Today, the third Wednesday of October, is International Pronouns Day! What are pronouns? Pronouns are words we use to refer to people in place of their name. He/him/his, she/her/hers, and they/them/theirs are the most common pronouns used to refer to people in English (but there are many others!). Some languages, like Hungarian, don’t have gendered pronouns. Here’sContinue reading “Happy International Pronouns Day!”
Category Archives: Tips
So. You messed up somebody’s pronouns.
It happens! Here’s a quick & easy guide for how to deal when you realize you’ve used the wrong pronouns for somebody. DO: Acknowledge the mistake, apologize briefly, and move on. Examples: “Oops, I mean ‘they,’ sorry. Anyway, as I was saying…” “Ah! Sorry. You’re right. They said…” (Mistakes happen! We get it! Everyone messes this upContinue reading “So. You messed up somebody’s pronouns.”
Support your favorite authors with this 100% free trick
Did you know there’s a way you can help your favorite authors sell books, with only a few minutes of your time, without spending a penny? It’s true! You can request your local public library purchase a book. Libraries love getting requests from patrons, and often fulfill them. They are keenly interested in knowing whatContinue reading “Support your favorite authors with this 100% free trick”
Itchy sweaters: An ally’s guide to understanding late-in-life pronoun and gender changes
My middle-aged adult friend just announced they are a different gender than I thought they were, and asked me to use a new name and new pronouns for them. Why are they just realizing this now? They never seemed to react badly to their original name, gender, and pronouns before. Was it really bothering themContinue reading “Itchy sweaters: An ally’s guide to understanding late-in-life pronoun and gender changes”
How to use gender-inclusive language
I originally wrote this for an internal blog at work, and my colleagues and friends requested I repost it publicly to be shared more widely. I’ve adapted the original post with some minor updates and stripped out the stuff that was specific to the workplace. Big thanks to my colleagues Tallulah and Basil for theirContinue reading “How to use gender-inclusive language”
Your adult child just came out as non-binary. Now what?
Most resources about non-binary or genderqueer people coming out are aimed at teens and their parents. Resources for parents of non-binary adults are, unfortunately, sparse. I’ve pulled together the ones I’ve been able to find. I’m using “non-binary” as an umbrella term for “identities outside of ‘male’ and ‘female.’” Your child may use a moreContinue reading “Your adult child just came out as non-binary. Now what?”
What does Qabala have to do with Tarot?
Qabala is the “operating system” of most modern Tarot decks. Mathematically, it works out very neatly: There are 22 cards in the Major Arcana, and 22 paths connecting the spheres on the Tree. The Minor Arcana features the numbers one through ten, and there are ten spheres on the Tree. There are four designations ofContinue reading “What does Qabala have to do with Tarot?”
Create your own Tree of Life
Every generation of Qabalists has the obligation and the opportunity to add to the treasury of knowledge and understanding of the Tree. In order to do that, you must understand the Tree in a way that makes sense to you. The best way to approach this is to make your own Tree. The first TreeContinue reading “Create your own Tree of Life”
Get the f*ck back to sleep with this brain-calming, magickal technique
My therapist once told me, “Anxiety is the flip side of creativity.” I think about that statement a lot, because it really hit home. My brain is a pinball machine, constantly zooming from one thought to the next, free-associating like wild. It makes me great at brainstorming and planning for worst-case scenarios, but unfortunately itContinue reading “Get the f*ck back to sleep with this brain-calming, magickal technique”
Tracking your daily practice: There’s an app for that. (Yes, really.)
As most pagans practicing with any degree of seriousness will tell you, daily practice is paramount for developing magickal skill and discipline. Even if you start with just 5 minutes of meditation a day, committing to self-work on a regular basis will make your magick stronger and help you deepen your relationship with all yourContinue reading “Tracking your daily practice: There’s an app for that. (Yes, really.)”