Shangri-La - EcoVillage [Starpalm]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

Nearly seventy-five years ago, James Hilton imagined a magical city based upon Tibet’s version of the Garden of Eden, Shambhala (Berzin) . His book, The Lost Horizon, inspired Theodore Roosevelt to name the presidential retreat in its honor. Today, there are many, who like Hilton, envision a population of enlightened people who create a sustainable, balanced community in which the environment thrives ecologically, spiritually and culturally. If it can be imagined, it can be made manifest.

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Riches Upon Riches [Keyokwee]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

I have to really be concerned at the debate that is now waging in many religions over “wealth”. Must we walk in sackcloth, be dirt poor and have no possessions to show just how truly pious we are? It’s a central focus around so many religions: To be or not to be wealthy?Whatever! Why this obsession with money? What about the gist of your religion? What about the “concept”? Let’s examine the “concept”. If you want to be a good person: Love your fellow man. Don’t break the

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Quem é Deméter? - Um pouco sobre o culto a Deusa da Terra [Ines Raven]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

Quando Dem and eacute;ter entrou na minha vida, em 2007, eu n and atilde;o sabia direito quem Ela era e n and atilde;o entendi, a princ and iacute;pio, porque uma deusas dessas ia estar comigo. Assim como a maioria das pessoas, eu atribu and iacute;a and agrave; Deusa apenas atributos maternais que n and atilde;o tinham lugar na minha vida aos 21 anos. Mas aos poucos eu fui conhecendo a divindade, seus diversos atributos, suas formas de culto, suas oferendas... e assim eu entendi que, realmente, temos muito em comum.Apesar de sempre lembrarmos do mito do rapto d

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Paganism as a Path of Freedom [Maggi Setti]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

Freedom of belief and freedom to choose the specifics of one’s path are some of the most highly valued ideas in Pagan religion and practice. It is something that I have come to almost take for granted. Recently I was exposed in a visceral way to the alternate viewpoints that other religions proscribe to. This exposure triggered some memories from my teenage years, when my quest for spiritual fulfillment became an important facet of those formative years.I was a very religious and devout

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Practicing What We Preach [Lynx Story]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

Many pagans have been ridiculing each other’s paths. Though they claim to be open and accepting of other views, they are human, and therefore opinionated. When hearing of a path that disagrees almost entirely with their own, many pagans will feel a need to explain how the other person is wrong. It is seen every day within the community in the ridicule of the openly intolerant practices of certain branches of Christianity. Although the majority of the pagan community has a higher average of open-

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What You Do On Your Knees [Fire Lyte]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

Controversy seems to happen a lot when you get on your knees, but not more so than when what we’re doing on our knees is praying. The basic definition of prayer is a solemn request or thanksgiving to God or an object of worship. Prayer is what happens when people talk to themselves and hope somebody is listening. But, then again, it’s not. Prayer is also a powerful exchange of energy. There are many aspects of prayer to consider, but let’s first look at the two sides of what prayer is:

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When Did it Become Unfashionable To Be Monogamous? [Bronwen Forbes]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

I recently returned from a major Midwest Pagan gathering where, much to my surprise, in just four short days I was propositioned, invited to an orgy, and given the opportunity to play Naked Twister. I say “much to my surprise” because as someone who is bespectacled, approaching 50, greying, and who could stand to lose about one-third of my body weight, I honestly don’t consider myself to be that much of a big deal, sexually speaking. Maybe I’m wrong.I also say “much to my surprise” becau

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Lughnasadh: The Deeper Meaning [Morbek]

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:54:05 +0200

Over the years, I have celebrated Lughnasadh in several ways. However, this year, while sitting in the outdoors, ever present sauna of an Oklahoma heat wave, I was gifted with the most profound meaning of the Sabbat I’ve ever experienced. If you’ve never been in an Ozark heat wave, here’s a little background on what it feels like…Hot! Sticky! Damp! And ever present! It feels as if summer will never end and you know that you are just beginning to walk into the hot months. The only hope you feel i

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