Naturalistic Paganism
Pre-Order Your Copy of “Godless Paganism: Voices of Non-Theistic Pagans”
You can still pre-order your copy of Godless Paganism and take advantage of the other perks. Contributions over $45 will get an acknowledgment in the book itself. CLICK HERE to order now.
All profits over and above our funding goal will go to The Wild Hunt’s fall funding campaign! If we collect $500 over our goal, we can place a graphical ad for HumansiticPaganism.com at the WildHunt.org.
And don’t forget to send your writing submissions for the book to humanisticpaganism[at]gmail[dot]com.
November’s Themes are Pantheism and Naturalistic Cosmology
Several individuals who are important to Humanistic Pagans were born in November, including the pantheist Baruch Spinoza (Nov. 24, 1632), the pantheist John Toland (Nov. 30, 1670), the pantheist and one of the fathers of Neo-Paganism, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart (born Timothy Zell, Nov. 30, 1942), and the cosmologist Carl Sagan (Nov. 9, 1934). Some humanists celebrate “Sagan Day” on Nov. 9. In honor of these individuals, our themes for the month of November will be Pantheism and Naturalistic Cosmology. Send your submissions to humanisticpaganism[at]gmail[dot]com.
“Why I am a godless Heathen”
This essay was originally published at Boxing Pythagoras.
Having already related to my readers “Why I am not a Christian,” I thought I might take some time to talk about what I am: I am a godless Heathen.
It is not uncommon to find modern atheists who jokingly refer to themselves as “godless heathens.” They use the title satirically, to poke fun at the unwarranted derision laid upon a person by some Christians over the simple fact that atheists don’t believe in God. It hearkens back to a period when Christianity had actual legal authority, in the Western world, and the charge of being a “godless heathen” was a criminal offense resulting in a capital punishment. However, this is not what I mean when I use the term “godless Heathen,” as in the title of this article. To be fair, I also intend this sort of tongue-in-cheek reference, but my usage actually carries a further weight which is not generally shared by most of the other atheists that I have met. When I say that I am a “godless Heathen,” I am actually referring to the fact that I am an atheist who practices Norse Heathenry. Read More
[A Pedagogy of Gaia] “The P-Word” by Bart Everson
I have quite a bit of ambivalence about the P-word. I doubt anyone’s noticed, but I make an effort to avoid it while writing this column. That may seem faintly ridiculous. After all, I’m writing for a site called Humanistic Paganism. Who am I trying to kid? Read More
[Starstuff, Contemplating] “The Circle of Death & Life” by Jon and Heather Cleland Host
Samhain Altar
The secrets of evolution are time and death. — Carl Sagan
The wind rustles the branches of the trees causing leaves to fall, forming a colorful veil in the autumn air. Children walk along the sidewalk, kicking the leaves, laughing. The dying leaves of the trees are glorious, and their dance to the ground is urgent and joyful. Yet, their falling signifies their end, and the beginning of the dormancy of the trees. Life and death are bound together. Samhain is the eighth of the Celtic holidays. It is the night when it is said the veil between life and death is thin. Autumn is a time of harvest, and Samhain is the final harvest. We feel the closeness of death as winter approaches. Plants die or go dormant. It is not surprising that we might find ourselves reflecting on death as we go into winter. Yet, as with so many cultures, we approach this reflection with color, beauty and wild celebration. Read More
Buy Godless Paganism (paperback)
Buy Godless Paganism (ebook)
Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 