By Nadirah Adeye, MA After reaching maximum burnout last week, I took the weekend off from mommy duties. I rested, I lounged, I ignored my To Do list. I participated in a ritual on the beach with community. It was delicious and re-energizing and for the good of my family and the entire state of California, it was so very necessary. On Monday, I had an exchange with a child-free friend about the benefits and drawbacks of being a parent. I... Read more
Perspective means so much in today’s society. I have worked hard to allow my perception of the world to be OK while also challenging myself to grow by seeing others. It is a challenge indeed sometimes and yet one that I feel is worth it in the end. The bottom line is, I want to continue to grow because I have come to learn that I am worth it. A recent conversation mentioned my use of the words Pagan, woman... Read more
“With your nose turned up like that… you just can’t see… Your footsteps, trampling me” – lyrics from Stampede by Swoon. I recently had an interesting experience that is not new to me per se, but yet was very new in some ways. I often talk about the uniqueness of being an ethnic minority, and how that can feel in majority culture. Interestingly I have always been able to relate experiences from that perspective to that of my experience in... Read more
By Nadirah Adeye, MA On more than one occasion, I have had people (who know and love me but do not identify as priestesses) ask me, “But what is it that you do?” I have tried to explain, “Well, I’m legally ordained. I can marry people, I provide spiritual counseling, I support women in transformative birthing, I help people reconnect with their divine spark and illuminate the path to a better life for themselves.” And while of these responses are... Read more
I read the About.com article that came out this past week on the changing of Wicca and Paganism around racial identity . This article, Wicca, Paganism and Racial Identity, talked about the changes around the racial diversity and the integration of many different types of people when Wicca and many forms of Paganism have been comprised on mostly Caucasian people. This was an interesting article and it was nice to see that Daughters of Eve was listed as one of the... Read more
I had the chance to listen to a, rather old, Reith Lecture on the BBC about the genetics of race. Normally, I tend to shy away from listening to these kinds of subjects since a) I live within the sphere of being “other” and b) the sphere of race happens to be the one of the most often ignored and or maligned for making itself known; never mind the fact that many Americans have to walk the fine line of... Read more
“It demands great spiritual resilience not to hate the hater whose foot is on your neck, and an even greater miracle of perception and charity not to teach your child to hate.”” – James Arthur Baldwin. I have avoided writing about my position on the Z Budapest conflicts that continue to infiltrate the web throughout the last two years. In trying to hold respect for an elder of the path that has contributed so much, I have held my tongue... Read more
There have been few texts that have given voice to the vast cultural diversity within the Pagan community. As our community grows, the need for this has increased and there are more people of all different types that are practicing different forms of Paganism. I am grateful to see all the different types of people that are brothers and sisters in the Craft. It is quite exciting. Having an opportunity to contribute to giving a forum for the voice of... Read more
Anyone who tells you that money and religion don’t mix is either blind, naive, or some combination of the two. Take one look at a mega-church or posh synagogue and you can see just how lucrative religion can be, spiritually and monetarily. But the blog post isn’t about turning the pagan community into some grand money making scheme. Granted, many writers and leaders have made a tidy little sum selling watered down religion or ‘socially conscious’ fanaticism; but for the... Read more
Saturday I had the privilege of participating in a book signing and party at The Sacred Well in Oakland with other ladies that are contributors in the Shades of Faith; Minority Voices in Paganism anthology. Since the book came out last year I have had the honor of participating in two events that featured some of the authors in the book, one at Pantheacon and one this weekend. I found that I was amazed at how I ended up in... Read more
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