Principles
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Harvest of Ashes: A Shadow Sabbath
It’s supposed to be a time of bounty: the gardens overflowing, the grapes coming in to be crushed, the hard blue sky of autumn whispering, “hurry, time’s a-wasting.” A time for feasting with friends and reveling in sunsets; a time for sporadic hints of the wild weather to come. But what are we to make of Harvest—of the autumnal equinox—when the crops have failed or burned? How do we celebrate plenty when we are bereft? How, in short, do we observe the Wheel of the Year when life isn’t cooperative with its narratives? When tragedy comes at High Spring, or birth at Hallows, or joblessness at Yule, how do we continue…
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Atheopaganism and Learning to Love
As humans, we can’t really help but view many of our relationships as transactional: I give you X, and you give me Y. If I’m extra-good/nice/obedient, you may give me Z. It’s how we learn to relate to our parents, and sadly, many adult relationships are still based on a transactional model. If they were not, there would be no such thing as diamond jewelry. As Atheopagans, we understand that we are part of the broader Universe. We thus have relationships with one another and with the Universe as a whole. But we know that the Universe isn’t listening to us, judging us, expecting us to “evolve” or develop “wisdom”, or…
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A Sticky, Sweaty, Complicated Mess (That Nearly Everyone Wants)
We were up long before the day-o To welcome in the summer, to welcome in the May-o For sumer is icumen in, and winter’s gone away-o! May Day has just passed, which many Pagans know as Beltane, the festival of young adulthood, love, and sexuality. Time for rising early to greet the dawn—if you haven’t been up all night—wearing floral wreaths, dancing ribbons about tall phallic Maypoles, sipping May wine … and making out, at least, if not making love. There is, of course, a great deal of variation within any large community, but part of what distinguishes the Pagan community generally from the mainstream culture is that it describes itself as “sex-positive”.…
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Exploring the Atheopagan Principles: Principle 13—Kindness and Compassion
This is the (expected) final post of a 13-part series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. The thirteenth Atheopagan Principle reads, “I practice kindness and compassion with others and myself, recognizing that they and I will not always meet the standards set by these principles.” In the end, kindness and compassion—rather than anger, judgment and resentment—are the best means to live a happy life. It is far easier to carry around a nuanced understanding of a conflict that acknowledges the humanity of the person who has…
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Exploring the Atheopagan Principles: Principle 12—Integrity
This is the next-to-last of a 13-part series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. The twelfth Atheopagan Principle reads, “I conduct myself with integrity in word and deed.” This one sounds a bit stuffy. It’s an absolute statement and seems to imply that Atheopagans should be Boy and Girl Scouts. But I really don’t mean it that way. Integrity is actually the path of least resistance for a lower-stress, higher-happiness life. Even though at times it forces you to stand up for something unpopular—or to acknowledge some…
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Exploring the Atheopagan Principles: Principle 11—Curiosity
This is the eleventh of a 13-part series on the Atheopagan Principles as I described them in my essay, “How I Became an Atheopagan”. To read the whole series, click on “Atheopagan Principles” in the tag cloud to the right. The eleventh Atheopagan Principle reads, “I understand that knowledge is never complete. There is always more to be learned.” It tells us to be curious and open-minded. This is a core value for anyone following a scientific cosmology, because science must be open to learning that its previous conclusions were inaccurate or incomplete if it is presented with evidence which compels a change in understanding. It doesn’t mean believing or taking seriously…
