Loop of Brighid: Private Practices 4 – The Four Treasures

Sidney Sime ~ The City of Never (1912)

According to the Beatha Bhrighdi, the sun that shines above the City of Heaven is none other than St. Brighid of Kildare. The monastic author of this early text prays for the intercession of St. Brighid so that he may reach “that unity which exists for ever and ever.” Eternal unity is a mystical state, so the monk who wrote the Beatha Bhrighdi is presenting the saint he adores as an intercessor capable of granting access to the highest states of mystical union in her role as the sun above … [Read more...]

Druid Thoughts: Pick and Mix Paganism

agora-hypatia

I know a lot of people whose paths are a mix of more than one tradition: Christio-pagans and Heathen, Christian, and Zen Druids  particularly, but there are others. There are some who see any kind of shopping around for ideas as New Age pick 'n' mix and spiritual tourism. There are many for whom any kind of mashup is a betrayal of all the traditions involved. The only true way is to be a purist and stick to one path, according to some. What sent me off pondering this subject is the recent … [Read more...]

Gateway Goddess: Taurus Season – A Celebration of the Sacred Body

web_taurus

It's May. It's Taurus season. The season for celebrating the element of Earth in its fullest expression. A season that puts us in touch with that part of our souls that sticks closest to our skin and delights in the physical. In the Reclaiming tradition, it's called Younger Self. I learned to call it Sticky One. It's the part of us that loves berries for their sweetness and for their juice. T'hat loves dark chocolate for its gloss and snap and slow melt on the tongue. That delights … [Read more...]

Naturalistic Traditions: Were early hunter-gatherers naturalistic?

VewqkfS

Were early hunter-gatherer peoples naturalistic?  It is difficult to tell.  They were every bit as intelligent and creative as us, and could have created the first naturalistic traditions.  Some may even reason that before the first notions of gods and spirits were invented, people must have been naturalistic.  Evidence suggests otherwise, however. This post is part of Naturalistic Traditions, a column exploring naturalism in Pagan ways.  The present series explores the historical roots … [Read more...]

The Busy Witch: Making Magic Together

making magic together

Patheos recently asked contributors to discuss defining moments in their faith and path, and I’m eager to share one of mine. For ten years, I was mostly content to “practice” as a solitary.  I say “practice” because for most of that time, despite calling myself a Witch and feeling a connection to Goddess, I did very little in the way of spells or rituals.  I insisted on keeping a nice, archetypal, academic distance from the deities, and I was constantly haunted by Stockard … [Read more...]