Every shrine holds the representative form of a spirit there, no matter how abstract or concrete the essence of that spirit may be. It’s a prerequisite to even start building one. Something that struck me when I started making my own altars, however, was that traditional altar formulas just didn’t cut it for me. At first I thought it was some stubborn holdover from a monotheistic upbringing, but the longer I practiced, I came to discover what an altar really is, how it operates, and why it is most important to understand your needs before trying to understanding a god’s. Continue reading “The Faces of God” →

The I-word is definitely a big part of political discourse these days, isn’t it? No, not idiot. Identity. It’s something I’ve found myself wrangling with more than usual lately. Esoteric as the subject can become, it is an important one for all people, but especially those who find themselves pinched in the intersection of subculture and faith. As time goes on, I believe that how we handle the formation of our own identity and how we understand the formation of others’ identities is ultimately what determines a community’s success into the future. Will the revival of our ancestors’ gods and philosophies stand the test of time, or will it merely go down in history as the exhausted cult of the “New Age”? Continue reading “Belief, Identity, & Belonging” →

I’ve never met anyone who did not have a situation or set of situations that made them feel vulnerable. No one is impervious to the awkward. So what are the “uncomfortable” components of a circle? How does one overcome that sense of discomfort or vulnerability? And, more importantly, how does it help us as witches and as human beings that we rise to these uncomfortable occasions? Continue reading “Vulnerable” →

You have often heard me speak of an oracle or sign which comes to me, and is the divinity which Meletus ridicules in the indictment. This sign [daimonion] I have had ever since I was a child. The sign is a voice which comes to me and always forbids me to do something which I am going to do, but never commands me to do anything.

—Socrates, from Plato’s Apology

Continue reading “Daemons” →

So I guess this is your welcome to my world. I have long wanted to write a blog for public consumption but never really had the focus, energy, or balls to actually do it. But since I’m between classes and jobs for now, I’ve finally caught this elusive “down time” everyone is on about. That, combined with a recent divine kick in the ass, says it’s time to put it to use.  Continue reading “Welcome, I guess?” →