Naturalistic Paganism
Upcoming work
This Sunday
Appearing October 2nd on Humanistic Paganism.
Thing on Thursday
Join us for the next council on matters vital to our future. This week, we’ll re-evaluate the basics by asking:
What are the core elements of a Humanistic Pagan path?
The conversation continues this Thursday, October 6th, on Humanistic Paganism.
Next Sunday
Is there a place for divination and omenry in a naturalistic spirituality? B. T. Newberg shares a story of a strange sighting on the morning of his wedding day.
Symbols in the sky, by B. T. Newberg
Appearing Sunday, October 8th, on Humanistic Paganism.
Recent Work
Bicycle meditation, by Thomas Schenk
The archetypes are gods: Re-godding the archetypes, by John H. Halstead
Ten years after 9/11: World politics is an existential condition, by B. T. Newberg
What kind of community shall we be?
Thing on Thursday #1
Today we begin the conversation with a big idea: What kind of community is Humanistic Paganism?
- Are we a spiritual orientation, a kind of viewpoint shared by individuals of various religious traditions, aiming to keep naturalistic interpretations alive?
- Or are we a new tradition in the bud, looking forward to developing our own unique rituals, meditations, calendars, and so forth?
What kind of a community do we want to be?
Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
About Thing on Thursday
Althing in Session, by W.G. Collingwood
This post is the first in a series of councils on matters vital to the future. The name represents both the generic term for, you know, a thingie, as well as the Old Norse term for a council of elders: a Thing.
Each week until the Winter Solstice, Thing on Thursday will explore a new controversy. Participation is open to all – the more minds that come together, the better. Those who have been vocal in the comments are as welcome as those quiet-but-devoted readers who have yet to venture a word. We value all constructive opinions.
There are only a few rules:
- be constructive – this is a council, so treat it as such
- be respectful – no rants or flames
Comments will be taken into consideration as we determine the new direction of Humanistic Paganism. This will also greatly shape the vision that unfolds in our upcoming ebook Our Ancient Future: Visions of Humanistic Paganism.
So please make your voice heard in the comments!
Bicycle meditation, by Thomas Schenk
photo by Alex Robinson
I love to wake early on a Sunday morning and go for a bike ride. Unlike the many people who pass me as I plod along, I do not ride for exercise or any other discernible purpose. I have no particular destination, and no timetable. I ride just to explore and look at the world, for though I have been exploring and looking for nearly five decades, I still find the world incredibly interesting and beautiful.
In the flow
I live in a city, and sometimes I ride through industrial areas or train yards, sometimes I ride through residential areas, and sometime I ride in parks or out to the countryside. The distinction between natural and man-made is not of much use to me as I ride along; what’s there is there, and what’s there is what I am interested in seeing.
On some of these days, I become unaware of time and unconcerned with distance as I ride. Hours and miles pass by, and I am absorbed in the sheer joy of exploring the world. But inevitably, at some point this changes, and I start to desire to get home (this usually happens after I start back and hit the inevitable hill, for I live in a high part of town). The moment I want to be home, the entire quality of the experience changes.
In that duration when I am unaware of time and unconcerned with distance, I am exactly where I want to be. The moment that I want to be somewhere else, I become acutely aware of time and distance. Up to that moment the miles passed effortlessly; after it the miles become an obstacle, and I am keenly aware of the amount of effort required to overcome them. Whereas I had been completely content with where I was, suddenly I’m no longer content.
Between cycling and eternity
The 6th Century Zen poet Seng-ts’an wrote:
“Do not like, do not dislike, all will then be clear. Make a hair’s-breadth difference, and heaven and earth are set apart.”
The gulf between nirvana and samsara, I suggest, is precisely the gulf between these two experiences of bike riding. To be absolutely fulfilled in what you are doing, so that there is not a hair’s-breadth of desire to be anywhere else or doing anything else – that is nirvana. To have that hair’s-breadth of desire, or an ocean’s width of desire – that is samsara.
The mystics through the ages have spoken of a place beyond the concerns of time and space, and what they are talking about is nothing more than a Sunday morning bike ride. They have spoken of a place of suffering, and what they are talking about is nothing more than the itch to get further on down the road. People through the ages have misunderstood them. They thought this place beyond the concerns of time and space, which they call eternity, must be altogether outside this world.
But instead, it is to be fully and completely in this world.
What better place to ride a bike than here and now?
The author
Thomas Schenk: “If asked, I’d call myself a Space-age Taoist, Black Sheep Catholic, Perennial Philosophy Pantheist, Dharma Bum. In other words I am a kind of spiritual and philosophical mutt. I’m not out to change the world, for I believe the world has a much better sense of what it is supposed to be than I ever could. But I do try to promote the value of the contemplative life in these most un-contemplative of times. I don’t know if the piece presented here has any value, but I feel blessed that I can spend my time thinking about such things. My version of the American dream is that here, as the child of a line of farmers and peasants going back through the ages, I have the privilege to live with my head in such clouds.”
Check out Thomas’ other articles:
Upcoming work
This Sunday
Thomas Schenk strikes again! This time he shares with us the magic in the mundane, the numen in the normal, with an insightful piece on the experience of cycling.
Bicycle meditation, by Thomas Schenk
Appearing September 25th on Humanistic Paganism.
Thing on Thursday
This coming week inaugurates a new feature: Thing on Thursday, a council on matters vital to our future.
Each Thursday until the Winter Solstice will explore a controversy. Any and all are invited to participate – the more the better. Based on these conversations, the direction of Humanistic Paganism will be determined.
Don’t miss your chance to shape our future. Make your voice heard!
What controversy will we debate in our opening council? Find out on Thursday!
The conversation begins this Thursday, September 29th, on Humanistic Paganism.
Next Sunday
New author Heather Wiech asserts that myth is a symbolic language, and to avoid dogma we must keep inquiry alive.Science vs. religion: Mythology is poetry, not prose, by Heather Wiech
Appearing October 2nd on Humanistic Paganism.
Recent Work
The archetypes are gods: Re-godding the archetypes, by John H. Halstead
Ten years after 9/11: World politics is an existential condition, by B. T. Newberg
The big news revealed
What's the big news? Find out below!
photo by Lanier67
Today’s the day that the big news is revealed. And there’s not one, not two, but three pieces of big news.
But first, a little about this special day…
The equinox
Today is the Autumnal Equinox, one of only two times in the year when the length of day and night are exactly equal. It marks the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere, or spring in the Southern.
Both Neopagans and Humanists recognize the specialness of this day. Here are two of its lesser-known natural properties:
- the sun rises due east and sets due west, making it an ideal time to mark exact directions on your property
- sunrise and sunset occur fastest on the equinoxes, as opposed to the solstices when they are slowest
In Neopaganism, the equinox is often observed as Mabon or Harvest Home, a holiday of thanksgiving for the fruits of the harvest. The ancient Mysteries of Eleusis were held around this time. Chinese tradition associates it with West, the direction of dreams and visions. And the Intihuatana stone of Machu Picchu was designed to predict the equinox as well as other solar phenomena.
The International Day of Peace is also celebrated worldwide around this time.
So go out and enjoy this wonder of nature today!
Big news #1: We’re moving up in the world
Within six months of its conception in April of this year, Humanistic Paganism went from a platform for its editor’s own explorations to a burgeoning spiritual community. At present, so many authors are scrambling to be published here that posts are scheduled more than six weeks out.
With that in mind, Humanistic Paganism is moving up in the world.
You’ll notice a number of improvements around the site:
First, we’ve gotten our own domain name: http://www.humanisticpaganism.com. Your bookmarks and links should be fine, but if not, try updating to the new URL.
Second, the tagline of the site has dropped the language of nontheism in favor of naturalism. It is now: “A naturalistic way of nature, myth, and wonder.” Nontheism was the right technical term, but it proved confusing. Naturalism gets the point across better.
Third, we now have a tab for Community. If you’re looking for a group or organization with naturalistic views on spirituality, you’ll find it here. And check back frequently – we’re always adding new links as we discover how truly abundant our community is.
Finally, we’ve added a Store. Here you’ll find our free ebook Encounters in Nature, along with other great buys. If you buy through us, we’ll get a share of the proceeds (at no extra cost to you). All proceeds go toward improving the site. We try to keep an extremely low overhead – as close to zero dollars as possible. But there are still some unavoidable fees. A modest inflow of cash helps offset the enormous effort put forth by our all-volunteer team.
In addition to these immediate changes, we’ve also got ambitions for the future. We’re courting a number of big-name authors for contributions. It’s too early to announce specifics, but look for some eye-popping names in the year to come!
Big News #2: Seeking submissions for our next ebook!
Announcing an all new ebook, tentatively titled:
Our Ancient Future: Visions of Humanistic Paganism
DUE OUT: Winter Solstice, December 22nd, 2011
Where did naturalistic spirituality come from? Where are we headed? Our Ancient Future will answer all this and more.
Part I will explore our roots. Humanistic Paganism is not a new phenomenon. In fact, we’ve been around since our earliest ancestors. Naturalism in religion has a long history, from the Stoics of Rome to the Taoists of ancient China, and possibly even further into the prehistory of our species. In every age of history, naturalism developed alongside its more theistic cousins. This ebook will show that our path is as much in the tradition of our ancestors as any other.
Part II will explore our future. What kind of spirituality do we hope to collectively discover? What role should Humanistic Paganism play in the larger community? What will be our contribution to the history of the human spirit?
This is where you come in. We need voices with visions. There are several ways for you to contribute:
First, each Thursday until the solstice will see a new feature called Thing on Thursday. “Thing” represents both the generic word for, you know, a thingie, as well as the Old Norse term for a council of elders: a Thing. And that’s what Thing on Thursday will be: a roundtable discussion on matters vital to the future. Admission price: FREE.
Each Thing on Thursday will court a controversy. For example, should we produce a mission statement, and if so what should it be? Should the innumerable varieties of religious naturalism try to band together under an umbrella term, or would that be too limiting? What should be considered the core elements of a Humanistic Pagan path?
Based on your responses, we’ll decide our next steps together. Your opinions will determine where Humanistic Paganism is headed.
So please make your voice heard in the comments section of these posts!
Second, you can go even further by submitting your own personal vision for the future of Humanistic Paganism. Just answer this question:
- In the next ten years, what would you like to see evolve within naturalistic spirituality?
Accepted submissions will be published in the new ebook Our Ancient Future.
See our Submissions tab for submission guidelines.
As always, follow that simple phrase which has become a motto here at HP:
Speak your truth.
Finally, the first 10 people who volunteer to write a review of Our Ancient Future will receive their copy FREE!
Big news #3
Rachel and I
photo by B. T. Newberg
Drum roll, please…
I’m getting married tomorrow!
That’s right, in a day your devoted editor will be devoted to one spectacular woman. Rachel is a graphic designer, a Humanist, and a wonderful supporter of Humanistic Paganism.
We’re getting married on the weekend of the equinox, which is a special time for me. It’s a time to look back and reflect. The question I ask each year is always the same:
“A year ago, would I ever have thought I’d be here doing this?”
If I can say no, it’s been a good year.
My soon-to-be wife and I have big plans for the future. We are applying to teach English in South Korea. If all goes well, we’ll be shipping off at the end of February.
Will this affect Humanistic Paganism? Not a bit. Internet work is location independent, so our quality publications will keep coming at you from anywhere in the world. If anything, the new cultural perspective should make this site all the better.
A year ago, would I have thought we’d be headed to Korea?
Nope.
A year ago, would I have thought I’d be getting married, much less to a woman as wonderful as this?
No way.
A year ago, would I ever have thought I’d be the editor of a rising-star community blog about naturalistic spirituality?
Again, certainly not.
Damn. It’s been a good year.
– by your editor, B. T. Newberg
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