Community
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Atheopaganism, Cultural Appropriation and Creating New Culture
Atheopaganism as I initially described it in my essay and book was intended to create new culture: a modern Earth-revering Paganism. Rather than drawing on existing cultures or ancient ones, the oldest element directly incorporated into Atheopaganism is the “Wheel of the Year”, which has global and ancient roots for some of the holidays (like the winter solstice), but was set forth as a package in the mid-20th century by an Englishman. No cultural appropriation there. This was deliberate. I wanted to avoid the wholesale cultural appropriation of indigenous cultures from Africa, Southern Asia and the Americas that I have seen in Pagan and New Age spaces and practices. Rather,…
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Doing It Right
I have done things in my life that I am ashamed of. They are things that when I think of them–even though I no longer think in these terms–I think, “it takes a bad person to do that”. Not often, but I have done them. And I have been on the receiving end of behavior that was cruel, corrupt, underhanded and/or disregarded human value and dignity. Sadly, not nearly as rarely. While my family carries the lion’s share of responsibility on that front, some of that behavior came from within the Pagan community…particularly, from self-appointed leaders in that community. And I’ve seen behavior towards others by such leaders that is…
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Suntree Retreat 2022: A Revelation
Suntree Retreat 2022 has come and gone, and now I have to try to communicate this amazing, moving, inspiring event and how it has affected me, as well as its implications for the Atheopagan community going forward. My voyage to get there took 2-1/2 days, carpooling with fellow Atheopagan Society Council member James from the earliest hours of Wednesday so we could be in Colorado by 3 pm on Friday. We drove through green vineyards, over into the broad flat of the Sacramento Valley, climbed into the snowy peaks and forests of the Sierra Nevada past Lake Tahoe and then down to the broad sagebrush desert valleys of the Great…
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Welcome to the Resistance (US)
With the leak of a draft opinion overturning the pivotal Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed all people with uteruses the right to an abortion through the first trimester of pregnancy, shock waves are rippling across the United States. It won’t stop here. This Court has revealed its radical, reactionary and activist nature. It is highly likely that the right to access contraception, the right to privacy in consenting conduct between adults (which legalized same-sex sexual acts but also has implications for people in alternative relationship configurations like BDSM relationships and polyamory), and even the right to same-sex marriage are on the chopping block. Unless some unforeseen change…
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From the Atheopagan Society: A Statement of Policy Values
Ours is an engaged spirituality: engaged in society, engaged in the world. Atheopagans care not only about our own growth, joy in living, discovery and wonder, but the well-being of our fellow humans and the biosphere of which we are each a part. Our Atheopagan values, enshrined in the Four Sacred Pillars and the 13 Principles, are modern, progressive, inclusive, and in some cases have radical implications for improving conditions in our world. We understand the destructive and unsustainably rapacious nature of industrial capitalism, and know the values that dominate the world must change for justice, biodiversity, kindness and happiness to prevail. This is not just abstract. Activism is a…
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN for an Upcoming Online Class: ATHEOPAGANISM: The Cleric’s Path
I am happy to announce an online class on Zoom, entitled ATHEOPAGANISM: The Cleric’s Path. The class is in three segments on Sundays at 10 AM Pacific Time (so our European friends can join us), starting March 27, continuing on April 10 and finishing on April 24. Each segment is 90 minutes in length. You do not need to be an ordained Atheopagan cleric to take the course. Tuition for the course is $75, and you can register and remit your tuition by clicking here. When paying, please be sure to write in the notes field “registration for cleric’s class”. This course will cover all the skill and knowledge areas…
