Happy Imbolc (or February holiday of your choice)!
For those of you the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you are keeping well and warm and avoiding the worst of flu season. Southern folks — I am terribly jealous of your summer sun!
Patheos Pagan has wonderful resources for Imbolc (and also some alternative holidays from other traditions). Click the links to find resources on Agora and site-wide, check out this ritual by Jason Mankey, or read Mrs. B’s Imbolc Link Round-Up.
January has been a busy month for recruiting here at Patheos Pagan. I’m excited to announce a new column and three new blogs:
We welcome mage, scholar, and Pagan priest Sam Webster as a Patheos Pagan channel columnist. Sam’s first installment, “Beginning the Pagan Restoration,” made a controversial splash on the channel last week. Look for Sam’s column every third Wednesday of the month.
Under the Ancient Oaks, by John Beckett. John is a Druid and a Unitarian Universalist, and of his blog, he writes, “Sometimes I write about what’s going on in my life. Sometimes I write about what’s in the news or what’s abuzz on the Pagan internet. There are some recurring themes: the nature of the Universe, the origins of religion, developing relationships with the spirits of nature, with our ancestors, and with our gods and goddesses. Spiritual growth. Magic. Building vibrant religious communities. And perhaps most importantly, how to combine all that into a spiritual practice that builds a better world here and now.”
Leaning into Mystery, by Sarah Twichell. Sarah’s blog focuses on practice from a broad Pagan perspective, and she writes, “My hope is that this blog will be of use to those of you seeking to establish or deepen a practice of your own. From identifying the kinds of practices that work well to solving the most common question about practice (‘How do I find the time?’), we’ll look together at what makes for a strong practice and how we can each establish, deepen, and choose to re-engage with our own practices.”
Dalliances with Deities, by Aine Llewellyn. Aine is a devotional polytheist, and of his blog, he writes, “I have been involved with some form of Paganism or polytheism since I was a child, but I didn’t realize or understand what it meant to live (rather than just think) my faith. It took me a while to grasp that I had faith in the first place! …I am not nor wish to present myself as some sort of expert or authority (especially since polytheism is so complex), and this blog is more a young man’s wrestling with different aspects of modern polytheism.” Aine is currently writing a series on polytheistic prayer.
Agora has also had an influx of new contributors (and recommitments from existing ones). Eclectic priestess of Apollo Sunweaver rejoins us with her column Making Light, and earthy St. Louis Pagan Kathy Nance offers us her newly named column Gateway Goddess.
New Agora columns include:
- Christopher Scott Thompson on Loop of Brighid, focusing on Brigidine paganism and Pagan devotion
- Jen McConnel on The Busy Witch, offering tips and encouragement for making Pagan spirituality part of a full and busy life
- Sable Aradia on Seekers and Guides, serving up advice on teaching and learning to students and teachers of the Craft
Agora also features ongoing columns by Pagan humanist B.T. Newberg (Naturalistic Traditions) and Druid Nimue Brown (Druid Thoughts).
For more information on all these great columnists or to subscribe to a column, check out the Agora Contributors page.
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