Child in a costume representing the journey into the underworld

The Underworld

What is the underworld? In various mythology, the underworld a place deep underground where the souls of the departed go. I don’t believe there is literally a dark netherworld deep beneath the surface of the world nor do I believe that it’s a spiritual place where we go when we die. To explain how I view the underworld, …

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Health insurance - medical professional holding patient's hand.

On private health insurance

Given Australia’s publicly funded universal health care, is private health insurance worth it? Last June, shortly after I lodged my application for a de facto partner visa subclass 820, I received a bridging visa. That made me eligible for Medicare, which I enrolled in immediately. For my American readers, Medicare is Australia’s publicly funded universal health care scheme. …

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Close up of an approved stamp on a visa

The road to residency part 6: temp visa granted

Nearly two years after I began the application process, my temporary visa has finally been granted. Immigration took so long that my medical assessment expired. My migrant agent called and told me I needed to do it again. His office scheduled it with Bupa. It was bad enough the first time with Medibank and it was downright awful …

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Environment - polar bear on melting ice

Life and death: the environment

Last week, in response to a thoughtful and complicated question that one of my friends posed, I wrote 4 reasons Pagans aren’t environmentally responsible. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom and complain without offering positive and actionable things people can do to help the environment. The Life and Death writing prompt is as good as …

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Environment - praying woman covered in mud and wearing flowers

4 reasons Pagans aren’t environmentally responsible

One of my friends is very passionate about environmental issues. She’s an activist and a vegan and these are important ways in which she expresses her Pagan spirituality. Recently, she asked: Why aren’t Pagans walking the talk when it comes to environmental issues? Why aren’t we more environmentally responsible? She observed that many Pagans talk …

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An introduction to shadow work

It is officially autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere. At the we enter the dark part of year, my magick also turns to darker practices. This is the time of year when I focus heavily on shadow work. What is the shadow? “Everyone carries a shadow and the less it is embodied in the individual’s …

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