The term "polyamory" describes non-monogamous relationships based on honesty and affection. Presenting a fascinating peek inside the polyamorous lifestyle from a Pagan perspective, Raven Kaldera offers practical insight and spiritual depth into a vastly misunderstood way of life. Relating polyamory to astrology and the elements (air, fire, water, earth, and spirit), the author addresses all aspects of the polyamorous life, including family life, sexual ethics, emotional issues, proper etiquette, relationship boundaries, and the pros of cons of this lifestyle. Kaldera also discusses polyamory as a path of spiritual transformation and shares spells, rituals, and ceremonies for affirming one's relationships and spirituality.

Within the past twenty years, contemporary Pagan leaders, progressive Christian and Goddess theologians, advocates for queer and BDSM communities, and therapeutic bodyworkers have all begun to speak forcefully about the sacredness of the body and of touch. Many assert that the erotic is a divinely transformative force, both for personal development and for social change. Although "the erotic" includes sexuality, it is not limited to it; access to connected nonsexual touch is as profound a need as that for sexual freedom and health. In this book, Christine Hoff Kraemer brings together an academic background in religious studies and theology with lived experience as a professional bodyworker and contemporary Pagan practitioner. Arguing that the erotic is a powerful moral force that can ground a system of ethics, Kraemer integrates approaches from queer theology, therapeutic bodywork, and sexual minority advocacy into a contemporary Pagan religious framework. Addressing itself to liberal religious people of many faiths, Eros and Touch from a Pagan Perspective approaches the right to pleasure as a social justice issue and proposes a sacramental practice of mindful, consensual touch.

The Twelve Steps developed by Alcoholics Anonymous are powerful tools to transform the lives of people who struggle with addiction, co-dependency, and compulsive behaviors. Unfortunately, Pagans in recovery are likely to struggle with the Christian assumptions and language found in many of these programs. This book is intended to support a Pagan's participation in any Twelve Step program, by showing that the effectiveness and relevance of these tools does not depend on a specific religious or spiritual tradition. This book attempts to bridge the gap between the Christian and Pagan understanding of the Twelve Steps, while remaining faithful to the original Twelve Step process. The Pagan in Recovery is the result of Deirdre Hebert's ability to live her Pagan faith in the midst of a program with a deeply Christian heritage, and demonstrates that anyone, of any faith, can experience freedom from addictions, compulsive or co-dependent behaviors through this process.

Power Circuits is an alliance between two alternative lifestyles: polyamory, or multiple open and honest romantic relationships; and power dynamics, relationships that choose to be consciously and deliberately unequal in power, such as dominant/submissive or master/slave. Both lifestyles are on the cutting-edge frontiers of romantic and sexual relating, and for a long time practitioners of both have found little sympathy in either camp. This is the first book of its kind that navigates the waters of effective polyamory and power exchanges, with many essays from the brave practitioners who swim there.

Fifty Years of Polyamory in America is a history of multiply committed relationships, group marriage, and group living in American over the last fifty years. It is based on the personal experiences of the authors, on extensive research of the movement, and on interviews with leaders in this movement.

This is the stranger-than-fiction story of two soul mates who rejected the status quo and embraced higher ideals...and had a whole lot of fun while they were at it. Reclaiming Pagan as a spiritual identity—and living in an open marriage for over four decades—Oberon and Morning Glory Zell truly embody the freedom to think, to love, and to live. Telling the stories of their singular lives in this unique oral history, Oberon and Morning Glory—together with a colorful tribe of friends, lovers, musicians, homesteaders, researchers, and ritualists—reveal how they established the Church of All Worlds, revitalized Goddess worship, discovered the Gaea Thesis, raised real Unicorns, connected a worldwide community through Green Egg magazine, searched for mermaids in the South Pacific, and founded the influential Grey School of Wizardry. Join Morning Glory and Oberon as they share the highs and lows of their extraordinary lives, and explore the role they played in shaping the community of Witches and Pagans that thrives in the world today. Includes a 16-page color photo insert.

You've heard that dreamlike voice calling to you: a yearning to work with the earth's life energies...a heartfelt desire to become a student of the Craft. Now is the time to call forth your passion and strength of will, and commit yourself fully to the Path of the Wise. Dedicant: A Witch's Circle of Fire invites you to set forth on the sacred journey to becoming a Witch. Designed to harmonize with the Wheel of the Year, the monthly lessons feature seasonally themed stories, meditations, Witchcraft lore, ethics questions, spells, and pathworking rituals. The course on Wicca culminates in a powerful self-initiation rite that brings you to the level of Initiate. Blending purposeful study with reflection and awareness, the Circles system of Wicca study is ideal for the solitary student or as part of a coven curriculum. Dedicant helps you ignite your inner light and keep it burning by teaching you the core essentials of Wiccan wisdom: Creating a spiritual grimoire Writing and performing daily devotionals Calling the Gods and Goddesses Conducting Sabbat and Esbat rituals Performing herb and energy work Making and using magical tools Selecting ritual garb Casting a power circle Praise: "Calafia does a great job of laying out the groundwork, and she presents it in a unique, workable structure that's easy to follow and offers a solid scaffolding for self-development."—Witches and Pagans

New Religions and the Mediation of Non-Monogamy examines the relationship between alternative American religions and the media representation of non-monogamies on reality-TV shows like Sister Wives, Seeking Sister Wife, and Polyamory: Married & Dating. The book is the first full-length study informed by fieldwork with Mormon polygamists and fieldwork with LGBTQ Neo-Pagan/Neo-Tantric polyamorists. The book tracks community members’ responses to the new media about them, their engagement with television and other media, and the likeness of representations to actual populations through fieldwork and interviews. The book highlights differences in socioeconomic privileges that shape Mormon polygamists’ lives and LGBTQ polyamorists’ lives, respectively. The polyamory movement receives support from liberal media. As reality TV has shifted the image of Mormon polygamy to one of liberal American middle-class culture, Mormon polygamists have gained in public favor. The media landscape of non-monogamy is mediated by, in addition to these alternative religious populations, the norms and practices of the reality-TV industry and by sociocultural and economic realities, including race and class. This book adds to the fields of media studies, critical race and gender studies, new religious movements, and queer studies.

You’re no idiot, of course. But finding the perfect expression of your spirituality can prove long and challenging. You might already be attracted to paganism, but considering the variety of traditions and paths that fall in this category, you’ll need a spiritual guide. Seek no further! Whether you’re interested in following the pagan path or just curious to know more, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Paganism will enlighten you on this fascinating array of nature-based beliefs and practices. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you’ll learn about: • The basic principles of shamanism, druidism, Wicca, and more. • How to deepen your connection to the Goddess, the God, and nature. • The fundamentals of meditation, magic, divination, and spiritual healing. • Tips on incorporating pagan rituals into your modern lifestyle.

A look at how people are giving themselves a choice to love another way. More people than ever are exploring the possibility of opening up their relationships — and not only that, they are fighting for their legal rights to love however and whomever they choose. In Polyamorous, reporter Jenny Yuen digs into how polyamory affects underrepresented communities, why these unions are becoming more normalized, and how relationships with multiple partners can be a practical alternative to monogamy and an intriguing expedition through uncharted emotional territory. Pairing off is no longer the default option for many. For some, polyamory is just a part of who they are.