Walpurgis Night

April 30th, 2022, is a magical night for several reasons. One reason is that it’s a rare Black Moon, which occurs when there are two New Moons in one month. The other is that this Black Moon coincides with the ancient festival of Walpurgisnacht, also known as Hexxennacht. Tradition holds that Walpurgisnacht is named after Saint Walpurga, who supposedly founded a monastery in Heidenheim and had the power to fight disease and witchcraft. However, like so many Christian saints, she was probably a myth. Her true origins rest in the Teutonic pagan Earth goddess by the same name.

According to Judika Illes in her book Encyclopedia of Spirits, Walburga is the goddess of beauty, warmth, fertility, the renewal of life, and grain. The Wild Hunt pursues the goddess Walburga for nine days before May Day. In the past, villagers would leave doors and windows open to give Her refuge. There’s a myth that the goddess was given shelter by a farmer who didn’t know who She was. In the morning, She was gone but had left grains of gold sprinkled in with his rye crop as gratitude for his kindness.  

The wizard and author Oberon Zell-Ravenheart explains that on Walpurgisnacht, the veil between the worlds becomes thin and is traditionally a night of insanity. It was also known as the Festival of Hades in the classical world.  This dark aspect is likely why Saint Walpurga and the Walpurgis Night festival are associated with witchcraft and dark magick. Goethe wrote that Faust was taken to Brocken in the Harz Mountains on Walpurgis Night to celebrate with demons and witches. This Faustian festival of demons is famously depicted in the Disney animated film Fantasia to the orchestral piece Night on Bald Mountain. Hence, the alternative name of Hexxennacht or Witches Night.

So, dear reader, go ahead and celebrate Beltane by dancing around the (very Freudian) Maypole on May 1st. Don’t forget the political side of May Day and make sure to show solidarity with the working class. However, remember that tonight is special in its own right. Tonight is Walpurgisnacht, a night of dark magick and dark desires.

Defining the Self

In my introductory post, I defined Dark Paganism as a positive, life-affirming Pagan spirituality focused on honoring and cultivating the Self. However, this definition begs what is meant within Dark Paganism by the “Self.” For this, we begin with the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.

Carl Jung believed that four universal, inborn models within us influence human behaviors. He called these four models “archetypes.” The four archetypes are anima/animus, persona, shadow, and the Self.  

Jung defines the Self archetype as being not only the center of a person but also the totality of that person. The Self is a phenomenon that encompasses both the unconscious and conscious mind. It’s the center of the individual while also the person’s totality. 

The Self is “nothing” or “not a thing.” It’s an ever-changing, dynamic phenomenon that’s an emergent property of the physical and spiritual bodies. While we exist in this material realm, it’s the product of complex interactions between biology, environmental conditioning, and cognitive functions. During our existence in the Otherworld, the Self is the emergent property of the Soul’s or subtle body’s unique conditions.   

Blessed Be.

Please Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Welcome to my new blog. I’m an author, philosopher, and practitioner of Dark Paganism. What is Dark Paganism? I’m so glad you asked. As I define it, Dark Paganism is a positive, life-affirming, Pagan spirituality that’s focused on honoring and cultivating the Self.

In his work, Out of the Shadows, John J Coughlin proposed the existence of two approaches to spirituality. Both approaches address existential questions of meaning and ethics. However, they look for answers to these questions differently.

One approach is “external” in that it looks outside the person for answers. In the external approach, the primary question is, “What is the meaning of the universe?” By discovering this Cosmic meaning, the individual can find their purpose.

The other approach is “internal” in that it looks inside the individual for answers. In the internal approach, the primary question is, “Who am I, and how do I fit within everything?” Meaning isn’t something handed to a person but is something the individual creates.

Dark Paganism is an internal approach to spirituality. Self-knowledge is paramount in Dark Paganism. It avoids the two extreme errors of selfishness and self-denial. Autonomy, healthy relations, self-acceptance, and self-cultivation are all elements of Dark Paganism.

I look forward to sharing Dark Paganism in future blog posts.

Blessed Be