Naturalistic Paganism
‘Gaia’s Lovers” by Meg Pauken
Today we continue our early spring theme, Inspiration, where we showcase examples of the poetic imagination flowing from the depths of the universe through the minds and hands of Naturalistic Pagans and friends.
Author’s note: One of the things that has drawn me to Paganism is that it embraces both the divine feminine and the divine masculine. I tend to see this duality playing itself out nearly everywhere in nature. This poem was inspired by an early morning drive through the countryside in late October, just as the sun was coming up.
photo by Meg Pauken
“Gaia’s Lovers”
Gaia’s breath lingers, misty, in her hollows
On a chilly October morning;
Sighs as geese rise from her pond,
Honking and flapping.
Stirring slowly as her lover arrives over the horizon:
Sun, casting a golden flush on her curves,
Russet blush on her tree-covered peaks.
Warming, she arches to the sky
Urging her mate to kiss her, to lie with her, to love her.
His heat and light caress her,
Settling, at last, into her valleys.
They spend this cloudless day entwined
Until, at dusk, he begins his leave-taking
Lingering as long as he can until
Luna takes his place.
Gaia’s night-time lover
Brings a shiver with her silvery touch;
Erotic and intense,
Their love is as mysterious as night
And as shy as the creatures that live in it.
Sun comes and goes each day,
Strong and true.
Luna waxes and wanes,
Lingers late and reappears in mid-afternoon.
And Gaia loves them both.
The Author
Meg Pauken is a writer, former lawyer and mother of two living in rural northeastern Ohio, USA. Raised as a Roman Catholic, she is a Unitarian Universalist and has felt the call of paganism since her childhood. She blogs about family and spirituality at Tales from the Sandwich Chronicles.
What to look forward to in April at HP
This month we continue our early spring theme, “Inspiration”. We Humanistic and Naturalistic Pagans know how to reason critically. But what role do intuition, inspiration, poetry, and art play in our Naturalistic Paganism? This month we will continue to showcase examples of the poetic imagination flowing from the depths of the universe through the minds and hands of Naturalistic Pagans and friends.
This Month at HP
Apr 2 “Gaia’s Lovers” by Meg Pauken
Apr 6 Full moon poem by AtheistWitch
Apr 9 Two paintings by Annika Garratt
Apr 11 DE NATURA DEORUM: “The Mystic Demystified: Making theistic language serve the religious naturalist” by John Halstead
Apr 13 Poetry by D’Agio
Apr 16 Mid-Month Meditation: “Veiled Woman” by B.T. Newberg
Apr 20 Postpagan Ceremony & Ecology by Glen Gordon
Apr 23 Starstuff, Contemplating by Jon Cleland Host
Apr 27 Musings of a Pagan Mythicist by Maggie Jay Lee: “Myth and Mnemosyne”
Apr 30 A Pedagogy of Gaia by Bart Everson: “May Day x 2”
Humanistic Paganism Calendar for April
Apr 7 World Health Day
Apr 12 International Day of Human Space Flight
Apr 20 Marcus Aurelius’ birthday
Apr 21 John Muir’s birthday
Apr 22 Earth Day / International Mother Earth Day
Apr 25 Arbor Day
Call for submissions: Practice
(Photo from the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens)
If today, like every other day you wake up empty and frightened
You don’t have to open the door to the study and begin reading
You can take down a musical instrument
Let the beauty of what you love be what you do
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the earth— Rumi
Our semi-seasonal theme for late spring will be “Practice”. We Naturalistic Pagans talk a lot. Some Naturalistic Pagans have no spiritual practice, per se. For some, living an ethical lifestyle is a spiritual practice. Others practice meditation. Other Naturalistic Pagans perform rituals, either solitary or in groups. Naturalistic Pagan rituals may be similar or dissimilar to other Pagan rituals. Beginning May 1, we will be talking about how we practice our Naturalistic Paganism — or how we don’t. How do you experience your religion in your flesh? Send your submissions to humanisticpaganism [at] gmail [dot] com.
“The Ordeal” by Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D.
Today we continue our early spring theme, Inspiration, where we showcase examples of the poetic imagination flowing from the depths of the universe through the minds and hands of Naturalistic Pagans and friends.
“The Ordeal” by Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D.
None of us wants to descend into the devil’s den,
to experience absolute terror and unbearable misery,
to sail across the River Styx and suffer horrible bodily pains,
nights of endless tears and days of lost wandering.
But this is an essential part of the sacred journey.
This is “the Ordeal”–and there is no way
to know the deepest spiritual truths if you have not come here.
There is no way to prepare for this.
There is no way to anticipate these hardships,
for the horrors that shall befall you, and the sacrifices
you shall have to make are unfathomable.
Can you imagine running all night screaming like a banshee
having some ghoulish demon chasing you into the dark forest
until you cower under some log shivering like a scared chiwawa?
At dawn you wonder what was real and quickly return to morning routines
lest some goblin not allow you to come back.
And then comes reflection, begs of forgiveness and promises to never do it again.
If only we would pray like this every morning!
But no, it takes being frightened to death to hold the holy chalice
and recite these magical incantations.
The Author
My name is Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D. I am a Santa Barbara-based social justice educator, activist and writer. I teach in the BA Program in Liberal Studies at Antioch University Santa Barbara, a program which promotes “praxis for social justice” in every class. I am also a social worker with a passion for helping our neighbors on the streets transition into permanent housing and self-sufficiency, especially those beset by mental health challenges and addictions. I see this work as a ministry and I enjoy joining with others from diverse faiths and secular backgrounds in these efforts to build community locally and sustainability globally.
“One Cell” by Catherine Podd
Today we continue our early spring theme, Inspiration, where we showcase examples of the artistic imagination flowing from the depths of the universe through the minds and hands of Naturalistic Pagans and friends.
For discussion: What feelings does this image evoke? What memories does it cause you to recall? What thoughts do you have about the picture?
The Artist
Catherine Podd: I am a 30 something over-thinker who contemplates our amazing planet and universe every moment possible. Massage Therapist and Reiki Teacher by day, loving mom to a son on the AWEtism spectrum the rest of the time.
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