#DefendEquitableAccess to Occult Information

Last updated on: July 5, 2021 at 6:23 pm By Ash

I’m sure many of you have noticed the #DefendOccultBooks trend on social media. Me being me, I attempted to research the genesis of this hashtag as this was the first I had heard of an attack on occult books. 10 posts deep, the Instagram hashtag evolved to include comments about needing to push more newbies to read books as a means to shield against anti-intellectualism. Anti-intellectualism encourages intuition over logic and action over reflection. At the core of anti-intellectualism is... Read more

Book Review: The Horned God of the Witches

Last updated on: June 27, 2021 at 1:15 pm By Ash

Prolific writer and Patheos Pagan blogger, Jason Mankey, has released yet another great book: The Horned God of the Witches. This post will serve as my review and reflection of that piece. While I try my best to not spoil content, I will be addressing larger themes throughout the book. So, reader beware: possible spoilers ahead! TLDR; It’s refreshing to read a pagan book on deities that isn’t dedicated to goddess worship. In true form, Mankey’s writing is both reverent and hilarious.... Read more

What Conspiracy Theorists & Drama Queens Have in Common

Last updated on: June 15, 2021 at 10:16 am By Ash

This past Friday, two colleagues and I were standing around the office coffeemaker. In true librarian fashion, we were discussing information-seeking behavior. Information-seeking behavior studies look at why people seek out the information that they do. One of my colleagues posited that people who thrive on conspiracy theories desire a thin veil between them and chaos. The further down the rabbit hole of conspiracies that they research, the closer to chaos they become. This chaos offers them meaning in a world that... Read more

Relevancy: a Smaller Piece of CRAAP

Last updated on: May 12, 2021 at 12:33 pm By Ash

In my previous post, I wrote about Currency and how we can apply it to books like Witchcraft Today. Today’s post is dedicated to the second facet of the CRAAP Test: Relevancy. Every day, we are inundated with a massive amount of information. Our brains do a ton of work sifting out the pebbles from the golden nuggets of information, even without our notice. However, more complex information requires a more discerning eye. Ever scroll through your Google results and ask, “The... Read more

A Witch’s Reflection on the Liminal

Last updated on: May 11, 2021 at 11:24 am By Ash

When I was a little girl, I used to be obsessed with sitting and playing in doorway thresholds. My Papa used to have a bag of seashells that he kept for me to play with when I was a kid. I’d spend hours lining up and moving the shells around while lying on my stomach inside of the threshold. As I got older, I practiced my climbing skills in the doorway or contorting my body to fit in the space... Read more

Currency: a Piece of CRAAP & Witchcraft Today

Last updated on: March 28, 2021 at 9:28 am By Ash

In a post past, I wrote that I’d be exploring the different facets of the CRAAP Test. Today’s post will be dedicated to learning the first facet: “Currency” and its relationship to information. And before you get all excited about dollar bills, the currency I’m referring to has to do with time. Why should we care about determining the currency of our sources? Because some of us are still using outdated sources of information to guide our beliefs and practices. And... Read more

Our Newbs Need Some Love

Last updated on: March 22, 2021 at 4:07 pm By Ash

Part of my job is teaching college students how to do research and to use our library’s resources, such as databases. I was recently embedded into a course, meaning I am very familiar with the course’s assignments and research requirements. It also means the students can expect to work closely with me over the course of the entire semester. Last week, I met with a class three times. The first day, I introduced them to a research guide I tailored... Read more

Service to Community & Tradition

Last updated on: February 23, 2021 at 7:43 pm By Ash

Gardnerian Wicca is composed entirely of clergy, whether we are solitary or part of a coven. I’ve asked and been asked this question: “what does being clergy in this tradition mean to you?” The answers I’ve given and received usually relate to how we, as clergy, serve our gods and our tradition. That’s it! That’s what it means. Right? Perhaps. I feel that it’s more nuanced than that and not as neatly scripted. Serving the Gods Some of us believe... Read more

Discomfort, Euphoria, & Witchcraft

Last updated on: February 9, 2021 at 8:40 am By Ash

I hit the trails for a slow two and a half mile run this afternoon. The air was crisp and cold but my jaunt through the woods was restorative. I finished my workout with a stark revelation: witchcraft and working out aren’t all that different from one another. Witchcraft and working out require preparation, a certain mindset, a goal, and action. Most of all, both require practice for improvement. You can’t exercise once and expect fitness and peak health, just... Read more

My 3 Favorite Craft Tools

Last updated on: January 15, 2021 at 1:49 pm By Ash

There are three tools that I use in my practice more than anything else: my athame, goblet, and books. I’ll never forget the first time I bought an athame because I could finally afford one. I was in my early twenties and had been practicing NeoWicca for about a decade. With a little extra cash and a desire to burn a hole in my pocket, I scoured Etsy like any other normal person. I found an athame for ten dollars... Read more