Awesome Giveaway at The Inspired By Life Blog

My friend Stacy over at  the Inspired by Life Blog is hosting her very first giveaway and I wanted to help spread the word. She will be giving away a $20 Gift Certificate to Dragon Moon Gifts. And that is just the beginning-Here are the other prizes.

That is quite a prize package and its open to the US and Canada. So head on over to the Inspired By Life Giveaway and check it out now.

Destiny is Now Available for Sale!

I am so excited to announce that Destiny is now available for sale on the publisher's website. In another week, you will also be able to find it online at amazon and Barnes and Nobles. But for now, it is being sold exclusively through Free Focus Publishing.  To make this debut extra special, we are offering signed copies to anyone who orders this week!  This offer is available for a limited time only, so hurry and order yours today.   Because, as everyone knows, witches are way cooler than vampires!

Win a Destiny Inspired Altar Set from The Whimsical Pixie

When it comes to finding unique Wiccan items, one of my favorite Etsy shops is The Whimsical Pixie. This past Yule I was able to find some beautiful cards as well as a First Yule ornament for my baby. But that is only the beginning of the things they offer.  They also have beautiful rune sets, wands, alter kits and more. I was so delighted and honored when Paula from The Whimsical Pixie wanted to help celebrate the release of "Destiny" with an amazing customized altar set designed to go along with the book. And even more amazing, she has agreed to give one away to one of my readers for free!

Notice how most of the pieces are decorated with the same necklace that Gabriella wears in Destiny or the rose from the cover of the novel. She is even including sandalwood and dragon's blood incense which are the two scents I use in the book.  This set will also be available on The Whimsical Pixie website for the low price of around $45.  This an amazing deal. In some stores, you would pay close to that price for a cauldron alone!

One lucky winner will receive all of the items in this set which includes:

1) A jade chalice
2) Cauldron
3) Athame
4) Offering Bowel/Censor
5)Set of three candle holders
6) Gold and Silver candles
7) Bell
8) Candle Snuffer
9) Celtic Pentacle Alter tile
10) Sandalwood & Dragon's Blood Incense

In order to enter this giveaway, you must follow my blog on friend connect AND visit the Whimsical Pixie and tell me another item you would love to have. For additional entries you can do any of the following but you must complete the initial entry first. Be sure to leave one comment for each entry you complete.

1) Become a fan of The Whimsical Pixie
2) Subscribe to this blog via email
3) Become my fan on face book
4) Follow me on twitter
5) Tweet this giveaway including @authorldeluca
6) Post or share this giveaway on face book, sweepstakes sites, Mr. Linky, etc (1 entry each)
7) Blog about this giveaway including a link to this blog (5 entries-leave 5 comments)
8) Grab my button and tell me where I can find it


This giveaway will end on 2/10/11 at 12pm. Giveaway is open to the US & Canada. Winner will be selected randomly from all comments received using a random number generator. Thanks again to The Whimsical Pixie for offering this terrific prize.



***Please note that I received no form of compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***

Check out Fan Bolt for Another Chance to win a Copy of Destiny!

If you want another chance to win a signed copy of Destiny, just head on over to Fan Bolt and become a forum member. I have been a member of this community for about eight years and they have lots of updates on all the best movies, television shows and books. You can become a part of lots of fun discussions in their forums.   They were nice enough to agree to host this giveaway for me and help to spread the the word about the upcoming release of Destiny! So head on over and enter today!

Pagan Prayers - Guest Post by Pagan Blogger Patrick McCleary

I

n a lot of the articles that I write, I talk a lot about the importance of a Strong and Spiritual Pagan Family and on how to begin crafting one. So here is an article on that second word, Spiritual.

I

 believe that one of the first steps towards becoming more spiritual is to find and strengthen a connection to the Divine.

One of the best ways to do this is to pray and often. Whether you pray to greet the day or to bid it farewell; pray to give thanks for your food or pray to have a conversation. It is all prayer and it all builds and strengthens that connection with the divine

In a family this connection needs to be a common one. Now don't think that I'm saying that individual connections are not important, because they are. But a family should act and exist as a separate entity, with its own connection.

I can almost hear the questions now. Prayer? Isn't that something that the other religion does? And if we do pray, how do we do it?

Prayer is something that is missing in much of mainstream Paganism. We have no problem having a conversation with the Gods while we are in circle. But for us to just strike up a conversation, it seems to be on par with the Labors of Hercules, at least with some people. And this should not be the case. Our connection with immanent Deities is what makes our religion unique and special for so many of us. So who cares what the other religions do and do not do? We can and should pray, if only to get closer to the Goddess and God.

The second question still remains though. How are we supposed to pray? There is certainly no guideline out there. And there should not be because there are many paths to the Gods as there are people and families trying to get to them.

But here are some tips to help you get started.

T

·      ake a moment to ground everyone. You can have everyone visualize themselves as a tree. With their roots deep in the Earth and their arms and branches stretching far up into the sky. They can visualize the negativity and stress going down into the Earth and good, positive energy coming in through their branches, like sunlight on the leaves.

K

·      eep it simple. There are no extra points for being the most eloquent or long-winded. State your intent and your message clearly.

K

·      eep the ages of your children in mind. The younger they are the less they will be able and wiling to sit through.

M

·      ake sure that you are not just saying the words. Mean what you are saying.

G

·      ive everyone a chance to both lead and add input if they so desire.

T

·      his should be a two way street. While you can talk, they can also talk back. So make sure that you give yourself time to listen. Unless you are just saying thanks for the bounties that you have received.

A

·      nd remember don't just pray when you need help. This is about having a conversation. The Gods should be like an extended part of our families. Not so extended that we never talk to them, but more like best friends that are like brothers and/or sisters. 

B

·      ut most importantly is to just do it. Pray and pray often. The more you do it the easier it gets.

If the idea of prayer still makes you squeamish, then think of it as an extended form of meditation. My prayer oftentimes can be described as prayerful meditation. I meditate on the wonders and mysteries of the Goddess and the God and along the way we start a conversation.

So as we go forward from today, try this out. Start with some private prayer in your own life and then move on to add in your spouse and then your kids. Begin with simple dinner prayers and maybe a prayer before bed. Later you start spending time a few days a week communing with your family, both earthly and Godly. 

Patrick McCleary is a Pagan dad and hence he runs the blog PaganDad. He also started and moderates the Pagan Village a place for Pagan parents to network with and support each other. He is also the founder of The Pagan Household, started with the idea of giving back to the wider community.

Far West Handcrafts Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Far West Hand Crafts Chakra Wall Hanging is #59

One 2 Try said... 59

Blog subscriber

January 2, 2011 9:20 AM

Congrats and thanks to all who entered!

Taking Charge - Guest Post by Pagan Blogger Kerr Cuhulain

If you’re a Pagan, you shouldn’t worship. Worship implies bowing down to something outside of you, which makes no sense at all if you believe, as I do, that the divine is within. The divine is not something separate from us. We are all divine. The divine flows through us all. We all have a personal link to divinity that can inspire us to achieve great things. Don’t sit around praying for someone or something else to take your responsibilities and fix your mistakes for you. Modern knights like me enhance their strength and energy with a positive attitude and take the initiative. You need to take responsibility for your life, get down to work, and get things done.

Helping yourself has a lot to do with your attitude towards life. Life can be chaotic, but if you approach it with a positive attitude, believing that you have responsibility for your destiny, then you will have that control. If you think of life as a test or a challenge, then you’ll have lots of challenges to face. In fact most of the knights of our Order of Scáthach discovered that the moment that they stood up and told the world that they were claiming their power and taking responsibility for their lives, the universe turned around and gave them something to be responsible for. It tested them. If you’re prepared to face those challenges, that shouldn’t present a problem. If you give way to melancholy, then it will be difficult to see your world as anything but depressing, and the longer that you stay that way, the harder it will be to shake loose of that depression. Some people sit around moaning “why me?” Modern knights stand up and say: “Why not?” Discontent should be a catalyst leading to action. There’s an old proverb: "People are not old until their regrets take the place of their dreams." Focus on the pursuit of your dreams and don’t waste time on regrets.

Once a martial artist or a member of the Order of Scáthach puts on a black belt indicating that they are a master, they’re sending a message to the world and to the Gods: Test me. Once you commit to modern knighthood, you commit to following certain principles, and to being tested by the Gods. You cannot stand up and claim your power and not permit yourself to be tested. Life is a test, and you’ve been given that power to survive it. These tests temper your strength and you emerge from these situations even stronger. They confirm what you’ve mastered and reveal what needs work. Things don’t always turn out the way that we expect. It brings to mind another old magickal adage: Be careful what you ask for, because you’ll get it. You should welcome these tests as a means to hone your mastery.

Recognize that you are divine and that the work of the Gods is your own. Take responsibility for your life and let the knowledge that you have power bring you satisfaction and peace of mind. Whatever stage of life you find yourself in, now is the time to discover your power, take control of your life, and find peace. Modern knights are leaders, and are committed to both teaching and helping others. You’re the light that guides others. Your example should be their inspiration. Let’s look at that inspiration and the creativity that flows from it.

In Her Service, Kerr Cuhulain

Order of Scáthach web site: http://www.dunscathach.com/

Kerr Cuhulain’s blog: http://kerrcuhulain.blogspot.com/

Kerr’s latest Smashwords book: Modern Knighthood: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34975

Check out Kerr’s daily affirmations:

http://twitter.com/#!/warriorwitch

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/kerr.cuhulain

Kerr’s Bio:

Kerr Cuhulain has been a Wiccan for 40 years and was involved in anti-defamation activism and hate crimes investigation for the Pagan community from 1986 to 2005.  Kerr was awarded the Shield of Valor by the Witches League for Public Awareness.  Kerr is the author of the Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca, Witch Hunts, Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick and Magickal Self Defense.  Kerr has a column with 182 articles on anti-defamation issues and hate crimes on The Witches’ Voice web site called Witch Hunts.  His latest book, Modern Knighthood, is now a Smashwords ebook.  He is the co author of a safety book for social workers and nurses: Safe Approach. He is starting to write fantasy fiction now also.

Kerr is the former Preceptor General of Officers of Avalon, an organization representing Neo-Pagan professionals in the emergency services (police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians).  Kerr retired from the Vancouver Police Department in November 2005 after serving 29 years with them.  He was awarded the Governor General’s Exemplary Service Medal.  Kerr's past job assignments within the VPD include the Emergency Response Team, Hostage Negotiator, Child Abuse Investigator, Gang Crime Unit, and the Mental Health Emergency Services Unit.  Kerr is currently working as a police dispatcher and trainer for ECOMM for Southwestern BC

Kerr is the Grand Master and founder of a Wiccan order of Knighthood called the Order of Scáthach in Surrey, British Columbia in October 2007.  The Order is now a registered society in the province of British Columbia and the sponsor of Vancouver Pagan Pride.  The Order of Scáthach embraces the Warrior philosophies, precepts and code of chivalry outlined in Kerr’s books.  The Order of Scáthach is a study group for people interested in Wiccan magick, energy work and rituals related to the Warrior path, focusing on empowerment, personal development and creative expression.  The training focuses on the effective use of magickal energy and developing psychic skills.

Stone Magic - Guest Post by Pagan Artisan Michelle Salsbery

                Stones have held a fascination for me since my early days in the Craft.  They come in such a wide variety of colors, patterns and shapes, and there seems to be a stone for every purpose under the Sun.  Besides being gorgeous, they are long-lasting, hold energy well and can often be used discreetly--active spells can be disguised as jewelry, paperweights or decor.

                Often, spherical crystals are used for scrying.  I am not much for scrying, myself--more of a Tarot person, I guess--but I do keep a nice pink marble sphere to stare at in meditation.  It's a soothing color, cool to the touch and comfortable in my hand, and staring at it is incredibly calming.  is that magic?  Maybe, maybe not.  Useful, though.

                Another use for stones, and one I frequently utilize, is as a substitute or symbol.  I adore symbols--it's one of the things that attracted me to Wicca.  I use several green aventurine to stand in for the element of Earth when I cast a circle, for example.

                Okay, using a green rock to symbolize Earth is a little obvious, I grant you.  Other stones make good stand-ins for the other elements.  For instance, carnelian (a bright orange stone) can be used in place of fire, fluorite (usually clear or purple) for air, or lapis lazuli (which is blue) for water.  This is useful when incense or open flame might not be advisable.

 

                Stones used as symbols of the elements won't get you into trouble in a hotel room (try burning incense in a Holiday Inn sometime.)  And they won't cause airport security to give you raised eyebrows like trying to bring an Air dagger with you.  Heck, you could probably leave them in place as home decor without tipping off your parents/roommate/coworkers about your faith if you're still in the broom closet.

                My favorite use of stones, though, is as charms. 

                Years ago, when I went before a promotion board for the Army, I was ridiculously nervous.  To give myself a little help, I made myself a promotion sachet.  I included a piece of carnelian (for assertiveness,) a clear quartz crystal (for clear thinking,) and a malachite (for luck.)  And I carried my little charm to the board.

                Did I amaze everyone there with my prowess?  Well, no.  Assertiveness and quick thinking are just not virtues I possess in large quantity, magic or no magic.  But I did get my promotion.  The Goddess and my own magic went right into the board with me, and not only do I believe they helped me in the board, but just knowing the magic was there helped me feel a little less nervous.

                I carried a hematite in my pocket for several weeks to defend against a very negative coworker.  I've found that it helps me to keep up a reflective 'force field' that negativity bounces off of.

                I love stone jewelry as a charm.  My own favorite necklace is one I made myself, out of lepidolite and opal.  The particular stones I chose to help with depression. 

                Not, 'the blues,' although presumably the stones would help with that, too.  Clinical depression.  Which sucks.

                Anyway, lepidolite is a pinkish stone which helps increase self-acceptance, as well as smoothing life's hardships a little bit.  Opal is for tranquility, recover, and helps with insight and achieving one's potential.

                I like to think the magic of the stones helps me manage my illness.  Another benefit, which I didn't realize until I started wearing the necklace, is that it reminds me to do the things I'm supposed to do in order to feel better--use coping strategies, meditate, think positive and so forth.  Seeing my depression necklace keeps my well-being in my thoughts, and that helps me stay sane.

                Thank you, reader, for visiting with me.  I wish you good luck and peace in yourself.

                Blessed Be.

Michelle Salsbery, a.k.a. the Luminous Kitten, runs an etsy store at www.luminouskitten.etsy.com.  She is currently leaving the military after 15 years, and has been a Pagan of various flavors for about 14 years.  She lives in Watertown, NY with her husband and three very spoiled cats.

My First Review for Destiny! Posted by Stacy Evans from the Inspired By Life Blog

I am so excited to share that the first review on my novel, "Destiny" was been posted.  Stacy Evans is a long time Wiccan and author of the blog, Inspired By Life. I asked for to do a review and was honored when she accepted. She finished the book in just one day, and has already posted her review. I am so honored and flattered by her words.   I especially loved this line of her review:

"I may be jumping the gun as it hasn't been released yet, but I could see this book starting a whole new wave of Twilight/Harry Potter type mass following."

That would certainly be a dream come true! To read Stacey's full review, you can visit her blog, and make sure you follow her blog while you're there.  She updates it almost daily with lots of wonderful pagan related articles.

Growing New Jersey Pagans Community - Guest Post By NJ Pagan Group Moderator Cher Njp

What does Community Really mean to you?

I've been working with NJ pagans for 9 years with many people at my side, a lot of what I work with is helping others realize that it's OK to be yourself. Once we find others that share the same beliefs you realize it's not so bad to come out and tell people who you are and be proud of it.

"Community means strength that joins our strength to do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold us when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free." author unknown

NJ pagans is already All Groups in one We did that years ago, We have every organization, coven, Every store in NJ and neighboring states involved, musicians, People from all over our wonderful State...We again are about Community and active for 9 years, we know everyone, we are everyone!!

How does Community work?

We have had our ups and downs the past year with people trying to bring down the group but every good group goes through their challenges to be tested and once again showed "Community Works!" People that stood together and locked arms to protect NJ Pagans and keep it from closing down show that there are thousands of us that are true to our beliefs and stand by who we are. I'm so proud to see so many come forward and not be scared to protect us. It's sad how there are some people that want to bring destruction to something that is working for community but that just brings more strength between the people that care and hopefully teaches those that carry hate. Reminds me of times when someone's house burned down and everyone came up with Hammers and nails to re build again.

When one person falls and you see hundreds come out to help there is no words how wonderful that feels and that is New Jersey. We have so many wonderful people that share free time, so many wonderful covens that open their arms for community rituals/prayers, share wonderful thoughts, share brilliant events and we have so many stores that bring us so many great classes. And to think before New Jersey Pagans was born we didn't know about a lot of these people. We brought you all together and proves when we're not alone there is nothing we can establish together!

We have a long way to go yet!

NJ Pagans We don't focus on one thing, we focus on many different things in our community, Politics, Wars, Homeless, Pets, health, employment, teachers, organizations of all kinds, covens, much much more. I feel we have a lot more growing to do and a lot more to reach out to, as a community we can make things happen if we stick together!

What we need to work on more is getting more involved, opening up more choices for most of us to go for rituals, finding places we can set up food and clothe drives. We need to expand ourselves and hopes to find more to benefit our Community.

 Cher is the group moderator of the NJ Pagans Group as well as many other pagan related websites. Learn more about Cher by visiting any one of her groups or networking sites.

Main Yahoo Group NJP:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/New_Jersey_Pagans/

Ning Web sites: NJP:
http://njpagans.ning.com/

Myspace NJP:
http://www.myspace.com/njp_cher

Facebook:

Cher NJP Link:
http://www.facebook.com/chic0411

Page NJP:
http://www.facebook.com/NJPagans

Group NJP:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=93725735017

Win an Autographed Copy of Destiny

It won't be long until "Destiny" will be available for sale. We expect to have the hard copies by early February. To celebrate the release, I am going to give away the very first copy to one lucky person. To enter, just follow my blog and leave a comment below letting me know that you do.  For additional entries you can do any of the following.

1) Leave a comment about the summary or the excerpt for Destiny letting me know what you think.
2) Subscribe to this blog via email
3) Become my fan on face book
4) Follow me on twitter
5) Tweet this giveaway including @authorldeluca
6) Post or share this giveaway on face book, sweepstakes sites, Mr. Linky, etc (1 entry each)
7) Blog about this giveaway including a link to this blog (5 entries)
8) Grab my button and tell me where I can find it


This giveaway will end on 2/4/11 at 12pm. Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. Winner will be selected randomly from all comments received using a random number generator.

Personal Code of Ethics - Guest Post by Blogger Wendy Conover

So many subjects call to my heart, it often gets over whelming where

to begin in gaining some sort of foot hold in the chaos.I think one thing that calls to me deeply as a dirt lovein, tree huggin, wild craftin,soul seekin, energy healin, Boo boo, fixin Witch. Is the work involved to get  ones self in order, to better be able to fill the roles we have come tocherish on our paths.

   
From the perspective of my own experience I feel a great place to begin is a personal code of ethics. As this is not in itself defined by faith or social standing. This is not an easy thing to define.I have discovered though some things that might help define it a bit better along the way.Most have a misconception regarding honor. Ones code of ethics can be thought of as ones personal code of honor

    Personally, much of this was difficult to come to terms with.

Like many I was swimming upstream in the river of DeNile!  Honor is not being this chivalrous knight protecting the weak, nor is it as modern media shows us the Honor killings in some cultures defending tradition and personal insult. Most folks think of being ethical as doing what's right, following blindly the moral values and standards of one's society. Do you? I know I do not. Nor do I follow blindly the currents of my various communities as far as what is considered an ethical life.

   Much of this was inspired by Magic, Mystery, and Medicine by Krisitn Madden.These are some of the exercises. At first glance, they seem simple enough.Soo Not! These exercises outline that ones personal code is ones own, and have proven to be such a valuable tool for me.For which I am grateful to

her for having written them.

  
It is not an easy road to define ones self and what one believes, but it

does not need be difficult either. We all want to see ourselves as

ethical,honorable folks, holding our own power and walking our talk.

But do you?

Or

Does it needs some serious examination and work to really get to the core

of who we really are vs who we think we should be.Facing ones self is always the hardest of tasks.I learned long ago you need to clean you own house before you can clean anyone else's.

Let's start with this.

 "Guidelines for Ethical Decision Making.

1.Is it legal? Do you have permission?

2.Will it harm anyone in body, mind or spirit?

3.Is it fair to, and in the best interests of, everyone involved?

4.How would you feel if everyone knew about it?

5.How will it make you feel about you self?

6.Do you feel the need to justify it?

7.Have you explored your motivations?

8.What response do you your spirit guides give when this decision is

Brought to them?

9.How would you feel if someone did the same thing to you?"

Common Justifications

1.It came from Spirit/my spirit guides

2.Everyone else does it

3.No one will know

4.This is what I have time for .It's good enough

5.I can handle it. I don't need help. It's my responsibility

6.it's not my responsibility"

 Create a Mission Statement

A concise one or two sentence statement of your purpose, what exactly is

it you intend to accomplish in your healing practice? Now I used Healing

practice because I am a healer but use any think in this that applies to

you.This turns into a general setting of intent for your practice.

 Vision Statement

A concise statement of the specific ways you plan to accomplish that

mission.Usually one to two paragraphs that begins with your mission

statement.

Code of Ethics

Create an outline of the Ethical standards you live and work through.This

is generally a list of Statements about your aspirations, hopes, and

Ideals as well as a list of rules, principals and promises.

All of these should be revisited often and when necessary adjusted

"In my mind, Honor is about practicing what you preach and living your

ethical code. It includes integrity and also involves doing the right

thing.simply because it is the right thing, not because you will get something out of it. It also brings in the concepts of listening, honesty, learning to communicate well, tolerance and humility. Honor means holding your power,remaining connected to spirit, and acting from that sacred space within"

  It really is a eye opener when we begin to explore this part of our selves

fully and openly the lil things that seemed so huge really are nothing but

a speck of dust on the bigger vision. If you got this far in reading my

ramblings thanks for reading through and I hope you take the time to learn

more of this part of yourself to learn to walk your talk and hold your

power fully in Honor and integrity Change only comes when we are open enough to see the need for it. Then apply the means to make it happen. Another lesson we can all stand to revisit often to keep aware.

 

 

 

Wendy Conover is a pagan artisan and the author of the the new blog, Celestial Puddle Jumping.  Connect with her through her blog or on face book.  You can also view some of her work at When Spirits Dance.

Imbolc Crafts - Guest Post by Blogger Stacy Evans

As I was scratching my brain, so to speak, to come up with a craft for our upcoming Sabbat of Imbolc, I found some great ideas.

Brighid's Crosses, Acorn tipped wands.  Brighid being the goddess of inspiration and creativity, it wasn't hard to find things.  Pretty much anything you can make yourself can be considered an Imbolc Craft, be it crochet,knitting,paper craft, word craft or anything in between.  Great ideas would be to write a poem, crochet something for the kitchen, or make homemade bread, as Brighid is also the goddess of hearth and home.  I settled on Brighid's cross. 

After looking up some instructions, and setting to give it a first shot, it became quite clear that for the novice or child crafter, something like this would be far too hard.  So I gave it some thought and came up with an alternative, a God's Eye.  Or in this case, a Goddess' Eye! 

All you need:  A ball of multicolored Yarn, in Imbolc colors.  Those colors vary by person, but to me they are white, pink, red and yellow.  My yarn had no white in it, but it had the rest!  You will also need two popsicle or craft sticks.  I used bamboo skewers for this, but to make it family friendly craft sticks are probably the best choice. 

Put your sticks together so they form an x or a cross.  If you are using craft sticks, a great idea is to glue them together so that you don't have to be quite so dexterous.  Loop the yarn around so that it forms an x on the front side, as in the first picture, and tie a knot in the back.\

Hold the x so that it is a + .  Loop the yarn around the front of the top, as in this next picture.  You can see the eye beginning to come together in this, as I took it after I had done a few rounds.  More pictures can be found at this link.

  Then turn it counter-clockwise, so that the next one at the top was the one on your left.  Look it around the same way, from the front around and over.  Just keep going around and around like that until it is as large as you wish it to be.  Then tie the string to the one from the back and you are done!  Here is a picture of my finished Goddess' eye. 

These are great to put on altars at Imbolc, or even just to hang in windows.

Hope everyone has a great Imbolc!

Goddess Bless!

Stacy

Stacy Evans is the author of the blog Inspired by Life .  She is a work at home Wiccan mom.  She lives with her husband and daughter in Alberta, Canada.  She has been practicing wicca for 10 years.  Find her on Facebook and Twitter! 

Magical Omaha Blessed Be Triquetra Pendant: Giveaway

In my young adult novel, "Destiny", the main character, Gabriella, always wears a pendant that had belonged to her mother. The pendant in my book is a Celtic pentacle, but that is only one of many symbols that are sacred in the Wiccan and pagan religions. Another symbol that is very popular with modern day witches is the triquetra. If you ever watched the television show, "Charmed",  you will probably recognize this symbol as the sister's family crest.  But the triquetra was a magical sign long before the Hallowell's adopted it. To many, this ancient symbol represents the three aspects of the Goddess--maiden, mother, and crone. But it can also  be interpreted in many other ways, depending on the path you follow. But no matter what it represents to you, it is a beautiful and ancient sign. 

If you love the triquetra and enjoy finding lovely jewelry and decorative items that display this symbol, than a wonderful place to shop is Magical Omaha. They are a store that offers beautiful and mystical items for all walks of life, but I especially love their triquetra selection.  You can find pendants, bracelets, earrings, rings, jewelry boxes, candle holders and more, all emblazoned with this eternal symbol. They even have a triquetra bird feeder! The selection is amazing, so you are sure to find something perfect for your personal style.

Of course, Magical Omaha has lots of other wonderful pagan oriented accessories and supplies. Visit them for all your alter needs from candles to cauldrons.  You can find spell books, divination tools, cloaks and capes, mystical art and more.  And if you aren't pagan, they are have a large selection of collectible fantasy items  like fairy statues, dragons, and more. They are truly a one stop shop for all things magical.

In honor of the upcoming release of "Destiny", Magical Omaha is offering one of my readers the chance to win a beautiful Blessed Be Triquetra Pendant. To enter this giveaway, you must follow my blog AND visit the Magical Omaha shop and tell me another item you would love to have. For additional entries you can do any of the following, but you must complete this initial entry first.

1) Become a fan of Magical Omaha
2) Subscribe to this blog via email
3) Become my fan on face book
4) Follow me on twitter
5) Tweet this giveaway including @authorldeluca
6) Post or share this giveaway on face book, sweepstakes sites, Mr. Linky, etc (1 entry each)
7) Blog about this giveaway including a link to this blog (5 entries)
8) Grab my button and tell me where I can find it


This giveaway will end on 2/1/11 at 12pm. Giveaway is open to the US & Canada. Winner will be selected randomly from all comments received using a random number generator. Thanks again to Magical Omaha for offering this terrific prize.



***Please note that I received no form of compensation for this post. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***

My Destiny by Katherine McPhee -The Perfect Theme Song for Destiny

I have never really followed "American Idol", but I came across this video and thought it would be the perfect theme song for Destiny.

Far West Handcrafts Review & Giveaway

Discovering the world of Etsy has opened up so many doors for me. I live in a small town, and its impossible to find the types of products I am looking for to suite my spiritual needs. But on Etsy, you can find lovely, hand crafted pieces that hold so much more meaning and power than anything store bought. One of the magical shops I came across is my travels is Far West Handcrafts. I immediately fell in love with their Chakra Hangings, which are so charged with the amazing positive energy of their creator that they are always glowing and warm to the touch.

If you are into Eastern philosophy,Wicca, meditation, Reiki, yoga, or anything New Age, you are probably familiar with at least the basics of the Chakras. For those of you who are not unfamiliar. The Chakras are the seven vortexes of spinning energy that start at your spine (root chakra)  and go up to the top of your head (crown Chakra). Each Chakra vibrates with a different color and controls a different area of our emotions. If your Chakras are not functioning properly, it can cause you both emotional and physical problems. Practicing Yoga and mediation is a wonderful way to keep your Chakras in balance and help you become more in touch with your own spirituality.

At Far West Handcrafts, they have harnessed the power of the Chakras into beautiful, collectible artwork.  The hangings are made from very sturdy gold tone wire and seven colored glass orbs that represent the seven colors of our Chakras from root to crown. They are a beautiful decoration in their own right, but they are also so much more. They are a wonderful tool for mediation that can be used as a focal point, especially for Chakra cleansing. They can also be used as an alter wand for ritual purposes. They can be kept indoors or outdoors because items of this quality will have no trouble standing up to the elements.

The Chakra Hanging is only one example of the beautiful hand crafted items you can find at Far West Hand Crafts. They also have  elegant bottle stoppers, humming bird attractors, magic wands, lovely art prints and more. All are available at reasonable prices and shipping is quick. Each piece is a one of a kind creation that you can be proud to display or to keep as a special tool for your own private rituals.

One lucky winner is going to receive a Chakra Hanging of their very own. To enter you must publicly follow my blog AND visit the Far West Handcrafts Etsy shop and tell me another item you would love to have.  For additional entries, you can do any of the following, but you must complete this initial entry first.

1) Become a fan of Far West Handcrafts
2) Subscribe to this blog via email
3) Become my fan on face book
4) Follow me on twitter
5) Tweet this giveaway including @authorldeluca
6) Post or share this giveaway on face book, sweepstakes sites, Mr. Linky, etc (1 entry each)
7) Blog about this giveaway including a link to this blog (5 entries)


This giveaway will end on 1/19/11 at 12pm. Giveaway is open WORLDWIDE. Winner will be selected randomly from all comment received using a random number generator. Thanks again to Far West Handcrafts for offering this terrific prize.



***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***