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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Opportunity to join the Witchtower Magazine Team

Published at 10:50 in


We have an opening for a new writer to join the Witchtower team. You must be reliable and able to commit to deadlines (and be able to write to a good standard obviously!)

As with all positions on Pagan Network, it is unpaid, but you do get a PDF copy of the magazine (not to mention you get to work with the friendly & supportive team of myself, Andy Norfolk and Beith-ann).

If you are interested please email me either samples of your work or links to your work online. Also please indicate your areas of interest.

Email address - witchtower @ gmail.com

Twilightgirl

Excerpt from Dem Bones by Andy Norfolk
Yule 2008 / Imbolc 2009 issue

Paganism in Britain, according to some who know about these things, is a recent reinterpretation of what the beliefs of the pre-Christian people of these islands may have been, with a large dollop of invention, wishful thinking and imagination. That's not necessarily a bad thing - all that positive creativity is probably one of the most important factors in making British Paganism the vibrant and energetic, if occasionally rather odd, thing it is today. People who have thought about these things and who have read some of Ronald Hutton's books, or at least heard about them, may also be a bit coy about claiming an unbroken Pagan tradition back to - well - before the year dot! There is after all no evidence that stands up to a bit of reasonably intelligent scrutiny that  contemporary Paganism goes back very far at all. However Pagans do say that they draw inspiration from the pre-Christian religions of the world and in Britain this means whatever our ancestors were up to before about the 6th century. In particular prehistoric monuments from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages are important to many Pagans. Not surprisingly what our ancestors did is important to us, though we may not have a clear idea of what that was. Recent genetic research shows that most of us are directly related to the ancient peoples of these islands. For many Pagans our ancestors themselves are of great importance and are part of their lives and practises.  Ancestors are asked for guidance, or just "company", in rituals and everyday life.

In 2006 Paul Davies, reburial officer for the Council of British Druid Orders, asked English Heritage and the National Trust to rebury prehistoric human remains from the Avebury area presently in the Alexander Keiller Museum.

Both EH and NT are seeking responses to a consultation exercise about this request, which should be made by 31st January 2009. As they point out this request raises a great many issues. In doing so they are following the advice in "Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums" published by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in 2005, Part 3 of which deals with claims for the return of remains.

The publication of this guidance seems to have been prompted by a request from Australia for the return of Aboriginal remains and Part 3 begins with a quotation: "The express recognition that the concerns of various ethnic groups, as well as those of science, are legitimate and to be respected will permit acceptable agreements to be reached and honoured". (From the Vermilion Accord, World Archaeological Congress, 1989) The guidance recognises that requests can be made for religious or spiritual reasons and may include a desire to lay ancestors to rest on ancestral land. EH and NT have written a draft report and this and supporting documents can be found at:
www.thenationaltrust.org.uk/remains.

The guidance says that certain things must be considered when requests for the return of remains are made. The status of those making the request and continuity with the remains.

The draft report points out that CoBDO represent some, but not all, Pagan groups. Its members claim genetic relationship with the remains, but make no claim for continuity of belief, customs or language with the human remains. EH and NT comment that there is no evidence that members of CoBDO have any closer relationship with the human remains than most.

Excerpt from Animal Totems by Twilightgirl
Yule 2008 / Imbolc 2009 issue

Weasel
Those with Weasel as a totem are able to fathom what is really going on and are good at keeping secrets. You  will see what is beneath the surface of a situation and quickly assess everything. Because of this skill you are usually able to get out of tight fixes when they occur. Although Weasel has vast amounts of energy, you may find yourself a bit of a loner. Many people may dismiss you at first glance but once they see you in action with your intelligence and ingenuity they soon change their minds. With Weasel as a totem if anyone gets on the wrong side of you they will know about it as those with Weasel by their side know how to hit where it hurts and some of their verbal arguments can be most hurtful and damaging.

Weasels tend to live on a mainly carnivorous diet, so you may need to watch that your own diet stays healthy and balanced instead of eating lots of meat.

Tiger
If you find Tiger walking besides you be prepared for changes and new adventures. Although the tiger can be a fierce and loyal spirit when protecting its family or territory, tiger can also be a solitary spirit, liking its own space. Being a free spirit full of energy and enthusiasm you will love to travel and seek out adventures and experiences. Tiger symbolizes courage and strength and you may find some people are intimidated by your intensity.

Those with Tiger as a totem may find they have a gift for psychometry. You may find that you are able to express great control but may also find yourself being over sensitive and emotional to comments and situations. Learn to take a deep breath and slow down. Think carefully about the situation or options before rushing into any decisions based on your emotions. Tigers tend to jump in and take what they want regardless of the consequences.

Tigers love to swim and you may find yourself drawn to water where you can relax and feel at peace. You may also be very sensual and enjoy physical touch such as massage.

Tigers tend to hunt nocturnally so you may feel an affinity with the night and moon. You may have a particulary strong intuition and excellent sense of timing. You may feel most alive during the evenings.

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