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.
Read moreCelebrating Seasons of the Goddess – with Contributions from Glenys Livingstone
“Celebrating Seasons of the Goddess restores the original vision of celebrating cultural and natural landmarks from the perspective of Goddess feminist activism. By taking such categories as time, seasons, nature and the female divine as a point of departure, this book…
Read moreThe Worst Named Pagan Holiday
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 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 moreSpirituality Without Politics Is Lame
A politics without spirituality is blind, but a spirituality without politics is lame. And that is why I worry about an apolitical spirituality. I worry that individual spiritual practice in isolation from engagement with the world will never lead to real personal development and thus never lead to positive social change. And I worry about an apolitical spirituality which tells us that we need to accept the world as it is because we are powerless to change it. Finally, sitting back and practicing equanimity and a contemplative attitude is a privilege that many people do not have. It is not a option for many people of color. It is not a option for many gay, lesbian, queer or transgendered people have. It is not an option for many poor people or for many women.
Read more“You’re Not Fucking Gandalf”: 12 Movies to Remind You That Pagans Need to Grow Up
It’s time to grow up Pagans. You’re not fucking Merlin or Gandalf. You’re not a reincarnated Egyptian princess or Celtic priestess. And your teen witch spells are not going to change your eye color, or make you levitate, or get you that long-desired revenge on those high school mean girls.
Read moreLughna-say-what? What to Call This Pagan Holiday
The problem with the Pagan Wheel of the Year is that we are starting with a name, then working out what the day should mean from its etymology and history, and then trying to associate it with the season—which is completely backwards! We need to look at the season, work out what the holy day should mean, and then come up with an appropriate name. The year should turn the Wheel, not the other way around.
Read more