Druid Journal

Guidance by Word, Card, and Star

Philosophy and Religion

  • Children in Paganism

    This past Samhain, my family and I went up to New Hampshire to attend a festival thrown by the Spiral Scouts of Peterborough. The Spiral Scouts are a sort of Boy/Girl Scout group for non-monotheistic children, and the event, to be held in the Unitarian Church, was geared toward all ages, with crafts, music, drumming, Continue reading

  • The Essence of Druidism

    Not long ago Ellen Evert Hopman, a druid priestess with whom I’m acquainted, was asked, “What is the essence of druid practice?” The asker was a very old friend who had just had a powerful mystical experience, and came to her for help. They talked for most of the day, having tea, walking in the Continue reading

  • On the Christmas Tree

    We received a most interesting Christmas card from a family friend recently. (Our family friend doesn’t yet know about our religious affiliation…) The card had a lovely picture of a family bringing home a tree in a sleigh, and inside the card was a remarkable story about the origin of the Christmas tree: Continue reading

  • Avoiding Colds and Flu (Druid Herbal Wisdom)

    Knowing Druid herbalists has its advantages. Every winter, my family has all kinds of trouble with colds and flu. It happens because we’re cooped up in the house a lot, and we have small children who ensure that every bug and germ wandering around town ends up at our house. We’ve tried tea, we’ve tried Continue reading

  • How to Choose a Religion V: the Search for Truth

    The following story is absolutely true. God and Terror in the Mountains A friend of mine once worked for private detective agency. She took the job on a temporary basis, just to make a little extra money on the side. She didn’t sign up for any of the dangerous work; mostly she would just watch Continue reading

  • How to Choose a Religion IV: Common Pitfalls: Community, Fear

    If you read the summary of this series available at Shift Your Spirits, you saw the list of ways you should not choose your religion: DON’T choose your religion based on details like food. A ritual is participatory drama. If the drama speaks to you, resonates with you, it’s a good ritual. If it provides Continue reading

  • Respect for the Dead and the Living

    My father-in-law recently had a remarkable experience, one which strongly shows the mutual affinity between all shamanistic religions, as well as the value of religious diversity and tolerance. Continue reading

  • How to Choose a Religion III: Why Be Religious?

    Why choose a religion? This post is addressed to agnostics — those who haven’t decided what they believe, or who have decided not to decide. If you believe strongly that there is no God, or that science is the ultimate answer, then I count that as a religion too (see this post for why). But Continue reading

  • How to Choose a Religion II: Definition of Religion

    Before we get into the nuts and bolts of choosing a religion, we have to do some groundwork. Three issues deserve some thought: 1. What is a religion? 2. Why would you want to have one? 3. Pitfalls to avoid before you start looking. Continue reading

  • How to Choose a Religion I: Intro

    This is the first of a series on how to choose a religion. It’s a remarkable age we live in. At any time prior to this in human history, your religion was chosen for you. Your religion was simply the common knowledge of your tribe. Everything your tribe thought it knew about the universe was Continue reading

About Me

Word, Card, and Star – a journey through language, divination, and inspiration. A chronicle of my search for guidance, insight, and a connection to nature and the ancient world. Along the way, I hope to discover beauty, connection, groundedness, and a sense of wonder.

Serialized fiction offered at Patreon

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Axon Firings: Jeff’s fiction blog

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