Petty, Carnal, Pagan Desires

Last updated on: January 15, 2012 at 11:19 am By Star Foster

Awhile back I talked about the Pagan concept of salvation being temporal rather than eternal. I’ve been thinking about what that means. If we start with the premise that Paganism begins with the idea that there is nothing wrong with you, that you are not lost, disconnected, in eternal danger, in need of transcendence or incomplete, then eternal salvation doesn’t factor in. Most religions, and possibly a few Pagan religions, base their entire teachings on some concept of eternal salvation.... Read more

Girl Scouts and Transgender Girls

Last updated on: January 14, 2012 at 9:47 am By Star Foster

I’ve never had a lot of pride in my Girl Scout career. It intersected with a difficult time in my life, and being more of a camping than a sleepover kind of girl, I always felt drawn more to the rough and tumble outdoorsy Boy Scouts. Besides, I always hated that we had to sell those damn cookies in the bitter cold of winter. So it suddenly feels strange to have this huge sense of pride in my years as... Read more

Lucky Friday the 13th

Last updated on: January 13, 2012 at 10:40 am By Star Foster

People have really only considered Friday the 13th to be unlucky for the past century or so. Yet for such a new tradition, it’s got a pretty firm grip on our imaginations. Did you know it’s estimated that at least $800 million is lost on Friday the 13th due to people limiting their normal routine to ward off bad luck? People stay at home, refuse to fly, call in to work and all other manner of behaviors intended to limit... Read more

The Irresistible Idea of Being One

Last updated on: January 12, 2012 at 11:20 am By Star Foster

We are all made of star stuff. It’s just a scientific fact. There is nothing in the universe that is foreign to the universe (as far as we know). Everything in the universe is made up of the same building blocks. But does it then follow that all things are One? If anything is truly remarkable about the Universe, it is that such diversity exists within it. Just on our own planet, the countless species of plant and animal... Read more

In the Midst of a Storm

Last updated on: January 11, 2012 at 8:41 am By Star Foster

There’s an impressive thunderstorm raging outside. I’m sitting here listening to the cracks and booms, to the wind and rain battering my home, and wondering how bad will it get? How long will it last? Is that a long roll of thunder, or a tornado headed my way? And this storm is fiercely beautiful. The power is awe-inspiring and majestic. It’s a little scary. It reminds me I’m not in control. That I’m small and helpless in the face of... Read more

Dungeons and Dragons Gets A Makeover

Last updated on: January 10, 2012 at 1:20 pm By Star Foster

The New York Times is reporting Dungeons and Dragons is getting a fresh makeover, and Wizards of the Coast is seeking fan input. How does this relate to Paganism? Well, it’s hard to explain, but it kind of does… I think exploring fantasy and exercising the mythic imagination is an important part of converting to Paganism from another belief system. When you are in the process of leaving the only worldview you have ever known for something very different, having... Read more

Pagan Soup: Polyamory, Piracy and Public School Pagans

Last updated on: January 9, 2012 at 11:01 am By Star Foster

I want to point out some interesting bits floating about on the web today. Steven Abell’s latest column touches on the controversial subject of worship in Heathenry (and Paganism as well): The word worship always appears in these discussions, and it always takes a beating. Someone will come to its rescue and remind us that, originally, it meant an acknowledgment of worthiness, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But someone else will point out that, in our time, the word... Read more

Blessings Unawares

Last updated on: January 8, 2012 at 11:43 am By Star Foster

I’m feeling very blessed today. Many amazing things have come together for me this month, and although I know I have a lot of hard work ahead, I’m feeling very hopeful. I truly believe 2012 will be an amazing year. Old poems keep calling back to me lately, and this morning this verse by Emerson demanded my attention: Worship THIS is he, who, felled by foes, Sprung harmless up, refreshed by blows He to captivity was sold, But him no... Read more

For the Prettiest Valentine!

Last updated on: January 7, 2012 at 8:52 am By Star Foster

Sometimes I think marketing people are on crack. That’s the only explanation I could think of when I found myself faced with something so absurd that I actually had to buy it to bring home and blog about. But first let me tell you a story… Zeus and Hera threw a party for some newlyweds. They left their unpredictable daughter, Eris, off the guest list. You can imagine they thought that was a wise choice at the time. However, Eris... Read more

Pagans Caught In The Twilight

Last updated on: January 6, 2012 at 10:38 am By Star Foster

Sometimes you will find yourself reading something written long ago, perhaps 125 years ago, and find yourself suddenly struck by how very Pagan it is. Does that ever happen to you? One of my favorite poets is Peggy Pond Church. She is magnificent, funny, brooding, cautious and ecstatic. Her voice changes from Cassandra to Baubo, and she is always deeply in love with the earth. I’ve loved her poetry for well over a decade, but my volume of her poetry... Read more