Featured articles

Yule history - Pagan and early Christian

Yule has a colorful and varied history in Celtic countries.  The following is an overview of some of the most ...

Imbolc’s Celtic history

Imbolc is one of the first major festivals of the calendar year. It was originally associated with the goddess Brighid of ...

Places

Glastonbury and Jesus

Glastonbury, England, is one of the most magical sites on earth.
Glastonbury’s unique history covers many centuries. Since the Middle Ages, Glastonbury in Somerset has been considered a most likely location of Avalon, the final resting place of King Arthur and Guinevere.
However, Glastonbury’s mystical and spiritual history starts far before the era of Camelot.
Glastonbury, the Isle [...]

History

Winter Solstice and the 12 Days

… and a partridge in a pear tree?
Most of us recognize the song that starts, ‘On the first day of Christmas…,” but how many know the real origin of those famous twelve days?
Are they Christian?  Are they Pagan?
And, when do the twelve days start, anyway?  Do we celebrate the beginning of them, the conclusion, [...]

Seasonal

St. Patrick - Shapeshifter?

Ireland has a long history of shapeshifters.
One of the earliest was Fintan, husband of Cessair, grand-daughter of Noah. Cessair and her family fled the approaching Deluge and settled in Ireland, but only Fintan survived.
Fintan changed shape several times, first becoming a salmon, then an eagle, and then a falcon.
Another early Irish tale describes the long [...]

Magickal living

Gods and Saints

This is a reprint of my 2002 article about connections between gods and saints.
Recently, I read Luisah Teish’s book, Jambalaya. In it, she explains Afro-American spiritual traditions, and how they survived by adopting Christian terms and identities. She focuses on the Voudou of New Orleans, but also relates to Yoruba, Santeria, [...]