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An Atheopagan Table of Correspondences
In many of the Pagan books circulating out there, a large chunk of the pages are devoted to “tables of correspondences”. These tables identify particular herbs, gems and minerals, incense scents, foods, and other materials with particular emotions, life experiences, times of year, and so forth. Well, I didn’t want Atheopagans to be left out on this sort of thing, so I’ve rigorously compiled the Atheopagan Table of Correspondences below from the great dusty volumes of the Atheopagan Book of Shadows that reside on my Focus. Enjoy! 😀 Material Correspondences Color (any): Whatever you…
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Ritual “Special Effects”
Sometimes in a ritual, a little special-effects magic can help to create that sense that “magic is happening”. Here are some effects I’ve collected from a conversation in the Atheopagan Facebook group. Burning Isopropyl alcohol. Use the full 90%+ stuff, not the 40% methanol “rubbing alcohol”. This is highly flammable and can make for a marvelous ritual effect. I have a shallow basin on a dragon-shaped pedestal that works perfectly for this. When you light it, it flares up beautifully and burns for a few minutes; if you want for it to last longer, put epsom salts in the bottom of your burning basin, which will absorb the alcohol and release…
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Does Truth Matter?
Eppur si muove. —Galileo Galilei Recently. a friend posted to the Atheopaganism Facebook group, describing a conversation she was having elsewhere in which accusations of “classism” and “colonialism” were being leveled at those who express what is almost certainly the truth: that gods and magic do not exist, except as ideas. And you know? That accusation may have a point…if that message is directed at indigenous practitioners of native spiritualities. For those people, cultural preservation is important—and threatened—no matter how out of step with objective reality their beliefs might be. They have reasons to steward and preserve their cultures which have nothing to do with how factually accurate their…
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Summer
Though weather varies widely across the planet, of course, the traditional meaning of May Day in Europe was “the beginning of Summer”. Thus, the summer solstice was termed “Midsummer”, et cetera. Here in the U.S. the unofficial beginning of summer is a little later, with the passage of Memorial Day at the end of May. Here in the Mediterranean climate of coastal northern California, our hills are now turning from green to gold as the grasses go to seed and turn tawny. It is the signal that summer has truly arrived, and we have days to match: 70s and low 80s, not quite hot enough yet to provoke the fog…
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“Familiar Spirits”
Something light for a Wednesday… Wikipedia: “In European folklore and folk-belief of the Medieval and Early Modern periods, familiar spirits (sometimes referred to simply as “familiars” or “animal guides“) were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folks in their practice of magic. According to the records of the time, they would appear in numerous guises, often as an animal…” If there is one thing that folklore seems to have gotten right about witches and pagans, it is that we like our animals. In some cases, LOTS of animals. And why not? Having animals can ease depression, reduce sense of loneliness, lower blood pressure and even reduce the chance of stroke or heart attack (study sources on the last…
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Call for Workshops! Moon Meet 2018
Hi, folks! We’re gathering proposals for workshops at Moon Meet 2018–we have some, but could use more! Moon Meet is a gathering of Atheopagans, other nontheist Pagans and those interested in or curious about our paths, to be held on the weekend of Aug. 24-26, 2018. It is held on private land in the hills outside of Healdsburg, in Sonoma County, California. For details, click here. Workshop slots are 90 minutes long. Typical topics are teaching ritual chants, drumming, dance/movement/tai chi/yoga etc., ritual poetry writing, and crafting ritual tools. We’re excited at the prospect of the second year of Moon Meet, and look forward to meeting you there!
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What Are We Doing Here?
Recently, the usually calm and civil tone of conversations on the Atheopaganism Facebook group has been roiled a bit by some contentious subject matters. Particularly, the subject of “woo”—scientifically unsupported beliefs—and whether or not it is okay for us to poke fun at these beliefs in the group provoked some very strong responses. Opinions ranged from those who felt that these beliefs should be taken seriously as possibly yet-undiscovered, real phenomena, and those who feel that in the safety of our Atheopagan space, we should be free to laugh a bit at the kinds of things non-skeptics can get up to believing. I find the Facebook group a deeply satisfying…
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A Still and Sacred Moment
When we create rituals, we define a separate condition, a special state of being within which our intentions, our aspirations and our ritual activities are expressed. The common term for this condition is “sacred space”. There are many ways to create sacred space. Among the most common is the concept of “creating a container”, which is often done by drawing or pretending to draw a circle around the area where the ritual will take place. This is an element of the beginning phase of a ritual, which I have termed Arrival. It contributes to the establishment of the ritual state of consciousness, and to the sense of security and presence which that…
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Loving the World: An Atheopagan Sex Magic Primer for May Day (NSFW)
CONTENT WARNING: This post contains frank discussion of sexuality, and is meant for adults. If you’re not one, please stop reading and go elsewhere. … … … … … … … … Loving the World: An Atheopagan Sex Magic Primer for May Day (NSFW) Spring is often thought of as the season of sex. Trees and plants are flowering, birds are nesting, and the weather finally warms up enough that people wear less clothing and thoughts turn to desire. It’s now April, coming up on May Day, which is the Sabbath celebration the metaphorical meanings of which include sexuality, attainment of adulthood and celebration of sensual pleasures. This is a time-honored…
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How’s that Maypole Thing Work?
Merry May! I thought I’d write a post about Maypoles because many people want to do Maypole rituals for May Day but don’t know the details. So here goes… First, you’re going to need a pole at least 12′ long and 5″ in diameter. These dimensions are important: you need to embed at least 18″ of the pole in the ground in order for it to be stable during the Maypole dance, and a pole of any narrower diameter will take FOREVER for the ribbons to be wrapped on the pole. Think about it: if every turn around the pole is only taking up a few inches of ribbon, you’ll…
