Practice
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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…
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Music for Atheopagan Ritual Use
The music below was recommended by members of the Atheopagan Facebook group for use in Atheopagan rituals. Particularly in solitary rituals (when, obviously, having live accompaniment isn’t possible), the addition of a musical “soundtrack” can be tremendously powerful. Also listed are some sources for chants which can be used in group rituals—singing is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together and build the sense of energy in a ritual! This list will grow as new music is suggested. Adiemus (Karl Jenkins): The Journey Anonymous4: Many disks of this a cappella women’s medieval music ensemble could work well for ritual; I prefer 11,000 Virgins: Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula by…
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Atheopagan Ritual: Gratitude and Benediction
This is one of a series of articles about creating Atheopagan rituals. They expand on the Atheopagan Ritual Primer, to which they will be added after the whole series has been published online. The previous articles in the series are Arrival, Qualities and Intentions, and Deep Play. There are also some notes on proper settings for rituals (and why we do them) here. Gratitude When the Deep Play is done, it is time to express Gratitude. Gratitude is such a key element of a happy life that even when our rituals are to assuage fear or sorrow, we must always remember the many gifts with which we are showered by the Cosmos…
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Atheopagan Ritual: Working or “Deep Play”
This is the third in a series of articles about creating Atheopagan rituals. They expand on the Atheopagan Ritual Primer, to which they will be added after the whole series has been published online. The ritual structure outlined in the Primer is: Arrival, Qualities, (Intention), Working or “Deep Play”, Gratitude and Benediction. This article focuses on the third phase: Working or Deep Play. The Working is the “meat” of the ritual–it can be the hardest phase to write about, because it can be nearly anything. It can be free-form dancing with spontaneously offered chant, song, spoken word, and music, or line or spiral dancing; it can be laying of hands on an ailing celebrant; it can…
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Ritual for Atheists: a Note of Encouragement
This post is directed to our friends in the atheist/skeptic community. Thanks for checking out Atheopaganism! I’m glad to have you here. And I want you to know that I know: it feels a bit silly to start with. When you first start doing Atheopagan rituals as an atheist who has never had a religious practice, it feels contrived and hokey and uncomfortable. It can also feel good, but the discomfort often undermines the sense of rightness or meaning rituals can bring. I know, because I went through it. It’s been nearly 30 years now, but I remember only too well how uncomfortable I was when first confronted with standing in a circle holding hands, talking in…
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Atheopagan Ritual: Invoking Qualities and Intentions
This is one of a series of articles about creating Atheopagan rituals. They expand on the Atheopagan Ritual Primer, to which they will be added after the whole series has been published online. The ritual structure outlined in the Primer is: Arrival, Qualities, (Intention), Deep Play, Gratitude, and Benediction. This article focuses on the second and optional third phases: Invocation of Qualities and Declaration(s) of Intentions. 1) QUALITIES “Calling the Qualities” is often just that: A designated celebrant encourages the circle to call out the Qualities they would like to be a part of the circle, and celebrants call them out (examples: the Ancestors; Compassion; Grief; Courage; Adventure, Strength, Health, Wisdom). It is more effective if,…
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Atheopagan Ritual: Denatured? Some Notes.
I’ve been thinking and writing about rituals recently, as I roll out a series of pieces detailing each phase of the Atheopagan ritual structure described in the Atheopagan Ritual Primer. Some naturalist Pagans express concern about the ability of humanistic/naturalistic/Atheopagan rituals to create truly transcendent experiences. Faith, it is suggested, sets the table for a far deeper experience; as atheists, we will inevitably have our rituals denatured by our lack of belief. It is fair to acknowledge that Atheopagans could potentially experience this problem. But I don’t think the characterization has to be true. I think we just have to work a little harder. Yes, we must create ritual space which enables us to background the…
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Atheopagan Ritual: Arrival
This is one of a series of articles about creating Atheopagan rituals. They expand on the Atheopagan Ritual Primer, to which they will be added after the whole series has been published online. It should be pointed out that the Atheopagan ritual structure described in the Primer and in my essay “How I Became an Atheopagan” is only one of many possible ways to structure effective ritual. The structure is a reliable way to induce the Ritual State, to do the transformational or celebratory work, and to resolve into a state of gratitude, empowerment, peace and/or energy. This, in a nutshell, is what ritual is and does. So while experimentation with structure can be fruitful,…
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The Spring Fast
John Halstead over at Patheos has an idea that I think is so great I am adopting it for myself and want to it capture here so other Atheopagans can consider it: “Lent for Pagans”, or what I am calling the Spring Fast. February and March were historically the leanest time for Europeans: the stores were growing thin, the good stuff had been eaten already, nothing had yet grown which could be gathered, and the party of Yule was long past. No surprise that customs of giving things up for religious reasons developed—culture, after all, is often driven by practical economics. The Catholic Church got something right with its conception of Lent. It’s…
