Naturalistic Paganism
Hear the Ocean Speak to You, Mere Mortal!
Our history as intelligent animals living in intensely social communities, where one’s connections and reputation often mean the difference between life and death, makes it obvious that our brains are hard wired to relate to things as other thinking beings. Plus, we can add that to the classic Type I/II error agency question, which give a probabilistic reason for why we assign agency (think of things as thinking beings) more often than needed (see this video). In other words, that noise in the bush is much more likely to kill you if it is another brain, and not just the wind. Read More
[Pagan in Place] “It’s Not Lammas: Hearthfire in the Texas Hill Country”, by Anna Walther
It’s not Lammas in the Texas Hill Country. The wildflowers are gone. Dry prairie grasses brown and bend beneath the scorching summer sun. The Ash tree in my front yard drops spotted yellow leaves due to heat stress. It hasn’t rained in nearly two months, and our risk of fire is high at this time of year. Read More
Happy Summer Thermstice/Lammas!
Celebrations
Heat! Summer! Productivity! These and many other themes join with the baking of bread and early harvest celebrations.
Some of the ways many of us are celebrating were published a few weeks ago, and at least for my family, celebrations have already started with our annual blueberry harvest yesterday. Plus, a recent post on the Atheopaganism site describes celebrating Summers End. Also, For some of us, the celebrations will be later this week – the actual midpoint between the Solstice and the Equinox is August 7th. However you are celebrating (including Imbolc celebrations in the Southern Hemisphere), may your be celebration be blessed.
Image by Druidstone.
This Saturday Evening, Join John Halstead and Steven Provost on the Green Egg Podcast
This Saturday, July 30, listen to the Green Egg podcast at 8pm ET/ 7pm CT/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PT, as John Halstead and Stephen Provost talk about atheist and non-theistic Paganism with the show’s hosts: Tish Owen, Aradia Lecraw, and Sylveey Selu — aka Dawn Sevier, also known as the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Two of the hosts of the show, Aradia and Dawn, also identify with Godless Paganism. You can call in with questions at (347) 857-3605.
Click here for more information.
[Rotting Silver] “Russ-saa-shee” by B. T. Newberg
I asked a Druid: Speak to trees–
Can this you really do?
She queerly led me to a tree…
I found it true indeed!
And then a person asked of me:
‘What do they say to you?’
The rustling trees that speak to me
Say ‘russss-saaaa-sheee.’
‘Russ-saa-shee’–what does it mean
This word they trust to you?
But likewise I could find no clue
To ‘russss-saaaa-sheee.’
Image Credit: Michael Gaida
Rotting Silver is a column devoted to this Earth in all its tarnished radiance: poetry, prose, and parables of ugliness alloyed with joy.
This piece was first published at The Witch’s Voice.
The Author
B. T. Newberg: Since the year 2000, B. T. has been practicing meditation and ritual from a naturalistic perspective. He currently volunteers as Education Director for the Spiritual Naturalist Society, where he created and now teaches an online course in naturalistic spirituality (including Naturalistic Paganism!). His writings can also be found at Patheos and Pagan Square, as well as right here at HP.
Professionally, he teaches English as a Second Language, and hopes to begin a PhD program in the psychology of religion soon. After living in Minnesota, England, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, he currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and cat.
After founding HumanisticPaganism.com in 2011 and serving as managing editor till 2013, he now serves as advising editor, and feels blessed to be a part of this community.
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