Happy Imbolc

Today is Imbolc! I was going to write a ritual for today, but I ended up not. At this point it’ll be rushed and not that good, so instead I’m going to focus on cleaning, writing, and self-care today — all things in Brighid’s realm. I put out my brats at midnight last night, when …

Childhood Religion and Conversion: from Buddhism to Witchcraft and back again

Conversion is something that’s been on my mind for the past week or so, and not just because it’s part of what we’re discussing this month for The Cauldron Blog Project. In my weekly rituals so far, I’ve done the Chenrezig meditation with my mala. I’ve been doing the Chenrezig off and on for most …

Sunset from the ferry and a crescent moon

On my trip up to my mother’s home I took some pictures on the ferry. I was going to post them here on Monday but I forgot; here they are, a few days late. (It’s been completely gray and cloudy since these pictures were taken, so this also serves as a bit of a pick-me-up …

Personal Boundaries and Public Displays of Religion and/or Spirituality

This is a topic that comes up fairly frequently whenever you get a bunch of pagans together. It’s bound to; we live in a society that continually privileges Christianity over other religions or spiritual beliefs, and as such it will privilege the presence of public displays of Christianity over anything else. This post isn’t about …

Dealing with Disapproving Ancestors

When I first moved into this apartment — the apartment that belonged to my Oma for 20 years — I tried to keep a spiritual/religious/witchcraft life going. It wasn’t easy. It never felt right, and it seemed that no matter what I did spiritually or religiously, I never got centred. Not to mention, a ton …

Quan Yin, compassion, and lovingkindness

A while ago I was having tea and knitting time with a school friend of mine and her parents. They’re lovely, amazing people, and I got to talk a lot with them about my work for the Gods — specifically Brighid. I got an email from my friend’s mother a while after our meeting, and …

Covered in Light and my experience veiling today

A scarf does not oppress people. People oppress people. -Covered in Light Today is the Covered in Light International Day (or International Choice to Veil Day), an event started by Covered in Light in order to give support to women who choose to veil their hair for religious reasons. Basically, women who choose to veil …

Quote of the Day, August 17th, 2012

Faith can be a sickle too, and it can cut the vines that continuously impede my growth and suffocate. There is much work to do in tending such a seed. Cleaning, weeding, pest control, over extending metaphor control. But it is very worth the work to tend such a perfect and beautiful potential. —Odelia Ivy

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 …

Faith in Fallow Times

I’m a week late on this PBP post. I could give you a rousing round of excuses, but it’s kind of pointless. Life happens, and I’m sure y’all don’t begrudge me the week of silence. I’m in a fallow time currently. It’s a fallow time of my own making; the mundane world is overshadowing the …