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Midsummer
Historically, Midsummer—also known as the summer solstice, or the Longest Day, coming up this year on June 21—was a time of enjoyment. Crops had been planted, but they weren’t bearing yet, so there was little to do but celebrate the long days and have a good time. Garden vegetables were beginning to produce and lambs and new goats were mature enough to cull, so there were food and drink, and time to enjoy one another’s company, create culture, and live at ease. Today, sadly, most people aren’t even aware that the summer solstice is upon them. It passes as just another day, despite the fact that we make such a…
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Canceled: Moon Meet 2019
Unfortunately, due to lack of registration, I’m going to have to cancel the third Moon Meet gathering, which was scheduled for July. One day, there will be enough motivation, energy and resources in the Atheopagan community for us to have in-person gatherings at other than a very local level. But it’s important to be realistic, and this particular event isn’t thriving. Meanwhile, Atheopagan U. is a GO! We move onward!
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The Magic of a World Without Magic
Atheopagans are what is called in philosophical circles naturalists. That means that we believe that everything is a part of nature, is composed of natural material, and is subject to the laws of physics. Everything. Accordingly, barring the arrival of a substantial and compelling body of evidence in support of the idea that rituals and mental effort can and do affect physical events at a distance in time or space—i.e., “magic”—we don’t believe in that, either. There are some in other Pagan paths who express pity for this position (not to mention resentment, but that’s another matter). As if living in a world without gods, without ghosts or demons or fairies…
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Join Us for “Atheopaganism U.”!
Please note that the first session of Atheopaganism U. is filled. If you would like to be put on the list for the next session, please use the Contact page form. I’m excited to announce that I am launching an online course in the Atheopagan path, “Atheopaganism U.”, with the first class starting June 1, 2019! All details about Atheopaganism U. are available by clicking the University tab or following the link in this sentence. I hope you’ll consider joining us!
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Living in a Sacred World
Nature is magnificent. Daily, we have sunsets and sunrises, trees and birds and all sorts of magnificent creatures. Frequently, we have new-burgeoning crescent Moons or full Moons or waning, deep-into-the-night Moons, casting their silver magic across the land. Rarely, we have sundogs and auroras and eclipses and comets. Experientially, we have mountaintops and forest walks. We have riversong. We have ocean waves and orgasms and the soft, warm glow of a hallucinogen coming on. We have the sweat of exertion and the exultation of dance, the thrill of skin on skin. We have seasonal rituals and rich, alive moments of intimacy. We have love and connection and deep conversation, and…
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Towards a Spirituality of Responsibility
Paganism is fun. It is: it’s playful, humorous, creative, sexy, joyous, and results in communities which are often wonderful to belong to*. Atheism isn’t so fun—often, it’s stuck in fascination with being “right”—but it is grounded in reason and evidence and, thus, in what we can say with confidence is reality and not fantasy. Putting them together can result in a cross-pollination that imbues the combination with joy, exploration, groundedness, wonder, reason and humor. It can also help us transcend some of the inherent flaws in each approach on its own. Paganism can be self-indulgent, consumeristic, credulous, reflexively hostile to any suggestion that Pagans should be accountable to others, and—while…
