I don’t think it’s actually chocolate at all. Someone wasted some sugar by mixing it in some paraffin just so they could make a buck passing it off as candy. White chocolate is simply the most vile confectionery known to humankind. I do not accept it as a valid member of the chocolate family, I do not tolerate it in my home and I reject it outright. I without reservation reject that Chris Noth as Mr. Big was a better... Read more
“If you don’t get what you want, it’s a sign either that you did not seriously want it, or that you tried to bargain over the price.” – Rudyard Kipling If you follow Patheos Pagan on Google+, Facebook or Twitter you know that I generally post some Pagan music and a quote each day. Sometimes it’s merely Pagan-ish. I needed some unapologetic rock this morning, and the best I could drum up was Jethro Tull. We really need a Pagan... Read more
Recently a blogger not worth naming make the statement that Paganism is merely Protestantism playing dress up. Seems patently absurd. Of course Progressive Protestant Christians are indeed taking on the trappings of Paganism: the Wheel of the Year, the Divine Feminine and positive affirmation style magic. However, that’s like saying I have a beard because a bearded guy mugged me. It just doesn’t work that way. I have developed a stock phrase that some people find charming to answer the... Read more
Lammas, the festival of the loaf. The festival of first fruits. Of tomatoes and cucumbers and other things that go nicely on sandwiches. I’ve been spending some time considering what my own first fruits are this year. I have found some good things. I have some stability. Not much, but a little. That makes a big difference. I have found some peace. I am more at peace with who I am than ever before. I have never felt so glorious... Read more
I am not a warm and fuzzy person by nature, but my heart is hurting for Jonathan Merritt. I haven’t seen the guy in 20 years but every so often I look him up and see what he’s writing about. He is an excellent writer, even though we parted ways politically and theologically long ago. We were never close, just two kids who knew each other through Mr. Chuck’s children’s worship service. Every Sunday there was a part of the... Read more
I’ve written before on this blog about how the religious culture I was raised in shaped me, and how it continues to be important to me. Just as there are cultural Catholics and people who are culturally Jewish, I am culturally Southern Baptist. Obviously, I no longer practice the Baptist faith, but it was a big part of who I am at one pint. As a tiny child I answered the altar call of great Baptist orator Dr. James Merritt... Read more
I think I owe you all a bit of holiday music. But first you get a Lammas llama. 13. Damh the Bard – Lughnasadh 12. Paul Giovanni – Corn Rigs 11. Green Day – Wake Me Up When September Ends 10. King Harvest – Dancing In The Moonlight 9. Grease – Summer Nights 8. Guy Clark – Homegrown Tomatoes 7. John Prine – That’s The Way That The World Goes ‘Round 6. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Fishin’ In The... Read more
Even though the film is about May Day, I think Lammas/Lughnasadh is the perfect time to watch The Wicker Man. Extended version of course. Oh, and “like” Patheos Pagan on FB. If we hit 3,000 fans I may post a video of me doing a happy dance. WE MADE IT! I owe Cat Chapin-Bishop a happy dance! Read more
Some days I think interfaith work is worth it. Some days I think actual progress toward mutual understanding happens. Sometimes real common ground is discovered. Funny enough, I most often get that feeling when speaking to progressive Muslims. Not something I ever expected, but there are days when I think I can sit and talk to Muslim women easier than I can people of any other faith group. It’s really very cool. But more often as the years pass I... Read more
First of all, I FEEL BETTER! Whatever bug I had has vamoosed, and in the way things go I am amused at how the universe always seem to kick you when you’re down, and at how all sorts of things happen while you are lying abed with a bug. How weird the wide world is! I know there are Olympics, and Catholics using smarmy quoting practices and Lammas and about a gajillion blog posts that could be responded to but... Read more
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