Winter ’08  PanGaia #48 1 BBIMEDIA.COM CRONEMAGAZINE.COM SAGEWOMAN.COM WITCHESANDPAGANS.COM

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©2010 BBI MEDIA INC . P O BOX 678 . FOREST GROVE . OR 97116 . USA . 503-430-8817 PanGaia: A Pagan Journal for Thinking People SPECIAL SECTION: SCIENCE, MAGIC, AND PLANETARY CHANGE , Industrial Collapse, and What Pagans Can Do About It As members of the Pagan community in the first decade of the 21st century, we need to face up to the hard realities of a world in crisis. By John Michael Greer … 23 After the House of Straw: Pagan Perspectives on Peak Oil As a Neo-Pagan I’m accustomed to see in de- struction the potential for renewal. That could be the case for Peak Oil as well, but we must begin a transition to a saner, more sustainable way of life soon. In some respects, we Neo-Pagans — who keep close ties to the earth and will endure hard- ships to practice our faith — may thrive in this new time. By Burdock … 27 When the Wheel Wobbles: a Witch’s View of After years of celebrating them, I’ve learned to appreciate the unique energy of the eight Sabbats. I’ve also learned to recognize the often subtle but always powerful shift in energy that occurs as one Sabbat passes into the next. But what would it be like if Beltaine no longer felt ON THE COVER: like Beltaine? By Treesong … 31 John Michael Greer — Path of the Green Druid Best known for his work in ceremonial magic and Why We Love the Apocalypse: , John Michael Greer also maintains a passion- Religious Roots of Peak Oil Doomerism ate interest in the environment. His first book, Paths of After I wrote an article suggesting that Wisdom, was published in 1996, and has been followed by Peak Oil may lead “merely” to widespread eight more, with three books forthcoming. unemployment and hardship rather than John is the seventh Grand Archdruid of the Ancient collapse, hundreds wrote to tell me I was a naïve Order of Druids in America, as well as being an active optimist and a cornucopian. While the end of the member of the Druid fellowship ArnDraiocht Fein, and oil era possesses a “death and taxes” certitude, the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. Knowing of John’s plausible post-peak scenarios span a wide scope. deep interest in the topic of this issue — science and spir- So why is the most extreme hypothesis the most it in a time of global transformation — we managed to widely known? I began to wonder why we seem get John to stop writing long enough to sit down and talk to be so drawn to the idea of our own extinction. with us. Interview by Elizabeth Barrette… 20 By Rob Hemenway … 34

Winter ’08  PanGaia #48 1 PanGaia: A Pagan Journal for Thinking People

POETRY Son of Cronos by Anthony Bernstein . . . 33 The God at Winter by Katherine Clark . . . 37 Bringing Woden to the Little Green Men with an introduction by C. S. MacCath . . . 40 FICTION Exoshaman 17 The people on this planet were Gnostic Christian vegetarians or such. On doc they seemed harmless enough. But sometimes well-meaning Gnostic Christian vegetarians tried to burn you at the stake as a witch for your trouble. By Peter Charron . . . 42 COLUMNS Impressions Paganism and the Planet By Elizabeth Barrette . . . 3 Underworld Science and Magic By R. J. Stewart . . . 53 Tarot Journey The Chariot By Joanna Powell Colbert . . . 57 Mind and Magic Healing Soul Wounds of PTSD By Judy Harrow . . . 59 Rite Behavior Candle Magic By Kenaz Filan . . . 61 Family Magic Merry Meet! By Ashleen O’Gaea . . . 66 Connections The Mystery of Horns By Archer . . . 80 DEPARTMENTS Feedback Loop Letters from Our Readers 38 Continued discussion of “The Notorious N-Word,” Pagan Evangelization, Building Churches, Teaching Teens, “Founding Fathers” article and more . . . 5 Toe-to-Toe Debate and Controversy: Does Pagan- ism Discriminate Against Men? . . . 13 Point of View The Magician . . . 17 Inner Circle PanGaia recommends . . . 69 Marketplace Goods, Services, and Ideas . . . 77

Except as otherwise noted, all photography of people included herein are of professional models, for illustrative purposes 69 only and do not represent any person(s) affiliation with Paganism, Wicca, or other magical practices.

2 PanGaia #48  Winter ’08 and keep updating our observa- tions as time passes. How accurate are the predic- IMPRESSIONS tions? Well … remember that “global warming isn’t real” and Elizeth Barrette Paganism and the Planet “Peak Oil is a leftist exaggeration” are brought to you by some of the same people who think that stock am myself and what is around and threatening to fall clean off market prices or housing prices me, and if I do not save it, it the clock … where many of the can keep going up forever, and will not save me. Earth’s vital organs are showing I always seem to be caught pain- stress and signs of imminent col- fully off-guard when the inevi- — Jose Ortegay Gasset lapse. The waterways, the Earth’s table crash comes. So consider the blood, are polluted; they carry source. We are a part of the Earth, and more poisons and fewer nutri- Paganism tells us a lot about the Earth is part of us. We are not ents all the time. The forests, the how the Earth works and how life cogs in some cosmic clock; we are Earth’s lungs, are so reduced in cells in a body, our lives bound mass that the wheezing climate works, because it’s not a revela- up inextricably with that of the can hardly blow the rains where tory religion but an experiential whole biosphere. We can survive they belong or turn carbon diox- one. Its rules are mapped out in outside it to about the extent that ide into oxygen we ourselves can the world around us. It tells us our blood cells can survive out- breathe. And deep down in the that everything is connected, and side our bodies: briefly. Earth, like a layer of rich fat, lie so we realize that when carbon Right now the chief differ- the fossil fuels that hold ancient fuels burn, they don’t “go away” ence between Paganism and energy locked in storage. Just as a but rather go into the air which most other religions is that we re- body can’t sustain indefinitely a then goes into us. It tells us that member this, while a majority of lifestyle that burns more calories everything is cyclical, and so en- other religions have forgotten it. than it takes in, the Earth can’t ergy must be renewed as well as Some people really like that cog- sustain indefinitely our lifestyle used — the way the Earth grows in-clock metaphor. They like the when it uses up more energy in the summer and rests in the idea that the world is mechanical: than is currently being renewed. winter, burning summer’s fuel to regular, reliable, meticulous. They This is all fairly obvious, or at survive while preparing for the like the idea that no individual least it should be. But humans are next green season. It tells us that person, animal, plant, or species masters of denying the obvious, or what goes up must come down, is unique and irreplaceable. If it reframing it in less obvious ways, and so we know to prepare for wears out or dies out, no prob- or otherwise convincing them- that. It tells us that “as above, so lem; you can just throw it out selves that the clock is not about below,” the large is reflected and and get a new one. Except the to stop and the horse they’re manifested in the small; so if the world doesn’t actually work that beating is not about to drop dead Earth is poisoned and ravaged of way. Evolution is a deucedly lazy underneath them. Global warm- energy, it should be no surprise mechanic. When a piece of the ing, peak oil, and a host of related that more and more humans are biosphere goes missing, it takes issues are all unpalatable and finding their bodies damaged by a very long time for something unpopular because — if true, if environmental toxins and chroni- else to evolve to replace it — and even partly true — they will force cally exhausted. in the meantime, everything else changes that most people simply But even as the Earth warns us that relied on that piece either don’t want to live with. So they what is not possible, it shows us dies for lack of it or limps along at choose a different metaphor, or what is possible. Renewable fuel reduced efficiency. It makes more a different myth, and they tell sources exist: wood and water, sense to keep the system running themselves that things really wind and sun, probably some oth- smoothly in the first place, and aren’t that bad. er things we haven’t figured out that’s where it helps to remem- They might not be. Then how to use yet. The hydrosphere ber how bad things will get if it again, they might. We won’t know flows over the whole Earth, end- doesn’t. until it happens, and then it will lessly moving, eternally renewed, So here we are looking at a be much too late. Certainly, we and full of tremendous energy. A bunch of situations where big won’t know unless we take a good forest is a fantastically intricate important parts are wobbling hard look at the incoming data, combination of plants, animals,

Winter ’08  PanGaia #48 3 soil and water and air. Its organ- Supporting articles expand on isms feed on each other’s waste the same core concepts. “After the PanGaia products in a dynamic balance. House of Straw: Pagan Perspec- Issue #48 — Winter 2008 People are just starting to experi- tives on Peak Oil” by Burdock ment with vehicles that run on looks into the dangers of building Publisher waste, such as used frying oil; or a society on an unsustainable Blessed Bee, Inc. aka BBI Media factories that group together so foundation, and what Paganism that one manufacturer’s waste can do to help bail out that situ- heat provides the boiling wa- ation. In “When the Wheel Wob- Editor-in-Chief ter that the next manufacturer bles: A Witch’s View of Climate Anne Newkirk Niven needs to create its product. Change,” Treesong examines one Now take that quote this edi- of the repercussions of Managing Editor torial started with, and turn it use and other environmentally Elizabeth Barrette around: if we save the Earth, the unfriendly policies. Finally, there Earth will save us. After all, when is a counterpoint perspective ana- you run for safety, you don’t leave lyzing peak oil in the context of Art Editor, Cover Design your ass behind, even if it is an religious hysteria: “Why We Love & Invaluable IT Support ass. It’s part of you, and you’re go- the Apocalypse: Religious Roots ing to need it later. So too, we are of Peak Oil Doomerism” by Toby Alan P. Niven part of the Earth. By devoting our Hemenway. efforts to preserving its resources On the brighter side, we have Proofreader and repairing the damage done, several pieces that take a more Shanti Fader we can improve our life security positive view, envisioning that and quality. humanity survives to visit the Office Goddess We’re apes … but we’re smart stars … and bring our religion Christina White apes. There is not much that hu- with us. C.S. MacCath draws on man ingenuity can’t figure out, heathen history to explore what given time and tools. The impor- could happen when an Asatru PanGaia Office tant thing is that we actually proselytizes to aliens, in her poem P. O. Box 687, Forest Grove, OR 97116 bend our minds to the task. In “Bringing Woden to the Little Customer service: call toll-free in U.S. and Canada, 503- this case it means learning what’s Green Men”. Peter Charron shares 430-8817. Web site: www.pangaia.com going wrong with the climate so a story of a shaman who helps a e-mail: [email protected] we can help it relocate its bal- human colony make peace with ance, and devising other ways of ghosts in “Exoshaman.” PanGaia welcomes submissions of moving things around — or not non-fiction, fiction, poetry, reviews, Additional poems this is- photography and art from women needing to move so much, so far sue include “Son of Cronos” by and men of all Earth-affirming spiri- — than by burning fossil fuels. Anthony Bernstein, “The God tual paths. For submission guidelines And for those of us in the Pagan at Winter” by Katherine Clark, please see our website at www.pan- field, it means figuring out ways and “Segue” by Connie Werner gaia.com or email the Managing Edi- to convince other folks that our tor at [email protected] Reichert. Wrapping up with our planet is not a clock, but a living departments, we have “The Magi- PanGaia (ISSN 1096-0996, USPS #017- creature … in words that don’t cian” by Caroline Ailanthus in 947) is published quarterly for $20 make them want to reach for a “Point of View,” an examination per year by Blessed Bee, Inc., 207 gas can and a torch. of a favorite archetype; and “Does Main St, Point Arena, CA 95468. Peri- On that note, our theme this Paganism discriminate against odicals Postage Paid at Point Arena, CA 95468-0641 and additional mail- issue is “Science, Spirit, and Plan- men?” in “Toe to Toe.” Got some- ing offices. etary Change.” In our cover in- thing to say about those? Write terview, I’m speaking with John to us and you may see your letter POSTMASTER: Send address changes Michael Greer to find out his appear in “Feedback Loop!”  to PanGaia, PO Box 687, Forest Grove, thoughts on what the future has OR 97116. Contents © 2007 Blessed Bee, Inc. Printed in the United States in store for us. He has also writ- — This issue is Elizabeth on recycled paper. ten a sidebar to that piece, “John Barrette last as Managing Editor of Michael Greer on Peak Oil, Indus- PanGaia. She lives in Charleston, trial Collapse, and What Pagans Illinois. You can write her email her Can Do About It.” at [email protected].

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