Our modern society doesn’t teach us self-compassion. Quite the opposite. It teaches us self-criticism, shame, guilt, and blame. It tells us that we have to follow the rules, meet its unrealistic expectations, and practically achieve perfection before we are worthy of loving ourselves. This, quite frankly, is an utter load of crap.
Category: Ritual
No Words of Wisdom
I wish I had some profound words of wisdom to share with you today, in the wake of the chaos of this week. I don’t. Just this: Take care of yourself, take care of those you love, and do what you can.
Adaptive Spiritual Practice for Pagans: A Response to Challenging Times – Part Two
In my previous post, I discussed the need for us to adapt our spiritual practices to better address these challenging times. In this post, we will cover how to navigate changes in your practice, including examining your view of devotion and trying new things. Cultivating an adaptive spiritual practice needs to take place in the context of your life. This means that you have to leave space for the unexpected and acknowledge your need for rest.
Adaptive Spiritual Practice for Pagans: A Response to Challenging Times – Part One
I don’t know about you, but for me, pandemic fatigue has been kicking my butt the past few weeks. It’s hard to feel inspired when just getting through the day is difficult. I am an advocate for living, evolving, personal religion. I believe that spirituality should be applicable to modern life, and it should support us and nourish us. When our spiritual practices are no longer relevant to our circumstances, it is time for them to change.
Dealing with Spiritual Doubt as a Pagan – Shared Spiritual Experiences
While my personal spiritual experiences form the foundation of my religion, spiritual experiences shared with others have been some of my strongest allies against doubt.
An Altar for Aphrodite: Other Adornments and Special Considerations
As we wrap up this series on An Altar for Aphrodite, there are a few more things for us to keep in mind. The possibilities of potential altar trinkets are endless, and there are a few commonly used items that were not mentioned in the previous posts. I also want to discuss some important considerations for setting up your altar.
An Altar for Aphrodite: Elements and Offerings
When constructing an altar for Aphrodite, you can honor Her through the representations of the elements and through physical offerings in your sacred space. Here are my favorite ways to honor Aphrodite with these aspects of my altar:
An Altar for Aphrodite: Intention and Honoring the Goddess
Whether you are just starting out with constructing your first altar or shrine to Aphrodite, or if you’re a seasoned practitioner looking for some new inspiration, here are some of my essential considerations for constructing an altar.
A Ritual for Radical Acceptance, Fierce Love, and Divine Surrender
I led this ritual for my Pagan group on the June 2020 Full Moon last Friday. Current events have brought institutionalized racism to the front and center in the United States, while the COVID-19 pandemic still wreaks havoc on our ill-prepared country. The murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are but some of the most recent in a long history of injustice toward black Americans. BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Celebrating Beltane During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Beltane is my favorite holiday. Despite my love for all things related to this season, I found it very difficult to write the ritual that I performed online this morning for my Pagan group. It seems like an odd, almost inappropriate, time to be celebrating, given all that is going on the world. Our lives seem very far from the spirit of Beltane this year. Yet, this is why it is more important than ever to honor Beltane.
