I was recently invited to the New Orleans Pagan Pride Day this year to lead the opening ritual. This was my attempt to bring together elements of Pagan ritual with elements of political protest. 
Lughna-say-what? What to Call This Pagan Holiday
The problem with the Pagan Wheel of the Year is that we are starting with a name, then working out what the day should mean from its etymology and history, and then trying to associate it with the season—which is completely backwards! We need to look at the season, work out what the holy day should mean, and then come up with an appropriate name. The year should turn the Wheel, not the other way around.
Why I’m Boycotting Lughnasadh Again
If I went to a public Pagan ritual this weekend, most likely someone would give a little homily about the meaning of the day. They would begin by explaining the meaning of the names “Lughnasadh” or “Lammas”, either etymologically or historically, and then explain how Lughnasadh is about sacrifice or some other harvest analogy. But the whole process is completely backwards. Instead of attuning ourselves to the actual cycles of nature, we end up trying to attune ourselves to an artificial cycle derived from a hodgepodge of Celtic lore and rural British customs. Rather than the seasons turning the Wheel of the Year, we are letting the Wheel turn the seasons. As a result, every explanation of a Pagan holiday has to begin with a disclaimer about why the holiday doesn’t match up with what our senses are actually telling us.
How a Hobbit Would Celebrate the Summer Solstice
When we light our solstice fire this year, I will be thinking of shadows. I will be thinking of ruined landscapes. And I will be thinking of Hobbits. Little people who took up farm tools and kitchen implements and drove out the shadow of desolation from their homes. 
The Shame of Being a “Non-Practicing Pagan”
Before you call someone a “non-practicing Pagan,” consider that their practice may just look different from yours, or consider that, even though you have very different beliefs, their practice may actually look quite a bit like yours.
Once Upon a Time in the Eighties
A memory, for May Day/Beltane… It wasn’t really a fabled time. There was a lot wrong with it. That said, there were things about it that were golden. It was a moment in Northern California, in the Pagan community. It mostly took place in wild places, in woods and deep forests. We danced naked under … Continue reading Once Upon a Time in the Eighties
Read moreSaegoah Pursuits: Creative Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping
As this is the time of year when we reach the climax of seasonal gift wrapping, I have decided to share some of my creative eco-friendly wrapping techniques – and there are really two primary methods to it. 1) Cloth Bag Wrapping, and 2) Paper & Paint Wrapping
You Can Be Pagan, Or You Can Be Atheist, But You Can’t Be Both – Or So I’m Told
Pagan is a label that simply has claimed me, I’m just through trying to push away from it and have accepted it.
Pagan, But Not What You’re Assuming
Many continue the conversation assuming that I believe in supernatural beings, like spirits in the rocks, air, rivers, etc. and deities; that the Earth, Moon, Sun, Stars, are beings that care about you; that I follow the Celtic ‘Wheel of the Year’; practice magic/majick; read tarot/divination cards; and perform ceremonies that involve enchanting a circle, the elements in specific directions, and going clockwise. Mistaken on all accounts…