Where do the bounties of Nature come from? Two things are certain: they didn’t come from us and they didn’t have to come at all, as the never-ending stories of famine and hunger remind us. They are gifts, and the first response to a gift is to say “thank you.” Read more
Even if religion completely disappeared, it would quickly return because people have religious experiences all the time. This is organic religion, a religion not of doctrine but of experience, not of rules but of relationships, not of the intellect but of the soul. Read more
Insisting there must be some grand cosmic purpose for suffering is not compatible with polytheist theology. The question of suffering is one modern Pagans need to contemplate as our religions grow and mature. Read more
Here are three books for polytheists: a guide to devotional polytheism, an academic look at how the belief in many Gods may be humanity’s default setting, and a collection of devotions to the Morrigan. Read more
An ordeal isn’t just a hard and stressful experience, even if it teaches you something valuable. An ordeal is something that’s hard and stressful for the purpose of testing and transformation. Read more
Those who put their faith in Democrats – or Republicans, or Libertarians, or Communists – have been let down over and over and over again. There is no reason to expect things will be different next time. Instead, put your faith in something older, stronger, and more certain. Read more
Recognizing a miracle is a beautiful thing. Counting on a miracle is a recipe for failure. Read more
We made detailed plans and preparations for our Samhain ritual. And then the Gods and ancestors showed up with plans of their own. Read more
Death is a part of life. We contemplate death not to make sure we believe the “right” things about it, but to overcome our fears so we can spend our lives living as fully as possible. Read more
Unquestioning belief is not a Pagan virtue. How do we know what we know about the Gods? It requires using all our ways of knowing. Read more
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