Category: Pagan Pride

Almost $10,000 in two days!!

On By PaxIn Activist Alert, An Important Message..., Love Unto All Beings, Pagan Pride3 Comments

Dear Friends,

The Earthquake in Japan hits home for me, in some ways literally.

I was born in Fairbanks and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, USA, aka  Earthquake Country.  The Tsunami had mellowed to a few feet by the time it reached Alaska, only a few feet from what my brother told me.   At the same time having grown up with pictures of, and hearing the living memories of, the 1964 Good Friday Quake.   Having grown up with earthquake drills in school as a kid.  Realizing as a teen that while it might help protect you in an earthquake hiding under a desk or table or standing in a doorway might also just make it easier for them to find your body in the rubble.  Knowing that the Anchorage area sees a major quake roughly every 20 years according to recorded seismic data and that the next big one is well over due, knowing that it could very well be my hometown and my family… Earthquakes always hit home for me.

My heart goes out to the People of Japan.

I was heartened when I read at The Wild Hunt about Peter Dybing’s observations and efforts to coordinate a Pagan community response.

(At the same time I am not thrilled that the chosen symbol for the thing was a pentacle, because of course for many of the Pagan faiths the pentacle has little or no personal or spiritual meaning… but I accept that sometimes in an interfaith community there will be growing pains and we will find a way on this issue as on others.)

I am so very happy to report that in the two days of its’ existence the Pagan Community Doctors Without Borders page at First Giving, established by Covenant of the Goddess First Officer Peter Dybing on March 14th is already nearly $10,000  towards their $30,000 goal.

Think about that.  $10,000 in two days… with mostly $20 here and $50 to $100 there….

This is inspiring, not just to know that one of the groups I tend to think of as my people, are doing good in the world… I’ve known that for a while now… but that we are doing it visibly!

There are those who will whinge that you should do charity simply for charities sake, but I say make every penny count.   I am fiercely glad, not only that people will be able to say it took them this short time to reach $30,000; I am glad that they will have a rough count of our numbers or at least of those participating who left a name…. because of course our friends and family members can participate to and support their family and friends in the Pagan community in doing good.  I am glad based on even the low estimates of how many Pagans there are in the U.S. that if each of us gave as we were able we could well overshoot the $30,000 mark!

I am too damn proud for words of Peter Dybing’s remarks on his blog…

“Pagans from all over the country have donated and stepped forward to endorse the project. We received donations from individuals as well as organizations. To all those who stepped forward THANK YOU. We still have been unable to generate significant numbers of small donations. It continues to be the goal of this project to engage the entire Pagan community in a unified effort. If you are concerned that you do not have the funds to donate consider just a few dollars. Each of us can only do so much in these tough economic times. What is important is participation not the donation amount.”

Think about it…

The estimates of the number of Pagans (..and Witches, and Heathens, and Hellenics, and Druids, and Religio Romana, oh my…) in the United States ranges from 200,000 to 1 million.  What if ~each~ of us really did give as we could give to this one cause and this one venue…. if the lowest population estimate is right we’d raise 1 million dollars for Japan if each of us gave $5!

How delicious would that be?  What if “Pagan Community Donates a Million Dollars to Japanese Disaster Relief” made the news?  What if that were to replace the latest local wand-waving weirdo as the public’s image of Pagans?

Just think about it…

Peace,

Pax

Reflections on Coming Out, Building Community, and Pagan Pride

On By PaxIn An Important Message..., Avalon Cares, Blame Sannion, Community Building, everyday, Food for Thought, Highest Ideals, Honoring the Heroes, Pagan PrideLeave a comment

Dear Friends,

So it’s National Coming Out Day today (or tomorrow depending on your specific Nation….) this international holiday celebrating GLBTA pride and identity is going strong after 23 years.

Now perhaps you expect me to wax philosophic about LGBT Pride and such… and admittedly I could… but in addition to being the beginnings of Samhaintide, we are in the midst of Pagan Pride season, and I’d like to talk a bit about that today…

Now while it’s focused on the Equinox, there are numerous celebrations across the U.S. and around the world that celebrate their Pagan Pride events in either October or as late as November for various local and logistical reasons; which is rather appropriate as many of the ancient Paganisms had much more localized holy days and festivals in tune with the local seasons and the rhythms of their particular cities and towns.  As I reflect upon my Pagan Pride this year I find my mind turning not only to the many Proud and Out Pagans serving their cities and towns as Public Servants, I am also reminded of those non-Pagans who are now desperately trying to back pedal from confused and ill-informed claims of having been involved in Witchcraft at some vague and undefined date.

I am happy to see Witches taking up the challenge and opportunity presented by this last story to Come Out with Pride.  I believe that by coming out when and where you can do so safely you can advance the cause of Religious Freedom for Pagans and Heathens in our nation and around the world.

I also find myself thinking about the many Pagan Pride events that will have vendors selling books and incense and various sacred supplies and statuary, and bling, and tchotchke’s of all sorts.   We are very good at trying to support some of our Pagan business-folk, as long as they are blatantly “Pagany”… but what about our Doctor’s, our Plumber’s, or Gardener’s and Grocer’s and the many many other areas or our lives where we could be supporting our fellow Pagans economically and demonstrating our Pride with our Pocketbook?

I have written and thought about this a few times before, and expect more of it in the coming year!  When I can go into any Gay bar or LGBT Community Center and pick up a LGBT (local) community publication or community directory listing not only GLBT owned and themed businesses and professionals… everything from bars and beauticians to real-estate agents, doctors, plumbers and electicians and bankers and lawyers…. as well as private listings in some LGBT communities; why is it that you have trouble finding ANY of the same sort of information in Pagan community venues?

I can only hope that some of those Pagan Pride event tables are being held by local Pagan bankers and Pagan real-estate agents and other Pagan business-folk working to network within and support their local Pagan communities in the same way that I see in similar events within the Queer community.  Remember that this is only going to be more important as we weather the current economic woes!

Then my mind turns towards the causes and charities that I can support and work for as a conscious invocation of my Pagan Pride.  Causes like the Officers of Avalon‘s non-profit charity Avalon Cares, and the Military Pagan Network and the Heathen community Open Halls project, and the organizations like Cherry Hill Seminary and The National Pagan Leadership Skills conference.  I am also reminded of those Pagans who are standing up for Religious Freedom and Fairness and Justice, speaking Truth to Power in the Halls of Justice; as well as those who are gaining the full legal recognition and equal access for their faiths.

This year of 2010 began with contemporary Paganism taking it’s place upon the World stage as a World Faith at the Parliament of World’s Religions in Australia, and I am damn proud of that!

I think of my friends and co-conspirators at the Pagan Newswire Collective and our diverse efforts to help connect our local and national communities and to provide news and information of interest to and reflecting the Pagan and Heathen world-views; while at the same time being a resource for our larger communities to get factual and accurate information on the many paths of contemporary Paganism.

Now I do not deny that there is a LOT of work left to do in order to secure true legal Equality and Religious Freedom for the Pagan paths, and I will probably always hold the opinion that we could do more to build connections and relationships that build and strengthen a beloved Pagan community; but I also cannot deny that there is a heck of a lot to be Proud about Pagans!

Peace, and Pride,

Pax

Goings on at Cherry Hill Seminary!!

On By PaxIn An Important Message..., Community Building, everyday, Highest Ideals, Modern Pagan, Pagan Pride, Pagan Values BloggingLeave a comment

Dear Friends and Pagani,

I hope, fervently, to someday pay off my student loans, get myself a  Bachelors (4 year degree) to add to my Associates (2 year) and eventually take classes with Cherry Hill Seminary.

They are an organization currently holding Seminarian classes on a variety of topics of use and interest to those seeking to work within ministry within the Pagan faiths.  You can read more about their Mission, Vision, and Values here.  In my searches to add them to the sidebar—> —> —>

I came across this address by the outgoing President of the Seminary which, I think, hi-lights the work of and need for this organization!

Peace,

Pax

UPDATE 01/19/2010
So Jaime over at Witchful Thinking posted an excellent overview of some of the many benefits of Cherry Hill getting professional Accreditation! (here)

Pagan Economic Empowerment: Buying (and Selling) Pagan!!

On By PaxIn Community Building, everyday, Food for Thought, Pagan Pride, Pagan Responses to Recession, Yule13 Comments

Dear Friends and Pagani,

So I am working on my own self and spiritual practices and trying to rekindle my creative and spiritual fires.  Some of this spiritual hearth-building has involved journaling, and some of it has involved puttering and updating pages on this blog/site.   This has included some work on the Online Pagan Resources page.  Including the creation of a category for Pagan Economic Empowerment.

Now I have written before of my belief that it is important for the Pagan movement to start examining how we spend our money, and to find ways to increase the economic health and prosperity within our own local and regional Pagan communities in my posts on Invoking the Power of the Pagan Dollar.  This issue was highlighted for me again this October when The Wild Hunt did a story about a Wiccan who alleges that Bath and Body Works fired her for her religion.  It was actually in the comments/discussion of this last story that my thoughts on Pagan Economic Empowerment were rekindled.  Folks brought up the idea of a boycott, and then the idea of spending money with some of the Pagan purveyors of Bath and Body Lotions, Notions, and Potions on Etsy was brought up.  This is an excellent idea!

As I have said before if we spend our money in community, with Pagan owned businesses on Pagan made goods and services wherever possible we can build a stronger community better able to face the challenges the 21st Century will bring as the Contemporary Pagan Movement matures and grows.  If we spend our money with our fellow Pagans who are business owners and professionals, as well as our artisans and crafts-people, we can improve the economic and social status of our movement.  If we can empower our community through our economic choices then we can build a world where it is as unthinkable to fire someone because of their Wiccan Faith as it is to fire someone for being Hindu or Jewish.  (Not just as illegal, but as unthinkable…)

Now, what I am NOT saying, is that we should choose an inexperienced or shoddy good or service simply because it is Pagan owned/made.  Nor am I suggesting that in pursuing a Buy Pagan approach to our goods and services that we need Out ourselves or our fellow Pagans… being out as a Pagan is a personal choice and a life-long process.

I would also like to once again remind folks that a Pagan business can mean a heck of a lot more than simply a book & paraphenalia shop (or online store).  Spending Money at ANY Pagan owned business, with any Pagan professional, and on any Pagan made good will empower our community!

I am suggesting that if you have the option of buying your Pagan books and paraphernalia from a Pagan owned store, do so.  I am suggesting that the next time you want to hold a Pagan Pubmoot in your local community, you look at reserving a backroom at the quietly Heathen owned brewpub.  If you find yourself looking for a new home go with a Pagan Realtor.  When you move into that new home, and you are looking for a new local Doctor, look for a Pagan one.   If you have a Pagan Building Contractor/Remodeller in your area go with him for your remodelling needs at the new house.  If you go out to eat regularly, and you know some local Pagans work as Servers, go to their restaurants and ask to sit in their section.

(Oh, on that last one, leave a good 20% tip!  I know that 15% was standard once upon a time, but times have changed people!)

So I have covered Buying Pagan, what about Pagan Selling.  Well, Pagan business owners and professionals of all types, ADVERTISE!  You don’t have to completely out yourself to advertise in your community!  An add saying “your Pagan and Heathen friendly realtor”, or an add saying “please be discreet when making appointment” will work wonders in your advertisememts to local Pagan Newsletter’s and at the local Metaphysical/Occult shops.  Depending on your business and how out you are, you could expand to local coffee house postings or in the local Gay publications as well if you and your business is also Gay friendly.  (there is some overlap between the Gay and Pagan communities, or so I have heard…)

If you are interested in advertising and networking you might want to check out the Pagan Business Network, an international networking and resource organization.

Peace,

Pax

We Have Dreams Too…

On By PaxIn Gay Pride, Highest Ideals, Pagan Pride, Religio-AmericanaLeave a comment

So I was mucking around on Facebook and was turned onto this by Willow Witte from Join The Impact.  It’s a portion of a speech given by President Barack Obama at the NAACP’s Centenial Convention…

Some folks commented on the Facebook some things along the lines of “Why not now?”

I responded with…

“Presidential, or High Court, rulings are meaningless until we can get a clear majority of support across the Nation. Not that it wouldn’t be NICE mind you…. but still…. head to head, heart to hear, one on one until Freedom truly rings for us as well.”

I truly believe that.  The struggle for Civil Rights, whether for GLBT rights, or for Freedom of Religion, is not one that will be won solely through the declarations or rulings of law; Civil Rights and Equality will come about when our neighbors and friends and co-workers have an understanding of who and what we really are.

Whether the “we” is Queer or Pagan Truth is our sword and our shield in this struggle.

In looking through the net about Obama’s Speech I have also just found out about the National Equality March

Our One Single Demand:

Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states. We will accept no less and will work until it is achieved. Equality Across America exists to support grassroots organizing in all 435 Congressional Districts to achieve full equality.

Equal Protection encompasses many issues, including:

  • Repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) so that every marriage in every state has the same federal rights.
  • Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell so that LGBT persons may serve in the military openly and with the same rights as their straight counterparts.
  • An end to workplace discrimination for everyone with an Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that protects everyone.
  • The right to adopt children and raise families like any other parents.
  • Hate Crimes legislation that includes LGBT people and protects us like any other targeted group.
  • Immigration reform that recognizes same-sex couples and ends the needless separation of families.

Our philosophy:

As members of every race, class, faith, and community, we see the struggle for LGBT equality as part of a larger movement for peace and social justice.

~From the Equality Across America website

Veritas, Justitia, Libertas,

I Invoke You,

Uncle Sam and Columbia,

I Summon, Stir, and Call Ye Forth,

Let Freedom Ring with the words

“Equal protection in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states.”

So Mote It Be!

Check this new podcast out!!

On By PaxIn Community Building, Food for Thought, Pagan Media, Pagan Ponderings, Pagan Pride3 Comments

Hey folks,

I am puttering around the Internet and Facebook and similar delightful distractions as I wait to go on a job interview. So I see a note on Facebook where I ended up checking out a new podcast The Infinite and The Beyond.

It is in it’s first episode and starting up, and I want to encourage anyone who reads this to check out this well produced new entry into the Pagan podcasting community!

I love, love, love this show… and am having a great deal of trouble following my own rule about linking the online resources page to a podcast that has only a few episodes… it’s really good folks!

Peace,
Pax

PS- am working on some writings about life, love, loss, and death and spirituality… but sometimes life and spirituality is about the fun and deep yet light stuff too!

“What Now?” ~ Pagan Community Builders

On By PaxIn Activist Alert, An Important Message..., Community Building, Food for Thought, Modern Pagan, Pagan Evangelical, Pagan Pride, Pagan Responses to Recession, Pax's Beliefs7 Comments

So Darkly Fey, from Live from the Red Leather Couch and I had some fabulous back and forth conversations recently via e-mail about Paganism and Pagan community.  We decided to share with the Pagan Community Builder’s Yahoo.  This stirred up a little bit of discussion, and some really cool questions…  This encouraged me to engage in some of the following ranting about Pagan community…

I don’t know if movement’s neccesarilly mature into institutions, but I would definitely agree with the idea that they can mature into communities.  As I have said here and elsewhere that is where I think Paganism is right now…

Paganism is a spiritual, religious, and cultural movement made up of different interwoven and overlapping religious and regional communities.

It is my hope that Paganism as a movement will move and grow and develop into a family of interwoven and overlapping religious communities.  I just don’t think we are quite there yet.  (in my ever so humble and correct opinion!) ~ 😉

Moving on, if I may quote you…

“What would a mature Pagan community look like? More importantly, what would it do?”

I think that we as individual faiths and communities are in a process of hammering that question out… I also think it is related to another of your questions…

“But Pagans– do we have a goal? Is it individual enlightenment, collective enlightenment, improving the world with the idea that with an immanent divine, one serves the gods by serving others?”

I would say that the goal of a Pagan depends on the particular religion or philosophy of the individual Pagan.  ( I know, obviously, but I am moving towards a point here so please bear with me…)

I would observe that for the different Pagan faiths and paths there seems to be an overall theme of development into being a better person (personal growth and perhaps enlightenment, although it is not neccesarilly phrased as such) by practicing certain rites, and developing our relationships with the Divine (or the All That Is) and with the Spirits of the World Around Us (Elements and Land Spirits), and living certain  (intertwining and overlapping) virtues and values, and by building our relationships with others in our groups and faiths and societies through those virtues and values and practices…

I think that his theme of growth and development leads us quite naturally into engagement with other branches of Paganism, and from there into engagement with the rest of Society.  I also think that fear of discrimination, and a lack of outside pressure in the form of legal or social restrictions on religious practice, has helped to hamper that process of engagement.  Of course the fact that Paganism, with its Pantheism and Polytheism (among other Theisms present under the Pagan umbrella) whose essential concept of “our way AND your way” is having to re-emerge culturally from an immersion in Monotheism’s predominantly “Our way or the highway” mindset has also hampered our development as a community…

I think that both of your above questions are being hammered out by different Faith and Regional communities within the Pagan movement.

My instinct is (or, admittedly, perhaps it is merely my deep hope) that we as a movement are reaching a threshold point of in-group and inter-group communication and networking and growth and expansion that we are ready to go towards the next stage in our development from a movement into being a community.

Of course, I have been accused of being somewhat of an optimist and idealist…

“In my thoughts, I’d figured finding other Pagans would be the hard part. After all that navel-gazing and contemplation, the theological musings and soul-searching, we’ve figured out what we believe. We’ve found each other!….

…what now?”

I, SO, hear you! I share some of your frustration and experiences at local Pagan groups and rituals.  Socializing, in and of itself, is not enough.  Rituals on the Moons and/or on the Seasonal Holy Days are not enough!

That is part of why I created this discussion group.  To start and encourage discussions of “what now?”

“What now?” is why I have written Invoking the Power of the Pagan Dollar 2.0

Because I believe we need to start supporting our own community members (by supporting them as business people, and not just the occult tsotchke shoppes either!)  and institutions (religious, community, and charitable).

“What now?” is why I support the Pagan Pride Project and Pagan Pride events of all sorts… despite my occasional misgivings about some of the modes of dress and behavior!

We need, as religious and regional communities within the Pagan movement, to start engaging and reaching out to our wider local, regional, and national communities; not to proselytize, but to show clearly and honestly who and what we really are and are about!

We need to start looking at celebrating open and public rituals and observances at CIVIC holidays, not only to show our lager communities who and what Pagans are and are about; but to also deepen and expand ourselves as Pagans and our relationships with the spirits of our ancestors and of our Nations, and of the World around us; and to further build and strengthen our communities!

That, at the very least, is “what now?”!

Beyond that, well let’s keep talking!

Peace,

Pax

PS- if you are interested in taking part in this discussion, or ones like it, you can post here, or even better yet sign up for the Pagan Community Builder’s Yahoogroup !!!

I’d like to think I am another, budding, Gospel Pagan!

On By PaxIn Bouncing off the Gods, Chrysalis, Creativity, Gospel Pagan, Great Writers, Pagan Evangelical, Pagan Pride, Seeking, The Gifts of Giving1 Comment

Notes from a Pagan Evangelical 12/10/2008

Now, in some ways I don’t feel like I am a very good Gospel Pagan.  I have a tough time accessing that Spirit filled part of myself that Sara, and some of the best Pagan authors and bloggers out there, seem to be able to write from so blessed easily.

This has been getting easier, recently, as I have been working on this site and building up some of the pages and contemplating things like my daily practice and my relationship with the Deities.  In some cases though I still feel more like a pallid imitation of folks like Sara Sutterfield Winn, and Diane Sylvan, and Sannion, and Phyllis Currot, and Evn, and Sia, and Pagan Mehgan and Markys ny Deseret; more like an imitator rather than a Spirit filled Pagan writer.

Then, every once in a while, some kind soul will post a comment, or nominate me for the Meta-Pagan feed, or e-mail me a note.  Then will I know that some magic has happened.

Other times I will feel the magic and the Spirit come upon me, it will be a sudden burst of inspiration; although as I write more about my Witchcraft and Faith and Spirituality, recently, I have begun to find some small somewhat consistent stream of Inspiration and Spirit.

Like that moment in Spring when the drip, drip, drip of the icicles and snow becomes more of a steady stream, not unlike a barely open faucet slowly blossoming with The Sun’s love into something new and wonderful.  In those moments some small wonderful thing begins to happen.

When I participate in or write of the Gifts of Giving, about making my offerings of incense to the Gods, or when I pour my libations and I feel touched and embraced by my nearest and dearest Deities.   It’s happening.  When I cast Circle and honor the Esbats or Sabbats of Witchcraft, it happens.  When I talk or write about establishing a Loving and Stable relationship with The Lady and Lord of Witchcraft ~ or of my budding relationships with Hecate and Dionysus, its there too.  When I seek to speak or write or live the gospel truth of my Pagan self seeking, not to convert, but to simply share the joy and wonder The Good News of my own Pagan experience, in those moments I am most true to the Gods, and to my self, as a Pagan and as an Evangelical.

I am a Pagan Evangelical

On By PaxIn Community Building, Cross-roads, everyday, Pagan Evangelical, Pagan PrideLeave a comment

I am a Pagan Evangelical. I know it may sound like a contradiction in terms, but it’s not. I was inspired to this point, in part, by the writings of Sara Sutterfield Winn. I first discovered Sara through her now dormant blog Pagan Godspell. (although I hope, I even pray, that she will feel the inspiration to continue that blog…)

“…Evangelism is zeal.  Passion.  To possess the wonderful infused light/darkness of Knowing the soul’s home and then embodying that in the world, through words, art, dance, prayer, the Good Work…just being.  To be moved by one’s religiosity to help others, spread joy, give sanctuary, feed strangers.  And to have the courage and skill to articulate these deep places when asked about them.  I never proselytize, but I aspire to be evangelical….”

~from the essay Pagan Evangelism on Sara’s website

http://www.gospelpagan.net/evangelism.html

To which I say…

“Blessed Be, Sister!”

Many people have no idea who or what we Pagans really are. That is sad, not because I feel they need to join us, but when rumors are sown in the soil of ignorance then fear will grow. There is already more than enough fear and ignorance in the world!

We are people of faiths, people of integrity and honor and compassion. We are people who strive to live the ethics and values of our faiths as best we can. We are people who live, and laugh, and love; a people who sings songs of the ancient Gods and exult in Their beauty, and in the wonder of Their beauty in all of Creation, and even within our own selves.

Yet, all too often, we are content to let other peoples speak to the world of and about us. Instead of taking our place in the full light of society’s regard we are content to keep to the shadows of other people’s distorted images and understandings of who and what we Pagans are.

Not only is our community content to let others speak for them, but often times it seems like members of the Pagan community are afraid to speak up for themselves. This is more than just tragic, it is dangerous. We in the U.S. have Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion, but rights mean nothing until and unless we invoke them. Stand up and claim your rights, or you may lose them.

Then too, there are those on the Christian Right who seem to believe that Christianity has a monopoly on values or virtues. This is, of course, not true but we can only prove this by spreading the good news of Paganism.

As a Witch, I say this as any Witch might… We can do this! We can share the Good News of Witchcraft and Paganism by sharing our Strength and Beauty with those around us, by using our Power and living our Compassion, by acting on our Honor with Humility, and by always remembering Mirth and Reverence we can not only change ourselves for the better; We the People, can change the world!

This is why I am a strong supporter of the Pagan Pride Project. These are the folks who have spearheaded the annual Pagan Pride events. These events bring Pagans together to build community, to show the world who and what we really are, and to do some good in the world.

I support these goals and would encourage each of you to support them as well. Stand up and invoke your rights! Sing of the Beauty and Bounty of the Great Mother! Hold Fund-raising dinners and events for your local charities, especially the Pagan-run or Pagan-friendly ones! Dance at a Pagan Pride event this year! Live your life in Their Praise and Presence!

Blessed Be,

Pax / Geoffrey Stewart