Excerpt from Alphabet Soup by Andy Norfolk
Yule 2009 / Imbolc 2010 issue

Magic - how does it work? Well much of it, whoever does it and no matter what their system may be called, seems to be about symbolic representation of a desired outcome. You get this picture in your head of what you want to happen and then make a pattern in the here-and-now of how it should be. That pattern can of course involve actions and spoken words, but it will often include a written or drawn component. This isn't anything new. People have been doing this stuff for millennia.

It used to be said that what made people different from animals was the use of tools, but now we know of many animals who use twigs, rocks and other things to get food. Perhaps it is symbolic thought that really makes humans different? People have been making drawings for thousands of years, and that is remarkable. Even more remarkable is that people have been using small inscribed, drawn or carved marks for at least the last 7,000 years, some say 20,000 years, to represent things in a much more abstract way and that writing was invented in at least four different places.

Writing was seen as something wonderful by those who first used it. In many mythologies it had a divine origin having been invented by a deity; Thoth in ancient Egypt, Enlil in Sumeria, Ogma in Ireland or Odin - though he of course dredged the runes from the Well of Mimir so in a sense they already existed. Most people have lost their wonder at the strange way in which written language can express or record thought or be used to create thought - it's worth stopping to think about that again. Who is the god of the text message? We all know the power of names and words in magical terms - could the next Pagan best-seller be a book on text-message magic?

The first writing was probably ideographic, that is based on pictorial representations of things. It may also have been a good representation of the true nature of what it portrayed. A simple graphic image can also have many subtle shades of meaning associated with it. Of course that may make it difficult to be precise in setting down what is meant. A progression from simple pictures would be hieroglyphics in which the individual elements in a script represent something far more than just a literal interpretation - an ear of corn isn't just that but could mean harvest, for example. This fits neatly with the ideas of The Doctrine of Signatures that the spiritual or magical essence of something is represented by its form. However the writing that has become universal is phonetically based and in it letters represent sounds in a spoken language, though that might be hard to see in some  languages like English, and this is a more abstract way of recording concepts.

In some languages letters were used as substitutes for numbers, until these were invented later. This accounts for the strong association between numbers and letters in the Hebrew alphabet, which makes it possible to find the numerical values of words and find correspondences that would otherwise be missed. (Not my idea of fun) Some early magical alphabets, such as Theban first recorded by Johannes Trithemius in Polygraphia published in 1518 and Celestial invented by H C Agrippa in 1531 were derived from the Hebrew alphabet. These appear in early grimoires and later books such as, for example, Francis Barrett's book The Magus published in 1801. I wonder though how much magic there is in simply substituting one symbol for another in a text, but no doubt the extra concentration required to write out the transliteration helps focus magical intent.

Excerpt from Animal Totems by Twilightgirl
Ostara / Beltane 2009 Issue

The FLAMINGO
Flamingo, that great pink bird, what in the world does it mean if you have a Flamingo as a totem? Well, let me tell you that the bright pink colouring of a Flamingo comes from the food it eats which contains carotene. Without this the flamingo would have boring white feathers. But because of the ability to change colour, those with Flamingo as a totem are said to be able to appear as they are not. They can slip in and out of situations unnoticed if they choose to. This is very useful as those with Flamingo as a totem hate loud, chaotic situations and will often wish to disappear into the background. They may also have the ability to shapeshift.

Flamingo will also help you get in touch with your emotions, if you are bottling things up, Flamingo helps you release the emotions and come into balance again. Flamingo can also help you learn how to discard the things you no longer need or benefit from. Being able to see things clearly, Flamingos are often said to bring psychic powers as a totem, however if you do learn to develop psychic powers remember not to rely on them solely!

Those with Flamingo as a totem will prefer to live surrounded by groups of people and friends. They rarely like to be alone, as they feel safe and secure within a group environment. Flirtatious they may also be, but they are also loyal to their partners.

THE RAM/SHEEP
If the Ram/Sheep has appeared as your totem, it's time to assert yourself in new areas and have confidence in your abilities to do whatever is necessary. The Ram/Sheep reminds you that opportunities are everywhere and that if you trust in your abilities you will land on your feet. You have strength and perseverance to go all the way. Ram/sheep may also be asking you to stay balanced as you leap and climb up the ladder of life, especially if any of the situations are precarious, but have courage and stay balanced.

Ram/Sheep may also be there to ask you whether you are actually acting on your ideas or just talking about them.

Those with Ram/Sheep as a totem also have a curious and active imagination. Their minds are agile and constantly searching for new information that will benefit them and their community. Community plays a big part in those with Ram/Sheep as a totem. They seek comfort in large groups and will like to be seen as the warrior of the group and come to their defence should someone attack.

To read the full article download Ostara / Beltane 2009 issue

Excerpt from The Rat Race by Andy Norfolk
Ostara / Beltane 2009 issue

This article has been prompted by recent discussions on the Pagan Network forum in which someone from outside of the United Kingdom claimed various things about racial origins and what they might mean. Do you feel Celtic? Does that make you feel superior? Well it shouldn't! The Celts are not quite what, or who, you might think and nor are the British.

People weren't present in Britain during the upper Palaeolithic - about 14,000 bc. They came back as the ice retreated at the end of the last glaciation and we know that people were here from at least 12,000 years ago because of C14 dating of skeletal remains. The Mesolithic is the period of transition from the last glaciation to the development of farming and pottery in the Neolithic. In the Mesolithic, from about 8,500 bc to 4,000 bc people were hunter-gatherers, collecting wild food from the land around them. It has been estimated that there may have been no more than about 24,400 people in Britain at that time, based on how much land it needs to support contemporary hunter-gatherer societies. So where did these people come from?

Geneticists, such as Professor Goldstein, studying the influence of the Vikings on Britain looked at the Y chromosome which passed from father to son. While there are some traces of Norwegian DNA, what has become clear as a result of further work by people such Capelli, Sykes and Oppenheimer, is that about 75% of the population of Britain have very similar genetic origins. The remaining 25% are a mix of all sorts. During the last ice age there were human populations surviving in various places; on the Iberian peninsula, around modern day Kosovo and Macedonia and also to the north-east of the Black Sea. These population groups each had different Y chromosome groups. These haplogroups are labelled R1b, I and R1a respectively. We now know that the original people in Britain mostly came from the Iberian R1b haplogroup and that about three-quarters of us are their direct descendants. The same people also of course colonised Ireland. Our closest modern European relatives, if you study male DNA, turn out to the Basques.

Professor Sykes has studied mitochondrial DNA passed down the female line. He has identified 36 women from whom almost everyone on earth is directly descended. Seven of these are the "clan-mothers" from whom Europeans are descended. One of these, who was born 20,000 years ago near the present day border between France and Spain close to Perpignan, has been nicknamed Helena, which is the Greek for light. Her offspring have spread out to occupy territory from the Alps to Russia and Norway, including the British Isles. This is another link to our origins in a small part of Europe where people managed to survive the ice age.

Excerpt from Herbal Teas by Twilightgirl
Autumn Equinox / Samhain 2008

Herbal Teas are made from the roots, bark, leaves, berries and seeds from a variety of plants and herbs. Unlike traditional teas, most herbal teas do not contain caffeine, so are safe to drink before retiring for the night or if you are simply trying to cut back on your daily caffeine intake. Herbal teas come in a wide range of delightful flavours (and some not so delightful depending on your taste buds!) and they can be drunk hot or cold. Herbal teas are reputed to have healing properties and these are absorbed into your body through the tea.

As with any herb or medication caution should be practiced. Herbs should never be used as substitutes for a doctor's prescription. If you are being treated for any illness and are taking prescription medication seek the advice and consent of your doctor prior to taking herbs. Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not take herbs without a doctor's consent.

The most convenient way to make herbal tea is to buy it already made up in a bag, plus you know that this way you're not going to get any surprises in your tea such as a boiled bug or caterpillar! However, if you want a pure flavour with more health benefits then opt for making your own herbal tea. This is easy to do and you can mix a variety of herbs together to form some unusual flavours.

Herbs can be bought either in dried form from the supermarket or local health store or you can grow your own herbs. If you're going to use fresh herbs, you should tear and bruise the leaves so the aromatic oils can be released into the water. You will also need to use more fresh herbs than you would with dried herbs. With most plants, you can just pluck off a few leaves whenever you want to make tea, although try not to strip your plant bare or you could end up killing it!

If you are making herbal tea consisting of leaves and/or flowers this is called an Infusion. To make an infusion place one or two teaspoonfuls of dried herbs into a tea ball and place this in your cup. Pour on boiling water and place a saucer or cover on top of the cup. Covering the cup enables the herbs to infuse. Leave for around 5-10 minutes. After several experiments you will discover the exact timing for your taste buds. Remove the  saucer/cover and tea ball then sit back and prepare to enjoy your tea. You can also use herbs in a teapot. Place 1-2 teaspoonfuls of dried herb per cup in a teapot, pour on boiling water and give the herbs a stir. Replace the teapot lid and leave for up to 10 minutes. When pouring the tea, use a tea strainer.

Excerpt from Pagan Postcards by Beth-ann
Yule 2008 / Imbolc 2009 issue

Orkney

When we got on the ferry from Scrabster the Sun was just beginning to come out. It was the end of July and we had planned to spend just one day there. We had a lot to fit in that day. We had driven up the east coast of Scotland for most of the day before in rain with a grey sky and high winds so we thought that the trip would be a bit rough. It took 90 minutes to cross and although it was quite breezy the Sun stayed out and it became very warm. About an hour into the journey we passed the Old Man of Hoy, a quite magnificent rock stack which is better in real life than on the pictures that I had seen. This was our welcome to the Islands of Orkney.

We disembarked at Stromness, a small fishing port with little passage like streets, where even the roads were paved instead of tarmacked, and made our way to Scara Brae, the first stop on our sight seeing tour. Skara Brea is the best preserved group of stone age houses in Europe, uncovered by a winter storm in 1850.

"This revealed the outline of a number of stone buildings. The discovery intrigued the local laird, William Watt of Skaill, so he embarked on an excavation of the site.

By 1868, after the remains of four ancient houses had been unearthed, work at Skerrabra was abandoned. The settlement remained undisturbed until 1925, when another storm damaged some of the previously-excavated structures. A sea-wall was built to preserve these remains, but during the construction work more ancient structures were discovered".

This was not a disappointment and was situated right on the coast, the view was magnificent and it was a real treat for the beginning of our discovery of some of the sites on the Island.

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