THE Celebratingour 20Th Edition!
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TM THEmagical February - July 2016 Issue 20 - £4.25 - $8.00 US - $9.00 CAN TIMES Environment, Natural Health, Spirituality, Folklore & More! CelebratingOur 20th Edition! Receive a free gift when you1 subscribe today! Mystical Markets in Canterbury City Artwork by Ed Org - www.obsidianart.co.uk Artwork by 26th March - 9th July - 1st October 2016 The Westgate Hall, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BT, UK Stalls & Info: 07845 438340 or Website: www.magicalfestivals.co.uk Editorial... Welcome to this extra special 20th edition of The Magical Times! As we reach the deadline for each edition I always find myself saying ‘we need more pages!’.There never seems to be enough space for all the submissions that are received and filtering through the articles is always a tough process. Moving to A4 format seemed the obvious solution and at what better time as we reach our 20th edition?! Since I was a child I had always wanted to publish my own magazine. It was only several years ago that a family member pulled out some copies of ‘Magic Magazine’ that I had created when I was about 10 years old. They had been stored up in the loft with with photographs and had been long forgotten about. And so, when the first issue was released just before my 18th birthday back in 2008 it was a dream come true. Inside the pages of issue 20 we have several photography features with artists from around the world. All of the contributors have created some very captivating pieces and each piece tells a story. Our 2016 Faerie Festival (which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Magical Festivals!) is set to headline The Roving Crows and in this issue we present and exclusive interview with the band themselves! We have two articles from Moon Books’ writers Sheena Cundy and Lucya Starza who write about Magick and the earth’s energies. Laura Perry talks about the Minoan civilisation which features some ancient pieces of artwork and Tylluan Penry talks about The Winter Goddesses. Australian authoress Lucy Cavendish talks about the wild green earth and in our Magical Locations column we take a glimpse at some mystical Welsh countryside. Linzi Martin unravels some handy hints for creating a happier home and Chris Alexander intro- duces the practise of ‘Askfirmations’ - the art of positive mantras. As we move towards the warmer months Ali English talks about herbs of the sun and Vivienne Moss uncovers the mysteries of the many faces of Hekate. Plus news, art features, event listings and more. All beautifully illustrated in this new larger format - enjoy! Warm wishes, Matthew Callow EDITOR Like ‘The Magical Times’ Want to tell me your views? page on Facebook for news, Email me at [email protected] reviews & competitions! www.themagicaltimes.comSubscribe Today Editor: Matthew Callow Assistant Editor: Gareth Breeze Publisher: Magical Festivals Publishing Advertise: [email protected] ISSN: 1757-1677 Web: www.themagicaltimes.com Phone: +44 (0) 78454 38340 Email:[email protected] Photography by www.ingoundelse.de 3 Photo by www.lunaesque.com 4 Contents 6. Photography with Smashed Poetry 8. Herbs of the Sun 10. Britain’s Magical Locations 12.The Roving Crows 14. Extraordinary Evergreens 16. Dancing with Nemetona 17. Photography by Shelby Robinson 18. Askfirmations 20. The Many Faces of Hecate 22. Faerie Festival 2016 24. Simplicity for a Happier Home 26. Why I Love the Wild Green Earth 28. Readers Art Gallery 29. The Crafters’ Corner 30. Grounding the Magic 32. Candle Magick 34. Minoan Winter 36. Annwyn Avalon 37. Love Street 38. A Fairytale Ending 40. The Winter Goddesses 42. Dark Angel Clothing Stockists & Submissions Advertise For advert rates please contact us. We offer excellent dis- We welcome your ideas for articles and features. All ideas will be put into counts to new advertisers. the cauldron for consideration! Disclaimer/Copyright The opinions expressed by writers are not neces- Due to our growing popularity we are constantly searching for new loca- sarily those of the publishers. All content inside the magazine remains the tions to distribute The Magical Times. If you know of a place that would copyright of the contributor. No part of this magazine may be reproduced be interested in distributing the publication please contact us. without written consent by the publishers. 5 ‘My style consists of themes that strongly reflect my personal thoughts and feelings. I believe that great photos tell great stories, which is why I aim to find that great story in every photo that I take.’ 6 Photography Smashed With Poetry My name Grace. I am a self-taught photogra- pher who has been taking photos for around 3 years. I am also currently taking my Master’s degree in International Business Communica- tion. My photography style is best described as “emotional” and “atmospheric”. I love making dreamy images that appear to resem- ble paintings and spice it up with alternative fashion clothing and accessories. My style consists of themes that strongly reflect my personal thoughts and feelings. I believe that great photos tell great stories, which is why I aim to find that great story in every photo that I take. Facebook: ‘Photography Smashed with Poetry’ IG: Nini29dk 7 Herbs of the Sun For thousands of years now, mankind has adored the sun, following its rising and setting and marking the passage of time as the days shorten and then lengthen again. The sun has had many different names in the multitude of religions and cultures that have walked this beautiful planet of ours since humans first began to walk on their hind legs, and has shifted gender from male to female to male again many hundreds of times. As the sun and the moon both have such a profound pull on the earth and every being who lives upon it, whether sentient (by our standards) or not, there has over time grown quite a list of plants commonly associated with the sun and its movements through the skies, whether due to the basic ‘taste’ of the plant – hot, warming, spicy, pungent flavours seem to be commonly associated with the sun – or due to the association of the plant with a deity that has long been linked with the sun through myths and legends. Many of these herbs can be easily sourced in shops, or better yet, grown and gathered from your own garden or neighbourhood. Some herbs that can be used to bring a little sun energy into your life include: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) – long associated with memory, the beaute- ous rosemary is a strongly fragrant plant that, being a native of the Mediterrane- an, adores the sun and thrives in as much light as it can possibly get. The leath- ery, aromatic leaves can be used in incenses, to flavour food, to make purifying teas that can be sprinkled into the corners of rooms to dispel negative energy (very useful when you have a smoke alarm and therefore cannot smudge), and also to make a delicious tea or cottage tincture that works wonders to promote clear thinking. It cuts through ‘black dog on the shoulder’ type mood slumps very effectively, making it a wonderful herb to help you get through the worst of winter’s darkness, or to help you truly open up to the sun throughout the rest of the year. It is the equivalent of opening a window and letting the sunlight in. St Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum) – this beautiful plant is commonly used these days as an anti depressant, which rather trivialises its many other uses. St John’s Wort is a herb of blessings, including the blessing of abundant good health. It does, however, act as a significant liver detoxifier, improving how effectively the hepatocytes, or liver cells, process and remove toxins from the body, which is one of the reasons why it is not recommended to be used along- side conventional drugs. If you are not currently taking anything from your GP, St John’s Wort is a wonderful nerve tonic, and can ease the symptoms of depres- sion, anxiety and insomnia. It is also a potent antiviral and can be used on the skin to relieve the pain of shingles and trapped nerves, as its anti inflammatory action relieves swelling and discomfort – especially useful when combined with the warming strength of rosemary essential oil! 8 Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) – One of our most brightly colour- ed and cheerful plants, Calendula, or Pot Marigold, is very easily grown in pots and the garden, the brilliant orange flowers continuing right the way up to Yuletide if the weather is mild enough. Calendula is an invaluable wound healer, used both internally and externally, and is the base of most good gardener’s hand salves. Use the flowers to make a bright orange infused oil, or steep them in strong vodka to make a cottage tincture. Used internally, Pot Marigold shifts the lymph system and encourages clear skin and improved liver function. Angelica (Angelica archangelica) – This tall, showy biennial has a richly warming flavour, and the stems are still regularly candied and used to decorate cakes and puddings. Internally Angelica works on the circulatory system, boosting and supporting its healthy functioning. If you cut a stem of Angelica, you will see that the main stem in particular is usually hollow. According to the Doctrine of Signatures, this is a sign of its use for improving the health and function of blood vessels. The seeds can be chewed to relieve poor indigestion, wind and bloating, and are gently warming, with a flavour a little like that of fennel. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) – Commonly used to flavour cakes, puddings, savoury dishes and liqueurs, cinnamon is an easily found bark.