I’m John Beckett. I grew up in Tennessee with the woods right outside my back door. Wandering through them gave me a sense of connection to Nature and to a certain Forest God.
I’m a Druid in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin. I served 12 years as the Coordinating Officer of the Denton Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans and 3 years on the Board of Trustees of CUUPS Continental. I call my personal practice “ancestral, devotional, ecstatic, oracular, magical, public, Pagan polytheism” because I haven’t come up with a catchy name for it yet.
My blog, also called Under the Ancient Oaks, is part of the Pagan channel of Patheos, the largest multi-religion website in the world.
I’m the author of two books, The Path of Paganism (2017) and Paganism In Depth (2019), both published by Llewellyn Worldwide. I’ve been writing, speaking, teaching, and leading public rituals since 2003. I live in the Dallas – Fort Worth area and I earn my keep as an engineer.
Where To Find Me
Patheos Blog: Under the Ancient Oaks
YouTube Channel: John Beckett – UTAO
Facebook: John Beckett. If you send me a friend request, also send me a private message telling me who you are – enough to convince me you’re not a spammer, a scammer, or a bot. Or just follow me. 98% of what I post is public and the other 2% is restricted to a few close friends. You’ll get the same posts either way.
Twitter: @utaoDruid
Instagram: @utaodruid
Threads: @utaodruid
BlueSky: @utaodruid
E-mail: Use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Privacy Policy
I collect the data that you give me: your name and your e-mail address. I use it to give you access to the courses you sign up for, and to send you class-related announcements and the weekly newsletter. The e-mail list is managed through MailerLite and is covered by their rather extensive privacy policy. I don’t use your info for any other purpose and I don’t sell, rent, or otherwise provide it to anyone else, nor will I in the future. If you want to get class-related e-mails but not newsletters, or newsletters but not class-related e-mails, just contact me and I’ll make the adjustment. You are always free to leave, using the unsubscribe and delete functions, or just contact me and I’ll delete you manually. I’m a Pagan who doesn’t proselytize – I only want people here who want to be here.