Author: Anna Walther

One of my favorite Reclaiming traditions is Waters of the World, the practice of collecting small containers of water for ritual use from the oceans, rivers, lakes, creeks, and springs that we visit. A bowl filled with Waters of the World makes a great centerpiece in rituals related to healing of self, community, or earth,… Continue reading Tools for Practice: Waters of the World →

John Halstead recently called for a Pagan prophet, someone who could unite naturalists and supernaturalists, someone to “come along to lead modern Pagans out of the wilderness of superstition and self-absorption.” John’s role, as he states, is the role of the critic, not the prophet, but he suggests a list of other Pagan writers who… Continue reading Call and Response: Paganism Needs a Shared Telos →

                        I submit to awe of Earth, Sun, Moon, Storm, Sea, Wind, Stone, Fire, Rain, and Forest. I practice the old magics of hospitality, reciprocity, story, and sympathy. I choose to belong to myself. I frame my choices around the ethics of care and… Continue reading A Witch’s Creed →

A few months ago, I wrote about outgrowing atheism, an admission which frankly made me uneasy. I’ve intentionally avoided the word “belief” in recent years, preferring to center my spiritual identity around practice. After all, as Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh says, “My actions are my only true belongings.” Furthermore I’m a naturalist and an evidentialist… Continue reading Choosing to Believe in the Star Goddess →

Even though there’s no official slot for it on the Pagan Wheel of the Year, Earth Day, which began on April 22, 1970, when millions of people across the U.S. demonstrated for peace and environmental protection, feels like one of the holiest days of my year, right up there with Samhain. To celebrate Earth Day, I… Continue reading Practice Well-Being for Earth Day →

A number of recent posts in the Pagan blogosphere, including Lisa Wagoner’s first post in her new Patheos blog Witch, Indeed? and John Halstead’s recent post on why people may have good reason to make fun of Wiccans and witches, have me thinking about the labels that I put around my spiritual practice. I plan… Continue reading On Being Witch: How, Why, Where, When, and with Whom? →

I have a long history with dewberry plants, since my dad used to grow them along the back fence of our home, when I was a child. He got his canes from my grandparents, who got theirs from my Texas German great-grandparents, who used to turn the berries into wonderful pies, jelly, and wine. Most… Continue reading March Blue Moon Tea: Dewberry →

Happy High Spring! Today I walked with Poe and observed what’s happening outside. The Austin sky is sunny and breezy today, with temperatures only in the 60s F, and thank all the gods, no packages except those that I ordered have been delivered to our front door. Early spring bloomers like henbit and chickweed now… Continue reading Notes on Spring Equinox 2018 →

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Eleven years ago this spring, I participated in a weekend-long mindfulness meditation retreat. Two continuous days of scheduled sitting and walking meditation, dharma talks, and silent meals left me rested and clear, yet inexplicably discontented. On the third and final day of the retreat a choice of activities was offered, including more sitting meditation, attending… Continue reading Growing beyond atheism →