John Halstead – Page 3 – NaturalPagans

Is UU Atheism a Form of White Privilege?

December 1, 2017 John Halstead Black, God, God-talk, language of reverence, Natural Pagans, race, Racism, The Allergic Pagan, Theism, Unitarian, Unitarian Universalism, UU, UUA, UUism, White, White privilege, White Supremacy

I am atheist. But I think, if we are truly to fight racism–both within and without–we just might need God after all.

5 Ways Paganism Needs to Grow Up

November 21, 2017 John Halstead Community, criticism, egocentrism, egotism, Ethics, interconnectedness, Natural Pagans, Paganism, Rede, self expression, spiritual development, stages of faith, The Allergic Pagan

It’s time for Paganism as a whole to grow up. If we don’t, as a community, mature beyond the first stage of spiritual development, then we will continue to only attract people who are in the first stage of spiritual development, and we will only keep them for as long as they are in that first stage. When they make the transition to the second stage, they will leave Paganism.

10 Signs You’re Half-Assing Your Pagan Ritual

November 9, 2017 John Halstead HP, John Halstead, Latest Posts, naturalistic pagan, pagan, Paganism, ritual, ritual facilitation, Sabbat

I have been fortunate to have attended some great Pagan rituals. But, gods know, I have suffered through a lot more rituals that were just terrible. A lot of you probably know what I’m talking about. I know fellow-Patheos blogger,…

My Religion is Rooted, Literally.

November 8, 2017 John Halstead body, Earth, earth-centered, matter, Natural Pagans, Nature, relationship, Religion, The Allergic Pagan

My religion is rooted. In fact, it is a religion of roots…and of tubers and worms and actinobacteria. I am a dirt worshiping Pagan. My gospel is the gospel of compost.

The Wild Hunt for Justice: At the Intersection of Ritual and Protest

November 6, 2017 John Halstead Activism, environmental, LGBT, Natural Pagans, pagan, Protest, racial, ritual, The Allergic Pagan, Wild Hunt

I was recently invited to the New Orleans Pagan Pride Day this year to lead the opening ritual. This was my attempt to bring together elements of Pagan ritual with elements of political protest.

Why Worldview Matters: A Response to Kimberly Kirner

October 19, 2017 John Halstead Change, cycle, Hegel, hierarchy, Marx, material conditions, Natural Pagans, paradigm, social change, social relations, The Allergic Pagan, Worldview

To conclude, worldview matters. It’s not all that matters. But it is part of the dynamic which drives human action, which also includes our material conditions and our social relations. If we want to effect radical change, then we must work to change all three of these, including those “interior states” like worldview or paradigm, spirituality and religious belief.

These Things Aren’t True: Five Falsehoods in the Pagan Community

October 11, 2017 John Halstead atheism, Community, corporatism, critical thought, ego-centrism, groupthink, individualism, Natural Pagans, Paganism, The Allergic Pagan, wishful thinking

I’m no stranger to conflict in Pagan circles. Over the years, I have noticed similar themes arise when I come into conflict with other Pagans. These themes can be summarized as five lies that Pagans tell themselves.

Naturalistic Pagan Toolbox: “Just Ask” by John Halstead

October 7, 2017 John Halstead HP, John Halstead, Latest Posts, naturalistic pagan, The Naturalistic Pagan Toolbox

We assume that asking a question presupposes a sentient listener on the other end. But is the true? Is it really necessary to believe the earth or the universe are sentient in order to address a question to them? Or to receive an “answer”?

Forget Samhain: Halloween as a Pagan Holy Day

October 3, 2017 John Halstead Halloween, holiday, holy day, Natural Pagans, Sabbat, Samhain, The Allergic Pagan, Wild Hunt

Forget Samhain. Halloween is ready-made for Pagan appropriation.

Escaping the Otherworld: The Reenchantment of Paganism

October 2, 2017 John Halstead capitalism, disenchantment, enchantment, escapism, Natural Pagans, Paganism, reenchantment, Religion, Science, The Allergic Pagan, Transcendentalism

The real danger to Paganism is not so much that our religion will be outlawed, but that there will be no reason to outlaw it. The danger is not that guardians of the overculture will go to war with Pagans in a second “Burning Times”, but that they will have no reason to go to war with Paganism, because any difference between the two will have become merely superficial. The danger is not that we will forced to consume some counterfeit experience for the genuine re-enchantment, but that we will no longer be able to tell the difference.