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How Accessible is Your Pagan Event?
Did you know that there are a significant number of people in today’s Pagan community who have a disability? Pagans with disabilities find themselves facing a unique set of issues that able-bodied people don’t have to content with. While non-disabled people may automatically assume that “disabled” means “in a wheelchair,” often disabilities are something that we cannot see. Because of this, there are sometimes conflicts between event or ritual organizers, and members of the disabled community. While the Americans with Disabilities Act created a set of guidelines for businesses, employers and other organizations, many people with disabilities are still limited in how much participation they have in their community. Please…
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When You’re Outed Online
With the popularity of social networking sites, it’s no surprise that some members of the Pagan community who are still in the broom closet are finding themselves accidentally “outed.” A reader writes in and says, “I have a Facebook page, and there’s a spot for “religion” and I put “Pagan.” Now all these people that I hardly even know are looking at my Facebook page and sending me emails asking me if I’m really a witch and telling me I might go to hell and they’re going to pray for me. It’s none of their business! What do I do?” Well, first of all, accept the fact that you’ve outed…
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5 Reasons to Support Your Local Pagan Shop
Many towns and cities are home to Pagan shops, but unfortunately they tend to come and go. It’s a rare Pagan shop indeed that lasts more than a few years – your favorite store may be there one day, and vanish the next. That’s partly because, like any small independent business – a locally-run Pagan shop depends on local customers for its livelihood. If customers don’t patronize these shops, they vanish, because it’s not cost-effective to run a business that’s doesn’t make a profit. Here are five reasons you should support local Pagan businesses if possible: Local businesses build the local economy. It’s a no-brainer that local businesses help the…
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How to Find a Pagan Teacher
If you’re someone who’s new to Pagan religions – or if you’re someone who’s been Pagan a while and wants to branch out a little – you might find it of benefit to yourself to find a teacher or mentor. However, many people decide that “finding a teacher” means just randomly posting on the Internet, asking strangers to contact them. This is not the ideal way to find someone who can teach you about spirituality, for a variety of reasons. Let’s look at some of the things you should do if you’re looking for a Pagan teacher – and some of the things you should really try to avoid. Know…
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5 Reasons You Need to Go to a Pagan Festival
Springtime is here, at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere! And that means that for those of us who are part of earth-based spiritual systems, festival season is looming right around the corner. Every year, as festival season rolls around, many of us happily load up our cars, pack tents and drums and coolers, and head off to the nearest community gathering. It’s a chance to spend a weekend–or even a full week–with the people you consider your tribe. However, something else also happens every year: lots of people miss out on those same festivals and experiences. Maybe you’ve thought about attending a festival but just never…
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The Most Obnoxious Email EVAH
So this is an old one, but something I read the other day reminded me of it, and it’s always great to share because you guys, this dude is a total fuckmuppet. And as alla y’all know, when I encounter someone online who is this much of an asshat, I love to publicly denounce their douchiness. Honestly, I wish I still had the original email, which was from around 2010, because I’d share his name with you. Alas, we shall just have to call him Captain Bag O’Dicks. Captain Bag O’Dicks writes in with one of the most obnoxious emails ever. He says, “How come there are so many fat…
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How Many Pagans Are in a Group?
A reader says, I recently talked to a friend of mine who is in a coven – the group is Pagan but I don’t believe they’re specifically Wiccan – and told her I was interested in joining the group. She told me that the high priestess has set a limit that she’ll only have [number] people in the coven, and even if someone new is interested, they won’t take any more than that. Is this a red flag that means I should stay away from this group? Actually, no, it’s really not, as long as all the other aspects of the group are things that work for you. There may…
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Blasphemy and Paganism
Here’s one from Ye Olde Magical Mail Bagge: A reader says, “I was at a Pagan event last month, and dropped a candle – I seriously thought I was going to set my robe on fire. I said, “Oh my goddess!” and was immediately jumped on by a woman who scolded me for being blasphemous. I told her that I didn’t think my goddess really cared if I said something like that, but she told me that “taking the goddess’ name in vain” was wrong. This sounds an awful lot like Christianity, which I left recently. Am I missing something? Is there really a rule that says I can’t say…
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Finding Pagan Role Models
A reader writes, “I’ve recently begun following a Pagan path, and I’m meeting some resistance from my friends and family. They keep pointing out that there aren’t any Pagan role models to look up to in today’s society. Christianity has a number of famous people who set an example for others with their spirituality and good works. There are a lot of Jewish people who can be held up as an example of their faith. But everyone keeps asking me where all the famous Pagans are. I don’t know what to tell them, but I’m wondering if this is something I should even worry about.” Well, your friends and family…
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Are You Ready to Be a Pagan Teacher?
At some point in your spiritual journey, you may feel that you’ve learned enough to share your knowledge with others. Perhaps other people have approached you and asked you to teach a class or lead a group. It’s indeed possible that your life experience and studying has put you in a position where you can take on this responsibility. Perhaps you’re even thinking about forming your own coven. However, before you commit to such a big undertaking, you may need to take a few things into consideration. First, think about whether the knowledge you have is enough to teach a class or lead a group. Do you understand basic ritual…
