Why Dark?

“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen.”  - Shannon L. Alder, author.

Some may wonder about the meaning of ‘dark’ in Dark Paganism. 

Dark Paganism assumes two schools of thought in spirituality. Each school shares the same emphasis, which is an exploration of existential matters. However, the two schools each address this exploration from different directions. 

The most common school of thought is the external approach. This school seeks meaning and purpose outside the individual. The primary existential question in the external approach concerns the meaning of the universe. In the external approach, reality is often viewed as One. It’s common for an alternative to the One to be seen as evil. This viewpoint often results in a dualistic worldview where good struggles against evil. According to the external approach, life’s meaning is in uniting oneself and one’s actions with this great Unity.

In the internal approach, reality is a complex mix of interactions and relationships. Because of this complexity, there is no underlying Unity or dualistic battle between good and evil. The primary existential question for the internal approach isn’t about the meaning of the universe but about searching for personal meaning and learning how the individual fits into this complex reality. Therefore, the emphasis of the internal approach is on the Self and the search for personal identity.

The metaphor of “light” is applied to the external approach to spirituality. In contrast, the internal approach to spirituality is “dark.” To understand this terminology, imagine a cave. During the daytime, the outside of the cave is light, while the cave inside is dark. 

When we apply these metaphors to the person, we find that the dark represents the Self, while the light represents the world external to the Self. The Self is dark because, like the cave’s interior, it’s hidden from sight. Each person’s psyche, or internal behavior, is, in a sense, a black box. No one else can directly observe our private thoughts and feelings, making them “dark.” 

Because what’s advocated here is a spiritual philosophy centered on honoring and cultivating the Self, it’s referred to as “dark.”

Hedonism and Divinity

Hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure as an end to itself, is controversial, to say the least. Whether discussing ethical or psychological hedonism, generally, hedonism is frowned upon by most mainstream philosophies and religions.    

Left-Hand Path (LHP) philosophies, which include Dark Paganism, being a heterodox system, view hedonism differently than the mainstream. Life is meant to be lived, and the physical pleasures of embodiment are to be enjoyed. Joseph Campbell’s famous recommendation to “Follow your bliss” may be described as a hedonistic statement.

The roots of hedonism may be ancient. In fact, they may date back to the oldest written story, the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the myth, the hero Gilgamesh, in his grief over the death of Enkidu, is on a quest for immortality. During his adventure, he comes upon a woman described as an “alewife” named Siduri. While there is some debate among scholars, according to one interpretation, Siduri was the goddess Ishtar. According to some later texts, Siduri is an epithet for the goddess Ishtar (Inanna in Sumerian). In the tale, Siduri tells Gilgamesh the following:

‘When the gods created humans
they allotted to them death,
but life they retained in their own keeping.
As for you, Gilgamesh,
fill your belly with good things;
day and night, night and day, dance and be merry,
feast and rejoice.
Let your clothes be fresh,
bathe yourself in water,
cherish the little child that holds your hand,
and make your wife happy in your embrace;
for this too is the lot of humans.’

Some have speculated that this is a hedonistic declaration. In this view of the myth, Ishtar, through Her manifestation as Siduri, is giving Gilgamesh the meaning of life. Death comes for us all, so life is to be enjoyed. 

 

I’m not a scholar and, therefore, not qualified to give an opinion on the academic debates about this scene in the Epic. I will say that, for various reasons, I believe Siduri is Ishtar/ Inanna in this myth. And I believe the message from the goddess is to enjoy life and the pleasures of this world.

Enjoy life.

Butterflies

“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.” – Carl Sagan.

The universe is ancient. The scientific consensus is that it’s approximately 13.8 billion years. It may even be older. Recently, a scientist proposed, based on observations made by the James Webb telescope, that it might be 26.7 billion years old.

In comparison to the universe, a human life is a brief flash. The average lifespan for most in the developed world, depending on where you live, is between 76 and 80 years. Of course, being an average means that a large number of people won’t live that long.

Despite our relatively short lifespan, we go about our days as though we’re immortal. Of course, if asked, we’ll say we know we won’t live forever. Then we’ll shove the idea away and go back to blissfully ignoring our mortality.

If ignoring our mortality meant that we always lived in the moment and enjoyed every minute of life, that wouldn’t be so bad. However, it more often means that we spend most of our life on pursuits that waste what little precious time we have in this life. 

Don’t waste your short time in this life.

Memento Mori.

Dark Emotions

“A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them.” - Carl Jung.

We, Dark Pagans, love to talk about the Shadow. You’ll find it in nearly every dark pagan book, mine included. However, we must understand that the term “Shadow” applies to a narrow aspect of a personality. According to Jung, who created the concept, the Shadow is always unconscious. If we become conscious of the emotions and desires buried within our Shadow, they are no longer part of it.  

We all have dark emotions and desires that we’re conscious of and therefore aren’t part of the Shadow. Anger, lust, greed, and pride are just a few of these dark emotions. 

 

Many religious leaders and philosophers are critical of these dark emotions. Anger, in particular, gets a lot of negative attention. Gautama the Buddha is to have said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” And the Roman Statesman Lucius Annaeus Seneca said, “Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.”

Dark Pagans see this issue differently. Such emotions are natural and healthy. In fact, they’re essential for life. Lust is necessary for the continuation of the species. Greed helps us set goals by which to better ourselves. Pride is needed for self-respect. And anger, as the Catholic priest and historian Bede Jarrett wrote, can motivate one to act against evil.

Dark emotions and desires aren’t wrong and shouldn’t be denied. They’re an essential part of our humanity.

Pride

“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us.” - Jane Austen, British Author.

Most know that June is recognized as Pride Month in the US and many other countries. June was chosen to celebrate LGBTQA+ individuals because the Stonewall Riots, which started the Gay Rights movement, occurred at the end of June 1969. 

 

Pride Month is closely connected to the Dark Pagan principles of Self-knowledge, Self-Acceptance, and Autonomy.

Thousands of years ago, etched into the walls of the Temple of Delphi in Greece were the words “Know Thyself.” It is with this ancient Pagan wisdom that Pride begins. Understanding one’s identity, both gender and sexual, is an essential part of self-knowledge. 

It’s well established that some people’s hatred of LGBTQA+ individuals arises from subconscious gender and sexual identity issues. While this isn’t true for all who express such hatred (for some, it’s just a character flaw), this lack of self-knowledge is the source of anger for many.

Building on Self-knowledge, Self-acceptance is the next critical element of Pride. Once a person understands themselves, the next step is to accept themselves. Self-love rests at the heart of self-acceptance. 

However, there are forces in our society that teach against self-love. Many religious institutions tell us that we’re fallen and need salvation. This self-hatred often is turned outwards, creating Others who are seen as different and dangerous.

The final Dark Pagan principle that applies to Pride is Autonomy. The Stonewall Riot was an example of courageous individuals who confronted institutional homophobia and bigotry. It was a declaration of autonomy that they wouldn’t cave into the demands of the herd.

Ironically, the homophobic and transphobic voices of today often wrap their opposition to autonomy into claims of personal liberty. In an example of Orwellian thought, they twist laws meant to remove the rights of LGBTQA+ persons as being to enhance freedom.  

Pride is a Dark Pagan value.

Earth Day 2023

Contemporary Paganism is often defined as an “Earth-Centered Religion.” While I think that’s an oversimplification, it’s true that most contemporary Pagans consider the Earth sacred. A significant reason for this view is the importance of animism within contemporary Paganism.

 

Animism is the belief that all of the Cosmos is infused with spirit. Spirit exists within every plant and every animal. Some animists believe spirit is also found in inanimate objects like rocks. 

Many indigenous religions incorporate animism into their belief systems. Animism plays an important role in Shinto, for example. Animism is also in classic Western thought, such as the concept of the anima mundi found in Greek philosophy. 

Earth Day recognizes the importance of treating the Earth and its inhabitants with respect. Unfortunately, humanity gets an F for how it treats the Earth. For example, it’s predicted that 1 million species will go extinct in the coming decades because of human activity. 

The Self is the product of its relations with others. These relations aren’t limited to other humans but also to the Earth and all that dwells upon it. Earth Day calls us to work on repairing this very important relationship.

Astrology and Fate

“The fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves…” – William Shakespeare, ‘Julius Caesar.’

Astrology is an ancient practice found in many societies. It played a significant role in classic Greco-Roman paganism, which drew upon and modified Mesopotamian astrology. Astrology also plays a role in Traditional Chinese beliefs. Its popularity continues today, especially in New Age and contemporary Paganism in the West.

I will leave aside the criticism by those seeking scientific evidence for its efficacy. Astrology, contrary to the claims of many of its advocates, is a spiritual practice rather than a science. And spirituality does not lend itself well to scientific study. 

It’s important to remember that astrology does not equate to destiny. The planets and stars may influence us, but we have the power to decide how we respond. Let me give you an example from experience.

I have Type 2 diabetes. The popular assumption is that it’s the result of a poor lifestyle. However, my doctors have determined that mine is due to genetics. While I can’t change my genetic predisposition for diabetes, I can decide how to respond. With the help of my doctors, my diabetes is under control through the combination of medication and diet. 

Like genetics, any influence of stars and planets on our lives is beyond our control. However, it’s up to us how we play the hand we’re dealt.

Epicurus and Dark Paganism

In my book, The Philosophy of Dark Paganism (shameless self-promotion), I mention that Dark Paganism is eclectic in that it draws on various schools of philosophy, both classic and contemporary. One of the philosophical schools that influence Dark Paganism is Epicurus.  

Epicurus

 

Epicurus and Gautama the Buddha determined that suffering was humanity’s greatest scourge. Epicurus believed that anxiety was the primary source of human suffering and developed a four-point treatment plan.

1. Don’t fear god.

Epicurus and his followers were not atheists. However, they didn’t believe that the gods were involved in ordering the Cosmos. And the gods certainly weren’t interested in human affairs. Therefore, according to Epicurus, one didn’t have to fear a god’s retribution. One shouldn’t be anxious about being sent to Tartarus for displeasing a god or breaking some ethical rule.

Dark Paganism shares the view that most gods don’t care about humans. Occasionally, a god will develop a relationship with an individual human, but that’s the exception and not the rule. Most of the time, we don’t even show up on their radar. Rituals and offerings to gods aren’t done to avoid a god’s wrath. They’re performed to maintain relationships. 

2. Don’t fear death.

According to Epicurus, death isn’t something to fear. He pointed out that we have no memory of non-existence before our birth. Therefore, we’ll have nothing to fear of non-existence after our deaths.

But what if Epicurus is wrong and there is an afterlife? Should we worry about our fate? The answer is still no. As mentioned, the gods don’t care about us. They won’t punish us by sending us to Hell or some other place of torment. Those UPGs (Unverified Personal Gnosis) that I consider most reliable describe the afterlife as a place of contemplation, renewal, and joy followed by either rebirth or ascension. Whatever it entails, suffering and torture aren’t part of it.  

3. What’s good is easy to attain.

According to Epicurus, “good,” as used here, has a particular meaning. Typically, especially in America, “good” means expensive luxuries. However, that’s not what Epicurus meant. “Good” meant that which is needed to maintain life. Food, shelter, etc., sufficient to live are “good.” He didn’t condemn luxuries, but he did warn that they could create anxiety because they might be lost once acquired.

Generally, Epicurus was right. Most people can acquire the basic needs to live if they set their standards at realistic levels. One problem is that many of us aren’t happy living within our means. As a result, we create massive debt, which can cause us to work long hours and live in anxiety of loss.

However, reality is complicated. The truth is that even lower standards aren’t always enough in our Capitalist society to guarantee shelter and food. For example, medical care, a necessity for life, can be outlandish in cost. The primary cause of bankruptcy is the cost of medical care here in the US. 

Homelessness and food insecurity are real problems for many people. Hard work and setting realistic standards don’t always pay. These real problems inherent in our Capitalist socioeconomic system can create anxiety that Epicurean principles don’t address.

4. What’s terrible is easy to endure.

Epicurus died a painful death. Before his death, he suffered for two weeks from a kidney stone that blocked his urethra. However, he endured his pain by remembering the good times with his friends over the years. 

In this final point, we’re reminded that physical pain, even severe, is usually temporary for most people. And severe chronic pain, while horrible, is uncommon for the majority. Most of us learn to live with moderate chronic pain. And for most people, mental pain, such as fear and anxiety, can be reduced by maintaining a healthy outlook on life.

Dark Pagans accept Epicurus points on pain as a general principle. If we apply this wrong, there is the risk that we can minimize the seriousness of suffering from pain. While applicable to most people, this Epicurean principle doesn’t apply to everyone.

Self-Compassion

“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.” - Christopher Germer

The seeds of self-hatred are planted early in life. In our drive to be accepted by the one's we love, we often develop negative feelings about ourselves. This self-hatred is reinforced by social institutions, especially religious, who insist that we are fallen and are in need of salvation.

It can be hard to overcome those negative feelings about the self. Sometimes one can find help in sources that one least expects.

Next to social media, YouTube is one of the favorite subjects for people to beat up on. You would think that YouTube is nothing but cat videos. While there certainly are those, there’s a lot of good stuff as well. One of the excellent YouTube channels is The School of Life.

The School of Life channel defines its mission as “devoted to bringing you calm, self-understanding, better relationships, deeper friendships, greater effectiveness at work and more fulfillment in your leisure time.”

They have several excellent videos about self-compassion. I’ve linked to two that I’m very impressed with.

Vive La Différence

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” – Stephen Covey

The three pounds of mostly fat we call our brain evolved to interact with our physical reality. We are bodies embedded in a material world. A consequence of our physicality is a solid division between us and the outside world. My fingers typing these words are distinct and apart from the keyboard. 

However, the gods are different in that they’re spirits. Spirits are, by definition, non-corporeal beings. Because of their non-corporeal nature, they are like nothing that exists in our world. This difference makes it difficult for us to truly understand the nature of the gods.

While I consider myself a Hard Polytheist since I believe that the gods are individuals, each with their own agency, I understand that they aren’t exactly like us. As mentioned, gods are non-corporeal beings. This characteristic makes them different than any phenomenon we’ve ever seen. It also makes them difficult to understand.

Our individuality and autonomy are intimately tied to our physicality. Oh, there are changes to our bodies that come with age. Plus, we can modify our bodies with surgery and other procedures. But we’re unable to divide our bodies or merge with others. Our bodies are locked into place.

Hard Polytheists must remember that the gods are not the same as us. However, the Archetypists and Soft Polytheists need to understand that those of us who have had contact with the gods will testify that there are attributes that we share with the gods. 

Let’s avoid hubris, where we think we completely understand the nature of the gods. The gods are much more complex and mysterious than we can begin to imagine.

Big-Headed

 “If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck.” – Elvis Presley

Note: I’m highly indebted to the excellent YouTube channel The Living Philosophy, which was a resource for this post.

One of the popular whipping boys of contemporary spirituality is the ego. According to some, the ego is the source of all evil. If we could just eliminate the ego, they say, all would be right with the world.

They’re wrong.

The problem isn’t the ego but a phenomenon called ‘ego inflation.’

The term ‘ego’ was introduced to the modern world through the work of Sigmund Freud. Freud used the German phrase ‘Das Ich,’ meaning ‘The I.’ When his work was translated into English, ‘The I’ was considered clumsy. So the translator chose ‘ego,’ the Latin word for ‘I.’

According to Freud, the ego is the Self and mediates between the individual and the world. The ego is the seat of judgment, tolerance, memory, and intellect. One major job of the ego is to balance the demands of the individual’s Id and the Superego. The ego allows us to restrain the Id through practices such as delayed gratification and judgment. It also separates the Superego’s toxic influences from the healthy. A healthy ego is, so to speak, the grown-up in the room.

Like anything, the ego can get out of wack. One way is for the ego to become inflated. When someone has an inflated ego, we sometimes say, “That person is ‘big-headed.’” 

Individuals with ego inflation are easy to spot. We see a particular CEO of an electric car company who acquired a social media service not long ago, with obvious ego inflation. Also, a certain former U.S. President who refuses to acknowledge that he lost his bid for reelection definitely has ego inflation. 

Where does this confusion of ego with ego inflation come from? It’s essentially the product of Westerners who misunderstand Freud and Jung as well as misappropriate certain Buddhist concepts. The result of this toxic combination is a misplaced attack on the ego.

Let’s stop beating up the ego because the ego is a necessary and essential part of a healthy personality. Instead, let’s focus our criticism on ego inflation. There’s no need for anyone to get big-headed.

Beyond Nihilism

“Do not go gentle into that good night.” - Dylan Thomas, poet

I’ve written before that Albert Camus is my favorite philosopher. Of course, we differ on some things; for example, he was a strong atheist, while I’m a hard polytheist. Otherwise, I agree with the vast majority of his views.

Albert Camus

 

A central element of his philosophy was how we should respond to what he perceived to be the lack of meaning in the universe. Camus didn’t see a universe infused with meaning as others, such as most Greek philosophers and Christian theologians, saw. He perceived no fingerprint of God upon the world. Camus found the Cosmic silence deafening.

Camus decided that the silent universe, paradoxically, gave us a message. The universe, including us, lack inherent meaning.

He wasn’t the first to come to this conclusion. Existentialist writers like Sartre had similar results when they looked at the Cosmos. On this point, they agreed.

However, Camus differed in several important details from the existentialists. One difference was that Sartre believed one could give one’s life meaning. Camus said that this was futile. One could not grant oneself meaning in a meaningless universe.

Camus then asked what choice do we have if our lives are meaningless? He said we have three choices: self-destruction, blind faith, or revolt. Neither self-destruction nor blind faith is an acceptable choice, according to Camus, for they both involve surrender.

Our only choice is to revolt. 

Our revolution begins by embracing the uncomfortable truth that our lives lack meaning and that it’s impossible to grant them such. To seek meaning in a meaningless universe is absurd (hence, the name of his philosophy is Absurdism). 

We must then accept that this lack of meaning isn’t a negative but is liberating. This lack of meaning gives us the freedom to live our lives as we see fit. Doing so can make our lives meaningful to us, even though our lives lack meaning. 

Nihilism is not the end goal. Instead, nihilism is the key to opening the door to freedom. In his book The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus wrote, “even within the limits of nihilism, it is possible to proceed beyond nihilism.” 

Don’t get trapped in nihilism. Move beyond nihilism and embrace life.

Flaming Trousers

We all know the childhood taunt, “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” We definitely don’t like people who lie. Just look at the public outcry to a recently elected US Congressional Representative caught lying about his past. 

Is it ever okay to lie? Or is honesty always, with no exceptions, the best policy? Mountains of books have been written about this over the centuries. I cannot sufficiently cover all of the arguments in a blog post. But I’m going to write about it anyway.

Let me get one consideration out the way up front. The Cosmos, Universe, God, or whatever, doesn’t give a damn about us and what we do. We’re on our own for this.

I like thought experiments rather than just theories regarding ethical dilemmas. When discussing ethical absolutes, the setting should be one of the most evil institutions in history. Slavery certainly fits the bill. In this case, slavery in the United States.

Scenario: It’s 1857, and you’re a white abolitionist. In the back of your covered wagon, you’re hiding a family of runaway slaves that you’re helping get to freedom. As you approach the border to cross from the Slave State of Virginia to the Free State of Pennsylvania, you see a roadblock with armed men in your path. One armed man approaches and tells you they’re looking for some runaway slaves. They ask you if you’ve seen any and if you might know where they are? 

Question: Do you lie and tell them that you haven’t seen any? Or do you admit that you have and that they’re in the back of your wagon? 

My Response: I would lie in this thought experiment with no regrets whatsoever about doing so. In fact, I believe lying is the ethical choice in this scenario, while telling the truth is unethical. This is because the welfare of people is the highest ethics. Life overrides other considerations, especially abstract musings by philosophers sitting around their metaphorical ivory towers. 

Does this mean I think it’s always okay to lie? Of course not. Absolutes to the other extreme are such as wrong. In relationships, generally, honesty is the best policy. However, not always. Especially when it causes more harm than good. 

So, dear surfers of the interwebs, what do you think? Do you think honesty is absolute, or is it situational? Let me know your thoughts. You can leave a comment below. I’m on Facebook and Twitter. You can also email me at fratert@ftenebris.com.

Lupercalia

“The wolves in the woods have sharp teeth and long claws, but it’s the wolf inside who will tear you apart.” ― Jennifer Donnelly, Stepsister (novel)

It’s February, and most people’s thoughts turn to Valentine’s Day. Many contemporary Pagans add Imbolc into the mix. However, I find another festival day during February most meaningful. An ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia.

Lupercalia has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years. Pagans who love to poke Christians on social media enjoy pointing out the similarities between Lupercalia and Valentine’s Day. And television series such as The Chilling Tales of Sabrina help bring it to the public eye.

The Ancient Festival of Lupercalia

For those that don’t know, Lupercalia was an ancient pagan festival held each year in Rome on February 15 that dates as far back as the 6th Century B.C.E. and maybe further. Wikipedia accurately describes Lupercalia as “a bloody, violent, and sexually charged celebration awash with animal sacrifice, random matchmaking, and coupling in the hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.”

The origins of Lupercalia have been lost to time. Most scholars think it relates to the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, who, according to myth, were raised by a she-wolf. The festival’s name may be derived from the Roman fertility god Lupercus.

The festival would start with priests sacrificing a male goat and a dog at Lupercal cave while laughing and smearing the blood on their foreheads, followed by public feasting. After the feast, nude men would race around whipping any woman they could with strips made from the skin of the sacrificed goats.

Part of the festival included the pairing of single men and women by the men pulling women’s names from a jar. The couples would stay together all year until the next festival. It was common for couples to fall in love and marry during this time.

A Modern Lupercalia 

An attribute the wolf shares with us is the trait of being an apex predator. However, the wolf is a natural predator, while humans require tools to achieve their position of power. Therefore, one of the meanings of the archetypal wolf is of the primal, uncivilized human. We see our animal side found deep within us in the archetypal wolf. 

Lupercalia isn’t about the sacrifice of animals. Or naked individuals whipping others with goat skins (which is okay if you’re into that and it’s consensual among all participants). The eternal spirit of Lupercalia is a recognition of the goodness of the physical body and the enjoyment of our carnal desires. 

The modern Lupercalia is a time to release your inner wolf and howl at the moon.

The Power of Softness

In his 1950 acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, Bertrand Russell stated that humans are motivated by four primary desires: acquisitiveness, rivalry, vanity, and love of power. Of these four, power may be the least understood.

Many of us associate power with strength and hardness. However, that’s a severe misunderstanding. Power can also be soft. According to the Tao Te Ching, “Thus whoever is stiff and inflexible is a disciple of death. Whoever is soft and yielding is a disciple of life.” (Yes, I’m aware of the irony of combining the Tao Te Ching with Russell’s four desires.) 

The Grand Canyon

One can see soft power in action by looking at nature. The blade of grass breaks up the sidewalk. The river eats away at the land forming massive canyons out of solid rock. 

Soft power isn’t fast. It takes time to work. Yet, in my opinion, it’s worth it.

To learn more about the soft power of Taoism, I highly recommend the YouTube video Softness: The Underestimated Power on the Einzelgänger channel.

2023 Year of the Black Rabbit

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.” - John Steinbeck

The New Year is celebrated differently in different cultures. According to the Lunar calendar, the first day of the new year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice. In 2023, this new moon lands on January 22nd. Countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, celebrate the New Year based on this calendar. 

This New Year’s festival traditionally honors deities and ancestors. While there are different customs, a common theme is for Chinese families to gather for dinner. Families also traditionally use this time for house cleaning to sweep away misfortune and make way for good luck. 

The Chinese zodiac also designates an animal and one of the five elements yearly on a rotating cycle. In addition, each element has its own color designation. For 2023, the element is water, making the color black and the animal (except for Vietnamese and Malay zodiac) is the rabbit. 

Hence, 2023 is the year of the Black Rabbit.

The rabbit isn’t as lucky as some animals in the Chinese zodiac. However, years with the rabbit can represent prosperity (think about how fast rabbits multiply) and hope.

Decency Ethics

“When the norm is decency, other virtues can thrive: integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness, and trust.” - Raja Krishnamoorthi, US House of Representatives

Most people don’t sit around dwelling on the various schools of ethics. That is unless you’re a philosophy nut like me. However, I think that we owe it to ourselves and society to ponder ethics and how to make ethical decisions.

I’ve always liked situational ethics. It’s practical. The right tool for the right job. However, the problem with situational ethics is that it lacks a guide to help us determine the right tool.

In his book A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us, the philosopher Todd May proposes a framework for ethical behavior. His proposal fills in the gap needed to make situational ethics work. He calls this framework “decency ethics.”

According to May, the goal should be to live a “decent life.” A decent life acknowledges and acts upon the fact that all of us have lives we’re trying to live. I have my life, and you have yours. It strikes a balance between the needs of others and oneself.

I highly recommend A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us by Todd May. You can also learn more about decency ethics and the others schools of thought in my book, The Philosophy of Dark Paganism.

Gods and Virtue

“In fact, it is a farce to call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from the exercise of its own reason.” - Mary Wollstonecraft

André Comte-Sponville, in his fantastic book A Small Treatise on The Great Virtues, explains that “virtue” means excellence. Everything has the potential to be virtuous. A knife’s virtue would be to cut well, for example. For humans, virtue or excellence includes the classic virtues of honesty, compassion, mercy, prudence, etc. 

Are the gods always virtuous? Some people that I highly respect think so. However, on this point, I disagree. 

To begin, I’m a hard polytheist. I hold that the gods share the characteristic of being autonomous beings with their own personalities. They make their own choices, just as we do, in keeping with their values.

This ability to make choices leads to my next point, virtue and vice result from reason. An unconscious act might be good, but it’s not virtuous. Virtue is a conscious choice. It might be due to years of practice to the point that it becomes a reflex, but it’s still the product of reason, for we can choose vice over virtue.

Another point is that most Pagans don’t see the gods as perfect. They’re more powerful and more knowledgeable than humans. They also create a sense of awe. However, perfection isn’t part of their nature, for nothing is perfect. 

The gods cannot always be virtuous when one adds all this up. Autonomy means they must have the freedom to decide whether to act virtuously. If they don’t have freedom, then they aren’t autonomous. And since the gods have the capacity for reason and the freedom to choose, they can choose whether to act with virtue or vice. Finally, since the gods, like everything, aren’t perfect, this also means that they may make a choice of vice rather than virtue.

Are some gods consistently virtuous in the human sense? I believe that some are. Some humans choose virtue more often than vice, so we should expect that some gods do the same. However, it’s equally likely that some gods choose vice over virtue.

WitchCon 2023

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be giving an online workshop at the upcoming WitchCon Online 2023. WitchCon Online has classes by dozens of Witches and Conjurers from across the globe. According to the official website, “WitchCon Online presenters are the preeminent masters of the magical arts and hail from across a rainbow spectrum of occult and spiritual practices.”

My class will be on March 5th at 3:15 CT and is titled "Exploring Dark Paganism." The course description:

"In this workshop, I introduce Dark Paganism, a deeply personal and individualized philosophy focusing on transformation and shadow work. I guide the participants through the nine Dark Pagan principles, which help develop a version of yourself flourishing in all you do. From self-knowledge and acceptance to magick and environmental mastery, these principles show how to build confidence, trust yourself, and create a meaningful life. I’ll also delve into Dark Pagan ethics and building a Dark Pagan lifestyle."

Benefits of registration include access to all live video classes, rituals, performances, and recordings of every class after the event has ended. There will also be a Virtual Vendorium where one can purchase ritual tools, signed books, jewelry, and more. Attendees will also be able to participate in a Virtual Meet and Greet where attendees and fans meet and chat with presenters live on Zoom.

Registration for WitchCon is limited to only 1,000 attendees. So register now and reserve your spot!

A Time of Darkness

“Hello darkness, my old friend.” – The Sound of Silence, written by Paul Simon

As I wrote in my previous blog, the Winter Solstice is known as Yule in Northern European Paganism as well as neopagan Wicca. Because of the Earth’s changing tilt, its North Pole reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun on that day. The result is the longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere.

People have mixed reactions to nighttime and darkness. For some, the reaction is negative. This feeling isn’t unreasonable, for the night can hide many dangers. The darkness of night can also bring on a sense of sadness and loneliness. Others find great beauty in the darkness. The world at night takes on mystical air. The shadows and the moon’s eerie glow create a sense of magic at night.

If you have a dark allure, which is a passion for the night and the dark, as I have, relish this time of year. However, if you find this dark time disturbing, know it won’t last forever. Days will shorten as the tilt of the Earth gradually moves back towards the Sun.

Remember, everything changes, and the darkness never lasts.