Pagan voices is a spotlight on recent quotations from figures within the Pagan community. These voices may appear in the burgeoning Pagan media, or from a mainstream outlet, but all showcase our wisdom, thought processes, and evolution in the public eye. Is there a Pagan voice you’d like to see highlighted? Drop me a line with a link to the story, post, or audio.
Arana Fireheart
“I went into this with a lot of preconceived notions about how we would be treated by reality TV producers and so far, I am glad to say that I was wrong. Trust your gut. If it feels like you are dealing with honorable, respectful people and you are clear about their intentions (and yours!). Then go for it. I really feel that it about time we stopped hiding, if we take the risk to be ‘out’ more, it will help all of us to live in peace.” – Arana Fireheart, husband of Karina Fireheart, part of a Pagan family that participated in a recent episode of the reality television series “Wife Swap.” You can now watch the entire episode online.
Annika Mongan
“Did my broken marriage drive me away from Christianity? Was it disappointment in God? Theological doubts? Yes and no. Many experiences and questions gnawed at my faith, but none had the power to destroy it. They pushed at a door that was waiting to fling open. They prepared me to step into a world that had been calling me home all along.” - Annika Mongan, a Southern Baptist Minister turned Pagan, and new contributor to PaganSquare at Witches & Pagans.
Vivianne Crowley
“We can value ourselves better if we remember that we are more than our bodies and that the body is a gift – a perishable gift with an expiry date. We have very little time to experience life in it. Human life spans are tiny in the context of the time spans of the universe around us, so let us enjoy the gift and honor the Goddess by caring for it both inwardly and outwardly, but without being fixated by it.” - Vivianne Crowley, author of “Wicca: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World,” a Jungian psychologist, and faculty at Cherry Hill Seminary.
Nick Farrell
“Magic is not a easy path, so joining an occult group should not be easy either. Real magical groups see people as things they have to train and a long term project. They generally should not be too concerned about getting extra people if they have enough to do their work projects. If a group seems too keen for you to join, say by paying for you to come and be initiated, you should avoid them. This means that they are desperate to boost their membership. An esoteric group should always be looking for quality over quantity. You might think that the reason a group wants you is because you are a wonderful esoteric candidate with heaps of knowledge. However to a real magical group lots of experience and pre-knowledge is a hindrance. You have to learn from scratch in any order you join so any intellectual baggage you might be carrying will have to be dropped before you join.” – Nick Farrell, Golden Dawn magician and writer, on how to avoid bad magical groups.
Lupa
“Earth Day isn’t just for protests and your boss organizing an office-wide recycling drive for good P.R. It’s about reminding us of that connection to the very real, physical world we are a part of, especially the wild, disorganized, non-human parts that we too often take for granted. And it’s the sort of thing that you can carry with you all year; think of today as your yearly recharge.” – Lupa, at the No Unsacred Place blog, on this week’s Earth Day.
That’s all I have for now, have a great day!
