This is part of a continuing series exploring ways that Solitary Pagans can connect not only with the Greater Pagan Community, but how we can connect with our local communities and bring our unique perspectives and beliefs into the fabric of those communities.
Few words elicit dread the way that “jury duty” does for a lot of people. Personally, I find this drive to “get out of” jury duty to be disturbing as I have always wanted to serve on a jury but have never had the chance. I personally think this anti-jury duty perspective is based on the quite unrealistic way that juries are portrayed on television and in movies. I think most of the rest of it is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the importance of jury duty and how it works.
Trends change rapidly in the Pagan community. We often see "an indisputable fact" ricochet to its exact opposite within years. These "truths" cause immense discord. How can we navigate these treacherous waters without disavowing our own personal wisdoms? We all find our way of doing it. If I share mine, perhaps that might make finding yours easier.
A long overdue update. Spring is upon us (as the rain beats down on my window here!), and I feel like leaving this Winter is almost akin to clambering from a very deep, dark hole...
For the past two months, I've been pretty much confined to home. I've been very ill, both mentally and physically, and while I have a fabulous doctor looking after me, it's been ridiculously hard. Not least because I'm a bad patient. If I'm not able to do something with my days, I get frustrated, which leads down the path to... well, bad thoughts. Spiralling down is an apt metaphor, but not fun to live.
Back around Yule I happened to be walking past a house on the next block when it was dark enough for the lights to be on, but early enough that the blinds were still open. I noticed the great big Sun face hanging over the fireplace.
There was another Sun in the front window, and a metal cut-out Sun standing in a snow-drift in the front yard.
Hmm, I thought.
I've lived in the South Minneapolis pagan neighborhood for more than 30 years. You can hardly swing a dead cat around here without hitting a pagan.
There is a rising movement with Pagan communities, to regain the respect and adoration Witches and Pagans once knew. Are you a part of it?
All over the world Witches and Pagans are working to reclaim the respect of Witch, Pagan, and Wiccan. From the coast of California to small towns in Pennsylvania, and even as far away as Pakistan; Witches are rising up to reclaim the value of our faiths and sacred titles.
**Trigger Warning** I am going to discuss some very personal perspectives on processing grief and feelings around suicide. These are my own feelings, and should not be taken as any generalized statement on these issues. If this topic is particularly painful, please remain cognizant of your own emotional status and stop reading as you must.
Before I can even begin to process the amazing emotions and revelations of the last week as a participant of the Parliament of the World's Religions, I have to take a moment to grieve the loss of a friend.
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
Janet Boyer
I love the idea of green burials! I first heard of Recompose right before it launched. I wish there were more here on the East Coast; that's how I'd l...