Connecting To The Land Where You Are

Last updated on: July 25, 2019 at 6:11 pm By John Beckett

Text from the Sunday service at Denton UU, and a condensed version of my presentation at Mystic South. Read more

10 Things I’ll Remember From Mystic South 2019

Last updated on: July 22, 2019 at 7:07 pm By John Beckett

Thunderstorms, Pagan ethics, words of power, Tower Time, and fairy propaganda. And a new home for Mystic South in 2020. Read more

The Gods Call Who They Call

Last updated on: July 17, 2019 at 5:59 pm By John Beckett

Do you want to have to explain to Odin or to Sekhmet why you told someone They called to Their service “you’d really be better off with a God from your own part of the world”? Read more

Why Pagans Don’t Proselytize

Last updated on: July 17, 2019 at 7:27 am By John Beckett

Telling someone they should change their religion is like telling them they should change their family, their nation, or their language. Everyone has the right to choose their religion, but such a choice must be truly free and never coerced. Read more

How Do You Facilitate Engagement and Make a Group Grow?

Last updated on: July 10, 2019 at 7:09 pm By John Beckett

My half-awake short answer was “you give them something to be engaged with, something they’re passionate about.” But this is a deep question that requires a lot more than a quick answer. Read more

Dealing With Door Knockers: A Pagan Guide to Engaging With Proselytizers (Or Not)

Last updated on: July 8, 2019 at 6:38 pm By John Beckett

Why do you want to talk to proselytizers anyway? Nobody gives out trophies for Best Performance in a Front Porch Religious Debate. If you do, make sure it’s your choice and not because they manipulate you into thinking you owe them even a second of your time. Read more

The Future Will Not Be Easy But It Can Be Beautiful

Last updated on: July 7, 2019 at 8:36 pm By John Beckett

There are empty and hurting places in our lives and they aren’t going to go away. Let’s fill them with beauty, whether your beauty takes the form of rainbows and sunshine, or guitars and synthesizers and black leather. Read more

Do First, Then Write – Why My Compulsive Schedule-Keeping Has To Go

Last updated on: July 2, 2019 at 6:09 pm By John Beckett

A very personal and rather rambling post about what it means – for me – when the Awen slows but the spiritually-mandated workload is still heavy. Read more

Stealth and Treachery – A Meditation on the Seven of Swords

Last updated on: July 1, 2019 at 7:44 am By John Beckett

The Seven of Swords has come up with a frequency and in positions that have gotten my attention. That’s usually a sign it’s doing more than simply providing an answer to the questions asked. Rather, the forces and trends the Seven of Swords represents are becoming more prominent in the wider world. Read more

Paganism In Depth – the On-line Class: Registration Now Open

Last updated on: July 3, 2019 at 5:00 pm By John Beckett

The class I’ve been talking about since February is now open for registration. To sign up, go to the new website UndertheAncientOaks.com, click on Courses, and follow the instructions. Read more