GYLDEN MAGICK SEPT. 2020 Issue # Gylden Magick Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups /gyldenpaganfellowship/ Sept. 2020 PRACTICAL MAGICK & UNIVERSAL ENERGY FOR EVERYDAY LIFE Editor’s notes by Gylden Fellowship Welcome to GYLDEN MAGICK – the under the covid-19 restrictions, i.e. a piece on the Lidar project, new spiritual magazine from Gylden liaising with groups, Interfaith work, craft photos from Clare Coombes, an Fellowship that spans both helping our moot friends when overview of the Antonine Wall, the traditional and newer pagan beliefs necessary, etc. whale is our featured spirit guide, we and practice. have the second piece from the Our Barley Moon issue is the first in Pleiadian Starseed Channel, another The Gylden Community is one of our third year of publication. More piece in our Wiccan roots series, an the most extensive pagan libraries in people want to write for us and we’re intro to the Claddagh Ring, folklore southern England. Its website, putting in new features or series – and pictures of local ancient stones. www.gyldenfellowship.co.uk, is that’s why future issues of GYLDEN growing too – our Lughnasadh MAGICK may exceed our usual 20 Anything else? Oh yes, the title – we sabbat blog reached over 2000 pages with ever more guidance on never forget that our faith is based people and we welcome new spiritual issues and magick. But no upon Nature and that our strength members constantly. ads – after all, we’re a library and the comes from earth magick. Many of information is completely free. our sabbats are based upon the light, On Facebook, the Gylden River LRC eg solstices and equinoxes, as vital to (Learning Resources Centre) is a Dates for your diaries – don’t forget us now as to our ancestors. social learning hub with optional 6-7 September for the Festival of study units in key areas of magick Durga (also known as the Goddess For more info, why not join Gylden and there’s always a Facebook group Kali) and 15 September for the River LRC or Gylden Fellowship just for the followers of GYLDEN Japanese Birthday of the Moon. groups on Facebook today and see MAGICK. our updates or briefings for the What else is there? Well, we have a autumnal equinox/ Alban Elfed/ Gylden Fellowship continues as a new spin on herbal healing by Mabon? pagan support mechanism, even looking at cures for specific ailments, GYLDEN MAGICK SEPT. 2020 | Issue # 2 Contents: September 2020 Monthly features Pages 3-4 Animal spirit guides — Whale Crystals — Larimar Herbal healing — Lemon verbena Kitchen witchcraft – Apple tart Customs: The Claddagh Ring by Nicola Ison Page 5 Photos: art from Coombes Crafts by Clare Coombes Pages 6-7 Horn Dance memories by Gylden Fellowship, with photos from Paul Pearson Pages 8-9 Ancient peoples (1): the Antonine Wall by Gylden Fellowship Page 10 Wiccan roots: Robert Cochrane by Gylden Fellowship Pages 11-12 Ancient peoples (2): Lidar scans by Mark Sharpen Page 13 Folklore: The Tale of the Mosquitoes by the Storyteller Page 14 A witch’s herbal: muscle and joints by Nick the Witch Page 15 Local ancient sarsens by Gylden Fellowship Pages 16-17 A Sign of the Times (2) by Soma ARah, The Pleiadian Starseed Channel Pages 18-19 Gylden contact info Page 20 GYLDEN MAGICK SEPT. 2020 Issue # Animal spirit guides: whale Crystals: larimar Not all animal spirit guides take the form of birds or Earlier in the year, I bought a pendant for a friend, which primary mammals like wolves or lions. It is common to had a piece of larimar in it and my eye was caught by its have a reptile guide or an insect one. Last time, we looked distinctive colour. It’s almost an oceanic blue and green at the rabbit as a spirit guide – now we think about a hue with areas of white or dark red. So, at the next different sort of guide, namely the whale. In the first part opportunity, I ordered a slightly larger piece of this crystal of this series, we looked at the Place of Meeting. So, you’ve for me. crossed into the Otherworld and your meeting place is the ocean - a spirit comes to you in the form of a whale – what Due to its translucence, larimar is often described as a does it symbolise? gemstone and, to be honest, polished pieces do have the lustre of some gems. Larimar stones are easily obtainable – they come mainly from Central America, where they may be known as blue pectolite and are volcanic stones. And what of its healing or magickal properties? • Larimar is really good for any light-work that involves the realms of the sea and the sky. It is aligned with energies of the Goddess. • As such, it is a stone for calming anger and relieving stress. • In fact, it is a brilliant stone for maximizing inner joy and happiness. OK then, it is often the case that a whale spirit guide • Larimar is great against fears, guilty feelings, arrives for those under physical or emotional strain and is negative thoughts or self-doubt. saying, in effect, to take time and breathe. All whales can stay under the surface for varying times, but they have to • Further, it’s good for opening access to other come up to breathe. So, in periods of high pressure, your realms and for angel communications. whale spirit suggests that you function for as long as • It could be described a crystal that allows you to possible, but remember to take time out for you, namely keep calm against emotional over-reactions. taking another breath. • Larimar is best with the throat chakra – that’s A whale spirit guide is also a symbol of linking to your everything to do with inner wisdom. However, it inner awareness, with enhanced perception opening your can also be used with the third eye, crown and heart to other dimensions – a little like the whale’s song heart chakras. and sonar. Whales represent our creativity. They can teach us how to store energy and how to put our creative • It is particularly good for dis-eases that affect the abilities to best use. And the whale spirit guide can show throat or chest, eg blocked arteries. you how to sing your own song. The ability of whales to live both under and above the ocean has an important lesson for us, i.e. do not keep your creative energies hidden within you – use such energies for everyday life in order to inspire others. A swimming whale is often seen as a divine blessing and a sign of good fortune among the Inuit people. Whales are also regarded as symbols of protection, because they are aware of people in distress and can offer help. GYLDEN MAGICK SEPT. 2020 | Issue # 4 Herb of the month: lemon verbena Recipe of the month: apple tart Lemon verbena (Aloysia citriodora) is one of the safest An apple is a correspondence food for September, as herbs to grow – for healing, for aromatherapy, for cooking Alban Elfed was often celebrated as the Feast of the or simply for adding to pot pourris. To look at, it’s a Second Harvest, eg orchard or forest fruits – more about deciduous plant that grows to about 7-8 feet in height this topic in our Alban Elfed briefing later in the month. with narrow leaves that smell of lemon and small, pale flowers. The leaves are the parts that are safe to use, So, this recipe follows on from all the bread-making although you can obtain lemon verbena essential oil too. activities that characterised Lughnasadh. And yet, it’s a real recipe from a chapel social event, held in the early On the healing side, lemon verbena is good as a remedy Edwardian period (about 1904). The recipe is estimated to for various ailments, including the following. make about 4-6 servings and I’ve tried it myself several times – and it all went well for my family’s events. • As an infusion, lemon verbena helps with stress and has a calming effect. Sometimes, I use it in Ingredients either teabags or loose tea as an alternative to lemon balm (see GYLDEN MAGICK, June 2019). 1. 225g digestive biscuits 2. 125ml milk • Another use is as a massage oil for joint pain, 3. 1kg cooking apples using either the essential oil or a macerated oil. 4. 100g brown sugar 5. 1 egg • Further to that, lemon verbena is good for 6. 25g butter. varicose veins or skin issues, perhaps as a salve, cream or infused oil. Method • Lemon verbena is good for insomnia, as a scent in 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. the bedroom or a pillow mist. 2. Peel, core and slice the apples – put to one side. 3. Put 1 biscuit aside – place the others into a mixing • It acts as an anti-inflammatory to help fight bowl, add the milk and egg and allow to soak in asthma, colds, fevers or chills – a steam inhalation before beating everything together. helps to clear the lungs and bronchial tract. 4. Grease a 1.1 litre ovenproof dish and add in a layer of the biscuit mixture. • It’s good for stomach upsets and digestive issues, 5. Add a layer of sliced apples and then sugar. eg indigestion, colic, diarrhoea or constipation. 6. Keep adding layers until there’s no more mixture – • In a small muslin bag, lemon verbena can be the last layer should be the biscuit mixture. added to a bath to alleviate tension.