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New Minoan Group in Charlotte, NC!
This is a re-post for a local friend of mine who recently launched his Minoan Grove, Temenos of the Starry Sunset. Aster is a wonderful magical practitioner and person, and encourage those looking for a men’s initiatory tradition local to Charlotte, NC to reach out to Aster to inquire further. (This listing is reposted from…
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Effective Remote Ritual, Part 1: Sight
This is the first in a series of posts on practical methods for online ritual. Much of what makes for effective online Outer Court ritual effective will translate to Inner Court ritual, as well as eclectic, and non-Wiccan group ritual practices.
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(Actually) Inclusive Covens
The purpose of this post is to make one thing abundantly clear to Seekers as well as initiates: Hawkfire is an inclusive coven. Also, here’s a cute cottage, because sometimes we need hugs.
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Seeking, and Seeking Liberty
I’ve started another online Outer Court. It’s already teaching me about Seeking. And about seeking Justice.
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Repeat Play: Inclusive Wicca
When the latest brouhaha about transphobia in initiatory Craft blew up online, my knee-jerk reaction was to scream “Don’t give the haters air time!” That being impossible, I wanted to share a note of hope for trans Seekers and non-trans Seekers who want an inclusive Coven experience.
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Magic, Religion, and Reality Part 4 – What is Really, Like, Real?
As my old social studies teacher used to say, “My rights end where your nose begins.” Fortunately, there’s plenty of air between different religions and magical practices. It helps to remember that, but remember we’re also not alone with all that space.
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Magic, Religion, and Reality Part 3 – What is Religion?
Happily, most people realize the world’s religions are more plural that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. But why should magical practitioners care?
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Magic, Religion, and Reality Part 2 – What is Magic?
Magic is a highly plural practice, a global one, historically vast, and any definition addresses not only magic but the practitioner as well. But let’s try to define it anyway.
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Magic, Religion, and Reality Part 1 – The ‘Big’ Questions
What’s magic? What’s religion? And what’s, you know, really REAL? Part 1.
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The Online Coven is Dead. (Long Live the Online Coven).
Hawkfire would have been a year old today. Instead, I’m announcing the conclusion of this online Gardnerian Coven and Outer Court.
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6 Lessons from 6 Months of Online Outer Court
While this post is dedicated to Coven Leaders running online O.C.s (or considering it), this information is also useful for Seekers considering on-line training.
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Mystery Cults in the Age of Conspiracy Theories
I feel a huge responsibility as a Holder of Secrets, especially in an age of conspiracy theories, lies, disinformation, and propaganda. The coupe attempt at the U.S. capital shines a spotlight on the importance of discernment,
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How Coyote Broke the Internet
The Southeastern coyote is opportunistic and wily. He pricked his ears the minute I decided make a online OC in a pandemic.
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The Patience of Secrecy
Enjoy, for a moment, me making like a contortionist, and trying to write frankly about oaths, secrecy, privacy, patience, and transparency.
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Problematic Terms: ‘Abrahamic’ and ‘Judeo-Christian’
Language is important and it evolves. Fortunately, we can evolve too.
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Gerald Gardner and Liminal Reading
‘Witchcraft Today’ has been described as ‘cringy’, and it’s helpful to unpack that feeling when it comes up.
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Origin Story Part 5 – Finding Wicca
This is the last part of the Origin Story, and this is the compressed version: I devoured books (including Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon), attended a few open circles, performed a private dedication, and, oh, my poor husband!
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Origin Story Part 4 – Kites, Archery, and Finding Witchcraft
From about 2000 to 2015, I effectively stopped any practices, reading, or art creation that was even tangentially magical, spiritual, religious, or philosophical. I sometimes regard this as ‘lost time’ and regret it. But mostly I recognize it as a series of life events that just needed to happen on their own terms.
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The Challenge of Resting
A little breather from Origin Story to recount a new ‘project’. I’ve been reading the shorter, Matthers translation of the Book of Abramelin written in 1458 by ‘Abraham of Worms’. If you’re unfamiliar, the fast summary is this: over the course of six months (18 months in newer, more accurate translation) you gradually withdraw yourself…
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Origin Story Part 3 – The Great American Agnosticism
Growing up, my household was militant atheist, mostly because my dad was pretty, well, militant about it and there wasn’t room for discussion. It was another type of dogma, and I think I saw, even as a kid.
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Origin Story Part 2 – Owl Pellets and Poke-weed
As a child, you have a certain autonomy that lends itself to a deep, intense dynamic to the non-human world. I remember digging in the dirt and having this extreme moment of clarity: I hope I never lose this connection to Nature.
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Origin Story Part 1 – Knowing Your ‘History’
One of my on-line courses recently prompted us to write about ‘where we’re from.’ Honestly, I’ve been avoiding those writing exercises because I’ve been so busy wrestling with a theologically sound approach to the grimoires. But asking yourself ‘where you’re from’ is one way to start looking at that question through the lens of your…
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Ground Rules for Theurgy, Silence, and Blogs
The internet is a big, scary, very public, and sometimes unethical and irrational space. But nothing bartered, nothing gained. I need to balance action with caution, so I’m laying down some ground rules for this blog.
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The Ritual Magic of Rabbit Holes
Back in January, I made an oath to my gods that I would ‘hang out my professional shingle’ as a witch and priestess. I launched this website for my Outer Court. A week later, the State of North Carolina shut due to the novel coronavirus. Ha. Yeah. Ah well.
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Recommended Resources for Seekers/Others
Update, March 31, 2022 — I made this post on March 9th, 2020 and never really updated it. I may at some point add more items to the main Resources link above, but decided to keep this original post for posterity. While the homepage the Resources link above provides, um, resources for Seekers of Gardnerian…
Hawkfire Coven 