Author: Anna Walther

The patch of wild violets growing right outside my front door reminds me of a neighbor friend who gave me the first of the plants. She was a retired educator who enjoyed baking, gardening, traveling, and storytelling. She wasn’t perfect, but she was thoughtful, joyful, and grounded in what matters, and she died nearly two […]

Some lament that the Pagan movement has failed to heal the world, failed to forestall human-made climate change and prevent abuse and oppression. A related complaint, usually made at the same time, is that other Pagans are self-absorbed. Others aren’t serious about their practice, the charge goes, as evidenced by the facts that they focus […]

“Walking, ideally, is a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though they were three characters, finally in conversation together, three notes suddenly making a chord.” –Rebecca Solnit in Wanderlust: A History of Walking As an animistic pagan, my most sacred practice involves neither cauldron nor athame, although I […]

Since I began leading First UU Austin’s Pagan Alliance last fall, I’ve learned that much of hosting good public ritual consists of general hosting etiquette: helping guests relax and engage, for example, and signaling to them when it’s time to transition from one activity to the next. But there’s much more to creating a container […]

Here in Central Texas, where are summers are short and mild, Imbolc marks the beginning of spring, making this the perfect time of year to go weedwalking. If you know what you’re looking for, there are quite a few wild edibles out there right now. Texas filaree, for example: Or henbit growing together with wild […]

Now that the mania of secular Christmas and New Year’s is petering out, I’m enjoying some of the rest and reflection to which Winter invites us. How about you? 2018 was a slog for many of the people I’m closest to, but I honestly can’t complain. My family and I are well, and we have […]

“The Rebirth of the Sun,” adapted from Starhawk’s story in Circle Round: By this time of year, the sun has grown old and tired. All year long the sun has worked hard, rising and setting, shining and shining, day after day. The sun has fed us throughout the year, giving energy to trees, flowers, and grasses […]

Bok choy

Kale

Milkweed and monarch

My family and I are back home after the Tejas Web Regional Dandelion Gathering, a lovely weekend of camping and circling with other Reclaiming Witches in the Texas Hill Country. We arrived a day later than planned, because this one woke up with a mysterious tail injury requiring X-rays and medications the morning we planned […]

Last weekend UU-Pagan ritual was celebrated again at First UU of Austin, facilitated by yours truly. Thirteen of us cast the circle in a grove just south of the sanctuary. We drummed, chanted, shared poetry and storytelling, honored ancestors, and tasted (Minister Meg’s wonderful homemade) apple sauce from the Cauldron of Changes on the Isle […]