Star Foster over on the Pantheon blog got me thinking with her two recent articles on the feasibility of Pagan temples in the modern age. ( first article : second article ). Doing something like this would be a considerable undertaking by any group of Pagans in the community. It would also take a transformation of the financial mentality of Pagan community as eloquently pointed out by John Beckett over at Under the Oaks. The idea behind building a temple in... Read more
I’m a Facebooker, it’s a problem, and I know this. I probably check it ten times a day, usually for just a couple of minutes, but sometimes my sessions run a little longer. I try hard not to be obscene about it, I’m not a “friend collector” randomly friending people just because they happen to be Pagan, but I am up to about 850 “friends.” It’s hard to keep up with all of them, but that number does guarantee that... Read more
I have been fascinated by the collapse of the right wing attack on women that has been backfiring every since they attacked Planned Parenthood through Komen. It seems to me it is like a kamikaze charge by the most demented foes of the feminine in all its forms, from Santorum and Romney to the ‘christian’ right and the secular culture warriors such as Rush Limbaugh. There are three dimensions that are particularly important for us Pagans. 1. It demonstrates “Framing... Read more
I recently discovered an article on radio waves that really got me thinking (Here is a more scientific article). It’s a fascinating article about how a simple change in shape of the wavelength changes exactly what we are able to do with the wavelength and the direct effect of those changes. Basically, the article states that by making an adjustment to how the radio waves are transmitted, they are able to stack more of them on top of one another.... Read more
Dear Jasmine, I am wondering what is the best way to come out of the “broom closet” to my friends and family? Sincerely, Sberry Dear Sberry, An old teacher of mine used to tell everyone that you should only need to share your spirituality with those you would want to share your underwear with. I know it is graphic, but think about it, is there anything out there more personal than your connection to the divine? This is a very... Read more
There is no shortage of tools you can buy or make to help you in ritual, but regardless of path, the most powerful one cannot be bought. It is simply your own voice. Voice is a resource available to most of us, and with it we can enrich our celebrations. It costs nothing in terms of money, but calls for energy, time, work and intention, which are all things that add to spiritual practice. Finding your own voice in ritual... Read more
Dear Jasmine, I am relatively new on my pagan path and one thing that I am having a lot of problems with is Meditating. I hear many people say that it is the first step in beginning magical workings and helping to connect to my deity, it just goes on and on! I have never meditated and I just do not know how? How do you get your mind to slow down and not get all the mundane stuff in... Read more
What can a naturalist celebrate in March? 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 March 19th-20th is an Equinox. That is, it is one of only two times a year when the tilt of the earth’s axis is leaning neither toward nor away from the sun. The name derives from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because... Read more
Being able to give and withhold consent is an essential expression of self. In all aspects of life, being able to say yes or no, for our own reasons, is critically important for emotional well-being. If we cannot choose freely and for our own reasons, then our scope for manifesting spiritual values in daily life is sorely impaired. Worse yet, we leave ourselves open to misuse. It’s very easy to lose this essential art and not even notice it has... Read more
Changes There is a saying I used to hear growing up in a coven and around the pagan community as I grew up. That saying was ” All that sure is change…“. It was a saying that was used to imply that the Wheel of the Year moves on and so does the cycle of our lives. It was a saying that was offered to people to provide comfort; to ease them into (sometimes drastic) changes they had recently undergone.... Read more
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