Imagine that, on the street, you see a woman wearing an odd T-shaped necklace with a tiny man on it. You recognize it as one of those "Abrahamic" things. Intrigued, you approach her and ask, "What do Abrahamics believe?" Asking what Pagans believe makes about as much sense... so what's the right question to ask? Read more
Creepy books put us in touch with fear and death without pushing those torture-porn buttons. While high levels of horror can leave you a tad cold blooded and desensitised if you aren’t careful, a good creepy read is all about letting small, manageable amounts of fear in. Read more
For years, I’ve resisted the changing seasons and the coming cold; I moved to the south to get away from long, bitter winters, and I’ll wear sandals even when it’s snowing, just to cling to the semblance of summer. But this year, I finally feel ready to welcome to the cold with intention. Read more
How do you impart a personal experience of the Divine that may not be at all like your own? How do you teach the sound of one hand clapping? The answer is: you don’t. You teach the skills needed in order to make this very personal discovery instead. Read more
Not every Pagan views their spirituality as a site of political action, but, for many of us, this has been one of the lasting gifts of Feminism. For the early Feminists, spirituality and politics were bound up in each other, and this action is mirrored in the eco-consciousness elements of Modern Paganism. Read more
A God Who Makes Fire: The Bardic Mysticism of Amergin includes a new translation of the Cauldron of Poesy, a line-by-line analysis of the translation, a chapter on each of the three cauldrons exploring their symbolism and meaning, a selection of bardic poetry exploring the nine emotions that “turn” the cauldrons, and a new method for practicing the system of “cauldron mysticism” described in the text. Read more
Apologetics don't lead to conversation, and they don't facilitate respectful exchange. Instead, they make a declaration and then reject anything that may contradict that statement. This is the opposite of everything modern logical thought and scientific practice has taught us. Read more
Whatever you do in response to Christio-Pagans, please, don’t fear and resent them because they are different. Don’t feel threatened by their unfamiliarity. Don’t let prejudice and assumption lead you; meet them as individuals. Read more
I’m missing magic right now, and missing my circle, but at the same time, I know that I need this time to myself. Solitude is an important part of my practice, but one that’s all too easy to ignore in the summer. Now, as the weather turns wet and cold, I welcome this chance to stay home and descend into silence. Read more
As a community, we need to be very aware of the risk of presenting real spiritual experience as a commodity that all Pagans are entitled to. Gnosis and other spiritual experiences must be earned, and then we must have the discernment and self-knowledge to recognize them for what they are. We cannot go into the process with the expectation of reward. Read more
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