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GUEST POST: An Atheopagan Example (starring: Hekate!)
by Kaigi-Ron Why did I choose Hekate? Because she controls liminal space – including the thin line between Life and Death. I was so deeply depressed, I felt doomed to die – so I wanted to cut a deal with her: If I die, please do what you can to prevent me from suffering too much on the way out. The one Atheopagan Principle I’ve generally been weak on is #6 (“PRAXIS: I enact regular ritual as a part of my practice”). But this ritual actually helped save my life. So, for those on the fence as to whether or not it’s worth it to do ritual, I say: At…
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That Shameful Secret
For some, it’s the atheism. For others, the Paganism. And for others still, of course, both. There is a lot of prejudice and delusion out there, and people jealously guard their beliefs. When confronted with someone who believes differently, many of them…well, not to put too fine a point on it, freak out. I wish I could advise you all just to tough it out, to let your rational, Earth-loving flag fly. Because it is definitely something to be proud of. You embody Principles and Values that are honorable and meaningful, and stand for a better world. But unfortunately, some of those prejudiced and closed-minded people are prone to violence.…
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GUEST POST: By Helping Your Community, You’re Helping the World
By Meredith Jones The world is a truly unforgiving place, which is why we all need to band together, look out for each other, and help one another. Of course, there are those who need more help than others, and it’s for their benefit that we’ve created this list. The fact is that we all have the responsibility to hold up those who may be finding themselves at the bottom — a courtesy that we’d want extended our way if roles were reversed. It’s not even anything heroic, but rather, just basic human decency. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at who we can help and how. The…
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Confessions of an Obligate Psychonaut
I’m a psychedelic survivor. No, wait. I said that incorrectly. I have survived because of psychedelics. There, that’s better. Now, people have varying opinions about this class of drug…and all drugs which are used by some for fun and recreation. This is a big subject, and I hope to unpack it, but let me disclose my bias at the outset: Illegal psychedelic drugs saved my life. True story. I’ll get into that in a minute. Settle in: it’s a long one. The backstory of all of this, of course is Calvinism: the deep, inchoate Protestant fear that someone, somewhere is having a good time. Pleasure phobia is deeply baked into…
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Midsummer 2020
In the Northern Hemisphere, the long days are upon us*! These are the days of Midsummer. Click here for all the previous posts about this Sabbath. To me, Midsummer is the celebration of the prime of life–of robust, confident adulthood (rather than the urgent young adulthood of May Day), and, in the agricultural cycle, of relaxation and ease between the earlier plowing, sowing and planting and the later harvest Sabbaths. Many Midsummers I have celebrated have been times to deliberately, conscientiously goof off: to relax, eat and socialize with friends. Perhaps to go to the beach, which is a fine Midsummer tradition. But this is the (first?) year of COVID-19.…
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Ritual and Self Care for Protesters
Had enough? World just about all you can take? Well, first of all, if you aren’t one, welcome to the world of black and brown people. Maybe reflect on that for awhile. But beyond that, let’s talk about tools to help us manage. To help us feel better despite the Plague, despite the horror, despite the injustice and the violence and the betrayal by those who were supposed to help. It’s Wednesday evening as I speak. It has been two weeks and two days since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis policeman and his accomplices. Protests continue to thunder around the United States and elsewhere in the world,…
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