Kiara, Episode 7 Jeremiah returned home tired and disappointed after his search for Kiara. His mother seemed distracted. Much to his relief, he did not get the expected lecture and there were no questions as to where he had been. She felt his forehead and then sat him down at the table and set a large bowl of beef broth and a huge wedge of bread in front of him. She then chased him off to bed. There was no sign of his father, even though the bakery closed earlier on a Saturday. The strange atmosphere in the house had unsettled him, and he took out his copy of…

KIARA, Episode 6 Kiara stood shocked and bemused for a while, and then her memories started to return. Sensing the change in her, Moira handed her a stout branch from the forest floor. “We need more light, princess”, she said softly. Without thinking, Kiara gazed at the branch as the tip of it started to glow and burst into flame. “What do we need to do?” she asked. Moira looked at her in silence for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully. “We must place protection around the tree, call the guardian and then release any children from the house. Then we must burn the house and all its…

  Her reverie was disturbed as Kiara tossed and turned in her sleep. The girl was fighting the drugs and she wondered how much longer she could avoid the trouble that she could sense was coming. Had she been able to see Kiara’s dreams she would have been very concerned. The girl settled and she returned to her memories. A very different character had appeared after about a month. The creature looked quite human, although still rather small. She wondered how he had harvested the corpses to create the quite believable facade, but decided against asking. She had been dozing in her chair and the sound of coins spilling on…

Living with Spirituality For me, Neopaganism is about reaching out to the universe and listening to the messages that spirit gives us. This is not always an easy task,- accepting the advice of spirit does not always guarantee an easy passage through life. Listening to spirit, or the “God(s)/Goddess(‘s)” is a path which is open to everyone, regardless of belief. Even an atheist who follows their “hunches” is doing exactly the same thing. The beauty and the freedom of neopaganism lies in the acceptance of many paths to wisdom and guidance. My own journey consisted of finding the “truths” in many beliefs, until I reached a point of total acceptance…

The next morning, Kiara woke to with the sound of the breakfast tray being placed on her table. She still felt groggy, and very thirsty. Matron was standing by the bed with a large glass of water. “Drink this”, she said. Kiara sat up and drank it greedily. She could not seem to quench her thirst. “You will be fine after you have had breakfast”, Matron said. She felt Kiara’s forehead and smiled with satisfaction. “You may stay in your room today to be safe,- but I think you will be up and about by tomorrow”, she said. Kiara slipped out of the bed and went to the breakfast table…

We can not talk about paganism with mentioning Halloween at some stage. It is probably the most celebrated festival in the pagan calendar. It is certainly the most fun. Because of early attempts by Christian missionaries to absorb the festivals of the people they converted, this ancient Celtic feast is celebrated by many cultures around the world. Behind the masquerade and the carnival atmosphere, it is a time to work on our acceptance of the important role which death plays in the cycle of life. We prepare for winter’s barrenness and light the ritual bonfires to warm and protect us throughout the winter. Even as a child, I can remember Halloween…

Jeremiah felt very ashamed at himself for running away from his new friend. He was twelve years old and, just at that moment, feeling very ashamed at his own cowardice. Especially now that there was a big war coming. His dad was a soldier now. He had said that they all must be very brave. They all lived above the little bakers shop. Jeremiah loved the smell of the freshly baked bread that filled their home. His big sister, Jane helped his dad to run the shop, and his mum just generally ran around fussing after everyone. Every evening after the shop was closed his dad would put on his…

Shamanism In many ways, my spiritual journey has brought me beyond the more publicised aspects of paganism and deeper into a rediscovery of shamanism. Whereas much of what is practised in the names of many long lost systems of belief is, largely, a modern reconstruction,- there is still a strong shamanistic tradition in many of the surviving indigenous peoples around the world. At a time when the western societies are floundering under the unsupportable system of capitalism, we have much to learn from societies which have lived in a sustainable fashion for most of mankind’s history. But ironically, at a time when we need their wisdom the most, the attack…

    “Stupid!, Stupid!. Stupid!” These were the first three words to emblazon themselves across her mind,- when words eventually came. Before that, there was confusion. Days of wandering aimlessly. Too numb for thought, and unable to focus her new found, human, brain. She had never felt the cold before,- and naked meant nothing to the Fae. When hunger and thirst appeared, they were like knives in her pale, delicate flesh. Images of tall spires and the sounds of sweet music filled her head. Cold tired and exhausted,- she stopped moving, and gave in to a growing sense of numbness. She curled up in a pile of leaves and dreamt…

Up to now I have dwelt on many of the positive aspects of Paganism, but every lifestyle has its downsides. Many of the negatives aspects of various forms of paganism come from ideas that are carried over from mainstream religious backgrounds,- particularly from the more fundamentalist groups. I believe that Aleister Crowley is a particularly good example of this. Most of his emotional problems, and his deliberately shocking behaviour, seem to have stemmed from a reaction to his upbringing as a member of the Plymouth Brethren. Paganism is a very wide term, covering many beliefs. Some belief systems are variations on older religions, some are attempts to come to terms…