In Sweden it was believed that witches would celebrate the Devil’s Sabbath (‘Blåkulla’) on Maundy Thursday. The Devil would entertain the witches by playing the harp, and engage in carnal acts with the ones he liked best in a special chamber.
Dance of the Sabbath (1837) by Emile Bayard
Early witches were people who practiced witchcraft, using magic spells and calling upon spirits for help or to bring about change. Most witches were thought to be pagans doing the Devil’s work. Many, however, were simply natural healers or so-called “wise women” whose choice of profession was misunderstood.
It’s unclear exactly when witches came on the historical scene, but one of the earliest records of a witch is in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel, thought be written between 931 B.C. and 721 B.C. It tells the story of when King Saul sought the Witch of Endor to summon the dead prophet Samuel’s spirit to help him defeat the Philistine army.
The witch roused Samuel, who then prophesied the death of Saul and his sons. The next day, according to the Bible, Saul’s sons died in battle, and Saul committed suicide.
Other Old Testament verses condemn witches, such as the oft-cited Exodus 22:18, which says, “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Additional Biblical passages caution against divination, chanting or using witches to contact the dead.
Sources: history.com
Earth Gifts
Serving the Jacksonville Alternative & Spiritual communities since 1994!
1951 Stimson St
Jacksonville, FL 32210
(904) 389-3690
www.earthgifts.com
The Triskele Cove
Located in the Avenues Mall and the Orange Park Mall
We are a multicultural metaphysical store that focuses on promoting acceptance and equality while honoring the beauty of all different spiritual traditions. We are located inside of the Avenues and Orange Park malls.
http://www.thetriskelecove.rock
Mystic Card
312 8th St W
Jacksonville, FL 32206
Find what may be waiting for you! We sell crystals, incense, jewelry, tarot cards, and more! We also do tarot readings.
https://www.facebook.com/themysticcard/
Maggie’s Herb Farm
11400 County Road 13
St Augustine, FL
904-829-0722
We are a Licensed Nursery
Established in 1983, Maggie’s Herb Farm now cultivates more than 200 species of herbs, succulents, vegetables, and flowering perennials. They host herbal classes throughout the year, so check out their calendar or call to schedule a class for your group! If the farm is a little out of reach, you can visit them at the Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville, FL on Saturdays.
****We might be closed due to an unexpected emergency, so to avoid disappointment, please telephone 904-829-0722 before leaving on your journey.****
Midnight Sun
1055 Park St
Jacksonville, Fl 32204
904 358-3869
Midnight Sun is a retail store that specializes in unique handmade gift items from around the world. We have been in business for over 11 years, and are located in a historical district known as Five Points – Jacksonville, Florida.
In our shop we sell a wide variety of Sterling silver and gemstone jewelry; clothing – skirts, dresses, shoes, sarongs, yoga ware, furniture, wall and floor coverings, picture frames, photo albums, lanterns, natural body care, music, and incense. We hand select our products which are handmade and imported from a variety of countries. Our silver – gemstone and deity jewelry, clothing, and accessories come from Nepal, India, and Thailand. Most of our home furnishings we import from Bali, Indonesia.
For more information, please visit www.themidnightsun.net
Botanica El Monte Santo
1316 Cesery Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Botanica El Monte Santo, has all spiritual products to help bring, peace, love, strength and luck in a persons life. They carry a diverse variety of items ranging from candles to religious imagery as well as homemade products such as soaps, perfumes, baths, charms, and powders to bring love and money. Also, they offer consultations services to those seeking advice and help.
https://www.facebook.com/Botanica-El-Monte-Santo-1435017276747014/
Days of the Week & Phases of the Moon for Magic
Here are the best days of the week to perform each type of magic:
Sunday—personal empowerment, success, generosity, luck
Monday—spirituality, virtue, emotional security and well-being
Tuesday—drive, confidence, ambition, victory, vitality
Wednesday—knowledge, change, charm, communication
Thursday—luck, power, protected growth, accomplishment, money, honor
Friday—beauty, grace, the arts, love, fertility, bonding, sex appeal
Saturday—the law, loss, endings, transforming, banishings, interrupting”
To give your magic a boost, try timing it with the phase of the moon. For things that won’t wait, go with the day of the week that works best:
Waxing moon—growing toward full. Do magic for increase, prosperity, health, wellness, love.
Full moon—alignment of moon, earth, and sun (sometime resulting in an eclipse), all purpose, use the extra boost for the metaphysical heavy lifting, court cases, protection.
Waning moon—shrinking toward the new moon. Practice magic of decrease; bringing things to a close; removing bad habits, negative people, debt, illness.
New moon—first light. New growth, beginning projects, set ideas in motion. Set goals for the month.
Dark moon—the absence of light. Do magic surrounding intuition, turning inward, cleansing, banishing or binding both people and addictions.
Blue moon—the second full moon in a calendar month. Do magic for wishes.
Black moon—the second new moon in a calendar month. Do magic for serious binding, banishing, stalkers, serious illness, addiction. Heavy lifting.
Moon Phases:
You may have seen a triple moon symbol; it looks like this )0(. It’s not just a clever design; this is the waxing, full, and waning moon depicted. So, if you look up into the sky and the moon is pointing to the left, it is waxing. If it is pointing to the right, it is waning.
Sources: Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, The Homemade Apothecary
Color Magic
Essential oils are used in anointing oil blends, and candles are frequently anointed in botanical magic. Here’s a cheat sheet of what all the different colored candles signify:
Red—passion, fertility, enthusiasm, conquering fear, bravery, fast action
Magenta—fuel for immediate action, enhances other colors, adds speed to magic
Pink—gentle romance, friendship, honor, harmony, heart relationships, family
Peach—quiet emotions of joy, strength, peace, truth
Orange—adaptability, success, encouragement, uplifting, thoughtful
Yellow—success, thought, will, intent
Green—prosperity, fast money, healing past lives (use with brown for stable financial resources)
Blue—spiritual and physical healing, wisdom, balance, trust, tranquility
Purple—intuition, the Divine, guidance, power, ambition, prophetic dreams
Black—banishing, hex breaking, breaking bad habits
White—spiritual enlightenment, cancel magical aims, stalemate, purity, neutral (all-purpose), serenity
Brown—stability, material wealth (physical goods, real estate), decision making, emotional balance, professional growth
Gray—neutrality, can be used to cause confusion in an enemy if hexes are directed your way, self-defense, neutralizing harmful energies
Gold—the God, fast luck, success, intelligence, solar influence
Silver—the Goddess, resolve inner conflict, persistence, remove negativity
Regular use of cleansing smoke with a variety of materials is beneficial to an energetically healthy home. Too many folks rely solely on one cleaning method and one protection method. For example, many people enjoy the way white sage (Salvia apiana) smells, and though it is a good ally for clearing and cleansing space, it should not be your only ally.
Smoke Tools Hierarchy:
Sources: Blackthorn’s Botanical Magic, The Homemade Apothecary
Sanctuary: Realms of Spiritual Growth
Rev Dustin – ashriakok@live.com
Melanie – jaxppa@gmail.com
Mark
Sanctuary: RSG is an open Pagan group for those seeking to share their spiritual knowledge and experiences, practice Paganism, and help our community! Our gatherings include rituals, spiritual discussions, workshops, and community service. Our community service include: charity donation drives, fundraiser walks / runs, trash clean ups, and more! To further support our local community, we run Jacksonville Pagan Pride Alliance, Inc and founded Northeast Florida Pagan Leadership Coalition, Inc. We encourage a friendly spirit of mutual cooperation and positive growth in the community! We maintain a Meet Up group for local Pagan groups and covens to post their events in.
Join us on Facebook or Meet up!
Facebook groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanctuaryrsg
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jaxpagancommunity
Meet up Group:
https://www.meetup.com/Jacksonville-Pagan-Pride/
Jacksonville CUUPS
Coordinator: Erin Rogers
CUUPS@BBUUC.org
Jacksonville Covenant of the Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPs) is an affinity group that meets at Buckman Bridge Unitarian Universalist Church (http://bbuuc.org) and is open to ALL people in the Duval, Clay, Nassau, etc counties. You do not have to be a member of the church or identify with any particular tradition or religion to attend our meetings. We do celebrate all solar holidays; perform some full or new moon rituals; hold book studies or have open topic discussions. Join us on Facebook or visit the Buckman Bridge UU Church website below.
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleFlCuups
Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/473021186108846/
BBUUC website: https://www.bbuuc.org
Olympic House of Venus-Hathor (E.O.C.T.O)
Hierophant Arch-Mages Moonraven
A GLBT-inclusive house serving the Occult Pagan & Alternative Spiritual community in Northern Florida. We are a family of love, fellowship and worship of the Old Gods celebrating each full and new moon plus 10 religious Sabbats per year. We believe that all nature is sacred and that divinity is present in all things. Through Hellenic Alexandrian Traditional Witchcraft, the Old Gods speak to us today through the Greek Esoteric Magical Tradition (Greek, Roman, Egyptian), revealing Their divine wisdom. We offer sacramental rites to all who ask without regard to sex, sexual orientation, race, family status or any other prejudice that separates one from the Gods.
https://www.facebook.com/VenusHathorFL/
Chosen Path Church
Correllian Nativist Temple
Rev Laurie Denman
Founded in 2014 to provide spiritual, social, and educational opportunities for Jacksonville area Correllians and other Pagans. All Paths are welcomed at Chosen Path Church. You do not need to be a Correllian to participate with us. Chosen Path Church is a charter member of the North East Florida Pagan Leadership Coalition. We offer rituals in honor of the Goddess and God for all Sabbats and Esbats, a monthly study group, handfastings and legal marriages, funerals, individual rites of passage, cleansings, Chaplaincy, and other Pagan services, all free of charge. We also have an extensive lending library for members.
The Correllian-Nativist Church teaches that humans interpret Deity in a way that speaks to them. Each interpretation is as equally valid as the other. We work heavily with the Ancestors and psychic training is a core curriculum for our Clergy. Through the Crystal Web, we do energy workings to bring Peace to our members and the entire world.
Monthly Meet and Greet opportunities are held so you can come ask any questions you may have, get to know the Temple Keeper and learn more about the Chosen Path Church and the Correllian-Nativist Tradition. http://www.chosenpathchurch.com/meet-and-greet-opportunities-and-contact-form.html
Find out more at our website or by contacting Temple Keeper Rt. Rev. Laurie Denman, AP by text at 904-483-9001
http://www.chosenpathchurch.com
Pillars of Prophecy
Rev Paolo Santo
info@PillarsofProphecy.org
We are a spiritual temple & school dedicated in the aid and devotion to spiritual conditioning and application in the Ancient Esoteric Mysteries and Metaphysical Sciences. The ultimate goal of the Pillars of Prophecy is to guide individuals in becoming a living embodiment of spiritual knowledge and empowerment. We work by employing spiritual techniques which strengthen the “Will” and give control over the mind, allowing the practitioner to bring about personal changes as well as changes for other. Fulfilling the prophecy that every man, woman, & child will live as divine beings in the flesh. Working in the Enochian Tradition for we draw upon many traditions and historical influences including Enochian, Solomonic & Egyptian magic, Greek philosophy, the Mystery religions, Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism, Alchemy, the Qabalah, and Hermetic literature.
http://www.PillarsofProphecy.org
Compassion League Temple
Temple Head: Lady Angela
CompassionLeague@Yahoo.com
Compassion League Temple is a fully chartered Correllian Nativist Tradition Temple established in 2013. CLT offers in-person or online mentoring for First, Second, and Third Degree Wiccan studies.
The Correllian Nativist Tradition offers many study opportunities, including Shaman Training. Compassion Crafts, a division of the Temple, provides chemo caps free of charge to any Pagan undergoing treatment regardless of location.
CLT is proud to announce First Coast Crone Connection, a Pagan Circle by women for women in Jacksonville.
Three Roots Kindred
Gythia/Leader: Nicole Hargis
threerootskindred@gmail.com
Three Roots Kindred was established in 2019 by Nicole and Anthony Hargis. Currently based in the South Side of Jacksonville, Florida. Three Roots is a home and a community for local area Heathens. Three Roots celebrates diversity and community well honoring the Gods and Goddess of the Germanic Tribes, the Old Gods. Three Roots is active in Jacksonville both in working with the local area pagans and the community.
We are a closed group but seeking new members. We have many public events through out the year along with many that are for kindred members only.
We welcome anyone who has heard the calling of the Gods and the ones who want to know more.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/threeroots/
www.threerootskindred.com
Wiccan Church of Florida – ATC
Rev Trisha Parker
RevTrishaParker@gmail.com
Wiccan Church of Florida – ATC is a proud member of the Northeast Florida Pagan Leadership Coalition – a group founded to serve the NE Florida pagan community through education, support, acceptance, consistency and leadership. We are a non-profit, tax-exempt church with the mission to bring Earth based religions into equality with the other varying faiths of the world. WCF – ATC is dedicated to the Advancement of Wicca. Seekers of Gardnerian Traditional Wicca can contact Rev Trisha via email.
Website: https://www.wcf-atc.org/
Coven Albion’s Spirit
Contact Bobbi Jo or Dennis
904-298-0067
Coven Albion’s Spirit is a Gardnerian coven in North Florida that functions as a family made up of diverse individuals. They meet and worship together in a Traditional Manner to ritual and hold observances on the Sabbats and Esbats. They honor the Goddess and God and celebrate our lives. They hold ongoing traditional Wiccan education classes and support the overall Pagan Community. They practice a nature based fertility religion that believes in a female and male aspect of divinity, reincarnation, affecting change through concentration of will and personal responsibility for one’s actions.
Whisperers of the Waters: A Colloquy on Modern Paganism
Rev Symbliene Griffin
Welcome to Whisperers of the Waters: A Colloquy on Modern Paganism! We are a study and action group. We host book-studies on modern Paganism and community service activities, particularly those focused on serving the Earth, as well as rituals and private study groups.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/whisperers.of.the.waters/
Phoenix Festivals, Inc
Neo-Pagan Festival held March & October
Eric and Trisha
Phoenix Festivals Inc. is a registered not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to provide Neo-Pagan education to the public. Every March and October, we gather for a five-day, four-night outdoor event in Gilchrist County (west of Gainesville) Florida to share and celebrate our beliefs. Each day is filled with classes, community meals, live entertainment, rituals, drumming and dancing. We strive to provide an unforgettable, spiritual experience in a fun and safe environment. All people are welcome, and a children’s program is available for families. Check out our “Coming Events” tabs to see when you can expect our new Phoenix Events. Day passes as well as weekend and full event passes are available to help accommodate most schedules.
Check us out at https://www.phoenixfestivals.com/ or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Phoenixfestivals
Heart of Manannán
Rev. E.J. OakLore
oaklore@yahoo.com
Heart of Manannán Coven, FoA is a unique Druidic-Wiccan fellowship serving northeastern Florida that encourages the reverence and preservation of the old ways with the inspired inclusion of contemporary Earth-based ideals. We offer fellowship, guidance, and mentorship to those interested in a serious study of Celtic-inspired Witchcraft and Druidism, a harmony we have come to know as “Druidcraft”.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/heartofmanannan/
Jacksonville Pagan Parents Group
Jacksonville Pagan Parents is a fun group for Pagan families to chat together and learn from each other. Get togethers usually involve a potluck and/or craft. We teach our children about the turning of the wheel and give them space and time to interact with other pagan children in the area. If you are a pagan parent in Northeast Florida, please join us on facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/877951582361541/
Just as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam can be grouped together as monotheistic “Abrahamic” religions that believe in a single all-powerful god, polytheistic religions that honor a multitude of deities also form religious “families.” Among them we find the myriad Hindu sects, Buddhism, which is nontheistic in its theology but includes polytheistic elements in its practice, tribal traditions from the Americas and Asia, the African and Afro-diasporic faiths, which include modern Umbanda and Santeria, and European paganism.
Until very recently, the possibility that a Native European polytheistic faith could be a viable option would have been met with incomprehension. Today, however, a linear worldview that includes an inevitable progress toward a cataclysm decreed by a single, all-powerful God is proving dangerously attractive to some, and to the rest of us, simply dangerous. Instead of a worldview in which neither humanity nor nature have intrinsic meaning because all such meaning derives only from God, or polarizes into a conflict between absolute Good and absolute Evil, we need a worldview that sees holiness in everything, recognizes that spirit takes many forms, and believes that history moves in circles, not a straight line.
The first European polytheistic religion to become well known in Europe and North America in the twentieth century was Pagan Witchcraft, or Wicca, which includes a multitude of traditions derived from or inspired by survivals from European folk religion and the work of Gerald Gardner. However, Wicca is by no means the only kind of European paganism to flourish today. A second, and rapidly growing, branch of the family consists of the “reconstructed” traditions based on the practices and beliefs of specific cultures. These include the Celtic traditions, among them the different kinds of Druids; the Hellenic traditions, which draw from ancient Greece; the Kemetics, who base their practice on the religion of Egypt; Baltic traditionalists, who have revived their native religions in their newly independent nations; and the religions of the Germanic peoples in Scandinavia, on the Continent, and in England.
Sources: Diana L. Paxson from “Essential Asatru”
Deadly Nightshade (atropa belladonna)
For many, this is the star of the poison plants; named for Atropos, one of the Three Fates, who held the shears with which she could cut the thread of life. It grows in scrub, woods, woodland margins and thickets with the dark purple flowers appearing in June to August and the black, shiny berries from August to November. Most people have heard of deadly nightshade even if they have never seen it growing in the wild; its combination of providing deadly poison and its use to beautify give it a romantic attraction that is hard to beat. Add to that the hallucinations it may also cause and its fascination is complete. The plant’s very name, ‘belladonna’, comes from its use by Venetian women to make themselves ‘beautiful ladies’ by causing their pupils to dilate. Before the advent of modern anaesthetics, belladonna was applied to the skin as ‘sorcerer’s pomade’ to make the patient unconscious before surgery.
Belladonna contains tropane alkaloids, notably hyoscine (also called scopolamine), hyoscyamine and atropine, with at least five other toxic components having been isolated.
The enticing berries are slightly sweet and symptoms may be slow to appear, but last for several days. They include dryness in the mouth, thirst, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, blurred vision from the dilated pupils, vomiting, excessive stimulation of the heart, drowsiness, slurred speech, hallucinations, confusion, disorientation, delirium, and agitation. Coma and convulsions often precede death. There is disagreement over what constitutes a fatal amount with cases cited of a small child eating half a berry and dying alongside a nine-year-old Danish boy who ate between 20 and 25 berries yet survived. [Poisonous Plants, John Robertson] Though the root is believed to have the highest concentration of the toxins, the berries are usually the cause of accidental poisoning because they look so tempting.
Magical propensities for inducing visions and aiding astral projection.
Sources: By Wolfsbane and Mandrake Root
Almost 57,000 (surely many more now) people in England and Wales identify themselves as Pagan, according to the 2011 census, making Paganism the largest non-mainstream religion. In addition there were nearly 18,000 Druids, Heathens and Wiccans – all groups which are identified as Pagan.
Paganism is best described as a group of religions and spiritual traditions based on a reverence for nature.
Like Hinduism, there is no single founder, scripture or religious philosophy. Most Pagans, however, believe in the divine character of the natural world and Paganism is often described as an “Earth religion”.
“Uninvited witchcraft is generally frowned upon”
~ David Spofforth Pagan Federation
“Paganism is a spiritual path to some, a religion to others, that helps people to reconnect with the natural world, their ancestors, and the Otherworlds of myth and folklore.”
~ Damh the Bard, of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) – one of the UK’s largest organised Pagan groups.
Haunted South: Hauntings, Urban Legends, History, Folklore, Mythology and Southern Folk Magic 