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Covens, New People, and Group Dynamics
So you’re part of a Pagan group that already has a really good feel to it – maybe it’s a small group of only a few people, or perhaps there are dozens of you. Anyway, at some point, you open up your membership to new folks, and as you’re vetting potential candidates… well. That’s when it hits. You’ve got concerns about one of the individuals who wants to join up and be part of the group, because you know them and they’re chronically negative and needy. You find yourself asking if you should talk to the other members about your concerns, but don’t want to cause unnecessary drama. What do…
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Why Words Matter in Spellwork
One of the things I always try to stress to people when they’re working magic is that words matter – and by this, I mean you’ve got to be REALLY specific. As an illustration, let me share with you a story from my own checkered magical history. I like to tell this story in some of my workshops, because it feels like it really drives the point home. Plus it’s a great example of how stupid I was when I was a n00b witch, and I like to remind people that while it’s great to learn from your own mistakes, it’s also helpful to learn from OTHER people’s mistakes. Teenage…
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Navigating the Role of Pagan Clergy
A reader asks, “What guidelines are there in Pagan religions for clergy in matters of confidentiality? I am an ordained Pagan priest, and a member of the community has come to me with a problem. If I get involved, someone will end up in jail. However, if I don’t speak out, someone else will continue to be victimized. I don’t want to violate anyone’s trust, but I can’t stand by and see someone hurt. How do you think I should proceed?” You know, this is a slippery slope that clergy of all religions have walked for centuries. There is certainly a need for confidentiality with any religious leader. After all,…
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Mistletoe Myths and Mysteries
Mistletoe as Medicine In 50 C.E., the Greek physician Dioscorides wrote his Materia Medica, establishing himself a place in medical history. As one of the ancient world’s most knowledgeable herbalists, Dioscorides found that mistletoe helped cure his patients of external tumors. He wrote that it “has the power to disperse, soften, drawing and assisting tumors of the parotid gland and other lesions…” Some forty or so years later, Pliny the Elder wrote of the treatment of sores and epilepsy with mistletoe in his Natural History. He also described its use in magic and ritual. Pliny wrote that Druid elders performed rituals in which they harvested mistletoe — a botanical parasite — from oak…
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Witches, Green Skin, and Why it Doesn’t Bother Me Much
From the magical mailbag, a reader asks, “I’m not sure if I’m overreacting or not. Every year at Halloween, there are green, ugly, warty witches everywhere and my son keeps asking me to buy one. I don’t want him to think that witches are ugly – after all, his mommy is a witch – but it seems like it’s all over the place at Halloween. On the other hand, I know it’s meant in the spirit of fun and silliness, and I don’t want to make a big deal out of something that’s small. How can I figure out a way to talk to my son about the stereotypes of…
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Why Trick or Treat? Why the Heck Not?
While many of us Pagans celebrate the holiday called Samhain, for some of us, it’s also the secular event of Halloween. I don’t care what anyone says, eating a full-size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is a pretty damn spiritual experience. The tradition of trick-or-treating isn’t quite as old as the holiday itself, but it’s certainly been around for a while. Let’s look at how this unique custom evolved. All Soul’s Night: In Britain, people celebrated All Soul’s Day for many years. Poor people went begging, and the middle-class wives handed out special treats known as Soul Cakes. When a beggar was given a Soul Cake, he promised to say a…
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Samhain Rite for Kids
If you’re raising kids in a Pagan tradition, it can sometimes be hard to find rituals and ceremonies that are both age appropriate and celebrate the aspects of the particular Sabbat. Factor in that small children tend to have a shorter attention span, and the days of standing in a circle for an hour watching someone chant are pretty much out of reach. That said, there are plenty of ways you can celebrate the different Sabbats with your children. This ritual is designed to celebrate Samhain with younger kids. Obviously, if your children are older, or you have younger kids who are very focused and mature, you may not need…
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Do Some Divination at Samhain!
In many agricultural societies, a popular pastime at Samhain was that of divining the name of one’s future lover. Some revealed a face, others an initial or even a full name. These traditional methods were practiced in rural societies for centuries. You can use them today for your own divination. Apple Divination Apples have always been popular tools for foretelling the future. There are a number of traditional methods in folklore for seeing who one’s lover might be. Peel the apple, keeping the peel in one long piece. When the peel comes off, drop it on the floor. The letter it forms is the first initial of your true love’s…
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Badass Ancestors Update
As some of you probably know, this summer I signed a contract with Llewellyn Worldwide for a new book, tentatively titled Badass Ancestors! I’m pleased to announce that the manuscript is complete and has been submitted — the book itself won’t be released for another year, but I’m super excited about this one. Badass Ancestors will teach you how to find your elusive kinfolk — it’s a crash course in sacred genealogy — as well as how to work with them for personal empowerment. You’ll learn how to set up an ancestor altar, petition your people for guidance, protection, and financial blessings, and even how to deal with those Problem…
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Hey Nonny Nonny: Pagans & Ren Faires
Every year, especially in the fall, I get a few emails from people asking why Pagans seem to really dig the cultural phenomenon of the Renaissance Festival or Faire. This got me wondering – I myself go to a nearby RenFest each year. In a week or two, I’ll get dressed up in full garb, gather a tribe of like-minded people, and drive an hour to spend a day with my friends in the town of Willy-Nilly On the Wash. We drink mead, flirt with large jousters, and we helpfully point confused, non-garbed visitors to the nearest privy (there seems to be an assumption at RenFest that if you’re in…
