I am Wolf. It’s a way of looking at my identity that is more internal and resonates far more with me than many others. Wolves have that dual identity of being loyal but frightening to others. Wild and untamed but at the same the virtues of Discipline, Perseverance, and Fidelity reign supreme in the heart of any Wolf and Wolfpack. I suppose what I am going for with this identity is placing some understanding of having the soul of the wolf and not be alarmed by the truth of that for myself.
I suppose when you put it all together, I am a wandering warrior with the heart and soul of a wolf. If I was asked what I value in my soul it is freedom and liberty to roam, explore, search and follow my path. I no longer believe in the split nature of mankind or its sinfulness. Rather that we are individual beings that are human and none of that is inherently good or evil. Rather, I believe that our entire nature simply waits to be harnessed as we follow our needs and wants to be guided by our reason and experience.
Warrior, Wayfarer, and Wolf.
Discipline:
“Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved.”
Principle: Apply discipline to every aspect of life that it can be applied.
Goal: To follow A FULL Paleo Diet Plan from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020.
Bucket List: Do a rebellious act on April Fools Day, April 1st, 2020.
I remember at work one woman telling me she wished more men were gentlemen and less were dogs. I told her that a gentleman is nothing more than a patient wolf. Still canine, not a dog but perhaps in other ways more primal and certainly more disciplined. The gentleman’s objectives are very wolflike, he just is more relentless and patient about it. He wants the best so he engages the virtue of discipline. He waits patiently engaging in the things that day by day bring him closer to his goals. Such a ‘gentleman’ is simply a relentless wolf. I seek to be such a wolf.
Perseverance:
“Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure”
Principle: Keep getting up after every defeat or failure.
Goal: To engage in an exercise program that involves weightlifting, hiking/walking, and stretching/ yoga an average of three days a week from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020
Bucket List: To get at least one tattoo by March 18th, 2020.
Wolves, of course, face defeat and failure. it doesn’t top them, they get up and go back at it. The only defeat or failure that ends their quest for what they want and needs id death. My nature has never been one to quit. So me and the wolf within keep getting up and keep going.
Fidelity:
“Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s Gods and Goddesses, to one’s Folk, to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends was as valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family.”
Principle: Be loyal to those who have been loyal to me.
Goal: Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation
Bucket List: Discover all the countries of origin from my genetics and visit them all by March 18th, 2029.
My pack is small but close. I do wish there were more members at times, but I take the ones I have and our bonds of loyalty grow stronger. Nothing is more important to the pack that fidelity. Those who break deserve nothing more or less than what I have done to others – to be shown my teeth because I do indeed bite.
Higher Virtue – Wisdom:
Wisdom is a tough call when it comes to being a wolf. Wolves that survive listen to the raven’s caw overhead. The learn from their mistakes and it allows them to become old wolves. They know what the need and want and use reason and wisdom to achieve them.
Weekly Routine:
Weightlifting/Stretching – Minimum 3 days per week.
Walking – Minimum 3 days a week
Job Search – Minimum 3 days a week
Cleaning – 3 days a week.
Writing – 3 times a week
Latin – 3 times per week
Cheat Meal Count: 3 per week.
This is the part that still needs a lot of work. A new week is coming soon so it is another opportunity to make the effort to get it all done.
Goals and Bucket List Items Achieved (Since Summer 2018):
Goals Achieved: 2
Graduated College with a BS in Political Science and minors in Economics and International Business – December 2018
Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship by May 2019 – May 2019
Bucket List Items Achieved: 0
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
I am approaching the date now where I will have been out of the ministry and away from Christianity for a whole year. I have literally not darkened the door of a church in that entire time. I can’t say I miss it. Mostly, it is the simple fact that it no longer makes any sense to me. It is my four objections that I formed that stand stronger than my faith ever was. No one has come forward and no one has offered answers. To review my objections with links provided:
I still stand by them. For the Eye today I am more looking at my feelings about my former faith than anything else.
Time to Look Through the Eye:
Faith:
The most nonsensical statement in Scripture is Hebrews 11:1 – “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” Most Christians think this is deep and profound but what it really is saying is that the only evidence and proof of the things we ask you to believe in is your own choice to believe them. There is no evidence to prove any of our assertions, so the Writer of Hebrews simply asks them to take their own choice to have faith as the substance and evidence that proves it. How would this be any different than simply asking people to believe in Thor or Apollo in the same way? Nothing really. Christian faith certainly isn’t special in that regard.
Religion:
I now look at Christianity even more skeptically than before as a religion. I see how religion can be used to control people and Christianity is a great perpetrator of that. Before as a Christian, I was like George Washington in that I may have been devout but I was skeptical of a lot of things. Now I am just skeptical. I am working on my first non-fiction book that might be considered anti-Christianity, but trust me I have a list I considered on various topics and it is quite possible that this could be a deep well of ideas that could lead to a writing career doing nothing more but being a skeptic. Christianity has a lot of problems particularly in the USA and it could be a gold mine for a writer with my knowledge of it and my current mindset about it.
Theology:
My four objections are theological and they are also hard to break. I know I have tried to break them myself for years. This transition from being a theologian who is an apologist for Christianity to one that is a skeptic of Christianity was personally very difficult. But I refuse to waste my time being an apologist for something I now consider to be as made up as other religions. Christianity is sophisticated makebelieve, but makebelieve nonetheless. It’s my knowledge of theology that tells me that.
Spirituality:
I love it when I tell people I am no longer religious but spiritual. I think they think I am some warlock chanting some magical shit, but nothing could be further from the truth. Mostly I draw my spirituality from experiencing life and all that there is to it. I find myself listening in meditation now almost exclusively, I don’t pray at all. I think not whining to the universe or the Divine and taking personal responsibility for yourself is a good first step in being a mature spiritual adult.
Conclusion:
I think to myself sometimes about the things I have lost by leaving Christianity. Friends, colleagues and a sense of community that were all left behind. However, I have gained an honesty that I find much more satisfying and more appealing to my actual self than ever. I still remain open to someone trying to give me some answers, but so far nothing. In the meantime, I walk the road of life. My eye wide open.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
There is going to be a format change to the Pagan Pulpit. Most notably that I will be removing two songs and the poem out of it. I want to focus on music specifically in The Skald’s Lyre which debuted yesterday. Poetry I am still deciding what to call that but it will also be separate. Any poem I write myself Goes under Skald Poems. This will leave Announcements, Theme Song, Meditation, Text, Sermon and Parting Thought. Hopefully, this will make it both easier to write for me and a little more streamlined for you. I am just trying to provide some spiritual inspiration here, not dominate your Sun’s Day. To the rest of the announcements.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
A band called SKALD and a song about Odin. It fits my Paganism and a great song to start this series with.
Meditation:
With paganism, each person’s path is unique to them. There is no right or wrong path necessarily. Just a journey.
Text:
“Pagans may be trained in particular traditions or they may follow their own inspiration. Paganism is not dogmatic. Pagans pursue their own vision of the Divine as a direct and personal experience.” – Pagan Federation international
Sermon:
The real problem with getting the dictionary definition of pagan or paganism is that the word has had a negative connotation in common use for so long; those definitions are still colored by that negativity. The observation above is made by pagans themselves and when people ask me why I consider myself a pagan is it because of this basic idea of each pagan chooses their own spiritual path. I have had my fill of religions telling me what to believe, I seek it myself.
For the next six weeks including this one, I want to go over the basic five principles that pagans hold in common. Specifics can vary quite widely. The five principles I see most often are:
Responsibility of Belief
Personal Responsibility for Your Actions and Personal Development
For myself, I have realized for a long time that religions, in general, are simply that someone did the above and then codified it to a point they discarded large chunks of this until you are left with none of it.
The truth is we all choose our faith, and within that faith choose a path. Some of us choose a religion and that religion limits the paths to a certain selection of choices approved by others. Paganism throws all that off. It says that all paths are valid, the real issue is to responsibly walk the one you are on.
Over the next five weeks of the pagan Pulpit, I will be exploring each of the above principles in detail. I hope you enjoy it or at least learn something about the path of the people who identify themselves as pagans.
Parting Thought:
Yep, highly recommended that you do this from time to time. Don’t let anyone else define this for you, do it yourself. This should include your spirituality.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Well, the time has come in the rotation of Odin’s Eye to deal very directly with my own personal spirituality. There is no wrong or right way to practice spirituality as a pagan. One simply looks at life and the universe and seeks to both understand its spiritual nature and develop spiritual strength within through doing so. There are common themes in the spiritual life of pagans to be sure, but the ways of practicing paganism are as individual as the people that do so.
So when a pagan talks spirituality, they use their own metaphors. For me, the concepts of Wolves, Ravens and other Viking metaphorical language are my way of describing abstract concepts. The wolf is symbolic of that part of me that is filled with passion whether that passion is based on need or want. It contrasted with the idea fo the Raven which is the rational and wise part of me. The two work together to pick and follow the best path for me.
‘The wolf within’ is the concept of that part of me which is wolf itself. As a Christian is used to deny and try to subjugate to slavery this wolf. Now I let him roam free. That wolf is the sum of all I want and need. The hunger and fury of being a man in this world. If there is anything that I recognize now, it is my wolf within is not inherently sinful or evil and I let him live free and roam free. Funny thing is, he is not all bad. Like anything else in human nature, I have found him to be the motivating force of my life and the one that is truly strong when I need strength.
This is an important spiritual concept for me right now. That if there is a wild and untamed side to me, that is a good thing. It is just a question of how to best utilize it.
Time to Look Through the Eye:
Faith:
I have always felt that if there is something to have faith in, it is my own passions. Passion drives us, but it can be a double-edged sword. That said, I have found that my intuition is something more right than wrong. That intuition didn’t come from my reason or wisdom; although they certainly chimed in, it came from the gut level uneasiness that the prowler of the wolf within creates. It is this sense of danger that comes from the wolf, not the clear seeing raven of reason. When it comes to the danger these days, particularly with regard to danger in relationships, I find the wolf is far more my friend and something I place my faith in to be both wary and watchful.
Religion:
Religion always has a moral code based on whatever the founder of the religion says is right or wrong. Sexual desire becomes lust. Industry becomes greed. There is no end to this and it is more often this notion that so-called ‘baser’ instincts are labeled as sinful or evil than other things. Fulfilling needs and wants becoming bad or evil. This notion of higher desires and lower ones is inherently religious. I don’t find any desire sinful anymore, just a question of whether is it is wise to engage it. I can understand all virtues engage all desires at some point and thus engage them all in their proper time and place. In pursuing virtue rather than religion, I can find the profitable in any need or want, even the base power of rage or hunger. I don’t have two natures to feed one and starve the other. I have a single nature that at times resembles a wolf and at other times a raven and sometimes both at the same time.
Theology:
I view mankind theologically as what they are. Every part of us has a purpose in that, and what others consider sinful, I see as human. That is not to say there is no morals or ethics, but I can draw as much spirituality from passionate sex as I can from reading a book on logic. All things that a human being wants or needs can be the door to spiritual strength and enlightenment. All desires, needs, thoughts, and experiences are righteous to me. Ethics and morals for me is something that involves it all, not simply what supposed revealed religions says those morals and ethics should be. All parts of what it means to be human have the potential to lead to spirituality. We are not divided in nature as human beings; it is all the same human nature and no part of it is inherently good or evil.
Spirituality:
So here is the central path for me right now. Learning how each feeling, desire, need, thought and experience can lead me to greater growth of my spirituality. To do this doesn’t just mean I embrace the raven but also the wolf that is inside myself. To feel is just as spiritual as to think, and I have found this transition enlightening. I grow spiritually when I hold my grandson; when I lift weights; when I make love to my wife; when I hang with friends; when I work. When I am doing anything really there is a potential to see something with my spiritual eyes and grow and gain the strength of spirit I need for each day. That includes when I let the wolf out to hunt and play.
Conclusion:
The image remains for me of myself as a Grey Pilgrim. Part of what it means for me to be grey is not to label any part of my nature as dark or light. It is just at times I am a pilgrim that is following his wolf’s heart and not just his raven mind. There is no difference between the two of them when it comes to who will give me the greater potential for spiritual understanding and growth. The wolves and ravens don’t just walk with me, they are inside me and I embrace them. They are what help me find my path and passionately pursue it.
Continuing to Walk that Path,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: “Hammer to Fall” – Queen
I consider this one of the lesser known but better songs of Queen. It also deals with today’s subject – time.
Poem: ‘Priceless Words’ by LK Pilgrim
LK Pilgrim has some good stuff for poems and seeing I am not inspired for my own poetry right now, enjoy.
Meditation:
Definitely yours for wasting time on them. Time to find someone better.
Song of Preparation: “Wasted Years” – Iron Maiden
I think we could all sing this song about someone or something. The point is to learn and head a different direction.
Text:
“There is Never Time to Do It Right, but There is Always Time to Do It Over.” – The Book of Rabyd 3:2
Sermon:
I don’t know actually where this expression originated in our family but I do know it was a favorite with my Father. He was a big one for doing things right the first time. He hated coming back to do something again if it could have been avoided by simply doing things right the first time. He also felt by doing it right the first time and taking a little extra time to do it that way saved time in the long run. He was most definitely right.
It is when we get sloppy that we find ourselves doing things again and wasting time. It is interesting that the one thing humans take so seriously is time, but that we waste so much of it doing a sloppy job is also true. Sure the sand of time is ticking, but does doing things quickly really save time? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting things to get better with each repeat or doing things right the first time and have time to reach other goals? I prefer the later and have to conclude that my dad, wherever he got the saying, was right.
Time is the most important commodity anyone has. You don’t even really know how much you have so it is important to get things right the first time so you don’t waste time doing things over and over again. That goes for relationships too.
At this point, we will leave the Book of Rabyd for a bit. I will come back to it whenever I add another verse or modify an existing verse. Next up is a series on universal religious concepts. I also may from time to time go truly pagan on the Pagan Pulpit.
Closing Song: “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” – Freddie Fender
I honor of my father who has provided two verses of The Book of Rabyd, I leave you with a country song and this was one of his favorites. It also has a message I need to remember for myself.
Parting Thought:
Ain’t that the truth.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
In the United States where I live, the number of religiously ‘unaffiliated’ is growing. What is shrinking is White Protestantism and Catholicism particularly with Generation X and the millennials. Below is a good statistical graph of what is happening.
In short, older people are clinging to what they know and were taught, but younger people saying ‘fuck that shit.” It also true that as people age death and what follows it becomes more of a thing to them. But that does not account for the fact that a change is strongly evident. That Protestantism, particularly among whites but truly across the board, is shrinking in the United States and Catholicism as well. What is happening?
There are a lot of things that one could say here, but for me, I understand one thing for certain – that information is far more available and then there is no way to prevent people from getting alternative opinions. If one has an internet connection, you can find alternatives opinions and arguments against any religion and faith with ease. The two generations that have enjoyed this state of affairs the most are the Millenials and Generation X. Both of these groups have had the luxury of when any opinion is offered of being able to find a counter opinion in seconds and not just one counter opinion but many.
Of course, Christians fear what means. But in truth, this country was not founded as a Christian one but a secular one based on reason. It could be argued that we are simply returning to where we came from. I question whether this is a bad thing at all. As we look through the eye today I can only tell my personal story of becoming one of the Unaffiliated. I don’t know if it is typical, but I think it might be the pattern for most.
Time to Look Through the Eye:
Faith:
In the case of Christianity, faith rests on the story of Jesus Christ being true. Not just parts of it but all of it. Without this, faith is simply not possible. Paul’s argument in the 1 Corinthians 15 is true in that regard that without the historical resurrection, Christianity is founded on nothing. The problem is that the gospels are problematic as I pointed out in this post: Odin’s Eye – Bible Problems: The Four Gospels. Because of this, the real Jesus of Nazareth is obscured by disciples who created what amounts to a tall tale with no historical verification. In many cases, stories are told alone without even the other gospels to back them up. Once the truth of this was apparent to me, I realized my faith in Christianity was based in large part on nothing but unverified stories that were no better or worse than the stories of any other mythology.
Religion:
My religion was no help here in preserving my faith. Nor was my experience or education in Christianity a bolster to my sagging faith. In fact, my traditions repeatedly informed me it was dangerous to ask such questions. My response was: ‘if my religion cannot handle questions and the god they proclaim cannot stand the scrutiny of logic, then both are weak and not worth serving’. Religion as a general rule doesn’t like questions and would rather have people blindly follow than analyze the doctrines and theology. My problem was I have always been a rebel in that regard; and when it comes to theology, I am a guy with a degree in theology and that journey actually drove me to realize that all ideas about the divine are strictly opinion based on man’s thoughts about god.
Theology:
As a theologian, I thought a lot about God. Mostly the problem was how to get the god of the Protestant Bible to make sense. The best I could do was to abandon the idea that god controlled everything; because if he did, then he was an evil fuck. No matter how you shake and dance, the god of scripture seems very human. Being jealous and acting in ways that would make tyrants look benevolent. He creates man knowing he is going to suffer and do evil things and then yet punishes them for the way he created them. The god of the bible promotes a certain morality, commands it even, and then breaks it himself. Over time, this and my other Four Major Objections to Christianity formed out of my theological struggles and I simply could not reconcile them. In the end, I found myself a pastor without any faith.
Spirituality:
The hard cold truth is that our spirituality is chosen. It cannot be imposed and the reason I was a Christian all those years was not that Christianity as faith, religion or theology could prove itself true. It was because it was how I chose to engage the spiritual reality that I perceived around me. Once this truth dawned on me, I left Christianity to follow a more spiritual path without religion imposing on me the thoughts of others. I find a lot more peace about it these days.
Conclusion:
I don’t know how typical I am here but I do know one thing. All of this journey was possible because my access to information and counter-arguments was right at my fingertips. Books, articles and web pages in abundance offered up alternatives to the arguments Christians used to defend themselves and their beliefs and in the end, they prevailed to the point I could not accept Christianity anymore. I think this is basically what is happening in American as a whole. It just took longer for me to join the religion known as “Unaffiliated” than others. It is a new path for me, but one I new cheerfully embrace. I consider it an honor to be a part of a time where religion is in retreat and perhaps there is a new chance for Reason to reign instead. Or at the very least where people can be Unaffiliated and free from religion’s control.
Continuing to Walk the Path,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ – The Neptunes Remix
I suppose it wouldn’t be a playlist for the pagan pulpit without some reference to something controversial – like having sympathy for the devil.
Poem:
This is hard for me. The truth of this little poem; as much as it hurts, is still the truth.
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: “Safety Dance” – Men Without Hats
Hats and a maypole for Beltane. Easy call here.
Text:
“You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack” – The Book of Rabyd 3:1
Sermon:
Chapter three of the Book of Rabyd represents some of the sayings and ‘-isms’ that have dominated the Raby Family for years. They are not necessarily principles or wisdom but just stuff that is around our family that we just say as part of our particular family collective. This one is from my father and I have no idea how many times he said it to me. “You Need to Use Your Head for Something Besides a Hat Rack” was on his lips every single time I did something stupid. It was a polite way of him telling me I should use my head to think rather than just have it occupy space and hold up my hat.
My father was not an educated man. He was dyslexic or at least we think so. He was a blue-collar man who had a gift for manufacturing. He learned machinery and grinding early in his factory work days and knew math very well. He just could never read very well. These days, he might have been diagnosed early and he might have learned to read much better. He was, however, a math genius in his own way and he believed highly in learning and common sense.
I don’t actually use this expression of his much myself. I, however, hear it all the time in my head. I always hear it when I am about to do something stupid or have not thought things through before I am about to act on them. Most people don’t wear hats these days so I wonder if somebody would get it, but I certainly do.
This expression being 3:1 in the Book of Rabyd is more about my love for my Father than anything else. I want the expression preserved for my kids and grandkids and all the rest. I think it is a very polite and creative way to tell someone to start thinking and using your head. I know he was proud of me when I graduated college but he did not live to see me get my master’s but I could not have made either without this expression rolling around in my head. Thanks, Dad, I still miss you.
Closing Song: “Walpurgisnacht” – FAUN
English lyrics version:
In honor of this past week being Beltane, I include this song. The song is definitely a Celtic flavor I love. Included the English translation version second if you are interested in the words. Truly pagan for the pagan pulpit on this one.
Parting Thought:
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
In my Christian blogging day I made quite a name for myself among nudists, naturists, and people of like nature when it came to the subject of nudity and sex. My view back then was nudity being sinful in and of itself was false. I have a few online friends who are my friends precisely because of this view and they maintain a Christian nudist lifestyle. My most famous work from that blog is probably The Bible and Nakedness which you can still view by clicking on the link above.
In addition, I had some controversial views on marriage and sexuality. Most notably that the bible never condemns polygamy of either form. That adultery and homosexuality are the same levels of ‘sin’. I proposed that line marriage as proposed by Robert Heinlein is still well within the realms of Christianity, etc. Mostly I simply separated that which is cultural from that which was the bible and discovered that most of what Christians believe about nudity and sexuality was based more on culture than the Bible.
So what has changed now that I follow a more deistic, humanistic and paganistic path? Honestly, once you take out sin and the appeal to authority; and as I reflect back to the holiday discussion last week, I have the following observations:
Nudity being wrong in some way is pure Grade A opinion and based on cultural mores, not rational thought. In truth, there is no basis for morality laws regarding nudity or modesty as they are simply one ethical viewpoint imposing itself on everyone else. There is simply no way to prove a man or woman walking down the street naked is harmful to anyone using reason.
Sexuality has many biological factors and I don’t really support the notion of gender neutrality or fluidity because of genetic and biological reality. There are two genetic and biological genders and it is rare for anyone to be born with none or both. Most of us are either female or male biologically and those differences are biologically and psychologically observable right from birth. That’s science, not culture talking. The video below is well researched and linked and points out these are real differences, not culture.
I would say the real problem is not gender identification but rather a lack of personal gender acceptance. It is part of accepting yourself to accept your biological gender. Sorry, most of us either have a penis or a vagina and we need to accept that part of us as part of who we are, not fight it.
That said, I think a lot of role expectations are culturally based, and given my views of liberty, I think gender roles beyond what is biologically natural are often just societal and religious coercion. How a woman wants to view her role in society is her own business and the same for a man. If a woman wants to be female and do what her culture traditionally thinks is the role of a man, she is perfectly free to do so and she should be allowed to do it.
Of course, the real question looking at it from a pagan point of view is how nudity and sexuality express themselves on the spiritual front. This reflects more of my pagan opinion than my deism or humanism but they both chime in on this discussion.
Time to Look Through the Eye:
Faith:
I have faith that there is male and female and we can observe that both of these are real, different and beautiful in their naked expressions. For me, the faith question here is that I think the human body has inspired my spirituality far more than made me feel guilty or ‘sinful’. What made me feel sinful about the whole thing was the fact that people told me I should be and if I didn’t there was something wrong with me. In cultures where nudity is common and prevalent, you never hear of this guilt about nakedness to being male or female. Faith tells me that being male, female or naked is nothing to be ashamed of at all. The real problem is not our maleness, femaleness or nakedness, it’s people who want to use those things to promote an agenda.
Religion:
In the area of defining gender roles and demonizing nudity, religion takes center stage. The Abrahamic religions being the most notorious for the definition of traditional male and female roles according to an ethic that is thousands of years old based on a patriarchal, male superiority mindset. The question I have always wrestled with is why women put up with this but I think ultimately it is the appeal to authority and not wanting to displease ‘god’ that drives it, but then again I have watched as those roles get redefined all the time to reflect reality. If the various scriptures that are the claims for God’s authority are discredited as simply concoctions of men, then women should be free to follow their own personal sovereignty.
Religion and nudity go way back and some religions are pagan enough in scope that they don’t have a problem with it. Those that do often use their holy books to justify it. The one problem I developed was that on the one hand, I knew what the religious folks said about nudity being wrong, but my own biblical studies concluded the opposite. When that happens you start to realize that most of the concerns about the human naked form are based on personal preference and culture, not honest biblical studies. Religion simply seeks to control people by taking those personal preferences and forcing them on others.
Theology:
My theology these days is based in large part on what is the reality of the world that is. I don’t engage in fanciful notions about the divine. I believe in the divine more than I don’t because of notions like love and beauty being something more than biology and physics. That is based on observation from my point of view so take them for that. When it comes to sexuality I find there is a great design in having two sexes and their need to cooperate as fellow human beings. Treating each other as justly as possible while respecting differences starts in accepting ourselves as men and women and accepting our differences because of sex. Glorying in those differences not condemning each other because of them.
Because I don’t believe in sin anymore and dismiss it as a human made up concept, I simply do not see anything inherently wrong with the nude human form. I kind of laugh at our responses to this as we seem to have a greater amount of problems with sex and nudity than violence where people are actually raped and murdered. It’s a sad thing really that something as beautiful and wonderful as sex and the human body has been demonized so that both are considered evil and sinful based on opinions designed to control others. I don’t have that anymore and my attitude toward both is pretty much based on George R R Martin’s below. To me, sex and the beauty of nude human form have given me as much joy as a good painting, book or any other art form and it is a crying shame that most religion and theology rob us of that.
Spirituality:
I draw a lot of spirituality these days from this freedom. I posted this picture on the pagan pulpit this last Sun’s Day:
For me, it reflects a lot of my changed attitude toward these subjects. I think the look on the man’s face says it all. The topless woman hasn’t caused him to be a lustful pervert, but she has brightened his day a little by being topless. She isn’t a slut for doing so either, Just a woman taking a walk who is comfortable in her skin. Males and females being themselves and doing what they do without coercing each other to do something they don’t want to do. No sexual pressure, but there is a sexual expression that is being enjoyed by the man as he sees it and the woman as she does it.
Personally, I find that my liberation from ‘sin’ has been wonderful in both these areas. I can appreciate good art and writings were the questions fo sexuality and nudity are seriously discussed and beautifully presented. No appeal to authority jumps in to ruin it. I now very freely accept that I am a man and I’m heterosexual and enjoy both of those parts of who I am. So I enjoy the female form and there is nothing wrong with it. While there are certain biological factors in being a man, I don’t accept any societal roles about being a man that is forced on me. I embrace those I wish to and nothing more.
I feel comfortable in my skin as much as in any clothes I wear. The questions of nudity for me are more about how to avoid being arrested for being freer than others accept, not calling down judgment on others for not sharing mine. My paganism treats my nudity and that of others as a natural thing not abnormal. Naked is our natural form and represents who we are in truth. Everything else is an add on.
I draw a lot of spiritual insight and strength from accepting these things and living in these freedoms.
Conclusion:
I doubt society will change with a wave of our hands. Religion will continue to ruin and pervert sexuality through the forcing of gender roles. It will continue to demonize the beautiful and seek to cover it over to hide it. Control is the objective of religion through defining roles and social mores. All of it is bullshit, but it is bullshit we have to live with because of laws that threaten, coerce and engage in fraud to control others.
The best we pagans can do most of the time is to live our lifestyle expressing the truths of real sexuality and nudism when we can. On the nudism side, some (like myself) find their answer in practicing nudism secretly, while others carve out places in the world to practice it freely without society’s prying eyes. In any case, being the man or woman you want to be is possible without secrecy in the western world at least. Just be prepared for the backlash of not fitting in with your specific expression of your gender either male or female.
Continuing to Walk the Path,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
This week I want to concentrate on some of the future decisions I am going to need to make very soon. Forks in the road for The Grey Wayfarer. When it comes to my Foundational Level this is more about my general purpose for my life, What is the overall plan. Business is how I handle others, and Self is of course about how I handle myself. Foundational forks in the road are about principles I live by at all times.
The most significant change in my life in the last year was my departure from my faith which significantly changed my life both in my profession and my personal life. MY new ‘faith’ has been somewhat a question I wrestle with a lot. The one thing the Nine Noble Virtues has done for me, it has kept my life at a foundational level somewhat stable to go forward. That said every day is a challenge regarding ethical and moral decisions and that is what the foundational virtues are all about as I go forward on the path.
Honor:
“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”
Principle – To possess a feeling of inner value about myself and my future with a desire to find the same in others.
Goal: Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).
Bucket List: Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Whatever path I take these days I want it to be an honorable one. I want it to be something that as I walk that path, there is a feeling of inner value in what I am doing. in a recent conversation with a friend, he asked me how the job search was going. Oddly enough I didn’t refer to a business virtue for the answer but this concept of Honor. I want something that fits that gives my life meaning and value to myself. Where I can better recognize honor in others, once I possess it for myself.
Courage:
“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”
Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.
Goal: Cross one thing off bucket list every year. Deadline March 31st
Bucket List: Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation.
I am finding when Courage is needed in any decision, it is more about following my intuition than what I see. I know you would think as an INFJ personality type, I would do this automatically, but actually, that makes you second guess yourself a lot instead of following your instincts. I need to make a lot more decisions following my instincts. They are far more often right than wrong. It is one thing to logically look at things and see the Truth of the situation, but at the same time what is right is often not a matter of logic. Doing the right thing at the right time is about a soul-deep decision that is more about guts than brains.
Truth:
“Truth is the willingness to be honest and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”
Principle – To Be Honest, and Speak Truth to Myself and Others. To Be Silent in the presence of Fools.
Goal: To Write a Non-Fiction Book by March 31st, 2020
Bucket List: Learn Latin by March 31st, 2020 to the point I can take a test and show my self proficient.
Now, this is not to say logic and reason don’t have a lot to do with my decisions. What I find Truth does – it defines what decisions are relevant and possible. It doesn’t make the decisions necessarily, but it helps me define what decisions need to be made and what benefits I can perceive through the Truth that each of those decisions has or might have. It is how mostly I see the path and the choices before me.
Higher Virtue: Love:
Which of my choices follows the most loving path? It is one of my three questions I ask at each decision point. Each fork in the road starts with this question of what is the most loving thing to do? There are two others that I will get to under Justice and Wisdom, but this one is usually the first. The thing I have to remember is the first person I need to love so I can love others, is myself. I have long neglected this part of love and I have made a commitment to ask the questions of self-love these days. It is starting to become more foundational and that is a good thing.
Morning Routine:
Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), Principles, Goals and Bucket List
Meditation – 3 min.
Check Communications and Email.
Paper Journal: Create Daily Log and To Do List.
Breakfast, Medications, and Supplements.
Shower and Personal Hygiene
Get Dressed for the Day
I need to focus on this again and I think Stretching is going to come back after meditation. Mostly I miss stretching every morning in the nude. It was not only a physically relaxing thing to do but a spiritual one as well.
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, and goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.
We also don’t take an offering here. We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it. Let’s be honest, offerings are not giving to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it. Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.
Opening Song: “Wash It All Away” – Five Finger Death Punch
This song is on my playlist but for multiple reasons. After my series with the Book of Rabyd, I will be doing a series on spiritual concepts that are universal and one of them is going to be ‘baptism’. This song inspired that idea although it goes back to an idea that someone else suggested to me before I left the ministry. Five Finger Death Punch is a new band for me in many ways, but I like the energy of this song. The bridge is also very expressive of my emotional state at times:
“I won’t change for you
and I can’t take the pain
There is nothing you can do
and nothing you can say”
Poem: “I Speak to a Ghost” by The Ruined Man
Don’t have a poem of my own this week so The Ruined Man will speak for me this time.
Meditation:
Song of Preparation: ‘Shut Up and Dance With Me’ – Walk the Moon
Just a feel-good song, we are talking about happiness after all.
Text:
“No One’s Happiness but My Own is in My Power to Achieve or to Destroy” – The Book of Rabyd 2:4
Sermon:
Originally this Quote by Ayn Rand was The Book of Rabyd 2:10; but with my desire to remove duplicate quotes as far as quotes from the same people, she jumps to 2:4. This also presents a problem of the fact I have eliminated about six verses at this point so some new people to quote from will be necessary to get the other points. I may jump ahead to chapter three and then drop those verses from chapter 2 in when they come to me. The Book of Rabyd is after all not a closed canon of scripture like some.
This statement is more complicated the more you meditate on it. But let’s break it down.
The first concept is that you cannot make people happy. I think this is the most enlightening thing as I have watched people give their all trying to make others happy and then get frustrated that 1) They fail or 2) They are not happy themselves. There is a lot of energy saved emotionally and mentally when you figure this out.
You can make yourself happy, in fact, your own happiness is the only happiness that you can really strive to achieve. You also are the only person who can destroy your own happiness. That is not to say that others can’t affect your happiness or life and general, but how you perceive, interpret and/or act about those things that determine your happiness and those are all in your power to do.
That’s not to say your emotions cannot be entwined with another. I think Heinlein’s definition of love is applicable here. The notion of love being where someone else’s happiness is essential to your own and vice versa. In the case of love, even here through the choices and who has the power over your happiness is still you.
In my own life, this principle has been difficult, even though the truth of it resonates with my soul. Being an empathic person kind of causes people’s emotions to affect you at times, like it or not. That said it is still my choice of whether or not to let that affect my happiness in general. I find also that memory can be a difficult thing to deal with at times. I have choices to make about each and every time I remember things because my memories are highly emotional which of course causes me to relive them like they were yesterday.
All in all, though, the principle is true. it is just you might have to make a lot of decisions and fight a lot of battles to stand on that mountain top of happiness. It is, however, your power to achieve or destroy.
Closing Song: “Don’t Stop Believing” – Journey:
Just the lyrics so you can sing along.
Parting Thought:
Yes, they do. When it comes to happiness you never know who or what will come along to brighten your day. You do have to be in the right frame of mind to be on the lookout for it.
I remain,
The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.
Spirituality:
The Grey Wayfarer 