Are You There Gods? It’s Me, Teo.

Looking Up

Sometimes I think there's a good reason for blind faith, religious ignorance, unwavering piety. Sometimes those seem like a much easier choices than being inquisitive, being contemplative, being patient with your own uncertainty. The dialogue around the last post extended deep into the theoretical as well as the practical, even spawning an interesting offshoot post on ecological polytheism, and a resurgence of questions about an American goddess named Columbia. The explosion of ideas did a … [Read more...]

Prayers for the Dark Night in Aurora

Arthur Diehl, Pagan Prayer

I don't often weigh in on national news. That isn't really the focus of this blog. But today, national news went local. I live just south of Denver, in the city of Englewood. My home is about 20 minutes from Aurora, the scene of a gruesome mass-killing which took place last night at a midnight showing of the newest Batman movie. We're also about 15 minutes from my parent's house in Littleton, which sits just a mile or two down the road from Columbine. It's a strange thing to position … [Read more...]

The Offerings of Man, the Obligations of Gods

In honor of the ancestors

I approach my home shrine in the morning and prepare my offerings. Into three small, porcelain sake glasses, which were given to me by my stepfather, I pour a small bit of sugar, oats, and oil. These were the foods that made the most sense to me, although I'm not sure why. Whether I'm clothed or naked, I drape a stole over my shoulders. The stole it green and white, and was made by hand; made by a woman I met at a metaphysical fair in the fall of last year. She gave it to me as a gift … [Read more...]

I Went Camping in the Woods and I Came Back a Druid

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Organized sports never suited me. But wrestling with my faith? Someone should give out trophies. I would have a garage full. When I left for the Eight Winds Festival, the first ADF gathering I'd ever attended, I was concerned that I may not be able to invest myself fully on account of a little religious indiscretion I had with the Cosmic Christ (if you didn't hear about that, read this or this). I thought there was some need to resolve the conflict I experienced after reading Jesus Through … [Read more...]

When Jesus Hitches a Ride to the Druid Camp

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I've been a stay-at-home Pagan, a bookish Pagan, a CUUPS ritual-attending Pagan, and a blogging Pagan. But as of yet, I have not been a festival-going Pagan. That all changes this week. On Wednesday I shall make my way to the Prosser Ranch group campground, located just outside the town of Truckee, California, and celebrate Druidism, ADF style, at the annual Eight Winds festival. The timing of this religious retreat is rather interesting. Over the last month, swamped as I've been … [Read more...]

How Does Paganism Handle Turnover?

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A friend messaged me this morning to tell me she'd been fired. The news was unexpected, as it often is, and she was understandably torn up over it. My heart sunk, and I hurt for her. I wanted to reach out and embrace her, but I couldn't. There was only text between us, and the text was insufficient. Words are not the same as touch, the same as shoulders, the same as passing the tissue across the table. Words are sometimes not enough. About a year ago I lost my job. It was non-traditional … [Read more...]

Two Pagans, an ex-Druid, and a Pastor Walk Into a Bar

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Below is a blog post created in Storify, a website which helps its users tell stories by curating social media. Not only can you read and embed Storify posts, but you can Like, Comment, or Share any of the individual messages inside a Storify post. High-tech, no? It takes dialogue to a micro-level. Give the post a read, engage in some dialogue, both inside the post and in the traditional comments, and then pay a visit to my Indiegogo Campaign, Sacred Electric Grove. [View the story … [Read more...]

New Pagan Music: Join Me in the Sacred Electric Grove

Teo Bishop - Sacred Electric Grove Cover

In modern times, a Bard is one who sees their creativity as an innate spiritual ability, and who chooses to nurture that ability partly or wholly with Druidism. - From Druidy.org, OBOD For well over a year my voice has been heard by my readership only as text. You've come to know me by reading me, by engaging in dialogue in the comments, by reaching out with encouragement, insight, and support. This has been an amazing journey for me, and I'm grateful to have shared it with you. Today, I … [Read more...]

One Little Pagan on the Huffington Post

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I remember when I first came out as gay, I wanted to read other gay writers. I wanted to listen to gay music, and wear gay t-shirts, and stitch a gay patch to my high school backpack. Gay was the thing to be, as far as I was concerned, and "gay bling" was hot currency. Along with my proclivity for rainbows came the opinion that the lack of this dearth of gay pride was a clear indication that there was gay bigotry afoot. Certainly, if they weren't shouting slogans at the front of the Chorus … [Read more...]

Looking a little closer at Pagan Leaders, Clergy, and Teachers

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An online academic journal called Hybrid Pedagogy posted a piece that I wrote about a student's perspective on pedagogy, which for those (like me) who aren't teachers by trade, is the method and practice of teaching. There is a discussion happening in academic circles about the changing roles of teacher and student. The "brick and mortar" classroom is being supplemented, and sometimes replaced by online learning environments, and social media tools, like Twitter, are becoming discussed as … [Read more...]