Short, slight, red-headed and pugnacious, Giordano Bruno’s explored the radical theological implications of Copernicus’ heliocentric universe. Powerful imagery of fire and ashes played an important role in his writing. His end in fire and ash, on the day after Ash Wednesday 1600, was terrible but perhaps in some way foreseen. And it was not a defeat Read more
Many of us have little power in the world. We can only do what we can do in our own small spheres of influence. But there is one place where we can always start. This is within ourselves. To refuse evil is to be strong in the face of terror, to hold steadfast to our values and what we believe in, to refuse to share in the terrorists’ hate. Read more
The turning of the year is a traditional time to make New Year resolutions. The cycle of the seasons that we celebrate as Pagans teaches us the reality of the universe – that all is impermanence. The past no longer exists except in our memories. If we have courage, we can let go of that which we no longer need. Read more
Every man and woman is a star, and to create a new Paganism we need constellations – individuals in touch with their true and authentic selves and working in harmony with one another, and this we can only begin by creating harmony within ourselves. Read more
We do not all have traumatic events like the near-death experience Carl Jung described to help us focus on what is really important to us. Still, the spiritual experiences of transcendence that many of us find in ritual and meditation play a similar role in teaching us that ‘I’ and the body are not the same. Read more
As we honor Earth at the autumn equinox, we are aware of the fragility of the global agricultural economy that keeps us all alive. Let us remember that small actions become big actions when the actors are many. When the journey is long, it can be hard to begin, so begin with small steps – and just keep going. Read more
For some people, the retirement years are the most productive. They feel free to be completely who they are 24/7 and do not have to be constrained by social norms. But we also have to recognize that time passes very quickly, and the pace appears to speed up the older we get. In the lead up to the season’s change at the Equinox, it is good to take stock of where we are. Are we in a good place in our lives? Do we have a forward direction? Are we earnestly seeking to know and manifest our True Will? Read more
As a child I always loved storms. This winter, as wind tore out the roots of the trees on our land and sent them crashing down towards our neighbor’s house, for the first time I was afraid of the element of air. But fear can be good if it makes us realize that something is happening. Fear may help us motivate ourselves and our communities to focus on big sources of emissions toward the goal of stabilizing global temperatures. Read more
The Grail quest is a journey within, to the True Self, the hidden centre of our being; but that is not the end of the story. The sacred marriage of Cauldron and Spear at Midsummer also marries the king to the land, symbolizing willingness to serve others and the wider world. Midsummer is a time to affirm our dedication to spiritual quest, not to attain something but to become something. Read more
What then is the mystery of the circle? The circle is a space in which everyone can see everyone else. There is no place to hide. The secret is that it is not a place of secrets, but a place of transparency and revelation. Read more
Greening the Spirit
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