Little Oaks: A Religious Education Program for Young Pagans

This year has been rough in a lot of ways, but through those difficulties some opportunities have opened up. One of the really hard decisions folks have been making right now is what to do about school for their children. The likelihood is high in my part of the world that we’ll have some or all eLearning this year, and many are considering pulling their kids out to homeschool entirely. With schooling at home, whether it’s full-on homeschool, school provided virtual school, or supplemental activities, there has been a lot of momentum about how to provide the best learning opportunities for our children. I’ve looked at homeschool curriculums, and plan on at least supplementing my daughter’s experience with one, and my son (who would have started preschool this year) will be doing homeschool completely.

Continue reading “Little Oaks: A Religious Education Program for Young Pagans” →

Themis, Goddess of Divine Law & Justice

Themis, Goddess Championing Justice, turn your eye upon those who invoke your name,
For the people cry out for justice, and yet it is denied them by the actions of men,
And those who claim your name deny the divine law of hospitality to the people.

You who watch over assemblies, and protect the rights of the people, look closely:
The people gather to bring their petitions to the law makers,
The people gather and are forcibly turned away in your name.

The law makers defile your dominion, so let your gaze fall upon them.
Let the scales show whose rights are being stolen, whose humanity is being denied.
With Dike, Justice, at your side, leap furiously upon those who dare invoke your name against Xenia & Hospitality.

Themis, stand with the people. Themis, bring your justice.

#BlackLivesMatter

Tooth Fairy Bargaining Charm

My daughter recently lost her first tooth, and I knew I didn’t want to do the traditional tooth under the pillow thing. We’ve long said in our house that you don’t invite fairies into your home, so trying to figure out how to manage this particular rite of passage without losing the cultural touchstone and the joy was something we had to give some thought.

Initially I had thought about setting up a special little mailbox that she could “mail” her tooth in, and receive money back from the tooth fairy. But then Covid-19 happened and I was left without the ability to acquire the materials and also without the energy to do something that elaborate.

So instead I went back to the drawing board. The main religious thing I cared about was that we weren’t openly inviting fairies into the house. The main parent thing I cared about was that my daughter still got to have a tooth fairy experience to remember and share. So, we needed limited exposure to the tooth fairy. Enough to give my daughter the experience, but not so much that fairies generally would feel welcome. And fairies love bargains, so I wrote up a tooth fairy bargaining charm.

Tooth Fairy come in for only one task.

My tooth has fallen out, so this thing I ask:

In exchange for one tooth some treasure you’ll leave,

Then begone from this place, the bargain achieved.

We put her tooth in a jar and recited the charm, and then wrote it out and put it next to the tooth jar for good measure. Then we set the jar up on a shelf overnight. In the morning my daughter came downstairs to a jar with a coin and some glitter in it, and was overjoyed.

Feel free to put this charm to use for your children.

Messages from the Mists

Hi everyone. I’m going to be trying something a little different in order to serve you, my folk, in these times of crisis. We’re physically separated, but in that, we can still seek connection with each other, and find solace in the messages the spirits have for us. To that end I’ll be posting every few days/week or so with some divination read through a different lens each time. My hope is that this will give us a way to feel connected to the spirits, to each other, and an opportunity to take their wisdom and blessings into ourselves.

I’m hoping to get the first episode up in the next day or two, and it’ll be free over on my Patreon (patreon.com/skylark913). After this first one, my Patrons will get access to them a few days early, they’ll all be available for free to everyone after that. (If you’re able, I’d love your support over there).

So, I invite you to join me in this experience of connection, and I hope that you’ll find a new way to connect to the spirits and the divine, and perhaps be inspired to understand life in a new or different way, letting your actions reflect that understanding.

Clergy Skills & Strengths

One of the things we now have on the ADF website is a listing of the various skills, strengths, and services that each priest can provide.  The idea is to provide members a way to connect to a priest who can meet their needs when they require various services, particularly when they don’t have a local group or don’t know any priests personally.

I created my listing, and thought I’d share it here as well. Continue reading “Clergy Skills & Strengths” →