Erotica is everywhere, including the Bible
“Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle….” Sapphira explores finding erotica in the Bible and other surprising places and ways.
Good News, After School Satan conflict likely headed to dinner tables, church gatherings
Odd as it is to say, we need things like After School Satan Clubs, whether you believe in a god or no god at all. But especially if you’re LGBTQ.
Love Letter to my Black Queer People
I see you. Every time I sit down to write this column, to put into words all the tender spots in my heart, I feel this extreme tiredness. The kind of tiredness that, even in 90-degree heat, sinks you right back under the covers. I keep thinking about all the eyes that...
From WTF to illumination: July Tarotscope for the Collective
WTF?? That’s the impetus for this month’s tarotscope. It conveys frustration, exhaustion, and exasperation. It’s a universal and collective WTF to this year, this country, this society. And it’s more of a statement than a question. The first six months of 2020 were a...
Tarotscope: A Time of Unlearning (June 6-17)
As a heteronormative, cisgender, white woman of European and English descent, who has lived a life of privilege, I feel inappropriate when I say, "I am tired." But I am. Many of us are. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Being tired is good. It means...
Tarotscope: Total Eclipse of the Heart (June 2-15)
The Cards: Queen of Cups, Five of Swords, Four of Coins The Deck: Spolia Tarot Just when we thought maybe things were chilling out. This tarotscope falls in alignment with the full moon in Sagittarius , AND lunar eclipse, this Friday, June 5. We have the potent vibes...
ReAlive Metaphysical connects anew with COVID-19 precautions
MARION -- "No-touch air hugs," new hours, and a plexiglass barrier between staff and customers are part of the changes you'll find at ReAlive Metaphysical & Repurposing since the coronavirus crisis. ReAlive is now open noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Tuesdays and...
Approaching death: a different look
Today, modern American society tries to bury death. Many go to great lengths to avoid discussing death, or even acknowledging it. As though not talking about it will prevent it from happening.
Tarotscope: Coming Together to Let Go (May 17-30)
The preceding weeks and months have been confusing, uncertain, and scary…. . As we begin the process of emerging from this darkness, we must find ways to orient ourselves.
Tarotscope: Open Your Mind (Introduction, May 4-17)
Welcome, everyone, to my new bi-weekly feature for The Real MainStream: Tarotscope for the Collective! Every two weeks, I’ll be coming to you with a new tarot reading intended for the good of us all. A tarotscope? You mean like a horoscope? Yes and no. A horoscope...
The pagan holiday of Beltane holds meaning for everyone
In this time of coronavirus, money can be tight. More than ever, as a modern world, we are focusing on the things we purchase, collect and forage (can you say toilet paper) to fulfill our own personal needs and desires. But amid this frenzy, we can still find rituals...
Shadowloss: a new understanding of loss and grief
As COVID-19 sweeps across the globe, we are faced with the very sudden and very real concept of loss. Loss, as it is associated with illness, often revolves around the idea of death. And while the thought of losing loved ones to the virus is without a doubt in the...
Author and comic artist Huda Fahmy confronts Islamophobia with humor, wit
Life in America can be challenging when you wear a hijab. Huda Fahmy shares her experiences as an obviously Muslim woman in America with humor and wit in her book "Yes, I'm Hot in This." This comic collection of her experiences reveals the Islamophobia and ignorance...
Our ‘box full of darkness’ reminds us that after destruction comes rebirth
In the summer of 2018, I trained as a death midwife/doula and home funeral guide. In July 2019, a few months after my cat Henry died and I accompanied him through the process, I began working at a crematory for pets. I never would have thought of this profession for...
Finding balance can mean embracing the turbulence of transformation
Finding balance among our mental, emotional and spiritual parts is about transformation and turbulence.
August Tarotscope: Take a cue from MTV and the cards, and “get real,” for real
"It's time to stop being polite and start getting real.... WITH OURSELVES." You may recognize this as one of the many key slogans of MTV’s “The Real World”. It's a phrase that resonates for a reason: because it's time. Time to hear your own thoughts and connect...
Embrace the transformative spirit of Lammas, the “ugly duckling” of pagan holidays
With all the jokes about baking bread during the pandemic quarantine, you'd think a holiday named after bread would get a little more attention this year. But no. Lammas -- "loaf mass" in old English -- is still one of the lesser-known ancient holidays from pagan...