I've got a new piece up on No Unsacred Place about the proposed pipeline to bring oil from the Alberta tar sands to Gulf Coast refineries.  It's an ugly project that I oppose, but the situation is complex and deserves some explanation and some thought.Go read it, and while you're there check out some of the other writers' work. tar sands extraction in Alberta, Canada.  … [Read more...]

There will be an interfaith service of peace and hope on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at 6:00 PM at the First United Methodist Church of Denton.  I'm very happy the Denton County ministers who organized it (including DUUF's Rev. Pam Wat) reached out to include as many faith groups as possible - including Pagans.  I'll be speaking (very briefly) on behalf of Denton CUUPS, and David Sparks will participate as a representative of Temple Spiritualis Compassare.Additionally, … [Read more...]

I had an interesting conversation (if a couple of comments in a blog can be considered “conversation”) with Alison Lilly in regards to her most recent Dining With Druids podcast. Episode 9 is titled “Holy Personal Gnosis, Batman!” – Ali and her husband-to-be Jeff discussed what is sometimes called “Unverified Personal Gnosis” or UPG. UPG is first-hand religious experience. It’s what happens when a goddess or god speaks to you. It’s what happens when a Pentecostal Christian … [Read more...]

The Book of Druidry is a classic text by Ross Nichols (1902 – 1975), the founder of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. The book was written in segments by Nichols over the course of his life. He finished it just before he died, but the manuscript was thought to be lost until 1984 when current OBOD Chosen Chief Philip Carr-Gomm collected the pieces and had it published.In the forward, Philip Carr-Gomm says that in The Book of Druidry, “Ross managed to combine three books in one: a … [Read more...]

Do those of us who call ourselves Druids have a right to use the name? Without clearly recognized standards of preparation and achievement does the term have any meaning? Is the name so tightly attached to the priests, healers and advisors of the ancient Celtic world that it is now impossible to become a Druid? Alison Leigh Lilly of the Meadowsweet and Myrrh blog has a long essay on this topic that’s worth the time to read. It was inspired by another blog on the same topic and some Facebook … [Read more...]

It matters what company we keep.I was in the 10th grade. My English teacher had assigned a project to collect and summarize a series of newspaper and magazine articles on some theme I’ve long since forgotten. I didn’t really care for this teacher, I thought her project was more appropriate for elementary school than high school, and as a result I hadn’t started working on it with less than a week to go before it was due.The project came up in conversation at lunch one day. We talked … [Read more...]

Ten years ago this week I was handed a layoff notice. It wasn’t a shock – reorganization had been discussed for months and the factory where I worked wasn’t going to have enough volume left to support all of its staff. But it was still frustrating – it was the third job that went away within a seven year period. The first two had required cross-country moves to find a new job and I knew there was a high probability this one would too.And that bothered me. The first move was an … [Read more...]

Amy Martin at the 2010 Winter SolstiCelebrationI have been less than gracious toward the folks who call themselves “spiritual but not religious.” While I’ve always respected those seeking Wisdom and Truth in non-traditional ways, I’ve come across too many people who use the spiritual-but-not-religious tag as an excuse for spiritual laziness and for avoiding religious communities. After listening to Amy Martin this morning, I think I need to re-evaluate my gut-level response.In her … [Read more...]