Naturalistic Paganism
Ouroboros Pantheus, by Annika Garratt
Today we continue our early winter theme, “Beginnings”, with Annika Garratt as she explores the history and meaning of the symbol of the Oroboros. For discussion in the comments: What role does the concept of perpetual cyclic renewal of life play in your Naturalistic Paganism? How is this concept related to monism or pantheism for you? What symbols do you employ to express this concept?
- Ouroboros, by Annika Garratt
The Ouroboros represents the perpetual cyclic renewal of life and infinity, the concept of eternity and the cycle of life, death and rebirth. It can also represent the idea of primordial unity. In the Book of the Dead, which was still current in the Graeco-Roman period, the self-begetting sun god, Atum, is said to have ascended from chaos-waters with the appearance of a snake, the animal renewing itself every morning. Plato described a self-eating, circular being as the first living thing in the universe. The famous Ouroboros drawing from the early alchemical text The Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra dating to 2nd century Alexandria encloses the words hen to pan, “one is the all”. In Norse mythology, it appears as the serpent Jörmungandr, one of the three children of Loki and Angrboda, who grew so large that it could encircle the world and grasp its tail in its teeth. The Ouroboros symbol appears in both 14th- and 15th-century Albigensian-printing watermarks and tarot cards. The Ouroboros is displayed on numerous Masonic seals, frontispieces and other imagery, especially during the 17th century. The Ouroboros is featured in the seal of Theosophy, along with other traditional symbols. Carl Jung interpreted the Ouroboros as having an archetypal significance to the human psyche. The Jungian psychologist Erich Neumann writes of it as a representation of the pre-ego “dawn state”.
The Egyptian god Atum was known as the “complete one”. As creator of the Universe he was seen as the underlying substance of the world, the deities and all things being made of his flesh or his ka. In the Heliopolitan creation myth, Atum was considered to be the first god, having created himself. He is the self-creating and self-sustaining Universe; he is the Totality of Being. The Gnostic Basilides called the “Great Archon” ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ. The name occurs in the Refutation of all Heresies (vii. 26) by Hippolytus, who says that “their great archon” is Abrasax, because his name contains the number 365, the number of the days in the year. Epiphanius designates Abrasax more distinctly as “the power above all, and First Principle,” “the cause and first archetype” of all things. E. A. Wallis Budge describes Abrasax “as a Pantheus, i.e. All-God,” in Amulets and Superstitions (1930).
“A curious evidence of the consciousness of the unity of the divine is afforded by the amalgamation of different deities into a ‘Theos pantheus’, or ‘Thea pantheus’, which might be regarded either as an abstract conception or a new deity according to the fluidity of pagan theology. Usually one deity was chosen, prominent for his merits in the votary’s estimation, and the epithet ‘pantheus’ (‘all-God’) added to the personal name as representative of the totality of the divine. Thus we find in Latin inscriptions ‘Serapis Pantheus’ ….” S. Angus, The Mystery Religions, Dover Publications, 1975.
The Ouroboros represents the Pantheus, the All-God of Pantheism. H.P. Owen (197) wrote that “Pantheists are ‘monists’…they believe that there is only one Being, and that all other forms of reality are either modes (or appearances) of it or identical with it.” The process of uniting all to a single “oneness” (hen) as a form of salvation is called “henosis”. Plotinus defined henosis in his works as a reversing of the ontological process of consciousness via meditation. Plotinus words his teachings to reconcile not only Plato with Aristotle but also various world religions that he had personal contact with during his various travels. In Neoplatonic henology, the individual is absorbed back into the primordial substance and returned to the infinite non-sentient force—the Source or One—and reamalgamated back into the Universe. Since consciousness is an emanation and is not created, Neoplatonism takes the concept of primordial unity (henosis) as rational and deterministic emanating from an uncaused cause. According to the Pythagoreans, “Monad” was a term for Divinity or the first being, or the totality of all being. Some Gnostics also used the word “Monad” for God, the Supreme Being, The Absolute. The 17th century philosopher Benedict de Spinoza referred to the oneness of reality as Deus sive Natura, “God as Nature”.
The author
Annika is an artist/illustrator from Bournemouth UK. She produces colourful mixed media artwork on canvas as well as fluid ink illustrations, often based on folklore and mythological themes. Annika sells original paintings on canvas as well as fine art prints. If you have any questions about Annika’s work, feel free to contact her by email. You can also find Annika at:
This Wednesday
This Wednesday, Musings of a Pagan Mythicist by Maggie Jay Lee: “Step to the right: religion and the divided mind”.
Mid-Month Meditation: “American History” by Ken Apple
Editor’s note: We encourage our readers to take these mid-month meditations as an opportunity to take a short break from everything else. Rather than treating these posts the way you would any other post, set aside 10 minutes someplace quiet and semi-private to have an experience. Take a minute to relax first. After reading the post, take a few minutes to let the experience sink in. If it feels right, leave a comment.
A European is someone who thinks
that one hundred miles is a long way.
An American is someone who thinks
that one hundred years is a long time.
It’s not that we don’t have a history.
History stretches as far back from here
as anywhere in the vast universe.
But the history here was built of wood
and sinew by men with brown skin.
We’ve done our best to buy it, pave it
and forget it, but it’s still there, asleep
In the soil and the wind and the water
reaching into the mist as it always has
all the way back the very beginning.
The Author
My name is Ken Apple. I am fifty years old, I live in Puyallup Washington with my wife and youngest son. I attend the Tahoma UU congregation in Tacoma, WA. I have worked in book sales for almost twenty years, because I can’t imagine trying to sell anyone something else.
Next Sunday
Next Sunday, “Oroboros Pantheus” by Annika Garratt.
Starstuff, Contemplating by Jon Cleland Host: “Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight”
Join Jon Cleland Host as he rediscovers a sense of wonder at the winter season.
“Winter Treasure”, False Boneset in winter on the Llano Estacado prairie in Texas, photo by Ilija Lukić
Very often, I hear people complain about the weather where they live – including weather which is normal for the season. This has seemed odd to me for a long time. After all, in today’s modern world, we often have a lot of choices about where we live. If one really has an issue with the climate in one place, then why live there and complain? I personally like a climate that includes winters. Without winters, the years blur together into a constant string of days, and it becomes easy to lose track of the passage of one’s life. Without winters, the Wheel of the Year takes a little more effort to feel as it goes by.
So it was fun to watch the wind blow snowy gusts across the frozen fields the other day. With no trees nearby, it was easy to imagine that I was looking out over the frozen tundra of the Arctic. In fact, the weather was the same as the temperatures often seen in the Arctic. It was as if I had been transported there, if only for a little while! Our Earth gives us a huge variety of environments, from a lush, hot forest to the barren and cold tundra, each with its own charm and beauty. Yet, travel is often not cheap or convenient, especially for those of us with a family, home and regular job. Wouldn’t it be a special blessing if the Earth could kindly bring different environments to us, instead of us traveling to them? I realized that the Earth does exactly that! For those of us in temperate regions, we see conditions approaching those of the Arctic during the winter, and conditions approaching tropical conditions in the summer. In some ways, this is even better than traveling to different climates – it’s completely effortless, happening without any work on our part, and we don’t even have to pack! Our entire homes are brought along with us, along with all our local family & friends!
It’s so easy to take this for granted – we’re used to it as a normal part of life. But consider what it would be like to describe the “seasons” to an otherwise similar person who lived on an otherwise similar planet with little or no axial tilt. It might go something like:
“… you’ve got to be kidding me. You’re saying you sometimes shift Northwards on the planet’s surface?!?”
“Not exactly. I mean, we don’t actually move. But the weather becomes like that of the North.”
“And you don’t have to move? It just happens? Like, without warning?”
“Oh, we know when it’ll happen – it happens with one cycle about every 365 days.”
“So one day it suddenly gets cold, then warms back up the next day?”
“No, no – it’s gradual. It kinda blends into the next season, so we get at least weeks of each climate. That’s on top of the regular variation like you have.”
“So everyone gets to sample the different climates?”
“Most people – it doesn’t change as much near the equator. Each climate (or “season”) lasts just long enough to fully experience it – much longer and it might get tiring or boring.”
“That would be amazing! How do you still do your regular work – isn’t everyone fascinated by it, going outside everyday to see the change?”
“Everyone expects it, as a fact of life. Sadly, some even seem to take it for granted! But it is pretty cool. In fact, it’s become a major part of many of our different cultures, and is often part our religions, holidays, cooking choices, clothing fashions, and more!”
“But what about the animals? Don’t these ‘seasons’ as you call them, cause massive extinctions? Don’t they wipe out all the animals, since an animal from one climate obviously can’t live in a different climate?”
“Some animals have evolved to be able to survive in multiple climates, growing more fur every year just before winter. Others have evolved to migrate South to avoid the winter.”
“Wow, I knew evolution often gives rise to amazing adaptations, but automatic fur growth and mass migrations of entire species on schedule? Can you give me a reliable reference source for all this, in a peer-reviewed journal? Forgive me for being skeptical.”
“Ok, I’ll find one – but wait until you learn about hibernation! Some animals, such as turtles and frogs, hibernate through the winter. Their bodies nearly shut down, and cool to just above freezing (or lower, for those with anti-freeze blood), with their heart rate and breathing becoming so slow that they look dead. Then, they revive every spring. Oh, and some trees lose all their leaves, growing them all back a few months later. The leaves change color before falling off – from green to orange, red, and yellow.”
“Oh, rrrrrriiiight. You almost had me going for a minute there with the fur, but the zombie frogs and techni-color leaves were just too silly! OK, funny guy – no, really, what about the animals? How do they really survive? I mean, evolution is powerful, so what did it actually come up with?”
“I’m not making this up! Really! Look, I’ll get you some pictures, and other sources.”
“Sssure, you will …”
As a Naturalistic Pagan, just looking around me at our world often fills me with amazement and joy. Here I am, able to enjoy winter things like building a snow monster with my kids as if I lived in Alaska – knowing that in just a few months, the snow will melt away on its own, and I’ll be in a nearly tropical climate. And I get to experience this with every turn of our Wheel of the Year! The Earth’s tilt gives me this, just as it has given our Ancestors the Wheel of the Year itself! Wow!
We are so lucky to live at this time, the first moments in human history when we can understand our 14 billion year history, when we can understand not just our glorious seasons and the tilt of the Earth that gives them, but can see the connection between that tilt and our origins. Understanding deep time and our Great Story allows me to look back at that Hadean time of collisions and appreciate how those impacts (including, perhaps, the Theia impact) gave us the seasons we enjoy today. So our Wheel of the Year itself is a reminder of the Earth’s violent beginnings, something to remember at this time at the beginning of the year.
Many cultures have stories of treasures hidden in a person’s normal day to day world – whether it’s gold under the floorboards, a priceless painting on the wall thought to be a cheap knockoff, or similar stories. Like discovered treasure, I’ve found that Naturalistic Paganism, with Deep Time eyes and knowledge of our Great Story, helps me see many of the incredible things we have to be grateful for, which surround us every day, available if only looked for.
Blessings of the snow,
The Author
In addition to writing the Starstuff, Contemplating column here at HumanisticPaganism, Dr. Jon Cleland Host is a scientist who earned his PhD in materials science at Northwestern University & has conducted research at Hemlock Semiconductor and Dow Corning since 1997. He holds eight patents and has authored over three dozen internal scientific papers and eleven papers for peer-reviewed scientific journals, including the journal Nature. He has taught classes on biology, math, chemistry, physics and general science at Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University. Jon grew up near Pontiac, and has been building a reality-based spirituality for over 30 years, first as a Catholic and now as a Unitarian Universalist, including collaborating with Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow to spread the awe and wonder of the Great Story of our Universe (seewww.thegreatstory.org, and the blog at evolutionarytimes.org). Jon and his wife have four sons, whom they embrace within a Universe-centered, Pagan, family spirituality. He currently moderates the yahoo group Naturalistic Paganism.
See other Starstuff, Contemplating posts.
See Dr. Jon Cleland Host’s other posts.
This Wednesday
This Wednesday: Mid-Month Meditation by Ken Apple, “American History”.
Postpagan Ceremony & Ecology by Glen Gordon: “Sacred Seasonal Narrative for Today’s Humanism and Naturalism”
photo by Ken Williams, http://www.shadowsandstone.com
The possibility for ceremony is one of the things which appeals to me about both religious humanism and spiritual naturalism. Ceremony draws upon established traditions to celebrate significant events. Many religions focus their ceremonies on important events from their traditional narratives such as the birth of Christ for Christmas (in Christian Tradition) or the creation of Adam and Eve for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). In Neopaganism, the “Wheel of the Year” is inspired by many European seasonal narratives and made popular by Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, and Robert Cochrane. The original emphasis of the Wheel of the Year was on fertility rites and a gender-binary theism. However, the past two decades have seen varied adaptations of the Wheel in theme, content, and ritual.
Intent
What defines ceremony is the intent behind it. Not only is ceremony held for religious events, but also to mark the passage of time within one’s life. Thus we have secular ceremonies such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, naturalization (becoming a citizen of a country), and military ceremonies. New ceremonies with new rituals and narratives can be created for different purposes with an intent unique to religious humanism and spiritual naturalism. Likewise, established ceremonies can be adapted to new intents. Religious humanism is a perspective on religion as a social construct designed around human experience and needs, and thus its ceremony focuses upon the human condition. Spiritual naturalism holds that the existence of the material world is sacred on its own merit and that nothing exists beyond it. Religious humanist worship tends to be drawn toward community, and spiritual naturalism celebrates the wonder of the natural living-world. The two overlap easily and complement each other. Both share an appreciation for scientific knowledge and include a variety of theological perspectives from deism and process thought to atheism and agnosticism. The concept behind the “Wheel of the Year” has been a source for solstice and equinox celebrations within Unitarian Universalism, a religion with a strong disposition towards humanism and naturalism. Many times, the typical Wiccan calling and releasing of the directions are incorporated into UU celebration of these solar events. However, they are distinct UU ceremonies with UU values and principles behind the intent. I have helped organize a handful of solstice and equinox events for my own UU congregation. These experiences have taught me that the seasonal narrative running through our lives continues to be important and changes to meet the times we live in.
Sacred Seasonal Narrative
Holy days are the observation of sacred events. The word holy derives from proto-Germanic meaning sacred1 — having qualities dedicated for religious or spiritual veneration.2 3 Since the solstices and equinoxes are observable astronomical events, they have become common ceremonial gatherings for religious humanists and spiritual naturalists. Due to this, environmental science provides the backbone for a modern narrative that can be weaved into ceremony. Below is a rough outline of solar holy days based upon the work of Rua Lupa of Ehoah. Due to the circular nature of solar seasons, flexibility is granted to when the year begins and ends and is best determined by local cultural and environmental variables.
Winter Solstice
Ehoah name: Nox4 northern hemisphere: Dec 21-22 southern hemisphere: Jun 20-21 The longest night of the year The northern hemisphere’s pole leans away from the sun. During this time, the sun is southernmost in the sky. Many narrative focus on the return of the sun, due to harshness of winter. Because of climate change, our attitude towards winter might change. With continued record high temperatures throughout the year, winters are becoming milder in some places, allowing for a break from the scorching sun of summer. In these places, the anticipation of the sun’s return is not conducive to the new seasonal patterns, and the winter solstice could be a celebration of darkness, focused on the germination of seeds planted in autumn, giving one time to reflect on the depths of one’s life.
Vernal Equinox
Eoah name: Equilux4 northern hemisphere: Mar 20-22 southern hemisphere: Sep 20-22 Day and night are equal The earth’s axis is aligned at a right angle to the sun. This is when an equilibrium between night and day is achieved. In this spirit, equity within our environment and community can be the focus. With the seasons and weather becoming more extreme, springtime becomes more of a transitional time between winter and summer weather. Now would be the time to prepare for the coming of summer, and to keep in mind those who you share your life-place with (human and other-than). Take stock of what you have, what you need, and the needs of others. This is not only a time of personal preparation, but community participation, a time to reach out and connect with the world through our relationships. We can visit family and friends, and participate in activities of planting, raising animals, and tending to the needs of those around us.
Summer Solstice
Eoah name: Lux4 northern hemisphere: Jun 20-22 southern hemisphere: Dec 20-23 The longest day of the year The northern hemisphere’s pole leans towards the sun. During this time, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun. Around the world, summers are becoming warmer and a real danger to humans, animals, and plants. As this trend continue, it will result in longer growing. This could now be the time to prepare for the sun’s departure. Burning rituals are important in symbolizing the heat of the sun, but also a means to remove the unnecessary and unneeded. With access to clean water being a primary concern, ceremony can take the form of activism related to water pollution and conservation.
Autumnal Equinox
Eoah name: Equinox4 northern hemisphere: Sep 20-22 southern hemisphere: Mar 20-22 Day and night are equal The earth’s axis is aligned at a right angle to the sun. Night and day are once again equal in duration. This is another time in the year to take stock of where you are and who you are with. Make time to welcome newcomers into community through celebration. As the weather will likely shift from summer and winter patterns, making long term plans dependent on weather can be difficult. This is opportunity for mindfulness and mindful living, taking advantage of unexpected opportunities, strengthening relationship bonds, and gathering resources for yourself and the community. Feasts are appropriate ceremonies to take advantage of what this time of year offers.
Make it Meaningful
Religious humanists and spiritual naturalists are experts at finding meaning in the ordinary. Marking sacred days, such as the solstices and equinoxes, reminds us of the sacred mystery of life that we interact with everyday. Some people are moved by complex and elaborate ritual packed with tradition and symbolism. Others are content with the meaning found in the simple and understated. The way religious and spiritual naturalists implement ceremony is up to the individuals involved. However, doing things for the sake of tradition alone is rarely a trait of the humanist or naturalist. Done correctly, humanist and naturalist ceremony can serve a wide spectrum of personal convictions in alignment with the environmental and social realties of our times. The solstices and equinoxes are not the only events that can be held sacred to religious humanists and spiritual naturalists. There is nothing holding anyone to these events in particular. The possibility for ceremonial observance is endless. What are other events that can be marked by ceremony?
- Online Etymology Dictionary definition of holy ↩
- Online Etymology Dictionary definition of sacred ↩
- American Heritage Dictionary definition of sacred ↩
- Eoah entries for Nox, Equilux, Lux, Equinox ↩
The Author
Glen Gordon was introduced to Paganism by friends while living overseas in Europe during the late 90′s. He underwent both Wiccan and Neodruidic training during his formative years, but had not self-identified as a Pagan when his path diverged into land-centered spiritual naturalism ten years ago. His focus has been on cultivating beneficial relationships with the natural living world surrounding him wherever he lives. During this time, he discovered Unitarian Universalism and has been active in his local congregations for many years. Since 2007, he has worked on varied projects regarding BioRegional Animism, including this five minute video, the words of which came from a short UU sermon he gave. He has spoken on the topic of ecology and the land on a few occasions for his local congregation and facilitated a now-disbanded group of UU Pagans and spiritual naturalists. In the past, he maintained the blog, Postpagan, and is excited to share some of that material at HumanisticPaganism. Currently, you can find Glen writing occasionally for No Unsacred Places and helping achieve Green sanctuary status for his beloved UU community, where he helps create and lead ecological aware earth- and land-focused ceremonies for the solstices and equinoxes.
See Postpagan Ceremony & Ecology posts
Next Sunday
Next Sunday, we hear from Jon Cleland Host, Starstuff, Contemplating: “Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight”.
“Without gods”: An interview with Stifyn Emrys
Today we continue our early winter theme, Beginnings, with an interview with Stifyn Emrys, author of Requiem for a Phantom God and other books, gives us the inside scoop on his Atheist Paganism and his ebook ventures.
“I have great respect for metaphor, myth and symbolism. The difficulty, I think, arises when we forget that these are intended as gateways to understanding.”
B. T. Newberg: In the last year, you’ve become actively involved in the “Atheist Pagan” question, writing numerous blog posts and debating Ian Corrigan over whether Atheists can be Pagans or not. I find this is often a matter of how you define terms, so could you tell us what “Atheist Pagan” means to you?
Stifyn Emrys: To me, an atheist is someone who is “without gods,” and a Pagan is a very broad term that comprises any number of earth-based, polytheistic and pantheistic belief systems. I think the conflict comes because some use the term Pagan as a virtual synonym for polytheist. I don’t subscribe to this definition. I respect polytheists, but I resist the very human inclination to redefine a broader term in some narrower sense because it happens to fit my particular belief system.
There are many, many people who respect the earth and our universe who do not see it necessary to define these things in terms of deity. I think it’s natural to view these things in anthropomorphic terms, because doing so makes them easier for us to understand from a human perspective. I’m also fascinated by ancient myth, because its symbolism offers us a glimpse into how we, as humans, interact with our environment and make sense out of things.
I have great respect for metaphor, myth and symbolism. The difficulty, I think, arises when we forget that these are intended as gateways to understanding. Instead, they are taken literally, because, frankly, it’s easier to do so. It also leads to dogmatism and fundamentalism. That’s what I’m concerned is occurring among those who insist that Pagans “worship” literal gods. Very much the same thing happened early in the development of Christianity, when the orthodox literalists suppressed mystical or Gnostic traditions that sought a deeper meaning.
There’s a huge strand of mysticism running through Paganism that I don’t want to see sacrificed to literalism. I’m not using the term “mysticism” in some mumbo-jumbo sense; I’m using it to denote the mysteries of the universe – mysteries I believe we can and should continually seek to understand using science and inquiry. This contrasts with a literalist approach that maintains we’ve already got it all figured out thanks to our symbols, religious hierarchies or holy books.
I’m aware that the term “atheist” carries a certain amount of baggage. I think the terms Pagan humanist and secular Pagan work just as well. Unfortunately, some of the most vocal self-described atheists and anti-theists tend to come off (in my experience) as bitter or petty. Given the way we’re often treated, that’s understandable. But I prefer to take a more positive tack. I like Carl Sagan’s perspective: that the universe in itself is more awe-inspiring than any god who symbolizes it could ever be. Why spend time revering gods as symbols of nature when you can go straight to the source? I think many non-theistic earth-based Pagans would agree with this approach, and I don’t think they should be excluded from a discussion of Paganism.
BTN: So when you say an atheist is “without gods”, do you mean without literal interpretations of gods, or without gods of any kind, symbolic or otherwise?
SE: I mean without literal interpretations. We communicate through symbols; there’s no getting away from that. I think it’s important to be aware of how we use symbols rather than pretending they don’t exist. We don’t stop buying tickets to movies involving superheroes because we know they don’t exist. We enjoy these movies (at least I do) because they offer an insight into human nature and the world in which we live. Symbols are extremely valuable from that standpoint; I believe they become dangerous when we take them literally and, in doing so, ignore the ideas the symbols were meant to convey.
BTN: Many of these concerns also inform your books. Your first, Gospel of the Phoenix, re-weaves the story of Jesus with earlier myths like that of Isis and Horus or the Queen of Sheba. To put it bluntly, what gives you the right to re-write the Gospels?
SE: I anticipated this question, which is why I addressed it in the introduction to the book. What gives anyone the right to present a version of any story? We don’t even know the names of the people who wrote the four canonical gospels (most scholars recognize the titles as pseudepigraphal). What gave “orthodox” Christians the right to exclude the Gospel of Thomas from the canon? What gave the author of Luke, writing four decades after the fact, the right to pick and choose elements of the book we call “Mark” and interweave them with the sayings gospel known as “Q” and at least one other source?
I’m not claiming this book to be “scriptural” or “holy.” It’s just one possible interpretation, and I’m up front about that. Many people have written lives of Jesus. In fact, it has been one of the most popular topics addressed by writers across the centuries. I don’t think I have any more right to produce such a book than they did, but I don’t think I have any less right, either.
BTN: After Gospel of the Phoenix, you followed up with a critique of monotheism called Requiem for a Phantom God, and a further exploration of Jesus-myth issues from your first book in a sequel called Principle of the Phoenix. With three books critiquing or rewriting Abrahamic religions, it almost starts to seem like a New Atheist-style all-out attack. Would you call yourself actively opposed to Abrahamic religions?
I’d call “The Phoenix Principle” an exploration of how Western religion has developed over time. It’s provocative in places, but it wasn’t intended as an attack, either. Rather, it was meant as an attempt to tie many historical and mythological elements together. It’s not a sequel to “The Gospel of the Phoenix” but a separate work, although it touches on some of the same events.
BTN: How would you characterize the difference between the two works, Gospel and Principle?
SE: “Gospel” is written in biblical style and is meant to be poetic, along the lines of ancient wisdom literature and gospels. It’s relatively short, about the length of any one of the four canonical gospels. “Principle” is much broader and written in an investigative style. It covers far more than the life of Jesus, taking in ancient literature from Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Jewish scriptures, as well as apocryphal texts. It examines patterns of myth and tradition that run through everything from the traditions of the pharaohs to medieval legends and lore.
BTN: Okay, that makes sense. I think many Pagans would sympathize with that approach, too. On the other hand, there are those who may find you controversial for other reasons. With one foot kicking the “Atheist Pagan” hornet’s nest and the other foot pointing in a “Christo-Pagan” direction, you must take a lot of flak in the current Pagan community. What’s your stand? Are these legitimate forms of Paganism, and if so, why?
SE: I try to see things from different vantage points, which has its advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is I’m open to gleaning information whatever its source. The primary drawback is, like a referee in football, people who have taken hard stands always seem to think I’m on the other side. As a consequence, it’s those hard, dogmatic stands that I seek to soften up. People who say you “can’t” be a Christo-Pagan, a Pagan Atheist or whatever generally betray a rigidity in their own thinking and, often, a lack of respect for the principle that people should be able to identify themselves however they wish – as long as they’re not deliberately pretending to be something they’re not. Spiritual self-identification is, to me, as important as ethnic or racial identification. Imagine a person telling a person of Native American heritage, “You can’t call yourself Native American because you were born in France.” Or imagine telling someone who’s gay, “You can’t identify as gay because you were once in a straight relationship.” That’s offensive. And to me, it’s just as offensive to tell someone, “You can’t identify yourself as a Christo-Pagan or Pagan Atheist because those designations don’t fit into my preconceived notions about them.” It’s a matter of respect.
BTN: Does that miss the point, though? I’m playing devil’s advocate here, but I can imagine opponents protesting that the analogy would be closer if you told someone who claimed to be gay they can’t identify that way because they don’t date the same sex. For those people, it’s not about respect, it’s about (their) definitions, isn’t it?
SE: I see two principles at work here. The first is freedom of speech: I believe we all have the right to choose our way of self-identifying. On the other side of the equation, a lot of gays were (and some still are) “in the closet” because they fear violence or ridicule from anti-gay groups or individuals. The same goes for many Pagans who are “in the broom closet.” While I personally believe that it’s best to be true to one’s self, I can completely understand the desire for privacy and safety from those who can be less than understanding. I think they should be able to identify themselves as they choose, whether I agree with that choice or not.
Second, I think it’s important to recognize that some people purposely claim some false identity for the sake of profit, power or manipulation. This purposeful misidentification isn’t what I’m talking about.
Still, I’m less likely to say, “Your label is wrong” than to point out apparent hypocrisy or self-contradiction … and, when possible, give the person the opportunity to respond. This is why, in personal interactions, I prefer to ask questions than to issue proclamations. I won’t say, “That wasn’t very (Pagan, Christian or whatever) of you.” Instead, I’ll ask a question: “How does your opposition to same-sex marriage stack up against the U.S. tradition of civil equality? Or Jesus’ teachings about love and acceptance of those who are different?”
BTN: I want to switch gears now and talk about your publishing ventures. You’ve self-published a total of six – count ’em six! – books since the summer of 2012. Are you finding self-publishing a viable avenue for getting your message to the public?
SE: It’s working well. As an independent author, I can get my work out there a lot faster than I could if I went through the old-fashioned publishing process. I find that books often “take off” once they get a strong following, whether or not they’re traditionally published. I know of one independent author who has sold more than 250,000 copies. I’m nowhere near that, but my exposure is growing, and I’m pleased with that.
Being an indie author also gives me more freedom to pursue a variety of interests without being tied down to a specific genre. As of this writing, I’ve produced an inspirational book (“Gospel”), a theological treatise (“Requiem”), an examination of history/mythology (“Principle”), a children’s fairy tale (“Feathercap”), a book of historical vignettes (“Undefeated”) and two works of fiction: “Identity Break” and the novella “Artifice,” both from a trilogy I’m working on. My interests are pretty broad, ranging from spirituality to sports, from science fiction to human rights, and I enjoy being able to share those interests with readers.
BTN: Before we go, I have to ask: where does the name “Stifyn Emrys” come from?
SE: It’s a pen name. My given name is Stephen, and Stifyn is the Welsh form. Emrys was Merlin’s Welsh name, and it means “immortal.” I like to think that a writer’s words, while perhaps not immortal, at least survive him or her.
BTN: Finally, I always end by asking authors, if you could sum up your message to the Pagan community in one sentence, what would it be?
SE: Respect one another, embrace diversity and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.
Stifyn Emrys’ books are available on Amazon (paperback and Kindle) at http://amzn.to/XreObZ or Nook http://bit.ly/10lWdtR.
The author
Stifyn Emrys is an author of numerous, including Requiem for a Phantom God, a critique of Abrahamic monotheism. His first novel, “Identity Break,” is due out in February 2013. He lives in California with his wife, Samaire Provost, author of the “Mad World” YA series. His books are available on Amazon (www.amazon.com/-/e/B008LHKFM2) and Nook (www.barnesandnoble.com/s/stifyn-emrys?dref=2207). Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/semrys.
This Wednesday
Buy Godless Paganism (paperback)
Buy Godless Paganism (ebook)
Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 