Stephen Stevie Cole

Glastonbury, UK, is a town as much known for the magical, mythological and mysterious as Salem, Massachusetts. There is a real Druid college there, and every year they crown one among them as their Chief Bard - one who can advance their cause with the gifts of story and song. There's a Bardic Trial every year - think a rap battle or a poetry slam, but with more flowing cloaks and crow feathers - with a theme announced by the outgoing holder of "The Chair" (In most places where these traditions still live, the Bard's "Chair" is a figure of speech; except in Glastonbury, of course, where there is an actual chair made of solid metal. Because of course there is).

When my hometown of Glastonbury raises money for charity, we do it in style. And my wife and I decided to up the showmanship and really do it in style!

Around the world, and throughout history, communal meals have played an invaluable role in religious and spiritual life. From the Jewish Passover, to the Christian Eucharist, to the offering of food to various shrines and idols, to the "cakes & ale" of modern Wicca. Food is a gift from the divine, in earthly form, a picture of death and rebirth, and a proof to the faithful of the protection and provision they receive as their reward. And the ideal way to have a good time together with your spiritual family.

Are you in the early stages of gender transition; a more masculine-looking non-binary person; or just want to know how to really let your feminine side shine for all to see, without looking like a pantomime dame or a drag queen?

Before I start: In the piece you're about to read, as in all my writing, I use the word "queer" as a term of pride, never of shame.

I've followed Wicca as a spiritual path for years now, and I settled into it after a long time of study of alternative religions and faiths. But I feel the time has come to take another good long look at this path, its principles and its practices.