Naturalistic Paganism
Tripping With the Gods – On Entheogenic Spirituality:, (Part 2 of 5) by Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D. [The Dionysian Naturalist]
- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The use of substances to alter consciousness seems to be innate. UCLA Professor Ronald Siegel (2005) calls it the “fourth universal drive”, as natural as hunger, thirst and sex. Many other animal species also pursue intoxication, including elephants, cats, monkeys, jaguars and bees. No amount of prohibitionist indoctrination has yet been able to uproot these primal instincts. Drug war ideologies are forced upon all school children who learn to recite in unison “Just say no!”. Instead we must learn to accept human nature for what it is, letting go of our Enlightenment fantasies of the rational human.
Happy Summer Solstice!
Get ready for a wonderful gift from our Universe! Our Sun, Moon and Earth join in the Solstice celebrations this year with a solar eclipse! Though many of us won’t be able to see it in the sky (it’s directly visible mainly in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa), we can see it online. This is a “ring of fire” eclipse – annular, not Total. The eclipse can be watched online, starting at 11:45 pm EDT (Sunday, June 21, so that’s Saturday night), here ! -though the eclipse won’t really show until later, like 1 am. Remember that the Stonehenge Summer Solstice Sunrise is near the same time, at 11:52 pm – so you can get the magical treat of seeing them both in close succession! Here is the link to the Stonehenge Summer Solstice, online. Remember the time zone difference – the Summer Solstice Sunrise at 3:52 AM GMT, on Sunday June 21 is 11:52 PM *Saturday June 20* for those of us in the Eastern United States time zone. (Also, it is Winter Solstice/Yule for those in the Southern Hemisphere). With more are more online experiences available during this (hopefully waning) pandemic, this could be your first online celebration of a Sabbat!
The Summer Solstice is just two weeks away!
With the world still gripped by the Coronavirus pandemic, we are becoming used to some of the changes which will become the new normal, amid the many which will change back after the pandemic. One likely permanent change is a big increase in online events and meetings. So, haven’t you always wanted to experience a Stonehenge Summer Solstice? Now you can! Remember the time zone difference – the Summer Solstice Sunrise at 3:52 AM GMT, on Sunday June 21 is 11:52 PM *Saturday June 20* for those of us in the Eastern United States time zone.
Tripping With the Gods – On Entheogenic Spirituality:, (Part 1 of 5) by Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D. [The Dionysian Naturalist]
Contrary to the prohibitionist propaganda that is disseminated by our dominant culture, some drugs, when consumed with sacred intention in carefully crafted rituals, can be magical portals to vividly visionary and exotic realms, catalysts for deep and profound spiritual transformations, and challenging teachers offering the lesson plan of a lifetime. Moreover, humans can learn to consume these substances moderately and safely and not fall victim to hardcore dysfunctional addiction. While this fact goes against the common sense of our culture, it was a part of the wisdom traditions of our ancestors in at least some early tribal societies for up to 40,000 years.
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Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 