Arrival post

This WordPress thing is new to me, so other than the superlatively beautiful banner above, I can’t promise any great visual excitement as of yet.

The reason I have started this blog is that I am Episcopalian.  That in itself will not particularly excite the imagination: what makes it spicy is that I previously ran a Neopagan coven for ten years.  I was active in that community.  I taught, I wrote articles.  Even now, unlike some people who convert from elsewhere to Christianity, I don’t see my previous religion or the spirits who guided me through it as evil, especially since they were actually a big part of guiding me here.  It’s a long story; maybe I’ll tell it here.

At any rate, during the course of my Pagan history I established a livejournal, and many friendships and connections in the Pagan community thereby.  Although I originally imagined it to be a personal, let-it-all-hang-out sort of space for myself, I have come to feel reluctant to delve very deep into my thoughts as a Christian in that journal, be they about Christ or Christianity, the creeds I have left behind, or social or political ramifications of belief.  I don’t think that any of my lj friends are consciously prejudiced against such things, but they are foreign thoughts to them: and I am also keenly aware of how many Pagans have fled there from real or imagined hurts by “Christians,” and I don’t want to stir that up unnecessarily.

A fresh start means a fresh set of people to offend and confuse!

On top of what I’ve already said, I should also warn that I do not regard God, gods, or spirits as metaphors or ideas.  In my experience and thus in my writing, they are persons.

My intent for this space is to explore my thoughts and experiences as I reconcile where I am with where I’ve been and where I’m going.  It will probably involve a great deal of unorthodox raving and possibly the occasional full-on heresy.  (I’m not always sure where the line is.  I’m new.)  Both supportive noises and thoughtful discourse are welcome; anti-Christian, anti-Pagan, and other extreme factional rants are not.