Category Archives: Saints
Saint Martha 14 Day Candles
In fulfillment of a vow, we have available for sale two heavily embellished fourteen day candles for Saint Martha. The image used is the one traditionally found on botanica candles, but we have given Martha the full glamour treatment, as … Continue reading
The Many Faces of Brigid
February 1st is Imbolc, a festival of new beginnings. It’s also the birthday of the beloved goddess, Brigid. Brigid presides over healing, fertility, childbirth, ironworking and smithcraft, art, music, poetry, and prophesy. She has dominion over wisdom, education, and knowledge. … Continue reading
Don’t Wait. Expediate.
Presenting the first in a series of limited-edition magical items from Judika Illes, author of The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, The Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages and other books. Items are truly limited editions—-they are crafted in very small … Continue reading
The Púca and Pumking Ale
I don’t like beer. I don’t like ale. It’s just a personal taste thing. Sometimes, however, I wish I did like ale, because what I really do like are the packaging and graphics on ale bottles, especially in October. In … Continue reading
The Speakeasy at the Occult Conference in Glastonbury
The 2012 Occult Conference was held on Saturday, 17 March at the George and Pilgrim Hotel and Pub in Glastonbury. The George and Pilgrim, the oldest purpose-built public house in southwest England, was originally constructed in the 1400s to accommodate … Continue reading
The Oracle of Kwan Yin
The root of ‘divination’ is in the divine. Once upon a time, in the ancient world, it was not unusual to find divinatory services offered at temples and shrines. In other words, to put it plainly, you could expect to … Continue reading
Selling Spirits
As discussed in the Encyclopedia of Spirits, it is not uncommon for manufacturers to incorporate the sacred into their wares. Products are frequently named after saints or spirits, while mystical images are featured on many labels. This is particularly true of … Continue reading
The Seven Founder Saints of Brittany
The first seven officially acknowledged Christian missionaries to arrive in Brittany are categorized together as the Seven Founder Saints. What these Celtic monks from Britain founded was the Church. Although each saint is also venerated independently, they are invoked together as a group, especially as part of a traditional Breton pilgrimage ritual.
Maria Von Morl
Now renowned as among the most famous stigmatics, the mystic visionary Maria Von Morl (15 October 1812-11 January 1868) was born, lived, and died in the village of Kaltern in southern Tyrolia in northern Italy.
Magdalene Asylums and Laundries
Because of the saint’s association with prostitutes, the name Magdalen or Magdalene evolved into a code word designating a “fallen woman.” So-called “Magdalene Asylums” were first founded in the late 18th century with the stated goal of redeeming and reforming prostitutes. Given alternative employment, imprisoned women were expected to repent for their sins via combined hard work and prayer. (These imprisoned women were also sometimes called “Daughters of Saint Margaret”—another saint associated with fallen women.)
The Evolution of a Folk Saint: John Paul II
John Paul II (May 18, 1920-April 2, 2005) was pope from 1978 until his death, giving him the second lengthiest reign of any pope. (The record-holder for longest confirmed reign is Pope Pius IX who served from 1846-1878) John Paul does, however, hold the record for canonizing more saints than any other pope. So it was perhaps no surprise that, upon his death, there were calls for his own immediate canonization.
Saint Bonnet
Saint Bonnet served as chancellor to King Sigebert III of Austrasia, the northeastern portion of the kingdom of the Merovingian Franks. In 667, Bonnet was appointed Governor of Marseilles and in 689 he was made Bishop of Clermont, in what is now modern France. He spent his last years living as a hermit in the Benedictine abbey at Clermont and died in Lyons while returning from a pilgrimage to Rome.
Although there was a historical Bonnet, the saint is also syncretized to the popular Gaulish deity Belenus. Locations in France re-named in honor of Saint Bonnet often mask ancient veneration to Belenus. Saint Bonnet is among those saints whose image often appears in the company of Black Madonnas.
The Lord of Bonfim
The Lord of Bonfim is a miraculous statue housed in the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim in Bahia, Brazil. The statue depicts crucified Jesus at the moment of his death. The Lord of Bonfim is considered a Black Christ, a counterpart to the Black Madonna. His name literally means “the Lord of the Good End”.
Anna Henle Von Aichstetten
Anna was born on November 18, 1871 in Allgau in the German region of Swabia. On the day of her first communion, an angel appeared to her and requested that Anna choose one of three things: a harp, a crown of roses, or a crown of thorns.