Men and Paganism
Paganism entered the
consciousness of the Unitarian Universalist community mostly through its
women members and their explorations of Women's Spirituality. The message
may have gotten lost that Contemporary Paganism is an active spiritual path
for men, too.
The modern Pagan movement owes
much to women like Starhawk, Margot Adler, Z Budapest, Margaret Murray,
Doreen Valiente and others who shaped its direction and brought it to public
notice.
The Diversity We
Celebrate
Men, too, have a rich history
of leadership and participation in the Pagan movement. Men who have made
significant and ongoing contributions include: Gerald B. Gardner, founder of
Gardnerian Witchcraft; Raymond Buckland, prolific author and bringer of
Gardnerian Witchcraft to America; Isaac Bonewits, writer, teacher, and
founder of the Druidic Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF); Aidan Kelly, controversial
scholar and poet, and cofounder of Covenant of the Goddess (CoG) and the New
Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD); Tim (Oberon) Zell,
founder of the Church of All Worlds (CAW) and publisher of the influential
magazine, Green Egg.
UU figures include Theodore
Parker, who spoke of "Mother God and Father God," and the Transcendentalist
poets.
Faces of Divinity
God images, male faces to
Divinity, are very present and very much a part of modern Pagan culture.
Many men find a reflection of the Divine spark in themselves, in a
polytheistic view of a male God who might be young, old, wise, tricky,
strong, or physically challenged. In the Goddess, Pagan men salute the
divinity of mother, lover, teacher, healer, planet, and the feminine shadow
within themselves.
Although a significant minority
of women on the Pagan path choose to explore the feminine side of their
spirituality by worshipping exclusively with other women, the majority of
contemporary Pagans commonly worship in mixed-gender groups. Many Pagan
groups celebrate the partnership of Goddess and God, and use governance
models of equality and shared leadership.
(Thanks to National CUUPS for this information) |
