Curated by Cat Gina Cole
The Green Egg Forum is a lively hotbed of thoughtful discourse, moderated by Cat Gina Cole. In this column, Cat shares some of the most interesting and interactive posts and threads from the forum. Want to get in on the conversation? We would love to have you! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1069823176940972/ to join.
The forum does not disappoint when it comes to having a variety of topics. This week’s topics include getting your solar eclipse t-shirts as Oberon Zell is quite excited to see yet another solar eclipse, a publisher offering a discount on books for Valentine’s Day, WitchCon coming up, a new Asatru Temple that was built and even a couple of videos from Witchcraft masters like Lauri Cabot and Oberon Zell. As is typical, the dialogue on these topics was as varied as the topics themselves. Let’s take a look.
One of the reasons Oberon is excited about the solar eclipse is that it is a total eclipse of the sun occurring on April 8! Also in the sky will be a comet and all 6 visible planets! The other reason he is so excited about it is he saw one in 1978, another in 2017, and now this one in 2024. That is a span of almost 50 years and at the age of 81, I would be excited too! Oberon and his fiancé Rhiannon popped in and did a video lesson on theatrical drama in ritual, then we had Lauri Cabot and Christian Day come on with a very nice 18 minute conversation that is a lead up to WitchCon.
The Asatru article began with this question and raised a couple of comments: “Greetings everyone, I have found a very worthy article that says some things about our history that needed to be said. I would love to know what your thoughts on it are?”
“Personally, I think it’s wonderful that this Asatru temple is being built. Anything that promotes Paganism is a plus in a world dominated by Christianity, Islam, and to a lesser extent Judaism. This temple establishes a visible presence that can serve to attract people to Paganism, and the temple speaks in a manner, saying look we are here. We survived your desecrations and attempts to erase our tradition. We live on, despite the break in continuity that you created.”
There’s lots to like about what was said here. Highlights:
That an unbroken lineage doesn’t negate our beliefs, faith, or our rites and rituals.
That tradition and dogma aren’t always a good thing, and a living tradition that evolves with the times and meets the present needs of present-day people is a good thing.
That connection is the essence. Connection to our gods, to our planet, to each other. Temples can facilitate that, but they aren’t a requirement.
I know little of the Asatru faith. I had a friend who was curious about Wicca and asked me some questions and I helped them come to the decision to learn more on their own about Asatru which spoke to them more than did Wicca.
I think it’s unfortunate that some white nationalists have co-opted some of the symbolism, but I believe that racism has no place in the Asatru faith.
I do think that new pagan temples are a good thing, and I’d like to see one closer to home. Most of the pagans I know either practice solitary or in space that is welcoming, but not truly theirs — such as UU churches, or coven mates’ homes.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of those choices, but I think there’s value in having publicly visible (and welcoming) space. We don’t proselytize and I understand why, but sometimes there are barriers to entry that keep sincere searchers out, to their and our detriment.”
Here is the link to the original article, check it out The New Asatru Temple And The Challenges To Authenticity
Cat Gina Cole is a Hereditary Witch and author of Psychic Skills for Magic and Witchcraft (Llewellyn, 2022). She is the founder of The Coven of the Rising Phoenix and Staff Coordinator for “Green Egg Magazine.” You can reach her at www.catginacole.com.