Review of “Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide”

/ Yewtree / Leave a comment

If you are looking for a clear explanation of lineaged, initiatory witchcraft, this is it. If you are looking for a coven, thinking of joining a coven, or merely curious, I would recommend reading this book. Even if you are an experienced Wiccan initiate, you could benefit from the perspectives offered in this book.

If your coven is open to seekers, this book should go straight to the top of your recommended reading list, for seekers, new initiates, and even old hands. It’s clearly written, engaging, well-structured, and scholarly.

Continue reading →

Halloween and Samhain

/ Yewtree / 1 Comment

The season of Halloween is fast approaching, and with it, the opening of several different silly seasons. It’s the season for racists to dress as caricatures of other ethnic groups. It’s the season for journalists to find the gothiest witches they can, and write dramatic articles about them. And it’s the season for spooky films on TV, and (gods help us all) pumpkin spice latte.

Continue reading →

Anti-racism 101

/ Yewtree / 1 Comment

This post was originally a tweet thread, but quite a few people wanted me to turn it into a blog-post, so here it is. I haven’t changed the order I wrote this in, just added relevant links.

Thank you, miigwech, nia:we to all the Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Colour from whom I have learnt so much.

Harmony Day (5475651018).jpg
Harmony Day, CC BY 2.0, photo by DIAC Images.

Continue reading →

Interview at Sacred and Subversive

/ Yewtree / Leave a comment

I was recently interviewed by the excellent Jera Brown over at Sacred and Subversive – a queer interfaith spirituality website.

Jera is creating an anthology of writing about queer spirituality which I’ll be contributing to.

Jera asked some great questions for the interview, such as “All acts of love and pleasure, as well as the body, are considered sacred in most Pagan traditions. This helps set up an inclusive ethos. Do you think this sacredness is intuitive? Is it something many of us simply lose touch with or are societally conditioned to think otherwise?”

Check it out.

Birds and flowers

/ Yewtree / Leave a comment

Yesterday evening, Bob and I went for a walk. There were red-winged blackbirds, cranes, loads of flowers (a pink & white vetch that smells nice; a white mallow; a white campion; water lilies coming out on the millpond; a big pink convolvulus). We saw ducklings with a mother duck. And away from the river, we saw a pair of cardinals feeding on a bird feeder. And a beautiful sunset.

Continue reading →