A Witch's Ashram
Niki reviews a new translation of Julian of Norwich's Showings. Is it effective? And why should Pagans be interested? Read more
Niki reviews a new translation of Julian of Norwich's Showings. Is it effective? And why should Pagans be interested? Read more
Niki talks about the challenges of participating in Christmas and how she is managing the holiday this year. Read more
Dual observance, the practice of more than one tradition at one time, is more common than most people realize. It's not just for Pagans, either. Read more
A Witch's Ashram opens its door with an introduction. Grab some tea and see what this new Patheos Pagan blog is all about. Read more
Oh Disney, you are so complicated. Such beautiful art, such a weird and twisted empire. So many great movies, so many terrible ones. But one thing has remained constant for your empire: you are a feminist’s nightmare. I fell in love with Disney when I was 14, when The Little Mermaid came out. The colors! THE SINGING. I didn’t have a filter then for deconstructing the anti-feminist qualities of that film. And oh, it’s awful for girls. Silence your voice... Read more
When I’m shopping for my kids for birthdays or holidays, I rarely think to myself ‘is this Pagan?’ I don’t care if something is exactly my flavor of spirituality. What I’m looking for are things that foster creativity and enjoyment, and stories that reflect the values with which I and my husband are raising our family. There isn’t a lot of high quality Pagan- or Hindu-specific kid stuff out there (that I can find easily). But there are some things... Read more
I actually had to look up what a benefaction is. I figured it meant something positive. It does: a charitable gift or deed. Honor gifts given or good deeds done. How can we do this? I think a simple ‘thank you’ is always sufficient and in good taste. The art of thank you cards seems to have died out, but are always a nice touch. Sometimes an email or phone call to say thank you can work just as well.... Read more
It’s full on holiday shopping time. But what do you buy the mystic in your life? What do you get for the witch that has everything? Let me help you! This is my first ever gift guide. I typically don’t want to encourage the commodification of sacred holidays, but who doesn’t like pretty things? And who doesn’t want to support independent artists and other small businesses? So without further ado here are things that I would love – I mean,... Read more
Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. A day where we all eat the same meal containing too many carbs and too much sugar. A day where we drive some distance to be with family we only see once a year at most. Or a day where we’re plotting our shopping itinerary to take advantage of Black Friday sales that start at midnight to buy cheap shit we don’t need. Ok, that’s the cynical view, but on a broad scale... Read more
Intention. Do what you mean to do. Do what you say you will do. Follow through. These phrases are what come to mind with today’s maxim. Along with the aphorism: the road to hell is paved with good intentions. But see, words and desires not followed through on were never really intentional. They were empty words, half-considered actions. This maxim asks us to do several things. First, we have to decide what it is we want to do. What is... Read more
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