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Project Conversion

Yesterday, after 10 months and 3 days, my wife snapped. Since many monastic Jains do not typically bathe and I have opted to observe the monastic vows this month, this means I would not bathe either. The idea stems from strict ahimsa (non-violence). Because water itself has life and the surface of our skin as…

The Jain laity makes up the vast majority of the faith’s numbers and is responsible for supporting the Sadhus/Sadhvis. Most of the world’s Jains live in various parts of India depending on their sect. What is important to note about the various sects within the Jain philosophy is that while one group may reject the…

Depending on your source, there are between 4 and 10 million Jains in the world, making it one of the smallest of the world’s religions. Out of those numbers, only a small fraction become Sadhus or Sadhvis (monks and nuns, respectively). I’m beginning to understand why. Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara and founder of modern Jain…

According to legend, after Siddhartha Gautama (Lord Buddha) abandoned palace life in search of truth, he spent six years learning from many teachers and practicing harsh asceticism. In fact, his path of asceticism was so intense, that after years of practice, it nearly killed him by starvation. Once he broke his ascetic vows and took…

Last night many Wiccans and Pagans alike celebrated Samhain, the last fall festival of the year when the God dies and travels to the Summerlands (thus life begins to fade from the land), and a new annual cycle begins. This is also the time when the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is the…

Oops, I did it again. This is when I wish I had a camera crew or producer following me around because yesterday was a once in a Project Conversion moment and– OH MY GODDESS I forgot to take pictures! So far this year I’ve only had a Mentor in my home two times. Yesterday was…

At the beginning of the month, a few Pagans (particularly within the Wiccan community) issued me a list of hard questions. Was I willing to face discrimination for my new Wiccan personae? Could I stomach threats to take away my family for my beliefs? Would I risk losing my job, facing ridicule at work, social…

Exodus 22:18 is one of the most infamous passages of scripture ever written. I’ve read several translations, slipped between the lines and context, even gone into the Torah and Talmud, and at the end of the day, it still plainly states: “Do not suffer a witch/sorceress to live.“ The Book of Exodus recounts the adventures…

They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some are brand new. Others are passed down from generation to generation. You can find a few on bookstore shelves. Others are heavily guarded secrets. I’m talking about a Wiccan or Witch’s “Book of Shadows.”

If prayer is communication with and supplication to divine forces, magick is the independent technique of influencing the world around us with or without the assistance of a divine being. This is why  some Pagans (particularly solitary Witches) are atheistic. The power to control one’s environment isn’t supernatural, in this case. Casting a spell for…
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