Yesterday was a really good day. Not because it was Valentine’s Day (a non-holiday in my opinion), but because it started with a coffee date with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years and years. He was in town on business and we met up for a chat. (“Who’s John?” my husband asked. “You want a date on Valentine’s Day that badly, just ask!” Ha!) After talking about our kids, our spouses, my recent move, the topic invariably turned... Read more
Part 4 of my testimony will have to wait until next week. It’s been a week of lousy sleep due to the teething my daughter is doing. She’s ambitious: she’s cutting 6-8 teeth at once. Yay. I just don’t think I’ve got a post in me today. Here are some links for your weekend reading: Earlier this week I wrote a book review on Ten Moons: The Inner Journey of Pregnancy for Pagan Families. This is an interesting essay on... Read more
I was hoping to have all of The Pilgrim’s Tale, a Russian spiritual classic, read for review today. Even with kids and limited reading time I can plow through a book if need be. This time? I’m savoring it. In fact, I’m inspired by it. One of the things I love about the Eastern Orthodox tradition in all its ‘flavors’ (the Church is divided along ethnic and national lines) is that mysticism is front and center: in its liturgy, traditions,... Read more
When I left off last time I was married, miserable and crying during prayers. (You can read part one and part two here.) Let us continue my testimony and find out what shape my Christianity took next. Without getting into the gory and very personal details I’ll sum up what happened next: I jumped ship. I fell in love with a woman and got a divorce. In that order. At this point I felt like I had tried the traditional... Read more
Let me just get this out of the way: I am not really enjoying this quarter. This is good information. Sitting with this discomfort is educational, insightful. But not fun or juicy or exciting. I surprise myself every week with just how Not Christian I am. Oh, do I miss the practices and mindsets of the previous two quarters! I can’t not practice, so I lightly say my prayers and do a few breathing exercises. But oh, how I miss... Read more
Each quarter I load up a Spotify playlist with music that channels the tradition I’m embracing. I enjoyed the rhythms and chants of Hindu inspired music. I listened to a lot of Bjork and Florence + the Machine during my Pagan quarter, two artists I adore. They may not be Pagan themselves, but their lyrics and sensibilities sure are. But this quarter? Contemporary Christian music is just so bad. Bland, cheesy, and trite. As I was lying awake in the... Read more
Thanks to my experienced readers I was reminded that the word for this type of biography is called a testimony. Thank you, readers! Let’s continue my testimony. (You can read part one here.) In this installment I get personal and talk about things I’d rather not. We last left off as I approached college. I considered myself a Christian, but was wary of Christian culture and of people who grew up in youth group. So you can imagine my enthusiasm... Read more
I can’t remember the last time I sat down and read something from the bible. In my academic studies I did a lot of work with the first three chapters of Genesis. Occasionally I’d pay attention to the scripture readings at church services when I’d sing there. I was surprised, and I’m not sure why, to discover just how terribly boring is the gospel of Matthew. Something I remember from my religious studies days, and which was clear as day... Read more
Firstly: I think I must be doing something right. My son, now 3.5 years old, just stood in front of the altar (which is still not fully set up), put his hands together, and prayed to the Ancestors to bless the dead and everyone in this house. Then he went back and said ‘Mother, I love you with all my heart. Bless my parents and all my friends.’ Oh, my heart. Secondly: This site will be down tomorrow in observance/protest... Read more
Something I remember from my years in Christianity is the practice of telling one’s story of how they came to Jesus. There’s a name for these stories, but I can’t remember what it is…. maybe ‘witness’? Last quarter I had planned to write about how I found Feri but the move took up so much of my brain that I let that go. Now, hanging out with friends, the question has come up – what was my upbringing? What was... Read more
A Witch's Ashram
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