The Problem of the Pagan “Us and Them”

April 30, 2012 By
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When I questioned the place of compassion in Pagan and Polytheist philosophy a couple of weeks back, I got an interesting response from one of my readers, "LaurelhurstLiberal". She wrote, "Now, about compassion: as a Heathen Reconstructionist, this is one of the big questions I'm still trying to puzzle out. Right now, it seems to me that a Heathen should be a good neighbor and a good citizen, but isn't necessarily supposed to have capital-C Compassion for everybody in the world. There are … [Read more...]

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Where is the Source of Your Inspiration?

April 27, 2012 By
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This morning I woke, picked up the pen and paper on the hotel nightstand, and wrote down these words: What is it to write from sleeping? To write without ceasing. To hold back the need to edit, the impulse to correct. The penmanship is awful, but that does not matter. The only impulse is to write. The chance to create from a place of great stillness; the greatest stillness next to eternal sleep. Write because there is a fire of great color burning in your heart. The heat is your cousin, … [Read more...]

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What is the Point of Your Religion?

April 17, 2012 By
Sprout_Lightbulb

Last week I asked, "Where does compassion belong among Pagans and Polytheists?" Beneath this first question there is another, more relevant question; one that has been nagging at me for several days: What is the point of your religion? I think this is a valuable inquiry, and no one has asked me this just yet. Yesterday I enrolled at Marylhurst University, the first step in a course of study that I hope will one day lead to a Masters of Divinity. I trust that during that course of work … [Read more...]

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Where Does Compassion Belong Among Pagans and Polytheists?

April 9, 2012 By
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I'm having a hard time with compassion. So far, I've developed a daily ritual at my altar, I've reconciled (for the time being) my differences with my Christianity, I'm working to hold the tension between my Druid Revival leanings and my ADF approach, and all of that feels good. I feel like I'm developing a balanced, sincere, honorable religious practice. And yet, I'm uncertain about compassion. By saying that I'm uncertain about compassion I don't mean to imply that I don't feel … [Read more...]

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Do Not Speak, and You Will Be Heard

April 5, 2012 By
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Today I approached my altar in silence. Speaking the words out loud, my standard approach to a daily ritual, felt unnecessary. In my mind, in my heart, the words rang out with perfect clarity, and I trusted that whomever needed to hear them would. The effort I put into my daily practice waxes and wanes, and it is influenced a great deal by my emotional state. Some days I don't feel I have it in me to make offerings of gratitude and thanks to the Kindred. There are financial concerns, piles of … [Read more...]

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Listen to my interview on The Pagan Knitter Podcast!

April 3, 2012 By
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I'm excited to announce that my interview on The Pagan Knitter Podcast is live!! I had such a wonderful time talking with Ursa about my experience of Druidry, my love of knitting, and my passion for writing and blogging. You can listen to the podcast on the Pagan Knitter website, or download it directly through iTunes. I hope you enjoy! … [Read more...]

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Remembering to Remember

April 3, 2012 By

We don't know how to relate to one another. This became evident by the end of my first day of tarot readings at Isis Books. We don't really know how to be in relationships, which is interesting to me because we are in relationships. Our lives are chalk-full of relationships. Yet, somehow, they remain a great mystery to us. People who come for readings (a first observation) are seeking clarify on what to do, not what to think or believe. They want to know how to handle matters of … [Read more...]

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Awaking Me Loudly: Seduced By the Tarot

April 1, 2012 By
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Transformation is a slow process, and challenging to describe. Best to be on the lookout for that initial spark of change, and then follow it wherever it leads you. The Chariot: The pursuit of the Divine is a series of sublimations; a refinement of the base; lead to gold. - March 29th, 2009 The tarot has been an initiator of change for me on many occasion. In the early months of 2009, at a moment of transition for the public voice of Weiser Books, known on Facebook and Twitter as … [Read more...]

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