Naturalistic Paganism
Call for Articles: Ancient Paganism and the Neo-Pagan Revival
The last pagan emperor of Rome, known as “Julian the Apostate” or “Julian the Philosopher”, died on June 26 in 363 CE. His death is commemorated by some contemporary Pagans. The founder of British Neo-Pagan witchcraft Gerald Gardner was born also in June (13th) in 1884, the same month (June 22) that the Fraudulent Mediums Act was passed in the UK in 1951, repealing the Witchcraft Act of 1735 and making it possible for Gerald Gardiner to go public with his witch cult. In honor of Emperor Julian and Gardner, our themes for the month of June will be ancient Paganism and the Neo-Pagan revival. You can write about one or the other, or both. Send your submissions to humanisticpaganism [at] gmail [dot] com.
Looking forward, our themes for July will be individualism, religious tradition, and gender issues.
“Was the Buddha a Humanistic Pagan?” by Tom Swiss
“So Siddhartha sat down under a tree”
Let’s start with a quick overview of the Buddha’s story. About 2,400 or 2,500 years ago a young prince in what is now Nepal, Siddhartha Gautama of the Shakya clan, became more interested in spiritual matters than in politics and government. (Or perhaps his father was an elected chieftain in a sort of republic rather than a king – the history is at best shaky.)
Why the Buddha touched the Earth
The legendary version involves a prophecy made at his birth, an incredibly sheltered childhood, and his sudden discovery as a young man of the existence of old age, sickness, and death. Almost overcome by the shock, Siddhartha discovered the existence of spiritual traditions. Thinking these must hold an answer as to how to deal with the suffering he had just learned about, he left home – abandoning his wife and son – to go study various meditation systems. Read More
A Review of Tom Swiss’ “Why the Buddha Touched the Earth”, by Ken Apple
Why the Buddha Touched the Earth by Tom Swiss, is a book trying to do a lot of things at once. It is a 101 class on Buddhism, with sections on the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and a quick lesson on meditation. There is a section on Buddhist ethics — Swiss is all in on vegetarianism (I am an omnivore, thank you very much) and a little more leery of the advice of celibate Buddhist monks on sexual matters. There is less on the Paganism 101 side, although he does tackle magic and ritual, which he sees as mainly psychological. He stays well within the humanistic point of view. The non-deists and outright atheists out there will find little to disagree with. Swiss gives us a wonderful critique of religions that look away from our world, and a sly dig at the strand of scientism that does the same. Read More
“The worship of the gods is not what matters” by Brendan Myers
“The sacred, I shall say, is that which acts as your partner in the search for the highest and deepest things: the real, the true, the good, and the beautiful.” — Circles of Meaning, Labyrinths of Fear
I don’t normally see omens or other messages from the gods in the way many other pagans say they do. I’m not especially interested in ritual or magic or spellcraft. I do not sense auras, I do not feel the energies, I do not read tarot cards or cast the runes. In fact, around ten years ago or so, I hit upon one of the most liberating and life-changing propositions ever to have entered my mind, which is that the worship of the gods is not what matters. What, then, am I still doing in the pagan community? And if the worship of the gods isn’t what matters, then what does? Read More
Mid-Month Meditation: “An Invitation to Contemplation” by Bart Everson
If you are reading this site, I suspect you have at least a passing familiarity with meditation. Perhaps you are a regular practitioner. However, I suspect that for many, establishing and maintaining a regular practice is elusive.
This column is for y’all — for those who think they might be interested in meditation, who want to try it, who are curious to see what a regular practice might be like.
In honor of this month’s theme, I’d like to extend an invitation. For the next thirty days, take a few moments each day to meditate. Think of it as a thirty-day challenge, or an experiment, if that’s helpful. Further, let’s join together, as a sort of virtual support group. Read More
Buy Godless Paganism (paperback)
Buy Godless Paganism (ebook)
Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 