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“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“Walking, ideally, is a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though they were three characters, finally in conversation together, three notes suddenly making a chord.” –Rebecca Solnit in Wanderlust: A History of Walking As an animistic pagan, my most sacred practice involves neither cauldron nor athame, although I […]

Since I began leading First UU Austin’s Pagan Alliance last fall, I’ve learned that much of hosting good public ritual consists of general hosting etiquette: helping guests relax and engage, for example, and signaling to them when it’s time to transition from one activity to the next. But there’s much more to creating a container […]

Here in Central Texas, where are summers are short and mild, Imbolc marks the beginning of spring, making this the perfect time of year to go weedwalking. If you know what you’re looking for, there are quite a few wild edibles out there right now. Texas filaree, for example: Or henbit growing together with wild […]

Now that the mania of secular Christmas and New Year’s is petering out, I’m enjoying some of the rest and reflection to which Winter invites us. How about you? 2018 was a slog for many of the people I’m closest to, but I honestly can’t complain. My family and I are well, and we have […]