The Ramblings and Wanderings

Archive for the ‘Practice & Learning’ Category

If you are never late for work, yet never on time at an Open Circle?

If you always try to keep your promises, but feel justified in not showing up to help out at Pagan Pride Day like you said you would?

If you will go out of your way to buy that expensive latte at your favorite coffee shop, but never make an appearance at the local Pagan Coffee Meet & Greet?

If you donate to the food bank through work every year at Christmas, but somehow never remember to bring a can of beans when the local Pagan clergy are collecting?

If you spend a fortune on cheap beer and yet have never bought a jug of mead from your local Heathen brewer?

If you always mean to do this or that ritual, but never get around to it for any real reason?

If you’ll spend $200 and a weekend drinking with your buddies, but never show up for Pagan Pub Night?

If you go to the pharmacy and buy up all the bottles labeled “herbal” but have never been to the actual herbalist in town?

If you would always offer to do the dishes after having dinner at a friends house, but never volunteer to help out at a Fest or Gathering?

If you will spend $80 on a ticket for a concert, but won’t spend $20 cover charge to see a Pagan band play at the pub?

If you can make time to play video games, but not to meditate?

If you will stay up late to finish reading that mystery novel, but still haven’t read any of the Witchcraft books you bought last month?

If you buy cheap beer for Odin and expensive wine for yourself?

If you spend $45 dollars on a new blouse you might never wear but you won’t spend $15 at the local metaphysical shop on a candleholder?

If you would rather spend your evening watching reruns of Lost than watch a documentary on the Celts? (or the Viking, or Egyptian burial practices or whatever)

If you can recite whole episodes of the Simpson’s by heart, but can never remember which Element goes with Emotion?

If you will march proudly with your gay friends in their Pride Parade through downtown but won’t show your face at Pagan Pride Day in the park?

If today was your last day
If tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have
If today was your last day?

Going against the grain should be a way of life
What’s worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts cause there’s no second try
So live it like you’re never living twice
Don’t take the free ride in your whole life

~ Nickleback

I came across this old reading list on Mysticwicks the other day. I like the MW Magazine (I have a couple of articles in early editions) but have neglected the forum for a while now. Anyways it seems 4 years later people are still using this reading list and I realized its not on the Hedge!

It used to be, back in the early days when the Hedge was lavender, pink and pastel green … written by hand in novice HTML code. Remember those days? hehehehe

So for old times sake, here is an old reading list. Not sure if all these books would be on this list today, and I wouldn’t be so bold and arrogant as to separate things into categories such as Beginner or Advanced. But I will let it stand as it was some 4 years ago (or however long its been, has it been that long???)

You can find a somewhat updated list here.

Some Book Suggestions for a Nature Witch

* Books with an asterisk are on Juniper’s favorite list.*

I would recommend reading at least one book in each subject group before moving on to the next level (beginner to intermediate, intermediate to advanced) as an absolute minimum.
Beginner

Identification, Science & Research

* Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places – Steve Brill *
* National Geographic Field Guide to Trees of North America – Keith Rushforth, Charles Hollis
* North american wildlife: trees and nonflowering plants field guide – Reader’s Digest Editors
* The Basic Essentials of Edible Wild Plants and Useful Herbs – Jim Meuninck
* Trees of North America: A Guide to Field Identification, Revised and Updated – C. Frank Brockman, Rebecca Marrilees
* American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants – H. Marc Cathey
* Flora: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia – Sean Hogan *
* Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide – Thomas Elias
* Peterson First Guides: Trees – George Petrides, Olivia Petrides , Janet Wehr *
* Earth Science – Edward J. Tarbuck
* National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers (Eastern Region) – William A. Niering, Nancy C. Olmstead, Susan Rayfield, and Carol Nehring

Propagation & Cultivation (Gardening & Growing)

* Growing Herbs from Seed, Cutting & Root: An Adventure in Small Miracles – Thomas Debaggio
* Jerry Baker’s Giant Book of Garden Solutions: 1,954 Natural Remedies to Handle Your Toughest Garden Problems – Jerry Baker
* Let It Rot! the Gardener’s Guide to Composting (Down-to-Earth Book) – Stu Campbell
* Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening – Anna Kruger

Herbal & Natural Health

* The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety – Simon Mills *
* The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism: A Comprehensive Guide to Practical Herbal Therapy – Simon Mills *
* The Herbal Medicine Maker’s Handbook: A Home Manual – James Green
* Jeanne Rose: Herbal Body Book: The Herbal Way to Natural Beauty & Health for Men & Women – Jeanne Rose
* The Way of Herbs – Michael Tierra

Magickal & Spiritual

* The Wicca Garden: A Modern Witch’s Book of Magickal & Enchanted Herbs & Plants – Gerina Dunwich
* The Magical Garden: Spells, Charms, and Lore for magical Gardens and the Curious Gardeners Who Tell -Sophia and Denny Sargent
* The Green Witch Herbal: Restoring Nature’s Magic in Home, Health, and Beauty Care – Barbara Griggs
* Magical Herbalism – Scott Cunningham *
* Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs – Scott Cunningham
* Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up – Ellen Dugan
* Real Witches Garden – Kate West
* Earth Power – Scott Cunningham
* Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal & Practical Magick – Ellen Dugan
* Herb Magic For Beginners – Ellen Dugan
* The Elements of Natural Magic (Elements of) – Marian Green
* Craft Of The Wild Witch: Green Spirituality & Natural Enchantment – Poppy Palin
* Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft – Aoumiel, Ann Moura
* Grimoire For The Green Witch: A Complete Book of Shadows – Ann Moura
* Green Magic: The Sacred Connection to Nature – Ann Moura

Incense, Oils & more

* Wylundt’s Book of Incense: A Magical Primer – Wylundt
* Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents – Carl Neal *
* Complete Book Of Incense, Oils & Brews – Scott Cunningham *

Lifestyles & the Environment

* It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living – Crissy Trask
* Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability – Greg Horn

Home & Hearth

* Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen – Scott Cunningham
* Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home – Ellen Dugan
* The Magical Household – Scott Cunningham *
* Clean House Clean Planet – Karen Logan
* The Naturally Clean Home: 100 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers – Karyn Siegel-Maier

Folklore & Mythology

* The Meaning of Herbs: Myth, Language & Lore – Ann Field
* Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees (Dover Pictorial Archive Series) – Ernst Lehner (Author), Johanna Lehner

Well Rounded (or a little bit of everything)

* The Complete Book of Herbs: A Practical Guide to Growing and Using Herbs – Lesley Bremness *
* Herbs & Things – Jeanne Rose *
* Your Backyard Herb Garden: A Gardener’s Guide to Growing Over 50 Herbs Plus How to Use Them in Cooking, Crafts, Companion Planting and More – Miranda Smith
Intermediate

Identification, Science and Research

* Green Pharmacy: The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine (Paperback) – Barbara Griggs
* The Healing Power of Celtic Plants: Their History, Their Use, and the Scientific Evidence That They Work (Paperback) – Angela Paine
* Botany for Gardeners – Brian Capon *

Propagation & Cultivation (Gardening & Growing)

* The Secret Garden: Talking Beetles and Signaling Trees: The Hidden Ways Gardens Communicate – David Bodanis
* Making an Herb Garden: Beautiful Designs, Plantings and Ornamentation -Catherine Mason
* Growing 101 Herbs that Heal: Gardening Techniques, Recipes, and Remedies – Tammi Hartung
* Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically – Karan Davis Cutler, Cavagnarok David, Barbara W. Ellis, David Cavagnaro
* Bud, Blossom, & Leaf: The Magical Herb Gardener’s Handbook – Dorothy Morrison
* Herb Garden Design – Ethne Clarke
* Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture – Toby Hemenway *
* Introduction to Permaculture – Bill Mollison *

Herbal & Natural Health

* Wicca Herbal: Guide to Healing Body and Spirit with Magickal Herbs -Jamie Wood
* Mastering Herbalism: A Practical Guide – Paul Huson
* Healing Wise (Wise Woman Herbal Series) – Susun S. Weed *
* Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year (Wise Woman Herbal Series) – Susun S. Weed
* New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90 (Wise Woman Herbal Series) – Susun S. Weed
* Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way (Wise Woman Herbal Series) – Susun S. Weed, Alan McKnight, Christine Northrup

Magickal & Spiritual

* The Nature Path – Starhawk *
* The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs – Richard Alan Miller
* Wild Witchcraft: A Guide to Natural, Herbal and Earth Magic – Marian Green
* Natural Witchcraft: The Timeless Arts and Crafts of the Country Witch (Natural Way) – Marian Green
* Natural Magic – Doreen Valiente *
* Green Witchcraft II Ann Moura

Incense, Oils & more

* 375 Essential Oils – Jeanne Rose *
* Aromatherapy Book: Inhalations and Applications – Jeanne Rose
* Jeanne Rose’s Kitchen Cosmetics: Using Herbs, Fruit and Flowers for Natural Bodycare – Jeanne Rose
* Magick Potions: How to Prepare and Use Homemade Incense, Oils, Aphordisacs, and Much More – Gerina Dunwich
* A Dyer’s Garden: From Plant to Pot Growing Dyes for Natural Fibers – Rita Buchanan

Lifestyles & the Environment

* The Self-sufficient Life and How to Live It – John Seymour
* Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth James Lovelock *
* The Ages of Gaia: A Biography of Our Living Earth – James E. Lovelock *

Home & Hearth

* The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Solar Power for your Home, 2nd Edition – Dan Ramsey

Folklore & Mythology

* Celtic Tree Magic – Elizabeth Pepper

Well Rounded (or a little bit of everything)

* Herbs: Gardens, Decorations, and Recipes – Emelie Tolley
* The Herb Society of America’s Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking With Herbs – Katherine K. Schlosser
* The Wild Plant Companion: A Fresh Understanding of Herbal Food and Medicine – Kathryn G. March *
* The Meaning of Trees: Botany, History, Healing, Lore – Fred Hageneder
Advanced

Identification, Science and Research

* The Secret Life of Plants – Peter Tompkins, Christopher Bird *
* Seed to Seed: The Secret Life of Plants – Nicholas Harberd
* Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine – Daniel Mowrey *

Propagation & Cultivation (Gardening & Growing)

* The Medicine Wheel Garden: Creating Sacred Space for Healing, Celebration, and Tranquillity – E. Barrie Kavasch
* Herbal Tea Gardens: 22 Plans for Your Enjoyment & Well-Being – Marietta Marshall Marcin
* Growing At-Risk Medicinal Herbs, Cultivation, Conservation and Ecology – Richo Cech
* The Self-Sustaining Garden: A Gardener’s Guide to Matrix Planting – Peter Thompson *
* The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals – Barbara W. Ellis, Fern Marshall Bradley
* Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual – Bill Mollison *

Herbal & Natural Health

* Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore and Healing – Stephen Pollington
* Veterinary Herbal Medicine – Susan G. Wynn
* Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine – Simon Mills *

Magickal & Spiritual

* Herbs of the Northern Shaman – Steve Andrews
* Psychedelic Shamanism: The Cultivation, Preparation & Shamanic Use of Psychoactive Plants – Jim Dekorne
* Psychedelics Encyclopedia – Peter Stafford
* The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications – Christian Ratsch
* Ecoshamanism: Sacred Practices of Unity, Power and Earth Healing – James Endredy *
* Planetary Herbology – Michael Tierra
* Green Witchcraft III: The Manual – Ann Moura
* Gaia Eros: Reconnecting to the Magic and Spirit of Nature – Jesse Wolf Hardin

Incense, Oils & More

* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism (Illustrated Encyclopedia) – Julia Lawless
* The Book of Incense: Enjoying the Traditional Art of Japanese Scents – Kiyoko Morita
* The Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy: An Herbalist’s Guide to Preparing Medicinal Essences, Tinctures, and Elixirs – Manfred M. Junius

Lifestyles & the Environment

* The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-grid And Sustainable Living – William H. Kemp
* Sacred Gaia: Holistic Theology and Earth System Science – Anne Primavesi *

Home & Hearth

* Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature – Carol Venolia, Kelly Lerner
* The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence Through Solar, Wind, Biomass And Hydropower – Daniel D. Chiras

Folklore & Mythology

* Ancient Herbs – Marina Heilmeyer

You say that you feel the most connected with the divine and the land when you are working in your garden.
You’re happiest when you are doing things like repotting your geraniums.
But you are frustrated when standing in front of that altar, candles burning and all, while trying to pray because it has no real meaning to you, you just don’t feel it.
So
Why aren’t you praying when you are repotting your geraniums?
Why are there no geraniums on your altar?
Why isn’t your altar in the garden?

~ Juniper

I have just as much issue with thoughtless Pagans who blindly follow whatever they are told or read, who run off into the bush to do some spell or ritual without properly understanding the whys and wherefores and meaning behind them, as I do with armchair Pagans who only read, think and theorise but never get off their ass and DO something.

Because both, in my not-so-humble opinion, are missing out on half the equation.

If you practice and pray and ritualise lots without understanding the theory behind what you are doing, you don’t know shit.

And if you theorise and philosophise endlessly without actually practicing, you also don’t know shit.

There is a balance that must be achieved. And yes, so long as there is a balance, you can lean more one-way than the other (I’m more of a practice girl myself)

The Pagans and Witches who run off and, just as an example, go out into the woods and cover themselves with flying ointment hoping to get that deep spiritual experience without doing their research, without understanding the whys and the wherefores, will almost always at some point learn the hard way. (Yes, I am speaking from experience here)

But those armchair pagans, what happens to them? Other than their ass growing fat that is. Do they ever learn the hard way? Maybe so, when they one day find themselves with nothing but ideas, can you be spiritually fulfilled by just ideas? I dunno, but I don’t think so. Not really, deep down.

Now don’t get me wrong, both camps have something to offer. The thinkers give us the material we work with after all, and the practitioners give the thinkers somebody to actually try out their theories and research. You can’t have one without the other.

It’s all about balance.

I’d like to see more armchair pagans come out and play in the woods, and I’d like to see more practitioners sitting in the library. I’d also like to see more actual cooperation, dialogue, discussion and sharing between the two camps. Folks who are in the middle make great bridges as well.

Imagine how fully and maturely Paganism and Witchcraft would grow then … beautiful isn’t it?

“If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.”
~ Rachel Carson

Correspondences: Figuring it Out For Yourself

Many years ago, people had no microscopes or laboratories to tell them what to use a certain plant for. They relied on shamanic practitioners and their own daring to discover the properties and uses of the plant life that grew around them.

Here is an exercise to help you see what it must have been like for early humans learning about our world.

 

Choose one culinary herb, your choice, fresh if possible but dried is fine. It will be best if you choose a herb you do not know much about, just head on over the grocery or fresh greens shop and choose a bundle of fresh (or dried) herbs that strikes your fancy.

You will want your notebook handy. Take a moment to clear your mind and relax. Gently touching the herb, feel free to say any prayer, blessing or charm in gratitude for this gift from the earth. Now take some of the herb in your hands and close your eyes.

 Breath slowly and deeply until you are relaxed. Try to turn as much of your focus and attention on the herb. With respect, ask the herb to share with you its nature, it’s energies, its purpose. Be still and calm and just let any feeling impressions and such drift across your consciousness for a while. Remember to keep your attention focused on  the herb. Write down any thoughts, feelings and impressions you have about the herb.

Put some of the herb in your hand and just look at it for a few minutes. Go ahead and write single words, anything that goes through your mind about the herb. Feel free to draw if your are an artist.

Spend sometime considering what the lifecycle of this plant must be, where it might like to grow, what sort of soil it would prefer?

Rub a few leaves against your cheek and through your fingertips. Write down any thoughts, feelings and impressions you have about the herb.

Now smell the herb a few times, taking slow deep breaths. Pinch some and rub it between your fingertips as you smell. How would you describe the smell? Any feelings associated with the smell, or when breathing in the herb’s scent?

Put some of the bruised herb on your tongue, and move it around your mouth. Focus on how it tastes. (You can rinse your mouth and spit it out if you want) How would you describe the taste? Any feelings associated with having the herb in your mouth?

Crush some of the herb and mix it with a small amount or warm water. Mix into a paste. Now rub that paste on the inside of an elbow. Leave there for as long as you like (at least a few minutes), and concentrate on that area with the herbs on it. Then wipe off. Feel your skin there, your energies there. Write down any thoughts, feelings and impressions you have.

Boil a small amount of water and then add your chosen culinary herb to the water, making a tea. You can use a tea ball or some such thing, or just let a small amount of the herb float in the cup. Once the tea is steeped, drink it. Going through the same observations, as before, how does it taste, would it be better with honey or sugar? Would you ever drink it again? Write anything down.

Thank the herb for sharing its lore with you as its last act. With the remnants, you may eat them, compost them, give the back to the land in some way, make incense etc…

Now go and research this herb! Compare what you felt in the exercise with what you discover as you research.

Can you find it growing or planted anywhere? From your backyard, to the woodland outside the city, to a planter in a garden store …

 
Need some ideas of what sort of info to look for? Below is a list of suggestions, you can go as in depth as you’d like. A good place to start is just by putting the chosen food and the info you want such as “Peach parts used” or “Rice Cultivation” into a search engine.

Info Outline

Common Name:
Botanical or Scientific Name:
Other Names:
Genus and Species:
Type (tree, flower, herb etc):
Leaf/Needle:
Form:
Flower:
Fruit:
Twig:
Bark:
Wood:
Climate and Habitat:
Soil Preference:
Places Commonly Found:
Places I have Found In Wild:
Parts Used:
Poisonous Parts:
Safety and Warnings:
Bouquet (aroma):
Flavour:
Magickal Gender:
Elements:
Celestial Bodies/Zodiac:
Special Date or Holidays:
Medicinal Uses:
Medicinal Actions:
Magickal/Ritual Properties:
Aromatherapy and Essential Oil:
Culinary Uses:
Cultivation:
Preparation:
Storage:
Mythology and Folklore:
Constituents:
Other Uses:
Other Notes:
Feel free to share folks ~ Juniper

Dancing with the Ancestors

“Some people are your relatives but others are your ancestors, and you choose the ones you want to have as ancestors. You create yourself out of those values.” ~ Ralph Ellison

“Everyone has ancestors and it is only a question of going back far enough to find a good one” ~ Howard Kenneth Nixon

Contacting the ancestors is about a few different things; it is about honouring our beloved dead, it is about being connected with our roots and heritage, and it is about seeking the knowledge and wisdom of those who have gone before.
Also In many cultures, including many ancient European cultures, there was a belief in ancestors who would stay connected to the family, acting as guides, guardians, as well as “go-betweens ” for the family and the otherside. It was believed that if the dead were taken care of, they would in return protect the homestead and its people, and provide for its fertility. Telling the tales of tribal or cultural heroes is also a way to honour the ancestors.

It is believed that all people have ancestral memories that lay deep within our unconscious minds and by contacting our ancestors; we can better connect to these memories. There is also, in many magickal traditions, a belief of a wellspring of knowledge, a reservoir of all that humanity has learned, and that by contacting our ancestors, we can ask them to impart some of that knowledge.

The ancestors we contact with may be family members or friends who have passed over, and it is common to honour their memories, especially around October 31st and on dates special to the family.
While other ancestors may not be relations by blood, but cultural ancestors, or those who have walked a similar spiritual path before you, your spiritual ancestors. From these spiritual ancestors we can glean lost or near-lost lore and practices to help us advance and flesh out our spiritual and magickal practice.

These customs flourished among the Celts, who honoured ancestral spirits as well as legendary heroes. In Brittany it is said that the dead seek warmth from the hearth at night, and a feast is spread for them on All Souls’ eve, or crumbs maybe left for them after a family meal. In Ireland, after a death food is traditionally placed out for the spirits. In some parts of France, milk may be poured out on the grave.
Whatever ancestor worship existed in ancient Rome was a family affair, not a public one. The diseased joined the manes, the household gods. They visited the families and received offerings and watched over family events.
The tradition of putting out food and beer has survived into modern times, in some parts of Scandinavia.
In ancient Greece attention was given to spirits of household heads and political leaders, and the spirits of those whose deeds were heroic.
In many parts of the world, the dead are supposed to partake of the funeral feast.

In many pagan and witchcraft traditions it is common to make contact and offerings to the ancestors at least once in a while. In shamanistic traditions this is especially true, as a shaman will work closely with many spirits, including his or hers ancestors.

Most of these ancient ancestor-worshiping practices culminated at the family hearth, around and underneath which the dead were even buried. Around the hearth the tales of heroes and great-grand parents are told. The belief in the presence of ancestral ghosts around the hearth was widespread.

When a witch works with the ancestors, often one or a few ancestors will work with the witch, acting as a go-between. Common methods of inviting ancestors is to give them a “home” within the home, this maybe be a (probably fake) skull, a hearthstone, a miniature house, or a statute. Or they may enjoy the fireplace, or the stove.

We look to our ancestors to guide us, we build new traditions based around their supposed practises after all. There is a wealth of history, lore and insight waiting for us on the otherside of the Veil. Listen for the words of those witches and wise ones who have gone before.

Modern witches and pagans may light candles with a modern lighter or boil water on an electric range, but the inspiration for our beliefs and practices comes from our ancestry. Yet, how many of us honour those ancestors? Those long dead witches, pagans, druids, shamans, heathens and cunning folk deserve a nod of respect at least now and then.

The presence or absence of ancestor worship relates to the importance of kinship in the societies concerned. Rites of ancestral reverence can help to bring about family solidarity, and in promoting the unity of the clan, coven and community.

 

Gifts and Goodies

“Crafts make us feel rooted, give us a sense of belonging and connect us with our history. Our ancestors used to create these crafts out of necessity, and now we do them for fun, to make money and to express ourselves.” ~ Phyllis George

If you want to communicate with gods and spirits, do so with the utmost respect, it makes more sense to approach the universe with an attitude of respect and hospitality.

It is traditional to give ancestors, household spirits and gods gifts of things you have made yourself. In these modern times, this may be homemade cookies and a poem you wrote yourself, or some piece of art on the family shrine.

Good results can come from making gifts using traditional crafts, such a leather working, weaving, smith crafting and wortcunning. Some witches may find themselves inspirited artistically when making regular offerings to the ancestors.

Something that you put time, thought and effort into is better than something store bought. However, I do find that a store bought bottle of fancy beer or a glass of milk and some honey also make good offerings as well.

For domestic inspired witches and pagans, offering your own cooking, baking, and other gifts from the hearth can have extra significance. Just as for a poet, writing as poem, reciting it once and then tossing the only copy into the fire can be a moving offering.

Many of us, with practise and patience, will find good results communicating with the otherside using divination methods, meditation and trance, as well as shamanic techniques.

Feel free to ask for hints as to what to give, and also watch for signs as to what may be better received. Go ahead and (respectfully) experiment, and don’t be afraid to listen to your gut.

“Humans are not proud of their ancestors, and rarely invite them round to dinner.”
~ Douglas Adams

“The actions of my ancestors, as well as my own actions, direct my steps.” ~ Unknown