John Beckett - Page 5 of 156 - Musings of a Druid, Pagan, and Unitarian Universalist.

What the Devil is Going On?

November 11, 2018 By John Beckett

Movies of the 1960s told people “the devil’s in your kids and we need traditional institutions to get him out.” Today’s TV shows tell us the devil is running these institutions and we must face him on our own, with the help of our family and friends. Read more

This Is Progress, Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It

November 8, 2018 By John Beckett

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As a progressive Texan, this election brought me the emotional devastation of being so close and yet so far. I’m going back to my religious work now, but I’m going to stay engaged with mainstream politics, because this country and its people are too important to abandon them to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Read more

Pagans, Dominionists, the Fair Folk, and the Spiritual Battle for America

November 6, 2018 By John Beckett

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As a religion, Christian fundamentalism is demonstrably false. That doesn’t mean all spiritual acts by fundamentalists and dominionists are impotent. That’s wishful thinking on our part. Their magic to claim the land for themselves and to bring about the end of the world has a real impact, and it always has. Read more

House Cleansings Gone Wrong and How to Avoid Them

November 4, 2018 By John Beckett

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Sometimes we’re so intent on cleansing a place we wipe the good away with the bad. We forget we’re not the only ones who live there. Or we’re so eager to show everybody in this world and the next just how big and strong our magic is that we don’t notice who gets hurt in the process. Read more

How Do I Know If A God Is Calling Me?

November 1, 2018 By John Beckett

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Being called can be a great thing, but it’s not winning the lottery. It’s more like being drafted into the army – oftentimes the army of a country you didn’t even know existed six weeks ago. These are the signs that a God is calling you into Their service. Read more

Wayist Druids Celebrate Samhain in Athens Tennessee

October 30, 2018 By John Beckett

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What do you get when a Druid decides to hold a public ritual in a small rural town in Tennessee? Controversy that’s not unexpected but still disappointing in 2018. Fortunately, the Wayist Druid ritual was safe and successful. Read more

Vote!

October 28, 2018 By John Beckett

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This is the moment we can do something that will make a tangible difference over the next two years and set the tone for 2020 and beyond. Or we can continue to allow 26% of the country to drive us off the cliff. If we turn out, we win. Read more

Rethinking the Big Tent of Paganism

October 25, 2018 By John Beckett

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I originally thought the value of the Big Tent metaphor was its bigness. Now I think its value is its portability. We can set it up where ever we need it and do what we need to do, then go back to work on the things we’re really passionate about. Read more

Trickster Gods, How Magic Works, Magic For Yourself, and More

October 23, 2018 By John Beckett

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Why do some Pagans blame Trickster Gods for bad things like Christians blame their devil? How does magic work? Can you work magic for yourself? Can you pay someone to work magic for you? Responses to eight questions for Conversations Under the Oaks. Read more

Called by Problematic Gods

October 21, 2018 By John Beckett

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What’s a woman to do when she feels called by a God whose stories include rape? This is a question I feel very unqualified to answer. So I turned to ADF priest and fellow polytheist Rev. Lauren Mart. This is Lauren’s response. Read more