Poetic Faiths

“The Land Where Elves Rule”

A short but fairly insightful BBC presentation on Iceland’s curious national attitudes towards its legendary huldufólk (“hidden people”), which seem to combine tourist attraction/the impulse to mess with tourists, sentimental respect for cultural tradition, a sense of national pride and symbolic respect for/fear of natural forces in a genuinely unpredictable landscape.

“The Man and the Monster”

Rüdiger Weida, a.k.a. Bruder Spaghettus explains his practice of Pastafarianism in this short, entertaining documentary by filmmaker Alex Alford: … when I actually met Rüdiger I discovered there was much more to his story than initially met the eye. As a student growing up in oppressive East Germany post-WWII, he fell in love with satire … Read more“The Man and the Monster”

Te Ātea and the Potentials of Civic Mythopoetics in New Zealand

Recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, where I was heartened and intrigued to note that traditional Māori cultural/spiritual symbolism is increasingly being incorporated into public space design. The photo above is of Te Ātea (“the Space”) on the Lake Taupo foreshore: There are a number of different elements that come together to form … Read moreTe Ātea and the Potentials of Civic Mythopoetics in New Zealand

The Church of Reality

The Church of Reality was founded in the late 1990s and promotes a rational religious philosophy expressed in the following tenets: Reality is our GodScience is our BibleEvidence is our ScriptureBig History is our Creation StoryEcology is our TheologyIntegrity is our SalvationPositive Evolution is our Mission Further: The Church of Reality is Religion 3.0. Religion … Read moreThe Church of Reality

“Pop Culture – a New Source of Spirituality?”

Pavol Kosnáč writes for the Abide University and Institute website – AUI itself being the laid-back academic branch of the Dudeist faith – on the subject of pop-culture religions; As Terry Pratchett once said, religion requires believers – if there is no religion, the god is not believed in, and ceases to be ‘god’ to … Read more“Pop Culture – a New Source of Spirituality?”

“Alan Moore Wants You to Invent Your Own God”

From a review of author/magician Alan Moore’s very long-awaited grimoire, The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic: Magic, for the Moores, is somewhere between metaphor and spiritual practice. It’s a way, like art, of exploring the rich territory of internal worlds, following the maps offered by tools like kabbalah and the tarot, and shaping … Read more“Alan Moore Wants You to Invent Your Own God”

The Coalition of Satanic Congregations

The newly-formed Coalition of Satanic Congregations: (…) was created to increase the effectiveness and community of independent, non-theistic Satanic congregations.  By sharing resources and continually engaging with each other, we strengthen non-theistic Satanism on the global stage.  We focus exclusively on the needs of our Member Congregations and the religious needs of their congregants instead … Read moreThe Coalition of Satanic Congregations