Paganism

Culture and Community: Spirit of Place in Regional Magic

By |

The land has its own magic. The whispers of the rolling hills of Northern California speak in a different tongue than that of the long flat lands of lower Alabama. The spirit of place can greatly contribute to the culture, presence and practice of magic in any one regional area. There are different terms, traditions and beliefs that encompass concepts of regional magic or spirit of place. Different cultures relate to it in unique ways; yet there is continued historical significance to the practices of cultures and of people who have a reverence for the specific magic of local lands and regional areas.

Paganism

Culture and Community: Coloring in Spiritual Practice

By |

The new craze of adult coloring continues to sweep the nation, becoming what appears to be a very lucrative financial business and a hobby for those seeking some sense of creative solace in today’s times. The popularity of adult coloring has increased significantly in the last few years and has rapidly become a household concept. From Barnes and Nobles or Amazon, to your local Michael’s craft store, you can find a nice selection of coloring books specifically marketed to adults, which address concepts of stress, mindfulness, and creativity. We are no longer looking at just the coloring books of Barbie dolls and Winnie the Pooh. Instead we are seeing elaborate books that have mandalas, gardens and various patterns.

Paganism

Culture and Community: Amplifying Voices For Black History Month

By |

Black History Month in 2016 is coming to an end as the last day of February looms just around the corner. Despite the extra day this year, for many people this time of celebration and remembrance is too short. Twenty-nine days just is not long enough to celebrate Black people in this country. Black History celebrations happen throughout the month of February every year. Whether we see lessons of history or moments of pride on television, posts of memes, or Black history commercials, this month is about more than just a few moments of reflection to those within the Black community.

Paganism

Culture and Community: The Person Behind The Name

By |

Our society often equates popularity with worth or with power. The status system created by celebrity culture is not something new, and it exists in many societies. One of the unfortunate side effects of living in a modern day celebrity culture is that it often separates people from the humanity of one another. We see this with celebrities within popular mainstream culture, and we also experience this in the much smaller segments of our own interconnected communities. Modern Pagan communities have their own definitions for popularity status. There are even varying categories that distinguish where people fall on the continuum.Author, Blogger, Ritualist, High Priest(ess), Artist, Musician, Academic or Leader. All of these are not only functional roles within the Pagan and modern Polytheist world, but they are also titles that come with expectations, a bit of status, and some relative privilege.

Paganism

Culture and Community: Countdown to PantheaCon

By |

For many people January symbolizes the start of one of the busiest times of the year. It is the start of the New Year, post holiday detox time, and a time for goal setting and planning. It is also during this month that PantheaCon preparation kicks into high gear for many people, and the count down to the mid-February convention begins. PantheaCon, a Pan-Pagan convention, consistently draws between 2,000 and 3,000 participants a year to San Jose, California for four days of non-stop magic, music, shopping and fun. It is at this time we see fundraising requests for hospitality suites, Facebook invites for workshops, and an increasing number of updates from the PantheaCon staff as the date gets closer.