I did not have a good Saturday. I had a bad Saturday. I got very little accomplished and nothing went my way. The highlight was spending time with my sister and nephew. The lowlight was their insisting on playing the Eminem/Rhianna song full blast. Nothing against the respective artists but I hate that song. Ugh. So on Sunday I planned to hole up with some pizza, write and maybe play some WoW. Perhaps make a list of all the ways... Read more
A very close friend of mine once shared a beautiful dream that she had, a dream that we both felt was more than just an ordinary one. She was an immensely devout devotee of Loki. He was her sustenance, the witness to her life, her God, her Lord, her deepest love. Throughout her life, He guided and cared for her in a way that she felt palpably all the way to the end of her life. I was recently looking... Read more
I recently discovered that my grandmother’s best friend died after a long illness that had left her incapacitated. Mary and my grandma had been through everything under the sun together. Leaving Cuba, making a new life in the US, marital dramas, you name it…these women stuck together like glue and were closer than family. After my grandmother died in 1980, Mary continued to be an important presence in our lives. In crisis times, she was the go-to woman with her... Read more
I think in all the recent attention to politician Christine O’donnell, we’ve overlooked another equally important news story, one that hasn’t just appeared out of nowhere but that has been an on-going plague of religious fundamentalists protesting at the funerals of U.S. veterans for years. At the moment the Supreme Court is reviewing a case concerning free speech as it applies to a lawsuit filed by Arthur Snyder, father of a deceased soldier against one of those groups: the infamous... Read more
I am not sure exactly how it happened, I don’t even remember talking about it before my name was listed, but with the recent death of a good friend of mine I found my name listed as the gravesite Officiating Minister. When I first began Seeking with a Coven many years ago I had never dreamed that one day I would be asked to perform the equivalent of last rites for a dear friend, student, and initiate; I am honored... Read more
Glee on Spirituality Glee has touched on spirituality before. Both Rachel and Puck are Jewish and Quinn’s parents are very conservative Christians. Last night Glee decided to feature songs about spirituality and while I groaned at first the episode actually turned out nicely, if a bit preachy. The issue of non-believers right to not have religion forced on them, particularly in a school environment was a nice touch. While the episode felt heavy for Glee, and Glee has tackled heavy... Read more
Ah yes, it’s time again for another 13 things post and I’ve really been looking forward to this one. Once, many moons ago I was married and wanted wee babies of my own. It was important to me to raise the child in a religious tradition. I had no interest in Christianity and my husband wasn’t thrilled about the idea of Pagan kids. So I began to research Judaism. In the end the marriage dissolved, no babies, no conversions to... Read more
On a recent trip to Washington D.C. to attend a Pagan event, I had an experience at the airport that has taken me time to process. This experience reminded me that as a nation we still have a long way to go in establishing a culture of tolerance for the diversity of beliefs that make up the rich fabric of American religious life. On the surface, this event rightfully made me resentful that my beliefs could be so easily ridiculed... Read more
I am blogging from bed. It’s a nice cool morning and it’s all warm and snuggly under the blankets. I do not want to get up but I have to and that’s pretty much the essence of life. Things need to get done. Promised to go somewhere with my sis, I have laundry calling my name and work I didn’t finish yesterday to take care of. There’s a joke, with the details of the digger changed to suit the teller’s... Read more
“When you come upon misdeeds speak out about those misdeeds, and give your enemies no peace.” (“Poetic Edda,” Havamal, verse 127) We are in the midst of a pandemic. It’s not a sickness and it’s not something that can be cured by any neat inoculation. No, that pandemic is hatred and it is a disease as corrosive and deadly as any plague. As my gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender brothers and sisters (and those who love and support them) struggle... Read more
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