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<\/a>Taryt asks \u201cwhat skill(s), either magical or entirely mundane, do you think will be most valuable as The Storm and Tower Time progress?\u201d<\/h3>\n
That\u2019s a very good question. But I think it should be rephrased slightly: what skills should you<\/em> learn and perfect as The Storm and Tower Time progress?<\/p>\n There will be no apocalypse. There will be no collapse. There will be a continued gradual decline. If Trump is re-elected \u2013 and if other leaders like him maintain or come to power in other countries \u2013 that decline will be steep. If more rational and compassionate leaders are elected, the decline will be slower. But there will still be a decline, and no one alive today will see the bottom.<\/p>\n Growing and preserving your own food is always a useful skill. So is first aid and basic medical care. Skill with any operative magic system will be helpful. So will the ability to form and maintain alliances in this world and across the worlds. Alliances require reciprocity \u2013 what can you contribute to the common good?<\/p>\n Rather than asking \u201cwhat skills are most valuable?\u201d I would ask \u201cwhat skills am I best suited to learn?\u201d<\/p>\n Pick one mundane thing and get really good at it. The more closely tied to food, clothing, and shelter it is, the better. Then pick one magical technique and get really good at it. Make it operative magic, not so-called \u201chigh magic.\u201d<\/p>\n Pick something you like, something you already have some skills with. If you\u2019re interested in it, you\u2019re far more likely to get really good at it than if you\u2019re just doing it because you think you need to.<\/p>\n The best resource you can provide is time in the natural world \u2013 unstructured time to wander in the woods, climb trees, and play in the creek. Nature is our best teacher for this. Particularly for younger children, never let Nature become work.<\/p>\n If they show an interest in Nature spirituality, take them to Pagan events\u2026 if you can find good ones. But never let it become \u201cchurch.\u201d<\/p>\n As for Druidry, I think Philip Carr-Gomm\u2019s Druid Mysteries<\/em> is the best introduction, especially for a younger reader. There\u2019s also some good material on OBOD\u2019s website<\/a>, particularly in the \u201cDruid Lore\u201d section.<\/p>\n My first reaction is that it depends more on the individual Wiccan or Druid than on the tradition. Wicca is a religion. Druidry is a religion for some and a spiritual approach for others. Magic is a part of both traditions (although some Druids don\u2019t practice it) but it\u2019s not the primary emphasis.<\/p>\n From my experience and observation, I\u2019d say magic done by Wiccans tends toward sympathetic magic (\u201cthis is like that, therefore this controls that\u201d), especially Earth magic (herbs, stones, crystals, etc.). And also energy magic, as with the Cone of Power. Magic done by Druids tends toward bardic magic<\/a>: the power of story and song.<\/p>\n But if I drew a Venn diagram of Wiccan magic and Druid magic, the two circles would almost completely overlap. I\u2019m a Druid and I\u2019m also a magical magpie \u2013 if I see something that looks interesting, I pick it up, try it out, and if it works, I add it to my repertoire.<\/p>\n I have an online course on magic<\/a> where I share what I\u2019ve learned over the last 27 years.<\/p>\n I love the way we\u2019re challenging the foundational assumptions of the modern Western world by offering meaningful alternatives. Animism instead of materialism. Polytheism instead of monotheism. Diversity instead of monoculture. These things are still a work in progress, but we\u2019re actively talking about them and practicing them. And that\u2019s a very good thing.<\/p>\n I\u2019m frustrated with Pagans whose primary concern is doing their own thing, no matter the cost, no matter whether it\u2019s right or wrong.<\/p>\n If someone else presents an idea you don\u2019t like, the proper response is to critique the idea, not to scream \u201cyou can\u2019t tell me what to believe.\u201d Or if it doesn\u2019t apply to you, recognize that and move on.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t think we\u2019re ready to talk about healing yet \u2013 we\u2019re still trying to stop the bleeding.<\/p>\n The biggest thing we can do is to work to eliminate racism from our mainstream society, and that involves listening to people other than old white guys with a blog. This post by Lilith Dorsey<\/a> is a good place to start, and it has a lot of helpful links.<\/p>\n But since you asked me\u2026<\/p>\n Within Paganism, we can work to eliminate folkishness \u2013 the idea that only people with the \u201cright\u201d bloodlines can worship certain Gods or follow certain traditions. It\u2019s been large problem in Heathenry for some time, but it\u2019s also a problem in Celtic Paganism. Where we can\u2019t eliminate it, we can call it out and isolate it.<\/p>\n We can stop trying to base our religion on the results of DNA tests<\/a>. While wondering \u201cwhere did I come from?\u201d is natural \u2013 particularly for Americans whose ancestors came from all over the world \u2013 when you start to use DNA tests for religious purposes, you subtly (or in some cases, not so subtly) reinforce the idea that people with different DNA belong in different religions.<\/p>\n Druidry is for anyone who is interested enough in Druidry to make a commitment to it. The same is true of Wicca. The Gods call who They call. Honor your ancestors, but figure out where you belong and then welcome everyone else called to that path.<\/p>\n Remember that racism is ultimately about power and power structures. \u201cJust be nice\u201d is a good start, but it\u2019s not nearly enough. Structures have to be reformed, in our religions and in our mainstream society.<\/p>\n By \u201cPagan communities\u201d I assume you mean groups, events, and other organizations. There are three main reasons they fold.<\/p>\n The first is a lack of understanding of what\u2019s involved in running an organization, and especially a lack of financial understanding. I wrote this piece<\/a> eight years ago \u2013 it\u2019s held up well. Here\u2019s a key quote:<\/p>\n In any religious, political, or charitable group, 80% of the resources typically come from 20% of the members. If you need $100,000 a year for debt service and operating costs, you don\u2019t try to find 100 people to give $1000 a year. You find 20 people to give $4000 a year and then count on the other 80 to give $250 a year.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The second reason is a lack of commitment in the community at large. Communities survive because a few people refuse to let them fail, no matter what. One person can only do that for so long \u2013 you need a core group big enough to spread the work around so your key leaders don\u2019t get burned out and quit.<\/p>\n But the main reason Pagan communities fold is overreach \u2013 they try to do too much too soon. We want temples before we need temples, much less when can support them. We just know the Baptists and the Catholics and the Hindus have their own buildings and so we want buildings too. Never mind the fact that the temples of antiquity weren\u2019t meeting places for the faithful, they were homes for the Gods.<\/p>\n<\/a>What kinds of books or resources would you recommend for children who show an affinity to Nature, to help educate about what Druidism is?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nTyson Chase asks \u201ccould you describe the differences between Wiccan style magic and Druid style magic, as you see it?\u201d<\/h3>\n
What do you most love about the Pagan community?<\/h3>\n
What is your biggest frustration with the Pagan community?<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nJuliette Kula asks \u201cwith all the talks about owning up to the racism in Paganism, what are some of the ideas you might have for moving forward and healing the scars?\u201d<\/h3>\n
What is the main cause of Pagan communities folding?<\/h3>\n