Pagan-Heathen blog centering on UK-based heathenry but also covering wider pagan issues and paths. The site's remit has now been broadened to cover European pre-Christian history and associated spirituality (historic and reconstructed).
First and foremost, though, it is a journal of my journey along my pagan path which is gradually evolving toward an animist perspective. The aim is to promote a positive society inspired by the pre-Christian and non-capitalist cultures of the past.
Note: This started off as a cathartic little rant about people making up bullshit stories to try to score points in heathen groups online. It started to get quite verbose, however and by the end it was looking too long to post in a single draft. So, I'm going to split it into three parts and post each part over the next few days.
I appreciate some of this is quite derogatory and not hugely respectful to new heathens. I would encourage people to bear with it, though as nestled in all that wordage are some few little pieces of advise that I would have benefitted from greatly, back when I was a new heathen at the start of this millennium.
Contemporary heathenry is populated by a wide range of people with an equally wide range of world views and spiritual experiences. From atheists to polytheists and skeptics to believers. Surprisingly, and testament to the good will present in the subculture as a whole, this has yet to cause much in the way of strife - as far as I am aware. A fondly held tenet of online interactions being a robust tolerance for the views of others (excepting bigotry, obviously).
In general, though, online discussions stick to the material plane. The lore, history, archaeology and white supremacist groups being hot topics in most of the heathen communities of which I have been a part. In discussions, divine/spiritual experience and UPG is rarely mentioned. UPG is Unverified Personal Gnosis. Essentially personal experiences that inform our own paths, but shouldn't really mean anything to others. Remember that time you thought you saw the Wild Hunt in the sky as you were leaving your work's Xmas do? That's UPG. May or may not be real, but felt real/important enough on a personal level to inform your path.
My personal opinion is that UPG should be left out of online discussions, unless the topic specifically calls for it. If one person believes from the very cockles of their heart that they're Thor's human lover, that has no bearing on anyone else's path whatsoever. The person claiming that may be mentally ill, may have been tricked, might have been under the influence of drugs, or might just be plain lying. All of those are more reasonable explanations than a god with no record of having ever taken a human lover, has gone against all reason and his own character to play hide the sausage with some random whose only been heathen since the start of the second season of "Vikings".
I am not denying that spiritual experiences and/or divine contact can and do occur. I have had an experience that, at the time, felt spiritual myself. What I am saying is, that such things are personal and not really appropriate fodder for discussion in an online, public(-ish) heathen forum. It kind of equates to being introduced to your mate's friend for the first time in a pub and opening with "My uncle Trevor showed me his winkie when I was eight years old...". It's too personal, not at all appropriate and, frankly, how is the other guy supposed to react? What possible conversation or social activity will blossom from that? Spiritual experiences are the kinds of of things that should, to my mind, be reserved for relating only very rarely and in hushed, reverential tones over ale/across a campfire to very close and cherished friends. Not used in some lame attempt to score "Viking points"[TM] with lots of strangers over the internet.
Now, spiritual experiences are kind of subjective, nebulous and hard to adequately describe by their very nature. Looking back upon them, we can be forgiven for perhaps embellishing the event a little to suit our desire to make it an example of "heathen divine contact". First of all, though, it is not necessary to have some kind of special event or blessing from a god to be a bona fide heathen. Self identifying as heathen and working toward understanding the faith and carving your own path is more than enough. Secondly, even accepting that gods do exist as entities in their own right and that they do, on occasion, take on physical form, there are certain things we need to get out of the way. First of all, there are heathens in the world today who have been on their heathen path for over four decades. They have dedicated their lives to one or more of the gods and goddesses, written books about them, held public blots and symbels and been an example of how a disciple of their chosen god should speak and act over years in many public fora and in real life. With this in mind, please ask yourself why this particular god would appear to you when you have only been self-identifying as heathen for a couple of years? The gods don't care that you once dropped a 250UKP order at GrimFrost. If anything, they are gonna judge you by your actions. What have you done recently to show how heathen you are?
Study: Green spaces boost kids' memories, attentiveness
By Allie Gross | June 17, 2015
Dive Brief:
•A study in the journal PNAS has found that significant exposure to green spaces can lead to a 5% spike in the development of a child's working memory and a 1% decrease in inattentiveness.
•The findings have broad implications for schools and incentivize the creation of green spaces on school campuses.
•Researchers zeroed in on 2,593 primary school children from 7 to 10 years old in Barcelona, and found a correlation between those who spent significant time around green spaces and who had decreased inattentiveness and improved working memory.
Dive Insight:
The study also found that students who spend more time in green spaces are likely to have increased physical activity. Green spaces help mitigate the effects of air pollution, can help lower stress levels and block city noises. All of these things facilitate learning and overall better health. Recognizing that many schools are in urban areas, the report aims to "provide policymakers with evidence for feasible and achievable targeted interventions such as improving green spaces at schools."
While there have been previous studies connecting green spaces to mental and physical health, Time reports that this is the first that points to the development of the brain.
Recommended Reading
PNAS: Green spaces and cognitive development in primary schoolchildren
The Atlantic: Green Spaces Make Kids Smarter
Time: Green Spaces at School May Help Kids’ Brains
Pagans demand greater respect as it is revealed they are the seventh largest religion in UK
Pagans are demanding greater respect for their beliefs after it emerged they are the seventh largest religion in the country – with 1,802 adherents in the North East
The Pagan Federation has called for an end to negative stereotypes
Pagans are demanding greater respect for their beliefs after it emerged they are the seventh largest religion in the country – with 1,802 adherents in the North East.
They include 681 in Tyne and Wear, with 202 pagans living in Newcastle alone.
And the number of people in England and Wales who identify themselves as pagans has almost doubled during the past 10 years, according to the 2011 census.
The growth in numbers has led the Pagan Federation to call for an end to negative stereotypes.
“We are far from an amusing curiosity. Pagans are a serious and growing religious group and these latest census figures reflect that,” said Chris Crowley, president of the 41-year-old Pagan Federation.
The Lady Liberty League has issued a press release regarding issues surrounding a Summer Solstice Festival to be held June 19-23 near Pahokee, Florida. The event is the subject of controversy among local residents, with opposition coming from a number of local churches, as reported by a local news site, Florida.Newszap.com, in a story headlined "Summer Solstice Pagan Festival has Pahookee Residents Outraged," and showing a group of raqs sharqi (aka "belly") dancers in traditional (and I must say, quite beautiful) attire. The article quotes a local resident as saying, “We are opening ourselves up to things we should not, like belly dancing and magic spells....”
The following news release was issued today by the Lady Liberty League of Circle Sanctuary:
May 30, 2013 For Immediate Release
Florida - The Lady Liberty League has formed a Task Force to address community concerns surrounding the Summer Solstice Pagan Festival near Pahokee, Florida.
The planned Summer Solstice Festival at the Lake Okeechobee Resort and Marina in mid-June was the target of anger and protest at a Pahokee City Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 28, by several Christian pastors and community members who objected to the festival being held in the region. On Wednesday, May 29, participants and coordinators of the planned Pagan festival appealed to the Lady Liberty League for assistance.
Also on May 29, coverage of the meeting appeared on local news website florida.newszap.com, and was soon picked up by Pagan news sources. Many Pagan individuals and organizations have expressed support for a unified effort to address the misinformation and lack of knowledge shown by individuals quoted in the article.
"This is an opportunity not only to bring about better public understanding about Paganism, but for Pagans of many paths to work together,” said Rev. Selena Fox, Executive Director of Circle Sanctuary and the Lady Liberty League (LLL).
LLL is currently working with festival organizers to resolve the situation. At this time, both the local government and the owners of the festival site have expressed support for holding the festival as scheduled. Efforts are focused defusing confrontation with the local Christian community, and engaging in education and compassion-based communication to create a safe and positive event.
A special LLL Task Force has been created by concerned members of the Pagan community to work toward a thoughtful and measured response to the situation. Members of the LLL Task Force are presently involved in interfaith discussions to increase understanding about Paganism in the local community. "It is an honor to be in service to our community and help coordinate this effort that seeks to both educate the public and protect the religious activities of our community,” said Peter Dybing, the primary coordinator of the LLL Florida Fest Task Force.
The support of the entire community in sending positive energy, volunteering for the Task Force and offering technical support is requested and appreciated. It is very important to focus on unified effort and to avoid any action that might be perceived by members of the local community as intimidating, as that would undermine the ongoing communication and education efforts.
At this time, Lady Liberty League asks that those who wish to help:
Communicate with LLL in advance about ideas, by emailing liberty@circlesanctuary.org, including your contact information and what kind of help you wish to contribute,
Avoid independent actions that have the potential to complicate efforts,
Send spiritual support to the Festival organizers and other Pagans affected, and to the success of the LLL Task Force’s communication, outreach & support efforts,
Florida - The Lady Liberty League has formed a Task Force to address community concerns surrounding the Summer Solstice Pagan Festival near Pahokee, Florida.