Naturalistic Paganism
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Animism for the Religious Naturalist
Animists see a world that is full of other-than-human persons, including salmon persons, tree persons, and even rock persons. It is difficult for many Westerners to understand the concept of other-than-human persons, especially when talking about (seemingly) “inanimate objects” like rocks. But for the animist, there is no such thing as inanimate matter, because it is all a part of the complex self-regulating living system called Gaia. Animism is not about the projection of consciousness or agency onto non-human things, but about respect and reciprocity within a more-than-human community that transcends the subject-object dichotomy.
Read MoreNaturalistic Pagan Toolbox: Worship
Three steps toward creating a naturalistic devotional practice toward the earth.
Read More“‘As the gods pour, so do mortals’: An alternative conception of divine reciprocity” by John Halstead (Part 2)
PART 2: AN ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTION OF DIVINE RECIPROCITY In Part 1 of this essay (published last month), I critiqued a popular understanding of divine reciprocity. But there is another conception of divine reciprocity. It is rooted in the notion of…
Read More“‘As mortals pour, so do the gods’: A critique of divine reciprocity” by John Halstead (Part 1)
As I pour out the water or wine or honey on the earth, I create, in the form of the stream of liquid, a living connection between myself and the earth. It is a visual and visceral representation of my connection to the earth. And in so doing, I experience both an “emptying” and also simultaneously a “filling”, as if I am both emptying the vessel of myself and filling myself at the same time, as if I am both the cup that pours and the earth which receives. In this act, I restore in a small measure that sense of sensual connection I have to the world. This for me is the true meaning of divine reciprocity.
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Pagan Coming Out Day – May 2nd
Naturalistic Paganism 