‘God-Bothered’, and what I mean by that

After writing Monday’s post, a discussion with a friend made it clear to me that my definition of ‘god-bothered’ may be quite different from many other people’s definition of it. When I say being god-bothered isn’t that common, I am not saying it’s not common to have a close and personal relationship with a deity. …

Prayers for Peace: Hiroshima and Nagasaki Lantern Ceremony

Yesterday, August 6th, was the 67th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. (August 9th will be the anniversary of Nagasaki.) It’s become traditional in various places to hold a lantern ceremony, where paper lanterns are let go on the water as a prayer for peace and the end of nuclear weaponry. I’ve been in Powell River …

Prayer, and how it’s difficult

I realized today — I don’t know how to pray. I do pray, quite often, but it’s always clumsy, and sort of haphazard, like I’m picking my way through a cluttered cabin full of spiritual knick-knacks and doodads, trying to find just the right one for my purposes. Quickly uttered “Dear Brighid, please wrap so-and-so …

30 Days of Paganism: 2. Beliefs — Cosmology

There are several definitions for the word cosmology (no, none of them are “the study of trashy magazines, marketed to women, with horrible sex advice”), but generally speaking in theology the one that’s meant is this one: “A specific theory or model of the origin and evolution of the universe.” Put in simpler terms, “What …

Orthodoxy vs. Orthopraxy

In case you need more Morag this week, I’ve also posted at Maenads of the (R)Evolution (MaRE for short), my project with partner-in-crime-and-awesomeness Daniel Grey (aka Sage or Danny). As well, Veggiewolf also did a post on Obesity for Pagan Blog Project, and it’s pretty damn good. You should read it. Now. On to the second O. (Sounds …

Landbinding

I mentioned Landbinding once, I think, in my blood sacrifice post. Since then I’ve been meaning to actually talk about what Landbinding is, or at least what sorts of nebulous ideas I’ve got about it. Danny’s post yesterday, The Morrigan, The Goddess of Blood, sort of spurred me on, and now here we are. When …

30 Days of Paganism: 1. Beliefs – Why Paganism?

Why not? Honestly, though, I was fairly raised pagan. My mom is Buddhist, and she taught me about Tara’s many manifestations, as well as the bodhisattvas, and taking refuge, and meditating. I spent a lot of time reading all the Greek myths, and Zeus and Hera and Athena and Artemis were all as real to …

Cleaning the Storm Windows

That’s not a metaphor, strictly speaking. I did actually spend the greater part of yesterday and some of Saturday cleaning storm windows in my mother’s house. But I think it could be a great metaphor. The house is old, and creaky, and the porch wood has warped with the constant leaks and floods. We wrestled …

“Obesity”, or Fuck Off, Pagan Concern Trolls

I’ll admit I’ve been a little absent from the pagan blogosphere this past week (and other blogospheres; I think my brain is still camping out in the woods). But I haven’t been oblivious, and today I actually sat down to read a few of the posts floating around about the “epidemic” of “obese pagans”. I’m …

My current altar for the Hellenic deities

My altar to the Hellenic deities is still a work in progress, but I’m slowly getting there. I suppose it began with Hecate. I’d already made the decision to start to worship the Hellenic deities and had set up one shrine — to Hestia — before Spring Mysteries Fest. But it didn’t really become an …