I’m 32. I have a great job. My boss likes me. I’ve been with my husband for almost 13 years. I have a blog people read. I have a podcast to which people listen. I have sold art in over a dozen countries. I’ve published a book that people like and that continues to sell regularly - maybe not in large quantities, but it sells. As you look at my life you might think I’m happy, fulfilled. But, like many of you out there, I’m dealing with something that people are only just now starting to discuss: loneliness.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Thoughts on loneliness
I’m 32. I have a great job. My boss likes me. I’ve been with my husband for almost 13 years. I have a blog people read. I have a podcast to which people listen. I have sold art in over a dozen countries. I’ve published a book that people like and that continues to sell regularly - maybe not in large quantities, but it sells. As you look at my life you might think I’m happy, fulfilled. But, like many of you out there, I’m dealing with something that people are only just now starting to discuss: loneliness.

Monday, January 7, 2019
Book Review: Autoboyography by Christina Lauren
I’m a millennial gay man. This means I am old enough to remember when Will & Grace was revolutionary. When Brokeback Mountain was a movie that you had to sneak around to go see, and then cross your fingers and pray nobody saw you enter the theater so they wouldn’t ask your family why you were seeing that gay movie. I remember discovering the shelf of LGBTQ literature wayyyyy in the back of Hasting’s next to the books on sex and Wicca - that was, let’s face it, mostly collections of smut stories. I remember discovering gay movie culture. Movies about LGBTQ people, made by and for LGBTQ people. They were tiny, independent films that looked like someone had made them with a shaky personal camcorder purchased that morning from Circuit City and acted with the kind of stilted ability that told you these guys had only barely learned their lines. But they were my stories, and for good or for ill - as queer cinema has grown into some mainstream success - I needed them; I clung to them. So, when I say that I understand what it’s like to hold onto a bad or problematic story...I speak from experience.
Nice White Ladies™️ are defined loosely as:
Are you a member of a marginalized community? Nice White Ladies™️ would love to let you know they are WOKE! They have read all the books, seen all the Netflix documentaries, and shared all those articles on Facebook about women writing letters to gay folks at Christmas that can’t go home to their families. They are here to SUPPORT YOU! Sure, their only personal experience with being gay/black/trans/immigrant/etc. is what they’ve read in their YA novels - that they’re TOTALLY ADDICTED TO - or seen on that latest heartbreaking viral YouTube video or their token coworker, but they feel they’ve got the general gist of what it’s like and they would like to tell you all about it in the next 407 pages.

Friday, January 4, 2019
Unexpectedly Witchy Programming
When people talk about representations of magic, “witchcraft”, Paganism, etc in media, they typically mean shows like Charmed or Sabrina or The Vampire Diaries. While those shows surely have bits of inspiring dialogue or flashy effects that might speak to us about the fun side of the craft, they don’t speak - to me - of an authentic reflection of my spirituality. Instead, when asked to name media that is both inspiring and authentic, I name shows you would probably laugh about. The below is a very likely incomplete list of the lesser known or unsuspectingly charming (get it?) shows I’ve come to love in recent months.
The Good Witch - a Hallmark channel drama - has always been a stalwart of how I view the practice of magic. I’ve raved about this show for years. Cassie, the main character, is undoubtedly a witch, but her magic is more likely to resemble the kind you perform. You might carry a stone with you to ease tensions at work or school. You could cook up a dish to inspire confidence. The show sees her and her cousin perform summonings, break curses, move karma along, and overall live the kind of magical life that feels as close to an accurate depiction of everyday spellcraft as I can find in film or television. It’s Hallmark, so there’s plenty of cheese and easily resolved plotlines. Nobody is ever in grave danger - well, usually - and it exudes cisgender, heterosexual, wealthy white privilege. But, for what it is, it’s pretty great.
Hilda is an animated show for kids and adults alike that premiered on Netflix in 2018. It is based on the hit graphic novels series by Luke Pearson, and it features a little girl named Hilda who promptly sets about teaching you and your child that the world is filled with spirits. While this is still a fantastical setting, it relies heavily on an exploration of Scandinavian folklore. So, if you’re a bit tired of the same retreading of Zeus’ sexual exploits or Thor’s giant...hammer, you’ll be delighted by this show. If you’re like me, you’ll keep the Wikipedia app on your phone while watching so you can look up all the various and wonderful beings Hilda and her friends encounter.
On Amazon Prime there’s another kid’s program that I’ve become obsessed with called Just Add Magic. It is also based on a book by Cindy Callaghan. This show doesn’t have much in the way of flashy magic - though in some later episodes you’ll see time travel, magic gardens, and some other sparkly bits of CGI, but these are pretty tame and not part of the majority of episodes. It honestly inspired me to dig out my copy of Supermarket Magic by Michael Furie and get back to intentionally witchy cooking. The girls find a magic spellbook in the first episode that was once possessed by the main character’s grandmother. They use the recipes to do everything from finding lost pets to improving memory. I like it because the magic is a bit unpredictable. It takes work, doesn’t solve all your problems, and usually ends up just facilitating your mundane actions. (If you want a job, you’re not going to make Job Jell-O and have a job fall in your lap. You still need to go out and apply for jobs. You just might be more likely to get an offer quickly.)
The most recent addition to my OMG THAT IS SO MY KIND OF PAGANISM list of shows premiered 4 days ago on Netflix. It’s called Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. HEAR ME OUT! It’s a show where a nice little Japanese lady comes into your home and teaches you how to keep your home neat and organized. (I SWEAR IT IS PAGAN-ISH...keep reading...stop rolling your eyes. ...put that tongue back in your mouth, too.) Kondo spent 5 years as an attendant maiden at a Shinto shrine, and the religion’s animism is apparent throughout the show. Before Kondo begins, she greets your home, and teaches everyone she meets how to appreciate the spirit and effort immanent in all the things in your life. If the events of this show are not an example of magic in action I cannot think of a show that is. Her clients discuss how the energy in their homes and personal spaces changes as they move through her method of tidying, which includes giving a heartfelt blessing to any items being discarded and a focus on keeping that which gives you joy. There are no flashy before and after photos. This is not a makeover show. There is no furniture budget or professional stagers. There is no judgement about what “tidy” looks like from one family to the next; it is simply a focus on joy and elevating energy. (It’s also incredibly inspiring if you’re like me and feel like decluttering and organizing your life is one of the most anxiety-inducing things you can do. It’s daunting.)
What are some unexpected sources of witchy or Pagan inspiration you’ve found in film or tv in the last year?
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte

Monday, November 19, 2018
Episode 126: Inciting A Bad Tarot Riot
Episode 126 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with Matt Harris, whose hilarious memes about Tarot you’ve probably seen bouncing around social media over the last few months. We talk tarot, gatekeeping culture, and we spend a little time comparing decks. (Come on...I’m allowed one dirty tarot pun.)
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot

Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Episode 125: Inciting A Hallowed Riot (2018)

Monday, October 22, 2018
Episode 124: Inciting Sarah Lawless' #MeToo Riot
For legal reasons, we will not be discussing the details of Sarah's allegations, nor any specific occurrence mentioned therein. Rather, we will be focusing on the discussion of sexual assault, abuse, and impropriety in and around Pagan community spaces.
Also, I would be remiss if I did not give a TRIGGER WARNING. This conversation is frank, honest, and blunt about Sarah's experience. If sexual assault, emotional abuse, abuse of power by leaders, or other related areas are triggers for you, you may want to skip this episode or put a support system in place for when and how you listen to it.
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, abuse, or other related trauma, there are resources to help.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.HOPE (4673)
Sexual Abuse Resources
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Subscribe on iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/inciting-a-riot/id337689333?mt=2
Or Google Play
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot

Sunday, October 14, 2018
Episode 123: Inciting Mickie Mueller's Riot

Sunday, October 7, 2018
Episode 122: Inciting A Problematic Pagan Riot
Episode 122 of Inciting a Riot: the Podcast finds us discussing some of the recent expressions of problematic behavior in the Pagan community. Also, there are two interviews from Chicago's Pagan Pride.
A trigger warning: the latter part of the show has a discussion of sexual misconduct inside the community. While it is by no means graphic, the topic is discussed.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot

Monday, October 1, 2018
In Support of Sarah Lawless

Thursday, September 27, 2018
The Rise of #HimToo in the #MeToo era
Supporters of the #HimToo movement are pushing back against the notion that women are to be believed when they come forward with allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct. They think...well...let me let them tell you in their own words:
In short, these people think that women who come forward are lying. En masse. The logic is, of course, that women are coming forward to ruin the lives of men. I believe Simcha Fisher said it best:
I want to address this notion that women are vindictive bitches that are simply seeking revenge because of grudges or perceived slights or whatever some troll has drummed up as just cause for invalidating their voice. (Seriously, search the hashtag. It’s nothing less than deplorable the kind of things this movement’s supporters are saying.) Numbers don’t lie. People do, but numbers don’t. Numerous studies have been conducted in an attempt to determine how many allegations of sexual assault are false. You may have seen some numbers such as 2% or 10% floating around. Those don’t seem to be supported by modern studies. The number is somewhere in the middle. Somewhere between just over 4% and 5% of allegations of sexual assault - rape, specifically - are believed to be false.

Monday, September 24, 2018
Bad Pagan Confession: I didn’t celebrate Mabon
You know how you have friends of circumstance? You worked together at that one shitty job, but being around each other made it all worthwhile. You had the same 3 classes one semester in Sophomore year of college.They lived in your apartment complex and did their laundry on the same day as you. And, for a while, you felt like you’d known them forever and that you were going to know them forever. Then the unthinkable happened.
When I was growing up in all the various closets I grew up in while gestating in the belly of my small east Texas town, I told myself that when I finally moved away I’d be all these things. I’d never miss a ritual. In fact, I’d have a room dedicated to my Pagan practice. I’d have special tools and grow a garden separate from my daily eating vegetable garden that I was definitely also going to grow. It would have mandrake and mugwort and white sage and some...nightshades...or something. I didn’t even really know what any of those looked like, but I knew I was going to have them.

Monday, September 10, 2018
#WitchKitChallenge
Recently, witch kits have seen a revival (err.. revile?...pardon the pun) in and out of the Pagan community. In a recent blog, and through many discussions with you all on social media, I’ve heard that many of you don’t necessarily mind the idea of an all in one kit. But not every kit has what you want, and even if it has all the “stuff” it might not look like something you’d want to prominently display. And, even if all that is true, it still might not be something you can afford or access. Thus, I am giving birth to a new project I like to call the...
The rules
- Budget - no more than $50 pre-tax
- Must get everything on the list, or have a reasonable substitution that makes sense for your practice (but you cannot get fewer items...no saying 1 item does 3 things)
- You can only shop at 1 of the approved chain stores, or a similar chain establishment that most people have access to (you cannot go to, say, 3 different chain stores to get everything)
- You don’t have to purchase everything, but you need to record the pre-tax prices for all items and take a picture or video of your “kit”.
- No seasonal items! For this challenge, you must resist the urge to go spelunking in the Halloween decor.
- Post it to social media using the hashtag #WitchKitChallenge
- Challenge 3 people to do the same
The List
- 4 Elemental Representations
- 1+ Representations of Spirit/Deity
- 1 Knife or Carving Implement
- 1 Offering Dish
- 1 Blank Book
- Something to do (this piece is open ended to allow for variety... You could choose a divinatory tool such as a scrying mirror, some dice, a deck of cards. The choice is yours, but it should be something you can do magically at your witchy workspace.)
- Bonus Points if you can also squeeze in a place to put your kit - a shelf or cabinet or something - but it’s by no means required (and would be quite difficult at most of the stores on the list, but you get bragging rights if you can fit it in)
The Stores
- WalMart
- Target
- Goodwill
- Dollar Tree
- Dollar General
- Home Depot
- Lowe’s
- HomeGoods
- Ross
- Michael’s
- TJ Maxx
My First Challenge
- Blue drinking glass for Water - $3.99
- Metal charger/offering plate - $9.99
- Playing cards for divination - $2.99
- 2 taper candlesticks - $1.99/ea
- Paring knife - $3.99
- 2 Taper candles (black) for spirit - $3.99
- Blank book - $9.99
- Salt for earth - $2.09
- Dish for salt - $1.99
- Bubble wand for air - $.98
- White candle for fire - $4.19
- Total pre-tax cost of my kit - $48.17
I wanted a few “nicer” things like Himalayan pink salt, but that was $6, and have I mentioned how much I wanted that charger in my kit instead? I had also originally selected a much nicer knife, but that was $7.99...and I was already at the limit.
The Gauntlet
tl;dr

Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Sephora’s Witch Kit and Pagan Gatekeeping
What’s in the box?
OMGs It’s Fake & Plastic & a Kit
This is (err...was) the Teen Witch Kit created by pagan author Silver Ravenwolf and sold by Llewellyn publishers. You can still buy one on Amazon for ... around $42. It has the following product description:
It had some plastic/pewter coin looking things - I’m still not really sure what those were - a teeny little bell that looked like it came from a cat collar, a polyester shoe string “cord”, and you can even use the cardboard box for an altar! Sure, the whole exterior wasn’t pastel, but the title was pink, and it prominently features the Wiccan Power Rangers:
AKA the super edgy Wiccan teens from the last time we tried to market witchcraft to teenagers.
Witch kits are not new. It’s not new to sell them at big box retailers, especially during Halloween season. Similar items have been sold over the years at Barnes & Noble, Target, and more. Upscale retailers in the last year have been seen selling crystal kits and other New Age/magical paraphernalia. Stop acting like this is new.
Basic White Girl Sage
I’ve seen arguments that the Sephora kit is promoting the over harvesting of white sage in order to satiate white girls’ desire to be rid of bad vibes while sipping pumpkin spice lattes and binging reruns of Gilmore Girls in between sets at Coachella. (Otherwise known on the Pagan interwebs as the “ugh...basic white girls” argument...by the same crowd that revere Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed as holy, sacrosanct, liturgical television viewing.) There is this argument running around Pagan internet circles that white sage - salvia apiana - is endangered. That we’ve overharvested it to the point of extinction. That Native Americans don’t have enough. If this is true, it is news to the governmental agencies that track things like whether plant species are “threatened” or “endangered”. It isn’t categorized as such by the USDA or by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. I’m not saying it isn’t happening, but I’m saying that I cannot find supporting evidence for its occurrence.
But this is OUR thing
Buy Local
Pagan Enough
Quick Thoughts? |



Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Episode 121: Inciting The Lost Queen's Riot (with Signe Pike)

Monday, August 27, 2018
Episode 120: Inciting A Crystal Riot
