The third in a 4-part series, originally published at The Woven Song. IV. Ancestors as the Foundation of Place and Time (Earth) “The crucible of making human beings is death – every culture worth a damn knows that.” – Stephen…
Sacred place-making, Part 2
Stay away from anything that obscures the place it is in. There are no unsacred places; There are only sacred places And desecrated places. ―Wendell Berry, “How to Be a Poet” The re-enchantment of the world is a core theme of practice for many Pagans. But the term re-enchantment presupposes that the world has become… Continue reading Sacred place-making, Part 2 →
“The Dead Can Dance: The Mythic Ecology of Ancestry” by Mathieu Thiem
The second in a 4-part series, originally published at The Woven Song. III. The Mythic Ecology of Ancestry (Water) “There was a time, the myths tell us, when the link between animals, humans and the land was fluid, magical. The…
Sacred Place-making, Part 1
Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God, But only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries. ―Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh I believe in the grounding, nourishing power of the earth beneath my feet, wherever I may be. My fast and dirty way of grounding… Continue reading Sacred Place-making, Part 1 →
“The Dead Can Dance: The Totemism of Evolution” by Mathieu Thiem
The first in a 4-part series, originally published at The Woven Song. I. Falling Towards the Ancestors (Sacred Space) “When the leaves fall, the bones are laid bare. Old scars are revealed.” – Émile Wayne Hauntings of autumn are carried…
What Makes a Ritual “Successful”?
John Halstead over at Humanistic Paganism has published a rather sharply-worded piece about “10 Signs You’re Half-Assing Your Ritual”. It’s well worth a read, and in general, he’s right: there is a lot of ho-hum ritual out there and many, if not most of us can do a better job of preparing and enacting our … Continue reading What Makes a Ritual “Successful”?
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10 Signs You’re Half-Assing Your Pagan Ritual
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.
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.
Why Atheopagan Principles?
I am excited to announce that a new Facebook group has arisen for Atheopagans in the UK! Congratulations to Debi Gregory for starting the group. Those applying to join the group are asked to answer a short questionnaire, which originally asked for a commitment to abide by the 13 Atheopagan Principles. Some were puzzled by … Continue reading Why Atheopagan Principles?
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Les Cafés Mortels, by Renee Lehnen
The aspects of dying that these two people shared taught me more than a library of reading could. We plan to hold another Death Café in winter 2018 if only to chase away the cold with cake, hot beverages, and intriguing conversation. Naturalistic Pagans are most welcome.