Purrfectly
M G A Z Pellin
I N E V O L . 1 I S S U E 9 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 'TIS THE SEASON FOR PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES...AND DISRESPECT by Michelle
Pagan
Equinox And Equality: Venturing into the Darkness as We Fight for Our Rights by Faerie Godsmother DREAMS UNWIND: THE POWER OF LAVENDER MAGIC by Lily Maya BUREAUCRATIC ALCHEMY: MAGICK AND THE OCCULT AS A TOOL OF THE STATE by John Shaden
A
Letter from the Editor
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. There is a wide array of views expressed in this publication. Read at your own risk.
The Witches' Corner: Ushering in a PostChristian Era The Devil's Advocate: Bureaucratic Alchemy: Magick and the Occult as a tool of the State along with my musings on the virtues of Schadenfreude, Vol. 1 Simplify Your Life 'Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes....and disrespect Dreams Unwind: The Story of Lavender Magic Pagan Group Listings
Mindful Paganism: Mindful Journaling Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother: Equinox and Equality: Venturing into the Darkness as We Fight for Our Rights
In This Issue:
Letter from the Editor
---LadyShay
Dear Reader --
Being the editor of this magazine gives me the privilege of providing a platform to writers who are far more talented than I could ever aspire to be. I also publish articles I may not fully agree with, because I value the importance of other Paths and views. I have writers who are Love and Light. I have writers who travel a darker Path. I have writers of all shades in between (including myself).
I treasure them all. And I hope you will, too.
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I am so proud to see how this magazine continues to grow. We have added another new writer - Lily Maya.
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I embrace this change, welcoming a new generation of Pagans and Witches, brothers and sisters to bond with and cherish.
I welcome those who yearn for the knowledge of the Old Gods, of the Old Paths.
(continued on next page)
At the same time, Paganism is on the rise.(2)
Ushering in a Post-Christian Era
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Praise be.
In a 2021 Gallup poll, the percentage of respondents who said they belonged to a church, synagogue, or mosque fell below the majority for the first time since polling began in 1937.(1)
We are seeing the decline of Christianity.
WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY
THE WITCHES' CORNER
There is more "spirituality" and less "dogma" that is found within the walls of Christian churches.
odd? Impossible? It's
I
those. It is inevitable. Believe with me. Close your eyes. Imagine this world. And smile.
WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY (continued)
I look forward to the day when you have to actively search to find a Christian church, while all around you can Pagan gatherings
Does it
and covens.
find
I look forward to a time when a cross worn around the neck is odd because of its rarity. look forward to a Pagan & Witch majority. sound not either one of
Ushering in a Post-Christian Era
https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church membership falls below majority first time aspx ) 1. 2 https://www nytimes com/2018/12/12/opinion/christianity paganism america html
THE WITCHES' CORNER
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Equinox And Equality: Venturing Into The Darkness As We Fight For Our Rights
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WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER
We are coming upon the Autumn Equinox, a time of thoughtfulness, gratitude, and togetherness, and the beginning of the dark time of the year. It’s one of two nights a year when we have the same number of sunlight hours as moonlight hours. It’s a sign of equality. Traditionally it is a time of harvest, enjoying the fruits of our labor, planning, and preparing for winter. It’s a time to prepare for the war against the elements, the fight to stay alive. But do women in the USA really have equality? Right now, in the USA, it is that time for women, as our rights are slowly being usurped. Unlike the moon and the sun, who take turns ruling the sky, women and men in the USA have never taken turns ruling. It has always been men. on next page)
(continued
Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother
I am sitting here in my kitchen on this warm September morning while Taranis and Lugh decide whether it’s going to rain or shine today. The skies are overcast, the wind makes the leaves dance to its melancholy song. The rabbits, who usually are eating all of my honeysuckle and shrubs this time of day, are hiding in their homes, yet I can see the sun peeking through the clouds. This setting perfectly describes how I am feeling about the state of affairs in the USA, a country I love so much, my country.
Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother
WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER (continued)
People talk about women’s rights and how we are equal now and how we have every right that a man has. But do we really? Well, up until about a month ago, I would have said that we were closer than we have ever been to being treated as equals. But now I am watching as our right to bodily autonomy slips away. So now is the time, where we step into the darkness. Now is the time to plan. It’s the time to put on our armor and prepare for battle. Now is the time for the moon to take over for a bit. (continued on next page)
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Equinox And Equality: Venturing Into The Darkness As We Fight For Our Rights
Right now is a time for us to be grateful for all of the things our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers did for us. Now is the time to be grateful for the fruits of our mothers’, grandmothers’, and great grandmothers’ labor. Now is the time to thank them for their sacrifices as we now have to fight the same damn battles that they did. Some of us were alive at a time when women weren’t even allowed our own bank accounts without their father or husband cosigning. We were allowed our own credit cards in the 1970s. The 1970s!!! Some of us were alive when Roe vs Wade was all over the news and the original decision was made. Now, here we are, 50 years later, having the same fight.
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WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER (continued)
If men and women would treat each other with the same reverence that the sun and moon have for each other, we would be in a much better place. The sun provides us with light, warmth, vibrance, and nourishment while the moon provides us with rest, calm, control of the waters, and peace. There’s never a day where the moon arrives too early and never a night where the sun stays too late. It is all planned. They take turns ruling the sky. Let us, women and men, take turns. Let us view each other as equally important. Let us help each other.
Do not be afraid, as we step into the darkness. Do not be afraid as we go forward into the moon’s time to rule the sky. Now is the time to take what we know to educate others. Now is the time to take what we know and use it. Now is the time to stand on the shoulders of the great women in our past and use the president that they set and let our voices be heard. Now is the time to feel the gentle light of the moon and remember that her power does not only come from sunlight that bounces off of her, but it comes from a much deeper place, a place that controls the tides.
Equinox And Equality: Venturing Into The Darkness As We Fight For Our Rights
Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother
Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother
So, while the equinox approaches, let us be grateful for the sun and the moon. Let us be grateful for our ancestors who fought to get us to where we are today. Let us prepare for the battle to come. Let us help our sisters in states where the oppression is very real. Let us help the 10 year old who may be doomed to carry her rapist’s baby to term because abortion is illegal in the state where she lives. Let us help the women who are suffering terribly with reproductive abnormalities and diseases in states where their medications are becoming illegal. The women in these states are suffering in ways that some of us cannot imagine.
Let’s work together to end the suffering. Let’s work together to give women back their right to bodily autonomy, and let’s do like the sun and moon. Let’s help each other rule. Other countries have made it work. Why can’t we?
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WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER (continued)
Equinox And Equality: Venturing Into The Darkness As We Fight For Our Rights
WRITTEN BY : FAERIE GODSMOTHER
I will be celebrating this equinox by using my voice to help women all over the USA. I will be celebrating the Equinox and showing my gratitude for my ancestors by standing up against injustice. The people of Congress and the Senate know will know who I am by the time this is done. I will not stop. I hope you don’t either. So bring on the darkness! Let us prepare for the battles ahead! Let us take the time to gain our strength so that we can run through those that are trying to prevent us from being fully equal like Kali in a fit of rage. Let us run through them like the Morrigan in battle. This way we can work together to create a balance in power.
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Equinox And Equality: Venturing Into The Darkness As We Fight For Our Rights
(continued)
Mote It Be
Wisdom from the Faerie Godsmother
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."
Hollybhealthy@gmail.com
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To learn more, please reach out to Holly: 475-329-8997
Owner of Holly Be Healing, a business dedicated to energetic and spiritual healing.
AboutFaerieGodsmother
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.
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.
Purrfectly Pagan | 15 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
Mindful Paganism
Journaling can be an important part of your self-care. It can help with clarity of thinking, along with inspiring creativity. Keeping a journal (and being mindful about it) is something you can do with only 10 minutes a day. It's a simple, quick activity. So pick up a pen (or your phone) and start writing.
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WRITTEN BY: LADY SHAY
I have kept a journal for decades, ever since I was a kid. I find the process of journaling to be therapeutic, a learning tool, and a way to look back and see how I have grown over the years.
Mindful journaling can help you change your focus, turning inward and nurturing your mind, body, and spirit.
Mindful Journaling
Purrfectly Pagan Marketplace Visit https://www.mindfulpaganism.com for a FREE 3-day mini course about Mindful Paganism.
Purrfectly Pagan | 18
Shay is the owner and Editor-InChief of Purrfectly Pagan Magazine. She 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
AboutLadyShay
Lady Shay is a Unitarian Universalist Pagan and an eclectic witch. She feels her purpose is to serve the Pagan community.
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WRITTEN BY: LILY MAYA
Dreams Unwind: The Story of Lavender Magic
Any living organism on this planet has its use. We may not know yet everything about all of them, and we may never will, but we all serve some purpose, whether we have legs or leaves.
Right now I choose to meet you with Lavender, the beautiful violet 'Queen of plants'. (continued
on next page)
origins go way back to ancient Egypt. Because of its strong fragrance, it was first used to scent mummies. Later on, herbalists found a great interest in it and start to explore it more.
Lavendertoo.
But no long time had passed when Cleopatra picked this plant to be the main ingredient in her seduction perfume. It was believed that she used lavender to seduce Julie Cesar, which is why many girls who wanted a man's love tried to pursue the same spell; They wore small pouches filled with dry lavender and sang quietly as they were walking by the man they want:
(continued on next page)
Dreams Unwind: The Story of Lavender Magic
WRITTEN BY: LILY MAYA
Lavender is green, Lavender is blue, You must love me Because I love you. (continued)
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There are times when we take things for granted. I did that for a long time with the lavender herb. I never liked the scent of it so I was dismissing it all over. Until... I had a problem with sleeping. Trying different things... and none of them was working. There I was, experimenting with different calming herbs and essences, but no, nothing worked the way I hoped. Then I discovered the sedative effects of lavender buds. The magic dried violet herb saved me! At that point, dark violet was my favorite color, so I linked some symbolism there,
These same pouches we use today, some still sing the lullaby, some scent their home, and there's another specific use and that's to repel the moths In some Europe countries, pouches are stuffed with dried lavender flowers and stored in the closet, or drawers, between clothing because the strong scent of the herb repels moths and prevents them from damaging it.
(continued on next page) (continued)
WRITTEN BY: LILY MAYA
Lavender may calm the mind. The best practice is pure lavender tea every night before sleep.
But it doesn't matter in which form it comes to us, the magic it brings to our body and the mind is what makes this plant so special, and The Queen of Plants.
Lavender may take away the pain. If the pain is of physical nature, rub lavender oil on the area that hurts. It will calm all the cells in your body, leaving you pain free.
Lavender may heal the skin. At least once a week, make yourself a beautiful lavender bath. It cleanses the skin and heals parts that need healing.
Apart from pouches, lavender has been distilled into oil and that's when its use start to broaden. It was much easier to make perfumes, or use it for massages, therapies, baths and other.
Lavender can relax you. Many emotional states may be treated with this plant. Depression, anxiety, stress disorders....
Dreams Unwind: The Story of Lavender Magic
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Lavender may soothe the skin. In form of oil, it is widely used for massage, leaving your skin soft and your mind relaxed.
Add the ingredients to the bath and stir by hand to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed. Soak for about 20 min.
30 gr thyme
In honor of this herb, I have a special Magic Herbal Bath for you.
30 gr mint
It was believed that lavender purifies the body and soul.
Wishing you Calm & Magic.
Dreams Unwind: The Story of Lavender Magic
30 gr lavender
WRITTEN BY: LILY MAYA
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If you feel the negative energy rising within or around you, try this energy cleansing bath recipe:
With that in mind, we could all grow this plant at home, indoors or outdoor, just to keep us magically safe. It's quite easy. Growing lavender doesn't take much, but she gives back way more than we could imagine She loves the Sun and dry soil
30 gr rosemary
To enhance the positive effect of this bath, pour some warm water into a separate bowl, dip a clean cotton sheet and rub a bit on your neck, shoulders, and feet. These are cumulative stress areas.
(continued)
50 gr sea salt
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In her 20's she gathered some pieces of her work and publish them, becoming an author of the 'Ruthless Silence' poetry book.
AboutLilyMaya
Lily discovered her desire for writing at an early age. She asked her granny to buy her a notebook and waiting for no teacher, she start waving words on paper, with passion and in awe.
She then continues to feed her soul through various art forms.
Today, as a founder of the Black Rabbit Tea brand, she runs a successful soul-led business and mentors others on their way to building this dream for themselves.
All of those are good things. All of them in their individual ways will help to improve your resilience to the stressful nature of these days. But it’s also adding more stuff. And adding more stuff to your life is not always the answer when considering the enhancement of resiliency.
There isn’t much we can do about it, really. Except for one thing: adapt. We actually have to become accustomed to it since it would appear we have a little power to change it on our own. And the single, overarching methodology of all adaptation is resilience.
(continued on next page)
Simplify Your Life
So it therefore begs the question: What are you doing to enhance your own resilience? Toward what are you directing yourself and your intentions as you seek to find ways to cope with this world we’re living in? Considering yoga? Learning a new craft? Joining a club?
Life is so complicated right now it’s exhausting. Just interacting with one’s neighbor is a challenge, much less the world. So many things have been made more complicated in the attempt to make them simpler.
WRITTEN BY: WIL DARCANGELO
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My smartphone, for instance, is the most complicated thing I could possibly imagine designed to make my life easier. Obviously the political world has become more complicated by orders of magnitude. And I can’t begin to conceive the extra layers of complication involved with being a teenager in the 21stcentury. The pressures of daily life are both real and enormous.
WRITTEN BY: WIL DARCANGELO
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The art of simplification is deceivingly (and ironically) simple. So much so that we tend to disregard it as a potential life practice. As well, the practice is a never-ending one, prompting us to get bored or even exhausted by the very attempt.
There are many avenues toward learning the practice of simplification. Hundreds of internet simplicity gurus are lobbing ideas out there on the daily to let you know the easy and simple life hacks that have the potential to change your life. It’s not hyperbole, by the way. They actually will. But you have to start somewhere.
(continued on next page)
"But even the practice of simplicity requires a simplicity of approach. Start small. Pick a little corner and start there. "
Whether or not one believes in God, it still makes great sense to assume that ridding ourselves of at least some of the inner chatter leaves room to just be with our thoughts. It grants us a degree of space to allow our natural creativity to flourish.
(Continued)
There is also, as you might imagine, a spiritual benefit to the act of decluttering not only your home, but your psyche. It opens the way for inspiration. It is said that God is simple and without parts The spiritual path toward simplicity is designed to emulate the Divine in an effort to move into greater alignment with It.
Simplify Your Life
But even the practice of simplifying requires a simplicity of approach Start small Pick a little corner and begin there.
There are practical reasons for this as well as emotional/symbolic. Practically, dust mites do their thing in the sheets and I’d just as soon they not. Shaking off the layers minimizes it before they become trapped in the covers. But the other reason is an opportunity for mindfulness. And that is the key to all simplicity efforts
WRITTEN BY: WIL DARCANGELO
Give thanks for all that you let go of. Be they dust mites or old chachkies you got in a Yankee swap three office Christmas parties ago. Feel gratitude for whatever they brought to your life and bid them hail and farewell. There is an emotional benefit to mindfully disposing of unnecessary detritus You’ll actually feel better
Simplify Your Life
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(Continued)
How we treat our home is a direct reflection of how we feel about ourselves, for instance. The same can be said for our clothes as an indicator of self worth. Look around you and ask yourself: Am I loving toward me?
The clues are all around you. Read them. How big are the piles? How much are you really avoiding dealing with? Don’t let the perceived enormity of the work deter you. Simplification is a snowball that, once gaining sufficient momentum, will eventually feel like the work is doing itself. If you give it a chance to do so.
My favorite part of this practice is that you don’t have to solve all your self worth problems in order to simplify your life. Sometimes all you have to do to start is make your bed.
I have a ritual for that. I strip the bed down to the fitted sheet each time I make it. I take one corner of the fitted sheet off the edge of the mattress and shake out the dust of the night from it before tightly refitting it over the corner of my mattress. I shake out all the rest of the bedding before replacing it on the bed
Email wildarcangelo@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @wildarcangelo. His blog, Hopeful Thinking, can be found at www.hopefulthinkingworld.blogspot.com
AboutWilDarcangelo
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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.
Purrfectly Pagan Marketplace Purrfectly Pagan | 28 Advertise your Business here! Contact Shay for Rates: https://www.purrfectlypagan.com/contact.html
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September is here, which means the gateway to fall cooler weather, beautiful foliage, and town fairs. It's also the time of year that makes me cringe since becoming a practicing witch and a ghost worker. Why is it OK this time of year (or any time of year, but this time of year especially), to make fun of witches and spirits? (continued on next page) BY: MICHELLE PELLIN
'Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes....and disrespect WRITTEN
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(continued on next page) (continued) Purrfectly Pagan | 31
Practicing witches have a hard enough time as it is being taken seriously in mainstream culture. Fox news, for example, has been known to publicly make fun of Wiccans. One time, when I was at the beginning of my spiritual journey, I had a friend’s husband say to me that I am a “witch doctor”, and another good friend told me, as we were entering a casino, to “do my voodoo for them”. Recently, I had a well meaning family member give me a glassy eyed stare when I told them about something as
Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes....and disrespect
simple as celebrating the autumn equinox. Witches are snickered at, bullied and even harassed for their practice, even in this day and age. And yet, these same people, (usually Christians) who preach love and light to all are OK with ridiculing the hundreds and thousands of men and women who identify as a witch. I wonder how they would react if one of theirs, such as the Pope, was displayed flying on a broomstick colliding with a tree?
Another type of individual that comes “out of the broom closet” this time of year are the plethora of women who believe that “every woman is a witch”, and truly believe that some crystal jewelry and a pointy hat makes you a witch. Many of them dance on Main Streets every year for entertainment and a laugh. In one sense, it's heartwarming that these ladies want to be witches…..or do they really? Are they willing to put the hard work into a magical practice, or are they really just playing dress up?
WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN
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Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes... and disrespect
(continued
Since leaving the “muggle” world a few years ago, I have gained a new respect for all religions and practices. As a mental health provider by day, I know it is human nature to make fun of what we fear, and what we do not understand. However, at whose expense? Do we just continue to tell ourselves that “it’s all in the spirit of fun”, or do we move to educate the public more? If you haven’t already, challenge yourself to inform your family, friends and work colleagues how you feel about this topic. Chances are, it may have not even occurred to them that it's an issue, simply because they have never been taught any different. on
next page)
Who are these troubled spirits? Our ancestors, our friends and our family members. They are people without a body. Individuals who deserve our direction and our respect, not our ridicule. Would the general public make fun of their loving grandmother if they got confused and or lost at the mall?
Then there are ghosts. You know, those white sheeted formations that people like to hang off their porch, and put electronic voice boxes in for them to say “boo”? In addition to a witch, I also identify as a ghost worker, and am a part of a dedicated team called SHONE (Spirit Healers of New England). This is also known as rescue mediumship-individuals who help troubled spirits move into the light. Who are these troubled spirits?
(continued)
WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN
(continued) Purrfectly Pagan | 33
Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes... and disrespect
WRITTEN BY: MICHELLE PELLIN
The more we are brave enough to respectfully vocalize our feelings and express why it may be offensive to some, the better world we leave behind for future witches, ghost workers and everyone for that matter, on our beautifully diverse planet. Perhaps for the next generation, this issue will be non-existent, because we made a small difference in the world.
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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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.
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!
AboutMichellePellin
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!
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…
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 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!
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.
Pioneer Valley Witches & Pagans - Western Massachusetts
List your Pagan group here for free!
Purrfectly Pagan | 36
Contact Shay for info: https://www.purrfectlypagan.com/contact.html
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
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.
Fitchburg Pagan Group in Fitchburg, MA
Pagan Groups
The Devil's
Politicians are all narcissists, swindlers, and sociopaths
Any organization who uses force to get its way does not have your best interests at heart and is corrupt to the rotten core
Voting is masturbation at best and seldom has the payoff a good wank does
Writer’s note: this is going to be a multi tentacled piece. The piece you are about to read is vol. 1. I would love nothing more than to bang this out in king size form, pretend I'm Hemingway or some sh*t, but I am a creature of the night and nights burn twice as fast for some horrid reason. Also, quite frankly, there is just too d@mn much to unpack in this topic. So, for now, enjoy these fun size nibbles…. And get on with ya life!!!! J.S.)
If one thing has been made abundantly clear by my few months of writing for you poor lost souls, it's my undying distaste, disdain and distrust of government. Being a man who prides himself on being an individual among the automatons, I feel the disgust of my very soul run up my body and into the pit of despair known colloquially as my mind every time an utterance of politics is mentioned. So let's make a short list of a few ground truths as we prepare to dive headfirst into some deep, freaky waters. 1. 2. 3. (continued
Advocate Bureaucratic Alchemy: Magick and the Occult as a tool of the State along with my musings on the virtues of Schadenfreude, Vol. 1
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(
WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN
“EverythingtheStatesaysisalie,andeverythingithasithasstolen.” -FriedrichNietzsche “Greatliarsarealsogreatmagicians!”-AdolfHitler
Bureaucratic Alchemy: Magick and the Occult as a tool of the State along with my musings on the virtues of Schadenfreude, Vol. 1
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But I digress. Let's get back into it. Yes, the slippery slime suckers of politics are a dreadful lot, incredibly and efficiently inefficient, unless they are eroding our civil liberties, panhandling for re-election or filling their own pockets. So who would have guessed that these loathsome carcass pickers would stick their carrion soaked beaks into our entrails? And I think you all know what I mean... Yup, that's right my darling little turkeys; magick, the Occult, astral projection, remote viewing, the whole f*cking enchilada. (continued
WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN (continued)
I hate to be the bearer of such news, but after all I am of German descent, and my people have invented a word for such glorious feelings: Schadenfreude-/SHaden froida/, noun.
Culture is grand!!!
The Devil's Advocate
Pleasure derived by someone from another’s misfortune. Literally, it translates to ‘malicious joy’.... Its gorgeous. And for you Nancy Drews among us, you might have noticed that that is where my pseudonym harkens its origin, with good old American corruption to boot.
(continued)
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Bureaucratic Alchemy: Magick and the Occult as a tool of the State along with my musings on the virtues of Schadenfreude, Vol. 1
Now, I'm sure you've all heard rumblings in the weirder parts of the interwebs of this sort of thing, or transmissions from the farthest reaches of the left dial on AM radio at 3 in the morning. Usually from guys with bad combovers huffing glue and listening to George SNOREy over on Coast to Coast (RIP Art Bell, I miss you terribly). Well, as it turns out, our old buddies at the Central Intelligence Agency (yes, those charmers) have declassified 29 pages of some of the wildest sh!t I have ever read. Now, most of us know that the Nazis, especially Himmler, were really into the Occult (not Adolf though, he was a Catholic until he died). Himmler believed in all sorts of fun stuff, as a matter of fact, one of those things was called the ‘world ice theory’, or Welteislehre for you kraut talkers, which was this fun theory peddled by a BRILLIANT fella named Hans Horbiger, an Austrian Inventor, engineer and lunatic. His ‘theory’ is that the cosmos was a vast archipelago of glaciers made by colliding ice planets, moons, even the sun/stars was a ball of ice. Sh!t is bananas, but if there was a world ice cream theory, I'd be goose stepping to the freezer, baby. Love that sh!t! Well, not only did this goofy theory get attention from the Third Reich, but it also became the official cosmology of Nazi Germany!!! The same godd@mn volk that invented the V2 rocket program which later put us on the moon were peddling this crap!!!!
The Devil's Advocate
WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN
Oh, you poor unfortunate souls…. It's almost not even boner inducing to shatter your fragile worldview inside that snow globe of childlike naivete…. Almost. Us beautiful, free, sunny people have much to sweep under the rug, but I'll save that for another rant. Though I can't help but stick the knife in a little game of ‘just the tip’ Those fancy rockets the Nazis invented, the ones that devastated England? Yeah, I mentioned before that they helped us get to the moon…. Hmmmm, how could that be? Well, a little thing called Operation Paperclip. A fellow by the name of Wernher Von Braun was the father of our rocket program after World War Two. He was also a Nazi who turn coated at the end of the war with a slew of other Nazi scientists and came to work for Uncle Sam He was the father of our space race and put a man on the moon. He was also a profiteer of slave labor and a war criminal, but I digress. The point I'm making is this; if we took their scientists, we definitely took their Occultists. Makes sense, right? (continued
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WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN
This is just an example of when govts go overboard on the strange, but they weren't the last. Joseph Stalin tried making ape human hybrids to build an army of super ape soldiers!!! They did this by forcefully impregnating female prisoners with ape sperm…. Oh, that Uncle Joe!!! Such a fucking riot Well, turns out the soviets were also researching all sorts of weird and wacky things. The hijinks never end when government and the supernatural conjoin like a two headed dog (yes, the soviets did that as well Look it up at your own risk!!!)
The Devil's Advocate
So, are you starting to see why I don't trust government? Especially with things that those of us would consider sacred? And I know what you're saying, ‘but John, were America!!! We would never do anything evil or sinister. Why, we have baseball, apple pie and bagel bites, we are the good guys!!!!’
(continued)
Bureaucratic Alchemy: Magick and the Occult as a tool of the State along with my musings on the virtues of Schadenfreude, Vol. 1
WRITTEN BY: JOHN SHADEN (continued)
The Devil's Advocate
So, I end up going down this rabbit hole, researching and cross examining the lurid and shady history of our grand overlords using magick (and let's not kid ourselves, they were using magick) to push their agenda. And what was their agenda, you ask? To win. And at any cost, especially when facing the commies during the cold war. The CIA were using remote viewers to find I.C.B.M. silos behind the iron curtain when every other means failed miserably. It's not exactly odd that the man would look into such things, but that it worked. And it worked a lot! Next stop, the fun world of remote viewing!!!! (to be continued)
Bureaucratic Alchemy: Magick and the Occult as a tool of the State along with my musings on the virtues of Schadenfreude, Vol. 1
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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 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.
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.
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AboutJohnShraden
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.
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