Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices (Re/Search) - Softcover

Vale, V.; Sulak, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1889307106 ISBN 13: 9781889307107

Publisher: Re/Search Publications, 2001

Synopsis

This is the most uncensored, comprehensive guide to Pagans around the world today. Dozens of interviews cover a wide range of Pagan practices, from witchcraft, Northern tradition, santeria, shamanism, Druids, Goddess worshippers and more. The book covers important topics such as child raising, living arrangements, sexuality (lots of that), music, and bereavement (death), as well as the more spiritual side of Paganism. The political engagement here is widespread, embracing anti-capitalist and anti-globalist activism, environmental action, and the like. The emphasis is on taking personal responsibility for one's life—essentially, anarchism boiled down to its roots. Many empowering and uplifting stories about non-ordinary people: Starhawk, Genesis P-Orridge, Diane di Prima, and others are featured, as well as comprehensive bibliographies and filmographies that allow the reader to delve deeper into the subject.

About this title

About the Author

Editor V. Vale has a long track record of countercultural publishing. Beginning in 1977 with Search & Destroy, which catalyzed the punk rock cultural revolution, in 1980 he founded RE/Search, which has brought about visible social change, most notably with the groundbreaking Modern Primitives. Other best-sellers include Pranks, Incredibly Strange Music, The Atrocity Exhibition (by J.G. Ballard), and Swing!

From the Back Cover

A multi-faceted view of Modern Paganism as it is practiced today.

Represented are Reclaiming, Gardnerians, Druids, Santeria, Shamans, Goddess historians, Technopagans, activist Pagans, Radical Faeries, Military Paganism, ex-Catholic Pagans, Spiral Dance, EarthSpirit, Pagan piercers, Pagan child-raising, second-and third-generation Pagans, sacred sex, artists, musicians, orgies and more! The “spiritual” sequel to Modern Primitives.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Frederic Lamond: I found out about contemporary witchcraft in 1955 when I read a book by the English anthropologist Gordon Rattray Taylor, Sex in History. In it he described Margaret Murray’s thesis about the medieval witches being the remnants of a Pagan fertility cult. The term “Paganism” didn’t come into common use until the late 1960s or early 1970s.

Pete Jennings: I get out of Paganism a sense of belonging to my landscape, my tribe, my family, my surroundings, and so on. It gives me a sense of purpose, and provides an ethical framework to live within. It gives me joy and it gives me tears. It gives me a lot of questions all the time, which means you live far nearer to the edge.

Thorn Coyle: Putting on special garb is definitely part of bringing myself into a special state of consciousness. It would be similar to an ancient Israelite priest doing purification rituals before he approaches the tabernacle. I feel this helps you be more able to approach the divine, as you proceed along the continuum from the profane to the sacred, the ordinary to the non-ordinary.

RE/Search: Give us an example of a diverse ritual—

Oberon Ravenheart: In 1990 we helped create an Interfaith ritual that was done for the 20^th anniversary of Earth Day in Ukiah, California. The local Methodist Church had called for an organizational meeting, but the only people they had invited were Christians. We showed up and offered to bring in people from other religious paths, and they agreed. So we brought in Indians, Tibetan Buddhists, Sufis and all kinds of people.

Then we had to come up with a ritual that worked for everybody. Nobody knew how to do that, they each had their own ideas. So we asked the Sufis, “Okay, let’s start with you. What do you think is important in ritual?” It turned out that they like to dance in a circle. Then we asked some Native Americans and they said, “We like to call the four directions.” So we had the Sufis cast a circle, and then the Indians called the four directions. And everybody responded, “That’s really nice—very ecumenical.”

Edition details

• Publisher: Re/Search Publications
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1889307106
• ISBN 13: 9781889307107
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 212