The May Cross-Quarter (Vernal Equitherm or Beltane) is just two weeks away!

The Vernal Equitherm (Beltane) is coming!  For those in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is well and truly coming and summer is around the corner.  Flora is bursting to life even in the northern climes, and fauna frolicks in the verdure. Those in the Southern Hemisphere experience the opposite, as autumn passes into winter.

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Spring Equinox Spell

“All spells at their heart are either saying please or thank you,” according to solitary Pagan witch Tylluan Penry, and I’m inclined to agree. Here’s a simple spell for saying please on Spring Equinox. Before beginning, decide who you’ll ask, and where you’ll do the asking. Then make an altar, but don’t overdo it. At […]

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Pagan Philosophy Nugget #1: Why Religion?

Thus far in the Pagan blogs I’ve written a lot about practice without sharing very much philosophy or theology, not because I’m not doing any philosophy, but for a variety of other reasons. First among these is the fact that certain attitudes and types of practices, not philosophical positions, generally unite Pagan communities. Pagans approach […]

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Saving wild violet seeds

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 […]

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Pagan, Heal Thyself

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 […]

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