It's May. It's Taurus season. The season for celebrating the element of Earth in its fullest expression. A season that puts us in touch with that part of our souls that sticks closest to our skin and delights in the physical. In the Reclaiming tradition, it's called Younger Self. I learned to call it Sticky One. Read more
Were early hunter-gatherer peoples naturalistic? It is difficult to tell. They were every bit as intelligent and creative as us, and could have created the first naturalistic traditions. Evidence suggests otherwise, however. Read more
For ten years, I was mostly content to “practice” as a solitary. I say “practice” because for most of that time, despite calling myself a Witch and feeling a connection to Goddess, I did very little in the way of spells or rituals. I was constantly haunted by Stockard Channing’s voice from the film Practical Magic reminding me that “You can’t practice witchcraft while you look down your nose at it!” Read more
The first thing I think of when asked about a defining moment in my life is the moment I knew that I wanted to study biology. This was one of a series of events that eventually led to my becoming a Pagan Priestess. Read more
In Celtic Christianity, it is said that prayer should be continued “until tears come.” Not everyone can cry so easily, but that isn't a bad guideline for a devotional ritual. Read more
I ran a folk club in my twenties. I sing seasonal material, songs about the land, things that are intrinsically Pagan. One evening, totally out of the blue, one of the members said, “Sing us one of your Druid songs.” At that point in my life, I hadn’t even met a Druid. Read more
It's getting close to Thargelia, but my celebration doesn't look much like the ancient festival of the same name. Instead of throwing the ugliest dude in town off a cliff or beating a goat with a stick while chasing it to the city limits as a sacrifice to purify the people, I just clean out my cabinets. Read more
My experience in Witchcraft began as a self-directed solitary for many years, with formal coven training only becoming available later on, so I can speak to both sides of the issue of spiritual self-direction with some authority. Read more
We all have a choice: light a candle, or curse the darkness. I'll reach for that candle, every time. Read more
Druidry is nothing like as orderly as many people seem to assume. It’s not even slightly like a church, it’s like a lot of small groups and gatherings with all manner of connections and overlaps between them. And no, you don’t need a beard. Read more
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