Category: Articles
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Dechristianizing Yourself: The Difference Between Belief and Practice
Categories: ArticlesTags: dechristianizationMost people who come to Paganism from a Christian context are familiar with the idea of unified belief. Some of them are attracted to Paganism because the movement lacks a strong core of shared beliefs; others find this concept unsettling in its unfamiliarity. What differentiates Paganism from Christianity is its focus on practice rather than…
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Personal Sovereignty: Exploring Your Power
Categories: Articlesn Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) utters important words to a young Will Turner (Orlando Bloom): “The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can’t do.” This philosophy is of utmost importance in realizing your personal sovereignty…
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Cakes and Wine: The Witches’ Communion
The ritual of Cakes and Wine (also called Cakes and Ale or the Simple Feast) seems like it was ripped directly from the Christian Eucharist. And to a certain extent, it was. The early practitioners of Wicca were brought up in the Church of England, where weekly Communion is a hallmark of the faith. But…
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My Queer Life: A Coming-Out Story
Categories: ArticlesIn honor of National Coming Out Day, I wanted to tell my story. I have a secret. Sometimes I wish I were a straight woman. It would be so much easier, less complicated, more accepted than being a Queer person. I didn’t ask to be pansexual. I didn’t ask to be nonbinary. I didn’t ask…
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The Labyrinth Beads: One Witch’s Rosary
Categories: ArticlesPrayer beads have been used for centuries to count out prayers and to serve as a repository of spiritual power, comfort, and protection. In Wicca, and in other Pagan traditions, there is no reason why we can’t use prayer beads as a meditative aid if we feel called to do so. They are a cross-cultural…