My lovely spouse Leora and I generated the list pictured here as part of our Fall Equinox ritual. The list begins: Furnace check-up appointment Window plastic Boots It might not seem particularly witchy, but making it made me feel so profoundly connected to my spirituality. Like it has for many folks, the current COVID-19 pandemic… Continue reading Fall Equinox 2020: Balance
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Happy Fall Equinox!
Happy Fall Equinox, or Mabon! Of course, our spherical planet also gives us the beautiful symmetry of the Spring Equinox (& Ostara) being celebrated now by our Southern Hemisphere friends. The equinoctial moment, this year, is on September 22nd, at 5:31 pm…
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Animism for the Religious Naturalist
Animists see a world that is full of other-than-human persons, including salmon persons, tree persons, and even rock persons. It is difficult for many Westerners to understand the concept of other-than-human persons, especially when talking about (seemingly) “inanimate objects” like rocks. But for the animist, there is no such thing as inanimate matter, because it is all a part of the complex self-regulating living system called Gaia. Animism is not about the projection of consciousness or agency onto non-human things, but about respect and reciprocity within a more-than-human community that transcends the subject-object dichotomy.
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In Memorium: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I was stunned and appalled to learn last night of the death of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was a giant of the law, and a shero of women’s rights. For a much more in-depth profile of her than I can research or write, visit her obituary here. Now, we must … Continue reading In Memorium: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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The Atheopagan Calendar of Moons: an Optional Set of New Observances
In the Atheopagan Saturday Zoom Mixer conversation this week, the group came up with a fantastic idea: to correlate the 13 Atheopagan Principles with the 13 cycles of the Moon each year, and observe each Moon as a time to contemplate and celebrate that particular Principle. This is optional, of course. You don’t have to … Continue reading The Atheopagan Calendar of Moons: an Optional Set of New Observances
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The Fall Equinox Approaches!
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Fall Equinox is celebrated in three weeks (it is September 22nd this year) as Mabon, also called Harvest Home. (Those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate the Spring Equinox, Ostara, at this time.) While every year…
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Invitation to the Sacred Fire
I invite you, friends. Come with me to a place of celebration. The forest stands, ancient. It is night. The tents and pavilions have been set: your bed awaits you if you want to go. It is midnight. And you don’t want to go there. None of us does. The scent of the damp earth … Continue reading Invitation to the Sacred Fire
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GUEST POST: Seeds of Hope
By K.M. On returning to my home from a walk the other day, for the first time in a long while, I truly noticed my lone flowerbed as I approached my front door. How many days had I walked on by it? I couldn’t recall the last time I had actually looked at it. Today, … Continue reading GUEST POST: Seeds of Hope
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The Next 70 Days are Critical – What can you do to help? by Starstuff, Contemplating
We stand at an historic time, and the upcoming election will determine a lot about the world we will leave to future generations. As Naturalistic Pagans, our focus is on this real world, and we can put our spirituality into…
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On Appeasing Gods
I can understand right now, with giant fires bearing down on us, and billowing toxic smoke and plague in the air, how people less informed about the nature of the world would try to put a face on these implacable forces and somehow petition them for relief. I can imagine all the rituals I would … Continue reading On Appeasing Gods
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