To listen passively leads to anger and pain. To listen actively, while difficult, leads to understanding and acceptance. Will you make the effort to truly listen to another? Read more
To listen passively leads to anger and pain. To listen actively, while difficult, leads to understanding and acceptance. Will you make the effort to truly listen to another? Read more
As we celebrate the changing of the seasons and the balance of day and night the Rev. Melissa Hill talks about the fertile Earth Mother and how to harmonize modern science with ancient understanding of this goddess who supports us with every step we take. Read more
The planet Mercury has been in retrograde since September 17 and will return to his direct path October 9th, so not long now (1). You may have noticed that communications have gone a bit sideways over the last few weeks, especially if you've been paying attention to the Patheos Pagan channel and the very hot debates on cultural appropriation raging there. This will account for some of it. Read more
If we, as modern pagans, want to be truly inclusive in our public rituals then we need to stop thinking that inclusive means crafting the ideal experience for able-bodied, contemplative adults. We need to start thinking of ourselves as the diverse group that we are. Read more
In Paganism, we spend a lot of time shouting across the chasms of meaning and misunderstanding. One of my best friends and I have been at loggerheads for about fifteen years over the most basic of assumptions about the nature of the universe. And the root of this disagreement is a simple one. You see, I’m not a Neoplatonist. Read more
Having certainty doesn’t mean that we don’t need faith. It means we don’t need blind faith, the kind that places our lives and the responsibility for our own spiritual fate in another’s hands. And, it is in this sense, I believe, that the “certainty, not faith” statement was included in the foundations of the Craft, short as it was otherwise on statements of belief. Read more
Like a guardian at the gates of the underworld, here mugwort waits to delve into dreams with you. Read more
If little Suzy wants to go up onto a mountain top, burn some sage, and try to get in touch with her extremely distant native American roots, that's one thing. When Little Suzy comes back down from the mountain and claims to be a Hopi spiritual leader, that's quite another. Read more
The book “American Heathens” is the first long-term sociological study of what it means to be Heathen in America. It is an interesting work. Read more
It is always an exacting experience to examine our own contributions to perpetuating oppressive cultural norms. What is personal inevitably triggers resistance to concepts that directly confront our own behaviors. This is a process of evolution of belief and social understanding. While my core beliefs have remained constant, my insight into what those beliefs require in terms of actions and the compassionate support of others is in a constant process of maturation. Read more
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