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A Mood
I have been thinking… No. I have been feeling about this community of people, the nontheist Pagan community. I have been feeling because sometimes such appreciation, such gratitude wells up in me to be with you all. So a wrote a thing. THIS Community We’re having none of the bullshit, thank you. We’ve seen the paths of the lost and confused, and chosen. We aspire: To lofty goals and a kinder world, To sense, sensibility, sensuousness, sexiness, Self-made-Sacred: Sifted Through the fine grate of experience, cultivating it, the joy. And to be better. We’re having all of the work, thank you, Because we are stained. None has escaped The gray…
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A Sad Reckoning
I had hoped that the American Presidential election would be a repudiation of Donald Trump and the divisive, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, fascistic nightmare of Trumpism. That hope was not realized. While Joe Biden–a decent man who I think will be a good though not transformative President–will eke out a victory, nearly 50% of the country voted for Trump even after watching four years of his antics and destructive policies. I could not be more disappointed…unless Trump had actually won. I don’t link to him very often, but John Beckett has a very fine piece on this. You can find it here. He has said the things I want to say.…
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Death, the Creator
Classic depictions of Death personified include skeletons carrying an hourglass or a scythe, mummified persons extending leathery hands, armies of skeletal warriors mowing down the living, or Pale Horsemen laying waste to kings, priests and children, as in the Coleman-Waite “Rider” Tarot deck. It makes complete sense that we view death with fear and revulsion. We are, after all, hardwired to wish to survive, hardwired to want to pass our genes on, however we may. Certainly, our deaths scare us. We die, and by and large, we don’t want to. But if we step back, we can see the value of death. The importance it plays in the perpetuation and…
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In Memoriam: James Randi
The Amazing Randi has left us following a remarkable 92-year life of stage magic, skeptical debunkings, and quotable quips. A beloved figure in the stage magic scene, he was an inspiration to acts like Penn and Teller and to skeptics everywhere as he unmasked deceivers like Uri Geller and Peter Popoff as showmen and frauds rather than psychics, telekinetics or faith healers. For a more exhaustive history of this remarkable man, please click here. Randi’s amazing life and remarkable late discovery that he was gay are chronicled in the film An Honest Liar, which is well worth seeking out. He was an atheist and a progressive. We Atheopagans have him…
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Presenting the Atheopagan cleric Introductory Guidebook!
This guidance resource for Atheopagan clerics includes information on legal rights and responsibilities, pastoral counseling (and what it isn’t), conducting weddings, working with the dying and grieving and conducting funerary rites, and other rites of passage. Check it out! Click here to download!
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GUEST RITUAL: Annual Lascaux Cave Rediscovery Celebration
This ritual was proposed by Michael Halloran of the Atheopagan Facebook group and perfected through input of other members of the group. Perform this ritual every September 12 to commemorate the accidental finding of this French cave in 1940. Objective: Celebrate the rediscovery of this impressive prehistoric cathedral as a community. Since most people can’t visit caves like this, and it’s often actively discouraged in order to preserve the works of art, this is a way to learn a little history, connect with the past, and have some fun as a community or family. You could use this as a lead up to your autumnal equinox celebration, since it takes…
