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Register now for MOON MEET 2019!
The third annual Moon Meet is a congregation of Atheopagans, non-theist Pagans and others interested in our paths, held from Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21, on private land on a redwood-covered mountain near Healdsburg, in the beautiful wine country of Sonoma County, California. Registration is now open! Click here to register! Moon Meet—named because we will hold it during the weekend nearest the full moon—is a group camping gathering; a few indoor sleeping locations are available by prior arrangement for those disabled or coming from distance and unable to bring their gear along. We will share meals and workshops, hold a community discussion about how our Atheopagan community is developing…
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May Celebrations That Aren’t About Sex
Hooray, hooray, the first of May Outdoor fucking begins today! —old saw So, Atheopaganism is a pleasure-positive path. That’s Atheopagan Principle #10: so long as others and the Sacred Earth are respected, we believe that joy and fun and feeling good are our birthrights as humans. And that includes sex. Not for us, the furtive shame around sexuality that characterizes our Abrahamic brethren and sistren! We seek to be healthy in our boundaries, communications and behaviors, and happy in our enjoyment of our appetites. Sexuality—the ritual by which each of us is created—is Sacred, and it is a Good Thing. And. And that’s great,…
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In Which I Have Nothing of Value to Say
As I have noted previously, I am a white guy. Really, really white. 23andme.com tells me that I am 99.4% northwestern European in derivation. I get that this limits my perspective in a variety of ways, and so the following may be of no value other than for the questions. I lead with this acknowledgement because often, the perspective of (straight, cis-gender) white guys is considered the “baseline” from which all other perspectives are variations. And that’s just nonsense. It isn’t logical and it isn’t moral. Even in Anglophone countries, those people aren’t even in the majority; it makes zero sense that their views should be considered the norm. Recently, we…
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Authenticity
We revere the world because it is real. It verifiably exists, and it is magnificent: it sustains us, it unfolds in its myriad, fractal ways: in forests and grasslands, in oceans and deserts, in mountains and valleys and canyons, in lakes and rivers and fog and rain and snow. It feeds us, it waters us, it sustains us with warmth and so many kindnesses that, though it isn’t volitional, we might as well poetically conceptualize it as Love. We celebrate living because we are living. We sing, we stomp, we chant, we write poetry, we make art, we drum, we play. We light the candles, we burn the fire, we…
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Practically Speaking
Atheopagan Principle 6 is about praxis: having a spiritual practice. For many, that involves rituals and seasonal celebrations. For others, simple walks in nature or periods of quiet meditation fulfill that purpose. For many who are just coming into Atheopaganism, this can be a little daunting. How to start? What is this ritual stuff, anyway? I’ve written on these questions before. But fundamentally, we say having a practice is important because to be human is to contain multitudes. We are not only actors, creators, family members, citizens. We are complex and manifold manifestations of the Universe. Each of us carries a unique poetry within us. And it is the enactment…
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Towards a Culture of Happiness
Yes, the world presents us with tremendous challenges. Yes, there are many reasons for sadness and anger and grief. Yes, there is urgency in addressing crises that threaten our very existence. So why, then, does Atheopaganism put a premium not only on being activists, but on being happy people? On having lives that are fulfilling adventures of growth and discovery? Well, I’ll tell you why. First of all, there is inherent justification in it. As Atheopagans, we know that an afterlife is highly unlikely. This is a one-time, one-way trip for each of us. Surely we should enjoy that journey as much as is reasonably possible. Pleasure is our birthright, as…
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Happy High Spring!
The vernal equinox is upon us, as of 2:58 pm PDT today! The days will be longer than the nights, and we will steadily grow in daytime through to the summer solstice on June 20. Unless you are in the Southern Hemisphere, of course, in which case, happy Autumn! A joyous holiday to all of you! For tips on how to celebrate, visit this post from last year. May your celebration of Spring be happy, silly, and childlike! Shown: Ukrainian pysanky eggs, a tradition for spring going back thousands of years.
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Shadow and Light
The equinox, which I name High Spring, is upon us. To me, this is a happy time of innocence and play. A time for bright colors and candy and finally—finally—having light in the evenings and a sun warm enough to feel on my skin. But today, I am so sad. So disturbed. The white supremacist murder sprees at two mosques in New Zealand are simply sickening. That we have people so damaged, so filled with hatred in this world just breaks my heart. Half light, half darkness. That’s the equinox. And the world itself, it seems. The extraordinary poet W.S. Merwyn died yesterday as well, after a long and productive life.…
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The Sabbath of Innocence
On March 20, we will come around again to the vernal equinox, which in my Wheel of the Year I name High Spring. In the metaphorical arc of the year, High Spring is the time of youth–of childhood. As it happens, I don’t have children in my life very much. I have none of my own, and of the local friends I have with kids, they are older: teens and young adults. And my experience of childhood was anything but innocent. So the concept of childhood isn’t exactly happy and light in my own experience. Yet I can imagine. I imagine the sheer wonder of a rattle shaking, of soap…
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Take a Moment: A Meditation
As I begin this blog post, I am sitting in bed, sipping coffee. It is early morning. A series of waves of Canada geese are going overhead. I can’t see them, but I can hear them crying into the sky as they make their way onward. I think of Mary Oliver, of course, and remember that I do not have to be good. That here on Earth, there is a place for me in the family of things. As that youthful sage (and paragon of white privilege, to be honest), Ferris Bueller, would tell us: life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you…
