What does it mean to be called by a God? What does it look like, sound like, feel like? How do you know if it’s a God calling you or if you’re just imagining the whole thing? Mainly, what’s going to change in your life?

The time I spend caring for small children is a very sacred practice of joy for me. My 3-yr-old friends have such pure and authentic joy over some of the simplest parts of life (buses! books! cuddles!) and being with / honoring their joy is deeply sustaining. Find joy connecting in meaningful ways with a … Continue reading Joy of Children

      It was on this day, the 23rd of February, in 1455 Johannes Gutenberg published his wonderful Bible. Or, at least its the best date we’ve come up with to mark the occasion… Of course pretty much everyone knows that it wasn’t the first time a book was printed, or printed with movable […]

Our news editor reflects on a perceived silence on social issues at this year's Winter Games in China. Continue reading The Winter Olympics that weren’t at The Wild Hunt.

Friends Scott, Jay and John are doing a kickstarter campaign to assist them in furthering their Kindergarten documentary series. I made a contribution because it's a vital view into the workings of childhood and might assist in a much needed reform of education. You can contribute here:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/froebel/garden-of-children-documentary-series-on-education The video series shows some of our students and contains interviews with over 100 educational experts pointing the way toward meaningful reform of education. You can find trailers on youtube or view this extended trailer for a small rental fee here: https://www.froebelusa.com/offers/HhkL8RDX/checkout Make, fix and create.  Assist others in learning likewise.

February in Maine, and it is 60 degree weather today. It isn’t really supposed to be like this. We went to Kettle Cove, where dozens of people were out at the beach. A few even went into the water in their swim suits–but not us. Margy was inspired to collect some seaweed for the garden. […]

By Guilaine Kinouani | Racism causes harm. Harm to the body. And harm to the mind. Yet it was only in November 2020 that the American Medical Association recognized racism as an urgent threat to public health. Thankfully, many of us did not wait for this penny to drop to tackle its impact. For about fifteen years, I have been working therapeutically with people of color, supporting almost exclusively Black people distressed by racism and experiencing racial trauma.

Congregational program connects immigrants with host congregations.

Bruce Knotts Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reminds us that peace, justice, and human rights are linked and interdependent.

The Spring 2022 edition of American Craft Magazine, p. 18 has a review of my new book as shown. The text reads as follows:  "Educator and craftsman Doug Stowe has long been exploring what it means to be a maker. In a collection of thoughtful, self-reflective essays, Stowe delves into the important lessons that working with our hands can teach us and the deeper meaning that brings to our lives." Make, fix and create... Assist others in living likewise. 

The stories we tell matter. And each telling of history—all the varied stories of our human pasts—are invariably biased. No matter how informed, well-intentioned and open the historian, their perspectives are always constrained by their understanding and experience. History is never neutral. All stories, including all histories, are unavoidably told from some particular person’s—or group’s—point […]

This Landmark book for young adults and a Classic Comic Book both fired my boyhood hero worship of Theodore Roosevelt.  The cover illustration turned out to be inaccurate.  Roosevelt was wearing his blue field shirt not his khaki officer's tunic and completed the charge on foot after he lost his horse.  But it did show one Black trooper in the lower right of the picture--more credit than Buffalo Soldiers usually got. When I was a kid, Theodore Roosevelt was my hero.  I know, incredibly dorky.  But Teddy had been a fat, bookish kid with glasses, sort of like me, who grew up to have an exciting life.  For a couple of years or so in my pre-teens I took to pinning the brim of my cowboy hat to the crown on one side with a U.S. Army insi...

Anonymous Praise be for our connection. Help us to learn from each other. Continue reading "Connecting Across Differences"

I’ve learned that the white streaks on many conifer needles are, on close examination, actually close clusters of little white dots or patches. So what are they? Collectively, they’re called stomatal bloom. Each is the wax that lines a stoma, or opening in the surface of the leaf. Stomata allow the exchange of gases between […]

“For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” —Luke 1.44 Is there someone whose voice greeting you makes you instantly feel joy?

In Sunday’s service we heard a story about a small act of love, and were invited to do one small thing. This month’s theme of Purpose, feels BIG, and in this story, we were reminded that small can be just what we need. So, today ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Feb. 22nd appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Upcoming RE Classes: K-6 Experiences with the Web of Live: These nature lovers will meet again Sunday morning, 3/6, from 9:30-10:15. 4/4:  K-6th Celebrating Spring–6-6:45 pm! Movement and stories to share. 7/8 The Fifth Dimension: Their next meeting is Sunday morning, 3/6, from 9:15-10:15. Game Night!: 2/24: 7th-12th Grade Game Night- from 7-8:30 pm! We’ll be ... read more . The post RE This Week – Feb. 22nd appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

We are pleased to announce the annual call for applications for grants from UU Schenectady’s Social Justice Action Fund. We will offer grants between $2,500 and $5,500 for social justice initiatives and activities working towards bringing about systemic change. Applications are due by April 30, ... read more . The post UUSS Social Justice Action Fund appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

A report released by NOAA this month offers a revision in the rise of sea levels and how various areas are expected to be affected. Continue reading New report: sea levels will rise, but not uniformly at The Wild Hunt.

                                             Lewis Latimer, light bulb pioneer in 1882. Lewis Howard Latimer was born in Boston on December 4, 1848.   How that came to be is an epic story in its own right. His father, George W. Latimer, the son of a White man and enslaved mother, and his wife Rebecca fled from slavery in Virginia by ship.   Traveling north via Baltimore and Philadelphia with prices on their heads and pursued by slave catchers, the young couple arrived in Boston on October 8, 1842.   By mischance Latimer was spotted by a Virginian who recognized him as the slave clerk in James Gray ’ s Norfolk shop.   He was immediately arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 to be held until his mas...

Too many of us think James Carville spoke the eternal truth in 1992 when he said “it’s the economy, stupid.” But there were no unemployed coal miners in the January 6 insurrection. When people show you who they are, believe them.

And now I know what subalpine means: in the foothills or lower slopes of mountains, below the treeline. Which seems to imply that alpine trees grow above the treeline. This dendrology stuff is complicated. Anyway, tree research can wait. This took a long time because each needle was outlined or shadowed by another. It was […]

“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it.” -From “Don’t Hesitate,” by Mary Oliver This poem is one of my favorite framings of joy. Particularly within my experience of grief, it can be so hard to access and sustain joy — feeling permission to give into it and claim even … Continue reading Don’t Hesitate

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, The Baltimore Sun apologizes, Cherry Hill Seminary announces profess of the year, Crossings, a research participant call, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of February 21, 2022 at The Wild Hunt.

Emerge, deepen and transform is 2022’s focus for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair, New Jersey, where I attend. Although, they probably are thinking along the effects of the pandemic, including how congregational life is transforming in general. This is something my elders always encourage in their students. Two friends at different times the other […] The post Spring is coming!  Emerge from your shell and transform appeared first on Nature's Sacred Journey.

Let us begin with a recitation of the litany of "us": 13.8 billion years ago the universe began. 4.6 billion years ago, in the last third of the universe’s lifespan, our sun formed, and within about 60 million years, the Earth. 3.5 billion years ago, a billion years after our Earth formed, life on Earth began. 2 billion years ago, after a billion and a half years of prokaryotic life, eukaryotes (cells with a distinct nucleus) appeared when symbiotically linked prokaryotic cells fused into one organism. 800 million years ago, some eukaryotes developed into the first animal. 535 million years ago, within the last 4 percent of the age of the universe, some animals developed into the first vertebrates. 200 million years ago, some vertebrat...

    Malcolm X was assassinated on this day, the 21st of February in 1965. I consider him one of the signal figures in the spiritual history of the United States. I’ve written here about him before. Although it’s been. while. Malcolm Little was born in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19th, 1925. He was the […]

                                        William Wells Brown in 1847 at the time of the publication of his first book of memoirs. His life was as compelling as any character her ever created—up from illiterate slavery to international celebrity as a pioneering Black author and leading abolitionist.   In his day William Wells Brown was nearly as famed as Fredrick Douglassbut today is barely a footnote in American literary and social justice history.     This post aims help fix that. Brown was born in 1814 or ’15 near Lexington, Kentucky in the racially complex circumstances common to slavery.   His motherElizabeth had both African and Native American ancestry, and she was held in bondage by Dr. John Young.

“Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me.” -Three Dog Night Bring joy to someone else today. Share some joy.

  HOPE HAS HUMAN HANDS Rev. Kit Ketcham, Feb. 20, 2022          In the late 40’s, early 50’s, there was a song which, when it came on the radio, would make my dad  groan and move as if to turn it off, muttering “that darn song, it’s so sticky!”, and my mother and I would cry out, “no, we want to hear it!”  It was a sentimental song and its words could even be said to be a bit schmaltzy.  And when you heard it just now, you might have even hummed along with it!          In those days, hope--to me--meant miracles; it meant a sort of Pollyanna-ish optimism that “everything will be fine in the morning”.  It meant that no matter how desperate the financial situation ...

TWH reports from the Hexes and Hearts Ball, which was held on February 12th in Arlington, Texas. Continue reading Hexes and Hearts Witch’s Ball gives back to the community at The Wild Hunt.

Personal tragedy and four years of the burdens of war visibly aged Abraham Lincoln as shown in his final portrait taken by Alexander Gardner day before his death. Note— It has been since Tuesday that the last entry in this series appeared. Both personal scheduling problems and the complexity of the story has resulted in the delay.  But we finally take up the story Lincoln was elected President of the United States.  In this conclusion he faces his immediate crisis, and we examine how he used issues of race and slavery to advance he proclaimed war objective of preserving the Union and how his views evolved. If Lincoln held any real hope that his pledges not to interfere with slavery in states where it was established, and his protesta...

    THUNDER AND LIGHTNINGFrederick Douglass’ Liberation Theology James Ishmael Ford A sermon delivered at theFirst Unitarian Church of Los Angeles February 20th, 2022 “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want […]

as preached at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, February 20, 2022 “Did you ever talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him or have him smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him?,” I begin my sermon with these words from Ossie Davis for a simple reason. Tomorrow marks the […]

Thanks to several of you for kind words over the last few weeks. These have encouraged me do my best to "get back on the horse" and reactivate this blog and my Universalist Christian Initative project. I suppose the pandemic (and before that the culture wars in my denomination) took its toll. As I look … Continue reading "Getting back on the horse"

I'm sorry it's late (and perhaps not so useful) but here is the updated Sunday-only calendar for 2022. Or rather, a link to where I keep it. https://www.revscottwells.com/2008/08/26/the-sunday-only-calendar/ Let we know if your browser gives you a security warning when you download it.

Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you." What does it mean to build families and, ultimately, a world, which grants every child inherent rights and does not treat them as the property of their parents? Tara Adams will explore this idea through her experiences as both a parent of three and a social worker working with families.

The Pandemic has significantly limited our lives in so many ways. But being outside improves our own mental and physical health and makes our Church more welcoming – think of all the wonderful time members have been enjoying being outside – including even Christmas Eve! The post Tending our Garden appeared first on BeyondBelief.

I did pretty good this week and managed to celebrate yet another birthday yesterday. 72 seems like a lot of years, quite a few more than I expected to see when I was young. This year we were able to actually eat out in a restaurant with all of our adult children and then have […]

I’m a serious writer who writes about serious matters, but even I know there’s a need for fun in our lives. And while serious stuff can be fun, magic is fun in and of itself.

A.k.a. “Christmas tree.” The needles are closely packed and mostly grow upwards. Another one whose leaves are liveliest en masse, but I can’t always draw a whole twig’s worth.

Sometimes, when we are filled with joy, it overflows from us as tears. Those moments of most profound joy can look to others like moments of sadness. When have you felt joy so profound that you burst into tears?

Storm Faerywolf showcases the Divine Diversity 2 tarot deck from Joe Phillips, which features representation of a wide variety of ethnicities, sexualities, cultures, and body types. Continue reading Column: Delving into Divine Diversity at The Wild Hunt.

Please join us on Sunday (20 February 2022) at 11:00 AM for “Sanctuary” by Rev. Barbara Jarrell. Please join us in the sanctuary at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 9449 Ellerbe Road, Shreveport LA  71106 if you are able to do so. Our service will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live here if you cannot attend … Continue reading "Online All-Ages Worship (20 February 2022)"

Please join us on Sunday (13 February 2022) at 9:00 AM for our adult religious education class via Zoom. This Sunday’s topic is “Faith and Reason:  Pema Chödrön Talks with Bill Moyers.” For this Sunday (20 February 2022) and next Sunday (27 February 2022), we will watch Part 1 and Part 2 of a Bill … Continue reading "Online Adult Religious Education — 20 February 2022"

We will continue to watch the local COVID numbers.  We feel encouraged by the dropping Omicron COVID case rates. We are not resuming regular classes for children and youth at this time because our classrooms are too small to be safe for unvaccinated children. We also want some time to be together and nurture each … Continue reading "Children and Youth Religious Education Updates"

Please join us next Tuesday (22 February 2022) at 12 noon for our weekly Zoom lunch (please note the new day of the week for Zoom lunch). Bring your lunch and meet up with your All Souls friends, have lunch, and just catch up.

Goat on a goat path (Photo: Guilhem Vellut) A short  “ thought for the day” offered to the Cambridge Unitarian Church as part of the Sunday Service of Mindful   Meditation  (Click on this link to hear a recorded version of the following piece) —o0o— Because, for a few weeks, the liberal religious, Unitarian community to whom I minister is back in its hall where it met for worship between 1923 and 1927, I’m taking the opportunity to look at some of its liberal roots. One root idea alive at the time was that the Unitarian movement was a “progressive” one which could also be called, quite unproblematically, “a religion of the Open Road” (Alfred Hall in Aspects of Modern Unitarianism , ed. S. H. Mellone, Lindsey Press, ...

As whole human beings, we experience both joys and sorrows. We bring both our joys and sorrows to our communities to be witnessed and appreciated. What are the joys and sorrows you are bearing today?

Will you look at this California red fir? I just about wept looking at it: for the beauty of those curving needles, as graceful as dancers; from the desire to spend lots of time with them and try to put some of that beauty on paper; and from exhaustion. I don’t know why I should […]

Please join us on Saturday (19 February 2022) at 10:30 AM for our weekly meditation group with Larry Androes. This is a sitting Buddhist meditation including a brief introduction to mindfulness meditation, 20 minutes of sitting, and followed by a weekly teaching. The group is free and open to all. For more information, contact Larry … Continue reading "Meditation with Larry Androes (19 February 2022)"

Alan D.D. introduces the legend of Caribay, a Venezuelan figure whose actions brought snow to the peaks of the Andes. Continue reading Column: Caribay, the Venezuelan Pandora at The Wild Hunt.

Alan D. D. nos presenta la leyenda de Caribay, una figura venezolana cuyas acciones trajeron nieve a los picos de los Andes. Continue reading Columna: Caribay, la Pandora Venezolana at The Wild Hunt.

Emptiness is Suchness Masao Abe First published in the Eastern Buddhist & later reprinted in the anthology of Kyoto School reflections, the Buddha Eye, as well as elsewhere. There are reasons for its popularity. What makes this essay so important to me is how it expresses the fullness of the evolution of Buddhist thinking about emptiness, here […]

All too often, the perceived value of an object is based on market demand rather than on the qualities the making of it offers the maker. The photo above is an example of my mother's craft work from when she was a teen. The quality of her work may not have been at the level of work done by her mother or grandmother, but as stated by Otto Salomon, the value of the student's work is not in the work, but in the student. To make such an object imparts qualities to the maker... a fact neglected in modern American education. The making of such objects is part of the process of development of character and intelligence, and as we have become a nation of consumers rather than makers, we have grown more and more out of touch. The piece shown abov...

Native but rare. The “weeping spruce” grows near the treeline in the Siskiyou Mountains, and the droop of its branches protects them from breaking under the heavy snows of these high elevations (3300-7500′).

“Joy can get complicated. Our lives grow convoluted. So often, when joy comes to us, it is accompanied by other emotions that seem to be in conflict but somehow enter our lives all mixed together: joy and sorrow and gratitude and grief and… Yet when I think about joy being complicated, I am not thinking … Continue reading Complicated

Within the past couple of hours, Religion News Service has posted an article titled “Reform movement publishes extensive report on sexual misconduct in its youth programs.” The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) commissioned an outside law firm to investigate sexual misconduct in their movement’s youth programs and summer camps over the past half century. Then … Continue reading "The UUA really needs to do this"

Long-time McHenry County resident and community leader Gloria Van Hof of Crystal Lake has announced her candidacyfor County Board District 2 in the April Democratic Primary election.   Her campaign kick-off event will be held this Sunday, from 1 to 3 pm at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 8515 Redtail Drive, Lakewood. The event will feature food and refreshments, a cash bar, and original original stories by Emmy Award-winning storyteller, Jim May. Campaign donations are welcome and signatureson Gloria’s and other Democrats’ nominating petitions will be collected.   Mask and proof of Covid-19 vaccinationare required. When she was known as Gloria Urch she was my co-host for several years for the Diversity Day Festival on Woodstock Square. I...

The practice of leaving clooties at sacred sites has generated considerable debate amongst Pagans after a site in Scotland was recently cleared of all the items left at the site. Continue reading The great cloutie debate: U.K. Pagans weigh in on the practice at The Wild Hunt.

A copy of my new book arrived today. The release date through Amazon.com and other outlets is planned for March 22, 2022, and we have a book signing planned for Eureka Springs on April 3. Yesterday I did an interview with Foreword Reviews that will be posted online near the time of the book's release. Make, fix and create...

Yesterday in wood shop, students and I finished 10 bluebird houses as part of their outdoor studies class. Six of the bird houses are being sold to supporters of the school, and one or two will be installed on campus for students to tend and observe. Left-overs will be sold at a Clear Spring School event near the end of the school year. Also yesterday, my Rainbow Group (kindergarten) tested our 16 bit building kits. The sixteen bit building kit is one that our small business studies class will be taking by appointment to demonstrate to big business giant Walmart next week. While many woodworking kits designed by adults lack the opportunity for child creativity to emerge, the sixteen bit kits each contain 16 blocks of wood, a glue stick a...

  “The current child care market fails families, children, and businesses. Parents are often unable to find a child care program with an open spot for their infant or toddler. If there are available options, they typically are not affordable. Infant child care costs families an average of $11,000 per year and is more than the price of public college in 33 states.” — Center for American Progress     America lacks sufficient child care, and the care that does read more... The post Action Alert: The Time for Public Child Care is Now appeared first on Promise the Children.

Jeff Milchen An effective tool exists to minimize the chance of illegitimate votes—those who fail to embrace it show professed concerns about voter fraud are false.

      Yesterday my friend Stephen Slottow sent me a social media posting by Tony Head. I loved it. And I wrote to Tony asking for permission to repost it on my blog. He said yes, but also pointed out all he did was put the three pieces together, and he was sure others […]

Some people are telling others they must “hear a call” before they can be involved with anything Pagan. Such calls were uncommon in ancient times and they’re not the norm today. Those who promote these ideas are harming others and our spiritual movements.

As the name suggests, this species is not native to California or anywhere in the United States. It is commonly cultivated here, but doesn’t live nearly as long as it does in Europe, where it can live to be 300 years old. These trees thrive at higher altitudes, and one variety that grows in the […]

“With joy we claim the growing light, advancing thought, and widening view, the larger freedom clearer sight, which from the old unfold the new … ” -Samuel Longfellow As each day becomes longer with growing light, what joys are you better able to see?

Sunday, February 20 Widening Our UU Circle An Online Worship Service with Rev. Alice Anacheka-Nasemann   The work of drawing circles which bring others in is sacred work that is rooted deeply in our Unitarian Universalist theology. But sometimes our circles of inclusion have unintentional barriers. Join us this Sunday, February 27, as Rev. Alice reflects   [ … ] The post Sunday, February 20 ~ Widening Our UU Circle ~ 10:30 a.m. appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.

COVID concerns from employees at an Ann Arbor bookstore and institution end bitterly as the store also announces closure. Continue reading Employees dispute with Michigan bookstore ends on bitter note at The Wild Hunt.

By Jonathan Rosenblum | It’s time for an all-labor national day of action to defend Starbucks workers. The Starbucks baristas, REI retail workers, Amazon warehouse workers, striking Warrior Met mineworkers and concrete truck drivers, along with other workers bravely organizing and fighting back, are at the forefront of resisting unbridled corporate greed in this new Gilded Age. But they won’t succeed if the fights are limited by region or industry.

Tania Márquez Every time I find the sacred unexpectedly, I am filled with awe and surprise. Continue reading "The Unexpected Sacredness of Things"

Our annual celebration known as 30 Days of Love has finished. This beloved tradition, which runs approximately from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January through Valentine’s Day in February, is an opportunity for us to collectively nurture our spirits, deepen our understanding of our shared faith, and take action on our values for collective liberation.  Whether you joined in every event or haven’t heard of 30 Days of Love yet, we want to lift up some of the amazing gifts generated by our contributors and invite you to continue bringing love and justice to our world. The materials are free for your continued use, individually or in your congregations, and we invite you to share them widely in your community.  While each o...

  In my view there are two great American original religions. One is the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints, perhaps better known as the Mormons. The other is New Thought. While people who write about New Thought give it a hundred mothers and fathers, I think we can actually start with Phineas Quimby […]

Trying to draw fast but not messily. One out of two . . .

Youth I once worked with used to put in their covenant that no one was allowed to “yuck” another person’s “yum,” meaning that people should be allowed things that bring them pleasure and joy without others judging them for it. I was recently reminded of this phrase when people started getting bent out of shape … Continue reading Don’t Yuck My Yum

The Anti-Racism Team’s monthly Book Group explores works by writers who are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). UUSS member Ellie von Wellsheim will fascilitate a discussion of the book The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson, on Monday, February 21, at 6:30 pm. For more information, ... read more . The post The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

The conclusion of a two part series that explores the ancient history of Olympia and the roots of the modern Olympic Games. Continue reading The Olympics: an ancient festival, Part II at The Wild Hunt.

Tuesday Greetings, We hope this finds you well, wherever you are reading this from. And we know that not everyone is doing well. Things have been hard for a long time. Nothing is the same as it was and there is no ‘normal’ to go back ... read more . The post Co-Ministers’ Colloquy – Feb. 15th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Upcoming RE Classes: K-6 EXPERIENCES WITH THE WEB OF LIFE: These nature lovers will meet again Sunday morning, 2/20, from 9:30-10:15. Please have your Children keep an eye out for animal tracks in the snow. We’d love to hear about what they find on Sunday morning! Some dates to keep ... read more . The post RE This Week – Feb. 15th appeared first on Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady.

Immigrant support project is making a real-life difference for families.

      As I age I sometimes find myself caught by the terrible beauty of our lives. How sweet it is to be alive. And how awful life can be The Japanese have a phrase, mysterious karma, for how things come to be. Karma has a mechanistic quality in our common English usage, you […]

Bruce Knotts Human rights defenders—especially women and LGBTQ+ people—can suffer harsh consequences in their home countries for working with the United Nations.

The first authenticated photo of Abraham Lincoln as a Springfield Lawyer in 1847, Note —Yesterday in the first entry in this blog series we noted the removal and vandalism of statues of Abraham Lincoln, charges that he was a racist and white supremist and traced his background and life from his log cabin birth through his formative years in New Salem, Illinois where he established himself as a man of local consequence.   Today, we trace his steady climb as a lawyer and politician. In 1834 Abraham Lincoln was elected to the legislature and served four terms as a Whig gaining Prominence as one of the Long Nine who brokered the move of the Illinois capitol to near-by Springfield .   He championed construction of the Illinois and Michiga...

Trying to explain Paganism to those who judge every religion by Christian standards is difficult. But when someone is genuinely curious, we can help them understand religion is bigger than they think, and that Paganism can stand on its own merits.

[Carpenter Shih said of the enormous oak in the village of Crooked Shaft]: “It’s a worthless tree! Make boats out of it and they’d sink; make coffins and they’d rot in no time; make vessels and they’d break at once. Use it for doors and it would sweat sap like pine; use it for posts […]

“Pleasure heals the places where our hearts and spirit get wounded. Pleasure reminds us that even in the dark, we are alive. Pleasure is a medicine for the suffering that is absolutely promised in life… Pleasure is the point. Feeling good is not frivolous, it is freedom.’ -adrienne maree brown What do you find pleasurable? … Continue reading Pleasure

In this week's Pagan Community Notes, a re-cap of the February 14 meaning, TN pastor continues witch rant, community announcements, and more news. Continue reading Pagan Community Notes: Week of February 14, 2022 at The Wild Hunt.

By Nancy Rubin Stuart | Everyone knows Benjamin Franklin was a scientist, an inventor, and a diplomat, but did you know he also had the makings of a great romance advice columnist? The founding father was well suited to that job because of his wide experience with women. That may explain why he penned a letter in 1745 to a single man about the best way to sate his sexual impulses outside marriage. Ben’s advice? Sleep with an older woman instead of a young one.

Spring is just around the corner , and with it warmer weather, longer days, and perhaps most welcome of all, signs that we are at long last approaching an almost-normal existence again! At their most recent meeting our Executive Board voted to resume in-person services beginning Sunday, March 6.  Covid Protocols will remain in place —   [ … ] The post ** RETURNING TO IN-PERSON SERVICE ** Sunday, March 6 ** appeared first on Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson.