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2018-01-17T03:57:18-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Memories of the First Books: Deities & Demigods

Last updated on: January 17, 2018 at 3:57 am By Misha Magdalene

D&D encouraged me to explore the vast array of spiritual traditions throughout history, beyond the handful of Christian denominations I'd encountered. There were so many gods in the world! Gods who weren't Abrahamic, gods who weren't white, gods who weren't men. There were gods who weren't boring and ordinary, who weren't essentially my friends' parents writ large. Read more

2018-01-05T21:23:38-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Blessing for the New Year

Last updated on: January 5, 2018 at 9:23 pm By Misha Magdalene

It's traditional to start the new year off with introspection, contemplation, and a resolution or declaration of intent. I'm not much for resolutions, but I'm quite fond of introspection and contemplation... and intent is a thing us woo-woo types should be comfortable with. Read more

2018-01-04T22:39:59-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Sharpening Your Knives: Three Simple Tools for Developing Discernment

Last updated on: January 4, 2018 at 10:39 pm By Misha Magdalene

With the exception of a few gifted folks, magic and spirituality are hard work. Not always, and not in the same places for the same people, but there's a reason we call the act of doing magic a "working." That work is every bit as internal as it is external, and it's usually far less glamorous than the fancy robes and sonorous liturgical declamations might lead us to believe. Read more

2017-12-28T22:35:04-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Spaces Between: Discernment and the Power of “Yes-And”

Last updated on: December 28, 2017 at 10:35 pm By Misha Magdalene

In a culture which pushes us to believe in the binary choices of yes or no, black or white, good or evil—to pick a side, in other words—discernment is the power to see things as they truly are and choose our own path. Read more

2017-12-22T01:58:04-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Leviathan Grumbles: Simplicity and the Betrayal of Discourse

Last updated on: December 22, 2017 at 1:58 am By Misha Magdalene

Anti-intellectualism is an attitude of bad faith which violates the principles of discourse. Moreover, its reliance on oversimplified binaries is emphatically contrary to the base assumptions at the heart of Pagan, polytheist, and magical practice. Read more

2017-12-21T21:09:49-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Down Comforters, Army Blankets, and the Necessary Problem of Nuance

Last updated on: December 21, 2017 at 9:09 pm By Misha Magdalene

Nuance lives in the spaces between binaries, thriving in shadings and shadows, dancing on the edge of our comfort zones... which is a problem, because human beings really dislike being uncomfortable. Read more

2017-12-12T23:42:55-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Gods Behaving Badly: Managing Outcomes When Things Get Complicated

Last updated on: December 12, 2017 at 11:42 pm By Misha Magdalene

If a god is leaning on you, they tend to have a reason for it. Ascertaining that reason is key to resolving the situation is an amicable way. Read more

2017-12-10T03:00:16-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

#NotAllGods, and Some Rules of Thumb for Working with Gods

Last updated on: December 10, 2017 at 3:00 am By Misha Magdalene

While some folks disagree on this point, I maintain quite firmly that human beings are inherently possessed of the autonomy and agency to say "no" to anyone, from humans to animals to spirits, even to gods. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they're always going to listen. Read more

2017-12-09T18:17:42-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Saying No to Gods, and Other Challenges of the Path

Last updated on: December 9, 2017 at 6:17 pm By Misha Magdalene

...the gods relate to us for their own reasons, just as we relate to them for our own reasons. Making these relationships just and equitable is both an act of basic self-respect and a profound act of respect and honor for the very gods we would seek to work with, serve, worship, or have any kind of relationships with. Read more

2017-12-08T07:45:19-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Toxic Narrative of “Being Chosen” by Gods and Bad Boys

Last updated on: December 8, 2017 at 7:45 am By Misha Magdalene

Once we've cast ourselves as powerless protagonists at the mercy of domineering, socially inept aggressors, we've passed beyond the realm of "differences in practice" and entered into a pseudo-romantic, spiritually toxic fairytale. Read more

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