Politics
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The Overculture vs. Reciprocity, Redux
In western societies (like all societies), people have fundamental and largely unspoken assumptions about how the world is supposed to work and how we are to behave. Subscribers to these assumptions believe that they are inherently entitled to certain rights, for example, and that governance should protect these rights and enable redress if they are violated: something called justice. They assume that sexually exclusive life commitment by two partners is the default and only “real” relationship format, which is known as monogamy. They view men as superior to women in a wide variety of ways, and that women exist primarily to advance the wishes of men, a system called patriarchy.…
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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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Why Paganism Hasn’t Failed…Yet.
John Halstead has written an article around a table lifted from the anthology Deep Green Resistance*. It’s a great piece: go ahead and read it. I’d say that’s about 2/3 of a perfect assessment of modern Paganism and the current Pagan community…at least in the US, where I am familiar with it. He’s not wrong, and his critiques are apt…painful and embarrassing as they may be for many American Pagans. John orients his piece around this table: Now, I think one of the most incisive and true critiques in this chart are that much of modern Paganism has “adolescent values of a youth movement”: black-and-white thinking, knee-jerk resistance to authorities…
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A Sad Reckoning
I had hoped that the American Presidential election would be a repudiation of Donald Trump and the divisive, racist, misogynistic, homophobic, fascistic nightmare of Trumpism. That hope was not realized. While Joe Biden–a decent man who I think will be a good though not transformative President–will eke out a victory, nearly 50% of the country voted for Trump even after watching four years of his antics and destructive policies. I could not be more disappointed…unless Trump had actually won. I don’t link to him very often, but John Beckett has a very fine piece on this. You can find it here. He has said the things I want to say.…
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PLEASE VOTE! Atheopaganism book nominated for a “Witchie” Award!
I am so excited to announce that some wonderful person/people nominated my book, Atheopaganism: An Earth-Honoring Path Rooted in Science for a Witchie award! The Witchies are kind of like the “Pagan Oscars”, and include categories like Best Book, Best New Author, Best Vlog, etc. Atheopaganism has been nominated in the Outstanding Self-Published Book category. You can vote and help decide who wins! Visit THIS LINK to cast your vote! Thank you!
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Because I Cannot Be Silent
“George Floyd! George Floyd! George Floyd! SAY HIS NAME!”Protesters in my city, June 2, 2020 There is nothing I can say that has not been said, more articulately and with more authority. There is nothing I can add that doesn’t come through a filter of privilege. There is nothing I can do but fight for justice. But I have a forum, and I will not be silent on this. Police murder of black and brown unarmed civilians is a pandemic in the United States. It is a means that entire communities are kept under the sometimes literal boot of white privilege. It is the perpetuation of oppression dating back 400…
