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Paganism, Islam, and Why They Ain’t The Same
Recently, a couple of readers have reached out to me asking for clarification on items they had read elsewhere online; specifically, articles that correlated Islam with Paganism. According to these articles – which I’m deliberately not linking to here, because they’re fucking AWFUL, but you’re more than welcome to Google them if you’re really interested – Islam has its roots in Pagan beliefs, and therefore the two are the same, right? Actually, no, not really, and I’m going to explain why. However, before I do, I should clarify that the information I’m about to present shouldn’t be interpreted one way or another as an approval or disapproval of another religion.…
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Join Me at Dayton Pagan Pride!
You guys, I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be presenting at Dayton’s Pagan Pride celebration on Saturday, October 1st! If you’ve been wondering about the magic of household witchcraft, you’re not going to want to miss my workshop – we’ll talk about household altars, kitchen magic, and (totally my favorite part) using mundane items in magical workings. Yes, if you’ve ever pondered how to use things like dog biscuits, a pair of socks, or an adult toy in a magical working, you totally need to stop by for this one. I’m pleased to say I’m in really good company for this event – author Tish Owen, singer Kellianna, and…
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Intro to Paganism Study Guide
So last week About.com advised us that they would shortly be doing away with the e-courses. There were several reasons for this – all of which are valid and legitimate – but that doesn’t change the fact that a lot of readers really loved my site’s e-classes. In particular, the Intro to Tarot and the Wicca & Paganism 101 e-classes were huge hits with many readers, and I always got a ton of great feedback from people who had subscribed. With limited notice as to the end of the e-courses, I wasn’t entirely sure what to do about them – while I know there are a number of other programs…
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For the Love of Fairuza Balk, “The Craft” is Not a Documentary
I told someone during a conversation yesterday that I can always tell when the USA Network has aired The Craft for the 847th time because I start seeing an influx of emails from people who want to know how they can change their eye color with Teh Magicks. Usually what happens is I’ll say “Erm, no, you can’t really do that,” and then, THEN GUESS WHAT. Nine times out of ten I’m told I’m wrong, I’m lying, or I must not be a Twoo Pagan or I would clearly know better. DUH PATTI. Okay, Neve Campbell Jr., don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.…
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Meeting Other Pagans
I get a lot of questions from people who lead in with “I’m the only Pagan in my town!” You might be, rabbit, you might… but there’s also a really good chance that there are a boatload of other Pagan-y types in your town – hell, maybe in your own neighborhood – who are thinking exactly the same thing. Keep in mind that since Paganism is not a single religion but a collection of thousands of different spiritual paths, there’s no clearinghouse list of all of the people who self-identify under this heading. However, there are a number of ways to find and meet other Pagans in your area –…
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The Christians and the Pagans
Random note: The Christians and the Pagans is one of my favorite holiday songs, by Dar Williams. Go listen to it on YouTube. Anyway, I’ve noticed over the past zillion years that there tends to be an awful lot of Christian-bashing in the Pagan community. Not all the time, but enough that it’s noticeable, and enough that I get emails like the one here: Do Pagans Hate Christians? A reader says, "I've been studying Paganism recently, and although I'm very drawn to it, there's one thing that really concerns me. I've met several Pagans who are pretty vocal in their hatred of all things Christian. I was raised Christian, I…
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Celtic Paganism, and Stop Being Effin’ Lazy
I get a ton of emails and messages and random smoke signals from people who want to learn new things. Learning new things is good – except when those people say “Well, I don’t have time to read, can’t you just teach me?” No, that’s fucking lazy. What makes you think I have the time or interest to teach someone I don’t know? Can we talk about #1 some more? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to learn. You’ve got the same 24 hours in the day as everyone else. I’ve had to have this conversation multiple times lately with people who want to be…
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Up Helly Aa: Great Balls O’ Fire!
One of the things on my bucket list is a trip to Scotland, which I’m hoping to accomplish as a graduation gift to myself in a year or two. Ideally, I’d like to visit in the summer time, when the weather is less sucky and the heather is a-bloomin’ on the moors… but the problem is that a summer visit means I’d miss Up Helly Aa! Up Helly Aa is a Shetland festival that’s a throwback to the islands’ Viking heritage. If you ever do any Sheltand Island genealogy research, you’ll know what I’m talking about – I’ve got people with names like Angus MacDonald marrying people named Gunnhild Olafsdottir,…
