THE GOOD SIDE of BEING DOWN

The anatomy of anger, envy, sadness, and fear

Negative emotions do us a great favor – they save us from ourselves.
They’re mysterious signals, that oftentimes surge for “no apparent reason”, urging us to pay attention and change what we’re doing. Emotions that generate unpleasant feelings have been called sins (anger, envy), rejected in “polite” interaction (jealousy, frustration), or identified as unhealthy (sadness, shame). Culturally we’re taught to suppress these feelings, or medicate them, and punish ourselves for feeling them. Because these feelings are mostly seen as unpleasant, they are often called “negative” emotions… although “negative” is a misnomer. Honestly, if you think about it, emotions are not inherently negative or positive, they simply are a feeling to situations that happen. In esoteric practices, for example, they are distinguished by much more than whether they feel good or bad. Beneath the surface, every emotion orchestrates a complex expression of changes in motivation…

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Varieties of Spirit Mediums

November, Autumn, Fall

Good Witches Homestead

“The name ‘November’ is believed to derive from ‘novem’ which is the Latin for the number ‘nine’. In the ancient
Roman calendar November was the ninth month after March. As part of the seasonal calendar November is the
time of the ‘Snow Moon’ according to Pagan beliefs and the period described as the ‘Moon of the Falling Leaves’
by Black Elk.”

Samhain:

“This association of death with fertility provided the theological background for a great number of end-of-harvest festivals celebrated by many cultures across Eurasia. Like Samhain, these festivals (which, for example, included the rituals of the Dyedy (“Ancestors”) in the Slavic countries and the Vetrarkvöld festival in Scandinavia) linked the successful resumption of the agricultural cycle (after a period of apparent winter “death”) to the propitiation of the human community’s dead. The dead have passed away from the social concerns of
this world to the primordial chaos of the Otherworld where all fertility has its roots…

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National Make a Difference Day — Sylum Clan

Today is Make a Difference Day There are so many ways to make a difference. Hold the door open. Call up a friend to see how they are doing. Support local community centers. Give to Charity. Make someone smile. The list is endless. In a world that at the moment seems filled with hate, anger,…

via National Make a Difference Day — Sylum Clan

Queen Of Air And Darkness

Good Witches Homestead

The early Celts savoured the dark side of life. They embraced war like a lover, plunging into battle naked, singing gloriously boastful songs. They were fearless in the face of death, which their belief in reincarnation taught them was ‘…but the centre of a long life.’ It was not uncommon for a man to lend money and agree on repayment in a future lifetime. Their day began at dusk; the new year at Samhain, the festival we know as Halloween. Darkness was associated with new beginnings, the potential of the seed below the ground. In Celtic mythology and folklore, the wisdom of darkness is often expressed by powerful goddess figures. Whether in the natural, cultural or individual context, their role is to catalyse change through the transformative power of darkness, to lead through death into new life. A Dark Goddess of nature, particularly in Scotland, is the Cailleach, a name…

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Weather Prognostication and the Wooly Bear Caterpillar

The Druid's Garden

In the last week, I’ve seen almost 50 wooly bear caterpillars. These caterpillars are also known as “wooly caterpillar”, “bear caterpillar” and “wooly worms” (latin: phyrrhartica isabella). These fuzzy, brown and black caterpillars come out just as the weather grows cold. I often find hidding in woodpiles or garden mulch getting ready to hibernate till the spring. The cold seems to summon them forth–you see nothing of them all summer, and then, a few weeks before Samhain they are everywhere. And, dear readers, they are here with a message.

These caterpillars, not unlike other famous wildlife in the area, have long been known to predict the harshness of winter. If a wooly bear caterpillar has more brown than black, that means the winter is mild. But, if the caterpillar has more black than brown, the winter will be tough. Here’s a graphic I made to share this wooly bear caterpillar…

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Acorn Folklore

Witch Rules

The Enchanter’s Daughter

The Enchanter’s Daughter …

Summer Flora & Fungi Hike

By Adam Haritan

Greetings!

I am excited to announce that I will be hosting the 2018 Summer Flora & Fungi Hike on Saturday, July 7th at McConnells Mill State Park in Western Pennsylvania… and, I’d love for you to join us!

Summer is the perfect season to explore Pennsylvania’s land in search of interesting and useful plants, trees, and mushrooms. McConnells Mill State Park — with its deeply-cut gorges, hemlock-lined ravines, whitewater currents, and historical landmarks — is a prime area for summer exploration.

While exploring the Slippery Rock Creek Gorge within the park, we’ll delve into a myriad of fascinating topics related to this season’s flora and fungi, including:

Edible and medicinal plants
Edible and medicinal mushrooms
Summer wildflower identification
Tree identification, along with edible and medicinal uses
Medicine-making using wild plants and mushrooms
Natural history and ecology of the area

… and more!

Interested? Here are more details:

What: Summer Flora & Fungi Hike at McConnells Mill State Park
When: Saturday, July 7th, 2018
Where: McConnells Mill State Park, Western Pennsylvania
Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM OR 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

The program is geared toward adults and will entail moderate hiking (about 1.5 miles).

Please note that in order to maximize your learning experience, space is limited and registration with payment in advance is required to secure your spot.

To purchase your ticket, and to learn more about the outing, please visit the following link and choose the appropriate session:

Summer Flora & Fungi Hike with Adam Haritan

I’d love to see you there!
-Adam Haritan