One of the criticisms that neo-Pagans make about revived or reconstructed religions such as Hellenismos is that we live too much in the past and that our religion isn’t a living, evolving and relevant spirituality. That we are slaves to the past, treating our religion as a museum piece. Frankly, sometimes this can be true. Sometimes we do spend too much time with books, losing ourselves in the minutia of the past. It can be difficult to see the relevancy... Read more
Today is the National Day of Prayer, and I hope you’ll join me and add your prayers for our country. Oh Libertas! Oh Columbia! Sweet Lady Liberty, gracious hospitable Queen raising your torch by that solemn door. Embrace us, guide us, show us the bright path where all may pray, all worship, all sing. The path where you may dance for the Gods or walk in the silent surety of science. Teach us about freedom, that uncomfortable gift, not reserved... Read more
Bad news sells. Gossip catches interest. Talking smack gains you an audience. Death, disease, famine, crime, broken hearts and feuds fill the television news. This morning I sit here looking out over my neighborhood full of spring blossoms. Blooming trees, azaleas and tulips are dancing in the wind. There’s a lot of negative things I could write about today. A lot of unpleasantness I could rake through the mud. I could spend my time raking an idea, organization or person... Read more
I’m cheating and running this post from April 2nd of last year. Enjoy! In the past few years two films promoting New Thought, or the Law of Attraction, have gained quite a following. “The Secret” and “What the Bleep Do We Know?” put basic New Thought principles into a snazzy new package for the 21st century. The ideas they promote are the power of positive thinking, the detriment of negative thinking and a primitive concept of sympathetic magic known as... Read more
Happy Spring! A year ago I began writing here at Patheos and managing this blog. It’s been a wild ride and a rewarding one. I want to thank all the contributor’s and readers for making this past year amazing. May the next 13 moons be as rewarding! Enjoy some of the early posts on Pantheon: back when it was named Oak & Holly, back when we had only a small handful of readers, back when getting a single comment on... Read more
After a lot of heartbreaking soul-searching, I’ve come to the realization that I am no longer Pagan. It hurts to admit this but I realize now in my heart of hearts that I no longer believe in Pagan values, Pagan Gods or the Pagan community. After years of struggling with this and trying so hard to muster up enthusiasm here at Patheos, I’ve reached a point where I can no longer continue on this path. I have to break ties,... Read more
Through my years as a practicing Heathen in the Northern Tradition, there are certain subjects that invariably crop up when I’m interacting with the more general pagan crowd. One of these subjects is the perceived misogyny of the Northern Tradition.Yet, not only does our tradition have great respect and honor for the Goddesses, and a special cultus to the disir/matrons, but the human women also held a great deal of power as well. (more…) Read more
“Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.” — Pete Seeger Proof is in the pudding. By your deeds are you known. There are a lot of old sayings relating to the value of experience, which is a harsh value: a value born of last ditch necessity. I’m afraid that I tend to learn by experience. Whatever brains I possess either aren’t enough... Read more
Reprinted with permission from PNC-Minnesota. Sirens Media is producing a new season of the TV docu-reality series, “I’m Pregnant And…” which airs on the Discovery Fit & Health network. Topics covered in the series vary from medical conditions to alternative lifestyles or unique circumstances. The reality show, in its second season, is a six-part series, and each 30-minute episode follows an expectant mom through her day-to-day routine while dealing with the ups and downs of pregnancy. For an upcoming episode,... Read more
I’ve had to find a quiet place to work today and have had an interesting morning, so as much as I have to say on many things today, I simply don’t have the focus to get it out. Which is ok, because The Wild Hunt has a great news roundup today, including coverage of the TSA firing a Witch in what appears to be a case of religious discrimination. I found a really interesting translation of the Homeric Hymn to... Read more
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