Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday that marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a period of 40 days of fasting, prayer, and penance leading up to Easter. This solemn observance is steeped in religious tradition and holds significant meaning for many devout Christians. However, it is important to acknowledge that the origins of Ash Wednesday can be traced back to pagan customs and rituals. The practice of using ashes as a symbol of repentance and mourning predates Christianity. In ancient times, the use of ashes was a common expression of grief and repentance in many cultures. In the Roman Empire, ashes were sprinkled on the heads of individuals to signify remorse for past actions or as a plea for forgiveness from the gods.
Elemental Magic is magic utilizing the five elements- Earth, air, fire, water and spirit. According to Kaulder, Elemental Magic is neutral.
It might seem odd to complain about a game that s a construction of disparate systems shortly after writing about loving the very same, but Fallen Enchantress makes me feel like I m doing most of the work and doesn t inspire confidence that what s happening behind the interface is particularly intricate, complex or interesting. 0 probably won t be the end of the line but rather than needing to take the few extra steps toward greatness, Elemental feels like it s a few steps sideways from where I d like it to be.
In the Roman Empire, ashes were sprinkled on the heads of individuals to signify remorse for past actions or as a plea for forgiveness from the gods. Similarly, in ancient Judaism, the use of ashes was associated with mourning and the recognition of human mortality. With the spread of Christianity, the early Church sought to incorporate and transform existing pagan customs and symbols into their new faith.
The Path of Elemental Witchcraft: A Wyrd Woman's Book of Shadows (Paperback)
• Explores elemental altars, scrying and reading the bones, undines and fairies, working with runes and crystals, ancestral healing, weather sensing, fire gazing, candle magic, sex magic, and communicating with the Otherworld
A Book of Shadows is a witch’s sacred journal, filled with personal experiences and the intimate working of spells. In this practical guide to elemental witchcraft, Salicrow invites you into her personal Book of Shadows, detailing hands-on techniques, spells, and rituals to work with the magic of the four elements--Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. She presents teachings on each element through the lens of different schools of magic, such as divination, healing, protection, manifestation, and enchantment. Within each of these elemental teachings is a series of progressive lessons, including a personal story from the author’s lifetime of magical practice paired with a technique for you to explore.
For the Water witch, she explores scrying, engaging with undines, weather protection, fairy glamour, and healing with kitchen spells. For the Earth witch, she describes reading the bones, animal messengers, listening to plants, crystal grids, and shadow work. For the Air witch, she looks at communicating with sylphs and crows, divination through clouds and wind, sonic magic and healing, spell accelerants, and smudging. For the Fire witch, she examines the Djinn, the magical hearth, fire divination, candle work, and sex magic. For all the elements, she explores how to build elemental altars and customize the ceremonies and rituals.
Sharing intimate examples and practices to help you progressively develop the skills of witchcraft, Salicrow invites you to create your own personal Book of Shadows as you forge a magical relationship with the natural world.
About the Author
Salicrow is a witch, Druid, and natural psychic medium who weaves the traditions of her Irish Traveler and Blackfoot heritage with modern magical techniques. With more than 30 years of professional experience in the psychic arts as a spirit channel and seer, she offers readings for individual groups and teaches workshops throughout the United States and internationally. She lives in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
Praise For…
“ The Path of Elemental Witchcraft is much more than a book, it is an intimate invitation into the sacred workings of the world. Through personal stories and guided practice you can’t help but be enveloped in the unique vision of Salicrow, whose writing crystallizes the precious usefulness of elemental magic. This Book of Shadows makes a tantalizing subject accessible and beneficial to all.”
— Stephanie Rose Bird, author of 365 Days of Hoodoo and Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones
“ The Path of Elemental Witchcraft is abundantly filled with wisdom, heart, and deep teachings. Salicrow’s writing is authentic, passionate, and inspiring. In this wonder-full book she shares stories of her personal journey that illustrate who and what the elementals are, and she teaches us how to engage and relate with the elementals in safe and respectful ways. Each section is filled with a rich mix of practices, rituals, suggestions, and guidance for deepening our understanding and our relationship with Nature and the visible and invisible worlds around us. Each elemental section explores communication, divination, healing, protection, and magic with the beings of water, fire, air, and earth. Doing the practices will take you deep into your own experience of knowing. This book is a treasure trove that you’ll want to delve into over and over again.”
— Kathy Warner, cofounder of Heaven and Earth, LLC
“In The Path of Elemental Witchcraft , Salicrow takes readers into her cave of interconnectedness and sacred communication with a wealth of information and offerings that enable practitioners of any level to develop a richer relationship with the elements and elemental beings from many different origins. Salicrow does not simply tell you how to walk through the shadow, she teaches you how to see within the veil of its profuse darkness.”
— Jenn LeBlanc, elemental enchantress
" The Path of Elemental Witchcraft is part memoir and travelogue, part ritual handbook, part metaphysical ethnography of the many types of elemental spirit beings Salicrow meets in the hidden realms. This book strikes me as a generous gift, like a gigantic buffet table onto which Salicrow has piled as many of her observations and insights as the table will hold. Reading The Path of Elemental Witchcraft feels like it might feel sitting with Salicrow over a cup of tea or a bowl of soup.This book is a magnum opus. It is a trip around the worlds."
— Sara R. Diamond, FacingNorth.net
- Body, Mind & Spirit / Witchcraft
- Body, Mind & Spirit / Gaia & Earth Energies
- Body, Mind & Spirit / Magick Studies
There’s variety in each world the game generates but not a great deal of character. For all the fantastical spells and monsters whizzing about, it's a bland, grey place. Maybe ugly is the word I’m looking for but it doesn’t seem quite right. Empty, maybe, like the lore. The lights are all on but the room is barren. Forests are colourless lumps and the wild lands, home to the deadliest creatures and large neutral armies, look too much like placeholder graphics to inspire any dread or mystery.
This was done in an effort to ease the transition for converts and to provide them with familiar rituals and practices. The adoption of ashes as a key element of Ash Wednesday can be seen as an example of this syncretism. The use of ashes on Ash Wednesday became an established tradition in the 10th-century Catholic Church. During the liturgical service, the priest places a cross-shaped mark on the foreheads of worshippers using ashes obtained from the burnt palm leaves of the previous year's Palm Sunday. This act is accompanied by the recitation of the biblical phrase, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." While the incorporation of pagan symbolism into Christian traditions is a complex and oftentimes controversial issue, the focus of Ash Wednesday is not on its pagan origins but on the religious significance it holds for believers. For Christians, Ash Wednesday serves as a sobering reminder of human mortality and the need for repentance and spiritual renewal. It is a time to reflect on our own shortcomings and to seek forgiveness from God. In conclusion, Ash Wednesday's roots can be traced back to pagan customs and symbols. However, its significance and meaning for the Christian community should not be overshadowed by its past origins. Ash Wednesday serves as a powerful reminder of human mortality and the call for repentance and renewal. It is a time of introspection and spiritual preparation leading up to the celebration of Easter, the central event of the Christian calendar..
Reviews for "Ash Wednesday: A Christian Holiday with Pagan Roots"
1. John - 1 star - I found "Ash Wednesday and its pagan origins" to be incredibly misleading and lacking proper research. The author makes sweeping claims about the pagan roots of Ash Wednesday without providing any substantial evidence to support his arguments. Additionally, the tone of the book is condescending and dismissive towards those who practice Ash Wednesday and the Catholic Church. Overall, I was severely disappointed by the biased and poorly supported content of this book.
2. Sarah - 2 stars - "Ash Wednesday and its pagan origins" felt like a missed opportunity to truly delve into the historical and cultural significance of Ash Wednesday. Instead, the author seemed more interested in promoting his own agenda by attempting to discredit the religious practice. While I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinions, I was hoping for a more balanced and insightful perspective that would allow for a better understanding of the origins and evolution of this tradition.
3. Alex - 1 star - I regret reading "Ash Wednesday and its pagan origins." It was evident from the beginning that the author had a clear bias against Ash Wednesday and the Catholic Church. The book completely disregarded the significance of Ash Wednesday in Christian theology and took a simplistic approach by focusing solely on alleged pagan connections. I was hoping for a more nuanced discussion, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations and failed to provide any substantial insights.
4. Emily - 2 stars - In my opinion, "Ash Wednesday and its pagan origins" was an oversimplification of a complex topic. The author seemed to cherry-pick historical references to support their argument, disregarding any evidence that contradicted their claims. The lack of in-depth analysis and objective presentation made it difficult for me to take the book seriously. While I appreciate different perspectives, I was hoping for a more academically rigorous examination of the subject matter.
5. Mark - 1 star - I found "Ash Wednesday and its pagan origins" to be nothing more than a piece of anti-Catholic propaganda. The author's biased approach and disregard for historical accuracy were evident throughout the book. The arguments presented were weak and lacked substantial evidence to support the claims made. Overall, I feel that this book was a waste of time and did not contribute anything meaningful to the discussion of Ash Wednesday's origins.