I wish I new how to handle the wish for the gods for be real. I feel emotional connections to certain figures, but I also know rationally they're not real. I see other pagans talk about the comfort they get from their faith in god/s and I wish I had that. I've tried worshipping a specific pagan god in a sort of symbolic/archetypal sense and in a "I know this is make-believe but I'm doing it anyway" sense and it brought some comfort for a few days at a time and then bean to feel wrong and uncomfortable because I knew it wasn't real.

Demystifying Energy in Witchcraft

Throughout my life I've heard the word "energy" used, viewed and treated in the spiritual sphere as some ethereal, supernatural force. I even saw a TikTok the other day claiming that secular and atheist witches do not believe in energy work. I'm not sure where this treatment of the term "energy" started, but it likely has a lot to do with some more "woo" practices like Reiki and crystal healing.

I think we need to remove this stigma from the term "energy" in the Craft because 1) energy is an objectively real, observable material and 2) the benefits of working with and understanding energy shouldn't be packaged and branded as a medium for the "mystics only" club. This was something really meaningful that I took from Psychic Witch, where Mat Auryn explains energy in more scientifically observable terms.

Rather than defining energy as a mystical force, he explains that reality is, in fact, entirely composed of energy. The majority of us don't really think about reality this way, but anyone who has taken a physics class can tell you that this is a fact. Reality is energy--this is not a mystical perspective; it is a fact of the laws of physics. The scientific method has shown us that even things that appear solid, (diamonds, skeletons, my coffee mug, for example) are merely energies vibrating at a slower rate. Everything is made of particles perpetually in motion.

Still with me? Okay, so--Auryn breaks this down further by stating that the five senses are just various ways that we perceive energy. So in a sense, we are achieving a rudimentary form of energy work just by perceiving the world around us. Put in this context, many other animals are superior to humans with certain types of energy work (I wonder if this is part of why animals are so sacred to us witches). Dolphins and bats can legitimately use echolocation to experience sound waves as a form of sight. Indeed, we humans are far from the top of the totem pole when it comes to energy perception--it's almost as if humans were not created to rule over the rest of the earth (such a crazy concept).

Some examples of energy that our bodies cannot perceive include magnetic fields, radiation, wireless signals, and ultraviolet light.

What I'm trying to say is that Auryn's book really helped me to think of energy in terms of empirical reality, and reinforced my (somewhat) recent realization that magick is a valid, observably effective tool that can be used to achieve the changes we want.

"The Horn has been saved!! One of the most powerful discoveries given to us by science has been learning the astounding and glorious history of how we got here.  A key part of that discovery was the finding of the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation (CMB, see picture below), literally the glow of the Big Bang or Great Radiance itself!  The actual structure which gave us our earliest baby picture of ourselves was under threat from developers (for building a condo unit), but now, with our petition and the efforts of many others, has been saved!  A number of events are planned for the opening on April 20th, in Holmdel, NJ!

The celebrations on April 20th at the site of the Horn in Holmdel NJ begins with a ribbon cutting at 10 am, which will include Robert Wilson, who was one of the original discoverers of the Big Bang in 1964 (!).  Both before and after that (8:30 – 2:30) is the celebration of the discovery of the Big Bang by the Deeptime Network (preregistration is required for that as attendance is limited – register here before it fills up), with the rest of the day following.  If it works for you, this could be a great Naturalistic Pagan Pilgrimage."

...

I'm currently working on a novel that discusses my spiritual journey, struggles I was met with along the way, and how I have grown as a person. I aim for it to be a resources for people who, like me, didn't have many resources on Paganism when they first started exploring (specifically; atheist form of Paganism).

My questions to the community are; would this have been a helpful resources when you started exploring? If you're currently exploring, is it something that would help you? Is there anything in particular you think would be helpful to discuss?

Any feedback would be lovely <3

I love iNaturalist. I love being a part of a community of people who share their photos and knowledge of flora and fauna with one another. I love that actual scientists will use the data we collect if it is good enough. I love contributing to naturalism in every way I am able. I love it so much that I make a point to hike around my property and take pictures of everything I can. I love to learn the names, the historical uses, the lore around each plant and animal.

Simmer pot tiiiiiime

About half of the contents of the pot are herbs I grew myself and I’m weirdly proud of that

i spent like six months as an atheist when i was a teenager. and a year or two as a very hyper-rational highly skeptical agnostic deist, which basically felt like being an atheist (just with a secret feeling there was something more).

and i gotta say life is so much more enriching and fulfilling when i believe in gods and spirits and magic and when i care about ritual and tradition. the world just feels so much more alive and full of meaning and excitement.

enchantment is the best word for it i guess. the world is more enchanting.

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The Intersection of Magic, Science, and Psychology

As a rule I like to go back and look at my first grimoire periodically (I'm a baby witch, so I'm only on my second right now) and flip through it. It's great because there are always things I've forgotten, or changed my mind about, etc.

Today I decided to go back and flip through, and I read something that I don't even remember writing. It is a synthesis of things I read from NaturalPagan.org and an article called "What Is Manifestation? Science-Based Ways to Manifest":

I. Research on growth mindset by Carol Dweck shows conclusively that believing you can do something makes it more likely that you can successfully do that thing. This means that the mere belief that you can do something contributes to the manifestation of your desires.

II. The observable effectiveness of visualization has been well-documented by scientists; visualization works and has a profound effect on performance, health and success. This impact is measurable--it isn't a solely subjective opinion. Visualization also activates regions of the brain responsible for creative, intuitive, and holistic thinking. Mental imagery impacts many cognitive processes in the brain, such as motor control, attention, perception, planning, memory, etc.

III. Studies by psychologists have revealed intriguing results about the effects that rituals have on people's thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Rituals (secular or otherwise) contribute to better execution of tasks, reduced anxiety, and heightened ability to experience positive emotions.

Ergo, my sweet friends: this is why witchcraft works.

THE PROMETHEAN ORDER

I'm working on my new idea for a non-theistic religion, inspired by The Satanic Temple. Some key ideas:

1. The primary symbol of the new religion is Prometheus, the Titan of Fire from Greek Mythology. In the myths, he stole fire from the Gods and gave it to humanity. He was severely punished by Zeus, but he still taught humankind civilization. He represents courage, curiosity, freedom, enlightenment, scientific knowledge, and much more.

2. As 'The Satanic Temple' focuses on the issue of religious freedom, 'The Promethean Order' would focus on the popularization of knowledge to the public. We would promote knowledge of science, philosophy, and culture to the general public.

3. Rather than strict atheism, The Order might embrace a non-dogmatic approach.

4. There would be a full set of ritual practices and festivals.

5. The religion would be run in a democratic manner, possibly modeled after the Presbyterian Church.

This idea has been ruminating in my head for a long time. I plan on developing the further. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts and any possible advice!

one of the hard things about being a naturalist witch is I always feel stuck between two worlds.

I see no reason to believe in deities, especially not a single God as presented in Christianity. I see no reason to believe in any form of magic. I've experienced unexplainable things, yes, but the universe isn't fully known. The entire reason I'm majoring in physics is that I love that mystery, and I want to understand even just a shred of it.

I want to speak with the universe, but I don't think that happens by just meditating or performing a spell. Seeing what math can do- seeing with my own eyes, solving the problems, taking the measurements? Math is the most powerful language. I want to know particles, to see nuclear fusion and fission, to get it.

And physics offers that, but it requires a willingness to learn math. And math offers so much to you about relations, but mathematics asks you to submit. It asks you to fail, to question, to sit and truly look at things. It asks you to be wrong, to practice, and to keep coming back. Mathematics will soothe you, should you become comfortable with failing. But we are taught so little about what math can offer, and we so fear failure that people run from math.

But because the idea of ritual, the ideas of interconnectivity and sacredness are so tied to religion in the US, and people have been so betrayed by organized religions... those of us who fully abandon the idea of a deity/deities often feel we have to reject those too.

My professors talk so passionately about physics, and the professors I've had in other sciences speak the same way. They speak of the drive, the need to do this work, the honor of seeing these things, of knowing. To work in the natural sciences, you have to first love nature. But we're also all so afraid of people misinterpreting our honor to see the universe in such a different light as belief (or as not believing 'correctly', is something I've heard from religious scientists.)

I don't want to be misunderstood as not seeing the universe as deeply connected, and I don't want to be misunderstood as believing that connection is of an unknowable sort.

Happy World Goth Day!

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The Spirit & The Moon: My journey thus far.

I began my spiritual journey years ago, in the same town where I was born after spending much of my childhood away. At first it was merely a quest for understanding, a journey into the cosmos to find peace with existence itself. In time the things which I wished to understand became so much larger than myself, I began to truly understand how infinite the cosmic forces and all their knowledge really were; and that they just like us had names.

My research began with the Spirit itself, the very thing that makes us mortals what we are, our will to fight and to survive, or to die in honour. During this period of my life I explored various different faiths and researched their ideologies and values as well as the roots of their spiritual beliefs, and it was during this time that the cosmic forces which shaped these various faiths became so apparent to me. This led me to my eventual faith as a Pagan, a worshipper of trees and stars, the old Gods, and the very Moon herself. As a Devotee of the Moon I continued my search for answers to the mysteries of the universe, under her light I sought the voice of the universe itself, and there I heard the sounds of ancient energies at work, the winds and the grass speaking to one another in a language long forgotten. The first tribes understood this language, and their children's children inherited this knowledge in repetition long after spreading across the land, spoken by those who would come to be known as the Norse and Gaels.

This language was once understood by tribes spanning the globe, from the East to the West stories have survived that carry its essence, the understanding of nature itself, however the earliest it was ever described in text was in the runes gifted to mankind by Odin, so the path of an Asatruar became clear to me. Having since learned of my Gaelic heritage my understanding thus far of what remains has only widened, and so I chose to begin writing a public journal in hopes of better cataloguing my research, and sharing what I've learned with those who are on similar paths to mine, however far along they may be in their journey.

There is much peace to be found in understanding, and though the universe may always keep its dearest secrets, it will whisper to those who listen.

I ordered some altar supplies and I’m really excited for them to arrive. I’ve been doing more introspection on my spiritual beliefs and I want to start being more active in my practice.

Being a witch in Texas focused on practices of NW European origin is real fun because the seasonal correspondences and symbolism are all out of whack.

“Life re-emerges when spring starts” spring? You mean tornado season?

“Summer is when life is at its strongest” not if you’re anything but a mosquito

“Any berries not picked before Lunasa are for the spirits” means fuck all when berry season is April to June

At least early spring is absolutely stellar from all the wildflowers, and winter’s starting to get more spooky here thanks to ERCOT