It’s the 4th of July: Independence Day in the U.S., a time of patriotic celebration. I am a patriot. By that, I mean that I 1) love the land, water, air, and people of the United States, and want the best for them; 2) I am well familiar with and do not deny the historical … Continue reading Patriotism and Ritual Cleansing
Read moreMay Celebrations That Aren’t About Sex
Hooray, hooray, the first of May Outdoor fucking begins today! —old saw So, Atheopaganism is a pleasure-positive path. That’s Atheopagan Principle #10: so long as others and the Sacred Earth are respected, we believe that joy and fun and feeling good are our birthrights as humans. And that includes … Continue reading May Celebrations That Aren’t About Sex
Read morePractically Speaking
Atheopagan Principle 6 is about praxis: having a spiritual practice. For many, that involves rituals and seasonal celebrations. For others, simple walks in nature or periods of quiet meditation fulfill that purpose. For many who are just coming into Atheopaganism, this can be a little daunting. How to start? What is this ritual stuff, anyway? … Continue reading Practically Speaking
Read moreAtheopaganism: An Introduction
In recent months, hundreds of new Atheopagans have joined the Facebook group and followed the blog. Lots of folks viewing our path with new eyes, and many wondering how to get started. Accordingly, I thought I’d provide an overview of this Pagan path. Today I posted a video, “An Introduction to Atheopaganism”, to the Atheopagan … Continue reading Atheopaganism: An Introduction
Read moreStarting a Practice, Creating Rituals
For those who are starting out on an Atheopagan path—or any Pagan path—it can be bewildering to know how to start a practice. Fortunately, Atheopaganism is in many ways easier to “learn” than other Pagan paths, because there aren’t any procedural rules about how to do things, and you don’t have to have anyone else … Continue reading Starting a Practice, Creating Rituals
Read moreCandle Rituals
One of the more characteristic “witches’ tools” used in rituals is the candle. There are many ways we can work with them to create psychologically powerful and effective rituals. Candles provide a “magical” atmosphere for many reasons. Low light conditions tend to provoke a spooky desire on the part of people to be quieter, possibly as … Continue reading Candle Rituals
Read moreGUEST POST: When in Rome: My Road to Roman Atheopaganism
Today we offer a guest post by Daughter of Neptune, who is creating her own nontheist Pagan practice focused on the archetypes of Greek and Roman deities. All roads lead to Rome and it was on my intellectual journey to Ancient Rome that I became an atheist pagan. I love learning the history, culture, and language … Continue reading GUEST POST: When in Rome: My Road to Roman Atheopaganism
Read moreEffective Atheopagan Leadership: a Curriculum
As I’ve written before, my conceptualization of Atheopaganism as a path and a tradition does not incorporate concepts of degrees of advancement or “clergy”. I just find these to be fraught with too many pitfalls, ranging from “higher-level” persons gatekeeping access to knowledge and training from lower-level ones, to those with “status” potentially being able to leverage … Continue reading Effective Atheopagan Leadership: a Curriculum
Read moreNoble Ancestors
We have our real ancestors–blood relations, going all the way back to single-celled organisms if we go back far enough. But there are also those now dead whom we admire for their exemplary qualities: their courage, their intelligence, their wisdom. While they won’t have followed an Atheopagan path (as we’re just getting started), they still … Continue reading Noble Ancestors
Read moreHappy Wolfenoot!
Some time ago, I wrote about non-Sabbath holidays: special days we celebrate other than the 8 observances of the Wheel of the Year. These can be anything we find meaningful, whimsical, or important to remember. This year, a 7-year-old boy invented Wolfenoot, a holiday about wolves and dogs. The concept is simple: on Wolfenoot… It is when the … Continue reading Happy Wolfenoot!
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