Wicca Series: Is Wicca a mystery tradition or a devotional path?

Last updated on: January 14, 2011 at 11:55 am By Star Foster

Every Monday and Friday in January we will be asking people questions about Wicca. Want to weigh in? Find the next question at the bottom of this post! Should Wicca be approached as a mystery tradition (like Eleusis) or a devotional path (like some forms of Hinduism)? Joseph Carriker (Alexandrian tradition) responds: Traditional Wicca certainly has elements of both. In my experience, that distinction has to be made by the individual priestess or priest of the Craft, in accordance with... Read more

The Magic of Snow in the South (aka Hothlanta)

Last updated on: January 12, 2011 at 2:34 pm By Star Foster

Georgia, as well as 48 other states, has been hit by what has been affectionately termed Snowpocalypse 2011. As our friends in Florida enjoy balmy climes, people in downtown Atlanta (aka Hothlanta) have ice skated on Peachtree Street and watched all those tv shows they’ve been meaning to catch up on. Like any born and bred Southerner I stocked up and bunkered in once someone clued me into the weather report (I tend to work/play with blinkers on for days)... Read more

When Good Pagans Do Nothing

Last updated on: January 11, 2011 at 12:57 pm By Star Foster

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” – Leo Tolstoy My Southern Baptist upbringing taught me that I was in the world but not of it. I was not to be concerned with worldly things, or to seek to engage with the world on it’s terms. I was to let that pass by and concern myself with the kingdom of God. My parents and some of my teachers at church had that... Read more

Tragedy in AZ: Candles and Oranges Do Not An Occultist Make

Last updated on: January 10, 2011 at 10:12 am By Star Foster

I thought the worst news I would hear this morning would be that the power is out. Since Georgia is bogged down in Snowpocalypse 2011 I was prepared for that inconvenience. Power is humming away and phones/internet is on. I switched on my laptop and read the news. My mistake. It’s bad enough ordinary citizens are taking their speculation to the extremes but the NY Daily News has decided to jump to conclusions ahead of it’s readers. Now there’s a... Read more

Wicca Series: Cults of Personality?

Last updated on: January 10, 2011 at 7:22 am By Star Foster

Every Monday and Friday in January we will be asking people questions about Wicca. Want to weigh in? Find the next question at the bottom of this post! Many traditions of Wicca began as “cults of personality”. How should traditions prepare to survive beyond the loss of their founders? Morgan Daimler responds: I think this question could be applied to many different pagan traditions beyond just Wicca, because so many Neopagan groups began in this way. I think the key... Read more

Have A Little Fate

Last updated on: January 9, 2011 at 11:48 am By Star Foster

My head is full of the horrific events in Arizona, the extreme knottiness of talking about religious Witchcraft and the morality of missing ritual for something “fun”. However, as I sit here snacking on banana sandwiches and tater chips what I really want to do is talk about fate, justice and the whole karmic enchilada. So yesterday I invoked Nemesis in an article and that’s something to really consider. You see, folks think of her as revenge, as the personification... Read more

Tragedy in Arizona: Pagan Perspective on Political Violence

Last updated on: January 8, 2011 at 3:44 pm By Star Foster

Like the rest of you, I’m glued to the breaking news regarding the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and several others at a public event in Arizona. I’m sad, I’m angry and I’m bewildered and I don’t even know anyone in Arizona. My grief is that of an American and cannot compare to the grief of the families and friends of both the victims and the shooter. I cannot imagine what they must be going through and I’m sure the media... Read more

Wicca Series: Is Wicca a “new religion”?

Last updated on: January 7, 2011 at 11:00 am By Star Foster

Every Monday and Friday in January we will be asking people questions about Wicca. Want to weigh in? Find the next question at the bottom of this post! Should Wicca be classified as a new religion? Johnny Rapture responds: Yes, because of the simple reality that it is, in fact, new. Gerald Gardner created Wicca in the middle of the 20th century out of a heavy dose of esoteric Christian Neoplatonism and a smidge of British folk traditions. Of course... Read more

Call for Suggestions for 2011

Last updated on: January 6, 2011 at 2:44 pm By Star Foster

We are testing out a new commenting system and working on other changes for 2011. Thought I should give a shout out to our readers for suggestions. What would you like to see on the Pagan portal at Patheos in 2011? Maybe more polka? (Please say yes!) Read more

Pagan Soup: Anti-Wiccan Sentiment, Interfaith Violence, and RAP!

Last updated on: January 5, 2011 at 10:16 am By Star Foster

Anti-Wicca? Although I know it’s a bigger issue I just wanted to briefly touch on the topic of anti-Wiccan sentiment in Paganism, which can take a humorous turn. If the conversation turns to things that make us look bad it’s a sure bet that Wicca will be mentioned in some way. Some Wiccans have started to identify as Pagans just because mentioning you’re Wiccan can suddenly make the room go cold in some Pagan gatherings. Partly this is because Wicca’s... Read more