TechnoPagan.us

On Polytheism or a Metaphor for Uncategorized Thoughts #mypolytheism

We all have a drawer somewhere in our homes–maybe it’s in the kitchen or the den or the office–where you sort of just cram a bunch of important items together.  Things you need, but things for which you don’t quite have the right place elsewhere in the house.  So, the remote ends up next to the spare keys and the extra light bulbs.  And, every time you need the hot glue gun, you know right where…

In which a Boy Scout meets a Forest Spirit -

My sense from a lot of other Pagan authors, of books or blogs or whatever, is that many of have had a more personal connection with our gods.  Whether through meditation, ecstatic states, divination, or other means, it seems like every other person online has had some sort of numinous experience with one god or another.  I haven’t had many experiences of this sort, or if I have, I haven’t…

A brief foray into a personal ceremony I use to start the day

A sacrifice found at the centre of Nine Ladies in Derbyshire … a stone circle, shortly after the equinox by Alunsalt (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

I struggle with a personal practice.

It’s not something that I have a lot of experience with in my life.  Even when I was young, my family tended to live secular lives in the home and observed a minimum of spiritual practice at a…

In which I complete my thoughts regarding words, meaning, context, intent.

Words transmit meaning.  We often say that they “have” meaning, as if it’s an intrinsic part of their existence.  But, as we invent new meanings we, consequently, invent new words to transmit them or, sometimes, use existing words in new ways.  Therefore, I say meanings have words.

Consider the word computer.  For centuries it simply meant a person who could do mathematical calculations,…

Solo Book Club: January 2015

Today’s writing (as “required” by my New Year’s resolution) is going to be fairly short.  If writing code counted, I’d have already completed today’s installment a few times over, but alas, the slave driver who came up with these rules (i.e. me) is a bit of a tyrant.

Author’s Notes

The revived version of the site has only really been going now for a little over a week, and I’ve already wanted to…

A Multiplicity of Religions - In which I discuss my polytheism -

Australian Sky By R. Scott Hinks (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons

For the last year, I’ve been reading Ryan Bell’s blog at the Patheos Atheist channel called A Year Without God. Bell was a pastor at a Seventh-day Adventist church for some time before resigning in 2013.  Then, in January 2014 he decided to spend a year without god, exploring atheism and blogging about it on the site…

Words transmit meaning. We often say that they "have" meaning, as if it's an intrinsic part of their existence ...

[This is but a fragment of a full post.  I’m not quite sure where I’m going with it yet, but I wanted to get it out nevertheless.]

Words transmit meaning.  We often say that they “have” meaning, as if it’s an intrinsic part of their existence, but as we invent new meanings we, consequently, invent new words to transmit them or, sometimes, use existing words in new ways.

Consider the word computer

ICYMI: The World Table

The World Table is a new social network among people who want to have interfaith conversation around topics like religion and politics in a civil environment — and there’s a rating system to help ensure that civility.

ICYMI: On Competing Freedoms

We’re activists.  What we do is right there in that label:  act.  But, I’ve found over the last few weeks that sometimes we need to reflect on the choices we’ve made, the causes we’ve stood for, and reassess where we stand today. I also write at the Wild Garden blog on Patheos’s Pagan channel, and

ICYMI: Fighting the Good Fight

Due to unavoidable commitments both this weekend and last, I was unable to put together anything to share with you all here today.  Instead, I’ll make a recommendation:  if you’re not watching or listening to Moyers & Company, now is the time to start. A few weeks ago, Bill Moyers interviewed Dr. Jill Stein and

ICYMI: Faith in the Public Square

The idea of a perfectly secular public square seems as much of a pipe dream to me as that of a fully-inclusive, so called global, public square. Is there a middle ground we can find that might also be attainable? I hope so, and herein I begin an exploration of what that might look like.

ICYMI: On Disagreement and Discrimination

I’m cheating a bit this month.  I also blog at the Wild Garden, the interfaith blog on the Pagan channel at Patheos.com and because I’m actually on vacation this weekend, I’ve decided to re-post my most recent article there on this site as well.  Here’s an excerpt: I think we’ve begun to lose the distinction

ICYMI: Sticks and Stones and Words

Words have power and, too often, we use them like bludgeons against those with whom we disagree. Let us resolve in 2014 to try understand what the other means when they say things with which we disagree rather than jump to the conclusion that they are a fool.

ICYMI: Winter Holidays, Interfaith Memories

My childhood memories from the winter holidays are a mix of Chanukah and Christmas. Join me as I walk down memory lane for a moment and let me know in the comments what your favorite memories are from the Winter holidays!