I rarely do guest posts. But after I heard Cynthia Talbot’s sermon at Denton UU last Sunday, I knew it needed a wider audience. This was exactly what this congregation needed to hear at this point in time, and I think her message will resonate with many of you. Read more
In 2017 we were inspired by badass park rangers. In 2025 we’re inspired by a bishop who remembered who she was and used an opportunity to speak the truth and to ask for mercy for the most vulnerable among us. Remember who you are. Read more
I really do want to stay out of the mud this time and not react every time he does something ignorant and cruel. But when people in authority tell me something is true when I know it’s not, those childhood scars open up and get raw again. Read more
Anita Beckett, my mother, died on January 12, 2025, at the age of 93. This is the eulogy I gave at her funeral on Friday, as best I can remember. For most of us, our mothers are our first teachers. I can’t ever remember my mother saying “hey John, come over here – I’ve got something I want to teach you.” But I learned so much just from listening to her, watching her, and being around her. And so I... Read more
Our challenge for the next four years is to not get caught up in the politics we can’t control and to keep our attention on the things that matter most to us as individuals, to our communities, and to our world. Read more
Do witches do deity work? Some do and some don’t. But my practice begins with devotion to the deities in my life – I couldn’t do what I do without regular deity work. But what does “deity work” even mean? Read more
Announcing a new on-line class from Under the Ancient Oaks: “The Call of Cernunnos” based on the devotional anthology The Book of Cernunnos. Registration is open now; the class begins January 16 and will run for five weeks. Details are in Module 0 on the Courses page. Read more
2025 will be a year of moving on. Your victories, your heartbreaks, your grand narratives may have been meaningful and helpful at one time but they no longer serve you. It’s time to move on – it’s time to create something new. Read more
The Top 10 posts of 2024 on Under the Ancient Oaks: re-enchanting the world, being a Pagan in a society that’s increasingly irreligious, and how to deal with a world where the political realities aren’t what we hoped they would be. Read more
I’m still here. 2024 turned out to be a very difficult year for me, but I kept blogging because I had something to say. These are the four best posts of this year that weren’t well-read. If you missed them the first time, I encourage you to read them now. Read more
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