idea; tribe

[Goblin]

So what do you think about this
Neo-pagan tribe!
Instead of some church or temple form a tribe similar to modern native American tribes.
Warriors, teachers, and shamans.

We get together for parties and drum circles and worship the Gods.
Warriors are strong pagan men and women.
Teachers are wAlking textbooks of pagan lore.
Shamans are magicians and dreamers.

Tribal customs like braids and tattoos. Perhaps mock battles and feasting. All dedicated to the Gods.

Maybe if the tribe was collectively wealthy enough it could buy a patch of woods and make tree shrines.
Tents and fire pits.
Places to practice magicks and become deeply connected to Nature.

This would be a band of pagans. A fraternal type of thing for men and women.

I'm thinking like native Americans, wood elves, Viking, Celtic tribes, barbarians.
But we also work day jobs.

 

[Treks]

Something like this, but pagan? Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.

I'd join up! Are there atheist pagans?

 

[Ingledsva]

So what do you think about this
Neo-pagan tribe!
Instead of some church or temple form a tribe similar to modern native American tribes.
Warriors, teachers, and shamans.

We get together for parties and drum circles and worship the Gods.
Warriors are strong pagan men and women.
Teachers are wAlking textbooks of pagan lore.
Shamans are magicians and dreamers.

Tribal customs like braids and tattoos. Perhaps mock battles and feasting. All dedicated to the Gods.

Maybe if the tribe was collectively wealthy enough it could buy a patch of woods and make tree shrines.
Tents and fire pits.
Places to practice magicks and become deeply connected to Nature.

This would be a band of pagans. A fraternal type of thing for men and women.

I'm thinking like native Americans, wood elves, Viking, Celtic tribes, barbarians.
But we also work day jobs.

Some Asatru groups have big meet-ups like that.

*

 

[Sees]

Something like this, but pagan? Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.

I'd join up! Are there atheist pagans?

Lots of atheistic, agnostic, transtheistic, etc. pagans. Of all the ones I've met or spoken with there is a dominant characteristic that people might be interested in your theology but don't give a damn in the end, as long as you don't push it or denounce those different.

Edit - and a whole bunch of SCA folks are some flavor of pagan.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

So what do you think about this
Neo-pagan tribe!
Instead of some church or temple form a tribe similar to modern native American tribes.
Warriors, teachers, and shamans.

We get together for parties and drum circles and worship the Gods.
Warriors are strong pagan men and women.
Teachers are wAlking textbooks of pagan lore.
Shamans are magicians and dreamers.

Tribal customs like braids and tattoos. Perhaps mock battles and feasting. All dedicated to the Gods.

Maybe if the tribe was collectively wealthy enough it could buy a patch of woods and make tree shrines.
Tents and fire pits.
Places to practice magicks and become deeply connected to Nature.

This would be a band of pagans. A fraternal type of thing for men and women.

I'm thinking like native Americans, wood elves, Viking, Celtic tribes, barbarians.
But we also work day jobs.

LOL!
Love the idea. I've heard there are a number of groups who do this very sort of thing, have places, etc.

You left out herbalists, storytellers, dancers, medicine folk, singers, craftsfolk...but I get your gist!

My only problem with it is I am pretty much a solitary and am pretty selective about who I'll engage in practices with. I'd probably show up for the occasional social fire circle, but mostly use the place as a solitary...

 

[Goblin]

Shamans are solitary. Just cause everyone's pagan doest mean they are all witches.

I genuinely think these kind of groups are the future of neopaganism.
Astrau guys have made leaps like this two but most pagans don't just pigeon hole themselves into one mythology.

 

[Goblin]

i don't mean to sound like a jerk but an atheist could come hang out. but the pagan tribe would be for pagans. which to me means you beleive in the gods on some way or another

 

[Iti oj]

i don't mean to sound like a jerk but an atheist could come hang out. but the pagan tribe would be for pagans. which to me means you beleive in the gods on some way or another

atheist can be pagan.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

atheist can be pagan.

Paganism is a religion. Atheism is a rejection of religion. What part of that don't people get?

 

[Iti oj]

Paganism is a religion. Atheism is a rejection of religion. What part of that don't people get?

Atheism is the rejection of gods not religion.

 

[Ingledsva]

Atheism is the rejection of gods not religion.

True enough. There are Atheist and Agnostic Asatru. I fall into the Agnostic Asatru category.

In fact I first became interested in Asatru because of an Asatru site I went to, which said -

You can believe in ALL of the Gods and Goddesses - or

You can believe ALL of the Gods are aspects of ONE God, and ALL of the Goddesses are aspects of ONE Goddess, = A Divine Couple. - or

ALL of the Gods and Goddesses are aspects of ONE Divine Being, - or

ALL of the Gods and Goddesses, are, or represent, aspects of SELF to emulate, or avoid, etc.

This allows Atheists and Agnostics to be under the Asatru Heathen umbrella.

I really like this idea.

*

 

[Sees]

If we had communities growing and building with the expectations they must have a certain level or type of theology...then we repeat the mistakes so many have in the past. That's some bible-thumping church or chess-club stuff...

Pagan traditions are about family and people interacting with each other and the world around them first and foremost. They see Gods or truths, Nature, all immanently around them, within them, etc. Theists truly pagan, who didn't simply switch one Yahweh for another/s, one church for another, will see atheistic and agnostic like-minded folks as believing in and interacting with Gods but with different lens and terminology. There are many, many millions of people out there like this. They have a love for more integration with "old ways" just as much as theistic folks but they are seeing their own understanding of metaphor, allegory, myth, etc. often wanting to disassociate from words and terms "ruined by others."

When the reviving pagan/neopagan traditions are ready to be less dogmatic about this, there will be hundreds of millions.

Think of how it would be as a theist forced to be an atheist in day to day life, or vice versa...it's more Ancient and Middle Ages Abrahamic than pagan...let alone 21st century pagan.

I spent my first couple years or so as a non-theistic "Philosophical Ásatrúar" and now 16 or 17 as a theistic one. Imagine if I let exclusivist butt-hurtitus or other people's rigidity keep me away?

I've met so many people who understand the heart, philosophy, vision, etc. but have atheistic or agnostic feelings, leanings, and it's perfectly fine to me. Way of life and practices are more important than scrutiny of religious concepts and thoughts going on in their brain. Like me back then - they can toast ancestors, feel spiritual connection with Nature and each other, do rites, rituals, practices - even ones honoring Gods, out of respect for tradition and/or with their own interpretation of it in mind.

I don't want Ásatrú specifically to become huge...but as far as total community of people who see themselves as pagan, I do. Think it's going to happen also. Majority will be non or less theistic people, especially until more and more people debug the classical Christian out of their heads and plurality, multiplicity blossoms culturally, philosophically.

 

[Sees]

I'll add...it's a bad idea, and very short-sighted, to be divorcing or estranging folks from the wisdom and beauty of our traditions because of "the fool has said in his heart there is no God" baggage - baggage that was never ours and should have been left at a church doorstep.

 

[Goblin]

Perhaps some folk misunderstand me. I consider anamism theistic.

I here atheism, I think some sort of science backed intellectual nihilism.

I mean a tribe for Nature religions and dirt worshipers. Which I don't see as atheistic.

What qualifies as a God anyways. Everything is a God to me, free folk

 

[Goblin]

this seems off topic now. I am still serious about making a wildling tribe.

 

[Ingledsva]

Perhaps some folk misunderstand me. I consider anamism theistic.

I here atheism, I think some sort of science backed intellectual nihilism.

I mean a tribe for Nature religions and dirt worshipers. Which I don't see as atheistic.

What qualifies as a God anyways. Everything is a God to me, free folk

From Google -

noun: pagan; plural noun: pagans

1. 1. a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions.
   synonyms: heathen, infidel, idolater, idolatress;
   
   • a non-Christian.
   • an adherent of neopaganism.

adjective: pagan

1. 1. relating to pagans.
2. synonyms: heathen, ungodly, irreligious, infidel, idolatrous

*

 

[Ingledsva]

this seems off topic now. I am still serious about making a wildling tribe.

If you have the organizational skills, - start it, - they will come.

It will start small, and grow.

*

 

[Goblin]

Im already doing so in my home town.
Everyone thinks they are all alone, but i gather them Up as soon as it gets warm I will host a cookout, bonfire, drum circle.

 

[Quintessence]

From Google -

noun: pagan; plural noun: pagans

1. 1. a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions.
   synonyms: heathen, infidel, idolater, idolatress;
   • a non-Christian.
   • an adherent of neopaganism.

adjective: pagan

1. 1. relating to pagans.
2. synonyms: heathen, ungodly, irreligious, infidel, idolatrous

*

Woefully inadequate and useless, and wholly inaccurate definitions of Paganism, as they are definitions of paganism, not Paganism. And hey, we're talking about Paganism here, not paganism, given the DIR. But that's all I'm going to say, because I'm not going to get into that debate here.

I would suggest that human cultures already function as tribes whether they deliberately do so or not. What you describe, Goblin, makes me think of the existing contemporary Pagan subculture. We already do some of this stuff. Probably more of it than I am aware of, because I haven't been active in any local communities for several years now. We've got land. There are a few organizations that have sanctuaries, and other private land owners that use them that way and are Pagan, but don't really advertise beyond local communities. There are various roles people take, though they might not fit into the model you outlined here. All sorts of interesting things happen at festivals and conventions. If you're interested in this, I'd encourage you to network with the community. You might find what you're looking for.

 

[Goblin]

ive been skimming this book called an introduction to pagan studies.

it says that although Paganism has no set defined belief system common themes are reoccurring;
common beliefs include but are not limited too;
belief in monism
belief in pluralism
belief in polytheism
belief in reincarnation
belief in immanent divinity(pantheist monism: "all is God") or (anamistic pluralism: "every single thing is a God")
belief in the efficiency of magick
belief in freedom; taking form as advocating democracy, anarchy, femenism, equal rights, animal rights, etc.
belief in free expression & thus freedom of oppinion