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johnbeckett

Archives

--Year-- 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 --Month-- December November October September August July June May April March February January

February 2025

February 26, 2025

Be The Eight of Cups, Not The Four of Pentacles

Basic defensive magic is both essential and effective. But a “raise the drawbridge” approach to...

February 23, 2025

Ross Douthat Wants You To Believe

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat has a new book titled Believe: Why Everyone Should...

February 16, 2025

Lugh Isn’t Coming To Slay Balor

“Lugh isn’t coming to slay Balor, and without him the best the Tuatha De Danann...

February 12, 2025

This Is A Time For Dangerous Magic

You can wait until things get truly desperate and then start working magic. Or you...

February 09, 2025

Trust Your Destiny

The current chaos makes planning for the future difficult. But our choices over time become...

February 05, 2025

Paganism In A Time Of Intolerance

In this time of growing intolerance, the best thing some of us can do is...

February 02, 2025

Keep Your Eyes On What You Want

None of this will stop bad people from doing bad things. But it can stop...

January 2025

January 30, 2025

Brighid’s Fires: Comfort, Anger, Inspiration, Change

I rarely do guest posts. But after I heard Cynthia Talbot’s sermon at Denton UU...

January 26, 2025

Remember Who You Are

In 2017 we were inspired by badass park rangers. In 2025 we’re inspired by a...

January 20, 2025

Reality Is Not Determined By Executive Order

I really do want to stay out of the mud this time and not react...

January 19, 2025

A Eulogy For My Mother

Anita Beckett, my mother, died on January 12, 2025, at the age of 93. This...

January 12, 2025

Living Well In A Season Of Political Strife

Our challenge for the next four years is to not get caught up in the...

January 05, 2025

Deity Work

Do witches do deity work? Some do and some don’t. But my practice begins with...

January 02, 2025

The Call of Cernunnos

Announcing a new on-line class from Under the Ancient Oaks: “The Call of Cernunnos” based...

January 01, 2025

Divination For 2025

2025 will be a year of moving on. Your victories, your heartbreaks, your grand narratives...

December 2024

December 29, 2024

Top 10 Posts of 2024

The Top 10 posts of 2024 on Under the Ancient Oaks: re-enchanting the world, being...

December 26, 2024

The 4 Best Posts of 2024 You Didn’t Read

I’m still here. 2024 turned out to be a very difficult year for me, but...

December 22, 2024

The Top 5 Novels I Read in 2024

Vampires, Tarot readers, and mediums. Exclusive girls’ schools where strange and mysterious things happen. Two...

December 18, 2024

Celebrating The Solstice of a Coming Long Winter

The seasons are an astronomical phenomenon that can be predicted with precision. But a metaphorical...

December 15, 2024

5 Reasons Why Political Magic Is So Hard

The stories of our ancestors tell of magicians who cursed kings and of kings who...

December 08, 2024

Magic: Just How Much Silence Do We Need To Keep?

“To keep silence” is an important principle of magic. But some people are saying you...

December 04, 2024

Serpents of Circe – A Book Review

Humans are like metals. We can absorb a few things, but push us past our...

December 01, 2024

Where Are The Gods In All This?

Is there a spiritual war going on? The forces of Oppression and Conformity certainly think...

November 2024

November 20, 2024

Rod Dreher, Re-enchantment, and Bad Metaphysics

Conservative columnist and Orthodox Christian Rod Dreher’s new book "Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and...

November 17, 2024

Choose Your Allies Wisely – And Strategically

Some of y’all don’t know what an ally is, and that’s causing harm for you...

November 13, 2024

This Is Why You Did All That Spellwork

This isn’t what we wanted, but it is what we prepared for. This is why...

November 10, 2024

A Witch Decides A Witch’s Fate

Sometimes you have to choose a side. I choose witchcraft.

November 07, 2024

Do Not Comply In Advance

Acknowledge your feelings – they’re real. Take care of yourself, whatever that means for you....

October 2024

October 30, 2024

What To Expect In This Election, And Beyond

While we need to be prepared for any contingency, it does us no good to...

October 27, 2024

A UU Pagan Looks at Death and Beyond

Our mainstream society likes to ignore death and hide it away. But sooner or later,...

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