We’ve all heard someone say “funerals are for the living.” No. This is sacrilege. This is a Protestant and humanist idea that has no place in Paganism and polytheism. Funerals are for the community, which includes both the living and the dead.
Xenophanes said that horses would worship Gods that look like horses. But some of our Gods are not in our image. What does it mean that some deities have chosen to reveal Themselves in other-than-human form?
Your main thing isn’t everyone else’s main thing. People who try to manipulate others into supporting their causes are behaving exactly like street corner preachers who are certain everybody who doesn’t believe like them is going to hell. You don’t have to listen to them.
There is no shame in fear and doubt – they’re part of being imperfect humans who have to make decisions with imperfect information. But fear and doubt can be overcome, and TV preachers can be banished into irrelevance.
Over the past few days many of us have descended into our own personal hells, reliving our worst days over and over again. What is done is done and cannot be undone. We can only work to dismantle the patriarchy and oligarchy that invests unworthy men with power over the lives and bodies of women, people of color, the poor, and others they deem inferior.
Imagine, if you will, a conclave of cats gathered to discuss and debate the true nature of humans. It is much the same when we humans discuss and debate the true nature of the Gods.
Religion is ultimately about relationships: with our families and communities, with the natural world, with our virtues and values, and with our Gods and spirits. Building relationships with other persons requires communication. There are ways we can talk to the Gods, and there are ways we can hear from Them.
Hospitality is among the greatest of Pagan virtues, and it means more than offering food and drink. People come to us looking for a community where they can learn sacred traditions and explore the deepest questions of life. What will they find when they arrive? Here are seven things we owe newcomers to Paganism.
Myths are more than fictional stories and they aren’t intended to be read literally. Oftentimes we have to look past the obvious to get to the truth, and what seems to be contradictory is simply two or more lessons embedded in the same story.
Myths are more than fictional stories and they aren’t intended to be read literally. Oftentimes we have to look past the obvious to get to the truth, and what seems to be contradictory is simply two or more lessons embedded in the same story.
What do newcomers need to know about Paganism when they’re just starting out? That’s an incredibly broad question – it’s why we have so many Paganism 101 books. Here’s some general information, some resources, and what you need to know if you decide to practice the particular form of Paganism I practice.
What do newcomers need to know about Paganism when they’re just starting out? That’s an incredibly broad question – it’s why we have so many Paganism 101 books. Here’s some general information, some resources, and what you need to know if you decide to practice the particular form of Paganism I practice.
Many traditional activities for Samhain are designed for large groups, but many Pagans are solitary practitioners, either by choice or by necessity. Here are eight things you can do to celebrate Samhain as a solitary.
Many traditional activities for Samhain are designed for large groups, but many Pagans are solitary practitioners, either by choice or by necessity. Here are eight things you can do to celebrate Samhain as a solitary.
The Wheel of the Year is central to modern Paganism because it's an accessible connection to both our ancestors and to Nature. Our changing climate will demand changes to our celebrations, lest we become proper English ladies and gentlemen giving ourselves heat stroke from wearing London fashion in Jamaica.
What’s a woman to do when she feels called by a God whose stories include rape? This is a question I feel very unqualified to answer. So I turned to ADF priest and fellow polytheist Rev. Lauren Mart. This is Lauren’s response.
What’s a woman to do when she feels called by a God whose stories include rape? This is a question I feel very unqualified to answer. So I turned to ADF priest and fellow polytheist Rev. Lauren Mart. This is Lauren’s response.
Why do some Pagans blame Trickster Gods for bad things like Christians blame their devil? How does magic work? Can you work magic for yourself? Can you pay someone to work magic for you? Responses to eight questions for Conversations Under the Oaks.
I originally thought the value of the Big Tent metaphor was its bigness. Now I think its value is its portability. We can set it up where ever we need it and do what we need to do, then go back to work on the things we’re really passionate about.
This is the moment we can do something that will make a tangible difference over the next two years and set the tone for 2020 and beyond. Or we can continue to allow 26% of the country to drive us off the cliff. If we turn out, we win.
This is the moment we can do something that will make a tangible difference over the next two years and set the tone for 2020 and beyond. Or we can continue to allow 26% of the country to drive us off the cliff. If we turn out, we win.
What do you get when a Druid decides to hold a public ritual in a small rural town in Tennessee? Controversy that’s not unexpected but still disappointing in 2018. Fortunately, the Wayist Druid ritual was safe and successful.
As a progressive Texan, this election brought me the emotional devastation of being so close and yet so far. I’m going back to my religious work now, but I’m going to stay engaged with mainstream politics, because this country and its people are too important to abandon them to Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
Many traditional activities for the Winter Solstice are designed for large groups, but many Pagans are solitary practitioners, either by choice or by necessity. Here are eight things you can do to celebrate the Solstice as a solitary.
Many traditional activities for Imbolc are designed for large groups, but many Pagans are solitary practitioners, either by choice or by necessity. Here are eight things you can do to celebrate Imbolc as a solitary.
Today we continue with more Conversations Under the Oaks. What are some things you can do to build a system of regular ritual devotions? What do you do when a deity stops talking to you? And how can we embrace darkness and shadow in our lives – even if we don’t like those terms? The […]
Maybe I’m just in a cynical mood, but I’ve seen too many “signs you’re really something special but you just don’t know it” articles. People are out there searching desperately for their calling in life and they need better guidance than clickbait listicles.
Repaganizing an ancient rite involves a lot more than adding an “s” everywhere you see “God” and changing “Lord” to “Lord and Lady.” But some ancient rituals and spells were created in a polytheist environment, so it stands to reason that if they’re restored to a polytheist environment they’ll still work… perhaps even better.
Learning to trust your mystical experiences is hard. It’s hard to overcome our mainstream society’s insistence that they can’t be real. But we can figure it out.
Finding someone who will defeat Donald Trump is essential. These are my thoughts on how we can best wade through the list of 20 candidates (so far) and give ourselves the best chance of getting this right.
Facts are real. They may be complicated and they may be unpleasant, but we ignore them at our peril. If facts conflict with our beliefs, our beliefs must change – the facts aren’t changing.
A recent BBC.com article asked “how and why did religion evolve?” While it was good up to a point, it essentially attempted to explain religion while ignoring religion. If you want to understand the origins of religion, you have to look at religious experiences.
Given the excesses and abuses of religion, some question whether we should take the step from raw experience to formal religion, and many people are choosing not to take it. But for most of us, practicing religion is far more beneficial than simply responding to religious experiences.
“I didn’t expect it to be so real.” As unique as this comment was, the message is one I heard from others at our Beltane ritual: this is meaningful, this is sacred, this is real. The elements that made this ritual so powerful can be incorporated into any Pagan ritual.
I understand envy of the institutions and infrastructure of Catholics and other Christians. But envy isn’t helpful. Let’s become the best Pagans we can be, and then build the institutions and infrastructure we need, here and now.
Serving my community is part of my priesthood. But I am also called to serve Them directly in the ways that They request/demand, for reasons that are known only to Them, and that have no obvious value in the ordinary world.
Imposter syndrome goes beyond genuine humility. It lies about your own accomplishments and exaggerates the accomplishments of others. And the worst part of imposter syndrome isn’t how it makes you feel – it’s what it makes you stop doing that you really want to do.
How big is your Paganism? How inclusive is your Paganism? What specific needs does your Paganism have? What will the Pagans in your Paganism support? The infrastructure needs of your Paganism aren’t necessarily the same as the infrastructure needs of my Paganism.
When our ancestors converted to Christianity, we lost traditions, we lost infrastructure, and we lost vocabulary. What do we want our priests to do and what should be the responsibility of the people in general? Can anyone actually fill all these roles?
Paganism is about actions and relationships, but some people still insist on asking “what do you believe?” If they have a sincere curiosity, I want to help them learn. And sometimes explaining things on their terms helps them understand that we have different foundational assumptions that are neither right nor wrong, only different.
There’s some major spiritual decluttering going on. Some voluntary, some not. Some pleasant, some decidedly not. And much more that needs to be done. Because the storm is here, and we have to deal with it.
We aren’t trying to deal with the storm just to survive. We’re trying to deal with the storm so we can build a better world in its aftermath – or even while it’s still raging. And building a better world requires a vision of just what it is we want to build.
It’s easier to become a priest and to serve as a priest inside a community. If you can train under someone who’s experienced and qualified, so much the better. But if a God calls you, and you do the work, and the deity accepts your service, then you’re Their priest.
If we did not feel for those who will be most affected by climate change we would not be truly human. But if we obsess over the worst-case projections, we will sink into despair and we won’t be able to save ourselves, much less anyone else. And I see too many people approaching despair.
Some people want to be Pagans, but mainly they want to do their own thing. If my wildest dreams come true and Paganism becomes an institutional religion, what place is there for them?
I hope someday we’ll have good, solid, robust training programs for Pagan and polytheist priests in many traditions. But until then – and even afterwards – those of us who want to be Pagan clergy can learn a lot by observing clergy of other religions.
What does it mean for Pagans to worship together? What does it take for us to worship together? And why might we not want to worship together, at least not all the time?
“Fairies just want help us.” “Another Midsummer and I still haven’t been carried away by the fairies.” And worst of all, people offering to teach others “how to work with the fairies” when their advertisements make it clear they know virtually nothing about actual fairy lore. Ignorance and arrogance around the Fair Folk can be hazardous to your health and well-being.
This is what I hope to see in 50 years, 100 years, 300 years. But the big vision I’ve described in this post can’t be built from the top down. It has to be built from the bottom up.
The class I’ve been talking about since February is now open for registration. To sign up, go to the new website UndertheAncientOaks.com, click on Courses, and follow the instructions.
The Seven of Swords has come up with a frequency and in positions that have gotten my attention. That’s usually a sign it’s doing more than simply providing an answer to the questions asked. Rather, the forces and trends the Seven of Swords represents are becoming more prominent in the wider world.
There are empty and hurting places in our lives and they aren’t going to go away. Let’s fill them with beauty, whether your beauty takes the form of rainbows and sunshine, or guitars and synthesizers and black leather.
Why do you want to talk to proselytizers anyway? Nobody gives out trophies for Best Performance in a Front Porch Religious Debate. If you do, make sure it’s your choice and not because they manipulate you into thinking you owe them even a second of your time.
My half-awake short answer was “you give them something to be engaged with, something they’re passionate about.” But this is a deep question that requires a lot more than a quick answer.
Telling someone they should change their religion is like telling them they should change their family, their nation, or their language. Everyone has the right to choose their religion, but such a choice must be truly free and never coerced.
“Do Gods call people to Their service or not?” is a theological question. My theology says the Gods do these things. My religion says I need to respond. My heart says I need to say “yes.”
I frequently see the idea that older is better, particularly when it comes to religion and spirituality. I want to challenge us all to think about these things mindfully, and to consider each situation on its own merits rather than automatically assuming “older is better.”
You didn’t become a witch so you could find a parking space at a crowded mall. You became a witch because it brought a bit of power and autonomy into your life. It’s time to put that power to use.
Many Pagans and polytheists have an uneasy relationship with sacrifice. But sacrifice has been a part of religious practice since before religion was organized, and sacrifice embodies the two greatest Pagan virtues: hospitality and reciprocity. This is the story of a beautiful sacrifice made at our Lughnasadh Ritual.
Most of us are convinced Epstein was murdered to silence him. And if you believe that, then there are some other things you believe. Things you haven’t thought about, because you don’t want to think about them.
Repetition helps us learn. It’s how we build traditions. It’s how we build community. And you never know when one more seemingly-needless repetition will cause something to click and you’ll finally understand something in the depths of your soul.
Our spiritual and religious experiences are unquestionably real – the challenge is to interpret them accurately and authentically. If our experiences are really experiences of the Gods, there should be some noticeable change in our lives.
How do we recognize signs and omens in nature? How can we make sure we aren’t seeing something where there’s nothing? How can we figure out what something means when we don’t even know what it’s about? I had to do that last week – this is the outcome.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to follow the religion of one specific set of your ancestors. As a modern Druid who draws inspiration from Celtic ancestors, I understand this desire. It’s a good and honorable desire. But it’s got nothing to do with DNA.
The readership for blogs isn’t fixed. Good writing motivates people to look for more good writing – the more good Pagan blogs we have the better we all do. There’s room for you too.
We don’t talk much about curses we place on ourselves. Most times we don’t realize what we’re doing even after it’s done. But they happen – I’ve done it myself. Here’s a ritual to remove them.
Sooner or later you’re going to get a call from someone in spiritual or magical distress. You may feel like you’re unqualified to help them, but it’s entirely possible that despite your very real shortcomings, you’re the best they’re going to find.
The Sola Busca Tarot is one of the oldest decks in existence, and the oldest deck for which we have all 78 cards. There’s a new edition now available – this is my review.
When we talk about “the Universe” there are almost always unstated assumptions behind our words, assumptions that are not in alignment with the religion we practice. We’ve just always assumed they were true, and when someone challenges us on them, we get defensive.
I could tell you you’re good enough but you wouldn’t believe me. Instead I will tell you that the work needs to be done and there is no one else to do it. And I will urge you to listen to that voice deep within that says “I want to do this.”
This book will seduce you and it will frustrate you. It will frighten you and it will inspire you. If you want your Paganism to be bright and clean and happy, this book isn’t for you. If you understand that Nature has teeth, you may find it helpful. Because you have teeth too.
The Paganism I practice is a deep, robust religion. It is not a religion primarily concerned with our comfort, but it addresses the immensities of life and it does so in an honest and straightforward manner. It provides me with all the comfort I need – and trust me, I need plenty.
Every year people die because they try to climb mountains they’re not ready to climb. Sometimes we need to dive into new spiritual work head first. Sometimes we need to go slowly and deliberately. And sometimes we need to step back and make sure we’re really ready to climb this particular mountain.
The core of a holy day is what we celebrate, what we commemorate, and what we do. If that core is important to us – if its story is meaningful to us – then people will come to our rituals and read our blogs. And if they’re not, then they won’t, no matter what we call it.
A prominent doctor says life after 75 isn’t worth living. While he has a couple valid points, his reasoning is disturbing. In any case, the time to contemplate your old age is when you’re still young and healthy.
If you want to dismiss Greta as a pawn, think again. Just because you couldn’t have done it at age 16 doesn’t mean she can’t do it. Because she’s doing it.
Ah, October! When pumpkin spice is everywhere, the temperatures finally get cooler here in Texas, and the movies on TV get tons better. Here are 13 classic horror films I’m going to watch this month.
If you need a house cleansing, you can probably do it yourself. This is some of the most straightforward magic there is. Plus nobody knows your house as well as you do, and nobody is more invested in getting it good and clean.
Paganism in its broadest sense offers the ability for you to participate in the circle or circles that call to you. Is this where you belong, or are you a vegan and this is a pig roast? The zucchini and hummus circle is down the street.
Lately I’ve seen some Pagans saying they don’t believe in real Gods. It is neither my place nor my intent to tell these people they’re wrong – “right belief” is not of utmost importance. But it is my place to offer a differing viewpoint.
The end of Pantheacon is the end of an era in the modern Pagan movement. Or perhaps, it’s the official notice that an era ended a few years ago. The future of Pagan conventions is more, smaller, local and regional gatherings. And that’s a good thing.
What’s even more frustrating than a bad ritual is a good ritual that’s “just one thing” away from being a great ritual. Usually the main event is very good. But the leaders put all their efforts into the main working and neglected to build a complete ritual around it.
Regardless of why, the Gods occasionally employ humans as oracles to deliver messages for Them. What do you do when you have to give someone a message from a God?
Morgan Daimler has a new book on the Queens of Fairy. It includes a biography of six Queens from folklore, a discussion of Fairy Queens from literature and pop culture, and guide for meeting the Queens and working with and for them. Highly recommended.
Several of my psychically sensitive friends have checked in on me recently. My Tarot readings are troublesome. Something’s going on – I’m just not sure what it is.
There is value in learning the languages of our ancestors. At the same time, the Gods are older than any language and older than language itself. We do not need language to speak with the Gods.
Starting a new Pagan group is a big job and a big responsibility – do not undertake this lightly. But it is sacred work. If nothing else is available, someone has to build it. Why not you?
We all have to choose the spiritual and magical risks we’re willing to take and the risks we won’t. There is a place in Paganism for everyone who wants it, regardless of the lines they’re willing to cross. But I encourage everyone to continue your search for truth and meaning, even when it gets scary.
If you choose to avoid magic that’s your decision and I respect it. You don’t have to be a magician of any sort to be a good Pagan or a good polytheist. But I want all the tools in my toolbox that I can get, and magic is one of them.
The final post from the last Conversations Under the Oaks: what makes a Druid? What about pop culture Paganism? The challenges of contemporary polytheism, how to balance the requirements of priesthood, and some recommendations for beginners.
The 1920s were not a decade of non-stop party and fun, particularly for those who weren’t young, rich, and white. The 2020s won’t be either. But I hope that when 2120 arrives and people look back to us, what they find is inspiring. And if it’s also fun and beautiful and maybe a bit whimsical, so much the better.
Most people can tell a God “no” and go on about their lives. Most people, but not everyone. When it comes to serving the Gods, not everyone has a choice. Sometimes the Gods take what They want. And sometimes what They want is you.
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