The community I’ve been helping to build over at r/anahuac and the In Yollotl In Omitl discord server had a first impromptu group religious gathering Sunday night. It wasn’t much; but also, it was. NorthernLightStorm streamed a bonfire he built in his backyard, and while no one else was able to join via voice, someone... Continue Reading →
Confessions have been heard.
Hear me now, on behalf of all penitents, all confessors in your sight. You possess the blue and yellow waters, o great goddess, o lady of the steam bath, you who inspire extremes, you who weave immoderations, for you along can take these away. Give us your medicine, midwife us as a babe from the... Continue Reading →
What I’m Reading #2
This is a much more random collection of interesting things than last time. Weaponized Fossil Kin and the Alberta Economy: Dr. Zoe Todd explores the indigenous concept of "kin" in relation to petroleum products, geological objects of study, and specifically the culture surrounding the Alberta Tar Sands. Really exciting to me to discover that there's... Continue Reading →
Confessionary reminder:
Confessions will be read on the full moon this Saturday! If you have any confessions to share or burdens to offload, please do not hesitate to take part in the Neyolmelahualitzli (ney-ol-mel-ah-wah-LEETZ-lee) rite, from the comfort of your own home. Confessions are completely anonymous, and are are only seen by my eyes before being given... Continue Reading →
Deity Work v Being a Polytheist
Sarenth added some much appreciated nuance to my post.
We spoke and I explained that the “PSA” was meant more for newbies, especially coming from the online witchcraft world, using language the way I’ve seen them use it. If I use the term “deity work”, it’s along the lines that Sarenth explains. But when young pagans use it, it’s invariably used as either a PC alternative to “worship”, or it explicitly implicates a relationship with the gods wherein they are being used by the practitioner to achieve an end. (This goes back to the vending machine idea.)
A good post! Please read it.
Rotwork wrote a post here exploring the idea of deity work that I will be pushing back on, and adding my own thoughts as I go.
Before I begin I want to be clear: I respect Rotwork a lot. I get that a lot of online spaces are cesspits, and produce a lot of toxic ideas that then get circulated. Those need to be pushed back on. That being said, I am going to push back a bit on some of the things they have talked about regarding deity work. There’s enough in here that I agree with in some respects that I feel like I am going to have dig into it a bit to be clear on where I disagree.
After exploring some of the ideas I posted on their Twitter feed and talking with friends, I find much of my issue is with baseline definitions. I understand…
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A PSA I posted to Reddit: “Deity work” is not dangerous!
You, yes you, all the way in the back: "Deity work" is not dangerous. This is an insidious lie that damages communities, and actively harms people. Gods, and having relationships with them, are not any more dangerous than interacting with any other human being. It is no more dangerous than getting behind the wheel of your... Continue Reading →
Ancestor Project part 10: “Authenticity”
I've been thinking a lot on the concept of authenticity, as well as the viability of reconstructionism itself. This started with a Angelos Naisos debacle on Twitter after he was accused by some youtuber of being folkish. (I mean really, yawn.) Angelos had some interesting things to say. I do believe inherited trauma, intelligence, and... Continue Reading →
The Confessionary opens tomorrow!
Traditionally a rite one took part in only once during their life, during which they confessed to the gods their gravest transgressions, the Neyolmelaoalitzli or Heart-Cleansing is now an online fixture in the form of a formal Confessionary for anyone of any spiritual background to take part in as often as they feel they need... Continue Reading →
A Non-Hierarchical Polytheism
It is difficult to convey the texture of this metaphysics to someone practicing from within Indo-European conceptions of divinity and cosmology. There are so many commonalities that it makes describing the vast differences nearly impossible. However, one of the things that there is no doubt in my mind about, is that the cosmovision of the Mexica is most emphatically non-hierarchical.
The icon is raised.
The painting, large by the standard of most icons, is wrapped in white linen for the journey home from the studio, where it has been taking shape, being born, for the past nine months. The artist sets it in front of his home shrine and waits for the appointed day: 11-Kawak, the day sign of... Continue Reading →
