Morrigan is best known as a Battle Goddess and as Chooser of the Slain. War, death, and the transition from this world to the Otherworld grab our attention. But it is in her third role, as Lady of Sovereignty, that Morrigan is most active in our world today. In simplest terms, sovereignty is the right to rule rightly. It is not the right to rule as you please. It is the right to do as you Will, not the right... Read more
It’s time to update the blogroll. I’ve removed some people who are no longer blogging or who (like the Dallas Morning News Religion blog) have changed their focus so much they’re no longer interesting. And I’ve added a few folks who I’ve started reading since the last update. Walking the Hedge. This is the blog of Juniper, who describes herself as “a messy little Hedgewitch who speaks her mind.” And that she does. She runs the Walking the Hedge website,... Read more
At the recent OBOD East Coast Gathering, someone said “our robes are an outward manifestation of our inward spirituality.” None of us can remember who said it, but we’re sure they were right. We’ve been discussing what we wear and why on a private forum and the conversation has been excellent. Like magical tools, magical clothing isn’t necessary, but it helps put us in the right frame of mind for ritual and magic. It also helps us express who we... Read more
For someone who loves elaborate formal ritual as much as I do, my solitary rituals tend to be rather simple. Much of what works in a circle of 20 or 40 doesn’t scale down very well (and vice versa). And if it’s just me, a lot of formal ritual simply isn’t necessary any more. I’ve been casting circles for 19 years – I don’t have to circumnavigate three times, draw a circle on the floor, cleanse it with salt water... Read more
When I reviewed Hoofprints in the Wildwood – A Devotional for The Horned Lord I left open the question of whether the many horned gods of our ancestors are the same god with many names or different gods who do similar things in different places. But personally I’ve assumed they are different gods. Just from their appearance alone, it seems pretty clear to me that Pan and Cernunnos are very different beings. The exception to that is Herne. I’ve always... Read more
The Denton Covenant of UU Pagans presents Sharon Knight in concert on Saturday, November 10 at the Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Doors open at 7:30 PM and the concert begins at 8:00 PM. San Francisco songstress Sharon Knight is a Celtic folk singer in leather armbands. Her distinctive voice and striking poetry have won her a loyal following across the country. Together with longtime collaborator Winter, she tours nationally several months out of the year, performing at festivals, masquerades, conventions,... Read more
with the Rev. Don Dunn, October 10, 1987 When Cathy and I got married in 1987 we didn’t have a lot of money. We wanted a nice wedding but we couldn’t afford anything extravagent, and neither could our parents. Every decision was made with an eye toward keeping costs down, and every offer to provide this or help with that was accepted with both gratitude and relief. A few weeks before the ceremony I asked my father “am I supposed... Read more
Someone I love has been hurt and I am angry. Blood-boiling, curse-spitting angry. A blood obligation has been broken for reasons that are callous, malicious, and self-righteous. Though the facts are not in question, I realize I only have one side of the story. I strongly suspect this is a settling of old scores, revenge for wrongs committed long before I knew anyone involved. I suspect those wrongs were real, though to what extent I can’t even guess. But no... Read more
Yesterday I ended with the question “what do the goddesses and gods want from us?” I suppose I should apologize for the tease because that question, as stated, is absurd. It’s about as absurd as men asking “what do women want?” as though women are some monolithic group who all want the same thing. A look at the ancient stories tells us that what Ares wants is very different from what Aphrodite wants. A look at the modern stories tells... Read more
Recently there’s been some fighting between hard polytheists and humanistic Pagans on the nature of the gods. While I have no desire to participate in an unnecessary fight, I do feel the need to state my position as clearly as I can. The timing is good for such a statement, since some friends who don’t know much about Paganism have been drawn here by the post on my ordination. My position on the nature of the gods can be summarized... Read more
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