Changing Paths challenge day 17: my journey
Despite the adage that one supposedly becomes more conservative as one gets older, I have in fact become more left-wing. I’m generation X but apparently this is also true of millennials. Good job millennials, keep it up.
In terms of my Pagan path, my goals have shifted towards community building—perhaps in response to the trend towards social isolation.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge day 16: life.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” — Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou also said that none of us are free until we are all free. The bottom line is that everyone should be able not merely to survive but to thrive.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge 15: the sky.
The sky has a huge impact on my mood. If it’s blue with a few clouds, I’m happy. If it’s dramatic, I’m excited. If there’s a rainbow, I love it (especially the rainbow that appeared the day after Ireland voted for same sex marriage). If it’s grey and overcast, then I’m sad. If there’s a beautiful sunset, I’m awed. If I see the stars shining, I’m awed.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge day 14: my path.
I don’t really describe my path as a spiritual path anymore. I think of it as an embodied path. My practice is to notice the beauty in the everyday: flowers, trees, music, the landscape, the sky, food, and poetry.
As The Charge of the Goddess says, all acts of love and pleasure are her rituals.
Continue readingChanging Paths Challenge day 13: Roots and wings
Today’s prompt is a reference to Carolyn McDade’s classic song, Spirit of Life, which contains the line “roots hold me close, wings set me free”.
My family roots are in nonconformist churches but there’s also a strong tradition of loving Nature. My Mum loved Nature and so did her Mum. I feel very strongly rooted in the chalk and flint hills of Hampshire and Sussex in England.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge day 12: Songs.
Singing has always been a big part of my spirituality, and I love being in choirs. I dream of organizing a Pagan choir again one day.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge day 11: wonder and awe.
I experience wonder and awe in response to Nature, whether in the form of mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, trees, or on a smaller scale such as the beauty of flowers or the complexity of a spider web.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge day 10: animals and birds.
I love animals and birds and Nature. It feels like such a privilege to see animals and birds in the wild. In our garden we have chipmunks and cardinals and robins and rabbits. We were once visited by a very floofy skunk. We have only seen one raccoon in the garden.
Continue readingChanging Paths challenge 9: drama.
I took this photo of a rather dramatic sky the other day. Whenever I see clouds like this, it reminds me of the bit in The Blues Brothers movie where one of them says “we’re on a mission from God”.
Changing Paths challenge day 8: dreams
The world is dreaming of alternatives to capitalism and colonialism.
The student encampments are temporary autonomous zones (TAZs) where students are demonstrating alternative ways to live: that people from different backgrounds and religions can live side by side, and cooperate. If we want to move away from capitalism, colonialism and the dogma of perpetual growth and exploitation, we need to start creating alternative ways to live. The cooperative movement is an excellent example of this principle, as are Hakim Bey’s ideas of the temporary autonomous zone, and the successful anarchist movements and villages.
Changing Paths 