Practice
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Recipes for Sabbath Feasts
Here is a grab-bag of seasonal deliciousness, as crowdsourced by members of the Atheopagan Facebook group. Enjoy! Yule Mulled Wine—Mark Green 1 (375-ml) bottle of red or tawny port wine 2 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon (cheap! Don’t do this to the good stuff!) 1/2 cup honey 2 cinnamon sticks 2 oranges, zested and juiced 8 whole cloves 6 star anise 4 oranges, peeled, for garnish Combine the red wine (not the port), honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Add port wine. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each…
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The Ritual Mask—A Project
Awhile back, I wrote about the ritual technique of adopting the “mask” of a Quality, attribute, natural phenomenon or even god/dess for purposes of embodying that personality in a ritual. I called the technique the “God mask”. While this technique can be used without an actual physical mask, it’s far more effective using one. And this means that among our ritual tools, it’s a good idea to have one or more masks that we can use in our work. As it happens, I own quite a few masks. I have a small collection of Sub-Saharan African artworks, among them some masks, and I have a few others as well,…
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Atheopagan Ritual “Witchery”
I’ve taken a little latitude with the title of this post. What I want to talk about is ritual behavior the purpose of which is simply to connect with the natural world: rituals that take place in nature and are done to “say hello”, in effect, rather than to achieve some internal transformation, collective shift of consciousness or connection, or celebration of a season’s arrival. Ritual behavior out in the wild using all-natural found materials seems “witchy” to me, so I used the word. I don’t generally think of myself as doing witchy things, so I see what I’m discussing here as somehow categorically different from those rituals which have more specific intentions. If…
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Priest/esshood, Leadership and Atheopaganism
If you come to Atheopaganism from other Pagan paths, you may have noticed something in my writing, at least: there is no mention of priesthood or priestesshood. That’s not an oversight. Rituals very often have leaders. There is usually one person (sometimes two, but rarely more except with very large groups) who shepherds the flow of the ritual through its phases. This is inevitable and proper: leadership is a real function and all human groups have examples of how it is exercised, even in groups with completely flat power structures. Leading a successful ritual—helping to “move the energy” or facilitate the smooth building of emotion and Presence—is a learned skill, and a powerful…
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The Jewel—A Solitary Ritual
This is a solitary ritual for personal growth and healing work. It is especially recommended for those who struggle with suffering due to past abuse or neglect. Arrange a Focus with a mirror in the center, flanked by candles, and a cup or chalice of wine or flavorful juice. Burn a delicious-smelling incense: I recommend Russian Orthodox incense (available at most Orthodox book stores) for this ritual. It may help to print the meditations on little cards and prop them against the bottom of the mirror so you can read them while maintaining your gaze on your reflection. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath–going in, and out, your…
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Practices: Atheopaganism at Home
As suggested in Atheopagan Principle 6, religion is something we do, not just something we think and talk about. And as a new path we are developing, Atheopaganism, too, must have ways we can regularly observe and celebrate our beliefs—not only every 6-1/2 weeks on a Sabbath, but daily, or weekly, or monthly, depending on how much religious observance you want in your life. If celebrating the Wheel of the Year is enough religious practice in your life, that’s great. But if not, here is a set of suggestions for practices that can be integrated into day-to-day living. You can do them either alone, or with your family. Daily I find that just a few…
