Posts Tagged ‘pagan life’

Phaedra Bonewits is sitting vigil with her husband Isaac as he ends his battle with cancer. Candles are burning here in recognition of what he has been to the neo-pagan community and in solidarity with the woman who will soon be alone after a long partnership.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere…they say it is summer solstice; but I am unconvinced. It is cold and wet and only the weeds are thriving in my garden.
But I am trying to get in the mood anyhow…so in honor of this beautiful Solstice Sunrise, we will have bangers and mash for dinner. After all, our weather is being oh-so-very English!

(Really, click the link, it is worth it for the pretty alone!)

There is a challenge out to blog about pagan values this month. I’m picking up the glove and irritating Christians by being pagan, atheists by positing belief at all, and pagans by questioning any orthodoxy. I define myself as pagan. But, as with any religious definition, I am defined more by five driving spiritual needs:

(1) Is it coherent with observable reality?
I need my spirituality to accord with reality. If a religion tells me that prayers are answered, for instance; I need evidence instead of caveats like “Well, your faith was weak…so God didn’t answer.” A deity capable of helping who chooses to not help because “Your faith was weak, man.” is an asshole in my book…not worthy of belief OR worship, much less obedience unto.

I need to feel the immanence of divinity to believe; I cannot “get” it from a book. This is one reason pagan paths appeal to me—immanence and the experience of it ARE offered to all, not merely to the guy at the pulpit.

(2) Does it avoid rabid calls for faith over rationality?
I do not believe in deities existing to save our asses. That is incoherent with observed reality. When I make statements like that, I am often told I am “faithless”. I reply that I am certainly always weeding faith superstitions from my head just as I pull weeds in my garden. If I have to turn off critical analytical skills to function in a religion, I am not going to make it there.

Telling me I am going to hell for abandoning that necessary “belief” will only make me run faster because it reminds me of sick system techniques. I most commonly run into this in Abrahamic faiths and it seems so self-defeating; if by their own Book, we are created in the divine image does that not include our brains? Why would believing in that Creator mean we have to scuttle the software?

(3) Does this WORK for me allowing self-determination AND connection?
If I am not free to make my own choices in difficult situations, instead of following a list of one-size-doesn’t fit any rules, there is no meaning for me. If I am a rat in a pre-determined maze, why bother at all? Neither sin nor saintliness is truly possible in a rigged game.

And if behaving as a free agent makes the contact with the alleged divinity impossible it is likewise a deal-breaker. If a deity only pats you on the head when you quote and act by rote, you are back to being a lab rat and scarcely the “crown of creation” that mankind is usually accounted to be.

I insist that freedom and responsibility for personal choice are the necessary constituents of a spiritual practice. Control of yourself, not others is paramount. Yes, there it is —a stoic basis added to my latent pantheism. And I can never be certain I believe in something real, because I also posit the possibility that I am wrong, that no deities exist and we are all playing head games with ourselves. Occam’s razor cuts both ways!

(4) Am I comfortably uncomfortable?
What is comfortable discomfort? I don’t believe in stasis; a religion based on checking off boxes as “done” and sitting back in self-satisfied smugness is but a stagnation. If I am not being challenged to move, shake things up in myself and my life, to change and grow and reach beyond my current capability, I may as well be dead.

I weed out and discard things that don’t move me forward. I refuel myself in the wilds, (like a pantheist) ; I don’t pray in request formats since I don’t believe in deities doing requests. I ACT or admit my own impotence (like a stoic) instead of praying. Why would ANY deities want us begging at their doors like dogs performing for bacon treats? Doubt and struggle are part and parcel of my path.

(5) Arete and seeking:

While I admit to belief in deities, I still sometimes call myself a transcendental atheist : the Gods, (like the truth?) may be “out there”, but we don’t find either until we get “out there”, and I don’t mean in an afterlife, either. We need to “fly” to bridge the perceptual void between ourselves and any possible deities and we seem to dislike teaching ourselves how to walk! Arete, that striving for personal excellence is what keeps me marching. No matter how tired, or frustrated, or lonesome the walk, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual honesty are the “boots” I wear.

Religion is a work in progress, done for and by ourselves. It’s bootstraps or nothing for this pagan: and if I work my way completely through every religion in study and experimentation and at the end find nothing believable? Well, the journey, the exploration was still worthwhile. And I am still pagan, because my core values are more akin to historical ideals of arete than to modern monotheism’s subservience to mere obedience.

The moon grows in the sky, for us, illuminating summer breaking out green and fragrant. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the summer temperatures are rising. And as ever, in the continuing wars, men are dying. Take note, the count grows. If only I had the wherewithal to light enough luminarias to show you that count! This pictured count was from October 2003.

Lt. Valerica Leu, 31, of Murgeni, Romania, died in a field hospital in Afghanistan on May 12, of wounds from an IED detonation.

Pvt. Kevin T. McKay, 24, of Ontario, Canada, died in Afghanistan on May 13 as a result of wounds from the detonation of an IED during a night-time dismounted patrol.

Cpl. Nicholas D. Paradarodriguez, 29, of Stafford, Va., died May 16 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

US Marine Staff Sgt. Adam L. Perkins, 27, of Antelope, Calif. died May 17 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

The following service men were killed on May 18 in Afghanistan when a Taliban car bomber detonated his vehicle at their same convoy location in Kabul, Afghanistan, one Canadian and five Americans:

Col. Geoff Parker, 42, of New Brunswick, Canada

Col. John M. McHugh, 46, of New Jersey

Lt. Col. Paul R. Bartz, 43, of Waterloo, Wis.

Lt. Col. Thomas P. Belkofer, 44, of Perrysburg, Ohio

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Tieman, 28, of Waynesboro, Pa

Spc. Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24, of Dubberly, La.

US Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick Xavier Jr., 24, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

US Army Staff Sgt. Shane S. Barnard, 38, of Desmet, S.D., died May 19 in , Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when he stepped on a secondary improvised explosive device.

US Army PFC Billy G. Anderson, 20, of Alexandria, Tenn., died May 17, in Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with improvised explosive devices.

US Marine Lance Cpl. Philip P. Clark, 19, of Gainesville, Fla., died May 18 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan

Do you know how many one thousand really is? Some of the WWII vets would say not so many; because yes, they lost a lot more than that in a single day’s battle over and over. But really, it is a lot. In autumn of 2003, with the help of four others, it took me almost four hours to make a mere 400 luminaria lanterns for the Labyrinth; that was the death count for the war in Iraq at the time. Now, the total for both wars, US and Coalition, exceeds 6400.

And today, the count for Afghanistan alone, for America alone, hit one thousand. I got an email asking me to post my unhappiness on the White House Facebook Wall in the form of a flower. I am not a Facebook member, nor will I be. Those of you who are, feel free to jump with the linkage.

I write letters. They are unanswered. I light candles and launch curses.
Yes, I AM just that kind of pagan. But hey, if Facebook works for you, go to it.

I know a fair number of Christians whose noses get a bit out of joint because I rail on about the noisy, bigoted Fundamental asshats who think freedom of religion (you know, as promised in the Bill of Rights?) only means THEIR religion. Well, folks, police your own flock then and rap the asshats on the knuckles—I’m sure there are some testy old nuns out there (what with being investigated as possible heretics and all) who could give you the ‘how to’ lessons.

The week has just been example after example of “good Christians” trying to hold shut the floodgates of free thought and free practice of religion other than the love of Jesus. My thanks to the Wild Hunt blog for keeping me apprised of the situations ongoing. I have already blogged a time or two about this, and it isn’t ending any time soon.

I wear, constantly, on my left wrist, a heavy silver bracelet that is my visual link to Kybele–the Great Mother. I am clear across the country from an American site dedicated to her, but I hereby declare I intend to tithe to that house from my Etsy profits (such as they are). The Maetreum of Cybele is located in New York State. They have their necessary 501c rating, and yet the county refuses them tax exemption as a religious group. It is pure discrimination, as the reason for refusal has now come out as “because we can’t open the gates for other such groups!” Right, far be it from an American county to actually allow freedom of all religions. Since the county is now getting set to lose in court, they are trying to seize the property for non-payment of the much contested taxes. Please, if you can, go to the link and give them a donation to help pay legal bills so they can hold onto their property and get their tax exempt status.

And down in Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish (the same parish where black folks trying to get out of flood waters during Katrina were SHOT at by white sheriff’s personnel ) the sheriff wants to make sure none of those evil witchy sorts from partying on a dedicated pagan campsite. Because, you know, they can’t be having any of that kind of thing in their perfect little white Christian enclave. The sheriff can be as “vehemently opposed” as he likes; he is still violating a Constitutional freedom. If you live in Louisiana, please write to all your state and federal officials and inform them you would prefer if your law enforcement personnel did NOT act like KKK yahoos. They used to harass the Jews in places like Louisiana…where I lived (thankfully briefly) as a child. Now they have a new, smaller, and perceived as powerless target: pagans.

But even the college campus scene is rife with morons; and I am not speaking of Bible colleges here. Purdue, for pity’s sake! Seems that someone there doesn’t think non-believers should have a display case advocating the right to be free OF religion. Wow, Jesus, love him or leave campus, what? Yeah, that’s tolerant.

Yet, just tell a Christian they don’t have to Gawd-given right to RUN the National Day of Prayer as they want and they scream like stuck pigs—-oh, the martyrdom, the martyrdom!! Franklin Graham is still screaming about how being dis-included means Satan is taking over America. Apparently, his God is a bit of a wussy who needs total and complete brain-washed acquiescence to EVERYthing at every instant of the day.

Frankly, I think if the Fundy screamers are any example of “imitating” Christ, Thomas a’ Kempis is spinning in his grave. These new Fundy “martyrs” seem a bit washed out if you ask me. Martyrdom used to mean going to the lions in the Coliseum, now it is enough that someone, ANYone have a different religious opinion. I’m going to go martyr me a Fundy by contributing money for the legal battles of the Magna Mater! Bite me, Franklin Graham. (But, oh, watch out, wuss-boy; I bite back.) And my Goddesses are armed! (Say “hi” to Athena!) And furthermore, below that–an anti-Westboro protest!

Westboro Baptist Church? You can bite me, too….and good for the high schoolers challenging their nasty anti-semitic and anti-gay hate message!
That is what I call “policing your own!” Go Hunter! Go love and tolerance, not hate and small mindedness.

(And if you wish to comment, don’t forget to scroll down enough to fill out the spam filter; otherwise your comment will not appear—even to me.)

Oh my, belly dancing, drum circles and bonfires! Could anything in the world be more horribly frightening? Could anything be more threatening and dangerous? Could anything need more vital attention for the long term good of all residents? Apparently not in Livingston Parish, Louisiana. A pagan group plans a four day gather at the end of May and the sheriff wants them to know he has his eye on them. He can’t stop them if they don’t break the law, but he surely doesn’t like them being there. And this is at a dedicated pagan park and campground.

Gee, does this sheriff get his shorts in a knot over what goes on at Baptist Camp, say? Or at the local Catholic bingo hall? Of course not. It’s us damned pagans, by Gawd, who need watching and worrying over. Cause yeah, Louisiana has nothing else to worry about at all. Nothing better to concern law enforcement, right?

Not the methamphetamine use in Jefferson Parish…just for local starts of “items to be concerned over.”

Not hurricane season coming to possibly devastate New Orleans and the Gulf Coast again.

Not a sunken offshore oil rig pumping 5000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico, where the tide will carry it to Louisiana’s fragile coast.

Not oil burning on the surface from said oil well, with plumes of smoke spreading.

No. Just worry about a bunch of pagans at a pagan park having a bit of fun over a long weekend. That sounds perfectly prioritized. And Mr. Perry Rushing? You are a silly, silly man so busy “vehemently opposing” such simple observations. I recommend you add the Bill of Rights to your reading list. Freedom of religion means ALL religions, not just yours.

Oh, and any readers who want to take me to task and accuse me of “hiding behind the Bill of Rights” as occurred last time I discussed such a topic? Ask yourselves what you would be hiding behind if it didn’t exist, ok? Oh, and yes, fuck off.

Perhaps, the dark of the moon, the day before the first sliver of new crescent appears is the right place for this discussion of military deaths by suicide? I have tried to keep the names every year since the wars began—in Afghanistan in 2001, and in Iraq in 2003. I have a little stack of books with hand-written information.

The wars seem to fall somewhat out of the news lately, as economic concerns and screaming Teabagger hysteria and silly nonsense like giving a crap about Tiger Woods “grips” the news networks. So it is more, rather than less, important to me to remember those dying far from home and loved ones. But sadly, I have always acknowledged that I don’t have all the names. Consider the following quote:

“From the invasion of Afghanistan until last summer, the U.S. military had lost 761 soldiers in combat there. But a higher number in the service — 817 — had taken their own lives over the same period.”

The majority of those names will never be on a list released by the Department of Defense. I will never hold that list in my hands to walk it into the Labyrinth in honor and sorrow. But it is a growing list, as soldiers do more and more tours in the war zones, becoming more and more battered, worn, and often — hopeless. I encourage you to read the article and suggest to your Congress critters that they think of saving our military from this slow death by repeat tour by either ending the wars, or activating the draft.

The load carried by the current military is unfairly laid on the same shoulders time and time again. If YOU really support this “war on terror” to “keep us safe” (I do NOT!), then you should be willing to see that load more equitably spread across the population by a military draft.

The fourth Saturday of every month is dedicated to the numbers supplied by the Department of Defense, the soldiers that have died by suicide. So far as I can tell, it does not list the other service members—Marines, Navy, or Air Force. The military still wants to claim the suicides are from things like “Dear John” letters—-and not caused by the war. Of course, this is disingenuous—if they weren’t at war, they likely would not receive “Dear John” letters!

And the very qualities the military trains into troops actually helps enable a comfort with suicide and death. So, while the Army has many programs activated to spot and supposedly stymie the suicidal soldier, the continued denial that the wars are the biggest reason is simply not helping. It is all CYA* behavior by the military. It will not save the Army, the Marines, and others going back over and over.

For that, it takes you and me! Really support the troops. Make that yellow magnet MEAN something.

(CYA= cover your ass)

The moon wanes in the clouds above us; and flags flutter at half staff. Raise a glass and lower your eyes; remember those who carry America’s banner and will into the wilds of sand and stone. May angels….or valkyries attend them!

US Army Staff Sgt. Scott W. Brunkhorst, 25, Fayetteville, N.C., died March 30 in Afghanistan, of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.

US Navy Lt. Miroslav Zilberman, 31, of Columbus, Ohio, died after his E-2C Hawkeye crashed into the Arabian Gulf on March 31, 2010. The recovery effort was abandoned on April 2, 2010 and his body was not recovered. (The other three crewman of the aircraft survived.)

The following US Marines died April 1 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan:

Lance Cpl. Tyler O. Griffin, 19, of Voluntown, Conn.
Sgt. Frank J. World, 25, of Buffalo, N.Y.

Guardsman Michael Sweeney, 19, of Northumberland, England, died in Afghanistan on April 1, when he stepped on an IED during a patrol to resupply fellow soldiers at a checkpoint.

US Marine Lance Cpl. Curtis M. Swenson, 20, of Rochester, Minn., died April 2 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

Pagans call annoyingly sunny and illogical and ill-informed pagans many names: fluff bunnies, playgans, and yes, even worse. Well, with Easter just past, and very loud dumb bunnies making news, this video, posted by the estimable Lark, was just impossible to NOT steal.
(Yes, I spend too much time with the ferrets, thank you very much.)