Pope Francis–A New Catholic Crusade (that I like!)
“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” ~Pope Francis As regular readers know, this princess married into a Catholic family. The Pope matters to me not just...
Fictionalizing the Divine
I write in a paranormal, urban fantasy, science fiction sort of genre. Lately I’ve found myself using not just creatures from mythology, but the gods themselves as characters. Odin, Freyja and Idunna make cameos in the latest book I turned in to my editor. (Whether or not they stay in the final draft is up to...
The Princesses and the Episcopalians
This Friday GG and I were invited by our dear friend Brad, i.e. Father Snort to talk about interfaith relations at an Episcopal conference for high school students.Father Snort’s intention was that instead of having other Christians talk about carrying on a dialog with non-Christians, he’d have non-Christians come in and tell it “from the horse’s...
Dear Wife of Pagan, Pt. 3 (Final One!)
This week I’m finishing my answer to Wife of Pagan from Slate.com regarding how to deal with conversion inside a marriage or other close relationship.  Read on for Part 3, or check out last week for Part 2, or two weeks ago for Part 1. I’m jumping right in with no introduction, so if you’re...
Dear Wife of Pagan, Pt. 2
This week I’m continuing my answer to Wife of Pagan from Slate.com regarding how to deal with conversion inside a marriage or other close relationship. Read on for Part 2, or check out last week for Part 1. I’m jumping right in with no intro, so if you’re not already familiar with this story, you...
How I Became a Pagan Old Fart
I just did it, that thing I said I would never do. A n00b asked a question,* and I got all puffed-up-affronted like a Pagan Old Fart (POF). I didn’t say it, but I have to admit, my initial response to their (numerous) queries was, “Um… get a book.†What happened?? How did I come...
Defining a Heathen
As a writer, specificity in the meaning of the words we use is important to me. I think a lot of miscommunication happens because people have a different idea of what a word means, which can lead to misunderstanding and even arguments. We should know what we mean when we use a word, and our...
Walpurgis Night – The Other Beltane
Walpurgisnacht (Walburga’s Night / Walpurgis Night) is a popular Germanic holiday celebrated at the same time as Beltane... Now famous for the bonfires that light the hills of Sweden, the champagne toasts in Finland, and the pranks of southern Germany it has been known as both a witch’s holiday and the feast day of a...
The Fine Line Between Being Yourself and Forcing Yourself on Someone Else
Last weekend I attended a gorgeous wedding. The church was beautiful, the reception truly over the top, and the bride was, well, she looked fabulous. Even the sermon was entertaining; the preacher was an excellent speaker who knew how to write. I didn’t agree with everything (okay, much of what) he said, but I expected...
Open Letter to Dove World Outreach Center
September 9, 2010 Terry D. Jones Dove World Outreach Center 5805 NW 37th St Gainesville, FL 32653 Phone: 352-371-2487 Fax: 352-371-6511 Email: info@doveworld.org Re: Burning the Qur’an on September 11, 2010 Dear Mr. Jones, We are writing to implore you and your congregation to cancel your campaign against Islam. Do not burn copies of the...
