Naturalistic Paganism
The three why’s of ritual, by NaturalPantheist
I wanted to look at the subject of Ritual. Is there any point to it? Can it bring value to our lives as Naturalistic Pantheists? Ritual is a major part of most religions, but the question is why?
I would like to suggest that there are three reasons why ritual is important, whether or not we believe in anything supernatural about it – it reminds us to stop and be aware of the world around us, it has an effect on us internally and it helps us to connect to something bigger than ourselves.
1) Awareness
How many of us think about all the plants and animals around us when we walk down the street? How many of us eat a meal without thinking about the fact that something had to die so that we could eat and live? Many of the spiritual practices of the worlds religions have at their core, the practice of Mindfulness. They call to us to take time out, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to forget the baggage and distractions, and to stop, to be, to focus, to listen. They call us to be mindful and aware of the world around us, to be aware of other people and of nature. They put the important things in life at the centre of our attention – the sacred things, and give us the chance to focus on them.
2) Change
Ritual is a powerful tool. It effects us in a way that mere intellectual thought and debate never can – it taps into our psyche in a very strong way because it allows us to experience something. Experience can have a very powerful influence on our thinking and behaviour and is a key factor in forming who we become. The ritual experience can change us at a deep level, it can help us to form and ingrain habits and to build character so that we can become the type of people we wish to be.
3) Connection
There is something “more” to life, there is something “bigger than ourselves”. That thing is nature, it is the universe. Through ritual we can come to realise that, to realise that there is more to life than “my ego.” Ritual helps to teach us to be humble, to be reverent and respectful and to celebrate life. It teaches us that we are just one part of a greater and awesome whole. And it can help us connect to that whole, to honour our relationship with it, in a way we couldn’t do otherwise.
This article first appeared at Naturalistic Pantheist Musings.
The author
NaturalPantheist: A former Christian, I now see myself as a Naturalistic Pantheist with an interest in Druidry.
My blog is at naturalpantheist.wordpress.com
Check out NaturalPantheist’s other posts:
Recent Work
Ancient philosophy meets Darwin: Can science offer a way of life? by B. T. Newberg
Hidden spirits, by Bryan Beard
A tropical rainforest ontology: In search of a non-reductive naturalism, by John Halstead
Next Sunday
How shall we humans use this wonderful power we call intention?
To what should I aspire? by Thomas Schenk
Appearing Sunday, October 6th, 2013
The HPedia: Imagination
Your help is needed! Please critique this entry from the HPedia: An encyclopedia of key concepts in Naturalistic Paganism. Please leave your constructive criticism in the comments below.
The imagination plays an important role in Contemporary Pagan discourse and practices, including visualization.
From Merriam-Webster:
Imagination: an act or process of forming a conscious idea or mental image of something never before wholly perceived in reality by the one forming the images (as through a synthesis of remembered elements of previous sensory experiences or ideas as modified by unconscious defense mechanisms); also : the ability or gift of forming such conscious ideas or mental images especially for the purposes of artistic or intellectual creation
The ontological status of imagined content may be a key area of contention between naturalistic and hard polytheistic interpretations. Sensations of divine presence or communications often happen in the “mind’s eye”, which may or may not be identical with the imagination.
Naturalists and hard polytheists are likely to differ on whether imagined content is “real”, as well as on what constitutes “reality” in the first place. The following provides one possible naturalistic interpretation.
From a naturalistic point of view, things that are imaginary are real as such. It is only when the imagined content is reified into an objective reality beyond imagination that unreality begins.
Compare the difference between dreaming and lucid dreaming. Both are real as such, but non-lucid dreaming also involves an unreal aspect introduced by tacitly mistaking the dream content for objective world content. Becoming lucid, i.e. realizing it is a dream while still in the dream, rectifies the situation by recognizing the content for what it really is.
Similarly, interacting with figures of myth via the imagination can only involve unreality if those figures are taken as objective realities. Interaction that is consciously aware of its imaginative character, on the other hand, is a pure experience of reality.
Brian Swimme envisions human imagination as that of the earth, which is pulled in a certain direction by an attractor state yet to emerge. See Earth’s Imagination.
Some interesting research by French scholars distinguishes the imagination from the imaginaire and the imaginal (see Braga).
Check out other entries in our HPedia.
Big changes at HP this equinox
Once again it’s the Autumn Equinox, which has always been a time of changes for me. This time round, it has to do with a change of leadership at HP.
I couldn’t be more proud of what HP has become. To date, more than fifty contributors have conspired to make this site what it is. In these few years since our inception in 2011, we Naturalistic Pagans have gone from a little-understood fringe phenomenon to a recognized presence in the Pagan community. Our unique perspective has been discussed by well-known authors such as Brendan Myers, debated widely in the blogosphere, and sought out by forums such as Pagan Square. We’re emerging onto the mainstream scene, and a generation of new talent is bursting forth.
That’s why I feel it’s time for HP take the next step:
John Halstead, managing editor of HP starting Oct. 6th
Time to let others take the lead.
I am proud to announce that as of October 6th of this year, John Halstead will be taking over as managing editor. As a frequent contributor to HP and the author of The Allergic Pagan and Dreaming the Myth Forward, John has proven a prolific voice. He is an insightful writer, and a rock-steady supporter of the community. I can’t wait to see the new energy he will bring to HP.
Meanwhile, I will be staying on as treasurer and advising editor. I’ll continue to contribute articles now and again, and take part in the discussions. You can also find me exploring ancient naturalism at Naturalistic Traditions, researching religion and evolution at BTNewberg.com, and developing an introductory course for spiritual naturalists with DT Strain at the Spiritual Naturalist Society. This change of leadership will give me breathing space to renew my energy, and will give HP a fresh new approach.
New staff structure
So, that makes our new staff structure look like this:
- Managing editor: John Halstead
- Social media coordinator: NaturalPantheist
- Treasurer and advising editor: B. T. Newberg
- Our next staff person: You?
So, that’s the big change here at HP. I hope your autumn is eventful and inspiring. I know mine will be!
Ancient philosophy meets Darwin: Can science offer a way of life?
In the age of Darwin, what do we still have to learn from philosophers like Socrates or the Buddha?
Ancient philosophers differed from those today in one crucial way:
For them, philosophy was a way of life.
Can science, too, be a way of life?
Philosophy as a way of life
All the ancient philosophers, from Socrates to the Buddha, investigated their world not just for the sake of learning, but in order to discover how to live a flourishing life.
For example, when Socrates asked his fellow Athenians about piety or virtue, it wasn’t just for love of conversation – he wanted to expose the confusion fouling up the unexamined life. When Hypatia of Alexandria explored mathematics and astronomy, it wasn’t just for the sake of learning – she wanted to know how she fit into the cosmos. And when Siddartha Gautama investigated the nature of desire and aversion, it was not out of pure interest in psychology – he wanted to know how to eradicate suffering. All their explorations led eventually back to one key question: How should we live?
Today, we know much more about nature than the ancient philosophers ever did.* Yet, we seem to know far less about how to live. Can ancient philosophy teach us how to find science spiritually-relevant again? Read More
Autumn Equinox
In the Northern Hemisphere, the equinox is celebrated as Mabon, also called Harvest Home. Astronomically, the event falls on the 22nd. The precise date and time can be found at archaeoastronomy.com.
Mike Nichols says of the day:
Mythically, this is the day of the year when the God of Light is defeated by his twin and alter ego, the God of Darkness. It is the time of the year when night conquers day.
The metaphor for the natural solar cycle is perfectly clear, and easily appreciable by naturalists. Likewise with the agricultural myth of John Barleycorn, personification of the ripened grain:
Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last sheaf or shock harvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. This effigy was then cut and carried from the field, and usually burned, amidst much rejoicing. (Nichols)
Jon Cleland Host describes how his family observes Mabon:
Fall harvest décor is appropriate, with dried cornstalks, squash, gourds, Indian corn, etc. The social aspect of our lives is highlighted by this harvest theme – a time when friends and family get together for the harvest. …
Dinner will of course have a harvest theme, including squash, homemade bread, cranberry sauce, etc. … One part of the ritual is often the pouring of a little wine at the base of the trees in our yard as thanks for the summer shade and the coming fall colors. (Naturalistic Paganism yahoo group)
Another great activity, courtesy of Jonathan Blake of the Naturalistic Paganism yahoo list, is measuring your latitude on the equinox using only the sun, a stick, and some basic calculations.
Glenys Livingstone of Pagaian, celebrates this as a time of abundance and thanksgiving, but also of loss. She associates it with the myth of Persephone’s descent into the underworld, ritually enacting a moment of “letting go”:
”(name), I give you the wheat – the Mystery – the knowledge of life and death. I let you go as Child – Daughter/Mabon65), most loved of Mine … you descend to Wisdom, to Sovereignty66. You will return as Mother67, co-Creator with me. You are the Seed in the Fruit, becoming the Fruit in the Seed. Inner Wisdom guides your path.”
Response: “It is so. I am Daughter (Child/Mabon/Young One), becoming Mother – Seed becoming Fruit. I am deepening into/descend to, Wisdom, into Sovereignty. The Mother knowledge grows within me. (vary and add words as desired to express self)
Those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate Eostar at this time.
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