I turned 50 today. There’s a solidity to that number, a reality that’s impossible to deny. Maybe that’s because fifty is half a hundred. Maybe that’s because five uses up all the fingers on one hand. Maybe that’s because five is a troublesome number in the Tarot. Maybe something else. When I turned 40 I wrote in my journal “I still don’t think of myself in a significantly different way than I did when I was 22.” At 50, injuries... Read more

I’ve mostly ignored Tebowmania. He was a Florida Gator, I’m a Tennessee Vols fan. He plays for Denver, I live in Dallas. He’s an Evangelical Christian, I’m a Druid and a UU Pagan. Whatever side he’s on I’m usually on the other side. But recently I’ve seen a lot of folks on my side of the religious spectrum taking shots at him, shots I don’t think are fair to Tebow or helpful to us. Most start with a picture of... Read more

Early last month the New York Times published an essay by Eric Weiner on the rise of the religious Nones – as in None of the Above. I’ve been critical of the “spiritual but not religious” crowd, but Weiner appears to be a None who is sincerely searching and not just being spiritually lazy. The Dallas Morning News’ Texas Faith panel addressed Weiner’s essay this week, in particular his claim that “we need a Steve Jobs of religion.” Their responses... Read more

We Pagans like to call what we do “the old ways” and while the question of the direct lineage of our beliefs and practices is a matter of debate (a debate I find interesting but not particularly useful), there is no question we are inspired by our pre-Christian, mostly-European ancestors. But if you want to study the origins of religion you must go back farther than the Greeks, Norse and Celts. You must go back to tribal religions. Fortunately, there... Read more

On several occasions I’ve mentioned the need for a contemplative season in modern Pagan religion. By the solar calendar this should be the season between Samhain and Yule. But our mainstream culture makes this period so overwhelmingly busy that it’s virtually impossible to maintain a quiet introspective outlook for more than a few days. But now “the holidays” are over. For me, today is the last of eleven days off from work – tomorrow 2012 begins in earnest. The magical... Read more

Tomorrow is the first day of the secular New Year and with it comes the inevitable New Year’s Resolutions. While new resolutions have value despite their clichéd weakness, before you make any new resolutions, set any goals or make any plans, let me encourage you to take an in-depth look at the year that is passing. Since my first year out of college, I have taken a few hours around every new year to sit down and review the previous... Read more

The Pyramid of the Magician – Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico A lot of people used December 21, 2011 to look forward 366 days (leap year next year) to the Winter Solstice of 2012, which some believe the Mayans predicted would be the end of the world. Or the end of an era. Or the beginning of a new cycle. Or something else big and important. Almost all the articles I came across were debunking the prophecy in one fashion or another.... Read more

Tonight is the longest night. As we wait in anticipation for the rebirth of the Sun at dawn, it’s helpful to contemplate where we have been and where we are going in the coming year. It’s important to recognize and celebrate your successes. You have accomplished much, perhaps more than you realize. Name your triumphs and mark your progress. They aren’t isolated to this year – they’re an investment in your future. Build on them as you continue on your... Read more

Those of us who grew up in Christianity were taught that God is always watching you. Part of that was to deter you from doing what you weren’t supposed to do, but part was the comfort of knowing you’re never completely alone: “God is with you always.” Of course that only applied to Christians: Southern Baptist Convention President Bailey Smith caused a commotion in 1980 when he dogmatically proclaimed “God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew.” The... Read more

I live with one foot in the world of science and the other in the world of magic. I am an engineer and a Druid, a corporate manager and a priest. It is not the easiest path to walk… though I think most of us who are Pagans in the 21st century West walk this path to one degree or another. Sometimes the tension between these two worlds produces conflicts that are difficult to resolve. If we are to live... Read more