The Modern Pagan
How to Live a Natural Lifestyle in the 21st Century
"Paganism means living in harmony with nature and respecting all that nature has to offer. It is a sustainable way of life that has existed in the British Isles for thousands of years and that has survived secretly among scattered households throughout the UK. Although it is not a religious path (true pagans do not worship deities), paganism will appeal to anyone who cares about the environment, who is interested in maintaining an organic lifestyle or who believes in respecting their roots whilst catering for the future. Paganism may be thousands of years old, but it is particularly suited to meeting our twenty-first century concerns. In "The Modern Pagan", Brian Day explains how to live in a way that honours the land and its inhabitants. There is advice on celebrating seasonal festivals, on cultivating a true pagan garden, on creating delicious food and drink from hedgerow fare, on herbal medicine and on working for the benefit of all. The core principles of Modern Paganism will make sense to anyone who is tired of the hustle and bustle of our polluted lifestyles, and who is looking for a way to connect with their surroundings."
This book is based on a wonderful premise. How do we as people with an earth based spiritual practice integrate our beliefs into our daily lives. This book cuts the the quick and shows ways for pagans to live their beliefs, and walk their talk. Much of what I promote in bioregional animism is focused in the same way. Living your life as an animist means getting your hands dirty.
Though I have not had a chance to fully read this book. I did get a chance to look it over and I think that though the pagan community at large may not be as accepting of it ideologically, the attempt to integrate earth based spiritual practice with ACTUALLY living sustainably is a real first in pagan literature. Very few people who practice an earth based spiritual system actually live in praxis and because of that THERE ARE FEW BOOKS OUT THERE ATTEMPTING TO SHARE HOW THIS IS DONE WITH ANY ONE! Which I find to be very alarming. Brian Day seems to be in the same category of folk such as I and Graham Harvey as well as all of the bioregional animists out there I have had the pleasure of meeting who feel that what you believe and think is not nearly as important as how you act in the world.
Much of my work with bioregional animism came from the frustration of participating in "shamanism" circles who lived what they practiced on the weekends about as much as a pedophilic catholic priest does every day but sunday. The frustration of seeing a natural life way perverted into a self serving practice of narcissism was hard to stomach. So though I have not read his book enough to be critical and give it a sparkling review or NOT, I have to applaud that he even put the two together in this day an age, earth based religion=sustainable living? Its about time the topic was covered in pagan book sections... you will be hard pressed to find others like it.
more power to ya Brian...
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4 comments:
Well, I think there are some neopagans walking the talk. Starhawk's permaculture and earth activist training seem to be very popular in many dirt worshipping circles.
Neopaganism used to make a big deal about how we weren't a religion with a book, we were based on nature. However, it is now a relgion of the book, and I am sure Llewellyn owns the copyright. Instead of reinteracting with the land and nature we are a part of, neopagans are working with maps of the land - some land, which land, when land? - written by others. No matter how tuned in Scott Cunningham,Gerald Gardner,that Silverwolf woman, etc are, they are not IMHO able to connect me to nature, espcially not be by a book. The only way i can have a relationships with nature/the divine/etc is if I engage.
And engaging cannot be a guided meditaion on the gnomes of earth elementals- no, it means being naked covered in dirt, it means learning what soils grow which things - and how those persons growing there will chnage that soil so new persons will grow in that soil and so on.
That part time weekend shaman thing, it's common in most "religions" I think. When my day planner says it is time to recognize my intrristic relationships within nature, I'll do that, and afterwards I'll eat factory farmed chicken, use strip mined crystals, pray to a statue stolen from a Korean temple, and turn on the air conditioner.
Have you read Ecoshamanism? I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. He makes a good case for the need to ground our shamanism in the land we are in.
I agree with you whole heartedly Heather. There is little engaging that is even encouraged in any practical sense of the word. ive been a long critic of the practice of the harner method of "shamanism" due to that same concern. The buying of a deer hoof turtle shell rattle, because they are your power animals, but never having seen one in it natural enviroment let alone taking their lives your self seems to be perfect symbolism for the relational dynamic that has been spread since the 70's by teachers and authors in both shamanic and pagan circles.
Ive seen Ecoshamanism on the shelves, and I recall I flipped through it a while ago, a very long while ago, so bear with me, btu as I recall I winced at some of the common methods that are written about in many books sold on "shamanism", and placed it back on the shelf. But I do recall that I did like that the author was redirrecting the practice and relational dynamic to a more grounded and centered perspective.
"Instead of reinteracting with the land and nature we are a part of, neopagans are working with maps of the land - some land, which land, when land?"
this has been exactly what Glen Butters and I have been addressing on the post paganism blog, a bioregional animism side project focusing on pagan traditions. I am glad you point this out...
Blessings!
well i sent a huge message thingy to some thing on the post paganism blog too! i fell in love with that blog! i actually just wrote a blog essay on my experiences wiith FSS folks that you might enjoy.
ecoshamanism is pretty good book - the author hates the FSS people and core shamanism, he writes a lot about how that isn't traditional shamanism - and about how his book isn't either type. i mean, he tells you to follow on foot to the source of the water you drink, and stuff like that, he's pretty hardcore. but then he wrote a 2012 book and i was like "sell out".
raven kaldera's northern tradition shamanism series is very interesting, i liked the one of the 8 paths. however i had a reading with him and he was wrong about everything in my life to the point that it was laughable. but he doesn't like the core shamanism people either. the FSS stuff IMHO is very disneyland.
you all are asking great questions and i love how it's so fluid and... bioregional. i am tired of going to pagan rituals and imagining things, ignoring reality.....
I am really glad you like the post paganism blog as well! I will have to check our comments.
I think the one thing that has been missing from our attempt to rediscover nature based religions is the emphasis of relationship. Animism has really been the over looked missing link in that respect. Because animism is a relational ontology it redirects peoples focus to how they relate to the world others and themselves.
We have been misled for a very ling time by spiritual oppertunists in both the "shamanism" and paganism circles, and it's been mostly voluntary! Fulfilling our more base desires. There's been a real need for clarity now, I've not been able to find a single book on any shelf of any book store focused on any howto focus that does that right now... Which really makes me sad but wonder if it's even possible?
I can tell you how to relate to that which you are!
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