Mark Green – NaturalPagans

How’s that Maypole Thing Work?

April 22, 2018 Mark Green Atheopaganism, May Day, Practices & Rituals, Sabbaths

Merry May! I thought I’d write a post about Maypoles because many people want to do Maypole rituals for May Day but don’t know the details. So here goes… First, you’re going to need a pole at least 12′ long and 5″ in diameter. These dimensions are important: you need to embed at least 18″ … Continue reading How’s that Maypole Thing Work?

Facing Forward: Atheopaganism and Cultural Appropriation

April 20, 2018 Mark Green Atheology, Atheopaganism

Cultural appropriation is a concern of people who are (or have historically been) oppressed. It is the use of symbols, religious rites and/or cultural practices by members of the oppressing culture for their own gain or edification, without permission, invitation, or inclusion of those of the culture whose symbols or practices are being used. This … Continue reading Facing Forward: Atheopaganism and Cultural Appropriation

Substance Use, Background Noise, and Reenchanting the World

April 13, 2018 Mark Green Atheopaganism, Entheogens, Practices & Rituals

I’m drinking a beer as I write this. That’s not a big deal. I’m not drunk and I don’t intend to have another. But I’m sitting at my local with a laptop, and I’m surrounded by a typical Friday afternoon crowd, which will swell considerably after 5:00. People in my society drink. They drink alcohol, … Continue reading Substance Use, Background Noise, and Reenchanting the World

REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Moon Meet 2018—A Gathering of Atheopagans and Friends

April 8, 2018 Mark Green Atheopagan community, Atheopaganism, Events, Moon Meet

The second annual Moon Meet is a congregation of Atheopagans, non-theist Pagans and others interested in our paths, held from Friday, August 24 through Sunday, August 26, on private land on a redwood-covered mountain near Healdsburg, in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma County, California. Registration is now open! Click here to register! Moon Meet—named because we will … Continue reading REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Moon Meet 2018—A Gathering of Atheopagans and Friends

Toward Atheopagan Mysteries

April 6, 2018 Mark Green Atheology, Atheopaganism, Practices & Rituals

Sacred Mysteries were initiatory rituals or ritual cycles in the ancient world which revealed secret wisdom to participants. Some examples include the Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece and the Mysteries of Dionysos in Rome, and the initiatory mystery religion of Mithraism, also from the Roman period. These rituals and ritual cycles were characterized by solemn oaths of silence, so many … Continue reading Toward Atheopagan Mysteries

SAVE THE DATE and CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS: MOON MEET 2018!

April 4, 2018 Mark Green Atheopaganism, Events, Moon Meet

SAVE THE DATE! The second annual Moon Meet is a congregation of Atheopagans, non-theist Pagans and others interested in our paths, held from Friday, August 24 through Sunday, August 26, on private land on a redwood-covered mountain near Healdsburg, in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma County, California. Moon Meet—named because we will hold it … Continue reading SAVE THE DATE and CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS: MOON MEET 2018!

Talking with Atheists Who Dismiss Your Atheopagan Practice

April 2, 2018 Mark Green Anti-Theists, atheism, Atheist community, Atheopaganism, Religious history

Existing in both the atheist world and in the Pagan, Atheopagans have the unique “good fortune” of fielding criticism from extreme elements of both. I’ve written before about Pagan fundamentalists who dismiss our religion as “not real Paganism. ” Today, we take a look at the atheist community’s counterpart: the so-called “anti-theists”. A vocal subset … Continue reading Talking with Atheists Who Dismiss Your Atheopagan Practice

Sigils: Barcodes for your Brain

April 2, 2018 Mark Green Atheopaganism, Magic, Practices & Rituals

In Atheopaganism, we understand ritual “magic” as the manipulation of consciousness according to desired outcomes: as “programming the mind”. It’s not supernatural, and it doesn’t affect things at a distance, but it does have a powerful ability to change our selves: to increase our courage, our focus, our attention to things we find important. Over … Continue reading Sigils: Barcodes for your Brain

The Miracle of Dirt

March 22, 2018 Mark Green Atheology, Atheopaganism, Science

Of all the many factors on planet Earth that enable us to live and thrive, there are two which border, in my opinion, on the miraculous*: the conversion of sunlight into sugar through photosynthesis, and the mysterious alchemy of microbes and nutrients and water that makes dirt into the life-giver to us all. Yet we … Continue reading The Miracle of Dirt

Beyond Faith. Beyond Fundamentalism.

March 19, 2018 Mark Green Atheology, Atheopaganism, Opinion, Pagan Community

Let’s start by acknowledging that the definitions are fuzzy. There is no universally agreed-to definition of what a “religion” even is. “Spirituality” is just as indeterminate. So all we can do is look at religions of the world and try to identify the elements that compose them. When I do that, I conclude that a … Continue reading Beyond Faith. Beyond Fundamentalism.