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Pagan/Wiccan Religion/Questions Answered by Expert Dawn Black
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Omens | 12/31/2009 |
| Q: I feel like I am being given signs from the Universe, in this case the sign is the unfortunate one ... A: The skull is a symbol of your ancestors and the wisdom they have to share with you. Shamans & Druids ... | |
| Bind him from harming himself | 12/10/2009 |
| Q: My husband is a very loving and caring man, but prone to fickle-mindedness and unthoughtfulness in ... A: First, I should say that I am not a Wiccan. I am a Hellenic Polytheist, a Priestess of Aphrodite ... | |
| witch | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: I'm Julia. i have been wondering about witches. my friends mother has a box that we found. inside ... A: Dragon blood is the red resin of a tree often used as ink. Why don't you ask your friend's mother ... | |
| sprits | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: My friends in a bit of a depressed mood!at a party we played Ouija! Well a sperit told my friend his ... A: No. Not really. Actually, that's not true. There is much you can do but neither of us has that kind ... | |
| sprits | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: My friends in a bit of a depressed mood!at a party we played Ouija! Well a sperit told my friend his ... A: I'm not sure what exactly you want to do. It doesn't seem to me as if anything happened to do ... | |
| Something is | 10/13/2009 |
| Q: When I was about 15, I am 26 now, My friend and two of her friends had a circle. It was a very ... A: Well, if I'm agitated, and I don't mean to be, it's because this is Christian magick, not Pagan ... | |
| Something is "with" me after a cirlcle. | 10/11/2009 |
| Q: When I was about 15, I am 26 now, My friend and two of her friends had a circle. It was a very ... A: Well, first off, Druids don't have Circles. Not that sort anyway. Most Pagans don't invite "beings" ... | |
| Reverse a Santeria Curse | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: A person who I believed to be my friend practices santeria her saint is Oya. This is a person whom I ... A: Well I'm hardly a Santeria expert but try this http://www.sacredhearth.com/bos/rituals/spells/remneg ... | |
| owls | 8/28/2009 |
| Q: 2 and a half weeks ago my sister (who I very rarely ever go anywhere with spent a weekend together.) ... A: Animal sightings mean nothing unless you have a personal connection to an animal. For me an owl ... | |
| Witchcraft Religions | 8/26/2009 |
| Q: What is the full definition of Pagan Witchcraft? A: Well, really Pagan implies religion and witchcraft is a practice. Lots of Pagans are witches and ... | |
| Familial spirit | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: I posed this question to someone else on the site and she responded that it is not her area of ... A: the reason ghosts leave you drained is because there is often the need for an outside source of ... | |
| Could I be a witch or Wiccan? | 7/29/2009 |
| Q: I have had experiences all my life with the supernatural. I have literally seen ghosts, had ... A: Wicca is a religion and witchcraft if a magical practice. Anyone can be Wiccan or practice ... | |
| Conversion | 7/12/2009 |
| Q: I am turning 13 at the end of this month, and I want to change over to become wiccan and are ... A: Well, Wicca and Catholicism aren't entirely exclusionary you know. One of my dearest friends is a ... | |
| spirit animals | 7/6/2009 |
| Q: Last full moon, I was out by the pool when a silvery flying animal startled me-I thought it was a ... A: Messages from animals are very personal. As I don't know you, I'm afraid I can't tell you what the ... | |
| visions | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: I am a Christian, but recently I've been having doubts about my own faith. I've also been having ... A: Aphrodite could be contacting you. Gods usually only contact people who are looking for them though. ... | |
| negative energy from a specific individual | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: My question pertains to my ex. We have been apart for 12 years yet we have 3 children together so ... A: It sounds to me like you need to put up a psychic shield against his energy and basically flush him ... | |
| book of shadows, | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I guess I have always been interested in and practiced an unpure of celtic/pagan wicca- by that I ... A: I believe that the term Book of Shadows refers to the private or secret nature of the book rather ... | |
| Eddas | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: I'm looking to acquire a translation of the Eddas for serious personal study. The question is: what ... A: Unfortunately I have not made as much of a study of the Norse and Germanic material as I have the ... | |
| faith | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: I'm writing a book about how faith impacts people. Has there ever been a time your faith has helped ... A: My faith impacts my entire life. I know that the purpose of life is to learn and grow and contribute ... | |
| Claviceps | 3/16/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering if you can please explain the connection between claviceps purpurea and witches? ... A: Also known as ergot, this fungus, which grows on grains has been suggested to be the cause of the ... | |
| Preforming a spell. | 3/2/2009 |
| Q: I have been assigned a project for school in which I have picked Wiccan Religion as my topic. An ... A: I would use the quarter calling/opening and closing ritual. Spells are very personal and the way ... | |
| magic | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: I had some questions about magic. (1) Is magic possible without having Spirits. (2) How does a ... A: A pact is just a deal. It can be anything. Some certain demons/djinn/spirits/angels etc. require ... | |
| blessings for babies | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: our son is nearly one year old and we are thinking of haveing him blessed the pagan way as we are ... A: I wrote a ceremony for my friend's son who was about that age a few years ago. Perhaps it can ... | |
| magic | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: I had some questions about magic. (1) Is magic possible without having Spirits. (2) How does a ... A: 1. There is no magic in which a pact is necessary. However in some types of Sorcery and Goetia pacts ... | |
| magic | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: I had some questions about magic. (1) Is magic possible without having Spirits. (2) How does a ... A: There are many types of magic. There ARE some types of magic that involve making pacts with various ... | |
| Spell to rid of Bad Habit | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: I'm looking for a spell to cast to rid myself and others (my daughter) of a bad habit. My habit is ... A: You can find spells to get rid of bad habits at ... | |
| How do I cleanse an item? | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: Several years ago, my brother gave me an ankh ring which I wear every day, due to my love for the ... A: Items are generally (but not always) cleansed of negativity using the four elements. Earth, air, ... | |
| becoming a pagan | 11/25/2008 |
| Q: thank you Sam A: You could find someone to help you out at http://www.witchvox.com. I suggest looking at their lists ... | |
| Meditation And Magickal Name | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: I have been studying paganism for a little over a year now after dating and falling in love with a ... A: First, don't push yourself too hard. First, you need to learn how to relax. Learning deep breathing ... | |
| Anointing Charms | 11/7/2008 |
| Q: I am in need of some good luck because I have had a lot of bad luck in the past. I do not practice ... A: We Pagans don't believe in evil, so I can't answer your question about whether it's evil. Luck is ... | |
| I NEED HELP!!! | 10/30/2008 |
| Q: Well i have been practicing wiccan food spells for about 8 months with out problems but suddenly i ... A: With bread it's not usually so much about the ingredients as the process. Did you dissolve the yeast ... | |
| Fattura | 10/25/2008 |
| Q: Greetings, Just a few days ago I went to see a palm reader and she told me that I and my family had ... A: This is a very common scam. Many palm and card readers and fortune tellers do this in order to earn ... | |
| Negative energy | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: Ok, if I cleanse my home and belongings with my sage rub, how can I prevent persons with their own ... A: People do alot of things to keep negativity from entering their homes and most has to do with the ... | |
| Omens | 10/18/2008 |
| Q: A screech owl roosted near by be last weekend, it was around 2:30 am. He was in the next yard over ... A: Omens are very personal, so I can't really tell you what, if anything, this particular incident ... | |
| Black panther in my dreams | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: I've had three dreams over the past year that feature a black panther. These begin after I fled a ... A: This reminds me of dreams I have of lions that only occur during times of stress. I get the feeling ... | |
| Zeus, changes in the gods | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: In the earliest myth of Zeus, he appears as a cosmic tyrant chaining and torturing Prometheus, and ... A: There were reasons for Zeus's punishment of Prometheus, and for his swallowing of Metis. ... | |
| Spirit Guide | 10/9/2008 |
| Q: I have always been interested in spirit guides and have always had an affinitely with Wolf. In my ... A: Spirit beings do not experience time the way that material beings do, so don't worry that you have ... | |
| wicca? | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: I have had lots of spiritual experiences, seeing spirit, voices, smells, touch, lights. I have ... A: I'm not sure what your question is. Wicca is a religion, not a genetic state of being. You can find ... | |
| Raven | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I was out having a picnic with my boyfriend yesterday and a raven approached us. I was feeding him ... A: You may be receiving a calling from a specific God or Goddess. Ravens are associated with both Odin, ... | |
| Relevancy | 9/25/2008 |
| Q: Are the ancient Greek Gods relevant in the modern day? Our lives are very different from the lives ... A: I never used the phrase "moral virtue" as I frankly don't think those two words should be used ... | |
| spell on doorstep and at backdoor | 9/24/2008 |
| Q: Last week sometime i noticed an oily line drawn with a 4" paintbrush drawn accross my back door ... A: Do you live alone? Do you own or rent? The footsteps sound like an accident. The oily line could be ... | |
| Relevancy | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: Are the ancient Greek Gods relevant in the modern day? Our lives are very different from the lives ... A: Most Gods that people worship today are ancient. The Greek Gods are as relevant as any other ancient ... | |
| Candles breaking | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: Can you tell me what it means when a candle breaks whie burning? I recently did a spell where I lit ... A: I would not say that this means that the spell will not work. It could be that the candles you used ... | |
| magic | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: My uncle says if i keep my grades up he'll get me my first magic book. So I've been ding some ... A: Witches are as likely to have big feet as anyone else. Witches are just people who study witchcraft. ... | |
| Help? | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: Forgive me for bothering you... but I need some advice. I have been a solitary practitioner of the ... A: If you have learned the technique known as "Grounding and Centering" you have all the tools you ... | |
| What Am I? Not that it really matters. | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: I have read some of the answers you have given others and was impressed. I'm wondering if you can ... A: Check out the Belief O Matic at beliefnet.com. Here's the link ... | |
| witchcraft | 8/28/2008 |
| Q: my husband has had a spell placed on him to be unfaithful to me with another woman in the ... A: It is a dangerous thing to be willing to blame witchcraft for your husband's infidelity. But if it ... | |
| Love of the Gods | 8/24/2008 |
| Q: Would any of your gods be kind enough or loving enough to bear the weight of a curse as a substitute ... A: Evil is subjective. What you think is evil, another person doesn't. You may think a suicide bomber ... | |
| Love of the Gods | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: Would any of your gods be kind enough or loving enough to bear the weight of a curse as a substitute ... A: I maintain that your Christ bears no curse and never did. A God cannot bear a mortal curse because ... | |
| Love of the Gods | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: Would any of your gods be kind enough or loving enough to bear the weight of a curse as a substitute ... A: You're not going to like this answer, but you're the one who brought your Christ into it, not me. ... | |
| Salvation | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: Do the Hellenic/Pagan gods give a promise of eternal life or salvation? If not, why worship them? ... A: Hesiod's works and days stresses that the Gods smile on those who are industrious and not lazy. But ... | |
| Salvation | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: Do the Hellenic/Pagan gods give a promise of eternal life or salvation? If not, why worship them? ... A: The Kingdom of Hades is a boring place, but not a bad place and Queen Persephone is said to be an ... | |
| Salvation | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: Do the Hellenic/Pagan gods give a promise of eternal life or salvation? If not, why worship them? A: Well, first off, the soul is eternal as it's made of energy and energy cannot be created or ... | |
| Omens/Birds | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: I have a question about birds flying into windows. For the past month or so, my mother has been ... A: There are many reasons why a bird could fly into one window and not another. The color of the ... | |
| The gods | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: Do you really believe that there are gods on Mount Olympus? Have you ever felt the presence of these ... A: Yes they do. Most Pagans have very close and personal relationships with their Gods. This is why ... | |
| The gods | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: Do you really believe that there are gods on Mount Olympus? Have you ever felt the presence of these ... A: I have been to Mount Olympus. There are no actual Gods walking around there. It's not even that ... | |
| Wiccan Symbology | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: I am becoming involved with a woman who has and does practice witchcraft. I do not know a lot about ... A: While there isn't really a specific symbol for love in the Wiccan religion, or in witchcraft (to ... | |
| Wick Ah | 7/2/2008 |
| Q: In what way is Wiccanism related to ancient pagan religions? I have heard that in Wiccanism there ... A: Wow. This is a big order. I might have to charge you double. Luckily nothing twice is still nothing. ... | |
| Where do you go? | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: I was just wondering where do you go to get a "wickening" ceremony done? What do they do in order to ... A: Generally these ceremonies take place in a natural setting or it could be done at the home. Look on ... | |
| wicca | 6/27/2008 |
| Q: I've been studying wicca for five years now but I feel as if I'm getting nowhere. I've tried getting ... A: I am not sure where you want to go, but I find when people hit a plateau in their studies they are ... | |
| Gods | 6/27/2008 |
| Q: Do the gods exist within our world, outside our world, or beside our world? ANSWER: Our Gods exist ... A: It is not clear whether ancient Greeks believed in reincarnation. It is clear they believed in an ... | |
| Gods | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: Do the gods exist within our world, outside our world, or beside our world? A: Our Gods exist in the Universe. Some of them are part of our world and some reside in the upper or ... | |
| severe negativity | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: My family moved to this area 2 years ago. We have experienced nothing but trouble (all kinds & ... A: First, you need to relax and take a deep breath. You may wish to do a ritual of letting go of the ... | |
| Gods and Myths | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: Are the myths about the gods taken literally by modern Hellenic neopagans, since they portray the ... A: That is a very good question. The short answer is no, but that's not the complete answer. First, ... | |
| How can I become a Wiccan? | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: First of all thank you for your time. I live in Honduras & I'm 15 years old, central America...most ... A: You may be able to find someone to help you at at http://www.witchvox.com I suggest you do some ... | |
| Virtues | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: Do Hellenic neo-pagans value compassion, mercy, and religious tolerance? Because I read one website ... A: I am not aware of any such website and it somewhat surprises me. Let's not forget though that Greek ... | |
| Do your actions truly effect what happens in life? | 6/14/2008 |
| Q: In asking a Wiccan about the belief that "if it harms none, do as you will," her response included ... A: I think a more accurate way of putting this is "Like attracts like". "If it harms none, do as you ... | |
| ref | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: Good day, It has been said that some women cast spells on men and this is why men sometimes find ... A: There are lots of reasons why a man can become obsessed with a woman and magic is only one of the ... | |
| candle magic | 4/21/2008 |
| Q: i have recently been practicing wicca, and performed a ritual. but for candle magic, i have the ... A: When you read a spell, think of it as a helpful guide, not a law. Spells that you create yourself ... | |
| Wicca | 4/14/2008 |
| Q: I have a few questions about Wiccan belief. Firstly, is there one god or many, or one god that is ... A: Those are alot of questions, so I'll just take them one at a time. First, the Wiccan God and ... | |
| I need help | 4/10/2008 |
| Q: I am wiccan and I have a Boyfriend that is not. Should I Be dating him. And I have some friends what ... A: There is no restriction in Wicca regarding who you should date. If he is critical of your religious ... | |
| curses/spells | 3/27/2008 |
| Q: For the last three nights I cannot sleep. I feel a negative presence constantly around me. No ... A: The best thing you can do when you feel this way is to get plenty of vigorous exercise. I know that ... | |
| Dragons | 3/23/2008 |
| Q: I new to the Wiccan Path and there is one thing that I haven't found an answer to. I would really ... A: Dragons are astral creatures and powerful symbols. They are not at this time actual physical beings, ... | |
| wicca wedding | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: what are the words to the wiccan marriage ceremony? A: There are no hard-fast rules when it comes to what to say at a Wiccan ceremony, though this varies ... | |
| wickening | 3/14/2008 |
| Q: My son & his wife want to have a wickening on their sons 3rd birthday. They have asked me to ... A: Although these things vary by tradition, there is usually a priest or priestess, sometimes there is ... | |
Pagan/Wiccan Religion
Answers by Expert:
- Rev. Jesse Gillespie
- Christine Zimmerman
- Raven Standingstone
- Labyrinth
- Dawn Black
- Rev. Amy Blackthorn Ph.D, DD. HPS, RM
- Quinn
- Rev. Alfred Willowhawk, MMsc, CTPR, CTM, RMT, Shamanic Practitioner, Metaphysician, HP
- Reverend Mabon Stag, RM (Reiki Master), DM (Doctor of Metaphysics)
- Rev. Adriana Iris
- Bayley Green
Dawn Black
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I am able to answer most questions about Pagan religions and magic. I am particularly experienced in the areas of Hearth Magic and Kitchen Witchery, including magical cooking and gardening and Hellenismos including liturgy and mythology. I specialize in matters relating to Pagan children and family. I am also well-versed in Western European spirituality including Wicca and Druidry. I am unable to answer specific theological, historical or liturgical questions related to African Synchretic Spirituality (Santeria, Voodun, Umbanda, etc.) or Heathenry (Asatru, Odinism, etc.)
Experience
I have been a Pagan for nearly 20 years and a NeoHellenic Polytheist for 10. I am currently the organizer for an all-path Pagan children's group, the founder and one of several organizers of the local Pagan meetup group and I maintain a regional website and newsletter for local Pagans as well as a website and newsletter for Hearth Witches. I have over 5 years experience planning and executing public Pagan events, particularly public rituals and family events. I have two teenage children of my own whom I have raised in our NeoHellenic tradition.
Organizations
The Sacred Hearth Circle
Motor City Pagans
The Detroit Metro Area Meetup Group
Wild Ones
Michigan Pagan Chamber of Commerce
Publications
http://www.sacredhearth.com
http://www.motorcitypagans.net
Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology with a Biology minor.
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