Response: Chew on THIS, Pagans

Original post here. Yeah, I’m blog trolling again. Dwib.

First, Teo? You’re a good guy. If you’re reading this, I apologize, dude, but you asked for it. *points* Right there. End of your blog post.

Teo brings up some interesting ideas in his post: Embodied Theology, Reciprocity vs. Grace Theology, whether the Gods and Spirits actually need what we give to them, and so forth. He’s asked for thoughts and opinions on these ideas. Read, then, what I have to say on the subjects, under each heading.

Embodied Theology

I’m a strong proponent of conflicting theologies not necessarily being mutually exclusive. Transcendent and immanent deity is possible both at the same time. A deity that is within you can also be outside of you, and vice versa. From what I’m reading of this embodied theology that Teo talks about, the arguments are that a) transcendent deity forms lead to eventual Fundamentalism, and b) despite many Pagans believing that deity comes as much from within their world (if not themselves) as anywhere else, we use language that makes it sound that they are nowhere near us.

One, transcendent deity forms leading to Fundamentalism? What about immanent deity forms leading to a sort of self-delusion, a different idea of fundamentalism even? As I’ve stated before, I play old Mage, and one of the primary problems that these characters in this game face is the “My God can beat up Your God” routine. Immanent deity, deity that is a part of the local flora and fauna, including human beings, can be as devastating a prospect as deity being apart from everything, transcending everything. The idea that your local Gods somehow transcend fundamentalism by being immanent is, in my way of thinking, fundamentally flawed. Fundamentalism is not a problem of the religious viewpoint, it is the problem of the social viewpoint. Fundamentalism can be as simple and as local as its adherents wish it to be.

Case in point: let’s assume the “deity within you” standpoint for a moment. Since deity within you usually leads to deity being able to speak with you personally, one’s UPG can be written and accepted by any number of individuals, from one to many to a whole “tribe”. Those that disagree might be accepted, or they might be singled out as being somehow wrong. Everything from misinterpretation to misunderstanding to simply being wrong can come as accusations, and yet this is still (from what I understand) an “embodied theology”, where these folks still believe deity is immanent in themselves. My point is, regardless of the theology, those who subscribe to this idea of deity can still devise a sort of “my way is better than your way, even if deity is in you, too” philosophy about it. Fundamentalism is the problem of the individuals seeking a stable or even static base from which to view their theology and practice, not from the theology itself.

Two, I believe that yes, they’re already here. They’re also bigger than that, they can stretch themselves halfway across the world or several places across the world at once. I also believe that they are beyond here, in the world of spirit, in the world of their own making, in the center of the world. Deity is fluid, Hel, spirit is fluid, and thus it spreads and fills space and can be multiple places or times at once (still talking my own theology here, not anyone else’s). Establishing that deity is beyond is not to deny that deity is also here. Again: transcendent deity can still also be immanent deity, the two are not mutually exclusive. Spirits inhabit every living thing, and most (if not all) non-living things. Since deity and spirit is fluid, they flow into one another and the separation of what is and is not can sometimes be painfully, annoyingly difficult to suss out.

The calling of the Gods to ritual, such as in ADF or in Neopagan Animism, is the acceptance that deity is bigger than one area, and yet can be in one area. Spirit is fluid, and can take up a spread of space or can be condensed in a smaller area but with more volume. Honestly, I don’t really know if the volume argument is even valid, as spirits can and have made themselves bigger or smaller as needed. Calling the spirits to ritual is akin to acknowledgement of their presence as much as it is to bring them to the ritual in the first place. They are already there, but we are saying, “You are welcome, pay attention to here, please!” The language used of calling them in is the invitation for the spirits called to fill the space with their presence, rather than simply being present. It is an acknowledgement that the spirits that are already there are also not completely there, because they are broad in scope, size, and purpose. They are more than our local area, yet they are part of that local area. We see deity called throughout the world on our holy days: Eostre or Freyja being called to dozens if not hundreds of Spring Equinox rites across the world. I work very closely with Freyja, she’s here daily, but I still invite her in, for the purpose of respect to her, for attention from her, and for acknowledgement that she is more than my one place and one time. She is both immanent to this local area, filling me with her presence and power daily, and beyond me, doing the same with others she has called to her service or worship or whatever you want to call it. We are not denying the immanent by acknowledging the transcendent, is what I am saying.

Reciprocity

I agree with Teo in the idea of a balance between reciprocity and grace. We often receive things from the Gods we don’t earn; they’re gifts. This is a good thing. We also give things to the Gods even though they may not have pleased us that day, week, month, year. We appreciate them; it’s a gift, not done for any other reason than they are a part of our lives. This is also good. This is a part of what *ghosti is about: the giving of gifts to maintain a friendship is not for the value of the gift, but for the respect of the giver and receiver.

However, there is also an understanding in the process of offering to the Gods that there is a point when the friendship is not enough in and of itself. A friend who continually abuses you or your trust or resources is eventually unwelcome. A friend who doesn’t come to help when you need it is often known not as a friend at all. “Being there” for a friend is an expectation, even in this day and age. This is where offering becomes a sort of understanding: I do for you, and you do for me in return. Capitalist theology? How about just plain and simple respect? I believe the Gods and spirits are real beings; if I believe this, I should be expected to do for them, as they have done for me. I offer beverages, objects, and service, and they perform services for me in return.

It is not the nature of offering that needs changed at this point, it is the attitude of offering that requires a change. I don’t often need the gifts I receive from friends, but they are always appreciated. When someone pays me back for gas money I lend them, it is not a requirement, but it is appreciated. When someone helps me move, I’m not keeping score, but if I’ve helped them move in the past, or something equally big or effort-full, I appreciate the help all the more. If they’re not available to help me move, as has been the case several times, I understand. Again, I’m not keeping score, but too many times of it, I will start to question the nature of the respect they say they have for me, as opposed to the respect I receive.

This has nothing to do with capitalism. Do the Gods and Spirits need our things, our offerings or praise or love? I don’t know for sure. I think they appreciate it, regardless. It is the showing of our respect for them; to distill this to the name of Capitalist Theology is a very different concept, perhaps even insulting. I want to be in good favor with my friends and family; does this mean that the gifts I give them are a Capitalist concept? I don’t think so! This is simply part of the respect that are due to them for being my friends and family! I care about what they think and feel, and the same is true of the Gods and Spirits I deal with. I want their favor, certainly. More than that, I want their respect and a relationship with them. The respect I give them, whether that be a shot of rum and Coke or a poem or song in their honor, or simply thanks for the things they have provided, is a natural extension of that desire. If I did not respect them, the rest would be moot: offerings would be as ash in their mouths, thanks would be hollow and empty. It has very little to do with need, and everything to do with the respect I have for them.

The thing is, and I’m moving now to the

Altar Talk

portion of the discussion, is that while Teo and I may agree that we are both acknowledging something that is already happening, I believe that it can also not happen for a person, or for a Spirit. Respect, reverence, and such are not spiritual constants, in my opinion, they are conscious choices. I choose to respect the Gods and Spirits for what they do. If I do not respect them, they can withdraw their respect, aid, and even presence from me, leaving me empty and alone. The divine spark that is immanent within me does not guarantee that presence, that respect or aid. It gives me relation to them so that the dialogue of respect can occur. That divine spark, the part of deity that is immanent in me, is the universal translator, not the individual spirits. They are a part of me, they flow through me and my locality, but they can also flow elsewhere.

Some would ask how one could recognize the spark of divinity within everything and not respect it; to that, I say it happens all the time. I see people who claim to be Wiccan High Priests or Priestesses ignoring their own professed beliefs out of convenience, or ignorance, or even spite, in a few cases. I don’t care what they believe, or if it’s different than how I believe (that is, I accept their difference of belief as valid for them), but I do care if they profess something then act completely opposite to it. Christians have one thing right, if nothing else: “[Deity] is spirit, and those that worship [the Gods and Spirits] must do so in spirit and in truth.” Key word made bold for emphasis. Respect is that truth that is spoken of here, and it is something I don’t see in many expressions of belief, from denominations of Christianity to various forms of Paganism to even atheistic philosophies (replacing Deity with Philosophy, of course). The lack of respect in my opinion enforces an expulsion of deity from self, and from the world around that person.

Now, the Gods can fight back, which is something a lot of people don’t acknowledge. A God who really wants a relationship with someone can make their lives a dream, or  a nightmare, despite the lack of respect on the other side. Why do Gods or Spirits do this? Well, why do humans? Why do some animals? And in my opinion, the Gods and Spirits can often be much more patient than we.

All of these musings for me come to one vector, one point. Respect. This is not a grace theology, this is not a capitalist theology. In my view, this is a theology instead of relationship, plain, pure, and simple. Without respect, everything else in our beliefs is lacking, especially for Paganism. This is where fundamentalism can creep in, not in what kind of beliefs we have. Respect for the Gods and Spirits provides the balance between reciprocity and grace that we spoke of earlier. Respect for others allows us to remove much of the obstacle of fundamentalist thinking which seems to have plagued Christianity again and again. Respect for oneself keeps one on the path. This isn’t simple theology to me, this is central to any system of dealing with and honoring deity.

Why I love old “Mage” and not new “Mage”

I’m a sucker for religious and philosophical discussion. I have my own opinions, but I love hearing the opinions of others on these two topics, except in one case: where the person believes that he or she is right beyond any argument and no rational discussion is possible. I have known Wiccans whose final arguments were, “That’s just the way it is,” or, “You’re just wrong about that.” Why? Have your experiences been counter to the argument? Is there something in the collected lore that backs you and doesn’t back me? No, they’ve decided that their opinion is the way it is, and that’s that. Or they read it on Z Budapest’s website, which has no links or references to corresponding lore or anything. I can accept the, “That doesn’t fit with my experiences,” argument, but the point is, if you have an actual reason for the opinion you have, that’s great! Go with it. If not, maybe you should be questioning that opinion.

The dynamic in Mage: The Ascension is all about these kinds of arguments. Magic works because its practitioners believe it to work, and thus you have a very rational argument: “I’m floating ten feet off the ground. Therefore, your argument that I can’t is pretty much invalid.” The game is almost completely about competing world views, which don’t quite cancel each other out because Awakened Mages have a strong will and a desire to use it. Of course, they do get with Paradox, but that’s another matter entirely.

Mage: The Awakening got rid of a lot of what made Mage… well, Mage. Now you can play Mage without all that nasty, philosophical paradigm stuff getting in the way! Except, that’s exactly what made Mage: The Ascension so worth playing in the first place. I ran a Mage LARP back in Cleveland for about a year before I turned it over to a friend. In that time, by far the most intriguing aspect of the game was listening to two Tradition mages bicker bitterly about the nature of reality, how it really worked and how their magic was made possible. This, this is what made Mage work: several world views all working to change reality despite contradicting each other. Several philosophies of the world, all making sense together because they’re all wrong, yet they are the very fuel that makes the underlying reality work!

Old Mage ran on a concept called consensual reality, basically, that the collective beliefs of all creatures in the world determines the nature of the experience. This is an old concept, stretching back to pre-Christian times. Several philosophies have considered the possibility of consensual reality, or described the world as the illusion (maya or samsara) constructed by perception. The theory goes that gravity works because we agree that it works: if we toss an apple up, it falls down towards the ground. We believe the lie of our perceptions, and we perpetuate that perception to the next generation. Perceptions change based on someone convincing the masses that something else can work, and thus we have modern medicine, airplanes, and other marvels. In the dark ages, a group called the Order of Hermes held sway over the minds of man, and such things as alchemy and lengthy rituals held sway, changing reality through wonder and miracle, which reinforced commoners’ beliefs in the supernatural and superstition. In the game, creatures such as vampires and werewolves exist partially because the inhabitants of the world believe it to be so, and because this includes more than just the human population, but also Gods and Spirits (called Bygones in the game because in the modern era they’re more or less banished from the earth), these supernatural entities run off of rules that the masses didn’t necessarily create. At the same time, modern medicine, airplanes, cars, trains, nuclear power, x-rays, the Internet, and so forth: they all work because the masses were convinced that they worked, and how. Since the masses are also convinced that magic doesn’t exist, those that work magic are also working against the collective beliefs of everyone else in reality. Hence, in the dark ages, airplanes might or might not work, and in the modern era, saying a chant and creating fire causes a severe backlash. The Awakened are those that can use their will to fight against the consensus and make the impossible happen… at a cost to themselves (called Paradox because technically, you are doing something against the rules of reality). Most often, they are the ones doing the convincing mentioned above.

One’s perception of the illusion of realtiy in old Mage was called a paradigm. It is paradigm that White Wolf has removed from their new Mage line, and yet all of the other trappings remain. There’s still Disbelief, Paradox, and the Spheres (sorry, ARCANA now) more or less work similarly to the way they used to. The primary difference is that all mages more or less work their magic the same way. Granted, some are still technomancers or whatnot, but there really is only one paradigm these mages are working from. There’s no more inspiration from ancient culture or mythology, or it’s so sterilized that it’s hardly recognizable. The main baddies aren’t mages with competing paradigms anymore (the ones who created the rules to nuclear fission and aerodynamics in the old game), they’re strange disembodied entities working the same magic in the same paradigm through intermediaries on earth. To me, it makes less sense. The only improvement is that they got rid of that damned Avatar Storm that damaged you whenever you crossed into the Spirit World. Hel, Changeling: the Lost was an improvement, why couldn’t new Mage have been?

So, when I run a Mage game again, it’s going to be old Mage. Paradigm will be emphasized. And while I’m dreaming, I’d like a pony.

Response: “Kirk Cameron is a Tool” part deux

Yesterday, Star Foster posted about Kirk Cameron being blasted in the media, and added in an old Way of the Master Radio broadcast from 2006 where Kirk and a buddy “infiltrated” an ADF ceremony in California. Jason over at the Wild Hunt blog also made some comments. I mentioned some personal reactions to the program, which I now continue today.

First off, Mr. Cameron commented in the program how “creepy” the entire experience was for him, and it was mentioned on the program that no Christian should try to attempt what Kirk had done, because it was so dangerous. Really, dude, you chose to portray an ADF ritual as creepy? Come on, they’re like Methodists, only with beer. Star describes ADF ritual as “mundane, pedestrian, and dull”, and depending on the ritual, she’s right. I don’t find ADF ritual dull most of the time, but mundane and pedestrian? It certainly can be. But OH MY GOD, the worship service was held OUTSIDE, amongst a GROVE OF TREES! The HORRORS! So creepy! Seriously? I found the inside of the first Fundamentalist church I went in more creepy than that!

Oh, speaking of Methodists? The stuff in the chalice was probably… beer. Unless Fundamentalists have stopped taking communion, I really don’t see the bad here.

More under the cut…

Response: “Kirk Cameron is a Tool”

Read here for the original post I’m responding to. Honestly, I’m not just responding to the post. I’m also responding to the program listed in the post called “Way of the Master Radio” with Kirk Cameron and a couple of others. In this post, I’ll be criticizing everyone involved, so if you feel offended, at least you’re not left out.

Before I begin, I must mention that I was a member of ADF. Still am a member of the organization, even though I don’t practice in their way anymore. I was a member of Stonecreed Grove in Cleveland; I helped to start Silver Branch Golden Horn Grove in Denver, and The New Village Grove began as an ADF protogrove. Having been immersed in the organization for almost five years, I can name several things I loved and hated about it, and I can name specifics as to why I am no longer practicing in their way. I even completed their year-long Dedicant Program, so I am quite aware of ADF beliefs and practice. I still use a number of their terms, like *ghosti.

First of all, Fundamentalists tend to do this sort of thing. They go to rituals and don’t participate. They criticize other modes of belief and practice, they put themselves out as superior to other belief systems. We know this. Why are people surprised? Granted, some of their criticism is baseless, factless, even simply inflammatory, designed more for the emotional response rather than rational thought. What about the rest of their arguments, though?

More under the cut…

Concerning the Concept of the Universal “All”

Anyone who knows me well knows two fairly simple facts about my belief system. One, I believe everything – let me emphasize that, everything – has a spirit. This includes the rocks, the trees, the computer I’m typing on, the monitor you’re reading this post on, cars, bikes, planes, trains, the planets in our solar system and the stars in the sky. There are different levels and degrees of spirit, meaning some are quite large and expansive, and others are very small and specific. Not all spirits are awake, some aren’t necessarily even aware, but interaction can change that state.

Two, while I am no longer Gnostic, much of my theology has been strongly influenced by Gnosticism. Gnosticism, to oversimplify a very complex system, supposes that all that is emanated from one being, and the goal of religion and mystic practice is to return to a state of oneness with that being through experience of the sacred and knowledge of the “truth”, where we get the term gnosis from. I don’t believe in the concept of salvation; I don’t see it as necessary. The world is tough, and sometimes it sucks, but this is not always a bad thing. The world is the way it is because of how we make it and how we react to it; unfortunately, like it or not, people made their own mess. Yet the concept of the universe as spirit has stuck with me, not as an overarching spiritual authority such as in monotheism, but rather as a particularly large spirit which may or may not be even aware of its inhabitants.

Everything having a spirit includes the big conglomeration of galaxies, rogue stars, comets, supernovas, and black holes, at least in my estimation. So, to say that there is not a creature that could be considered the One slightly bothers me and my logic circuits. On the other hand, the spirits I deal with are of this world, to overturn a stereotype, so to believe that this One has any clue as to what I’m up to or what I’m doing or what goals I have for the future is a major stretch. This means that I don’t deal much with this creature directly. I have no problem approaching it – if I have to approach it at all – through the intermediaries that are my Gods and Goddesses. I honestly wonder if they wouldn’t approach it through intermediaries themselves, like the spirits of galaxies or something like. There is even the possibility that, like the Aesir and certain Jotuns, the Gods are sometimes opposed to these other larger entities. The point is, the One, the “All”, is much bigger than one planet or even one solar system.

For monotheists, the “bigger than” problem is a non-issue, because it must be for the monotheistic model to work in most cases. The notable exception to this is Deism, which surmises that God started everything going and then let it run. In other forms, however, God is still a personable entity, going so far as to send prophets, holy men, even His own son (in Christianity’s case) to right the course of not the entire world, or even one continent or immense region, but one small set of people for the first few millennia of existence. In fact, it was only after Christ’s appearance that we see a major drive to convince other nations of their inherent godlessness and try to convert them – before then, the primary conversions were a side effect of the conquest of land, or the natural interactions of neighbors. This makes the whole angle a hard sell for me, but that is partially what faith is for: the evidence of things not seen. Specifically, I’m talking about the motivations of an entity supposedly bigger than the universe and yet so focused on one minute detail of a developing planet. Incidentally, this baffling piece of logic is not what eventually led me away from my Lutheran upbringing, but it did cement my animistic approach to religion after I became polytheistic, a time which overlaps my research into Gnosticism and my settling into a solidly Pagan worldview.

It may be obvious to others that I believe the animistic model described two paragraphs ago to be superior to the monotheistic model. Anyone who thinks so, however, would be wrong. It certainly works better for me and my logic circuits, but there’s much to be said for monotheism. I’m just not the one to be saying it. On the other hand, there are certainly those who have accused me of being monist, or even monotheist, because I believe in an “All” or “One” at all. This, too, I feel is incorrect, because a monist ultimately sees the spirits as aspects of this greater being, and I do not. The simplest way to describe this is, I am not my germs. My germs live in my body, they feed off my cells, they may even benefit me, but I am still a separate entity from them, even though when someone is pointing to me, they are pointing to my germs, as well. They are also pointing to my hair, my clothes, my toes, my bones, and my spleen, all of which are a part of me at that point and time, but are not me, either. In this same way, I can talk about the All and the Universe as being One, yet still differentiate between the All and the Gods and Goddesses and other spirits.

Yet, the universe still exists as a spirit, just as our planet does, just as our continent does, or our country, or state, or city does. All of these things have spirits, have a life force beyond the measurable pulse of blood or crackling of electromagnetic energy in the animistic worldview I espouse. While some are greater than any person on this planet can comprehend, it is not outside the bounds of practice to deal with such entities. At the same time, I feel it is dangerous to expect personal service from the All as if one would a God. By the same token the Gods do not need to be insanely large to be powerful. In heathen terms, the Gods are not bigger than Yggdrasil, or the nine worlds, yet the power they wield is still quite formidable. Even humans have a great amount of power to affect their surroundings, especially in this age of cranes and bulldozers. Using the body analogy again, my germs can still make me sick.

Beliefs, Christianity, and Prayer

One of the most obvious misunderstandings between myself and Christians is the whole, “I know you don’t believe this,” thing. They assume that, because I am not Christian, that I do not believe in the God they pray to or that Jesus was a real person. I find this most commonly among family; in fact, it is because of a recent conversation with a family member that I’m writing on this.

Let me set the record straight. Just because I do not believe your God is who you or He says He is does not mean I deny His existence entirely. Just because I do not subscribe to Christian cosmology or symbolism does not mean I think Jesus did not exist. Just because your God is not among the Gods I worship does not mean I have a problem with your prayers to that God for my health and safety. It is the same if another Pagan were to pray to Apollo on my behalf – I don’t really deal with Apollo, but if He’s inclined to help me with something, I’m not the idiot going to say, “Uh, no, you’re not MY God, YOU can’t do a thing!!!”

This, I think, is a major difference between a monotheistic and a polytheistic/animistic viewpoint. I know many Christians who would be offended if I prayed to Freyja on their behalf for their health and safety, especially considering the “One God” standpoint. At the most benign, to them, praying to Freyja is fruitless, as she does not exist in their paradigm. On the other end of the spectrum, it’s praying to a “false god”, AKA the Devil, which is inherently bad and evil and wrong.

On the other side, you have the type of polytheist I am, which does not only acknowledge multiple Gods, but multiple pantheons, as well. The “Christian Pantheon”, consisting of YHVH, Yeshua (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (and possibly the Devil, angels, and saints, depending on sect), exists to me, but separately from the pantheons I adhere to. I don’t belong to YHVH, I belong to Freyja. It’s like being a citizen of a whole different spiritual country. I don’t appeal to YHVH because I’m not His, nor do I expect someone who is Christian to appeal to any of my deities. However, Freyja can and does allow YHVH to intercede in my affairs when my Christian relatives or friends pray for me, and I and my allies among the spirits see nothing wrong with this arrangement.

To the Neopagan Animist, Gods and Goddesses are spirits, separate and individual. The Christian doctrine of the Trinity does not countermand this, because ultimately, that God is still separate from the other pantheons of spirits that exist, as He should be – God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, even if the three are one, is still not Freyja or Gwydion. However, I don’t believe that the Christian concept of God is the same as the all-encompassing entity in which we live, which is also a spirit, greater and further apart from human understanding than any God. To me, God is not the universe, God is a part of it. (This is not to say anyone will agree with me on this point; as I said, I believe in a different cosmology than the one accepted by most Christians.)

This viewpoint also does not make Christian doctrine obsolete in my understanding; rather, I see Christian doctrine as applying to God’s (YHVH’s) chosen, of which Pagans are not a part. Jesus calls his own; of those He calls, some do not follow, and instead choose wickedness in His sight. This does not mean Jesus calls everyone, I don’t care what Saul says. This is the ultimate difference: the assumption seems to be that if you believe YHVH exists, you MUST inherently believe everything written about Him in that accepted paradigm. Wars have been fought over this assumption. Friendships have been torn apart over something as simple as the acceptance of the Trinity, or the nature of the Eucharist. To me, this assumption simply isn’t true. First of all, I don’t believe everything written about my Gods, and I don’t need to – my experiences with them are enough. Second, I have had enough of my beliefs blown wide open to know it is better to interpret beliefs to fit experience, rather than interpreting experiences to fit beliefs. My experiences of land spirits and nature kin, fey and otherworldly beings, and many other kinds of spirits weren’t even possible in the Christian paradigm I was brought up in, so I had to expand my own understanding of things. In doing so, I came to the conclusion (however erroneous others may believe it to be) that YHVH was not the overarching spirit that He was publicized to be, but rather one of many, albeit with quite a bit of power behind Him (1000 years of being the dominant deity in a decent-sized chunk of the world will do that).

It’s hard for me to explain how this misunderstanding can be insulting. Speaking more specifically here, you telling me that you’re praying for me, and then saying something to the effect of, “but I know you don’t believe in it,” makes me sound more like an atheist or an anti-Christian, rather than what I am. Ultimately, I am writing this post to get across that praying for me, to whatever God or Goddess you choose to, is not an insult, and why would it be? You are asking for intercession for me from a deity who might otherwise not even think twice of me! I’m cool with that!

Granted, not all intercession will be desired, or wanted, or accepted. Anyone praying for me to accept Christ into my heart: Freyja WILL take exception to that. Sort of. Okay, that’s a complicated situation. Anybody praying for me to kick the bucket: Freyja WILL fight that tooth and claw. Why? I dunno, I think she likes me or something. Or maybe it’s because that, like Christians belong to Christ, I belong to her! But, I digress. Most of my family and friends are praying for my health and safety, or to help me find a job, or something along those lines. Why would Freyja try to block that? She’s on my side! Why would I want to counter that? It’s help! I don’t even think YHVH would be too upset about that: He’s helping His flock by helping me, when His chosen pray for me. The same goes for Freyja, or Herne, or Gwydion if I prayed to them for one of my friends or family: they would help those I pray for because in doing so, they are helping me; it’s part of the *ghosti relationship I have with them. I give them praise and offerings for being there for me; they give me and mine aid and help when needed. We work together.

So, it is hard for me to explain how this misunderstanding can be insulting, but I feel it’s important that at least some of the Christians I deal with understand that fact. Hey, if you feel so inclined, pray for me! I’m glad that I rate up there in your thoughts and your prayers. Why do you think I would not understand that your deity is important to you, and makes real change in your life? Being your family (or friend), I’m a part of that life, which means, for good or ill, that your deity still affects me whether I belong to that deity or not. That is my standpoint – that my beliefs do not necessitate a lack of prayer on my behalf. That I believe in your prayers. That I believe that, even if your deity is not mine, He (or She) may still intercede in my life if you ask, because you ask.

Toward The End of the Year

Winternights proper is today, the last High Day before the new year, which occurs at Samhain for The New Village Grove. So I’ve started reviewing how this year went for me, and for the grove. What worked? What didn’t? Where do we want things to go from here?

This year has been full of ups and downs. I don’t think we’ll be getting our 501(c)(3) before Samhain, but at least the 1023′s finished. We didn’t have a lot of people attending every ritual, but sometimes last minute attendees would surprise us. The second draft of The New Village: A Practice of Neopagan Animism is already almost half again the size it was in the previous draft. The ordeal I went on this summer literally changed my perspectives on a great many aspects of my practice, and solidified my beliefs in ways I never thought possible.

In short, the year since last Samhain has been quite busy.

I stand now at the precipice of what I am and what I could become, and see my way before me. I’m not really afraid of it any longer, though I would say I have a healthy respect for the dangers and challenges still ahead. The last challenge before the new year is Front Range Pagan Pride. This one, in particular, I’m pretty excited about. The next meeting will determine whether connecting with the group in Denver after December will be worth it. I welcome that. I think I will request to be moved back to staff and gopher, so I can still help in meaningful ways but don’t have to make as many meetings. We’ll see.

Here’s hoping the next ritual year is as productive and that blessings continue to grace us.

Preparing

I’ve been working on the IRS’s 1023 form, lately. It’s a right monster, to be sure. Bloody thing has me up all night some nights. You would think a government form would just be a long form of “yes/no” and short sentence questions. Well, I can tell you that’s a load of… well, nothing that can be said in polite company.

If you’ve been to university, you may remember the nasty tests that you took in some of the liberal arts classes. Some questions were multiple choice, some true/false, and some were short or long essay questions. This is what the IRS 1023 form is: a several-pages-long test where if you don’t input the answers they’re looking for, you fail (and lose your $400 filing fee). They’re not just looking at if you say you’re a church, they wish to know what your beliefs are and how you ordained your ministers. This is more than a little odd for an organization designed to collect taxes.

It isn’t a problem that they ask if we have ordained ministers or a prescribed liturgy. Granted, they do have the job of determining that a church is legitimate. However, asking WHAT those processes are can open up a church to what Kemetic Orthodoxy encountered a couple of years ago. An Illinois  revenue agent came to them about taxes, and remarked, to their face (and their lawyer) that KO wasn’t “really a religion”. They then had to gather a number of testimonials and such together to prove they had an impact in people’s lives. This is AFTER they already had a 501(c)(3)!

Am I worried? A little. We’ve only 4 regular members, and a small collection of people who come to rites. It’s not even a congregation of 20. So yeah, I’m concerned. We’ll get through it, we always do; the hurdles to jump are just a little high.

Edginess and Polytheism

In Gus diZerega’s blog today, I read an interesting article on the “edginess” of Paganism. Here. Read it. I’ll wait.

Edginess is hard to reconcile with Recon religions, such as Asatru and Celtic Reconstructionism (CR). On the one hand, they’re naturally edgy: many of the virtues and values are imported from over 1,000 years ago, which means you may or may not have a given Reconstructionist who adheres to “American” values. On the other hand, you’re speaking about groups of Pagans who are notoriously conservative in their interpretations of lore, and oddly at home with maintaining the status quo in modern politics, regardless of their political persuasion.

The reason I bring this up is that many polytheists are at some level Reconstructionists, or at least “Recon Lite”, such as ADF and similar groups (credit Ian Corrigan with that quip). The number of polytheists in the US who are more gnosis-based are very rare, and lore/gnosis balanced groups are also uncommon. In Recon religions, edginess and the ability to FReak Out the Mundanes (what I and my associates call “fromming”) seem to be largely a function of ancient culture rather than any actual modern attitude. Some of the freakiest Recons I know (who live in Denver, of all places) still are quite at home at a board meeting or in a “normal” social gathering. Their religion is something they talk about freely but don’t really display as a general rule.

On the one hand, it’s good to be a “normal” Pagan, especially in the workplace or in most public venues. Paganism is a way of life not unlike any other, in the sense that we value hard work and compensation for it. To be seen as a person first and a Pagan second is a worthy goal, and some of us have already achieved it. The question is, “Why?” Why do we wish to be mainstream, to not rock the boat or be outspoken, to go on with “business as usual?”

There is yet another question we should be asking. What is it that makes polytheism, and even Neopaganism, “edgy” or “mainstream”? There are several definitions of both words. A further fact is, Paganism need not be one or the other.

When I think of a mainstream religion, I think of a religion that is accepted as a viable choice of belief system according to the society of a given region. In this respect, Wicca at least has already gained some mainstream status, depending on your location. Being a Wiccan in Denver, for example, is about as important as being a plumber or a banker. It is just one more choice in a variety of choices available. On the other hand, down in the Springs, being a Wiccan still can earn illicit looks or put one’s job in danger.

There is another definition of “mainstream”, which I hope we avoid as polytheists, even as Wicca is succumbing to it. This is the “mainstream” of being available to the lowest common denominator, yet another selection with about as much flavor and importance as the green Jell-o you order at lunch. This is being a religion which does not counter corporate or consumerist values, a nice and safe predicament to be in. Our religion has never been “safe”, you want safe, join Christianity, that’s my opinion. Gus makes the same point, but seems to think that not being this kind of mainstream religion is being “edgy” somehow, as if countering consumerism in principle was somehow societally dangerous. It’s not, at least, not yet. What is dangerous is looking at a Recon and telling them the lore only matters so much in the long run, because it was all written by Christian monks when the old religions had all but been replaced. I’ve ducked more than one punch from that one.

Edginess is partially attitude. I don’t have an edgy attitude. Partially for that reason, people at my place of business can look at me and go, “He’s a little weird, but he’s OK.” They know I’m polyamorous, they know I’m Pagan, and this is in a fairly conservative district. It’s not Colorado Springs, but it is upper-middle-class status quo, and there’s plenty of Fundamentalist attitudes going around. Yet I’m treated as normal, even liked, partially because I try to be a nice guy, and partially because I don’t make a big deal about being different. I’m different, and I have different attitudes about things, yeah. No big.

Gus seems to imply that Paganism should return a degree of edginess to itself, in regards to countering the corporations and the consumer society they have created. I counter with, we don’t need to be edgy to do that. We can be normal, everyday people, and still tell a corporation to flock off. In fact, Paganism will have less impact if we designate and separate ourselves from others who feel the same way, but might not hold our world-view. This is where the Quakers succeeded: they weren’t they only abolitionists in that time period which Gus is speaking of; they coordinated with others who shared that viewpoint even if they didn’t agree with the Quakers religiously.  This is not edginess, this is cooperation, *ghosti. This is what needs to happen.

Prayer Warrior or Protester?

On the Wild Hunt recently, Jason mentions the 40 Days Over DC event. Most of what he says explains the situation, and most of the comments are calls to magical action, sitting in the comfort of their homes and casting spells to block, reflect, or deflect the power of prayer that will be directed towards the Nation’s Capitol. Many of these comments also state that the Neopagan response should be to publicly ignore it (or, in one case, laugh at it) to take away much of its energy.

The problem with the approach in many of these comments is that this is not just a magical event these “prayer warriors” are engaging in. They are essentially marching on Washington in a 40-day prayer & protest, then moving to Philadelphia for 11 days to do the same. A protest has a different effect on the world than a magical act such as prayer; it’s more public, it has more exposure, and in itself it can affect the opinions of hundreds. Added to the tactics of Fundamentalist Christianity such as prayer against LGBTQ, Paganism, and other religions, this tactic becomes even more effective.

As I have said several times, adding physical components to one’s magical acts will increase the power of the act. Everything from gestures to burning the written word to planting seeds in the ground has been used to enact magic in the world. This protest is a Christian version, though they would never call it magic. I agree with one comment which says that the Christian “prayer warrior” is much more dangerous than a magician because the prayer warrior doesn’t take any responsibility for the act – “it’s all up to God”. Therefore, praying to kill a lesbian Senator or remove rights for thousands of American Pagans is perfectly alright, because if it happens, then it can be explained away as “God’s will” rather than someone’s hatred or fear manifesting.

After all, everyone knows magic doesn’t exist.

This is not a world-view that I can continue to stomach. I am constantly reminded of a Marcus Aurelius quote which was floating through the ADF boards for a while:

“Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones.”

I sit and continue to watch as Fundamentalists continue to venerate a god they claim is “good”, and yet continues to harm anyone unlike them, and calls upon them to do the same. It’s time to stand up to this stupidity and call it what it is. If God is love, their God isn’t God.

Therefore, when this 51 days of prayer event reaches Colorado’s “day” on October 15th, I’m going to be standing out in front of the state capital. All day. Preferably with a sign or some other protest of this “prayer war” that has been waged against me and anyone else who is of a different religion, sexual orientation, or political persuasion different from these so-called Christians. My act of magic, the physical component to the counter-prayers I will send to Freyja and Herne, will be risking derision, attack, and arrest to stand up for what I believe in; if there are prayer warriors there, maybe we can start a dialogue, though I truly doubt they’ll be interested in discussion.

The generation before mine spent many years facing no less than derision, attack, and arrest, in order to give the current generation a chance for religious freedom, a chance for freedom to love whomever we love. It’s time those of my generation stood up and started following in those footsteps, because the previous generations cannot continue to fight forever. We’ve lost many of our Pagan elders in recent years. I think it’s fair to ask, have we also lost our will to fight for our rights? How far will we fall in this desire to avoid conflict before we lose them?

Like me, I hope you will take risks to go to your state capital or town hall, or even travel to Washington, DC, to stand up and be counted, to oppose those who claim to follow the path of the Founding Fathers but instead ignore the writings of Jefferson, Franklin, and Addams to create a revisionist view of American values. If you are one of these brave souls, I wish you luck.