I wrote my first novel during slow times at a deathly boring office job. It was awful - the novel, that is. I never published it or even showed it to anyone. Actually, the job was pretty awful, too, but that's beside the point. Here's the thing: It was easy to write that novel because I was already in Work Mode, stuck at a desk, with no Internet connection and nothing else to do. When I shifted to working from home, writing wasn't so easy any more. Now, some of the difficulti

This is going to be a bit of a rant, so hold onto your hats. If you're wondering about the title, I mean exactly what I'm saying here. Yes, there are Pagans (and probably people who use other descriptors as well) who use magic without believing in it. And that's a problem, but not for the reasons you might think. First of all, let me be clear: I don't care what anyone believes. I don't give a flip whether their beliefs match mine, overlap slightly with mine, or don't coincide

Magical ethics is a chronically hot topic in the Pagan community, and the ethics of doing healing spellwork is high up on the list. Is it all right to do healing magic for someone without asking them first? What if the person in question is a child? What if they’re in a coma and you can’t ask them in so many words? I have an unusual perspective on this issue since, in addition to being a Pagan who practices magic, I have a background as a natural healthcare professional: I’m

Compassion requires boundaries. I don’t mean putting boundaries on compassion itself; heaven knows, it’s hard enough to come by as it is. I mean that we need to clarify our own boundaries in order to feel safe enough to engage with compassion. You see, I’ve recently discovered that compassion requires a safe space in order to manifest. It’s easy to feel compassion for those who are downtrodden, ill, poor, far away, and otherwise no threat to us. Of course, that ease doesn’t m

About 16 years ago, when I was organizing a 'new millennium' community ritual through the Goddess 2000 Project, I happened upon a story called the Allegory of the Long Spoons. I used it to introduce that community ritual, and in the years since then I've told it a number of times to small and large groups. It always touches people, and I think it's an important story to keep telling. The Allegory of the Long Spoons Adapted by Laura Perry This story is usually framed as a visi

During the winter holidays each year I choose a short saying that will be the focus of my meditation practice for the upcoming year, a bit of a twist on the idea of a new year's resolution. Every year I have found a great deal of meaning and depth in these simple sayings, from 'All life is one life' to 'Wherever you go, there you are.' This year I chose a sentence that is often repeated in the Pagan community: Thou art god/dess. (In other words, 'Thou art god' or 'Thou art go

The modern world is full of wonderful inventions, but one thing the ancients had but that is largely missing from our lives today is ecstasy. What does this mean and what can we do about it? I've shared my thoughts on the subject here: Are we ecstasy deprived? #crete #minoan #paganism #culture #psychology

Here in the northern hemisphere, it's the beginning of harvest season. We've just passed Lammas, the seasonal festival that is considered the First Harvest in several traditions. Where I live, that doesn't mean grain so much as watermelons, fresh herbs, and more zucchini than anyone knows what to do with (as well as the not-yet-mature hazelnuts you see in the photo). But of course, the concept of harvest is symbolic as well. It's common for people who follow earth-oriented sp

These days, between the political debates and religious arguments online, I’m seeing a lot of either-or thinking. This is nothing new, of course; it’s just more visible now that we’re electronically in each other’s faces all the time. The thing is, either-or thinking is a false dilemma, a logical fallacy. It’s an inaccurate representation of a complex world. Sometimes it’s a false set of choices that are laid out on purpose so people will think there are no alternatives: If y

Wouldn’t it be great if we could make other people heal? Then that insecure, paranoid co-worker would quit blaming you for their foul-ups. The woman in your coven with the victim complex would become a helpful, functioning member of the group. Your father-in-law would stop bullying the male members of the family for not being ‘real men.’ Funny how we can always find something to fix in other people when, so often, we’re sure we’re fine ourselves. The fact is, you can’t make a

When I was a kid, I learned that there are two sexes: male and female. Simple, easy to remember, black-and-white. But when I grew up, I discovered that there are people who feel like they are somewhere on a spectrum between the two as well as folks who feel like their body doesn’t reflect their true gender identity. I also discovered that failing to fit into the one-size-fits-all notion of clear-cut binary gender is nothing new; people have dealt with this issue since ancient

I was recently reminded of an old joke: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to really want to change. The joke is funny because it hits upon a truth that we don’t really like to look at; we laugh at least in part because it makes us uncomfortable. This particular joke popped up in my mind when a friend asked me about the herbalism and naturopathy practice I used to run. She wanted to know why I had quit and turned to wr