Category: Commentary

Informative and thoughtful articles authored by select contributors

Posted on by

When the Universe is Just Being Loud: The Fine Art of Pagan Over-Thinking

By Katrina Rasbold

It starts innocently enough. You are sitting on your porch, sipping your morning coffee, when a glossy, jet-black crow lands on the railing. It tilts its head, fixes you with a bead-like eye, and lets out a solitary, booming “CAW!” – the crow sound “caw,” not the Church of All Worlds “CAW”.

A normal person might think, Oh, a crow.

But you are a Pagan. You don’t do “normal.” Everything is magical and everything means something and mostly, it does.

Continue reading When the Universe is Just Being Loud: The Fine Art of Pagan Over-Thinking

Posted on by

The Cost of Silence and the Weight of Hope

By Katrina Rasbold

I feel hopeful today because of a hard truth I am finally seeing clearly: we are learning the cost of silence.

I’ve been reflecting on a line from Philippa Gregory’s Boleyn Traitor, a novel about Jane Boleyn. As she nears the end of her life, Jane realizes that Katherine Howard is destined for the same fate as those before her. Speaking of the tyranny of Henry VIII, she speculates that they all should have said “no” when the first innocent fell—to the axe or the rope—so that someone would have been there to say “no” for them at the end. It is a chilling reminder: if we do not say “no” now, there will be no one left to say “no” for us later.

Continue reading The Cost of Silence and the Weight of Hope

Posted on by

Magic in Movies: Is Hollywood Reflecting Our Soul or Just Selling Our Skin?

By Katrina Rasbold

In the half-century since Green Egg first began chronicling the Awakening of Gaia, our community has moved from the shadowy fringes of the “Occult” section to the glittering center of the global marquee. In 2026, you can’t swing a ritual cord without hitting a streaming service featuring a teenage necromancer, a kitchen witch with a podcast, or a reimagined folk-horror deity.

But as the Witchy Aesthetic becomes a billion-dollar industry, we have to ask: Is Hollywood reflecting our soul, or just selling our skin?

As Pagans and Witches, our relationship with the screen is a complex one—a dance between the thrill of being seen and the sting of being distorted. Continue reading Magic in Movies: Is Hollywood Reflecting Our Soul or Just Selling Our Skin?

Posted on by

The Bright Fire and the Deep Moon: Beltane 2026

By Katrina Rasbold

We are exactly one week away from the Great Fire Festival. The Maypoles are being prepped, the ribbons are being dyed, and across the Northern Hemisphere, the sap is rising with a ferocity that feels both ancient and urgent.

In the popular imagination, Beltane is often reduced to two things: a bonfire and a license to express our sexuality. And while we at Green Egg will never turn down a good fire or a celebration of sacred sensuality, to stop there is to miss the marrow of the Sabbat.

Beltane is not just a party; it is an expression of the eternal regeneration of life. And in 2026, as we face a rare alignment of the Sabbat with a Full Moon in Scorpio, the message of Beltane is deeper—and more necessary—than ever.

The Sacred Marriage of Force and Form

At its heart, Beltane is the celebration of the “Sacred Marriage”—the union of the May Queen (the Earth in her peak fertility) and the Green Man (the vital life force that surges through the wild). This isn’t just a metaphor for human romance; it is the fundamental physics of the universe. It is the moment when Potential meets Manifestation.

When we dance the Maypole, we are weaving the red and white ribbons of blood and bone, of spirit and matter. We are reminding ourselves that we are not separate from the Earth’s lust for life. Our desires, our creative projects, and our physical vitality are all part of Gaia’s own “quickening.”

Continue reading The Bright Fire and the Deep Moon: Beltane 2026

Posted on by

Beyond the Blue Marble: Earth Day 2026 and the Partisans of Gaia

By Katrina Rasbold

April 22nd is right around the corner. In the secular world, Earth Day is often reduced to a few hours of picking up litter or sharing a “Blue Marble” photo on social media. But for those of us whose altar is the soil and whose scripture is the wind, Earth Day 2026 feels different. It feels less like a celebration and more like a summoning.

As we stand in mid-April, the scientific reports tell us we are at a crossroads. We are exiting a period of relative oceanic stability and entering an El Niño cycle that threatens to bring record-breaking heat and drought to much of the West. While the world debates policy, the Earth is already making her move. Continue reading Beyond the Blue Marble: Earth Day 2026 and the Partisans of Gaia

Posted on by

Artemis Rising: Lunar Frontiers and the Sovereign Soul

By Katrina Rasbold

In 1969, we landed on the Moon under the banner of Apollo—the Sun God, the Archer of Light, the bringer of logic and solar clarity. It was a conquest of distance, a triumph of the straight line. But as we stand in 2026, the banner has shifted. We are returning to explore the lunar surface under the name of his twin sister: Artemis.

For the modern Pagan, this shift from Apollo to Artemis is not merely branding. It is a theological pivot. If Apollo represents the light of reason and the mastery of the external world, Artemis represents the wild, the nocturnal, and the fiercely autonomous self. As the Orion spacecraft orbits the moon, it isn’t just carrying astronauts; it is carrying a mirror to our own collective Sacred Self. Continue reading Artemis Rising: Lunar Frontiers and the Sovereign Soul

Posted on by

The Un-Authorized Lexicon: An Unofficial Guide to Pagan Parlance

By Katrina Rasbold

In the early days of Neopaganism, we learned a vital lesson: if you can’t laugh at your own ritual bloopers, the Gods certainly will. Over the last several decades, the Pagan movement developed a vocabulary so dense it could sink a Viking longship. In today’s Green Egg Blog, I step out of the circle and share the Inner Court, Super Secret Squirrel definitions of some of the most common magical terms.

Welcome to the Alternate Lexicon of Magical Practice. Here is what those fancy terms actually mean when the mead starts flowing and the incense gets a bit too thick. But before we get into that, I want to tell you a story. Continue reading The Un-Authorized Lexicon: An Unofficial Guide to Pagan Parlance

Posted on by

The Empty Throne: Why We Need the Goddess NOW

By Katrina Rasbold

Look at the world outside your window. No, look deeper—past the blooming daffodils of the equinox and into the marrow of the collective American psyche. Can you feel the grinding? It is the sound of a massive, ancient machine—the Patriarchal Engine—running out of oil and beginning to strip its own gears. Smell that acrid “burning clutch” scent that is part metallic and part desperation.

For two thousand years, the West has been a house with only one parent. We have been raised in a spiritual and social architecture built entirely on the concept of the Singular Father: the judge, the law-giver, the punisher, and the distant king. We were told this was the “natural order.” We were told that strength is found in hierarchy, that security is found in walls, and that divinity is strictly masculine.

But the walls are cracking. The gears are screaming. And as the patriarchal structure in America today enters its most desperate, explosive phase, we are finally realizing that we aren’t just tired—we are motherless. Continue reading The Empty Throne: Why We Need the Goddess NOW

Posted on by

The Great Balancing Act: Welcoming the Spring Equinox

By Katrina Rasbold

As the wheel turns to the Vernal Equinox, the world pauses for a singular, breathtaking moment of perfect equilibrium. Day and night stand as equals, holding hands across the threshold of the seasons. Here at Green Egg, we’ve always seen the Equinox not just as a date on a calendar, but as the “hatching” of a new reality.

If your winter felt like a long hibernation of the soul, you aren’t alone. But look closely: Gaia is breathing again.

Continue reading The Great Balancing Act: Welcoming the Spring Equinox

Posted on by

Many Paths to the Center: Navigating Pagan Theologies

By Katrina Rasbold

In the grand, colorful tapestry of modern Paganism, there is no single “right” way to view the Divine. For decades, Green Egg has served as a forum where these diverse perspectives—often called the “many paths to the same center”—can be explored, debated, and celebrated. Whether we see the Gods as distinct individuals, facets of a single source, or expressions of the Earth herself, our theology is as varied as the ecosystems of Gaia.

To better understand our community, let’s look at how we conceptualize the Divine, from the ancient roots of polytheism to the modern shift toward gender-expansive spirituality.

Continue reading Many Paths to the Center: Navigating Pagan Theologies

Posted on by

The Liturgy of the Soil: A Permaculture Rite for the Spring Equinox

By Katrina Rasbold

The Spring Equinox is often treated as a celebration of outward growth—the first green shoots, the return of the sun, and the frantic burst of planting energy. But for the modern Pagan, the Equinox is also a moment of perfect equilibrium: the exact threshold where light and dark hold hands before the sun begins its steady climb.

This year, as you prepare your garden beds, consider moving beyond viewing your land as a resource to be managed. Instead, view it as a site of theological engagement. Permaculture—with its foundational ethics of Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share—is not just a design system; it is a profound, living liturgy. Continue reading The Liturgy of the Soil: A Permaculture Rite for the Spring Equinox

Posted on by

The New Vanguard: 10 Pagan Voices Shaping Our Future

By Katrina Rasbold

As we stand at the crossroads of a shifting spiritual landscape, the torch of modern Paganism is being passed to a new generation of visionaries. While we will always honor the foundational texts of our elders, the voices rising today address the complexities of the 21st century—blending ancient wisdom with social justice, digital connectivity, and deep ecological urgency.

Unlike times in the past when we had a handful of authors defining who we are in the world as contemporary Pagans, we are now flooded with names and books to the point that it can be difficult to know who to read. Those of us who have been around for a while feel compelled to wonder who our new Janet Farrar, Laurie Cabot, Oberon Zell, Starhawk, and Raymond Buckland will be. As we begin to lose the vital icons, who steps up to continue what they began? Continue reading The New Vanguard: 10 Pagan Voices Shaping Our Future

Posted on by

From Polarity to Pluralism: The Evolution of Inclusive Paganism

By Katrina Rasbold

The landscape of modern Paganism has shifted dramatically over the last fifty years. What began in the mid-20th century as a movement deeply rooted in the divine gender binary has blossomed into a diverse, decentralized spiritual umbrella that increasingly prioritizes radical inclusivity.

Continue reading From Polarity to Pluralism: The Evolution of Inclusive Paganism

Posted on by

The Crossroads of Coin and Craft: Why Modern Souls are Returning to the Pagan Path

By Katrina Rasbold

In the shadow of a volatile economy and a fracturing social landscape, a quiet but profound migration is taking place. While traditional pews sit increasingly empty, the forest paths, digital altars, and moonlit circles are seeing a surge of new footprints. As we stand at the crossroads of 2026, the rise of Paganism and Witchcraft in the United States isn’t just a trend—it’s a spiritual homecoming for those whom the modern world has left behind.

Continue reading The Crossroads of Coin and Craft: Why Modern Souls are Returning to the Pagan Path

Posted on by

The Great Quickening: Mapping the Pendulum Swing of the Craft (1986–2026)

By Katrina Rasbold

40 Years – Gone in the blink of an eye.

To flip through the yellowed, newsprint pages of a 1980s Green Egg is to touch a different dimension. In those days, the ink came off on your fingers, and the ideas—bold, radical, and often dangerously counter-cultural—felt like they could set the paper on fire. We were a tribe of correspondences, P.O. Boxes, and wilderness gatherings where the drums beat against a silence that the modern world has all but forgotten.

Of course, Green Egg Magazine goes back to the 1960, so tack on an additional two decades. I threw a dart into the 1980s because that is when I came to the Craft and subsequently, to Green Egg Magazine.

Today, the “Old Religion” has entered the “New Information Age.” As we stand in 2026, the contrast between the Paganism of forty years ago and the Paganism of today is not just a shift in fashion; it is a fundamental evolution of how the human spirit interfaces with the Divine. Continue reading The Great Quickening: Mapping the Pendulum Swing of the Craft (1986–2026)

Posted on by

10 Reasons Why Being a Pagan is Actually Pretty Cool

By Katrina Rasbold

Welcome back to the Witch At The Crossroads blog! Whether you’ve been walking the Path for decades or you’re just starting to notice that you feel a strange pull toward the moon, you’ve probably realized that Paganism isn’t exactly “mainstream.”

While the rest of the world is busy staring at screens, we’re out here talking to trees and celebrating the solstice. But beyond the mystery and the incense, there are some genuinely practical—and occasionally eclectic and quirky—reasons why being a Pagan is a fantastic way to live.

Here are ten reasons why being a Pagan is undeniably cool.

Continue reading 10 Reasons Why Being a Pagan is Actually Pretty Cool

Posted on by

The Great Quickening: Forging the Healing Flame

By Katrina Rasbold

The crossroads is not merely a place of meeting, learning, and magic. It is also a place of decisive power.

For too long, the magical community has been told to “keep the peace” or retreat into private practice while the world outside bleeds. We have been sold a diluted version of spirituality that is, in truth, toxic positivity, that asks us to simply “vibrate higher” while the soil is poisoned and the collective psyche is fractured by calculated cruelty.

Enough of that. We are not here to bypass the darkness; we are here to transmute it. We are the darkness and we rule those shadows.

Continue reading The Great Quickening: Forging the Healing Flame

Posted on by

A Witch’s New Year Ritual: Releasing the Old and Weaving the New

By Katrina Rasbold

As the final days of the year dwindle, a hush falls over the world and we feel a moment of potent stillness before the whirlwind of a new beginning. For those of us who walk a path less trodden, who feel the hum of ancient energies beneath the modern world, this isn’t just a time for champagne toasts and fleeting resolutions. It’s a liminal space, a powerful threshold brimming with magical potential.

This New Year’s Eve, let’s cast aside the fleeting promises and instead, weave intentions into being with the wisdom of the Craft. Continue reading A Witch’s New Year Ritual: Releasing the Old and Weaving the New

Posted on by

THE FIVE FACULTIES OF THE MIND

By Cat Gina Cole

In the study of psychism, we often take mundane things and use them as tools in our psychic practices. The five faculties of the mind are the fundamental functions of psychism. We use them a thousand times a day without a second thought. But when we draw them out and hone them, they become powerful tools that lead to mastery of our psychic skills and spiritual self. As I work through the definitions of each, you will begin to see how they play a role in our spiritual, magical, and psychic work.

The five skills I speak of are reason, will, intellect, perception, and discrimination. Let’s explore what they really mean and how they apply to psychic skills, magic, and spirituality. Continue reading THE FIVE FACULTIES OF THE MIND

Posted on by

It’s Witch O’Clock Somewhere

By Katrina Rasbold

Witches have a different relationship with time than most people. We feel the tug of moons and seasons, yes — but also the strange elasticity of hours that stretch and contract depending on the work we’re doing. Time is not a straight line to us but a soft, breathing thing. It bends. It listens. It waits until we’re paying attention.

Magic teaches us that time is never just one thing. Continue reading It’s Witch O’Clock Somewhere