Jason Mankey recently raised the question “Who are we writing for?” This got me thinking. In the interest of getting to know my readers better, please answer the short 10-question survey below … Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool. Read more
This is the third in a series in which I showcase some of the best ritualists I have met (in no particular order). Over the years I have especially enjoyed reading Jason Mankey's posts about ritual. He has a good mix of nitty-gritty practical advice and big picture thinking. Here are some examples of Jason's wisdom that have helped me in writing rituals. Read more
Women in our culture are routinely characterized by their behavior, while men are given a pass so that we can focus on the content of their ideas. How will our community respond to news that popular author Marion Zimmer Bradley abused children? Read more
I think it's a mistake to assume the gods are benign. The word "worship" derives from the Old English word for "worthy". I wonder then, why have I rarely seen the question asked whether the Pagan gods are worthy of worship. To put it another way, why should we assume the gods can be trusted? If the gods are paragons of virtue, are they not also paragons of vice? The polytheistic gods, as I understand them, are not necessarily good and they are not omni-benevolent. If the myths are to be believed on any level, the gods are just as flawed as human beings -- they just have more power. Why bow down to power, if it is not paired with virtue? One answer perhaps is that the gods should be worshiped because they are — just as nature can be worshiped because it is. Nature is not moral or virtuous, but worship (or reverence) is a natural human response to it. But worshiping something and trusting it are two different things. I don’t ever assume that nature is benign or trustworthy. Why should we assume the gods are trustworthy? Read more
If we celebrated the birth of the Sun Child to Mother Night on the longest night, what else would we celebrate on the longest day but the birth of the Dark Child from his mother, the Goddess of the Sun? Read more
The Destiny of Earthseed Is to take root among the stars. It is to live and to thrive On new earths. It is to become new beings And to consider new questions. It is to leap into the heavens Again and again. It is to explore the vastness Of heaven. It is to explore the vastness Of ourselves. Read more
What does your spiritual landscape look like? Are there mountains? Is it lush and green or a dry desert? Does water flow freely or is it buried deep in the earth? Is it even a natural setting? Perhaps your spiritual landscape is a city? A labyrinth? Perhaps it is structured vertically instead of horizontally. Is it open or closed? I'd love to hear what your spiritual landscape looks like. Read more
What if, instead of trying to create religious space for everyone to "believe what they want", we UUs were to build a church around the idea that every person's beliefs and experiences contribute to the diversity of our spiritual community and thereby strengthen it? What if instead of tolerating our differences -- Humanists, Buddhists, Pagans, Christians, and so on -- we looked across the aisle to find the object of our reverence in the faces of the people whose spirituality is different than our own? What if the object of our worship is neither God nor our own egos, but that elusive wholeness called "spiritual community", that which transcends our individuality and becomes greater than the sum of its parts? Is that not a manifestation of "Spirit of Life" -- life evolving, life in all its diversity? Could that be our "transcendental ideal"? Might that not fill the "God-shaped hole"? Read more
In the beginning, before the Goddess (Elat) gave birth to the Earth, before the gods were born, Earth was not, nor the Heavens above. ... Read more
A timeline of Neo-Pagan history is now available at neo-paganism.org. The timeline runs more or less from through the late 19th century to the present. Your help is needed! Corrections as to dates or details are welcome. As are recommendations for additional entries. The 1990’s and 21st century are especially sparse on entries, I think, so your help there is especially welcome. Come on over and check it out and leave comments with your suggestions. Ultimately, I would like to... Read more
The Allergic Pagan
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