Reprinted with permission from a Facebook group. Micheal York is a Pagan theologian and teaches at Cherry Hill Seminary. I want to talk about the gods. We probably all think of the gods differently, and some of us do not think of them at all and/or discount any existential propensity to them. For some of us they are symbols; for others they are real beings. I have currently some provocative students through my CHS module on the World’s Religions. Several... Read more
This morning, stemming from Laura Patsouris’ recent post, I had an interesting, brief exchange with Jonathan Korman on romanticism in Paganism. I stated that romanticism and the fanciful were necessary for religion to be religion, and that they had a greater power and energy on their own than when grounded in reality. Jonathan’s response was “Aye. But it’s good to be aware of when we’re being romantic.” On reading his response my first thought was of Socrates stating that “the... Read more
Once upon a time we all lived in tribal societies. We all knew the value of acknowledging our interconnectedness with the ancestors, land spirits and our ancestral Gods. We understood that life on Earth is a delicate balance between all these forces and that, while humanity plays a significant role, we are not at the top of the spiritual food chain. We understood that we are more than our egos, more than mere personalities: our power comes from understanding that... Read more
We all know the jokes. Heathens are Klingons, Recons are Vulcans, and oh, there are a lot of choices for the Borg nowadays. Back when I first heard the joke, Llewellyn was the Borg, but Witch School might make as amusing a candidate nowadays. Jokes aside, I think there are a lot of similarities between Modern Paganism and the Star Trek canon. The United Federation of Planets, and it’s exploration/peacekeeping/diplomatic arm Starfleet, aims to promote peace, justice, liberty, cooperation, and... Read more
I’m not a “woo-woo” Pagan. When someone tells me they can chat with their cat on the astral plane, I may be nodding politely while actually thinking they need a mental health check up. People who resort to magic for every little thing annoy me, and I secretly think that sometimes magic is just an excuse to shop. Metaphysical stores smell good and are full of pretties. I get that. I have no interest in books of spells, in talking... Read more
There will be no book eight. There will be no more movies. Daniel Radcliffe will never don those silly specs again. Sad, isn’t it? I’m not ready to let go. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows still sits on my bookshelf unread. As long as I don’t read it, they don’t die, right? It doesn’t end? I’m told it ends well. I’m told my questions are answered. I’m told the epilogue is crap but that I’ll get over it. But... Read more
Wicca is by nature a revolutionary religion. Rebellion laces it’s liturgy and mythos. According to legend, Wicca is what happened when Paganism was driven underground by a violent combination of Christianity and absolute monarchy. I don’t know the truth about Wicca’s history and doubt anyone ever will. Yet in idle moments I find myself considering the “might have beens” and meditating on what the value of our legends are to our souls. Whatever the scholarship of our history may uncover,... Read more
The news of Westboro Baptist’s planned protest of Sgt. Balduf’s funeral soon lit up the internet and social media sites, and supporters and volunteers sprung into action. According to a local news report about two thousand people showed up to support Sgt Balduf’s family, and to act as a visible and audible screen against the Westboro Baptist members. But what you won’t find in any other news report of that day, is the fact that among the vast crowd of anti-protesters, were two Asatru associated with the local White Oak Kindred. Read more
Civil rights is the defining issue of our age. My grandparents were born into a generation that for the first time had never lived in a country where women could not vote. Growing up in Atlanta in the 50’s and 60’s, racial equality shaped my parents worldview. My generation is fighting for civil rights still: the right to marry and the right to practice our faith. In my lifetime the Helms Amendment has died, the pentacle has appeared on the... Read more
I can’t do the post I wanted to do today, today, and since I’ve waited this long I just want to say I love Dan Savage. I think he makes a good point in this video, and I promise a real post tomorrow. NSFW! And I’d like to say I do love being in a religion where homophobia is a rarity. That simply rocks! Read more
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