What’s in a Name? – Part 2

I wrote about using the term “dark” in Dark Paganism in my previous post. However, any understanding is incomplete unless I address the second half of the name, “paganism.” To begin, we need to look at its possible etymology.

We know that “pagan” has been used primarily by Christian missionaries as a derogatory term for indigenous religions. Even today, many use it in the same manner for any belief they consider superstitious or primitive. There are several possible etymologies for “pagan.” The one I prefer is given by Hellenist and historian Pierre Chuvin, who proposes that the root is pagani, meaning “people of the place” and those who preserve local traditions. This root word would seem consistent with its historical usage by Christian missionaries’ intent on destroying indigenous religions.

Isaac Bonewits coined the term “Neopaganism” to differentiate contemporary Paganism from the perceived barbarism of ancient Paganism. Some contemporary Pagans still use this term. However, I see this modifier as unnecessary. For example, none of the major world religions are exactly as they were in ancient times, but we don’t attach “Neo-” to their names. Therefore, I use “pagan” for both ancient and contemporary Paganism.

Now we can look at defining “paganism” in Dark Paganism. I define contemporary Paganism as an umbrella term for various contemporary spiritual paths of Western esotericism inspired by pre-Abrahamic concepts, tropes, and mythology. The terms “Western esotericism” and “pre-Abrahamic” deserve some attention.

Antoine Faivre is the most widely referenced scholar in Western esotericism. According to Faivre, esotericism includes 1) an interconnected universe, 2) a belief that all of the world is alive, 3) imagination can influence the world using ritual and symbols, and 4) individual transformation is possible. The inclusion of Western esotericism in the definition acknowledges these elements found in contemporary Paganism and distinguishes it from the various indigenous religions around the globe.

Finally, the reference to “pre-Abrahamic” is quite simple. “Pre-Abrahamic” simply means that Paganism isn’t part of the same thread, literary and philosophical, that unites the big three Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Its tropes and mythology pre-date the origin of Abrahamic religions and their current dominance.  

Taking both parts of this series together, Dark Paganism’s name is the result of being a spiritual philosophy that focuses on the Self and is part of the larger Pagan community.
Blessed Be,
Frater Tenebris

What’s in a Name? – Part 1

“All names mean something.” – Salman Rushdie

Of all of the possible words, one might be wondering why Dark Paganism is called ‘dark’? Commonly the word ‘dark’ or ‘darkness’ is synonymous with something negative. “The dark night of the soul,” for example. If Dark Paganism is indeed positive and life-affirming, as I wrote in my first blog entry, shouldn’t it be called something else?

In the same post, I wrote that John J Coughlin, the Father of Dark Paganism, proposes that spirituality has two approaches, the external and internal. In the external approach, personal meaning is found outside the individual. In the internal approach, personal meaning is found within.   

Dark Paganism is an internal approach to spirituality. It looks inward rather than looking to the Cosmos or society for personal meaning. This inward focus makes Dark Paganism very Western and reflective of our times.

The terms ‘light’ and ‘dark’ are metaphors for the external and internal approaches. Imagine a cave, a model used by Plato. The inside of the cave is dark, while the outside is light.

Although the cave is dark, it’s not evil. Caves play an essential role in the ecosystem and the web of life. The cave provides needed shelter for many creatures. In addition, a cave is often a reservoir of drinking water for both humans and wildlife.

Darkness isn't evil. Embrace the darkness.

Blessed Be,
Frater Tenebris

Grief – A Follow-up Post

Note: this post addresses the complex topic of grief. If you’re struggling with grief and would like assistance, please visit the Grief Resource Network.

Last week, in a post titled Memento Mori, I posted about the brutal reality of death. Looking back, I feel like I didn’t adequately address grief.

Grief is natural. Not only do humans grieve, but so do many non-human creatures. Denying or suppressing grief can result in problems emotionally, mentally, and physically.

There is no timetable for the progression of grief. For some, it’s short-lived, while for others, it takes years. Grief is very individual; while many people are thought to progress through multiple stages during the grieving process, the grieving process is not universal in its progression.

From a philosophical perspective, while I quoted Stoicism, the Stoic emphasis on rationality fails. In my previous post, I quoted Seneca saying that we shouldn’t allow grief to control us. While this is good advice, the problem is that we can’t just turn off our emotions. Although we think of ourselves as rational creatures, rational thought is the tiniest tip of the iceberg of the mind. The majority of the mind, conscious and unconscious, is emotion. 

Dark Paganism is a philosophy of reason. That doesn’t mean it’s exclusively about rational thought. Reason includes not only our rational side but accepts the emotional and irrational side. This view on reason makes Dark Paganism a form of humanism, for it accepts and celebrates our humanity with all of its messiness and complexity. To quote the Roman playwright Terence, “I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me.”

Blessed Be,
Frater Tenebris

Memento Mori

Note: this post addresses the complex topic of death. If you’re struggling with loss and would like assistance, please visit the Grief Resource Network.

Recently, I had a colleague pass away unexpectedly. He was the type of guy that one enjoyed being around. He was intelligent and talented. His death was a shock to all of us.

In the past, death’s presence was more apparent than today. Until modern times, funerals took place in individuals’ homes rather than some sanitized funeral home. Frequently, photos were taken of the deceased, which in some cases were the only photos ever taken of them. Sometimes the deceased were propped up as though they were still alive. Deceased children might be photographed while being held by their parents or as though they were sleeping.

While today we don’t dwell upon death as much, there are times, like the passing of my colleague, when death forces its presence upon us.

The title of this post is memento mori, meaning “remember, you will die.” Often associated with Christianity, the concept is pagan in origin. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote that when one kisses a child or a friend, temper your happiness by remembering their mortality. 

Stoics like Epictetus have an unfair and inaccurate reputation as being anti-emotion. For example, Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, based the ever-logical Mr. Spock on what he understood of Stoicism. However, Roddenberry, like so many people, was mistaken. Stoicism isn’t about repressing emotions, like the fictional Vulcans. The Stoics accept that emotions are part of the human condition but believe in learning not to allow emotions to control you.  

We can learn a lot from the Stoics when it comes to death. 

• Death is not evil because it’s an inevitable part of life. “But death and life, honor and dishonor, pain and pleasure—all these things, equally happen to good men and bad, being things which make us neither better nor worse. Therefore they are neither good nor evil.” - Marcus Aurelius

• We should not allow the fear of death to hold us back. “It is not death that a man should fear, but rather he should fear never beginning to live.”- Marcus Aurelius

• Because of death’s inevitability, don’t put off what’s important. “Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day. The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.” – Seneca

• It’s okay to grieve the death of someone, but don’t let it control you. “It’s better to conquer grief than to deceive it.” – Seneca

The Stoics don’t have a monopoly on good advice concerning life and death. Friedrich Nietzsche, who despised the Stoics, wrote, “And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.” And it was Joseph Campbell who advised, when asked about the meaning of life, to “follow your bliss.” 

So, do what makes you happy. Go out and take chances. Tell that person how you feel. Fill your life with beauty and love. Most importantly, live your life as though there will be no tomorrow. Because, one day, there won’t be. 

Memento mori.

Blessed Be,

Frater Tenebris