Naturalistic Paganism
My ancestors built great circles of stones that represented their perception of real time and space – cosmic calendars. They went to great lengths and detail to get it right. It was obviously very important to them to have the stones of a particular kind, in the right positions according to position of the Sun at different times of the year, and then to celebrate within it. [See Martin Brennan, The Stones of Time, 1994.]
“Plants as Aliens”, by Brock Haussamen
Plants are so familiar to us that we don’t see them very well. We look at them and think about them according mostly to how we use them—for food and beauty. To shift our perspective, I’ll look at plants as if they were strangers from another planet, as plant-aliens. Making them weirder may make them more vivid.
A Call to the Humanistic Pagan Community: Please help Glen Gordon
My friend and fellow Humanistic Pagan contributor, Glen Gordon, has asked the HP community for help.
Glen is struggling with health issues and other personal issues that make it imperative for his emotional and psychological health that he relocate as soon as possible. Glen needs $600 for a deposit on a new apartment. Since he will be moving with little more than the clothes on his back, Glen also needs money to furnish the apartment, like a bed and kitchen supplies.
This is an opportunity for us to show the kind of community we are. It is an opportunity for us to help take care of one of our own. This year, HP did not do a funding drive. I would ask that what money you might have contributed to HP go to Glen this year.
For those of you who know me, but not Glen, I can personally vouch for you. For those of you who know Glen, he needs no one to vouch for him. Glen has struggled with these problems for a long time without asking for our help, and what he has asked for is very modest in comparison to his needs.
If you are able, please help him. Click this link to go to contribute.
Living in Dark Days, by Mark Green [an Atheopagan Life]
One thing most Pagan theists have that Atheopagans do not is a belief that their gods care about Earthly matters. Read More
Yule (the Winter Solstice) is right around the corner!
So how will you be celebrating? There are only three Fridays left before Yule (the Winter Solstice)! This is going out a week early because for many of us, this is a Sabbat that takes a little more preparation (and if you are buying gifts, the HP Gift List here might help). Whether that’s due to cultural inertia, or kid’s expectations, the importance of Stars and this Sabbat, or whatever, it’s a big deal in our family. We’ve already started the Solstice doors and decorating. If you have been doing your Winter Solstice traditions for years, if you are just starting your family and are currently building the traditions which will bring the Universe to your kids, or anything in between, I hope that the traditions and practices here are found to be useful, inspiring, or just comforting.
For me, this Sabbat was my gateway – the first holiday I added to my life after leaving all Catholic holidays behind as insignificant to our human future. I started watching our Sun rise on the Winter Solstice – a tradition linking me to millions of Ancestors across the globe for thousands of years. I found out how real, powerful, and universal this holiday is in one way or another, and how natural it was for this season to capture our human attention. The rest of the Wheel followed easily from there.
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Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 