Still Moving Towards The Star, Uneasily

Almost every Pagan gathering – conference, convention, festival, or whatever you call it – has a theme.

Sometimes the theme actually matches the theme the organizers chose… if they chose one. More frequently it’s something participants pick up on in the workshops, rituals, informal conversations, and general atmosphere of the event. It’s the “spirit of the day” – which may or may not involve actual spirits.

At last year’s Mystic South, the theme was The Star. The Star follows The Tower in the Tarot, and while we all understood that Tower Time is still very much with us, it was time to start thinking and talking about what we want to build from the rubble of The Tower. There was an atmosphere of optimism and hope. Things weren’t good but we had reason to expect they would get better.

You know what happened after that.

The atmosphere at this year’s Mystic South was far more uneasy. The optimism was gone. Every discussion of the next election (whether in 2026 or 2028) was met with “if there is a next election” (for what it’s worth, I firmly believe elections will continue indefinitely. How much good they do – due to gerrymandering and voter indifference – remains to be seen). There was dismay over the lack of progress in restoring reproductive rights and over the ongoing loss of LGBTQ rights – especially the rights of trans people. There was disgust over the brutality and inhumanity of ICE.

And in this environment, Mystic South had the largest attendance in its seven-year history.

Our Ritual of Resistance and Alliance had the biggest turnout I’ve ever had for a ritual at a Pagan conference.

There were presentations on magic for transforming your life and magic for everyday needs.

The informal conversations weren’t as theologically deep as I’ve had in previous years, but they were intensely practical: what can we do and how can we best do it?

People were frustrated, fearful, and angry. They were concerned for the future for themselves, their families of blood and families of choice, and their communities. But they were still there, trying to figure out their place in this unwelcoming world.

However uneasy they may have felt, they were still moving toward The Star.

The same theme at home

We’re seeing the same thing at Denton CUUPS. The pandemic almost killed our group. A few of us kept it going through sheer determination and stubbornness, but participation was a small fraction of what it was in 2016 through 2019.

But ever since this year’s Imbolc (which was 12 days after the inauguration) attendance at our rituals has been growing. We’re taking in new members, and not just one or two – we just had the largest new member orientation class in our 25 year history. As with the people at Mystic South, our new members are uneasy about the direction our wider society is headed.

Where ever it’s going, they don’t want to travel alone.

And they don’t have to.

We can’t make all the bad stuff going on in the world go away. But we can get through it, if we work together… and if we keep moving toward The Star.

Pulling ourselves up off the canvas

Right now we feel like we’ve been punched in the mouth and we’re just trying to get up.

Whether we should feel like we’ve been punched in the mouth is another question. It’s not like we didn’t live through 2017 – 2021… and it’s not like 2021 – 2025 was a golden age. Byron Ballard was warning us about Tower Time in the early 2010s. I’ve been writing about it since at least 2014. And the Morrigan was telling those who would listen “get ready – a storm is coming” in 2009 (that I know of – there may have been earlier messages from the Great Queen).

But there’s should, and then there’s is. Maybe we should be further along than we are, but that’s not relevant.

What’s relevant is that we’ve absorbed the “shock and awe” and we’ve decided – individually and collectively – that we’re not going to change our core values just because white Christian nationalists are in power. We’re not going to give up our dreams of living a magical life, and we’re not going to stop working to build a world where everyone can be who they are and who they want to be without someone trying to force them into a box where they don’t fit.

We’ve started moving toward The Star again.

Do something now, even if it’s small

What I didn’t hear at Mystic South were plans. There was occasional talk of short term plans (I talked about a few of my own) but nothing resembling a long term strategy.

Those of you who know me know I like plans. Those of you who have to deal with me in person on a regular basis know I really like plans. I want clear and tangible goals, a realistic approach for achieving them, and milestones to track progress. Being an engineer isn’t just how I make a living – it’s part of who I am.

But we aren’t ready to make plans… not yet, anyway.

One of the things I teach in my classes on magic – and that I’ve always tried to do in my own life – is to not let the lack of a complete plan keep me from taking action. If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, start moving in the general direction that seems right. Yes, it’s better to have a precise target, but if you wait till you’re absolutely sure, you may be waiting forever. Plus the further you go, the more you learn. If your general direction was right, then when you figure out your exact goal you’ll be closer to it and you won’t have as far to go.

That’s what I’m getting when I see record crowds at Mystic South and new people at Denton CUUPS. People aren’t sure exactly where they want to go, but they know they want to go somewhere, and these are good places to start.

And these are good places to find other people who are traveling in the same direction.

In the direction of The Star.

So where are we going?

The first thing is to take care of yourself and take care of each other. Eat good food, drink plenty of water, and get enough sleep. Eat and drink other things in moderation. Move your body. Whatever else we may be, we are animals with animal needs.

The second thing is to remember who you are. You’re a Pagan, a Heathen, a Druid, a witch – however you describe the way you relate to the Gods, ancestors, spirits, and the natural world. However you describe how you incorporate magic into your life. A strong spiritual practice will get you through difficult times. It’s best if you already have one. If you don’t, the best time to start one is now.

Find your people. Find the witches, the Druids, the Pagans. Find the non-theists who don’t want to live under Christian nationalism any more than you do. Find the Christians who still worship Jesus instead of worshipping Donald Trump. Perhaps you can’t be friends, but you can still be allies.

Make good art. Express yourself in writing, singing, dancing, painting, photography, or any one of a thousand arts. Perfection is not the goal. Commercialization is definitely not the goal. Giving shape and form to your innermost thoughts and feelings is the goal. The culture war I mistakenly thought was all but over has turned the other way, and while we cannot abandon the political process, we must fight this battle in the arena of culture.

Fortunately, we have better artists than they do. Conservatism – much less fascism – always makes bad art, because it’s trying to re-establish some mythical past that never was instead of creating a vision for the future.

Keep moving toward The Star

Survive. Fight when it’s advantageous, but mainly make sure you live to fight another day.

Maintain your sovereignty, especially the sovereignty of your mind. Live your life your way, even if the people behind Project 2025 don’t approve. Especially if the people behind Project 2025 don’t approve.

Don’t try to get through this by yourself. Even if you can, it will be much harder on your own. And in any case, life’s more fun together (remember to have fun!).

And remember that as urgent as politics are, the most important battle is the cultural battle. We will win by telling better stories.

We’re done with bluster and false certainty (or at least, I am). We know things are difficult and they will remain difficult for the foreseeable future. But we’re still moving toward The Star, however uneasy our steps may be.

And that’s enough.