Naturalistic Paganism
The Wheel of Evolution: Litha
Dr. Eric Steinhart draws on his philosophical background to create a naturalistic foundation for the Pagan Wheel of the Year. To better understand axiarchism, the philosophy on which Dr. Steinhart draws to create a Naturalistic Pagan theology, see Part 1 and Part 2 of his essay “Axiarchism and Paganism”.
At Litha, the power of the sun reaches its maximum. Litha therefore signifies the prime of life, the climax of cosmic complexity. As far as we can tell, we are the most sophisticated things to evolve in the universe. Of course, this happy self-assessment needs to be tempered by the recognition that our existence is merely an evolutionary accident. We are not the goal of the cosmos. Furthermore, it seems likely that our universe either already contains or will contain forms of life far more complex than humans. If we ever learn about them, we will need to revise our assessments of ourselves. But until then, it is reasonable for us to provisionally situate ourselves at the peak of cosmic evolution. Read More
[Rotting Silver] “A Book of Charms” by B. T. Newberg
Wit against ogres, discernment against elves,
Self-worth against vampires, courage against ghosts,
Laughter against spooks, and critique against angels,
Gratitude for flowers, patience with weeds,
Industry in sunshine, and rest in rain,
Greeting in thunder, kinship in thunderbolts,
Caution against vipers, forgiveness for cast-off skins,
Charity for snails, respect for the crow,
Wrath for leeches, sympathy for wasps,
Posterity in eagles, and destiny in worms,
Candor in disease, wisdom in sanity,
Nakedness in the mirror, and a veil among swine,
Worship in a good year, action in dearth,
A clean house, and a fondness for mud,
Love in darkness, lightness in sorrow,
Levity in fever, and work in fire,
Loneliness on the mountain, aid in the field,
Joy at home, and sensitivity in caves,
Waywardness in forests, perseverance in desert,
Buoyancy in rivers, and surrender in the ocean,
Burial in water, rebirth from a well,
Roundness in autumn, and thinness in spring,
Crookedness in growth, and a solid sense of mist. Read More
Neo-Pagan History Quiz
Click below to take this 12 question quiz and see how much you know about the history of Neo-Paganism. (And feel free to challenge me about the answers in the comments.)
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Summer Solstice for Humanistic Pagans
Today is this summer solstice.
Bart Everson of A Celebration of Gaia observes how those in the United States have forgotten the meaning of the summer solstice:
“Sadly, most Americans are ignorant of this seasonal moment. We seem marginally more familiar with the winter solstice, probably because of the vast commercial pressures that have accreted around that time in late December. Even so, most of us remain unaware that the winter solstice, our time of maximum tilt away from the sun, is the inverse, the opposite, the antithesis of the summer solstice. Six months removed from one another, we might regard these two celestial events as antipodes, points on opposite sides of a circle representing the cycle of the seasons. Read More
[Starstuff, Contemplating] “Celebrating the Sun on Summer Solstice” by Heather and Jon Cleland-Host
Starstuff, Contemplating is a regular column at HumanisticPaganism.com: “We are assemblages of ancient atoms forged in stars – atoms organized by history to the point of consciousness, now able to contemplate this sacred Universe of which we are a tiny, but wondrous, part.”
Come celebrate in the heat of the Sun! Summer Solstice (or Litha) is the longest day of the year. The Sun rises early and sets late into the night. In some places, it does not set at all. Though it is the longest day of the year, it is not as hot as it will be in August when the hot temperatures peak. Here in Michigan, the season leading up to the Summer Solstice is perhaps the easiest time to get ourselves (and the kids) outdoors. School is just out, and the kids are ready to party. It’s a time for barbeques, a day at the beach or on the lake, campfire stories and roasting marshmallows, stargazing on a warm summer night, and more. Solstice feels magical, so it is no surprise that it is the time of a magical story like Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream. Read More
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Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
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