Galina Krasskova is a Heathen priest, author, and Northern Tradition shaman. She holds a Masters degree in Religious Studies and is currently working toward a PhD in Classics. Galina is the author of several books including “Essays in Modern Heathenry” and “Skalded Apples: A Devotional Anthology to Idunna and Bragi.” (Photo by Hudson Valley photographer Mary Ann Glass.)
B. T. Newberg is the editor of Humanistic Paganism, a community blog for naturalistic spirituality. For eleven years and counting, he has been practicing meditation and ritual from a naturalistic perspective. He is a member of ADF, and frequent contributor to Patheos, Witchvox, and GoodReads. Professionally, he teaches English as a Second Language. After living in Minnesota, England, Malaysia, and Japan, B. T. Newberg currently resides in South Korea with his wife and cat.
A former clergyman in the Church of England, Reverend Mark Townsend now leads his own inclusive and ecumenical ministry that nourishes a strong appreciation for the diversity of faith beyond Christianity, and which strives to honor the divine in all people, regardless of their faith, culture, sexuality or background. As both a progressive priest of the Open Episcopal Church and member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Mark has been featured on the BBC and several other news programs throughout Britain. He is the author of Jesus Through Pagan Eyes, The Path of The Blue Raven,The Wizard’s Gift and other daring books. He lives in Hereford, England.
A qadish for fourteen years, Tess Dawson established the largest Canaanite groups and she is a leader in the Near Eastern and Middle Eastern polytheist communities. Her work, Whisper of Stone: Natib Qadish, Modern Canaanite Religion provides the foundation of Natib Qadish religion. Ms. Dawson edited Anointed: A Devotional Anthology for the Deities of the Near and Middle East; and she awaits the 2013 release of her new book The Horned Altar: Rediscovering and Rekindling Canaanite Magic. She earned her BA in anthropology; and received ordination through the ULC. Visit her on Facebook or through her website, http://canaanitepath.com/
Eli Effinger-Weintraub practices Gaian Reclaiming-tradition hearthcraft in the Twin Cities watershed. She plants her beliefs and practices in the living Earth and her butt on a bicycle saddle. Previous works have appeared in Witches&Pagans, Circle, and Steampunk Tales, as well as at the Clarion Foundation blog, Humanistic Paganism, and I’m From Driftwood. Eli writes the "Restorying the Sacred" column at No Unsacred Place, a blog of the Pagan Newswire Collective. She shares her life and art with her wife, visual artist Leora Effinger-Weintraub, and two buffalo disguised as cats. Eli's personal blog lives at Backbooth, and she tweets as @AwflyWeeEli.
Genn John lives in Arkansas near the “Quartz Crystal Capital of the World”. Since 1995, she has been a practicing eclectic witch, incorporating such paths as Crystal Wisdom, Wicca, Buddhism, Reiki, Shamanism, Light Language and more. Genn has been the Keeper at Arkansas Crystal Works, acting as the legs for the Crystal People since 1996. Having recently accepted the honor to be their voice as well, she is the author of Understanding The Crystal People, A Handbook for Lightworkers to Master Their Connection to the Crystal World. Connect with her at genn@arkansascrystalworks.com or Twitter @GennJohn.
Writer, columnist, and interviewer Kenaz Filan is an initiate of Societe La Belle Venus #2. Her most recent book The Power of the Poppy was published by Inner Traditions in 2011.
Elani Temperance is a twenty-seven year old woman, who lives with her partner in The Netherlands. She has been Pagan for a little over twelve years and has explored Neo-Wicca, Technopaganism, Hedge Witchery and Eclectic Religious Witchcraft before progressing to Hellenismos. Although her home practice is fully Hellenic, she has an online Neo-Pagan magazine called 'Little Witch magazine' (www.littlewitchmagazine.com) in which she and several co-writers try to cover the whole gamut of Neo-Paganism. Baring the Aegis is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BaringTheAegis
As unlikely as it sounds, I was born and raised in an evangelical Christian family in Germany. Everyone knew me as a Jesus Freak. No one was very surprised when I went to the US at age 19 and came back a tattooed and pierced fundamentalist Christian, betrothed to a Chrispie (a Christian hippie, that is). I was a virgin the day we married. Five years later I graduated bible college in highest honors, with academic awards and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I took my theology and trauma on the road and deepened both by traveling the country in a yellow school bus. For three years I lived as a nomad, playing music at festivals, teaching seminars at conferences, and bringing my expanding understanding of Christianity to churches from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine. I learned that Christianity in America is as diverse as the Amish exorcising school busses and catholic priests breaking into government buildings - I saw Jesus in the oddest places. And then everything changed and I ended up a polyamorous witch owning a chocolate factory in California.
From 2006 to 2010, www.broomstix.com was an online magazine for families following alternative spiritual paths. Relaunched in 2013, Broomstix has a new format, but the same, simple goal: to be a positive community resource where folks can share their knowledge and talents.
Janet Boyer is the author of Back in Time Tarot, Tarot in Reverse and the forthcoming Naked Tarot (Dodona Books), as well as co-creator of the Snowland Deck (http://SnowlandDeck.com) with her artist husband, Ron. She is also an Amazon.com Hall of Fame Reviewer (there's only 124), with over 1,200 reviews to her name. Janet has worked as a print magazine columnist and reviewer, a social media maven for a publisher, an editor, a radio host and a Tarot reader. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and their 14-year-old son, whom she homeschools.
Sable Aradia (Diane Morrison) is a licensed Wiccan minister and a Third Degree initiate in the Star Sapphire and Pagans for Peace traditions. A writer, musician, vlogger and podcaster, she makes her living through her metaphysical store The Threads That Bind Us and by teaching workshops. She also writes a column called "Seekers and Guides" at Patheos.com. Her book, "The Witch's Eight Paths of Power: A Complete Course in Magick and Witchcraft," will be published by Weiser / Red Wheel in Fall of 2013.
I am an urban and steampunk fantasy author, Pagan writer, homeschooler, and genealogist from Massachusetts, currently living in England with my husband, son, black-headed caique, and three cats (one of whom is certifiably demonic - at least, according to military veterinarians).
Hope M. celebrated her sixth anniversary of being clean & sober in January. She has a sponsor and has the privilege of sponsoring other women, and has worked the Twelve Steps. She also has a homegroup and holds a job there. She has been a practicing witch since she was 12 years old. After many years as a solitary witch, she recently began working with a local ecstatic tradition. She writes this blog anonymously out of respect for the anonymity tradition of Twelve Step recovery groups.
Ivo Domínguez, Jr. is a visionary, and a practitioner of a variety of esoteric disciplines who has been active in Wicca and the Pagan community since 1978. He serves as one of the Elders of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, a Wiccan syncretic tradition that draws inspiration from Astrology, Qabala, the Western Magickal Tradition and the folk religions of Europe. He is the author of Casting Sacred Space: The Core Of All Magickal Work; Spirit Speak: Knowing and Understanding Spirit Guides, Ancestors, Ghosts, Angels, and the Divine; Beneath the Skins with other books in the pipeline as well. He is also is one of the owners of Bell, Book, & Candle (www.bellbookandcandle.biz), Delaware's largest metaphysical shop.
Leni Hester is a Witch and writer from Denver, Colorado. Her work appears in the Immanion anthologies "Pop Culture Grimoire," "Women's Voices in Magick" and "Manifesting Prosperity". She is a frequent contributor to Witches and Pagans and Sagewoman Magazines.
Peter is an American of British and German ancestry who lives in Missouri with his wife Mary, where he is (re)discovering his connections with nature and the Gods. When he's not tending to their homestead, which feeds his family and provides an expression of gratitude and work in veneration to the Gods, he writes for several blogs, and works as a freelance artist/graphic designer. Having many years of experience in various forms of occult systems, including Asatru, Celtic, and Dragon Hollow Wicca, and Witchcraft, Peter finally found what he had been looking for all his life in a blend of Traditional Witchcraft (the nameless art), Heathenry and personal gnosis/exploration (vision/mystic).
Erica Shadowsong
My use of the word "slavish" is not really what I'd like, but it was the only word I could think of to come close to what I meant.I'm glad I'm not a f...
Candi
I too, disbelieve in slavish devotion to the Gods. According to the ancient Romans (whose religious practices I study), such a thing was superstitio,...
S. Rune Emerson
Heh. I'm glad you've found reason to agree. Don't worry- so far as I can tell, the gods don't mind. And, to be honest, every witch I've ever met wa...
Erica Shadowsong
I GREATLY appreciate this. You said it better than I feel I could, even though I've been contemplating this very thing. I am not at all comfortable ...
Joseph Bloch
Happened to me the first time or two, too. The trick is to right-click and choose "paste as plain text" and then do your formatting here. It'll look b...
S. Rune Emerson
There, I've updated it. Left some of the space in for emphasis, I should probably use an ellipse barrier or something instead. I'll think about that...