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We need to talk about miracles
Read more: We need to talk about miraclesThere are many wonderful things that we could classify as miracles: the capacity for love, the beauty of a sunny morning, dew on roses, the ability to paint or compose a masterpiece, and many other natural wonders. Many Pagans believe in healing energies and such; but we tend to regard them as supplementary to conventional…
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What’s your focus?
Read more: What’s your focus?Esoteric versus exoteric religions Esoteric religions are ones that locate the primary source of religious or spiritual authority in the human heart, the conscience, or the higher self. Teachers are seen more as guides than as authority figures. They are only an authority on the topic of the particular path, as they are further along…
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An alternative “10 commandments”
Read more: An alternative “10 commandments”The “Ten Commandments” of Solon (as recorded in Diogenes Laertius’ “Lives of Eminent Philosophers”, 1.60), are as follows: Hat-tip to Richard Carrier, from whom I learned about this list of “commandments”. Art: “Solon the Wise Lawgiver of Athens” by Walter Crane
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Religious trauma workbook
Read more: Religious trauma workbookI’m excited to see that Gillian Jenkinson’s book is out! Gillian Jenkinson is a therapist with extensive experience in helping people break free of harmful beliefs dinned into them by cults. I quoted her work in Changing Paths (my book) and I’ve been looking forward to her book coming out. It’s also very reasonably priced,…
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Folk witches and dual faith
Read more: Folk witches and dual faithPolish Folk Witch (on instagram and Patreon) has an excellent article on dual faith practice and syncretism among folk witches: Dual Faith: the elephant in the room of the witchcraft community. The topic of dual faith keeps returning on a regular basis in the broader witchcraft community online, especially on the intersection of folk magic,…
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The exclusive Plymouth Brethren
Read more: The exclusive Plymouth BrethrenThis blog post was originally written in 2006 and posted on my old blog Nemeton. Some friends had asked why I tended to make statements about the awfulness of Christianity. Don’t be fooled by the cranky exterior of the Exclusive Brethren. They’re the religious equivalent of Vogons. I know because I was brought up in…
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In The Magick Kitchen
Read more: In The Magick KitchenCheck out my conversation with the wonderful Elyse Wells (writer and podcast host) on The Magick Kitchen podcast, series 5, episode 9.
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Evangelicals harming uncontacted tribes
Read more: Evangelicals harming uncontacted tribesSign the petition: pledge to support uncontacted tribes
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Religions evolve
Read more: Religions evolveOh dear: the evangelicals are spouting rubbish about Paganism again — ably debunked by John Beckett. The idea of evangelicals claiming that Paganisms don’t have continuity with ancient paganisms is hilarious when you consider the lack of continuity between evangelical Christianity and early Christianity.
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Where I am now
Read more: Where I am nowChanging Paths challenge day 31 — where I am now Nowadays I am fairly and squarely a Pagan and an inclusive polytheist Wiccan, but one who has been enriched by my wobble. I gained many good friends, sorted out my anger and fears, and learned new spiritual techniques and concepts. I’ve written four books (All…
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Paul (2011)
Read more: Paul (2011)One of my favourite movies — it’s nerdy, it’s cute, it’s hilarious and a fundamentalist Christian gets exposed to the vastness of the universe and learns to swear.
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Reflections
Read more: ReflectionsChanging Paths challenge day 30 — reflections. The most amazing autobiography I have ever read was Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Gustav Jung. It discusses how he arrived at his psychoanalytical theory — but the bits I found most fascinating were about his childhood and his occult experiences.
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Memories
Read more: MemoriesChanging Paths challenge day 29—memories. One of my earliest memories is looking up at the constellation of Orion. I’ve always loved it. This amazing photo of Orion is from NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. In the early days of the internet I used to visit this site every day. I should get back into…
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At the crossroads
Read more: At the crossroadsChanging Paths challenge day 28 — the crossroads “Only one heart had to find its true position and travel on from there and all the rest would follow, for no matter how isolated the one felt itself to be, in the deeps of all life all were united and no one could move accurately without…
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Change
Read more: ChangeChanging Paths challenge day 27: change My favourite times of year are the transitional seasons of spring and autumn, when everything is changing rapidly. In spring there are new blossoms and new leaves emerging, and the days lengthen rapidly. In autumn, the leaves turn red and yellow and orange and are blown away in the…
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Wobbling
Read more: WobblingChanging Paths challenge day 26 — wobbling Spiritual wobbles can happen when your spiritual path becomes out of synch with your religious community. They can be dry spells, when it feels as if the source of your spiritual life has dried up, or the wobble can propel you out of your old path and into…
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Wandering
Read more: WanderingChanging Paths challenge day 25 — wandering Wandering, like wavering and wondering, is a good thing. There is a whole genre of songs in German called Wanderliede, about hiking. And as JRR Tolkien wisely remarked, not all those who wander are lost.
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Wonder
Read more: WonderChanging Paths challenge day 24 — wondering. There’s wondering in the sense of asking questions about the nature of things, and then there’s wonder in the sense of amazement.
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Emotional vocabulary
Read more: Emotional vocabularyYour emotional vocabulary matters! A better emotional vocabulary — all by itself — can help you develop better emotional skills! Researchers are finding that a better emotional vocabulary can help you identify, work with, and regulate your emotions. A rich vocabulary helps you understand yourself and the world around you, and it helps you understand…
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Longing, Sehnsucht
Read more: Longing, SehnsuchtChanging Paths challenge day 23 — longing. There are various words in other languages that can be approximately translated as longing or yearning. Sehnsucht (German), a longing for a person or a place. Saudade (Portuguese), melancholic longing for a person or a place. Hiraeth (Welsh), a longing for home, possibly unattainable since we cannot revisit…
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Tenth anniversary edition of All acts
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Meditation is powerful
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Do you fear death?
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Rapping about the rapture
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Deprogramming with Gillian Jenkinson
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Debunking clobber verses
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Pagan Roots — available now
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