Purrfectly Pagan Magazine - August 2022

Purrfectly Pagan MAGAZINE VOL. 1 ISSUE 8 AUGUST 2022

Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches

by Faerie Godsmother

MY FIRST PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE

by Nikita Le Femme

HOW CAN HISTORY EMPOWER US?

SIMPLE MAGIC IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES

by Mama Faye

by Michelle Pellin

In This Issue: Letter from the Editor Mindful Paganism: Step Into Your Power Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother: Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches The Witches' Corner: Let Us Pray Pagan Business Spotlight: Psychics & Swears The Devil's Advocate: Holding Your Feet to the Fire: Discipline and Responsibility through the Eyes of the Adversary How Can History Empower Us? The Loss of Innocence My First Paranormal Experience Simple Magic in Our Everyday Lives Pagan Group Listings Magick is a complicated thing, and no results are guaranteed. No medical or income claims are made in this publication. This publication may contain adult language.

Letter from the Editor Dear Reader -I am so proud to see how this magazine continues to grow. We have added two new writers - Nikita Le Femme and Michelle Pellin - and we have our first Pagan Business Spotlight with Psychics & Swears.

We are gaining new readers each month, and every time I see a new subscriber it makes my soul sing.

Welcome to a wide range of views, thoughts, and Paths.

Wishing You Peace, Purpose, & Joy -

---Lady Shay Purrfectly Pagan | 3

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THE WITCHES' CORNER

Let Us Pray WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY

The Supreme Court has ruled that a pastor can pray on the 50-yard line at a public-school football game.

I am disappointed, of course. And angry. This SCOTUS is really ticking me off, and I am sure it will for years to come. I have been making numerous poppets lately for less than benevolent purposes (but that is an article for another day).

I obviously disagree with the decision, but now it is the law of the land.

So...what now?

Well, Witches, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

We fight - with our Craft, publicly.

Of course, make sure you are safe, Love. Always be safe.

But if you can - make noise. Don't be silent. If they want religion in the schools, then let the children learn about the Goddess, the Horned God, and a plethora of the Old Gods. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 6

THE WITCHES' CORNER

Let Us Pray WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY

(continued)

And here is another Word for you: RUN. FOR. OFFICE. Run to be elected to your local school board. Run for city councilor. Run for ANYTHING local. Make. Your. Voice. Heard.

We have the numbers. We won't go back in the Broom Closet.

Show up and shout out.

Show them what Freedom of Religion REALLY means - that's it's not just a Christians Only Club.

Witches and Pagans belong, too.

Purrfectly Pagan | 7

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Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER

Femin@zi, witch, feminhippo, man hater, slut, wh0re, feral, wild woman, hag, old crone, and a number of expletives are names that have been thrown at independent thinking women over the years. My personal all time favorites are combinations of these terms, like, the time I was called a, “man hating femin@zi sl*tty witch,” because I didn’t like his thoughts on abortion and I had no desire to sleep with him. Funny the way that insults fly when someone doesn’t get what they want.

A feminist is someone who supports all genders having equality. We are not fighting to dominate the entire world. Ok, well some of us might be fighting to dominate but that’s not the overall feminist agenda. We just want equal rights, access to healthcare, equal pay, bodily autonomy, to pee standing up, safety, and to not have to fight tooth and nail to have the rights that men have the luxury of viewing as inalienable.

Men have the right to do as they please with their bodies. They have easier access to healthcare and there is no one arguing over whether or not they should be walking incubator. This is not to say that men have it easy, as I’m sure that they have a lot of their own things going on, but there are a lot of things that us, uterus having people, have to deal with, that they just don’t. There are entire countries where women cannot even show their faces if they want to, and many religions oppress women and accuse women of everything, including men’s discretions. (continued on next page)

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Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER

(continued)

You can take away my ability to do everything except think the way I want to. I cannot remember where I got that saying, and I’m relatively sure I’m butchering it beyond belief but the idea behind it is spot on.

Women around the world have been dealing with only being allowed to be who they are in their own minds for far too long. Where I live, we have a lot more freedoms than elsewhere but our freedoms are slipping away.

At the same time, I’m noticing a lot of women running from religions that oppress them and towards other types of spirituality.

Back in the 1960s Neopaganism became a thing and Wicca started gaining in popularity, especially in Europe. It didn’t seem to be all that popular in the USA until the 1990s/2000s. I remember being in high school and very few people knew what paganism was. It was like being part of a secret society, the occult. They were just starting to hear about Wicca and called anyone who did card readings, a witch, a goth, a hippy or crazy. Now it seems that witches and Pagans are everywhere and the occult is no longer truly the occult. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan| 11

Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER

(continued)

I can’t help but wonder if the uprising of Wicca and some other forms of Paganism, including certain types of Satanism, are a direct result of women’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement. Wicca and Satanism both attract people that think differently than most. Both are all for the liberation of people, but for very different reasons and those reasons differ from denomination to denomination in Satanism, and likely do in Wicca too. An extremely rudimentary way to think about it is that certain denominations of Satanists want to lift themselves out of the mire because they believe that the Earth is a jail. Whereas the predominant Wiccans belief seems to be, that the world and everything in it needs to be taken care of and we need to be kind and liberate each other from oppression. Even though the approaches are very different and the Satanists come off as a little bit more feral, the ideal of liberation is the same.

(continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan| 12

Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER

(continued)

One of my dear friends calls me Mother Nature. When I asked him why, he said it’s because I’m like a feral mom. I love that thought so very much. I’m a protective, wild, loving, independent woman who has no problem descending upon someone with the ferocity of a level 5 tornado when need be. Well, what I like to think he means when he says I’m like a feral mom. I feel like that about witches of all kinds.

Go ahead. Screw with us. Go ahead. Try to oppress us. I guarantee that it’s not going to go well for you. That attitude, right there, seems so very prevalent in all types of witchcraft and is exactly the attitude that was needed in the Feminist Movement and Civil Rights Movement. Yes. Yes. I know. Wicca promotes doing no harm. However, they have some serious rubber and glue energy. “I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.” That’s right. I just referenced Pee Wee Herman from the 1980s. Wiccans are known for their protection spells. Some of those protection spells are mirror spells where people get back the type of energy they are expelling, i.e. rubber and glue spells. (continued on next page)

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Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother Feminism, Feral Women, & Witches WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER

(continued)

To be feral is to be wild, free, free thinking, tough, and powerful.

To be feral is to misbehave by thinking for yourself and never allowing someone to control your mind. In 1970, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote, “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” and boy was she right! Feral women do. Feral women make history.

Women who think for themselves and do not allow others to control them change history. Witches are known to be free thinking feral and mostly women. They are untameable and their lives are not predicated on what others deem important.

Be untameable. Be feral

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About Faerie Godsmother Owner of Holly Be Healing, a business dedicated to energetic and spiritual healing.

While the business, Holly Be Healing, is only a few years old, Holly’s dedication to helping people has been a lifelong mission and her talent for intuitively knowing what people are feeling and how to help them heal is as skill that Holly has honed over the years. Holly taught Shaolin Chuan Fa for 10 years and Yang Style Tai Chi for 5 years. While doing and teaching the martial arts she discovered her love of energy work and started focusing a lot on meditation. She became a certified Chakra Meditation Specialist and certified health coach in order to help people clear their chakras and heal physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Holly has been reading Oracle Cards, and tarot for 26 years privately and just recently added it to the services that she provides through Holly Be Healing. Holly Be healing offers Chakra Meditation sessions, Moving Meditation sessions, and Oracle Reading sessions to clients of all types. Holly has read for all types of people, schoolteachers, massage therapists, stay at home moms, jewelry designers, and even radio stars. She has lead meditation sessions with black belts, teachers, local artists, IT specialists, world renowned artists, and countless others.

Holly is also the co-creator of a unique and fun podcast, "Psychics and Swears," where she and her cohost enjoy doing 5-minute fun readings and interviewing our favorite intuitives. Holly and her partner John Shäden are also the creators of the amazing fragrance, "Moon Owl Moon Water."

To learn more, please reach out to Holly: 475-329-8997 Hollybhealthy@gmail.com Purrfectly Pagan | 15

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Pagan Business Spotlight: Psychics and Swears Holly Broderick and John Shaden are the owners of Psychics and Swears. 30 years of experience doing Oracle Card and Tarot Readings between the two of them. In addition to doing mediumship, energy clearings, chakra meditations, energy healing, and spellwork, they make a variety of different things for healing. Together they make a delightful fragrance that helps bring money and positive energy to you, called "Moon Owl, Moon Water." They also bless healing crystals which Holly uses to put inside her adorable Healing Bears. Each bear is crocheted by Holly, and is the size of a beanie baby. Each one comes with one crocheted accessory of your choice (hat, bracelet, shoes, visor, sunglasses, necklaces, mittens, belt). Information about the crystal that's in your bear is also included.

Q: When and why did you start your business?

A: Holly has had a business for over seven years. It started as Holly Be Healing. She was doing meditation sessions at a salt spa as a side business. Then covid hit. The salt spa shut down for a while, Holly lost her full time job and had a "come to the Gods," moment while holding her oracle cards one day. Right then and there she decided to add Oracle Card reading to her business and ended up doing a reading for a really cute death metal singer, John Shaden, online without having any idea who he was. She made him cry with her accuracy when talking about loved ones of his that passed away. They started talking and ended up meeting. She discovered that he is an incredibly talented medium, and artist with a mouth that's twice as foul as hers, so she asked him to join her. That is when it went from Holly Be Healing to Psychics and Swears.

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Pagan Business Spotlight: Psychics and Swears Q: How did you get the idea for your company?

A: During the worst part of Covid, Holly started and ran a charity organization, crocheting and donating ear savers for medical personnel, children, teachers, and essential workers.

She and her organization made and donated over 20,000 of them. After accomplishing such a major task in such a short amount of time, Holly realized that she could easily use her crocheting skills to help her growing business. That's what prompted her to start making bears, stash jar/spell jar covers, mystery crystal bags, headbands, and crystal cage/spell jar necklaces.

Q: What is the mission of your company?

A: The mission of our company is to help as many people as we possibly can grow spiritually and get the answers that they need, not the answers they want. Many people confuse want and need.

One thing that holds true for both John and Holly, is the ability and desire to always be truthful, even when the truth is not what they want to hear. It's healing through truth.

Q: What services and/or products do you offer?

A:

Mediumship

Oracle

Card

readings,

Psychometry House/energy clearing, Moon Owl Moon Water, Spellwork Kitchen witchery Classes on meditation, spellwork, tapping into intuition Crocheted goods: Healing bears, mystery crystal bags, stash jar covers/spell

jar

covers,

crystal/spellwork

cage necklaces, headbands coming soon: candles!!!

Purrfectly Pagan | 18

Pagan Business Spotlight: Psychics and Swears Q: What makes your business unique?

Holly and John. There are a million psychics, crocheters, fragrance makers, etc. out there but none of them are quite like Holly and John. Johnny is a long haired, boot wearing, cut wearing, death metal loving, swearing, tough S.O.B. who tells it how it is. He is respectful and honest to each and every one of our clients. He's an incredibly talented medium, writer, and artist. John affectionately calls Holly a talented, hippy witch and he's not wrong.

Holly's a long haired, tye die wearing, sandal wearing, rock and roll loving, swearing, mostly gentle, honest, respectful, writer, crocheter and medium. No one else has them.

Q: What do you wish you knew when you first started?

A: How much work it was going to be and not to doubt myself. I wish I knew that mistakes and failure were a big part of the game and not to not to knock myself for them.

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Pagan Business Spotlight: Psychics and Swears Q: What is the best way for someone to learn more about your business?

(Website, phone, email, etc.?)

A: Shoot us a text at 4753298997, email us at hollybehealthy@gmail.com, find us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PsychicsandSwears/ tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollybehealing0?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Q: Tell me about your business journey. How did you get to where you are today?

A: Following the omens.

Q: Does your business give back to the community (either your local community or the Pagan Community in general)? If so, how?

A: We teach others how to do what we do.

Q: What else would you like the world to know about your business?

A: This business is run by advocates for freedom, bodily autonomy, religious freedom, and equality.

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We are looking for Pagan Businesses to Feature!

Are you a Pagan Business Owner?

We might want to feature your business in an upcoming issue!

Please contact Shay and tell her a little bit about your business! https://www.purrfectlypagan.com/contact.html

Purrfectly Pagan | 21

Mindful Paganism Step Into Your Power WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY

For almost five decades, I sought permission before doing anything of importance. I requested permission from my parents, my spouses (consecutive spouses, not concurrent), coworkers, bosses, and pastors.

As I was rapidly approaching my 50th birthday, I stopped doing so. I realized I didn't need to. I was a f*ck!ng adult. I don't need to bow and scrape to anyone.

I already have the power to do anything. It doesn't mean I choose to do everything (I have limits), but I do everything that I choose to do.

I grew up in a conservative culture. As I grew older, I belonged to a religiously oppressive culture. Outwardly, I was playing the part of a good christian. And I really tried to believe. I had been told for so long that I should. But I was miserable. I secretly practiced my Craft. I hid my true self. I regret that now, but at the time it was for self-preservation. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 22

Mindful Paganism Step Into Your Power WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY

(continued) I didn't take a job because my husband at the time (now an ex) didn't want me to work outside the home. Once we divorced, I took on a job and felt stifled by the parameters of said job.

I didn't apply to other jobs because I didn't feel qualified (even though I knew I could do them). I didn't do a lot of things because I felt like someone needed to tell me I could do them before I even tried.

I grew very, very weary of this kind of life. I wanted freedom. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to be happy.

I made a move. I moved 1000 miles North to New England. My eyes were opened, and I began to step into the power that was always there, waiting for me to claim it. I began to explore Mindfulness and then develop Mindful Paganism, listening for the Divine Whispers for guidance.

Now I am living my best life. I love what I do. And one of those things is to help other women step into their power.

I hope you step into your power, claim it, and use it. It's waiting for you.

Purrfectly Pagan | 23

Purrfectly Pagan Marketplace

Visit https://www.mindfulpaganism.com for a FREE 3-day mini course about Mindful Paganism.

About Lady Shay Lady

Shay

is

a

Unitarian

Universalist Pagan and an eclectic witch. She feels her purpose is to serve the Pagan community.

Shay is the owner and Editor-InChief

of

Magazine.

Purrfectly She

Pagan

started

the

magazine in January of 2022 to help her fellow Pagans.

Shay is a Mindful Paganism coach and practitioner. Mindful Paganism is the practice of connecting Mind, Body, & Spirit in order to relieve stress, find our purpose, and rediscover Joy. Shay can be reached via email at ladyshay@mindfulpaganism.com

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My First Paranormal Experience WRITTEN BY: NIKITA LE FEMME

Let me introduce myself. My name is Nikita

Le

performer

Femme. born

I’m

and

a

raised

drag in

Worcester, Massachusetts. For as long as I can remember I saw and heard things others can’t - the dead.

This is my first memory of seeing and talking with the dead.

As a child at around 3 years old, my mother and I lived in a townhouse in Great Brook Valley in Worcester. In my bedroom, I remember a sweet older woman. She would sit in the chair in the corner and play peek-aboo with me. She was nice and never scared me, but I knew only my mom, her bf, and myself lived there. I could see her as sure as I saw my mother and could talk with her like I was talking with my mom. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 27

My First Paranormal Experience WRITTEN BY: NIKITA LE FEMME

(continued) Right before we moved out, I remember asking the lady why she couldn’t come with us. She said to me because that was her home and she couldn’t leave it. I asked her why she couldn't leave it, and she told me she didn’t want to scare me.

A side note: at this point, I was 6 years old and I really wanted to see Child’s Play, the first Chucky movie. I owned a My Buddy Doll, and my mom moved this doll all around my room. When I got rid of or destroyed it, she would buy a new one and would return it to my room.

The old woman didn’t want to answer why, so I said I wouldn’t be scared, not after the scary movie and my doll scared me. She then told me that she was not alive anymore and that she had died in the tornado in 1953. She also told me that the doll wasn’t alive, my mom had moved and returned it to my room so I wouldn't ask to see another scary movie in my life. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 28

My First Paranormal Experience WRITTEN BY: NIKITA LE FEMME

(continued)

I said that’s sad and I’m sad she couldn’t come with us. I thanked her for playing with me and blew her a kiss. That was my first ever paranormal experience that I can remember.

It definitely wasn’t my last, nor was Child’s Play my last scary movie.

So in writing these articles for Purrfectly Pagan Magazine, I hope to help guide others through paranormal experiences by sharing my own and by letting people know how I keep malevolent spirits at bay and protect myself from demonic entities by using oldschool witchcraft and spells.

Thank you for reading my first article, and blessed be my pagan siblings and all others who read this.

Purrfectly Pagan | 29

About Nikita Le Femme Nikita is a psychic medium and demonologist from Worcester, Massachusetts, and a direct descendant of Reverend Ralph Wheelock who came from England on the Mayflower.

Nikita has studied witchcraft and spells to keep demons at bay and to protect self and loved ones. She is also an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church and can perform hand fasting ceremonies.

To contact Nikita, please email her at Nikita.le.femme83@gmail.com

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The Loss of Innocence WRITTEN BY: WIL DARCANGELO

Looking in the mirror can be a challenge. Sometimes we don’t always like what we see. Many times, in fact. We are often very self-judgemental about our appearance.

An unwanted bulge here, a sag or a wrinkle there. Gray hairs, perhaps well-earned, but nonetheless preferred on other heads than ours.

Taking stock of ourselves is rarely a wasted exercise, however. Acknowledging who we are, how we look, and the effect of our actions is a practice worth undertaking.

It is a useful activity, primarily because it will occur with or without our consent, eventually. The longer we wait to face our history, or our wrinkles, for that matter, the more traumatic that inevitable discovery becomes.

The challenge is even more grave when that examination yields shame. Shame over our past, of our failures of kindness, of equality, of basic consideration toward our fellow human. Sins against those whom we’ve come to recognize as our neighbors.

This profound self-evaluation comes at an emotional cost. It is a very literal loss of innocence. When you really think about it, who can blame those who want to go back to a simpler time before we became aware of such things; before we felt the weight of accusation on our shoulders. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 31

The Loss of Innocence WRITTEN BY: WIL DARCANGELO

(Continued) We have arrived at a point in time and the development of our human civilization where we can no longer ignore the cries of our neighbor. We cannot help but hear now the lament of those who have been victims of oppression and violence. Their moans have in many ways become the fabric of our current lives.

Now the problem becomes not only how to better serve those who were previously, and in many cases still are, oppressed, but how to cope with the grief that has resulted from our new awareness.

It is quite important to recognize it as grief. Crucial, even. Because in doing so, it opens us up to recognizing that grief always appears in several particular ways: anger, denial, justification, sorrow, even despair. Grief makes the seemingly irrational rational. Grief wounds us. Especially when we don’t realize that’s what we are experiencing.

"Grief wounds us. Especially when we don't realize that's what we are experiencing " When we don’t acknowledge that we are in grief, we are not in the process of healing it.

And then our actions compound upon themselves because we feel as though we are being entirely rational, and that others should be responding to us as though we are being entirely rational. We feel outrage and even shame when those we love and respect do not seem to share the intensity of our feelings. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 32

The Loss of Innocence WRITTEN BY: WIL DARCANGELO

(Continued) Human society is experiencing a tremendous amount of grief right now. Not only from the increasing knowledge of the darker parts of our history, but from the exceptional weight of this present societal moment.

The endless pandemic, our ongoing political conflict, and the constant loss of dear friends and family members to both ideology as well as illness has positioned our society in a perilous state.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus asks God to forgive those who are in the process of crucifying him because “they know not what they do.“ It is one of the more elegant moments in scripture, yet does not exist in any of the other three gospels.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if it truly occurred, because the lesson within it is clear: we must forgive those who know not what they do, because fear and grief has compelled them into actions which are outside of the boundaries of their own divinity.

Forgiving them does not mean failing to hold them accountable for their actions, but it does equip us to make decisions about what happens to them next from a place of calm reason rather than unacknowledged grief. Operating from our grief does not make good jurisprudence.

It only compounds the problem.

Seek to learn about your grief. Because believe me, you are experiencing some. There is not one of us who isn’t right now. Grief has touched us all. When watching the news, look to the actions of others with a more compassionate eye. Look at them recognizing that their grief has compelled them to behave this way. Love your enemy.

And while you’re at it, love yourself a bit too. Even your wrinkles.

Purrfectly Pagan | 33

About Wil Darcangelo

Wil Darcangelo, M.Div, is the Minister at the First Parish UU Church of Fitchburg and of the First Church of Christ, Unitarian in Lancaster, and producer of The UU Virtual Church of Fitchburg and Lancaster on YouTube.

Email wildarcangelo@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @wildarcangelo. His blog, Hopeful Thinking, can be found at www.hopefulthinkingworld.blogspot.com

Purrfectly Pagan | 34

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How Can History Empower Us? WRITTEN BY: MAMA FAYE

Certainly, you have heard the saying, “History always repeats itself”?

We can identify patterns throughout world history and politics as well as in our very own lives. This can look different for each of us. Some negative patterns are tied to our careers and money, some romantically or in familial relationships, or more dangerously, with our health. Some people even experience patterns such as accidents, breaking bones repeatedly, and repeated car crashes that aren’t even their fault in many cases.

When we get locked into these patterns there’s a serious reason for it.

This is your soul crying out for help and healing, and until we hear the message it just sticks on repeat; often getting louder and louder each time.

In the society we live in today self-care is just a pretty word, for people with a lot of extra time and money. Sometimes, much to the blame of social media, we see self-care as lattes, bubble baths, manicures, and shopping. In all actuality, these are all tools of repression. They can be great and wonderful treats for yourself, but they are not healing. At best they should be rewards for doing your healing work. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 36

How Can History Empower Us? WRITTEN BY: MAMA FAYE

(continued) Healing work is ugly though, the real stuff, and most people prefer to avoid it at all costs. A trip to the mall or crystal shop sounds a lot more fun. Yes, I shall be the one to break your hearts. Those crystals will not heal you on their own. If you are not facing your shadow and doing the work, those crystals are nothing more than a repression tool.

This is why history is important. Because in order to heal we ultimately must face the origin of the wound, which is our own history. Sometimes this history isn’t too far back, sometimes it’s decades, sometimes it’s literally lifetimes. We must face ourselves to make ourselves.

Only after we learn all there is to learn about or from a wound are we capable of healing and transmuting. Then new codes can be programmed into our bodies, minds, and souls.

But what about beyond ourselves? What about as a nation? What about…. as a species?

Let us look at one story of our origin that is little known or discussed today. (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 37

How Can History Empower Us? WRITTEN BY: MAMA FAYE

(continued) For decades, most people have been taught humans have been around for approximately 15,000 years and we were led to believe that that’s actually a long time. Science in all its wonders has now disproved this theory, and there is evidence to suggest we’ve been here for over 300,000 years. And interestingly enough, we only show evidence of one major evolutionary step, around the 200,000 year mark, where humans found their voice.

More than that, there is very limited evidence that we evolved at all but rather we were whole as humans when first becoming a part of this planet. The story associated with this theory is ancient and has been developed from hieroglyphs and found in temples in remote areas around the world.

This creation story would explain a paradigm we have been replaying since our modern recorded history and continues to this day. Many cultures and people around the world deny this history, glorify it, undermine it, or simply will not acknowledge it. It is my belief by such blatant disregard, and by not understanding the root of this imprint we deny our ability to heal it as a species.

The paradigm I speak of has been an atrocity of man, woman, and children of every color and origin. The paradigm I speak of is the slave program.

Purrfectly Pagan | 38

(continued on next page)

How Can History Empower Us? WRITTEN BY: MAMA FAYE

(continued)

Step back in time with me, well over 200,000 years ago. Deities, or aliens if you prefer, have come to colonize a much different earth with but one continent.

What is now Africa was so much larger than now, one mass piece of earth rooted to our core mother, and it was as lush as you could possibly imagine.

This species proclaimed themselves deities and as most beings of higher authority throughout time, liked to have things done for them and to be cared for. So it is said they created man of the clay of what is now Africa and gave one drop of their blood to these beings to bless these humans with life. And so humans were -created- as slaves. One of these deities befriended the new human species and came to care deeply for these beings. He felt humans should be treated with greater care and respect. Their slaves, these humans created to serve, were mute. They didn’t need to talk, they just needed to listen. This deity argued vehemently on behalf of the humans.

As punishment for choosing human slaves over his own kind, he was drug and beaten before all the humans as a warning. They cut his throat before all those who loved him. His blood did not just spill, it gushed. It became a river and washed over all the people he had come to love.

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(continued on next page)

How Can History Empower Us? WRITTEN BY: MAMA FAYE

(continued)

Remember the beginning, when humans were granted life they were given one drop of blood to grant them life.

This river of blood blessed them now with the power of this deity and all his magic, and most powerful of all, gave us our voices. This power would ultimately grant us freedom. It would seem that after humans were blessed with a voice that the higher deities ultimately left this world, presumably by whatever means they’d first come; leaving behind what would remain the dominant species of this planet for hundreds of thousands of years to come.

This story was discovered in an ancient temple discovered in Peru and other texts in both Africa and Egypt have been determined to corroborate this story.

Imagine what healing could commence, imagine how we might perceive our existence if we were to identify this as mankind’s true origin story? Once the original wound is identified it is only then we can heal it. What if mankind were gifted with the ability to heal the slave paradigm?

What if you, too, discovered your core wounds and began the process of healing? (continued on next page) Purrfectly Pagan | 40

How Can History Empower Us? WRITTEN BY: MAMA FAYE

(continued) If this story inspires you to face your healing once and for all, I would like to invite you to join me beginning

August

22nd

for

9

weeks of Wellness & Weight Loss, where we will embark on a journey of healing and self-empowerment together.

This 9-week course will support you personally and intimately in relation to your current health conditions and concerns.

Why is healing so difficult? Why do we come up against the mountainous battle of weight management and surrender before we ever reach the peak? I believe it is because we haven’t been supporting all aspects of ourselves into healing. There are many aspects to the self: body, mind, the energy body, and spirit. By only addressing one aspect, such as the body and only considering diet and exercise, we neglect the other aspects of ourselves which is the cause of our failures.

This unique program not only addresses the physical aspects of healing the body with nutrition and intentional movement, but it also supports the mind with techniques such as empowerment coding, the energy body with guided illumination sessions, and healing the spirit with sacred methods and guidance.

Change your paradigm. Join me this August. When you heal with Mama Faye, you heal wounds that empower you to change your story. Email me at themamafaye@gmail.com to learn more.

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Email themamafaye@gmail.com to register.

About Mama Faye Seven times published in paranormal fiction and dramatic suspense, Faye is currently in the creation process of her first nonfiction production.

Lifelong artist, Faye has a unique style of blending creating a visual feast of color and texture through her often natureinspired abstracts. Her art knows no limits and is most often found coating privately-owned walls across the midwest. Custom requests are all the artist is currently making available for sale at this time.

Mama Faye is a lifelong practitioner of eclectic arts, the extra-ordinary, and the other-worldly. Faye uses her gifts and knowledge to benefit her clients and to help guide those ready along their road to healing.

She can be reached via email at themamafaye@gmail.com.

Purrfectly Pagan | 43

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Light Worker Mama Faye is Native Aniyvwiya born, or Cherokee to most; embodying her duality with Nordic Viking ancestry on the other end of the spectrum. The Aniyvwiya Viking Witch has always been different from the time of her birth to hear her mother tell the story.

Born in a Cherokee Hospital, 6 weeks late with twenty Aniyvwiya doctors in the room. Upon her birth she did not cry. Placed upon the table, she raised onto her hands and knees and lifted her head. It was the quietest room in the hospital despite more bodies filling the single room than any other in the hospital that day. True to her birth, her mother says, she was a unique child with a unique soul.

Healer Mama Faye now invites you to go deeper. Be supported on your journey into shadow work through energy work, trained empowerment, breathwork, and whole life healing. Discover imprints from past lives and walk the path of healing your ancestral trauma.

What would your life look like aligned to your greatest joy?

How would life change aligned to your greatest joy?

What would you do to align your life to your greatest joy?

Purrfectly Pagan | 44

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Advertise your Business here!

Contact Shay for Rates: https://www.purrfectlypagan.com/contact.html

Simple Magic in Our Everyday Lives WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN

What do you think of when you hear the word “magic”?

Do

you

think

of

card

tricks?

Sunrises

on

a

mountaintop? Extravagant weddings? A magnificent meal at a fancy restaurant? I am an animist witch (a witch who believes that everything has a spirit), and magic is my calling card! Magic can be all those things listed above, however to me, magic can also be the

Purrfectly Pagan | 46

manipulation of our energetic environment. (continued on next page)

(continued)

Simple Magic in Our Everyday Lives

No, I’m not talking about Samantha in “Bewitched”, where all she had to do was twitch her nose to get what she wanted (wouldn’t that be fantastic?). Or how about “I Dream of Jeannie”-remember that show? Magic is really an energy exchange, a working partnership between humans and the universe. Magic is a manifestation of what we will,

WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN

through our words, ingredients and intentions, come to life.

How do I know magic is real? The simple answer is, I’ve experienced it. And you have too. We all have. Don’t believe me? Have you ever blown out the candles on a birthday cake and made a wish, and then it came true? Then you’ve performed candle magic. Have you ever put an intention out to your favorite deity to grab the best parking spot at Walmart, and suddenly, you’ve managed to nab a spot in the front row? Then you’ve performed intention magic.

I had a wise Reiki Master teacher tell me many years ago that “Intention is everything”. I agree. However, if we are going to talk about magical spellworkings, another wise mentor told me, “Well, you could make a cake with top notch ingredients, or you could use substitutions, and hope it turns out the same (and it probably won’t)”. Magic can work with just intentions, but it works even better with ingredients, such as (and definitely not limited to) words, crystals,and incense. And…..it's more fun this way (we as adults do NOT have enough fun in our lives!). (continued on next page)

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(continued)

Simple Magic in Our Everyday Lives

You might be thinking, well what is the “right” way to do magic? The simple answer is, there is none!

Yes, I know, there are many spell books out there with super cool workings in them, by a plethora of fantastic witches. And by all means, keep reading and performing them. Life needs to be interesting.

However, it is my experience that the best magical

WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN

workings come from your soul and your intuition.

I remember in the beginning of my year and a day training. I got so hung up on what was the “right” colored candle, the “correct” herb to burn in my incense holder, and the “exact” crystal to use to boost the energy. I remember for a while, I even was calling in the directions the wrong way, in my own house!!

Ugh! But you know what? That’s OK! In order for the magic to work, ask yourself these questions: Did you give the intention some thought? Did you choose ingredients that speak to you? Did you use wording that makes sense, and that is powerful and resolute? In Don Miguel Ruiz’s “The Four Agreement”, one of the agreements states “Be impeccable with your words”. Why? Words are spells.

When using deities in your magical workings, did you form a relationship with them first? Think of it this way-calling in a deity without a relationship (e.g. daily offerings) is like knocking on your neighbor’s door and saying “Hi, you don’t know me, but I was wondering if you would feed my cat and take in my mail everyday for a week?” This would not go over well-why? Because you don’t have a relationship yet! (continued on next page)

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(continued)

Simple Magic in Our Everyday Lives WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN

What can you do to pull some magic into your daily life? Next time you take a shower, charge the water with your intention, and have it wash away any negative attachments. When you stir your coffee in the morning, put in the intentions of how you want your day to go. When you light a candle in your home, dedicate the candle in honor of someone

you

love

who

is

sick.

Challenge yourself to tap into your own ability to perform magic. And make it fun! You’d be surprised how much magic you can perform, without having to put on a genie costume!

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About Michelle Pellin Michelle began her spiritual journey when she was a child after a family trip at age 6 to Salem, MA. After being introduced to the world of the occult, Michelle became obsessed with witches and ghosts, using tarot and ouija to communicate with the spirit world, performing magic for friends and family, reading endless books about the witch trials and ghost encounters, watching endless hours of “Bewitched” and “Charmed”, and even writing her high school senior thesis on poltergeists. Halloween did not go by without Michelle dressing up as a witch, except for the year she was Casper the friendly ghost!

When Michelle entered college, got married, had a full-time job, had children, did foster care and had multiple pets (and somehow kept her sanity in check through it all), things came to a halt for over 30 years. During this time, Michelle continued to use her gifts of clairsentience and claircognizance without realizing it, as she was often labeled “too sensitive”, and was told “you seem to have someone looking out for you”. In 2014, Michelle gained her professional mental health counseling license, and in 2018, she was led by spirit to a holistic healing center in Durham CT called “The Red Barn in Durham”, where she left her full time social work job to have her own holistic private practice. This led Michelle to have a spiritual “breakdown” of her ego, also known as a spiritual awakening!

Michelle’s world was turned upside down, as she was raised Roman Catholic, as she was taught that they were the one “true” religion.

Michelle began to question everything, obsessively research, and challenge herself to let go of the guilt, shame and limiting beliefs that attaches itself to anyone who follows this religious path. Michelle felt terrified and exhilarated all at the same time while she was pulling away from a belief system layered in fear, and at times, thought she might be going crazy…

Michelle then joined a spiritual support group, which helped her connect with others who were going through the same process, and also helped her connect to a community of like minded individuals. Relief was on its way, as Michelle learned that others were having the same experiences as her! Michelle’s first mentors were Stephanie Rosally-Kaplan, Reiki Master/teacher/psychic medium, and Jennifer Gaylord, psychic medium, the leaders of the support group. Stephanie and Jennifer helped Michelle connect with her gifts, her ancestry, and her healing abilities. Within a few months, Michelle became a Reiki Master, and was able to use this ability to help others heal on a physical and emotional level.

In 2019, Michelle then met Paul Rice, psychic ghost worker (NOT hunter-Michelle does not believe in hunting people, or animals for that matter!), who would be her next mentor. Paul was teaching a class on how to tap into your psychic abilities in order to help ghosts move onto the light. Paul believed that there were many reasons why souls didn’t move on, and it was up to us to guide them, facilitate healing, and move them on to their version of heaven. Michelle developed her gifts, and realized that she could add clairvoyance to her spiritual resume! Paul was also teaching Michelle how to psychically protect herself, which is absolutely necessary for this type of work (although Michelle believes that humans are MUCH more scary than ghosts!). In 2021, Paul gave the group a formal name entitled “SHONE-spirit healers of New England” in order to continue his legacy (on FB and IG). When Paul retires and moves out of the country in 2023, Michelle will co lead the group, as her passion for rescue mediumship has soared.

In 2020, the pandemic hit, and doing things online suddenly exploded. Many famous mediums who were inaccessible suddenly were available at the request of a Zoom link. During this time, Michelle connected with mediums all over the world, and started doing practice circles and gallery readings that challenged her abilities (and scared her to death!). Michelle’s next mentor would be Kay Reynolds, an Arthur Findley college trained medium who was previously an elementary school teacher, and can work with others in a gentle and encouraging way (which is what Michelle needed!). Kay taught Michelle to develop her gifts even further, and the gift of clairaudience began to develop. Michelle continues to challenge herself, and will be working with more talented mediums in order to gain professionalism, and to learn how to perform trance mediumship.

In 2021, Michelle decided that the witchcraft had been put on a shelf for much too long! Michelle then began her year and a day training with Stacy Salpietro-Babb, an animist village witch who showed Michelle how to forage, craft spells, create sigils, perform tarot readings, read astrology, create self care items, perform rituals, tap into familiars, honor deities, and more! Most importantly though, Stacy showed Michelle how to be proud of who she was, and how to stand in her own truth. Michelle had finally come full circle!

Today, Michelle spends most of her days running her fully remote holistic telehealth practice from her home, encouraging people to be their true authentic selves. Michelle also runs ghost field trips that are open to the public, attends her mediumship and year and a day training classes, performs tarot and mediumship readings in private and at events, and spends time with her family, friends and her cat Loki.

Michelle has her own blog entitled “Ghost and Spiritual Musings” on Facebook, where she shares her extraordinary experiences within the ghost and mediumship world. Michelle has also written for various publishings, such as CWPN (CT wiccan and pagan network), and writes ritual and spellwork for her groups.

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Pagan Groups Pioneer Valley Witches & Pagans - Western Massachusetts Pioneer Valley Witches and Pagans group is for Pagans and Witches in the Pioneer Valley, Western Mass, and nearby areas to get together, chat, network, and socialize. We have Meetups every two weeks. I'm trying to plan some more interesting outings and activities, set stay tuned! You can find us at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pioneerwitchesandpagans/? ref=share and for those not on Facebook: https://meetingplace.io/PVW

Fitchburg Pagan Group in Fitchburg, MA Merry Meet! This group is for pagans of all types (wiccan, neopagan, Celtic, etc.) in or near Fitchburg, MA, to meet and socialize. It's also a welcoming place for those who are curious about paganism.

List your Pagan group here for free!

Contact Shay for info: https://www.purrfectlypagan.com/contact.html Purrfectly Pagan | 52

The Devil's Advocate Holding Your Feet to the Fire: Discipline and Responsibility through the Eyes of the Adversary WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN

“Freedom requires Discipline. So even though sometimes discipline seems like it is trapping you and making you do things that you don't want to do, discipline is the thing that will set you free.”- Jocko Willink “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law, love under will.” -Aleister Crowley I love rebels. I love rebellion, darkness, chaos and disorder. I love lawlessness. Its been engrained in me since I was a young, sheltered and shy young boy. Restriction only seemed to keep me from experiencing my existence on my terms. I had a lot of ‘discipline’ in my early life, and if I'm being honest, I did not deserve most of it. One of my earliest memories is a jolting, thunderous a**-whooping by my biological father. He would hold the back of my neck tightly, guiding me more like a rabid dog than a child.

Seldom did he show any tenderness or affection. He also had these eyes, these arctic sky-blue eyes, which made him appear like a werewolf when he snarled with anger. I held a lot of resentment against my father for a long time. But now looking back at my childhood, I honestly think he didn't know better. He was raised even more brutally than I, and I think he must have thought he was ‘toughening me up’ in a real ‘boy named Sue’ sort of way. But it didn't. It turned me into a coward and a liar. If not flat out lying, I always could find marginal solace in the no man's land of the phrase ‘I dont know’.

Those 3 words were real magick. It was a gray area, if I didn't know, I couldn't be held accountable. This didn't work all the time, mind you, but I will cherish it like Harry Potter cherished his invisibility cloak. Ignorance was bliss. (continued on next page)

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The Devil's Advocate Holding Your Feet to the Fire: Discipline and Responsibility through the Eyes of the Adversary WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN

(continued) The old man and I have a great relationship these days. He's a truly reformed old b@stard. But of course, old b@stards breed feral dogs. A feral dog must eat, and to eat I must hunt. And I was feral. And I only got worse.

My teen years were….. Turbulent. I ran away numerous times, sometimes for months at a time, did so many drugs I'm surprised I'm not a walking hit of acid, and had sex, and lots of it.

No control, no remorse. I was a savage. I left destruction and rubble in my wake. I experienced all manner of violence, abuse and depravity. F*ck Ahab, I was the white whale. I'd rob drug dealers, beat up pedophiles, steal cars and drive drunk, running wild with zero fear, a greeneyed devil hellbent on dying young. But I didn't. not for lack of trying. I've had three attempts on my life. I've been stabbed, run down with a car, had another pr*ck try to stab me and beat 7 shades of sh*t outta that clown. I've been held up, shot at and beaten by 12 jerks literally within an inch of my life. And at that time, I had no control. And I desperately craved control. I needed self-discipline, desperately.

Getting turned onto the Left-hand path was the best thing that ever could've happened to a guy like me. In many ways it saved me from myself and this wh*re of a planet. I was so inspired by these men and women who, through sheer grit and determination, lived life to the fullest, and on their terms. One important thing that I learned by practicing ritual magick is that it’s on my terms. I am the one that's in command, I'm the ringmaster. But in order to be the best magician I can be, I had to be responsible. I had to understand that the bullshit I'd gone through the past decade and a half was because I was a f*ck up. I had to change. And if I was gonna commune with powerful and glorious entities and have them respect me, I had to respect myself. (continued on next page)

Purrfectly Pagan | 54

The Devil's Advocate Holding Your Feet to the Fire: Discipline and Responsibility through the Eyes of the Adversary WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN

(continued) At some point in everyone's life, you must come to the conclusion that you are the only common denominator in your life equation. And as much as it may seem that the whole world is against you, you need to adapt and conquer. F*ck the world. It is a meatgrinder that will pound you into mush if you let it. You need to have the discipline and content of character to rise above the sheep as well as the shepherd.

The most important fixture of my current is the human will. The will is your true god, it's your compass to help navigate this uncharted territory we call existence. ‘Do what thou wilt’, which is the rallying cry and sacred law of Thelema and many on the Left Hand Path, does not mean what most confused christians and assorted fools think. It most certainly does not mean ‘do what you want’. It's about following your heart and your calling in this existence. Experience the fruits and libations of life as well as the filth and fury. You can't take this meatsuit with you, so bang it up. Leave it like a rental car, not a lease. But Discipline is the key to eternity. You must have self-restraint and poise if you wanna be a successful magician. To even have your will respected by the gods and goddesses you hold in high esteem, you must have the heart of a warrior, not a vagrant. The only true hang up one has in life is fear. Fear of rejection, fear of reprisal, fear of lonely nights and missed opportunities. Fear of life, fear of death. Fear is an anchor around the neck of a drowning man who holds it just in case the ship comes back. To quote everyone's favorite racist Gandhi, ‘Fear has its use, but cowardice has none.’ not bad Gandhi, not fucking bad…. But I can do better. After all, I eat red meat.

Fear is motivation. Fear is a weapon. But discipline is the food in which marching armies fill their bellies with. Cowardice isn't the opposite of fear, but the opposite of responsibility.

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About John Shraden John Shaden was born on a leap year in 1988. He is a musician, black magickian, and a chaos gnostic satanist. John has had a keen interest in the occult and left hand path since as early as he can remember. He was born and raise Catholic, John found himself spiritually crippled and in his late teens decided to look into the darkness for answers and he found them. Through ritual magick and in communion with the divine, John has been able to sharpen his skills as a psychic and practitioner of the black work.

John founded an occult order known as the, “Order of the Oblivion,” in which he and his fraternal brother work with other occult organizations in forwarding their goals of gnosis, strength, and apotheosis in 2018. Along with his spiritual path, John has been the front man for the black metal band, “CARNIVOROUS STORM,” since 2018.

John has been a writer since he was a young boy, taking inspiration from authors such as Hunter S Thompson, E. A. Koetting, Michael W. Ford, Charles Bukowski, and Sun Tzu. He has been published on many online forums and websites along with publishing his own work on Brilliantbias.com and various other websites over the course of the last 15 years.

Holly Broderick and John Shaden have teamed up to create an amazing psychic duo, in 2022. They call themselves, “Psychics and Swears,” and have helped numerous people with all kinds of issues. They have assisted several families get closure in 4 different cases of murder. They work very hard to be sure that their clients know that they are cared for, treat them with dignity and are important to their work all the while using cheeky language and humor.

Purrfectly Pagan | 56

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