Pagan
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Protip for Straight Pagan Men
There’s a thing straight Pagan men do. As I’ve observed it, they kind of do it a lot. Recently, I’ve had a couple of conversations that have brought this issue into high relief. They do it mostly to signal to women they don’t know very well—but are attracted to—that they are hip and cool and sex-positive. It’s this: they make sexual jokes. Double entendres, puns. “That’s what she said.” Guys, please stop this. It’s creepy. It makes people uncomfortable. Not to put too fine a point on it, when it’s unwelcome, it’s sexual harassment. By definition, unwelcome sexual overtures, jokes, suggestions are all sexual harassment. And here’s the thing, gentlemen: with…
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Real Magic
Reality. It’s filled with marvels! It is not, however, filled with every marvel we can imagine. There are no dragons, nor unicorns. There are no pixies or fairies. And there is no “magic” in the sense of spellcasting, “charging” items with “power” or “energy”, hexes, curses, or otherwise affecting the course of events without material cause. Just as there are no gods, there is no magic. If we soberly consider the evidence, the conclusion is inevitable. Except…well, wait a minute. When a ritual adds to your confidence and performance in a job interview, is that magic? When a ceremony breaks open longheld rage and transmutes it to grief and healing?…
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Children in Circle
Recently, there has been some discussion in the Pagan blogosphere about children in ritual circle: whether and when they belong there, what the considerations are. Those of us with experience circling in Pagan ritual know that this can be an issue. A crying baby, an ebullient toddler, a sullen, checked-out teenager who just stands there and refuses to participate…these are all distractions that can make it hard for a ritual to bring participants into the Ritual State* (also known as Presence, Trance, or Flow). I’ll be the first to admit: I’ve been in rituals that were pretty much ruined for me by kids. I’ve also been in rituals where the…
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Godless Paganism declared “The Pagan Book of the Year!”
I was so proud to be a part of the creation of John Halstead’s Godless Paganism, and wanted to let all you Atheopagans know that Megan Manson of the Pagan Tama blog on Patheos has rated it the top Pagan book of the year! If you still don’t have a copy, you can pick it up at http://www.lulu.com/shop/john-halstead/godless-paganism-voices-of-non-theistic-pagans/paperback/product-22646041.html. Or save money and paper and buy the e-book at http://www.lulu.com/shop/john-halstead/godless-paganism-voices-of-non-theistic-pagans/ebook/product-22635653.html Lulu has a 20% off sale going through the end of the year, so get yours now!
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A Pagan Opportunity to Reflect
Recently, John Beckett wrote on “A Pagan Crisis of Faith“. Beckett’s central premise in this piece is that from time to time, and especially when confronted with extreme circumstances, some theistic Pagans will come to a point where they question their beliefs in gods. However, he argues, what they should really be doing is doubling down on their credulity, seeing such major life events as reflecting the actions of gods or “fae” or what have you in the way of invisible, magical entities. Unsurprisingly, I have a different take. I think that when crises arise in life, it is an opportunity for us to shed comforting illusions: to realize that there…
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Looking Forward
So, Gavin Frost died. And several writers I respect have weighed in on his shameful legacy. I can’t say any better what they have, and my rule-of-blog is not to repeat what’s already out there. What I can say, though, is that the death of this awful human is an opportunity to speak about what it is that makes Atheopaganism different. Or potentially so. Atheopaganism is a forward-looking religion. We don’t claim to derive from a lineage or tradition, and as such, we are neither beholden to nor reverent towards so-called elders. Did those who helped to create Paganism help to pave the way for where we are here? Yes. Did those who helped to…
