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Atheopagan Rites of Passage
Traditionally, rituals have not only been for holidays or personal practice. They also mark milestones in life, when something major is occurring and the community wants to acknowledge that change. Naming ceremonies, passages into adulthood, weddings, and funerals are all examples of rites of passage. This is a tradition that appears to go back a long way. There is a Paleolithic cave in France which preserves the footprints of children dancing in a circle, and it is possible that this evidence, plus the hundreds of hand prints—each of a different person—found on the walls of many of these caves marks the traces of truly ancient passage rites. In such caves, the…
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FINAL ROUND: Atheopagan Symbol Contest
Okay, here we go! We’re almost there. This is the final grouping of symbols from which to choose. Three are the top three vote-getters from the previous round; four are late submissions that I wanted to make sure had a chance. Please vote here or on the Facebook group for ONE ONLY, by JULY 31. Thanks so much to everyone who submitted designs and for your participation in this community process!
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In Memoriam: Morwen Two Feathers
“To know who I REALLY am, you have to look into my eyes and dance when I drum.” I learned today that my friend Morwen Two Feathers has died, following five years of living with brain cancer. Morwen and her husband were among the early pioneers of what would come to be known as the Fire Circle tradition, a ritual tradition that is now practiced in many events throughout the country and the world, by a community of which I have been a happy member since the early 2000s. She was a woman of kindness, wisdom, humor and integrity, and a terrific ritual drummer. For more than 25 years, Morwen was…
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Moon Meet: Free or Discounted Tix!
Due to a generous contribution, we are able to offer some FREE or discounted admissions to Moon Meet, happening in Sonoma County, California on Aug. 24-26! If you would like to take advantage of this, please email me ASAP at atheopagan@comcast.net Moon Meet is an in-person gathering of Atheopagans and friends for fellowship, workshops, discussions and rituals. I hope to meet you there!
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Seize the (Unusual) Day!
Recently, I posted about customizing your own Atheopagan Wheel of the Year— creating a cycle of observances of the equinoxes, solstices and points between as an 8-holiday cycle of rituals and traditions. However, I believe there are more holidays (“holy days”) than just these. Those on the Wheel are the ones we can predict will come every year, but there are also unusual and amazing phenomena that come along once in a very great while which we should also take time out to celebrate. Here where I live in Northern California, for example, thunder and lightning are almost unheard of. They require a combination of precipitation and heat that we just…
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A Quick Navigation Guide to the Site
There is now a lot of material on Atheopaganism on this site! Here are some pointers for finding the information and resources you may be seeking. The founding essay describing how I came to arrive at and envision the naturalistic Pagan path of Atheopaganism is here. A video introduction to Atheopaganism is here. The Resources page contains links to a wide range of useful materials such as the essay, the Atheopagan Ritual Primer, an event planning guide, an Atheopagan “hymnal” of songs and poems, a page of Sabbath recipes, a printable one-sheet of the Atheopagan Principles, a recommended reading list, and other useful material. The post on starting your Atheopagan practice and planning rituals is…
