Pagan Bloggers with Naturalistic Worldviews
When I think about Paganism, the first thing that comes to my mind is reverence for Nature–for the physical Earth. For Life, here and now. And I think that’s true of a lot of theistic Pagans, too. For Pagans–theists and Atheopagans alike–direct access to the Sacred* is a core aspect of our spiritual experience. We … Continue reading Intermediaries
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From Gardner’s nudism and enthusiasm for sadomasochism, which he folded into the foundation of Wicca… …to taking and embracing the label “witch” (and, to a lesser degree, “pagan”)… …to taking unusual names and adopting radical environmental and social politics… …to everything about Aleister Crowley… …the roots and modern realities of modern Paganism are heavily sown … Continue reading Paganism and Transgression: Some Questions
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Pantheacon, the largest indoor gathering of Pagans in North America, is no more. For a variety of reasons, Glenn Turner, the organizer, has decided to close it down and is retiring. I have been associated with PCon for a very long time. I attended the first one (I think), and have been to most of … Continue reading The Last Pantheacon, and What’s Next
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Paganism generally—and Atheopaganism specifically—comprise intersecting sets of growing communities. And as we grow, we change. Generally, for example, the Atheopaganism Facebook group has been a very kind, warm context, but there has been more friction lately, and a need for more hands-on moderation. This is inevitable. When we were a group of 300 people, it … Continue reading Growth is Change
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Paganism is a very broad category. It includes a tremendous range of traditions, practices and paths. Which is as should be: people are diverse. They should do what gives them joy and meaning. So it can be about many things. It can be about rituals and “magic”. It can be about the Earth. It can … Continue reading I’m Gonna Go There: A Rant.
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Recently, I wrote an optimistic piece about the evolution of the Pagan movement. Some insightful commenters were not so sanguine as I, and I’d like to address their contentions here. Their arguments fell into several general buckets: The Internet is not a substitute for in-person contact and relationships. Rigid ideologies and fundamentalism are tearing us … Continue reading More on Community Transition
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Once upon a time, there was a deeply oppressed minority whose very existence was illegal: the gay community. And though we* are far from winning the fight for full equality for LGBTQ folks, it is fair to say that much progress has been made, and the LGBTQ community has made transitions as a result. For … Continue reading The Pagan Community in Transition
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Once upon a time in the mid-80s, few of the Pagans I knew ever even talked about what they believed. We just did rituals together and enjoyed one another’s company. Sure, there were shout-outs to various gods and goddesses in most of the rituals, but those were easily understood as metaphorical (as I did). When … Continue reading The Point of Friction
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As I have noted previously, I am a white guy. Really, really white. 23andme.com tells me that I am 99.4% northwestern European in derivation. I get that this limits my perspective in a variety of ways, and so the following may be of no value other than for the questions. I lead with this acknowledgement because … Continue reading In Which I Have Nothing of Value to Say
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This talk was originally delivered at Pantheacon 2019. Let’s start with a question: what’s happening with religion today? It’s an amazing time to be involved with religion, because in the developed world, the Abrahamic religions are collapsing. As philosopher of religion Eric Steinhart says, this may be the most exciting time to be studying religion … Continue reading FACING FORWARD: A talk on nontheist Paganism
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