Just a list that people might find interesting. 1. There are audio versions of the testaments everywhere, but very few Pagan books. 2. I hate stoves. Accidents always seem to happen no matter what I’m doing. Usually involving hot water. Guess I’m brewing the herbs in the microwave. Or the coffee maker. 3. When the weather sucks, who wants to stand at the bus stop? And begging rides is depending on someone else, which makes us feel like burdens. And... Read more
I don’t believe in resolutions for the new year. People like to resolve to do things, but they often don’t achieve them. So their resolutions become more like intentions. Intentions without determination to follow through. I decided to start this rather complex spell last weekend on the first day of the full moon, known as the Wolf Moon in the Northern hemisphere. I don’t follow the Maiden Mother Crone concept of the goddess. I respect the understanding of her that... Read more
This is a part of a series by Staff of Asclepius contributors. I think it is important to take stock of the year. For me the old Pagan year ended on the last harvest, or Samhain. Yule marks the beginning of the new. In between is a time to rest, and evaluate where we stand. What have I gained, what I have lost, what I need to change, what I wish to keep. I gained: –The first place I truly... Read more
Travel is both wonderful and terrifying simultaneously. I’ve decided to head out to Kalamazoo, taking a chance in order to meet a young woman I met through a friend. The thrill of it is manifold. Going somewhere new, trying new things, and maybe finding a girlfriend in the bargain. I like adventure, I like to experience things. The terrifying part harkens back to family issues. I’m taking a train north and I hope not to encounter any of them along... Read more
I think we are given the power to determine our own destiny, that every choice we make is a step down the path we cut for ourselves. My evidence is simple: we are given the ability to make decisions for ourselves. Undoubtedly there are lessons our souls must learn during this life, so we can move on to the next stage in our incarnation. So maybe there is some vague, pre-determined fate for all souls, namely their return to the... Read more
In this post, Masery writes about how if we are going to be thankful for something we need to be responsible and care for it. Read more
As newcomers to the Eastern seaboard of what is now the United States, we were not especially kind to those who showed us how to take advantage of the land’s resources, nor to the land itself, even if supposedly there was this one day of sharing food together with the Native Americans. This is why Thanksgiving as a holiday has not had great meaning to me for quite sometime. Now writing this, I view the holiday as an opportunity to... Read more
I’ve hit a brick wall lately, with all that is going on, and I’m scaling back a little. I’ll be posting on Tuesdays from here on out, and I hope to get back to two posts a week. On top of the two blogs I work on, I have a group I manage, and I’ve been trying to get a handle on my health. I’ve been pretty stressed with that, because I’ve been trying to deal with my depression, anxiety,... Read more
Patrick Otema, 15 was born profoundly deaf. In the remote area of Uganda where he lives there are no schools for deaf children, and he has never had a conversation. Raymond Okkelo, a sign language teacher, hopes to change all this and offer Patrick a way out of the fearful silence he has known his whole life. Read more
Recently I was talking to a friend and offhand mentioned that I might not have the spoons for an activity later that night. He asked what I and a few others meant by this 'spoon' talk. "Is 'spoons' a west coast thing?" Not everyone has read The Spoon Theory, a personal essay on how people with chronic illnesses and conditions have to budget their energy throughout the day because they have a limited amount of it to spend. I linked him to it. His response: "Normal people don't think like that? They don't have to meticulously plan everything?" Read more
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