Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices

by V. Vale, John Sulak

Overview

This is the most uncensored, comprehensive guide to Pagans around the world today. Dozens of interviews cover a wide range of Pagan practices, from witchcraft, Northern tradition, santeria, shamanism, Druids, Goddess worshippers and more. The book covers important topics such as child raising, living arrangements, sexuality (lots of that), music, and bereavement (death), as well as the more spiritual side of Paganism. The political engagement here is widespread, embracing anti-capitalist and anti-globalist activism, environmental action, and the like. The emphasis is on taking personal responsibility for one's life—essentially, anarchism boiled down to its roots. Many empowering and uplifting stories about non-ordinary people: Starhawk, Genesis P-Orridge, Diane di Prima, and others are featured, as well as comprehensive bibliographies and filmographies that allow the reader to delve deeper into the subject.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781889307107
Publisher:	RE/Search Publications
Publication date:	10/01/2001
Series:	Re/Search
Pages:	212
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 9.88(h) x (d)

Read an Excerpt

Frederic Lamond: I found out about contemporary witchcraft in 1955 when I read a book by the English anthropologist Gordon Rattray Taylor, Sex in History. In it he described Margaret Murray’s thesis about the medieval witches being the remnants of a Pagan fertility cult. The term “Paganism” didn’t come into common use until the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Pete Jennings: I get out of Paganism a sense of belonging to my landscape, my tribe, my family, my surroundings, and so on. It gives me a sense of purpose, and provides an ethical framework to live within. It gives me joy and it gives me tears. It gives me a lot of questions all the time, which means you live far nearer to the edge.

Thorn Coyle: Putting on special garb is definitely part of bringing myself into a special state of consciousness. It would be similar to an ancient Israelite priest doing purification rituals before he approaches the tabernacle. I feel this helps you be more able to approach the divine, as you proceed along the continuum from the profane to the sacred, the ordinary to the non-ordinary.

RE/Search: Give us an example of a diverse ritual—

Oberon Ravenheart: In 1990 we helped create an Interfaith ritual that was done for the 20^th anniversary of Earth Day in Ukiah, California. The local Methodist Church had called for an organizational meeting, but the only people they had invited were Christians. We showed up and offered to bring in people from other religious paths, and they agreed. So we brought in Indians, Tibetan Buddhists, Sufis and all kinds of people.

Then we had to come up with a ritual that worked for everybody. Nobody knew how to do that, they each had their own ideas. So we asked the Sufis, “Okay, let’s start with you. What do you think is important in ritual?” It turned out that they like to dance in a circle. Then we asked some Native Americans and they said, “We like to call the four directions.” So we had the Sufis cast a circle, and then the Indians called the four directions. And everybody responded, “That’s really nice—very ecumenical.”

Table of Contents

Introduction and Pagan Glossary

Starhawk

Madrone

Diana L. Paxson

Margot Adler

Patricia Monaghan

Diane di Prima

Rowan Fairgrove

Greg Stafford

Erik Davis

Darryl Cherney

Oak

Thorn

Isaac Bonewits

Bocat aka Emma Reston Orr

Children’s Book List

Pete Jennings

Don Frew & Anna Korn

Sam Skaeling of Iowaska

Sam & Tara Webster

Matthew Fox

Raelyn Gallina

Genesis P-Orridge

Yoruba Primer by Miss Jacqui

Neo-Paganism
Ravenhearts: Morning Glory, Oberon, Wolf, Liza, Wynter

Carol Queen

Charles Gatewood

Dossie Easton

LaSara Firefox

Anne Hill

Joi Wolfwomyn

Jack Davis

Jeff Rosenbaum

Starwood Photo Album by Nemea Arborvitae

Pagan Portraits:

Laurie Lovekraft

Ivo Dominguez, Jr.

Andras Arthen

Frederic Lamond

Sharon Knight

Katrina Hopkins

Selena Fox

John Machate

Chandra Krinsky

Recommended Book List

Recommended Websites

Recommended Film List

Index

Preface

Paganism is the perfect religion for anarchists. It also suits feminists, environmentalists, futurists, artists, surrealists—all who dream of social change, live for creativity not the profit motive, and hate dogma and authoritarianism. In Paganism, humor is sacred, diversity welcomed, hierarchy deprecated; activism encouraged, the body honored, and Mother Earth and every living entity revered. “Power shared” rather than “Power over” is the ruling paradigm; “Treat others as they want to be treated; and “Be excellent to one another!” are some of the only laws deemed necessary. Time is cyclical not linear, and death is as natural a part of life as birth. Here there are no rigid beliefs, Holy Bibles or Original Sin, only continuous social experimentation toward the goals of ecstatic illumination, meaningful ritual, long-term community, and harmony with the universe. The next stage of Modern Paganism will involve decentralized “institution”-building: more Pagan extended families, land-owning, festivals, archives and libraries, charter schools, foundations, non-profits and legal churches. In this book, fifty individuals tell why Paganism is the anti-hierarchical philosophy and religion of the future, offering wonder, joy, and celebration of all that makes us both human and divine.—V. Vale