If someone were to ask me what Pagan community is like in the St. Louis area, I’d say, “Picnic.” Part festival, part family reunion, and altogether joyous, the St. Louis Pagan Picnic celebrated its 20th anniversary June 9 and 10. Organizers said more than 4,000 people—perhaps as many as 4,500—gathered over two days in Tower Grove Park. The Picnic has become one of the largest and longest-running free outdoor festivals in the U.S. It was even studied by the founders of... Read more
The tree stood alone, just to the side of the small parking space near Monk’s Mound. A couple small, concrete benches made it a perfect picnic spot. Wendy and I walked to the tree, having decided to have a bit of lunch before climbing the 98-foot tall earth mound built centuries before, basket of earth by basket of earth, by the Native Americans who called Cahokia Mounds home hundreds of years ago. She noticed before I did that the tree... Read more
These are ideas I have been developing on my blog – Druid Life , and are not part of any wider perception of what Druidry is (yet). However, so far the idea of approaching aspects of life as art forms has caught people’s imaginations so I’m putting it out into the world. There is nothing definitive here, and no authority, just ideas about how we might take Druidry forward to be less about private personal faith and more about living... Read more
What can a naturalist celebrate in June? This post is part of Naturalistic Traditions, a column exploring naturalism in Pagan ways. This column will cover seasonal celebrations, historical and contemporary movements, and ritual practices. Natural cycles June 20th is a solstice. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will experience the longest day of the year, with the sun at the highest position in the sky. Meanwhile, those in the Southern Hemisphere will experience the shortest day, and the lowest sun. The... Read more
A few weeks ago the good folks over at Witchvox posted an article on their Facebook page from the UK Independent entitled “Police to be given specialist training to help child victims of ‘witchcraft’ beliefs.” Later in the day, the Covenant of the Goddess posted the article on their page as well. The reader reactions to the headline were swift, and many were sadly predictable: WTF??…whats next? Witch trials? We need to Band together. it’s all really starting to spread... Read more
Dear Jasmine, I am new to Paganism and so far my time in the community I have noticed allot of Indian influences within paganism, such as Bindis and use of the Hindu Deities. Is there a connection to Hindu and Neo-Pagan beliefs or is there another reason for these influences? Sincerely, A Dear A, This is a lovely question and I really hope I can do it justice! Personally I have used Hindu deities in my practice and I am... Read more
Many of us in Pagandom participate in several groups/circles/covens etc. My preference has always been to be a part of a small, intimate group (sometimes a full-fledged “coven,” sometimes not) along with a larger, more open circle. The small group becomes my place for serious work and instruction, and hopefully lives up to the idea of “perfect love and perfect trust.” The larger group satisfies my social urges, and allows me to be a part of my greater community. There... Read more
Sometimes our friends call to us in need. We offer what we can. Thus are the tears in the fabric of Being repaired. The Whole is strengthened, the Community blessed, and each individual gains something. When we work with the magic of generosity, we can manifest so much. I’m writing today because the American Magic Umbanda House of Oakland – having worked hard themselves for the last year to recover from a devastating fire that burned their sacred Lubisha –... Read more
Beltain has been and gone. I didn’t celebrate this year in any obvious sense. I’m finding the seasons hard to get to grips with at the moment. In February it was hot enough, in the south west of England, for me to get sunburn. Then we had rain. I’ve always associated Beltain with the coming of bluebells and May blossom on the hawthorn. The bluebells were out weeks ago and the May hasn’t shown up yet. In previous years they’ve... Read more
What can a naturalist celebrate in May? This post is part of Naturalistic Traditions, a column exploring naturalism in Pagan ways. This column will cover seasonal celebrations, historical and contemporary movements, and ritual practices. Natural cycles May 4th is a Cross-quarter. That is, it is the midpoint between the previous equinox and the upcoming solstice. As such, it is one of eight stations in our planet’s annual journey around the sun. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is well... Read more
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