Thoughts spurred by a a tsunami and cyber-citizens across the globe

On December 28, 2004, the Guardian, a British newspaper, ran an essay by Martin Kettle asking how can a religious people explain the deaths of thousands caused by a natural disaster. In his article Kettle mused on the difference between the explanations given by science and those given by religions on why these things happen. For Kettle, Science wins out as having the rational and logically consistent answer, as he inferred that no rational, modern person could seriously believe that God was punishing evildoers, as Christian, Muslim, and Buddhist alike were wiped out regardless of religious adherence.

A day later, an email crossed my desktop, in which the writer asked: In Pagan terminology, “How can the Goddess do this?” or “Why has Poseidon caused this to happen?” or “What did we do to deserve this from the Gods?”

In both cases I was struck by how our conceptions, assumptions, and definitions of “god” or “the divine” influence not only our answers, but perhaps more importantly, the questions we ask. Both authors seem to have an assumed conception of God, or the Gods and Goddessses, as personal, omnipotent, and concerned about humankind. Not all religious or spiritual people have this same conception of God or the Divine.

In my pagan-pantheist worldview, the universe was not created and does not function with the convenience or even survival of the individual human in mind. The universe is much bigger than we, as individual humans, are. Natural phenomenon just happens. The universe (and the earth) considers the individual human about as much as we consider the life and death of a single cell in our bodies. At this level, Divinity (with a capital “D”) is not personal, as it is seen in the many monotheistic conceptions of a personal god whose eye is on the sparrow (and so, is obviously watching me at all times).

Taking a viewpoint closer to home, there are entities that are concerned with the human realm. These individual or personal deities are not omnipotent nor do they have control over the overall natural processes of larger cosmological entities, such as a planet or a star or a galaxy. Their sphere of influence and concern is the human level.

The question we should be asking ourselves, in my mind, is what can we, as humans, do to help mitigate the effects and suffering of other humans in such situations. What does our theology say about how we treat each other? How do our gods and personal deities influence how we respond to such a situation and the crying for help of others, especially others not of our specific tribe?

I have been asked how I reconcile the two seemingly different theological frameworks of polytheism and pantheism. Some contemporary Western Pagans sense this paradox and conclude that there is no literal existence of individual deities (Zeus, Jehovah, Kali, etc.), rather they are archetypal constructs. On an intellectual level, they have a more pantheistic perspective, but they acknowledge in themselves, and others, an almost instinctual, primal need to personalize divinity. Therefore, their religious expression is more polytheistic.

The rational scientific pantheist may look askew at personifying the great big Divine of nature, but for the contemporary Western Pagan who is investigating pantheism in his or her spiritual quest, understanding different levels and definitions of deity is important in theory and practice. My personal base philosophy is pantheist, but I come at it through years of interacting in the pagan community. I also consider myself agnostic, in that, while I have theories, frameworks, and metaphors that I use in ritual practice, I also admit that I really don’t KNOW the exact nature of the divine. So, I have developed a personal theological framework, which I find useful for living my life and participating in my religious community. It may or may not be any more real than any other framework. It just makes sense to me.

We can talk about what we call “deity” or the “gods” on, at the very least, two different levels. There is personal, individual deity - Hecate, Lugh, Kwan Yin, etc. I liken these to individual humans, but on a different plane. These are the gods that we call on when we need that personal touch. Much like we call on specific friends when we need a shoulder to cry on or the car fixed. Are these Gods really specific, independent entities or archetypal constructs? I don’t know. But I treat them as specific entities, just as I would individual people I know.

On a third level is the impersonal Divine — the totality of the universe. Does this totality have a personality, a consciousness? Again, I don’t know. I cannot know. Just as the mitochondrion cannot know if the human in which it lives has a consciousness. But I would posit that the Divine is sentient and that it is WAY beyond what you or I or any human could fathom.

The relationship between the specific deities and the Divine could be likened to the relationship between individual humans and humanity. Jungians talk of the collective unconscious of humanity, and one could think of the mind of the impersonal Divine in a similar fashion. Again, is this empirical truth or useful metaphor? I have to admit that I don’t know.

My view of divinity has been labeled objective, scientific, and non-religious, as if that negates human feelings of despair and compassion. I have encountered those who think that such a dispassionate view of the Divine could only be posited by someone who has not been directly affected by human tragedy or who is an “unfeeling scientific rationalist.”

Like everyone else, I find myself asking “why me?” when life does not go my way, when I am broke, when someone breaks my heart, when people close to me die. I do find spiritual comfort in the fact that it is not the gods who are after me, that they are not trying to punish me. My experience of personal pain may be minor in comparison with the rampant death and disease left by the wake of the tsunami, but in my fight with depression and the death of my father, I found this stance unexpectedly comforting.

Now some would say that, without a personal, transcendent deity, one has no grounds for defining or judging between “good” and “evil.” This is a rather simplistic, all-or-nothing view. Neither pantheism nor neo-paganism views natural phenomenon as evil. And there may be no “good” or “evil” on a universal or cosmological level, at least not that we would comprehend – our scale of reference is too narrow and does not encompass millions of light years. An impersonal divinity does not take the burden of evil off of humanity’s shoulders, but instead rather places the responsibility squarely on us. Evil lies within the realm of what we, as humans, to do other humans and the world in which we live (including animals other than humans as well). If ultimate divinity is impersonal, we have no devil or god to blame for what we do. Ameliorating suffering, being compassionate, working together are good actions, at least from a human perspective. And even though most neo-pagans twitch at the word, I would argue that actively ignoring or adding to suffering constitutes “evil.”

A shift in climate is not evil. But someone, a person, a group, or a government, who uses the effects of a climate to take advantage of the suffering caused by it, is to my mind evil.

Every time we face a traumatic event, such a death in the family or an earthquake, our worldview and our relationship with our gods – our stories – undergo upheaval. In order to make meaning and find our place in the world, we have to adapt our stories or find, and sometime create, new stories to tell ourselves. These are my stories and I offer them to you in the hopes that you may find some truth and comfort from them.

Blessings from a full heart.

The river for herself
The river as herself
without human reference
without outward justification
her purpose known to herself
her path known to many

The river is a boundary impossible to cross without sacrifice.
The river is a fount of bounty for those who ask.
The river is a road to the underworld.
The river is a goddess of birth and death.
The river is a god of longing and searching.
The river is a shape-shifter of water and earth.
The water of the river purifies us.
The water of the river washes away our tears.
The water of the river carries us under.
The water of the river redeems us.
The water of the river takes in our despair and turns it into abundance.

written for Becoming’s Spring Rite of Blessing

Death is a healing
torn and tired
spirit stretched impossibly
over worn, fragile
flesh
tears shed and wounds
scarcely healed
white scars; red eyes
smells that live forever
scents no one else notices
pungent in the pinched room
electronic bleeps keep
time with the labored heart
a torturous tarantella
a ghost fist loosens its grip
death is a healing
not a failure

The first thing you learn in the Pagan community is that nothing is ever straightforward or, gods forbid, easy. After learning the maxims “Question everything” and “Create your own reality,” you begin to wonder where this creating and questioning will eventually lead.

Take the subject of ethics. Many folks, especially those within Wiccan traditions, will likely quote the Rede (yes, folks, that’s always a capital “R”) or at least, the last line “An it harm none, you what thou will.” That sure leaves the door wide open for all sorts of actions, reactions, and interpretations! It may seem at first glance that Pagans are a pretty lax and hedonistic bunch (and I can’t deny that to a certain extent). Our ethics, however, are not as simple as those eight words would make it seem. Not to mention the fact that there are many Pagans who do not consider themselves Wiccan, thank you very much.

I am one of those. We are a motley lot, honor bound to uphold some type of ethical behavior to our fellow living creations and the earth on which we live. Yet we do not have a standard that we can all agree upon. And so, with our two touchstone maxims in hand and in mind, each of us begins to examine our lives, reflect upon our values, consult our history books, and chat with our gods to create our own thoughtful code of ethics. I went through this process about a year ago and created my Ethical Foundations for general life situations and Ethical Guidelines for my work as Pagan clergy.

You would think that living according to one’s self-created ethical code is easy. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Ethical behavior, by its very nature, demands something more of us: that we be thoughtful of our actions. We create a code to remind us to do the “right” thing during those moments when we would either prefer to do the “wrong” thing, or just not think about what we are doing at all. Recently I have found myself reviewing my statement of ethics to remind myself of the way I have said I want to live and act. I am thankful I have taken the time to reflect upon and write down the guidelines by which I want to live my life because know that it has stopped me from doing things that, while they would have been evilly delicious at that moment, would have gone against the person I truly want to be.

But what happens when ethics collide? I’m not talking about when your code disagrees with someone else’s, but when two or more parts of your code are brought into conflict in a particular situation. How do you decide which standard takes priority? How do you decide what action to take? Which is “right” and which is “wrong”? What is the ethical course to take?

There is no cut-and-dried, easy, “either/or” answer to these questions within the realm of contemporary Western Paganism. Everything is a delicate balance. We actually have to weigh the conflicting values we hold and view them through the context of the situation we are faced with. Once we make a decision and act, we must be willing to take responsibility for whatever consequences fall upon us. But this is the same for any action - conflicted ethics or not.

To illustrate my point: I carry a secret that was entrusted to me many years ago by someone very close to my heart. This secret may be the defining ethical decision of my life for I do not endorse the activity of which I know through the secret. Before we go any further, I should clarify that this secret does not hide any illegal actions, nor could one argue that anyone was harmed by the activity to which I refer - there was no stealing, no physical or mental abuse.

One of the ethical foundations I adhere to is honesty and integrity:

“I seek to deal with others in an open and honest manner, to not participate in the manipulation or deception of others or myself, and to express myself, my beliefs, and practices with a sound and whole character.”

I find this particular secret too ethically gray for my taste - it is laced with deception about who and what one is. It feels like lying and I don’t lie about important things (I am not counting the occasional tall tale or polite white lie here). Keeping this secret is sometimes unbearable, and I wish the other person would stop so that the secret could become a thing of the past.

However, I understand the motivations of the person who engages in the secret’s activity. Part of my ethics is seeing with both eyes, “to remember that each individual embodies multiple dimensions, that everyone has the potential to do good and ill, and that all stories have multiple perspectives.” I understand the subtleties of intent when contemplating ethical action. Also I seek to have empathy, “to understand the situations, feelings, and motives of others, to act in accordance to this understanding, and to not unfairly judge others without this empathic consideration.” I seek to remember that my own view is tunnel vision when compared to the wide range of reality. My way of seeing things is only a way, not the way.

I get it! But I don’t like it.

So what’s stopping me from not keeping the secret? Why not unburden myself? If I don’t agree with the activity, why continue in the deception myself?

Here’s where the real ethical conflict raises its ugly head. I also have an ethical foundation of commitment:

“I seek to fulfill any commitments I make and to not make any commitments that I cannot fulfill.”

I made a commitment to keep this secret when told to me. I also have a personal commitment of loyalty to the person who entrusted me with the secret. I would do nothing to sully this person’s reputation. Heck, I won’t even tell my therapist!

So what do I do in such a situation, in which part of my ethics outweighs the other - stay loyal and keep my word and the secret, or be honest and not hide the secret? It is here where I understand that ethics are not absolute; at least, not for me. But before I resign myself to the idea that ethics are of no help and decide to throw them out completely, I remember my last ethical foundation and the only one that can guide me through this situation: personal responsibility.

“I seek to take full responsibility for my actions and to be accountable for the consequences of my actions; therefore, I seek to always think before I act.”

Whether I keep the secret or tell it to the world, I am responsible for my part in the consequences. Nothing releases me from that hard, cold fact of reality. It is not really comforting, but I don’t think that ethics are supposed to be easy or comforting. Ethics make us think about those places in life that are not clear-cut. They make use weigh our actions and make tough decisions.

They make us question everything and create our own reality. As a good little Pagans should.

Blessings from a full heart

Weary of the screams that filled her ears,
Tired of cleaning the blood from her fingernails,
Her acorns turning to ash in her pointed beak,
Macha turns away from the battle
And her sisters
In search for the normal life of home and family.

Loving his children was easy.
Tending the farm a joy.
Laying with him in the night,
She almost felt safe.
Macha dreams of roiling clouds
And jeering crowds
To be betrayed by carelessness.

It’s just a legend but it is her history,
And she curses her part.

written November 30, 2003

Another drowning man
finds his way upon my shore.
Another wounded soul
kicked in the teeth by the gods,
bad luck and some Siren…

I taste the bile of knowing
my recurring role in the story,
the suspicious beginning,
the sweet middle, and
oh yes, the bitter end…

I am not doing this again.
My compassion has run out.
My heart is a seeping patchwork,
the work of previous Odysseuses.
This Calypso quits.

And Zeus can kiss my ass…

Dr. Michael York. Pagan Theology: Paganism as World Religion. New York: New York University Press, 2003.

Up front I should say that I have a love-hate relationship with academia.

I love the exciting ideas that can come from a thoughtful, rigorous analysis and synthesis of a subject. I abhor the laborious, arid writing style that obfuscates even the most lucid concepts. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)

The author of Pagan Theology, Michael York, is the Director of the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, and Director of the Bath Archive for Contemporary Religious Affairs, Bath Spa University College, UK. He also teaches on-line classes for Cherry Hill Seminary, a pagan seminary based in Vermont. To answer the question of Dr. York’s own religious perspective, he states, “I am a “religionist.” I believe in religion itself and its central role in expanding human consciousness above and beyond immediate daily concerns… In my own pursuit and love of religion as religion, I have been particularly attracted to paganism.” (Preface ix)

York is able to give me what I love without subjecting me to what I hate. Yay! I will admit that this is the book I’ve been waiting for. Dr. York is my new pagan hero. Finally, a book about paganism that presents a well reasoned and researched argument for placing paganism within the context of world religions and makes some clear observations about pagan beliefs and practices. This is a book that you could unashamedly recommend to your scientific-rationalist friends who see themselves as intellectually sophisticated and secretly (or not so secretly) believe paganism to be silly and self-indulgent. It speaks to them, but it also speaks to pagans looking for something more…well…intellectually stimulating than the typical pagan pap for the masses. And yet, the writing keeps you awake and engaged throughout.

His first step is to define paganism within a religious studies context - quite different, I believe, than defining it for political reasons. York sees paganism as a “root religion” that historically all other religions are off-shoots and/or counterdevelopments of the root religion. (Preface viii) York is not advancing the ‘unbroken line of pagan tradition’ or ‘Wicca is 30,000 years old’ myths. He argues that paganism (of which contemporary Western paganism is only a part) represents the religious practices and beliefs that organically evolved with the earliest human impulses to sacralize and/or understand the world in which we live.

He acknowledges the difficulty in providing a definition or definitive list of necessary characteristics that would include every facet and manifestation of paganism and still be meaningful. Rather than create a concrete definition of paganism, York offers a “range of possibilities that we might expect to find in any bona fide pagan example.” (p. 13) These possibilities include: belief in more than one manifestation of god (polytheism), belief in spirits inhabiting the physical world (animism), worship of physical objects as representing or containing the sacred (idolatry), honoring the sacred through use of the body (corpo-spirituality), emphasis on one’s locale or local spirits and community, recognition and veneration of sacred places, “perception of soul duality, and either nature worship or nature as a chief metaphorical register expressive of the divine.” (p. 13) This is not meant as an exclusionary checklist - ‘Nope, sorry, your tradition doesn’t practice idolatry…you’re not pagan.’ Rather, if a tradition or religion contains many of these qualities, it is (under York’s definition) pagan.

The majority of the book is broken into three chapters - Paganism as Religion, Paganism as Behavior, and Paganism as Theology. In the first he examines religious expressions that stand in contrast to other world religions - Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. He looks for the common threads in these tribal or “primitive” religions that may give us a way of understanding them as pagan.

The second chapter, Paganism as Behavior, focuses on religious behavior within non-pagan religions that expresses the pagan impulse - practices of veneration within Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity that fall outside of the orthodox theological explanations of these religions.

In the third chapter, Paganism as Theology, York examines paganism as a “theological ideal type.” This chapter is the most academic with many $5 words. But I also found the implications of this discussion the most exciting and moving. (OK, at one point, I cried) “If there is a single concept or practice that encapsulates the essential orientation and identity of paganism, it is celebration. If the basic notion of Eastern spirituality is release and that of Christianity is preparation and salvation, pagan celebration is a festive rejoicing that also embraces service because service is likewise an affirmation of humanity, the world, and divinity.” (p. 167)

If only more Pagan authors were as thoughtful and thorough as Dr. York! Thank you, sir, from the bottom of my heart.

The following statements serve to guide me as I work with others in a ministerial/spiritual capacity to help ensure that my actions in such a position of trust are ethical and respectful.

Working for the Good
I shall conduct myself in ways that respect the common good, with due regard for public safety, health, and order. I shall use special care to help direct the energies of those I serve, as well as my own, in responsible ways that reflect a loving regard for all life.

I shall seek to represent the best interests of those I serve.

I shall affirm the religious and spiritual freedom of all persons

I shall demonstrate respect for the opinions, beliefs and professional endeavors of my colleagues.

I shall make referrals or obtain consultations when it is in the best interests of those I serve and I shall maintain interdisciplinary and inter-professional relationships to foster these practices.

I shall discuss any costs associated with my services in an upfront manner with those I serve. However, I shall not withhold my ministerial and community services strictly because an individual or organization does not have the ability to pay or make donations.

Non-malfeasance
I shall not knowingly use or permit others to use my services or my influence to secure unfair, harmful, or exploitive personal or professional advantage over others.

I shall take responsible action when I become aware that I am physically, emotionally or spiritually unable to provide competent, caring, and ethical services.

I shall serve all persons without discrimination regardless of religion, faith group, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, or disability.

I shall refrain from imposing doctrinal positions or spiritual practices on those I serve.

Multiple relationships
I shall endeavor to be aware of the influence my position as clergy has on my intimate, social, teaching or financial relations with people within my faith community.

I shall openly discuss the impact of multiple relationships with those with whom I may have these relations.

I shall not enter into intimate or financial relations people that I have served through extended pastoral counseling, nor shall I enter into an extended counseling relationship with a person with whom I currently have intimate or financial relations.

Informed Consent
I shall disclose to those I serve any elements of our spiritual work together that may be unfamiliar, or that could reasonably be seen as presenting physical or psychological risks.

I shall openly affirm that participation in any religious practice, spiritual work, or consultation must be voluntary on the part of those I serve

I shall disclose my professional and personal boundaries, competencies and ethics to those I serve at a level appropriate to the service provided.

Confidentiality
I shall hold conversations between individuals and myself I serve as confidential unless to do so would directly endanger the safety and well being of themselves, other individuals, or the common good.

I shall refrain from relating experiences that expose the vulnerabilities of the people I serve or their families to derision or ridicule.

I shall seek to guard the identities of those served in any consultations, presentations or publications unless the person served, or their family if the person cannot give consent, has given me written permission for disclosure of the relationship.

I shall respect the private communications of colleagues unless to do so would violate the safety and well being of others or be in conflict with the laws or policies of the state.

Connections and Growth
I shall accurately represent my professional qualifications and affiliations to those I serve and the greater community.

I shall maintain and nurture an active relationship and good standing within my local Pagan community.

I shall pursue ongoing personal growth and professional development in theology, spirituality, pastoral skills, and other areas that enhance my professional proficiency.

I shall endeavor to nurture my personal relationship with my Gods and maintain an awareness of the ebb and flow of the universe.

Blessings from a full heart.

The following principles serve as a foundation for my personal life path and my interactions with others and the world around me. Because no one is perfect and we are all learning how to live as we go, I frame my language in terms of goals, rather than attainments.

The lowest common denominator is also the highest.
We are each of us human.
We are each of us divine.

Seeing with both eyes
I seek to view the world in a balanced way, to remember that each individual embodies multiple dimensions, that everyone has the potential to do good and ill, and that all stories have multiple perspectives.

Respect
I seek to treat others with common decency, to show consideration and appreciation for the strengths and vulnerabilities of others, to acknowledge the divine within each person, and to uphold the individual’s autonomy and dignity.

Empathy
I seek to understand the situations, feelings, and motives of others, to act in accordance to this understanding, and to not unfairly judge others without this empathic consideration.

Honesty & Integrity
I seek to deal with others in an open and honest manner, to not participate in the manipulation or deception of others or myself, and to express myself, my beliefs and practices with a sound and whole character.

Commitment
I seek to fulfill any commitments I make and to not make any commitments that I cannot fulfill. I commit myself to live my life fully, to honor my ancestors and the Gods of my people, to aid those I can, and to better my community.

Personal responsibility
I seek to take full responsibility for my actions and to be accountable for the consequences of my actions; therefore, I seek to always think before I act.

Mutuality
I seek to establish and maintain harmonious relationships with others, to make connections that foster love and compassion, and to commune with the divine within myself and within others. Such relationships are built on mutual trust and respect. I will not force such relationship on others, nor force myself to continue in relationships where these elements are not present.

Blessings from a full heart.

I sing to you, O Bridghid, queen of sacred poets,
Burning flame in the night.
Your light points the way out of the mental fog
And towards a higher purpose.
Every speck of paint, every smudge of charcoal,
Every song written and sung, every word written and shared,
Is within your power.
I dedicate them to you.

Let my words bring beauty,
Let them move the people to the saddest sweetest tears
And to the highest cries of ecstasy.

I dedicate my voice to you,
Lady of bards, poets, and madmen.

May I serve you with honor.
May my songs make you proud.
May my life make you smile.

Hail, Lady Bridghid, I honor you.
Accept my sacrifice.

written on Mohegan Island, Maine