Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries. ―Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh I believe in the grounding, nourishing power of the earth beneath my feet, wherever I may be. My fast and dirty way of grounding… Continue reading Sacred Place-making, Part 1 →
Read moreMy Religion is Rooted, Literally.
My religion is rooted. In fact, it is a religion of roots…and of tubers and worms and actinobacteria. I am a dirt worshiping Pagan. My gospel is the gospel of compost.
Read moreThe Wild Hunt for Justice: At the Intersection of Ritual and Protest
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.
Read moreThree Stones for Samhain: A Silent, Solitary Ritual
“We build on foundations we did not lay. We warm ourselves by fires we did not light. We sit in the shade of trees we
Read moreHappy Fall Equitherm (Samhain)!
Our Ancestors reach back in an unbroken chain billions of years long. Celebrations Death, the dead, and our Ancestors fill our minds today. Some of the ways many of us are celebrating were published a few weeks ago, and at least…
Read moreWhy Worldview Matters: A Response to Kimberly Kirner
To conclude, worldview matters. It’s not all that matters. But it is part of the dynamic which drives human action, which also includes our material conditions and our social relations. If we want to effect radical change, then we must work to change all three of these, including those “interior states” like worldview or paradigm, spirituality and religious belief.
Read moreThese Things Aren’t True: Five Falsehoods in the Pagan Community
I’m no stranger to conflict in Pagan circles. Over the years, I have noticed similar themes arise when I come into conflict with other Pagans. These themes can be summarized as five lies that Pagans tell themselves.
Read moreForget Samhain: Halloween as a Pagan Holy Day
Forget Samhain. Halloween is ready-made for Pagan appropriation.
Read moreEscaping the Otherworld: The Reenchantment of Paganism
The real danger to Paganism is not so much that our religion will be outlawed, but that there will be no reason to outlaw it. The danger is not that guardians of the overculture will go to war with Pagans in a second “Burning Times”, but that they will have no reason to go to war with Paganism, because any difference between the two will have become merely superficial. The danger is not that we will forced to consume some counterfeit experience for the genuine re-enchantment, but that we will no longer be able to tell the difference.
Read moreBlack Lives and Sacred Humanity, A Book Review by Emile Wayne
This book is an important philosophical and spiritual resource for all those currently working towards racial justice, especially for those who do so outside the frameworks of specific religious traditions.
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