Pagan

• 
  The Wild Hunt

• TWH Greatest Hits: Interview with Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone

  Jason

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

  I'm away at the Florida Pagan Gathering, and won't return to normal blogging activity until November 10th. In the meantime, I'm presenting some of my favorite posts to tide you over, consider it a "greatest hits" of The Wild Hunt. Today, I'm re-printing an interview I did back in 2008 with Pagan elders & teachers Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, both of whom are also currently presenting at the Florida Pagan Gathering. Enjoy! Authors, teachers, and elders, Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have had an indelible influence on the modern Paganism movement. With her late husband Stewart Farrar, Janet…

• The Wild Hunt at The Florida Pagan Gathering

  Jason

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:30 am

  Assuming that all went well yesterday with my flights, by the time you read this I’ll be enjoying my first day at the 2009 Samhain Florida Pagan Gathering! During the three-day event I’ll be giving talks, and enjoying presentations and performances by festival co-headliners Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone, Donald Michael Kraig, and musical guests Kellianna & Coyote Run. The event runs from November 5-8th (the theme being “Hail the Honored Dead”), and has gotten positive reviews from former presenters  Thorn Coyle and Chas Clifton. Here are the talks/discussions…

• Dan Halloran Wins, Alice Richmond Loses

  Jason

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:30 am

  It looks like a split decision last night in the battle of the Pagan candidates, resulting in a historic win for Republican candidate Dan Halloran. In a very close race Halloran defeated his Democratic opponent by a margin of 1300 votes to become the next New York City Councilman for District 19. This is a dramatic win for the beleaguered Theodsman, and his victory represents a dramatic first for modern Paganism, the first openly Pagan/Heathen candidate to gain an important political office. We await an official statement from Halloran, in the meantime, you can read congratulations from his…

• It’s Election Day!

  Jason

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:26 am

  Today is the day, elections are being held, and we’ll soon find out if two out/outed Pagan candidates will win their respective races. The higher-profile story, that of Republican New York City Council candidate, and Heathen Theodsman, Dan Halloran, has gotten a bit ugly in the final hours. “Though he once wrote on his PaganSpace webpage that “Theodism regularly practices blood sacrifice,” Halloran told the paper that the ritual is similar to Jewish dietary laws. That riled up Kim supporters. “By comparing animal blood sacrifices with the Jewish dietary laws of…

• Let’s Get Handfasted on Halloween!

  Jason

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:52 am

  While Samhain and Halloween are holidays that honour those that have passed, a time when the veils between the seen and unseen are thin, it is also, it seems, an increasingly popular time for some to get married. For some it’s just a laugh, something to break with the traditional expectations of marriage, for others it’s an extension of a lifelong love of spooky things. Getting married on Halloween may even be a long-held family tradition. But increasingly, it is a time for modern Pagans to tie the knot on one of their most sacred days. Such is the case of Dave Dominic and Maggie…

• 
  Medusa Coils

• Global Goddess Oracle: Samhain '09 Issue

  31 Oct 2009 | 10:23 am

  Samhain/Hallows blessings to all!!! To help celebrate, here’s a rundown of what’s in the Samhain issue of Global Goddess Oracle.Much of this issue focuses on divination and other experiences of the thinned veil. In her opening statement, Dawn, one of the Oracle’s editors, tells us of her renewed interest in divination. This is accompanied by an amusing witch picture contributed by H. Byron

• Goddess Book Wins Award

  27 Oct 2009 | 7:40 pm

  The second enlarged edition of my book, Goddess Spirituality for the 21st Century: From Kabbalah to Quantum Physics has been declared the Winner in the "Religion: Comparative" category of the National Best Books 2009 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. This is happy news for me and I hope all Goddessians, who may not be used to our books winning awards, especially in "religion" categories. I say,

• Buzz Coil: October '09

  25 Oct 2009 | 10:17 am

  Flashes of Insight: Flash Silvermoon’s blogs about "The Secret," sweatlodges, Sedona, and the "Wise Women of old" who have been written out of history, in her Oct. 18 post "For Heaven’s Sake, Don’t Drink the Kozmic Kool Aid." Here is just a small part of what she says in this powerful post, written with rightful anger and a deeply personal touch:Part of the problem is the externalization of the

• REVIEW: Moon-filled Novel by Rebecca Wells

  17 Oct 2009 | 9:03 am

  The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells (HarperCollins 2009) hardcover, large print paper, audio, KindleThis novel is at least as extraordinary as Wells' Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (and Little Altars Everywhere). It’s not about the Ya-Yas, but about Calla Lily Ponder, who comes of age during the 1960s and ‘70s in a small fictional town in Louisiana—Louisiana, land of

• Events Coil: Oct. 16 to Nov. 30

  13 Oct 2009 | 7:11 am

  As far as we know, all events we list are open functions; but some may be limited to women or to adults and some may require that you notify them that you plan to attend. Please check the websites for group policies. If no country is given, the event is in the USA. All times are local. Events lasting more than 1 day are bolded. When listing events for the same date, we have tried to list those

• 
  PaganNews.com Featured Content.

• Correspondences for Saturday

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:02 am

  Light Black candles. Burn incense of Peperwort, assodilious, black poppy seed. Saturday is ruled by Saturn, and is a good day to work with duties, responsibilities, protection, finding families, works of magic, buildings, meditation, life, doctrines.

• Sun is in Scorpio, Moon is in Cancer

• Article: The Daily Life of This Pagan

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:02 am

  Pagan Views: The Daily Life of This Pagan by Kevin "PJ" McCauley

• Article: Someone to Catch my Drift

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:02 am

  Pagan Family: Someone to Catch my Drift by Julie Cox

• Today's Herb: Dandelion

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:02 am

  Description: Perennial with long stout taproot and a milky white sap. Flowers grow on tips of hollow reddish stems up to 18 in, are large sweet smelling and yellow in late spring to early autumn, followed by fluffy heads of seeds. Uses: Use leaves fresh or dried in warmth, flowers when fully o...

• 
  Witchvox - RSS Feed - New Articles This Week

• November Days [CatDancing]

  Two days ago my husband and I spent most of our Sunday working in the front yard. As we trimmed the overgrown forsythia near the front gate, cut down dried stalks left from JoePye, goldenrod, boneset and thoroughwort, a definite chill could be felt in the air after a night when the thermometer had dipped to nearly freezing. We had started our work around 10:00 a.m. and as the sun climbed up over the mountains that surround our home we began to slowly thaw out and the dogs stretched themselves at

• Profound Fruit Loops [GreenRain]

  Forewarning: This may seem odd. Just about everyone (well, everyone who can recall their dreams) can point out a dream that influenced their thinking, made them realize something, worked them up to do something they should have started long ago, or any other various amazing and profound dream statements. Perhaps the dream included a blessed vision of Isis, a symbolic group of friends holding hands, perhaps a cricket leaping past a fireplace. Maybe the images in that particular dream didn

• My Magic Doesn't Work! (Because It Sometimes Doesn't) [Fire Lyte]

  If you're a person that's ever picked up a book on Paganism 101, spell-casting, etc. then you've heard a variation of the basics of magic. Rummaging through all the various laws and statutes and rules, most books come up with a list of what you absolutely must do in order to have successful spells. In most books, despite all the variations, the following must haves tend to apply:1.The intent. This is what you want to happen.2.The tools. These are the basic items you're using to set u

• The Breath and Faking It [Josie]

  A few months ago, I had a break-through in my meditation practice. It was one of those “duh” moments when I finally realized and 'grokked' something that now seems so simple and makes me wonder why I didn’t know it all along.I’m a periodic insomniac. It’s nothing new. I remember being 3 years old and unable to fall asleep. As an adult, once every five or six weeks it hits me for several days. Nothing I do or don’t do helps. My husband is the opposite. He can announce that he’s go

• "Me Time" [Ashley Rose]

  Many people have their morning routines. It is sad to think about how many people just rush around making sure they have everything for the day. Their mental list may be: shower, clothes, papers for work, lunch, car keys… where are the car keys? But what happened to: breathe, “Hello flowers”, me time?I never realized just how much even a few minutes could change the way I see the world. Even if a person has to set their alarm five minutes earlier, it is worth it. I’m lucky that I don’t h

• 
  pagan news - Google News

• 'Pagan temple' plan for Burgess Hill - Bognor Today

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:31 am

  'Pagan temple' plan for Burgess HillBognor TodayTHE OWNER of the arson-wrecked Redd Club says he wants to re-open it as a pagan temple. Leo Valls has told councillors he intends to run the lap-dancing and more »

• Another Pagan Plea - West Virginia MetroNews

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:30 pm

  Another Pagan PleaWest Virginia MetroNewsAnother member of the Pagans Motorcycle Club has entered a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Donnie Ray "Hoss" Workman, 35, of Buffalo pled guilty to a Fifth Pagan pleads guilty to federal conspiracy chargeCharleston Gazetteall 54 news articles »

• Catholic movie review: The Men Who Stare at Goats - The Catholic Spirit

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pm

  Washington PostCatholic movie review: The Men Who Stare at GoatsThe Catholic SpiritAs we see in flashbacks, Django's training program included the group recitation of a prayer to the earth, one of the pagan devotions that his favored Faith-Family Film Review: The Men Who Stare at GoatsOregon Faith Reportall 905 news articles »

• Dan Halloran is Pagan New York City Councilman - Right Pundits

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm

  Dan Halloran is Pagan New York City CouncilmanRight PunditsA Republican won the seat; Dan Halloran became the first openly pagan city councilman. Dan Halloran became a city council member for New York's 19th

• Pagan Wins Council Seat! - Gawker

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm

  New York Daily NewsPagan Wins Council Seat!GawkerHah, the Republican pagan won in Queens. Breaking! What does that say about the mood of the electorate, exactly? (That they dislike Asians, maybe? Pagan Republican Wins in Queens, Thanks Odin.Reason OnlineHalloran beats Kim in council raceQueens ChronicleDoes Judaism Trump Theodism? »New York Daily NewsNY1 -Village Voice -YourNabe.comall 18 news articles »

• 
  女性保健－西子网

• 青年男子在性心理有哪些习惯？

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am

  /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:宋体; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:SimSun; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}@font-face {font-family:C...

• 人体血液的功能与构成

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:14 am

  st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:宋体; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:SimSun; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 2621...

• 常用糖尿病治疗方法

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:12 am

  /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:宋体; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:SimSun; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}@font-face {font-family:C...

• 什么是肥胖症？

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:10 am

  /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:宋体; panose-1:2 1 6 0 3 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:SimSun; mso-font-charset:134; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 680460288 22 0 262145 0;}@font-face {font-family:C...

• 引起肥胖的原因有哪些

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:08 am

  …

• 
  Pagan/Wiccan News

• Wiccans Celebrate Autumn Holiday In Their Own Fashion

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pm

  Title: WICCANS CELEBRATE AUTUMN HOLIDAY IN THEIR OWN FASHION An ancient celebration that evolved into Halloween and All Saints Day celebrations was observed this weekend.

• Paganism, Just Another Religion for Military and Academia

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pm

  If personal tradition holds, just before sundown Saturday, Michael York will stand before a colonial-style wooden cabinet in his bayside town house here and light a candle.

• 'Pagan temple' plan for Burgess Hill

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am

  Your account has been frozen . For your available options click the below button.

• Pagans observe Samhain

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:57 am

  Topekan Mary Lou Schmidt said she heard a few years ago that a local Christian radio station was referring to Halloween as "Satan's birthday." Schmidt, a frequent letters-to-the editor contributor who identifies herself as a Pagan and worships the goddess Isis, dialed up the station to set the record straight, she said.

• Wiccan Sues Google for Discrimination

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pm

  A former Google employee who practices Wicca filed suit against the company, alleging sexual and religious discrimination sparked by his attempt to defend a transgender coworker from discrimination.

• 
  The Gods Are Bored

• Moron Teachers Gather to Gamble

  Anne Johnson

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:36 pm

  Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," home from the annual state gathering of public school teachers, aka NJEA Teachers' Convention! This shindig is held in one of our nation's premier pustules, Atlantic City, New Jersey.I believe I was living in New Jersey when casino gambling was given the A-okay for Atlantic City. The A.C. boosters promised that bringing Vegas-style casinos to the hurricane-prone coastal zone would rejuvenate the economy of poor old Atlantic City. Well, the casinos have come, in all their excess, but the rest of Atlantic City still looks like Detroit. Where they also touted…

• Cancel It.

  Anne Johnson

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm

  Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," today hosting a worn-out, frazzled wreck of a female who's trying bad moods on for size! WHERE'S THE XXXL?You know what holiday I hate? Xmas. Cancel that dud, and do it now!It's bad enough that department stores start decking their halls with boughs of holly in September, but now things have gotten even worse. Halloween wasn't even rung in and out before all the stores everywhere were shoving it aside for Xmas!Pardon the rare burst of bad language, but that sucks.I can't really blame the Christians for this despicable annual ploy to separate me from my money…

• Brief Samhain Navel Gaze

  Anne Johnson

  3 Nov 2009 | 2:14 am

  Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," where today our teaching skills will be judged by the district superintendent! No wonder we're up and blogging at 5:00 a.m.Housekeeping: Congratulations to Buzzardbilly, winner of three magnificent vulture greeting cards! BB, I'll be in touch.It was mad rainy here at TGAB on Samhain. So, of course, one of my jack-o-lanterns gazed at the sky in dismay. (I carved them myself. I don't make a science of it.)This is the Shrine of the Mists, done for a rainy Samhain. I had other plans for it, but the weather didn't cooperate. On the other hand, here is an…

• Samhain

  Anne Johnson

  31 Oct 2009 | 4:11 am

  The hour has arrived. The veil grows thin. Those on the other side who visit may be seen or felt with greater intensity. Beware! Not all who walk this night are benign. This much is true.And so we gather, light bonfires, toast the end of a long year and the gathering of the harvest. We set aside something for the faeries, those guardians of the portal, and something for the deities who spin the wheel of the year.To me, every hour of light and dark is a miracle,Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,Every foot of the…

• Friending Sam Hain

  Anne Johnson

  29 Oct 2009 | 2:56 pm

  Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," poking fun with a sharp stick since 2005! Don't want to be skewered? Then don't be a moron! We don't poke nice, smart people. Like you.Not to be redundant, but here again is my favorite Halloween panel from the infamous Chick tracts. (I don't link to Chick. You can't get there from here.) The last time I posted this I was choosing which of my daughters to offer for sacrifice on Halloween to the dreaded Sam Hain.Today it occurs to me. Who is this Sam Hain? The folks who write Chick tracts are not at all helpful. All they say is that he's dreaded. No why or…

• 
  Witchvox - RSS Feed - News from the Nest 2009

• Prehistoric Burial Ground Found On Skye

  A prehistoric burial ground has been discovered on Skye. Six slab-lined graves and six cremation pits have been unearthed on the excavation site close to Armadale pier on the Sleat peninsula. Experts say it is one of the most significant archaeological finds yet made in the Highlands. Flint tools and urns were found inside the graves, although skeletal remains had been damaged due to the tid

• House Panel Passes Bill Restricting Patriot Act

  Defying the Obama administration, the House Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to remove from the USA Patriot Act a tool for tracking non-U.S. citizens in anti-terrorism investigations. The committee, dominated by Democratic liberals, also voted to amend the anti-terrorism law to curb the government's surveillance and records-seizure powers. The bill went to the full House on a 16-10 vote a

• Psychic Spies, Acid Guinea Pigs, New Age Soldiers: The True Men Who Stare At Goats

  “More of this is true than you would believe,” we’re told, just a few minutes into the movie version of The Men Who Stare At Goats, which opens today. But how many of the film’s outlandish military research projects really happened? Turns out there’s plenty of material in the movie which sticks quite close to the truth — though reality is a bit more complicated. (Warning: minor spoilers ahead.)

• Halloween Starts A New Year For One Clintonville Shop

  While many think of Halloween as a day mainly for kids dressing up as ghosts, goblins and witches, for practitioners of witchcraft, Oct. 31 also is a special time of year. "It is kind of considered the witches' new year," Psyche North Torok said from her Clintonville magical resource store, Fly-By-Night. "It is a time when it is considered that the worlds between the living and the dead are

• Obama Pledges New Relationship With Native Americans

  President Obama said Thursday that the federal government was guilty of mistreating Native Americans in the past and promised to forge a new relationship between the federal government and tribal leaders. "You deserve to have a voice," Obama told representatives of 386 tribes at a White House Tribal Nations Conference. "You will not be forgotten as long as I'm in this White House." Obama sig

• 
  Peacock Dreams

• Delivered of Lust of Result

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:29 am

  Be intent on action, not on the fruits of action. - Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad GitaThis is something I'm always attempting, and of course, I don't always "get it right"! Yeah, a little weak perfectionist humor this morning. Hope you bear with me anyway.Last weekend was a case in point. A small group of us planned a ritual to do on a stone encircled hilltop under cold and moonlit sky. Intense inner work happened - we walked with the ancestors and were asked to touch our hero's hearts and to take up the task required - we gazed into the mortal reminders of bare skulls and black mirrors held…

• Soften Up!

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:49 pm

  This week I asked my students:"What in you needs to recommit to practice? What in you wishes to strengthen your commitment? What other parts of your life need refreshed energy?"And in spiritual direction sessions and my own training, these questions have given rise to thinking about how it is so often easier to commit to the parts of ourselves that feel strong... but what does it take for us to commit to the parts of self that feel soft, vulnerable, or weak? They hold just as much - if not sometimes more - of our energy than the strong parts, yet so often we continue to leave them out in the…

• Battle: Morrigu'

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:40 am

  The night is long and the wind is cold, we are lit by the fire of love. The night is long and our hearts are bold, the future is our making. Goddess! We are open, to the task that is to come. Goddess! We are willing, fill us with your power! Saturday, The Morrigan wove in and among us all day long, asking for preparation and for sacrifices willingly made. That night, she came to us on the wings of crows and ravens. She came in the heat of battle, and the frenzy of desire. She rode on the spirits of those who were, to raise the cry for what is to come.What inside us is willing to stand…

• Samhaintide: Past is Prologue

  29 Oct 2009 | 11:40 am

  The Man i' th' Moon's too slow—till new-born chinsBe rough and razorable; she that from whomWe all were sea-swallow'd, though some cast again(And by that destiny) to perform an actWhereof what's past is prologue; what to come,In yours and my discharge. - Shakespeare's "The Tempest"We think on the past this time of year. We build altars to the ancestors as our bones feel the coming chill and darkness. Candles flicker and nights grow short. We gather the sacred drink and food, prepare our offerings, and band together sharing warmth and companionship.It is not only ancestral spirits we can…

• Sensei

  26 Oct 2009 | 12:51 pm

  Thought of the day: Surrender to the teaching, not the teacher. The teacher should be a trustworthy guide.

• 
  Driving Audhumla

• Growing up on ``the hill''

  victoriaslind-flor

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:49 pm

  I recently discovered a Facebook group called ``I grew up on Capitol Hill.'' That's the Seattle neighborhood where I spent my childhood. I wasn't all that surprised to see the group already has 500-plus members, for it was on the hill that all the Catholic doctors and lawyers found the big turn-of-the-century homes for their 12-child families. A lot of people grew up on Capitol Hill. I scanned through the list of members and found a few relatives, a couple of classmates, and a lot of people who were either younger or older siblings of those who went through Holy Names Academy…

• We're the coven that makes stuff

  victoriaslind-flor

  1 Nov 2009 | 9:15 pm

  On thing that distinguishes my coven from some others is that we're always making things. It seems we are seldom closer than when we're gathered around the table sewing, decoupaging stuff, carving pumpkins, carving gourds or . . . .This year we made a new altar cloth for Samhain. In our tradition the altar is always on the ground in the center of the circle because we are non-hierarchical and we like having the altar as a central visual focus. And increasingly the altar is very simple, as we let fabric and clear votives provide the focus.I saw a pattern for a small wall hanging in one…

• You know you're in Louisiana when . . . .

  victoriaslind-flor

  16 Oct 2009 | 9:40 am

  I didn't have all that much spare time on my quick trip to New Orleans. But I did have a rental car and a couple of free hours after I first arrived, and a few more the next morning before John's memorial. So I checked out a few of the old familiar places and saw that some things never change.Like the drive-up daiquiri window, for instance. If you can get your beer in a ``go cup'' in the Quarter, it's not too far a reach to be able to drive by the Daiquiri Shop and get your daiquiri in your flavor of choice for the road . . . . The Lucky Dog man still lives! If you…

• A final goodbye

  victoriaslind-flor

  11 Oct 2009 | 1:49 pm

  Two weeks ago I made a quick trip to New Orleans for the memorial for my friend John Dauns, who died in June. I was very honored that they asked me to speak at the event, which was held in the beautiful Rogers Memorial Chapel on the Tulane University campus;  and also that they listed me in John's obituary as one of his survivors. Here's the program from the memorial with a portrait of John drawn by his colleague and friend, Professor Karl H. Hofmann, and below that, more John stories resume.   At the memorial many of John's colleagues talked about his…

• Lammas 2009 revisited

  victoriaslind-flor

  2 Sep 2009 | 8:23 pm

  My niece Nicole, who was my good right hand during the Lammas dinner, somehow also found time to shoot a lot of photos. I think some of these can give you an idea of what we do every year at the end of July to celebrate Lammas (the feast also known as Lughnasadh).As I've probably said before, I'm the daughter and granddaughter of wheat farmers, so the idea of celebrating the grain harvest as one of our Pagan world's eight great holidays makes perfect sense to me. Every year when I invite people to my home for the Lammas dinner, I decorate Lammas candles for everyone to bring home…

• 
  Broomstick Chronicles

• The Wheel Keeps Turning

  2 Nov 2009 | 2:17 am

  © 2009 Richard Man*Last night we celebrated Samhain at Reclaiming's 30th Anniversary Spiral Dance. The stated intention of this year's ritual was: "With joy and courage, we join together across generations and differences to move forward on the good road." To that end, my young friend Rhiannon, age 13, and I co-invoked the Mighty Dead of the Craft to come to our circle and dance with us. She and I had worked hard on this small piece and our work paid off. I felt that we did right by those who watch us from beyond.When I finally arose today, I indulged in my Sunday ritual of reading the…

• Samhain Blessings

  30 Oct 2009 | 11:13 pm

  Photo by Peter Hughes (RIP)Blessed Samhain to All on Every Plane of Existence!Well, folks, I had this very cool audio file I was gonna share here for our Samhain pleasure, but having just spent several hours on tons of sites, registering places to upload audio files, and then being unable to make it happen, I give up. At least for now. I'm tired. I got to the point where I had the choice to upload, but when I went to my computer to choose a file, it wouldn't permit me to upload an iTunes file. So, alas! no cool audio this Samhain.That said, you can hear a Samhain Service on "Mama Fortuna…

• Turkish-American Dialogue & Friendship Dinner

  16 Oct 2009 | 3:38 pm

  Well, Patrick and I made it to this event in spite of the fact that my car overheated in the BART parking lot where I was picking him up for the drive down to Santa Clara in evening rush hour. We managed to get the car several blocks to the home of Don Frew and Anna Korn, where Don gave us his keys and off we went.We were guests at the 3rd Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner sponsored by the Pacifica Institute, a Turkish-American organization whose mission is "to promote cross-cultural awareness, in order to attain peace and diversity with our neighbors, help establish a better society…

• Blending In, Standing Out

  13 Oct 2009 | 8:55 pm

  Two weeks ago I attended a the 6th Annual Marin Leadership Luncheon sponsored by the Marin Leadership Foundation. Marin Interfaith Council had sponsored two tables they sought to fill, so I signed up. Having gotten a bit lost on the way there, I arrived about 15 minutes late and entered a crowded ballroom. I was grateful to see Fu Schroeder from Green Gulch Zen Center wave at me from one of the tables. I was assigned to the other, with Carol Hovis, Chris Highland* and Nafisa Haji. Usually I do a bit more research before attending an event that I understand to be interfaith in nature. This…

• New Scholarly Books of Interest to Pagans - I

  26 Sep 2009 | 2:09 am

  As a member of the AAR, I get lots of catalogs from academic publishers. While most titles are not especially relevant or interesting to Pagans, I do come across a few now and then. I pass on the latest several titles for the benefit of Pagan readers, to suggest the breadth, depth and scope of contemporary Pagan studies and areas of related interest. I've included some commentary of my own, particularly as I see these works relating to who we are as Pagans religions and how we might evolve and unfold in this post-almost everything world.From Oxford University Press' New & Noteworthy…

• 
  Letter from Hardscrabble Creek

• The Writing Life Pulls Off the Siding onto the Main Line

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:25 pm

  I think of it as my secret Chicago hideout: the "you have to know where to look" Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago's Union Station. I'm not in town enough to justify a membership in the University Club, even if their building does look like Batman should be perched on the parapet. (The main clause there was a joke, readers.)I've started mapping out what might be the next book after Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca And Paganism in America. For two years, I have been trying to get started on a different project, accumulating stacks of research material, but writing only lightweight paper on…

• 'True Samhain' is Friday

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:17 am

  Now that the costumes are put away, note that Samhain calculated astrologically (Sun at 15 degrees of Scorpio) falls on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 6:42 a.m. Greenwich time, which would be roughly midnight on Friday here in the Mountain Time Zone.Last year Peg and I had a little blog-discussion of the two dates.Scott Monahan's archaeoastronomy page lets you calculate to the minute.Check his "In the Movies" link for archaeoastronomical critiques, such as this one of National Treasure.

• Organizing Halloween Ritual

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:01 pm

  I said that I was not going to post any more Halloween items. I take that back. Here is one more. One decision we've made is to rebuff curious friends who ask to join our Halloween rituals. It seems like half the people I know want to be pagan on Halloween. I have no problem with a little religious tourism. I'm a bit of a spiritual slut. I have never turned down an invitation to a Seder. Bach thundering through a church transports me. But when I see visions of bacchanals dancing in my nonpagan friends' heads, I get a little testy. Certain experiences are too comforting, too sacred to be…

• Free-Range Kids Have a 'Scary' Halloween

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:58 am

  One last Halloween post, and then I'll shut up.Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry speaks truth to power and rejects the nanny state on October 31.If you want to see something really scary on Halloween, come to my apartment around 9 p.m.I'm letting my kids eat unwrapped candy.They can eat any homemade goodies they get, too, and that unholy of unholies: candy where the wrapper is slightly torn. And on the very off chance they get an apple, they can gnaw it to the core, so long as there's not a razor-sized, dripping…

• Contemporary Pagan Studies in the New York Times

  30 Oct 2009 | 8:21 pm

  The upcoming sessions of the Contemporary Pagan Studies Group at the American Academy of Religion's annual meeting are mentioned in the New York Times.Some of us have been joking about "the I-word" (idolatry). I wondered if that would catch some journalist's interest.

• 
  Blog o' Gnosis

• An Essential Study

  Anne

  31 Oct 2009 | 12:12 pm

  Phillip Zarrilli’s new book may have a title that only a theater critic could love, but the body of his work deserves to be known and practiced by a much wider audience—and in terms of this blog’s readership, I am referring to anybody involved in the expressive or healing arts, ministry, ceremony, or public speaking. Psychophysical [...]

• So Many Blogs, So Little Time

  Anne

  24 Oct 2009 | 10:44 am

  I have never been a blogger that can whip out short, frequent posts on the day’s most Googled topic, in the race to drive traffic to my site. Instead, I am one of many bloggers who write thoughtful pieces about the things that interest me, in hopes that those who are similarly interested will continue [...]

• The Limits of Awareness

  Anne

  7 Oct 2009 | 6:43 am

  Monday I stood up a friend for brunch. I didn’t mean to, and I certainly didn’t plan on it. I had been looking forward to it just a couple days before, had the meeting written in my book, and the book was with me as I did errands beforehand. Yet so complete was my forgetting [...]

• How Time Flies

  Anne

  21 Sep 2009 | 9:55 pm

  What a banner weekend—a heady mix of the new moon, Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah, and Autumn Equinox. The air has that piercing clarity of autumn too, with the touch of morning chill that makes the apples and pears so crisp and flavorful. My little apple tree is still too much of a fledgling to bring forth [...]

• Sit Down and Be Counted!

  Anne

  5 Sep 2009 | 2:33 pm

  One of the most interesting studies to come out in the past decade is Voices from the Pagan Census. The book is based on surveys that were circulated from 1993 to 1995, by hand and via magazines and newsletters, but also through the new communications tool called the “internet.” I remember coming across several copies, [...]

• 
  Global Goddess - Goddess Women Helping Women Worldwide.

• Blessings at Samhain

  Bendis

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am

  Our newest edition of The Oracle is now available.  Simply click on the tab above and the select Samhain 2009 over to the left of the page.  We thank our many conributors and look forward to seeing new submissions from our readers, as well.  I offer you my latest poem in honor of the season. Many blessings, read more

• Summer Solstice Oracle Now Availavble!

  20 Jun 2009 | 3:28 pm

  It is our pleasure to announce the Summer Solstice 2009 issue of the Global Goddess Oracle ezine is ready for viewing. Click onm the tab above "The Oracle" and then select the Summer Solstice 2009 from the menu on the left. We hope you enjoy the new issue of The Oracle. We would appreciate feedback and welcome your comments.   Blessings, Dawn, Bendis, Heather and The Oracle Staff

• Dew Kissed and Beltane Blessed by Bendis

  Bendis

  2 May 2009 | 5:42 pm

  hawthorn gathered in the mayatop a tree of birchgaily blowing in the windrainbow ribbons spin queen of may, jack o'greenbless the fields and landlively dancing kissing twirlingribbons in the hand king making, goddess blessedsacred vows of ancient dayswrapping ribbons round the poledance the sacred ways spread the grass make a bedlay upon the landspill the seed bless the nightlovers hand in handread more

• The Oracle

  21 Mar 2009 | 4:23 pm

  The Spring Equinox Edition of the Global Goddess Oracle is now available Click on the tab about "The Oracle." We need your submissions! We welcome submissions from all, as long as the content is appropriate to our publication. Because Global Goddess is an organization for women, our e-zine is written to appeal to that audience. If you are interested in submitting to The Oracle please review our guidlines:read more

• Spring

  Bendis

  16 Mar 2009 | 9:13 am

  I have always wished to see the gorse blooming across the land - something perhaps about my blood ties to the land. I believe it would be much akin to what I felt as a child when the forsythia bloomed or when now, I see my first daffodils or the gorgeous Texas redbud burst into color before even green leaves shoot forth! Spring is such a wonderful time! What I see about me is so clearly the same as I feel within.  That incredible bursting forth - the need to DO pulsing forth from my center of being.read more

• 
  Chess, Goddess and Everything

• 9 Queens - Upcoming Events!

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm

  9 Queens - Empowerment Through Chess: 9 Queens provides chess instruction to those most in need of the game's benefits, especially girls and at-risk youth.November 15, 2009: Tucson Queens Academy! Philadelphia 9 Queens Academy Dates -- expanded and enhanced!!!Location: Story Hour Room (Children’s Department on the ground floor), Parkway Central Library 1901 Vine St. 19103Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm (

• "The Red Shoes" Remastered

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pm

  In 1989, when I was a subscriber to cable television before it got too expensive, I saw the 1948 cinema classic "The Red Shoes," and it scared the crap out of me! That movie really freaked me out - those damned shoes...did they possess the dancer? Or did the dancer possess the shoes? It also said a lot about the suffocatingly few places that a woman had in the world back then -- ultimately, under

• Computer Labs for Kids: Update on SOS Childrens Village

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm

  Prior post.All systems are go for Shira’s newest project, this time stateside in Illinois – the SOS Childrens Village of Illinois. Twenty-eight children (pre-teen) will receive brand new Dell laptops along with the training to use them!Shira and other volunteers, including yours truly, will be working with the kids and the computers on site next Sunday, November 15, 2009.Shira has a wish. She

• A Woman Brought Hasan Down

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:46 am

  In an ironic twist, the man who did not marry because he could not find a satisfactorily devote-enough woman of the Islamic faith who wore hijab, was stopped in his murderous rampage by a woman.Kimberly Munley praised for ending Fort Hood rampagePolice officer confronted gunman and shot him four times despite being wounded herselfHelen Piddguardian.co.uk, Friday 6 November 2009 15.36 GMTThe

• Boo Hoo for the Lost Boys - NOT!

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am

  Blatant sexual discrimination in favor of male admissions to college because - get this - it's patriotic!From the online edition of The Wall Street Journal/OpinionNOVEMBER 5, 2009, 10:47 P.M. ETThe Lost Boys By RICHARD WHITMIREThis week, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights announced that it will investigate whether colleges discriminate against women by admitting less qualified men. It will

• 
  A Weblog for Our Mother God

• Lotus Flower Symbol of Our Mother God

  23 Oct 2009 | 5:51 am

  The lotus flower symbol or Our Mother God is beautifully depicted in the dance shown on this video. The dance of the Feminine Holy Trinity and the lotus flower.

• Early publication of the Mother Scriptures

  17 Oct 2009 | 4:51 am

  A correspondent writes: When it is said that Lux Madriana was the first organization to publish the Filianic Scriptures this is correct but a little more detail could be added here. We need to remember that we are talking about the 1970s before the internet and before desktop publishing. Publishing anything was a complex and expensive process. Only a minority of the Scriptures were actually issued in booklet form: the rest were simply circulated as hand-typed papers that were photocopied or retyped. This made them very vulnerable to alterations and redactions. We continue to see these to this…

• Note on Lux Madriana

  16 Oct 2009 | 4:05 pm

  Thank you for your recent post on Lux Madriana and the Filianic Scriptures. Anyone who is seriously interested in the Scriptures and researches them in Elektra is bound to stumble upon self-proclaimed representatives of Lux Madriana and other groups and individuals with a less than sincere, religious approach. While I understand that the Chapel might simply not have wished to be associated with them at all, not even in negating any association, I have felt that some sort of clarifying statement has been needed for a long time. I am glad that this statement has now been made. Thank you very…

• Lux Madriana and the Filianic Scriptures

  16 Oct 2009 | 5:04 am

  Lux Madriana Is sometimes credited with originating the Filianic Scriptures. What is the truth about this?

• Julian Jaynes Bicameral Mind Critique

  13 Oct 2009 | 7:26 am

  A critique of Julian Jaynes's Bicameral Mind theory from a metaphysical feminine pespective.

• 
  The Wigglian Way Pagan Podcast

• Episode 58

  19 Oct 2009 | 6:51 am

  I walk with the Wigglians, the Wigglians, they walk with me!Greeting fellow Wigglians, welcome to Episode 58, we are so glad that you have downloaded the show, thanks. We hope that you enjoy it.Tonight, it's all about the Crone! First we talk a bit about the Crone archetype then in the final segment we take at the Callieach.Tonight's feature album is from Kellianna, I Walk With the Goddess from 2007. Tonight we hear the title track, I Walk With the Goddess and Ancestor's Song. We finish the show with Kali-Ma.We also hear Liquid Moon from Trillian Green and Rain Gods from Kan'Nal. The Witchy…

• Episode 57

  28 Sep 2009 | 8:40 pm

  Howdy Ho, Wigglians!Thanks for downloading the show, we're so glad that you have taken the time to download our little show!Gather round and make yourself comfortable, it's story night, here on The Wigglian Way!Tonight's feature album is the 2004 release, Licht by Faun. Faun put on a couple of excellent shows at FaerieWorlds this year. Tonight we hear Andro and Isis and we finish the show off with Punagra.We also announce the winner of our autographed copy of Mythcreants by Tricky Pixie! Pagan Bookworm stops by with a look at The Witches Bible.Our second set of music features Daughter of the…

• Episode 56

  12 Sep 2009 | 1:26 pm

  Well met, Wigglians! Thank you so much for taking the time to download and listen to our little labour of Love! Tonight's show is all about the pentagram! We also announce the winners of the D2D CD 'Remixed' and the winner of the beautiful piece by Mel Kickland.Tonight's feature album is the first album by Sharon Knight, 'Incantation'. We play Bardic Voices and Mother of the World and we end the show with Bewitched, please enjoy. We also hear 'Pentagram' by Chalice and Blade and 'Etrezomp-ni_Kelted' by Omnia.PodKin Love!Thanks again for downloading the show, it means so much to us! YOU are…

• We won an Award!

  20 Aug 2009 | 9:34 am

  We'd like to thank Juniper from Walking The Hedge and Pax from Chrysalis for awarding us the "Real Witch Achievement Award". We would also like to thank our Moms!The rules are as follows:This is meant to be a show of respect and/or appreciation, but it can still be delivered with some affectionate humour and so forth This award can go to any website, group, blog, individual, podcast, organization, magazine or newsletter, forum, networking site and so forth that you feel has done a good service to the community or added something important, special, unique etc to the Community. ~Post…

• Episode 55

  17 Aug 2009 | 3:31 pm

  Home Sweet Home!Hey Wigglians, we made it home safe and sound. Wigglian Exodus 09 is officially over... As you may have guessed tonight's show is all about the trip.Tonight's feature album is Mythcreants by Trixie Pixie. Released at FaerieWorlds, please enjoy Taglio and Dryad's Promise. We finish the show with the hauntingly beautiful Tam Lin (you can find more on Tam Lin here). We also feature new music from Bone Poets Orchestra have a listen to Spin and Belladonna Smiles.Link for Liz Aid.An amazing artist Mel Kickland. Check out her Etsy Store! Moonlit Creations! You can win this amazing…

• 
  Vampires, Witches, and Geeks

• VWnG020 News and Announcements

  morvenwestfield

  27 Oct 2009 | 9:18 pm

  News and announcements about vampires, witches, and geeks. Web links for this episode: Smoke and Mirrors Magic Show - http://www.theatreofthenight.com  ~~~ The Vampire Lestat Fan Club - http://www.vampirelestatfanclub.com  ~~~ I Kissed a Vampire — http://www.ikissedavampire.com  ~~~ Out of the Coffin Podcast - http://www.outofthecoffin.com  ~~~ The Witches’ Almanac - http://thewitchesalmanac.com  ~~~ WitchTalk - http://www.blogtalkradio.com/witchtalk  ~~~ Wild Hunt - http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/09/marion-weinstein-1939-2009.html   ~~~ Lynda Hilburn -…

• Margaret Carter Reading

  morvenwestfield

  14 Sep 2009 | 8:44 pm

  This is a companion to Episode 19, where I interviewed longtime vampire author Margaret Carter. Here she reads from her vampire romance, EMBRACING DARKNESS, which was published in the Silhouette Intimate Moments line. This reading was recorded May 9, 2009.

• VWnG019 Interview with Margaret Carter

  morvenwestfield

  13 Sep 2009 | 6:15 pm

  This episode features an interview with Margaret Carter.  Margaret’s first vampire book was published in 1970 and she’s had a rich and prolific career since then, including both fiction and non-fiction. Her works span multiple formats; comprising short stories, novelettes, and novels. Her most-recent work is an erotic paranormal romance novelette, “Lion’s Bower,” published in May 2009 by Ellora’s Cave. Show Notes: Recorded on April 23, 2009. “Lust, Love, and the Literary Vampire”:  www.strangehorizons.com Her web site: …

• VWnG018 News and Announcements

  morvenwestfield

  14 Aug 2009 | 8:47 pm

  News and announcements about vampires, vampires, and more vampires. Oh, and some geek stuff, too. And the name of the contest winner! Topics: Spike (James Marsters), Harry Dresden, True Blood, Northern Haunts anthology, Bitten by Books, Dark Shadows Convention, Vampire Con, Killer Con, Pi-Con, Witchtalk, Vlad the Gothic magician talks about the vampire communty), winner of Tate Hallaway giveaway book contest. Web sites mentioned in the show: www.dragoncon.org –  www.jamesmarsters.com –  www.shroudmagazine.com — www.darkshadowsfestival.com — www.killercon.org…

• Cornelia Amiri Reading

  morvenwestfield

  14 Jul 2009 | 6:26 pm

  Author  Cornelia Amiri reads a selection from her novel, A Fine Cauldron of Fish, and from her short story “Vampire Dancer,” which appeared in Sleeping With the Undead. For more “long swords, hot heroes, and warrior women,” be sure to visit Cornelia’s web site at www.myspace.com/CelticRomanceQueen

• 
  Aquila ka Hecate

• Vitam Edoceo Vitam

  2 Nov 2009 | 6:23 pm

  "Life teaches Life - We are a glance in a great eye watching "Over ten years ago, my Shamanic Dismemberment featured a total absence of non-human animals, which is pretty unusual for this event. But listening to Terence McKenna on the subject of imagination, and a colleague's recounting of the morning's experience, have got me thinking about the reasons for this, and several other disfunctionalities of my life so far.The colleague had related how she was made late to work yesterday by a Dachshund following her out of the gate - she had thought for a split second, deciding whether to be a…

• The Young God

  31 Oct 2009 | 8:56 am

  "O seeker of joy, O hunter of pleasure, Come enter the ring, tread the pagan measure. Be here in Thy servants, be here in Thy Priests, Be here in the flesh, and join in the feast! " The Best Puppy in the Show, and Gold Medal in his class, All South Africa Championships, wishes you all in the South a Blessed Beltane......and the May Queen (runner-up, 5-7 years females) adds a Happy Halloween to all in the Northern Hemisphere."Many are its shapes but all are beautiful, and none know whence that star rose, or the horizon where it shall set."

• A Word On Halloween

  29 Oct 2009 | 8:41 pm

  Ugh.That's the word I would choose to describe Halloween as celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere at the beginning of the Summer season.I have a string of paper pumpkins hanging above my desk, at work. And a ream of fake cobweb resembling snot with a plastic spider caught in it. Skeletons (also plastic) leer at me from the Support section of the office, and my own department has its very own 'pumpkin' to carve - which is, in fact, a large warty green-skinned Hubbard Squash, painted yellow.I'm trying very hard not to rest my head on my desk in despair.What are the Human Resources Department…

• Giving the Earth a Future

  27 Oct 2009 | 8:41 pm

  Keith Farnish has an excellent post up.He hasn't yet got 100 Ways To Undermine The Industrial Machine, but he's working on it. You could give him a hand and suggest some more. Personally, I'd like to add: Guerrilla Gardening.Make some seed bombs.My personal favourites on Farnish's list:· Switch off televisions in public areas, pubs / bars and shop windows. Remote control devices are available for this.and · Make up stickers, saying things like “Product of Industrial Agriculture”, “Energy Waster” or “Made in Sweatshops” and stick them on relevant items in supermarkets and large…

• Premise Three

  23 Oct 2009 | 8:01 pm

  "Our way of living—industrial civilization—is based on, requires, and would collapse very quickly without persistent and widespread violence."

• 
  Eye of the Storm

• The Fairytale of Equality

  Storm Faerywolf

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am

  "Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities." ~Ayn RandI'm not usually into Ms. Rand, as she tends to be invoked fiercely by the conservative right... but I agree wholeheartedly with the above statement. Really, Maine... if you wanted so desperately to be like California why couldn't you have just voted for social programs that you have no way to pay for? ;)Rise up... do magic... share your anger, and your love... until…

• Love

  Storm Faerywolf

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pm

  From our day at the beach. A couple days later I opened up my laptop and this picture with the caption was set as the desktop.

• A poem...

  Storm Faerywolf

  24 Sep 2009 | 10:36 am

  Under the Starsby Storm FaerywolfDaring took me hand in handEvening fell as did my heartVeil lifted, oh such splendor!Imagination has not prepared meNever have I felt this way before.He looks deep within my eyes and soulUnderneath the dancing starsNight has claimed our hearts as oneTogether now within our kissEverything has led me to this placeRapturous love, I welcome you.

• A poem...

  Storm Faerywolf

  9 Aug 2009 | 4:21 pm

  This one I wrote while at Feri Camp during Thorn's and my class on creativity:Women of Song©2009 Storm FaerywolfThere is a meadow down belowwhere women sing a velvet tuneand dance within the golden sunand praise Diana of the moon.With lilting voices raised up highinto the open azure skya prayer is made on wings of songTo keep the covenant to which we all belong.Verdant grass beneath their feetHow soft! How lush! How earthen sweet.Greets their prayers with upward bladeAnd here it is their living bed is made.Priestess! Lover! Harlot! Teacher!You who hold the space of honor’s kissUnveil thy…

• Name that Quote (please)

  Storm Faerywolf

  1 Aug 2009 | 12:19 am

  I remember reading, somewhere, a little statement about Sufism that really stuck with me, and I'd like to use it in the book I am writing, but I can't remember where I read it. :( I've used it (or at least the gist of it) several times as an example of ecstasy and so I'd really like to use it. It goes something like this:"All Muslim's, when they die, expect to see the face of God. Sufis are not that patient."Anyone?

• 
  FULL CIRCLE * Earthwise News & Notes

• Change

  12 Oct 2009 | 10:20 am

  Folks,The illness of an elderly love one requires my presence so the blog will lie dormant for a time. We do not yet know if this situation is the beginning of a longer journey or if we will again take the version of Mr Toad's Wild Ride that passes for health care in this country. Nor do we know the timing on any of this. I'll be back, when I'm back. In the meantime, take my best wishes with you and enjoy what you find here in the archives. (1) As always, take what you need and leave the rest.Go well, stay well,Sia(1) I've listed popular posts by topic in the right hand column section and you…

• Unseen Academicals

  8 Oct 2009 | 1:55 pm

  Unseen Academicals is now available in bookstores. I predict that you will love two new characters: Glenda the pie maker and Pepe who is...many things.Here's to all those who climb out of the crab bucket....Sia The wizards at Ankh-Morpork's Unseen University are renowned for many things—wisdom, magic, and their love of teatime—but athletics is most assuredly not on the list. And so when Lord Ventinari, the city's benevolent tyrant, strongly suggests to Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully that the university revive an erstwhile tradition and once again put forth a football team composed of…

• Craft In America on PBS

  7 Oct 2009 | 6:54 pm

  Today I would like to share a wonderful program on PBS titled Craft in AmericaYou can check your local show times by clicking on the link above.Enjoy,SiaRelated Articles: Etsy: Buying and Selling Handmade Items Sia@FullCircle

• A Simple Argument: "Animal Torture Is Not Free Speech"

  5 Oct 2009 | 12:04 pm

  Calling all animal lovers: Tomorrow is the day that United States Solicitor General Elena Kagan will stand before the Supreme Court and argue that the federal Depiction of Animal Cruelty Law is not only constitutional but urgently needed to stop the abuse of animals. Congress passed the law by overwhelming margins in 1999 to halt the interstate sale of videos depicting illegal acts of animal cruelty...The United States and 26 state Attorneys General are asking the court to put a stop to this madness, and allow reasonable regulation of this commercial activity. In 1973, the Supreme Court held…

• Gargoyle Dogs

  4 Oct 2009 | 8:02 am

  It's that time of year...Pet costumes seem all the rage right now and not just for dogs; more than one cat is into hats these days. Meanwhile, I spend my free time at local stores looking for pretty witches to add to my collection, cute (not scary) black cat images, and things that make me smile, like the picture above. The Chicago Sun Times notes that Witches are again the most popular costume for adults this Halloween, but vampires are chomping in with a close second because of their newfound popularity in books and movies..Saving Money on HalloweenYou don't have to spend a lot of money on…

• 
  Beth Owl's Daughter

• Antidotes to Fear and Procrastination

  Beth

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:34 am

  As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. – Marianne Williamson In the post from Zen Habits I mentioned yesterday, author Leo Babauta tells us that patience and perseverance are essential. He tells us that some experts estimate that mastery takes 10,000 hours of practice. He estimates that it probably takes anywhere from six to ten years to get great at something, depending on how often and how much you do it. This only sounds daunting until you learn to…

• Achieving Mastery

  Beth

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:25 am

  When the world says, “Give up,” Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.” – Author Unknown I just love how there is a magic of synchronicity that happens on the Web. Often, when I am focusing on a particular topic, as if by coincidence (but we know better, don’t we?), some of my favorite bloggers, from very different viewpoints, will often be posting on parallel, even identical, topics. One of the most frequent blogs that seems to do this lately is Zen Habits. Just yesterday, Zen’s author, Leo Babauta, posted his musings about what it takes to achieve mastery.  It echoes…

• The Bind That Blocks Us

  Beth

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:22 am

  We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents. – Ralph Waldo Emerson We are beginning Chapter Nine, Recovering a Sense of Compassion, by examining the power of words. As you know, words have enormous power, from spells to curses, from treaties to laws. The old childhood rhyme “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” is not really true. Words and messages can turn our hearts to stone in an instant. Or they can set us free. So yesterday, we began to explore what happens when we label ourselves with words like…

• Chapter Nine Begins: Recovering A Sense of Compassion

  Beth

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:25 am

  The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. – Sylvia Plath Welcome back! I’m so glad you have found your way here to my new digs and that you are still with us on this journey of The Artist’s Way begun at Imbolc (Feb.) this year. I hope you haven’t abandoned ship (which you will see Julia addresses in a moment). We’ve come a very long way, don’t you think? Today we begin Chapter Nine, Recovering a Sense of Compassion. Julia notes that we will be “facing the internal blocks to creativity.” More? Again?  Well, yes. We do have a lifetime of scar tissue we are gently…

• Tarot Card of the Week: Nov. 2 – 8 and Blessings of the Full Moon in Taurus

  Beth

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am

  Reach out your hand if your cup be empty If your cup is full, may it be again; Let it be known there is a fountain That was not made by the hands of man. – Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia I can hardly believe it! As I search through my files, it slowly dawns on me that in over five years (that’s about 260 pulls) of my Cards of the Week, never once has the Ace of Cups appeared. And what a blessing for it to appear today, of all days, as we begin the sacred New Year and we celebrate the Samhain Full Moon in Taurus. And on personal note, I am humbled and profoundly grateful for it to…