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May Celebrations That Aren’t About Sex
Hooray, hooray, the first of May Outdoor fucking begins today! —old saw So, Atheopaganism is a pleasure-positive path. That’s Atheopagan Principle #10: so long as others and the Sacred Earth are respected, we believe that joy and fun and feeling good are our birthrights as humans. And that includes sex. Not for us, the furtive shame around sexuality that characterizes our Abrahamic brethren and sistren! We seek to be healthy in our boundaries, communications and behaviors, and happy in our enjoyment of our appetites. Sexuality—the ritual by which each of us is created—is Sacred, and it is a Good Thing. And. And that’s great,…
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In Which I Have Nothing of Value to Say
As I have noted previously, I am a white guy. Really, really white. 23andme.com tells me that I am 99.4% northwestern European in derivation. I get that this limits my perspective in a variety of ways, and so the following may be of no value other than for the questions. I lead with this acknowledgement because often, the perspective of (straight, cis-gender) white guys is considered the “baseline” from which all other perspectives are variations. And that’s just nonsense. It isn’t logical and it isn’t moral. Even in Anglophone countries, those people aren’t even in the majority; it makes zero sense that their views should be considered the norm. Recently, we…
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Authenticity
We revere the world because it is real. It verifiably exists, and it is magnificent: it sustains us, it unfolds in its myriad, fractal ways: in forests and grasslands, in oceans and deserts, in mountains and valleys and canyons, in lakes and rivers and fog and rain and snow. It feeds us, it waters us, it sustains us with warmth and so many kindnesses that, though it isn’t volitional, we might as well poetically conceptualize it as Love. We celebrate living because we are living. We sing, we stomp, we chant, we write poetry, we make art, we drum, we play. We light the candles, we burn the fire, we…
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Practically Speaking
Atheopagan Principle 6 is about praxis: having a spiritual practice. For many, that involves rituals and seasonal celebrations. For others, simple walks in nature or periods of quiet meditation fulfill that purpose. For many who are just coming into Atheopaganism, this can be a little daunting. How to start? What is this ritual stuff, anyway? I’ve written on these questions before. But fundamentally, we say having a practice is important because to be human is to contain multitudes. We are not only actors, creators, family members, citizens. We are complex and manifold manifestations of the Universe. Each of us carries a unique poetry within us. And it is the enactment…
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Towards a Culture of Happiness
Yes, the world presents us with tremendous challenges. Yes, there are many reasons for sadness and anger and grief. Yes, there is urgency in addressing crises that threaten our very existence. So why, then, does Atheopaganism put a premium not only on being activists, but on being happy people? On having lives that are fulfilling adventures of growth and discovery? Well, I’ll tell you why. First of all, there is inherent justification in it. As Atheopagans, we know that an afterlife is highly unlikely. This is a one-time, one-way trip for each of us. Surely we should enjoy that journey as much as is reasonably possible. Pleasure is our birthright, as…
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Happy High Spring!
The vernal equinox is upon us, as of 2:58 pm PDT today! The days will be longer than the nights, and we will steadily grow in daytime through to the summer solstice on June 20. Unless you are in the Southern Hemisphere, of course, in which case, happy Autumn! A joyous holiday to all of you! For tips on how to celebrate, visit this post from last year. May your celebration of Spring be happy, silly, and childlike! Shown: Ukrainian pysanky eggs, a tradition for spring going back thousands of years.
