June 2009 is International Pagan Values Blogging Month!
Dear Pagani,
I have decided that I am tired at how some factions within other spiritual and faith traditions talk and act as if they have a monopoly on values and virtue and ethics.
Therefore I am issuing a call and a challenge to my fellow Pagan netizens…
In June the sun is at it’s height in the Northern Hemisphere and nearly hidden from view in the Southern Hemisphere. Midsummer and Yule, festivals of fire and of light.
Let us then use our hearts and minds and words, invoking the fires of inspiration; let us write of the virtues and ethics and morals and values we have found in our Pagan paths, let us share how we carry these precious things forward in our own lives and out into the world.
Join me, in the month of June 2009 in writing about Pagan values.
Interested parties are asked to link to this post, and to list their blog in the comments section of this post.
Peace,
Pax
A marvellous idea. Consider me in, and I look forward to reading everybodys posts on such a valid yet underplayed part of our spirituality!
Sure, I’ll participate. Not likely every day, but I do have plenty of opinions about such things.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so involved in creating a Pagan seminary: Cherry Hill Seminary. One of two courses required of all matriculated students is called Boundaries & Ethics, originally developed by
Cat Chapin-Bishop. It’s one of the best courses I’ve ever taken; it forces people to examine, reflect, and develop their own personal code of ethics, naturally based on one’s own values.
I also participate in lots of interfaith activities. That not only involves trying to live by one’s values, but also the shared values of the interfaith group, in my case, Marin Interfaith Council (mostly).
Count me in, too, Pax.
Will there be a cutoff date to have our posts up or will anytime in June do?
Love,
Terri in Joburg
Well, I hadn’t really thought about it… I’d have to say anytime in June, or several times in June for those that are so moved… I would think in the Southern Hemisphere there would be a tendency towards later in the month… the whole lighting a candle in the darkness sort of thing…
Peace,
Pax
This sounds like a fine idea – count me in!
Excellent! I will spend June blogging about the thews (virtues) of Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, and will provide linkage with each post.
Thank you so much for starting this!
Welga,
Siggy
Oh, I forgot to list my blog when I commented here:
Vanic Thoughts – http://svartesol.wordpress.com – I made an announcement just now mentioning I’ll be spending June blogging on Heathen ethics.
Hmm… interesting idea. Count me in!
I’m going to mention this is the next podcast if that’s ok?
http://www.infinite-beyond.com
Chris,
That is infinitely beyond OK!!!
(grin)
Ba-thump-skish, “thank you, thank you!”
Seriously though that would be too cool!
Oh, excellent! I look forward to this…
Hiya, Pax!
I’ve ended up with several posts on this, so I’m including a link to all posts on my blog with the label International Pagan Values Blogging Month:
http://aquakerwitch.blogspot.com/search/label/International%20Pagan%20Values%20Blogging%20Month
I expect at least one more, on why I insist on using the word “Pagan.”
Thanks for your good work!
I’m in. But I fear how much love and light and fairy-dust nonsense will clog up the system. If Paganism is a spirituality of balance it would be *really good* to hear about some of the harsh realities of being a human in a human-made world.
Looking forward to it, and thanks for the opportunity.
Clare
Will certainly be doing this as well, and perhaps posting the essay I am now working on; “Reading Beyond the Rede: Ethics for Traditional Witches”. I hope we may have a great deal to say about the values and principles that inform our lives as Pagans and which we hope to instil in those we influence.
Maureen Duffy-Boose
Aisling the Bard
1734-witchcraft.org
president@cuups.org
National Secretary, Pagan Pride Project
I’ve been trying to track down your blog, or other web place you would post it, and am failling terribly! Where can I track this down?
I’d like to participate in this, but I don’t actually identify as pagan, but as atheist/pantheist with a very earth based spirituality. I haven’t really blogged at all in a good long time, I hope to turn that around, but my apologies in advance if it doesn’t work out.
Pam
Pam, I hope you will blog something for this little event. I am curious thought why you don’t consider yourself a Pagan?
Peace,
Pax
I’ll get the whole team on it. Great idea.
Hi,
I just got back into town to see this. Great idea. I’m in.
Sia
It might be easier to have it all on one specific date. Maybe the solstice? Just a quick suggestion. But I will with great eagerness put up some stuff on values. I am a member of a great Wiccan organization, Family Wiccan Traditions International, that is focuseed on family (obviously) and the importance of raising children with values in the Wiccan Faith.
So in short count me in!
Dawn, and Sia, thank you both for your participation and Dawn for getting the rest of the Witchmoot gang on it!
Patrick,
I had thought about designating one day… but it seemed to me that by giving some lead time and by encouraging a whole month I might be able to get multiple posts from some participants. Somehow that felt especially important, to get a lot of folks thinking and talking about these things.
Besides I know I can probably post a couple of good essays on Pagan values, and virtues, and ethics. I’ve struggled to discuss the importance of these things in the past.
I look forward to your essays especially Patrick as you are active on a daily basis on modeling and exemplifying the values and virtues of Witchcraft!
I look forward to all of your words!
We might do well to consider the questions raised by T Thorn Coyle in her series of posts about sexual ethics and consent.
If you participate in this synchroblog, please post your contribution to MetaPagan – you can use the tag metapagan.ethics (not quite the same as values but the nearest tag we’ve got).
This is a discussion that I have been waiting for a long bit of time. Please count me in.
Hi Pax — I heard of your marvelous idea from Haley at Iridescent Dark and I too plan to write one or more posts on this topic during June. Can’t promise anything too deep or terribly metaphysical though! Also, I’m glad to have been directed to your blog — I know I’ll enjoy reading what you have to say!
I’m onboard. It should be great, especially with some of my favorite bloggers participating.
I’m totally in. Please excuse any errant snarkiness.
Hi, you can find my latest thoughts here: http://clasmyrddin.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-praise-of-dark.html
Excellent concept and count me in! I’m one of those Southern Hemisphere types, and June is great for sitting inside by the fire and pondering Weighty Issues … or at the desk tac-tac-ing away at the keyboard blogging to share one’s ponderings …
Thanks Pax
I’m in too. I look forward to it.
Here’s a small contribution from me -
http://wordsfindme.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/frith/
I’ll see how I go banging out more with Yule celebrations coming up …
I’m a little bit intimidated by the idea of this, but I’m going to jump in the pool and say “Count me in too.”
Hi there,
I’m in and will be writing on my blog!
Alex/The Interior Wheel
Here’s an entry for you: http://www.deborahlipp.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/pagan-values-month-putting-the-poly-in-polytheism/
This is an excellent idea and I’m enjoying the posts that have appeared so far.
My own post (which is just telling people about this) is here:
http://catvincent.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/pagan-values-month/
In ti I mention that I’ve set up a hashtag on Twitter – #paganvaluesmonth – so that if people tweet about the posts, they can all be found easily. Hope that helps!
Thanks Cat! I am glad to know that those with more internet and social networking Savy than myself are getting onboard! Thank you too for your post encapsulating some of the voices and postings you’ve enjoyed!
Peace,
Pax
My pleasure, mate. I’ll keep Tweeting the posts that I especially like.
As requested, I am giving this topic some thought. I’m not sure how much (or little) will come of it–let alone whether others will appreciate my opinions–but here’s a link to the first of them, just the same:
http://xi-o-teaz.livejournal.com/331288.html
Hiya. I liked the idea, so here’s what came of it; not sure if there’ll be more, but it gave me an excuse to write this stuff out:
http://therioshamanism.com/2009/06/04/okay-ill-play-along/
Thanks for the idea!
I’ll be posting something asap.
http://damonleff.livejournal.com/
I’ll participate, my whole blog is about my journey as a new Pagan and the values I’ve learned and am trying to improve on.
Very cool, I just need your blog address!
http://apaganjourney.wordpress.com/
I’ll be posting something… Just not sure how much or when.
Feel free to check out my blog: http://ambertemple.blogspot.com/
I’ve posted something. “Personal Values Inspired By Hellenic Polytheism”. Thank you for organizing this, Pax.
Blog on colors at Broomstick Chronicles http://besom.blogspot.com/
Whoops! Left comment at the wrong place. Blog on colors at Broomstick Chronicles http://besom.blogspot.com/
No worries, feel free to contribute to the Sacred Sexuality discussion!
I’m a blogaholic, and I love prompts like this to get me writing about stuff other than my Adventures in Mundania.
I’m at http://perzephone.livejournal.com/
hmmm…I think this is a great idea…now I just need to sit down and percolate all the ideas in my head!!
Fine, if pointed, post on the topic (partly at my instigation!) from Adrian Bott:
http://cavalorn.livejournal.com/516683.html
Pax, I am doing a series for June on my blog called Moonday School. It has mostly to do with the powerful effect that images of the Sacred Feminine have, especially for women. Every post has a paragraph for Body Wisdom, which I do consider to be a pagan value: understanding the divine through our bodies. Here’s my link
http://cariferraro.blogspot.com/
BTW, I named my daughter Chrysalis, which is just how cool I think that word is. Becoming.
Thanks,
Cari
Just published my first (of several planned) posts for the month on environmentalism, violence and pacifism as a guest post over at Druid Journal: “Pagan Values: Ecology, Environmentalism & Practical Pacifism”
Really love the great conversation so far!
You can read my perspective on Pagan Values here now:
http://damonleff.livejournal.com/
Here’s another entry for you: http://www.deborahlipp.com/wordpress/2009/06/05/pagan-values-month-the-theology-of-immanence/
As usual, I am FAIL when it comes to figuring out how to use Metapagan.
Hi Pax,
Take a look at
http://paganchaplaincy.blogspot.com/2009/01/abortion.html
for something on abortion, since it’s (tragically) in the news.
or
http://paganchaplaincy.blogspot.com/2009/01/beginning-to-talk-about-suicide.html
for something on suicide.
bb
cs
FWIW, I just finished off another essay (part 2) for this topic, here:
http://xi-o-teaz.livejournal.com/333154.html
I may have one more in me, depending upon the responses to the posts I’ve put in my LJ so far.
I’m coming in a few days late and I’ve written quite a bit in advance for the month already. However, this is a project worth joining so I’ll be adding a few bits on the topic myself.
Fabulous and much needed idea!
Did one today:
http://yezida.livejournal.com/193824.html
Hi Pax –
I found out about you via my friend Thorn. She mentioned your “June is Pagan values blogging Month” on her blog and it inspired me. So I wrote something up on mine about the Pagan commitment to honoring the indwelling Divinity of all beings. If we could do this as a world community, I think it could take the heat out of a lot of problems. It’s at http://sharonknight.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/june-is-pagan-values-blogging-month/
Thanks for starting this discussion!
Your welcome Kirk!
And a hearty Thank You to everyone who has posted since last I said anything in this comment stream! Trying to keep up with the volume of posts… keep the good writing and intelligent discussion coming folks
Oops…Pax, I forgot to mention your invitation to the community gave me the push I’ve needed to do a bit of blogging on this subject. The first real postpost went up today, and more will follow. Thanks for the much needed impetus!
Here is one of mine to share: http://www.witchmoot.com/dawn.php/2009/06/04/universal-pagan-values
Great idea! I heard about this through Thorn and Sharon’s blogs. Here’s a link to my very brief and hastily written essay:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=109093011
A wonderful challenge, bravo!
My contribution for the first half of the month. More to come!
http://walkingthehedge.net/blog/2009/06/henceforth-june-is-pagan-values-virtues-month/
My first contribution to the discussion is now up.
http://web.me.com/iowariver/Walking_in_Beauty/Blog/Entries/2009/6/10_June_2009_is_International_Pagan_Values_Blogging_Month.html
Donald
I think I meandered, and certainly failed at defining any particularly pagan values, but I tried!
Pagan Values
I can’t properly express the gratitude I feel towards you for coming up with this this idea. Thanks!
Here is my blog post on the idea of pagan values:
http://impotentrage-mamiel.blogspot.com/
I’m so in!!! I’ll post my contribution on Sunday June 14th, what an interesting idea! I’m adding your to my Spreading Pagan Culture blogroll and adding this post to my sidebar!
Thanks for this!
I’m so in!!! I’ll post my contribution on Sunday June 14th, what an interesting idea! I’m adding your to my Spreading Pagan Culture blogroll and adding this post to my sidebar!
Thanks for this!
Here is another one: Pagan Values Month: The Face Across the Table is up over at Quaker Pagan Reflections.
Thanks for initiation this celebration! I love a party, so here is my contribution:
http://pagan-culture.blogspot.com/2009/06/eclectic-pagan-values-creativity.html
I don’t know what is going on with my grammar, maybe I’m drunk on Pagan happiness! I meant “initiating”!!
I just posted my first blog for this. Sorry so late in the month. It’s a short one about proselytization.
Just click my name for a direct link to this blog post.
I am brace the Pagan Virtue of Deep Pleasure.
http://web.me.com/iowariver/Walking_in_Beauty/Blog/Entries/2009/6/14_Pagan_Values%3A_Deep_Pleasure.html
Thanks for the opportunity to join in. This is the first of my three posts (I needed a running start):
http://witchesbrew.blogpeoria.com/2009/06/07/international-pagan-values-month/
Please click on “Pagan Values” in the top right corner to continue on to the next two posts.
I feel these three lines by the Indian poet and philosopher Tagore are truly pagan:
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy
I awoke and saw that life was service
I acted, and behold, service was joy.”
http://fishing-for-happiness.blogspot.com/2009/06/73-and-respecting-june-as-pagan-values.html
for better or for worse, here you go!
http://paienne.blogspot.com/
Hi, disregard the above post. I use that blog for different things, and even though I’ll be writing all of the original pagan value posts there, I’ll be cross-posting them to this blog. It just makes things easier to read (other aspects of my life not squeezing their way in for attention)
Thanks!
Hey there. I’m doing a long series of posts in response to this, because I’ve been too much ranty and not enough theology for a while. You can find them at my blog under the ‘pagan values month’ tag. Posting this now so I don’t forget – I’ll be continuing with this for at least a few more posts.
My first Pagan Values livejournal entry. Perhaps later in the month I’ll post something less angry. http://half-double.livejournal.com/201229.html
I research, and write about, and teach philosophy as a career. So I’m delighted by the idea of a pagan values blogging month.
Here’s my contribution:
http://northwestpass.livejournal.com/86045.html
Cheers,
Brendan
Great idea, Pax. (This is Caelesti from the Religio Americana list)
I have put up my contribution about the value of democracy on my blog, Politics & Polytheism at: http://paganleft.wordpress.com
Another blog on Pagan Values
http://yezida.livejournal.com/194883.html
Pax, how do I get trackback to work? I have posted two blogs with links to your page so far. Is there a different URL that will ping?
Hello Thorne,
The answer is, I am not sure…. this is where the “semi” portion of my computer literacy comes in…
If I understand your question, and the issue correctly, then any trackbacks or pingbacks (as WordPress calls them) to your site should come either from the address of this particular post…
http://chrysalis1witchesjourney.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/june-2009-is-international-pagan-values-blogging-month/
or from my delicious.com links…
http://delicious.com/Pax_Geoffrey
where I am posting all of the IPVBM posts for archiving, some just to archive (tagged paganvaluesmonth), and most to also insert them into the MetaPagan feed (tagged metapagan.ethics)
http://metapagan.blogspot.com/
I hope this helps!
Pax
My posts include the url to *this* blog post and trackback isn’t working that way. Oh well.
I see that at least one of mine is up on your delicious feed, but not metapagan.
Perhaps I will not figure out how this is supposed to work, and that is OK. Just wanted to make sure the contributions were coming in the way you wanted, so folks were in a web, rather than just making isolated posts. But perhaps we’ll only get a partial web(log) going …
I’m a bit late to the meme, but I’ve posted something on my own Live Journal:
http://sunfell.livejournal.com/1462840.html
I enjoyed reading your blog & I was happy to blog on this topic.
Looking forward to more Good Things from you Pax!
My blogging site is :
http://www.myspace.com/roguerosefaery
Thank you for the kind words about my blog!
Hi. After reading so many outstanding pieces I felt the urge to pitch in, my own piece is at http://abbadie.livejournal.com/18603.html
This has been a very good and thought-provoking thread! Thanks!
And the promised article:
Pagan Values: Catch Phrases
http://walkingthehedge.net/blog/2009/06/pagan-values/
Cheers!
This was a great idea, and I’ve loved reading everyone’s posts! Here’s my contribution:
http://thepaganandthepen.wordpress.com/2009/06/20/reformed-druid-values/
It seems I’m always writing on the topic of pagan values in one respect or another. I pulled together a list of highlights from my journal here:
http://brandondedicant.livejournal.com/162984.html
Thanks!
I’ve been thinking about this all month, but I’ve finally posted, and probably will again. I’ve also enjoyed reading others’ posts — Thanks for the stimulus!
I finally finished my post. Wow, it’s been a busy month and my poor blog has been neglected.
http://apaganjourney.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/pagan-values/
Another post, this one short and sweet.
Pagan Values: Back to Basics
http://walkingthehedge.net/blog/2009/06/pagan-values-back-to-basics/
http://apaganjourney.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/more-on-pagan-values-honoring-mother-earth/
I got inspired
A post on trust and trustworthiness in Pagan communities: http://half-double.livejournal.com/202329.html
I’ll be putting up a few posts on the topic in the next few days. It’s a been a busy month for me, but the month isn’t over yet.
First one is up: http://byzantium.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/searching-for-pagan-values/
More to come on egalitarianism, pacifism, and sexual ethics.
Sexual Ethics: http://byzantium.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/postmormon-sexual-ethics/
Valules From The Age Of Aquarius: http://byzantium.wordpress.com/2009/06/27/values-from-the-age-of-aquarius/
I love this idea, and hope I find the time to read everyone’s contributions.
Here are two of mine:
Respecting All Life: On Eating Meat & Other Tangents
http://radiantdark.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/on-eating-meat-other-tangents/
The Creed of my sacred journey:
http://radiantdark.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/the-creed-of-my-sacred-journey/
A pondering on Thelemic ethics and the world in which we live.
http://theinfiniteandthebeyond.blogspot.com/2009/06/ipvbm-2009-2-thelemic-ethics.html
Hey there! Just in the nick of time, my two cents:
http://agreenwitch.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/34/
Great idea, b/t/w!
The Pagan Virtue of Balance
http://web.me.com/iowariver/Walking_in_Beauty/Blog/Entries/2009/6/29_Balance.html
One last one to round out the month: an exploration of my own personal Pentacle of Pagan Values. http://half-double.livejournal.com/202953.html
My last entry for Pagan Values Month:
http://web.me.com/iowariver/Walking_in_Beauty/Blog/Entries/2009/6/30_The_Pagan_Value_of_the_Sacred_Living_Flesh.html
My big finale over at witchmoot.com, I even managed to get quotes from Starhawk among others.
http://witchmoot.com/twosnakes.php/2009/06/28/living-reciprocity-june-2009
Great work James! I had already seen it and put it in the MetaPagan feed a while back!