A Spirit of Place on the Old Ferry Road

On a recent adventure, I had intended to build a relationship with an Ancestor of Place, a founder of my local town. Instead, I unintentionally shed blood and sweat in the process of meeting a genius loci, a Spirit of Place. But let's start at the beginning. Ancestors of Place: The Ferryman Ár nDraíocht Féin …

“Reversion” of Devotional Art Offerings

Recently, a discussion arose amongst some members of the Numen Arts collective about the intended audience for our spiritual-focused artwork. One person, a fantastic kemetic artist named Poeta Immortalis, mentioned that their art is intended foremost for the gods, and "the human audience is a side effect which may also be pleasant sometimes." That struck …

“No One is Strong at Night” – Some Nighttime Hymns (and a printable PDF!)

As the Autumn Equinox approaches, I brace myself for a time of mourning: longer nights are coming. I've written obliquely about this before, but to state it clearly: I'm rarely comfortable in the night. I know as a pagan I should enjoy moonlit nights and the quiet mystery of the dark, but it has always …

“There is no limb of yours that is free from a god” – Body image and pep talks from a crocodile god

I hadn't expected an improved acceptance of my body image to be a side effect of worshipping an ancient crocodile deity, but I'm not complaining.

Sokar and a “Night of Lonely Sleep”

Sometimes first-time experiences with gods and spirits can occur in unexpected places -- in one relatively recent case for me, I felt the presence of Sokar for the first time not in a shrine, but while anxious and alone on a rural road at 2:00 AM, surrounded by mist and not-too-distant howls. "Going Away and …

Rituals and Comfort in Grief

With the passing of my great-aunt last week, I privately performed funerary rites for a family member for the first time since becoming a polytheist. There's a certain kind of comfort in ritual structure.

The Sacredness of Starting Again

Our (neo-)pagan polytheistic practices may be new, but there's sacredness in the very act of their reconstruction and revival. To the Ancient Egyptians, this is Zep Tepi, the First Time. The world is created again.

In Praise of the Goddess of the Sewers

One of my 2020 goals was to develop deeper relationships with the land around me. And where better to start than the sewers?

Remembering Nehalennia on the Sea

This past week marks a full year since my dedication to Nehalennia, and that's worth celebrating! Nehalennia is a multifaceted goddess Who defies easy categorization. Her worship was concentrated in the modern-day Netherlands, with artifacts (and temple remains!) unearthed in Domburg and Colijnsplaat, and was of particular importance to the Morini people. And Her devotees …

“Take This and Go” – An Apotropaic Offering to the Wolves on the Equinox

For this year's Autumn Equinox, I burned a sacrificial painting as an apotropaic offering to Hati the Moon-Chaser.