Aside from the fact that no one seems certain how to pronounce it, the name “Mabon” is a poor choice for the holy day. As with “Lughnasadh”, the “Mabon” is only tenuously related to the season or the Neo-Pagan mythos relating to the season. Of all eight holidays, Mabon has the worst name of all of them.
Read moreFight Fire With Fire, Not Prayers and Rituals
In case you aren’t aware, the Columbia River Gorge is on fire. Over the weekend, a group of teenagers setting off fireworks in the Eagle Creek canyon set dry brush ablaze, and as I write this over 20,000 acres are now burning, to include… Continue Reading
Read moreLet’s Talk Harvest!
Harvest—the autumnal equinox, which takes place this year on Friday, September 22—marks a time for celebration and culmination, for reflection on the shortening days and on the balance between light and warmth and cold and darkness. It is an opportunity for us to consider how our plans have worked out, and to bask in the … Continue reading Let’s Talk Harvest!
Read moreThe Spirituality of Protest
“There is nothing more radically activist than a truly spiritual life, and there is nothing more truly spiritual than a radically activist life.”
Read moreYou can Help Hurricane Harvey Flood Victims Through the Foundation Beyond Belief – Naturally.
Unless you live under a rock, you know that hurricane Harvey brought Texas-sized climate change to Texas last week, with much of Houston and surrounding counties under water. You can help. I’ve donated. Every little bit helps.
Read moreWhen the World Feels Icky
It’s particularly bad where I am right now. We are experiencing a heat wave that will drive temps up over 110° F today, and even higher tomorrow. In addition, smoke from the wildfires in the northern part of the state has been blown down here, casting a pall over everything and bringing a sharp, unpleasant … Continue reading When the World Feels Icky
Read moreStart With the Animals and the World Will Appear
Last weekend I presented my Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up workshop at FaerieWorlds. It’s one of my favorite topics, because I’m helping workshop participants connect with their bioregion through the animal, plant, fungus and other totems there. It’s also frustrating as there’s so… Continue Reading
Read moreA Reading List for Atheopagans
Lately, it seems a lot of people in the Pagan community are publishing suggested book lists. To my eyes, these lists range widely in quality, but the idea is a good one. So here are some books I recommend: The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abram. Of all the books on this list, if … Continue reading A Reading List for Atheopagans
Read moreThe Birth of Human-Pig Hybrids
Now, the reason they’ve chosen pigs is due to the similar size and appearance of organs we share, even though there’s a bit of a gap between our evolutionary history. But there’s more we share with pigs than just anatomical organs. Throughout world mythology, we have deities that either depicts pigs, are associated with them, ride them, or are partially pig themselves like Varahi from Nepal. In Greek mythology, Hercules captured the Erymanthian Boar for Eurystheus, as his Fourth Labour. Pigs were also a favorite sacrificial animal of various cultures and are used as a main festive dish for several religious holidays.
Read moreEclipse Afterglow (aftershadow?) [Stardust, Contemplating]
Breathless. Words seem so pointless – those who saw it know what I mean, and I know that it can’t be expressed in words, photos or video. The eclipse was stunning – a sudden and ineffable realization of the deep…
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