I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Sable Aradia, author of the Patheos Premium teaching blog The Witch’s Eight Paths of Power, as well as the book of the same name (forthcoming from Weiser). The blog, which focuses on eight modalities of witchcraft as originally described by Gerald Gardner, features videos and live chats. [Read more…]
Archives for 2013
Birthing Hereditary Witchcraft: Family Coven?
November 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
When a house is set up as a temple to the gods, and the persons who have been charged with the safe keeping of those within that temple honor divinity in what they say and do, hereditary witchcraft flows through every connection created in that temple. This a family coven — this is how we give birth to hereditary witchcraft. [Read more…]
Naturalistic Traditions: Were the Ionian philosophers naturalistic?
November 2, 2013 by 3 Comments
There are those who believe Naturalistic Paganism is but a modern thing, a young sapling in the forest of Paganism. In this article, the truth about its age is discovered. [Read more…]
Welcome to Heathen Woman
November 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
How can a heathen woman represent herself in a way that gives a voice to her character and faith, while getting others to respectfully take notice and listen? A new column by Heather O’Brien. [Read more…]
Wyrd Words: Defined but not Confined
October 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Imagine that, on the street, you see a woman wearing an odd T-shaped necklace with a tiny man on it. You recognize it as one of those “Abrahamic” things. Intrigued, you approach her and ask, “What do Abrahamics believe?” Asking what Pagans believe makes about as much sense… so what’s the right question to ask? [Read more…]
Druid Thoughts: All Hallows Read
October 30, 2013 by 4 Comments
Creepy books put us in touch with fear and death without pushing those torture-porn buttons. While high levels of horror can leave you a tad cold blooded and desensitised if you aren’t careful, a good creepy read is all about letting small, manageable amounts of fear in. [Read more…]
The Busy Witch: Letting Go of Summer
October 29, 2013 by 18 Comments
For years, I’ve resisted the changing seasons and the coming cold; I moved to the south to get away from long, bitter winters, and I’ll wear sandals even when it’s snowing, just to cling to the semblance of summer. But this year, I finally feel ready to welcome to the cold with intention. [Read more…]
Seekers and Guides: Imparting the Mysteries – Helping Your Students Find Personal Gnosis
October 28, 2013 by 3 Comments
How do you impart a personal experience of the Divine that may not be at all like your own? How do you teach the sound of one hand clapping? The answer is: you don’t. You teach the skills needed in order to make this very personal discovery instead. [Read more…]
Syncretic Electric: Looking at Our History (Part 5) — Feminism
October 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Not every Pagan views their spirituality as a site of political action, but, for many of us, this has been one of the lasting gifts of Feminism. For the early Feminists, spirituality and politics were bound up in each other, and this action is mirrored in the eco-consciousness elements of Modern Paganism. [Read more…]
Loop of Brighid: The Cauldrons of Inspiration
October 24, 2013 by
A God Who Makes Fire: The Bardic Mysticism of Amergin includes a new translation of the Cauldron of Poesy, a line-by-line analysis of the translation, a chapter on each of the three cauldrons exploring their symbolism and meaning, a selection of bardic poetry exploring the nine emotions that “turn” the cauldrons, and a new method for practicing the system of “cauldron mysticism” described in the text. [Read more…]
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