Can We Trust the Gods?

Last updated on: March 17, 2015 at 9:05 pm By John Beckett

Some Pagans act as if the Gods are our kindly grandparents. Others act as if the Gods are as deadly and unpredictable as rattlesnakes. Can we trust Them? These are the thoughts and experiences of one polytheist. Read more

Are There Moral Facts?

Last updated on: March 19, 2015 at 7:06 am By John Beckett

Justin P. McBrayer did a good job of driving traffic to the New York Times website with a cheap shot on public schools and pearl-clutching on moral relativism. Children need all the help they can get in learning to separate fact from opinion – and they need to be taught how to live virtuously. Read more

Alliances With the Spirit World

Last updated on: March 15, 2015 at 9:44 am By John Beckett

Like our human alliances, our alliances with the spirit world are best when they’re built on a firm foundation of honesty and reciprocity. They require constant attention. They’re a lot of work. They can be a lot of bother. They can also be extremely rewarding. Read more

Ostara – A Solitary Ritual

Last updated on: March 14, 2015 at 12:52 pm By John Beckett

Many Pagans maintain solitary practices. Even if you work with a group, sometimes you can’t be with them for one reason or another. Here’s an Ostara ritual for celebrating Spring and new beginnings, suitable for a solitary setting. Read more

Between the Worlds 2015 – A Call To Action

Last updated on: March 11, 2015 at 5:11 pm By John Beckett

Put 350 Pagans, Heathens, Druids, Magicians, Witches, and various other esoteric practitioners together in a (nearly) snow-bound conference center for four days and what do you get? A mighty call to action. Read more

Hospitality For Humans

Last updated on: March 3, 2015 at 7:37 pm By John Beckett

Nobody thinks our guests are unimportant and nobody means to be inhospitable, but that’s what countless visitors to Pagan gatherings experience eight times every year. If we take our Pagan virtues seriously, we will be hospitable because it’s the right thing to do. Read more

Portals by Sharon Knight

Last updated on: March 5, 2015 at 5:09 pm By John Beckett

Here’s a chance to support good musicians making good music! Read more

By Any Means Necessary

Last updated on: March 1, 2015 at 1:27 pm By John Beckett

Sometimes dirty work is also necessary work, and if we are committed to justice and not just to keeping ourselves clean, we won’t be afraid to get our hands dirty. Read more

The Lore vs. UPG – A False Dichotomy

Last updated on: February 28, 2015 at 12:26 pm By John Beckett

Privileging lore and dismissing experience is the direct result of living in a Protestant-dominated culture. A religion with real Gods is messy, unpredictable, and scary. Even though I’m fond of order, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Read more

Books That Challenge, Books That Inspire

Last updated on: February 24, 2015 at 5:20 pm By John Beckett

Here are reviews of the first three books I’ve read this year: Your Face Is A Forest by Rhyd Wildermuth, Bearing Torches: A Devotional Anthology for Hekate, and The Red Goddess by Peter Grey. Read more