”Ní chaitheann an chaint an t-éadach.”
The talk doesn’t wear the clothes.
– Traditional Irish proverb
I’ve talked a lot about community, what it is for pagans and recons, how we build it and define it. One thing I haven’t talked about yet is how the inidual fits into the community structure and that’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, between different online …
I’ve decided to dedicate Monday’s blog to book reviews. These will be fairly short and to the point, and try to focus on books relating to CR Paganism, Druidism, and Heathenry.
To start, here is a basic book review of the (notorious) 21 Lessons of Merlin by Douglas Monroe:
21 Lessons is allegedly based on the secret teachings of Merlin, as revealed through the Welsh Book of Pheryllt; however this is nothing but a ploy to draw the reader in – the Book of …
I’ve been talking lately with a couple friends about recon. and, in the course of the conversation, we end up sharing stories of past experiences. Somehow the conversation had turned to the way that people often misunderstand what recon. is and the funny and frustrating discussions that result and that got me thinking about how many people really don’t understand what recon. is all about. So the following is my attempt to clarify a couple things and my own impression of what reconstructionist …
I’m taking a break from the more spiritual discussion topics and going personal today.
I’ve always been a very self-sufficient person. I pretty much took care of myself from about age 12 on, and I knew that if I didn’t no one else would, at least not consistently. I had what you might call a difficult childhood that way, but it made me a strong person. I moved out of my parents house when I was 18 and was married by 19, working 3 part time jobs and handling all the …
This is from a response I wrote to a question on an email group.
Do Wiccans and neopagan witches have familiars? It really depends on who you ask. There are plenty of people that will say that a familiar is an animal who is bonded in some way with the witch and that helps them with their magic. Familiars are often beloved pets, are said to choose the witch, and seem drawn to magical workings. It seems like everyone has a familiar these days …
This is a reprint of the second half of an article I published on witchvox in February 2011 http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=&c=words&id=14414, but it still seems appropriate…
As a group pagans need to stop nitpicking each other; if another tradition has a different way of doing things that you disagree with on purely theological or personal grounds let …
This is a reprint of the first half of an article I published on witchvox in February 2011 http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=&c=words&id=14414, but it still seems appropriate…the second half will be posted here on thursday.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about ecumenism among Pagan groups; maybe its the recent flurry of Pagan Pride Day planning, maybe its the common refrain that so many people …
The host is riding from Knocknarea,
And over the grave of Clooth-na-bare;
Caolte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling, ‘Away, come away;
Empty your heart of its mortal dream.
The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,
Our cheeks are pale, our …
“When I see the new moon,
It becomes me to lift my eyes
It becomes me to bend my knee
It becomes me to bow mt head
Giving you praise, you moon of guidance,
That I have seen you again,
That I have seen the new moon,
The lovely leader of the way.
Many a one has passed beyond
In the time between the two moons,
Though I am still enjoying earth,
You moon of moons and of blessings!”
– the Silver Bough
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I’ve been thinking a lot lately of community. How do we define who belongs to our community? Is it as simple as who we like and want to see as our community? Is it anyone who follows tha same spirituality we do? Is it the larger pagan community? Or is it more subtle and complex than this? I don’t actually have an answer yet, except that community is a nebulous thing that can include people where I live, people I choose to interact with, people online in groups I choose to belong to, …
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