John Beckett - Page 5 of 154 - Musings of a Druid, Pagan, and Unitarian Universalist.

Preparing For Pilgrimage

September 6, 2018 By John Beckett

Travel is good in and of itself. Pilgrimage is sacred travel, for a sacred purpose. If you are called to pilgrimage, I strongly encourage you to say yes. Read more

Chaos Brings Challenges, Chaos Brings Opportunities

September 4, 2018 By John Beckett

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Will climate change and a Mad King drive us into a new Dark Age? I do not think so. But both the ordinary world and the Otherworld are changing. Those who pay attention and who learn to navigate the new reality will do well. Those who cling to the way things have always been will suffer greatly. Read more

Many Gods in the Bible, Spiritual Warnings, Owning Knowledge, and More

September 2, 2018 By John Beckett

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How should Pagans view the references to many Gods in the Bible? What happens when we get a warning from a spiritual source? Who owns our many Pagan traditions? Responses to six questions for Conversations Under the Oaks. Read more

Target Selection: The Key To Effective Magic

August 30, 2018 By John Beckett

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Nothing has as much impact on how well your spell will work than how well – or how poorly – you choose a target. Most magical systems utilize metaphors, poetry, and other symbolic language, but magic itself is highly literal. You don’t get what you want – you get what you enchant for. Read more

Monsters

August 28, 2018 By John Beckett

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A monster is “other” – not like us. But who decides who’s a monster and who isn’t? Whatever your feelings about monsters or your identity with them, it’s good to understand what goes into making a monster and why you probably should put the torch and pitchfork down. Read more

The Role of Journalism in Religious Movements – the questions The Wild Hunt didn’t ask

August 26, 2018 By John Beckett

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The role of journalism is to tell the members of the community what’s going on, and to provide enough context for readers to understand it and draw their own conclusions. Sometimes that means writing about things that make us uncomfortable, or that we’d rather keep hidden away or silenced. Read more

Which Pagan Path Should I Follow?

August 23, 2018 By John Beckett

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What do you do when a “shaman” tells you that Pan is watching over your family? Be very, very skeptical… Read more

Finding Your Spiritual Path Later In Life

August 21, 2018 By John Beckett

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How can someone move past the feeling of being behind if they start their Pagan practice later in life? It starts with beginning a dedicated practice. Read more

Knowing Through Practice, Experience, and Results

August 19, 2018 By John Beckett

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The first time your spell brings results, you’re likely to dismiss it as a coincidence. The second time you’ll dismiss it as confirmation bias. But after the ninth or tenth or fiftieth time, the results add up. Now it’s easier to assume that magic is real than to assume it’s not. Read more

The Necessity of Witchcraft

August 16, 2018 By John Beckett

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There have been witches in all societies, including societies that aggressively hunted and killed them. There are good reasons why people practice witchcraft even at great risk to their lives: because it’s necessary. If the only options are submission or witchcraft… well, that’s a pretty clear choice, isn’t it? Read more