Author Archives: David Taliesin

About David Taliesin

My name is David Taliesin. I'm an writer, teacher and retreat leader who explores the connections between Christian and Pagan Spirituality. E-mail me with any personal comments you'd like to share and I will do my best to answer them. You can also contact me through my Facebook page www.facebook.com/davidtaliesinauthor

Brigid, Gold-Red Woman

Posted on January 27, 2020

At last year’s celebration of Imbolc, we sang the following chant. I quickly caught the tune on my smart phone and scored the melody. I write quite a bit of music so I made a small change to the melody … Continue reading →

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Brigid: The Goddess Behind the Saint

Posted on January 20, 2020

St. Brigid is both historical figure and character of folklore and shared more than a name with her Pagan Goddess counterpart. It is through St. Brigid that the clearest glimpse into Brigid the Goddess can be found.—Brigid: History, Mystery, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Brigid, Goddess, Imbolc | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

La Befana: Ancient Goddess, Santa’s Precursor, or Christmas Witch?

Posted on January 4, 2020

I was hooked the first time I heard about her: La Befana, the “Christmas Witch.” The first figure I saw of her while traveling in Italy was an elderly “nonna” (grandmother) who was dressed in peasant clothing with a kerchief … Continue reading →

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Ancient Christian Magic

Posted on January 1, 2020

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men (Gk. MAGOS, meaning “magicians”) from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For … Continue reading →

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The Magi’s Blessing: Chalking the Door

Posted on December 31, 2019

I came across a wonderful tradition which I will have to research further to learn a little more about it’s origins. According to Pagan Christmas, “Even today, priests go from house to house in the Black Forest on January 6, … Continue reading →

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In Praise of the Invincible Light

Posted on December 20, 2019

“The light shines in the darkness, And the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5, NRSV) While writing a sermon on the first chapter of John, I came across this interesting observation from Karoline Lewis in her Fortress Preaching Commentary … Continue reading →

Posted in Advent, Christmas, Uncategorized, Yule | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

December Full Cold Moon

Posted on December 11, 2019

If you’re into numerology, December’s full moon will occur on 12/12 at 12:12am! In biblical numerology the number twelve is a combination of 3, which signifies the Divine, times 4, which signifies the four “corners” of the earth. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas, Esbats, Yule | Tagged , , | 2 Comments