Category Archives: Spirits
Judika’s Witching Weekend at The Holy Rose in Raleigh, NC
Trick or treat? Trick AND treat! Judika is returning to Raleigh’s The Holy Rose for a weekend in the witching month of October. Two classes are being offered (in addition to some other treats!) — one class focuses on how … Continue reading
Goddesses of the Dark Moon at Mirabai Books of Woodstock
There are goddesses associated with new moons and goddesses associated with full moons. The popular sacred triad of Maiden, Mother, Crone is based on the rhythmic and visible cycle of waxing moon, full moon, and waning moon. This is not … Continue reading
Goddesses of the Dark Moon
There are goddesses associated with new moons and goddesses associated with full moons. There are magic spells associated with the waxing moon, for example spells to increase fertility, cash flow, or hair growth. There are also spells associated with the … Continue reading
Halloween Samhain Weekend in Massachusetts
Friday night, October 31, 2014, I will be at the annual Witches’ Cotillion Charity Ball at the Riverview Ballroom in Hudson, Massachusetts, 38 miles west of Boston. This year’s charity is CaRMaH (Cat Adoption and Rescue of Marlboro and Hudson). … 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
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
Dancing with Dionysus at the 5th Annual Beltane/Spring Festival
Sponsored by Brid’s Closet at Palaia Vineyards Join Judika for a fun-filled day at Palaia Vineyards in Highland Mills, New York on Saturday, May 5th. Doors open at 9am. Judika will be offering readings and will have books available for … 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.
Feronia
It was not until 1999 that the Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus) was recognized as a distinct sub-species of the wolf family, following extensive scientific studies that determined that no more than 240 wolves survived in the wild in Italy. (There are also Italian wolf populations in France and Switzerland.) Protection and conservation have encouraged the population to increase: as of November 2010, it is estimated that Italy has approximately 600 wild wolves. Although their numbers have improved, they are still an endangered species.
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”.