do witchcraft as hobby but i would like to know if i am a witch. I am very sensitive when i watch scary movies.
~ Jessica
Thank you for your questions Maria and Jessica.
I think the best way to start out with looking at this is to address the issue of whether or not someone can be a Witch whether they were born into it or have come to the Craft our of personal interest. There are different schools of thought on this and it differs a great deal based on the tradition of Witchcraft that someone is talking about. So let’s break this down into some small and simple bits to try and make sense of.
Do you have to be born into Witchcraft to be considered a Witch? I don’t believe so and most people today don’t believe so either. That isn’t to say that there aren’t people that do feel this way, but by and large in the Craft today it is believed that people can become Witches by learning, studying and practicing. Here is why I believe this completely.
First of all, let’s consider being born into another religion or spiritual path. Many people, myself included, seem to come to Wicca or Witchcraft after having had a Catholic or Christian upbringing or being born into a family of one of these religions. Let’s say you’re born into a family of Roman Catholics; does the fact that your parents believe and practice the Roman Catholic faith automatically make you a better Catholic than someone that came to that religion on their own? Not in my opinion, no. Second, let’s consider whether or not you yourself subscribe to the beliefs and practices of your parents. Your parents may be Catholic but do you yourself fully believe and practice the Catholic faith? If you don’t, being born into a Catholic family doesn’t seem to have made much of an impact on your spiritual life. Now, I do think that by being born into a certain faith we are given a little bit more advantage within that faith because, just by the very circumstance, we are set up with a support system of people that thinking like we do, believe like we do and so on, making it easier for us to explore our spiritual side. But if we find that this particular faith doesn’t suit us and we begin to seek outside the family, we can find it to be a difficult search as well as a long search because we may not have the same amount of support in this exploration that we would have if we just stayed within the family faith, so to speak.
Many, many people come to Witchcraft and the Pagan religions after living by a “book religion” for a good part of their life and finding that the ideas, beliefs and principles do not match what they personally feel in their heart. There are people that may find certain talents that they naturally possess, like being psychic or having the ability to connect withe spirit world, is something that is shunned or seen as evil or sinful in their “faith of birth”. This may very well lead them to explore something like Witchcraft or Wicca in an effort to find answers and find other people that they feel they share something deeper with and whom they can connect to on a spiritual level. There’s nothing wrong with this and a Witch who comes to the Craft because of a spiritual calling belongs here just as much as someone who is born into it. In fact, I sometimes feel that those who had to really work their way into the Craft may deserve it more because of what they may have had to sacrifice to get there. But being born into a family that practices Witchcraft, just like being born into a family of practicing Catholics, doesn’t make you any more of a Witch, or a better Witch, than someone that came to the path on their own later in life. Just like there are many Catholics born into Catholic families who never fully embrace their faith, there are those born into Pagan or Witch families that never really embrace that path either. Everyone has to follow the path they were meant to follow, wherever that leads, even if that means moving away from the family spiritual lineage.
So, yes, a Witch can be made just as well a one can be born. It all comes down to a choice and decision by that individual as to whether or not the path of the Witch is the one they wish to walk. If you feel you are drawn to this path and you want to explore it, do so, but do so with an understanding that it’s a path that takes seriousness and dedication. It’s not the sort of thing that you can really develop when you treat it like a hobby or something that you can just pick up and put down and will and expect it to always work for you. Taking the time to study and develop your skills with an attitude of serious intention and gratitude for being given the chance to do this is going to give you far better results than just picking up a candle, following a spell from a book word for word, and not really knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing or saying what you’re saying because you don’t feel you have the time to put into really studying the path of Witchcraft. When you’re working Witchcraft like that it’s a crap-shoot. Things might work for a while and then they stop but since you haven’t really by studying along the way you wont be able to really discern why things went off track and how to get it back on again.
Everyone is born with some level of psychic ability but not everyone grows and explores that ability. When you decide that you want to be a Witch this is one aspect of your natural talents that will grow and change. Many people tend to see someone as having a natural affinity for psychic ability as being someone that is naturally a Witch, but natural intuitive ability and being a Witch are not the same thing. Being sensitive to energies around you is a good sign of having a strong connection to the psychic realm, but the real skill of it still needs to be developed. The same goes for Witchcraft as a whole; you need to work at it and study it to really know what you’re doing. And as for being sensitive to scary movies, lots of people have problems with watching certain kind of films and that doesn’t dictate their spiritual path. Take the time to really do some soul searching and some studying about the Craft to decide if it’s right for you. If it is, great! But if it isn’t, that’s fine too! Follow whatever path truly calls to your heart and then follow it with your whole heart.

Today’s angel message once again comes from the
Today the angels decided they wanted to come out and play at night. It was a tough day getting on track and getting things in order for working on an angel message and it was clear that there was something else that they angels wanted me to focus on, but they have jumped up and decided they still want to share their message for today with you all. So tonight’s message is brought to you by the
The angels have been quite for me the last few days, or it could just be that I’ve been so busy working that I haven’t been listening! This is never a good state to find yourself in and it’s always good to make sure that you’re taking a little time to stop and listen to what your angels and guides have to say. So this week we’re starting out with an angel reading using my favorite of the angel decks, 




















