Modern Pantheistic Mythology

[Poledra]

As a contrast to ancient mythology, I feel that we can incorporate modern mythology into our lives. To that end, I've been working on creating mythological or literary versions of what I consider pantheistic mythology. I was thinking that maybe we could make this a community project, pooling our resources and talents to come up with some works to use in ritual.

I am now working on a poem that expresses my understanding of the way the moon changes phases in relation to a person on Earth. I envision that we could create works that look at the seasons, individual species, natural phenomena, evolution, time, galaxies, and almost anything else.

Does anyone else want to join me? Hopefully I'll have a draft of my poem in the next day or so!

Poledra

[HeartofMoon]

Not that I could really post in on here, but I'm planning on choreographing a dance next semester for my senior project on this very subject--telling the creation myth, among others, of pantheism.

[RavenStars]

Ooo, I'm very interested! So this would be chants, poems, stories, physical actions (like using your body to represent a seed growing into a plant---which I've done)... that sort of thing?

Oh, I mentioned this elsewhere but here's a link to someone singing the periodic table of elements:
http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html

[Poledra]

Anything and everything! So we can build up a repertoire for ourselves or even just support each other in our efforts.

Poledra

[Poledra]

This is a poem I have composed for the cycle of the moon as I was doing some research and introspection into the dark moon this month. To me, it speaks of the physical cyclical realities of our world and I hope it does the same for you.

Moon Phases

Every night I watch he sky
Sometimes it watches back
As the moon rotates around the Earth
Like dancers in the black.

The sun, she shines upon
The moon and on the Earth as well,
But as the dancers move and twirl
It can be hard to tell

Day on the moon and night on Earth
Means a full moon in the sky,
But as the moon orbits our Earth
Its day-side becomes shy

It slowly orbits away from here
And the crescent wanes
Until at night, there is no moon
At least, that I can see

For by this time the moon has moved
And is towards the sun
Its night-side faces day on Earth
And does not light our sky

The dance continues on in time
Forces pulling strong
Orbits swirling, lights reflecting,
Patterns cycling on


Poledra

[TygerTyger]

As posted previously I have no interest in ritual, it just doesn't work for me.

However, you seem to be about developing a new culture based upon Pantheism, which I find quite interesting in itself.

Please keep this thread running, it has potential to be very interesting and I might even be moved to contribute in a more practical fashion.

Good luck everyone!

[Æthelflæd]

Not that I could really post in on here, but I'm planning on choreographing a dance next semester for my senior project on this very subject--telling the creation myth, among others, of pantheism.

That sounds very cool. Will people actually be performing it?

[HeartofMoon]

Yes indeed they will, in the (super nice!) theater at my college. It will hopefully be 8 or 10 dancers.

I have lots of plans! It's very exciting.

[Poledra]

As posted previously I have no interest in ritual, it just doesn't work for me.

However, you seem to be about developing a new culture based upon Pantheism, which I find quite interesting in itself.

Please keep this thread running, it has potential to be very interesting and I might even be moved to contribute in a more practical fashion.

Good luck everyone!


I don't see this as creating a new culture. In fact, quite the opposite, I feel like this is simply an acknowledgement of the culture we live in today. I understand what you mean because we usually associate a body of myths with a singular "culture", but I am more suggesting that we look at our modern lives through the poetic and literary filter. And, quite honestly, ritual is really only one way this project can enrich your life. If you don't find ritual useful, I'm sure you can enjoy looking at your mundane life with a little more poetry!

Poledra

[Æthelflæd]

Yes indeed they will, in the (super nice!) theater at my college. It will hopefully be 8 or 10 dancers.

I have lots of plans! It's very exciting.

That sounds awesome. I'd love to see it. Will anyone be filming it and showing it on YouTube or anything?

[HeartofMoon]

Maybe. Perhaps I will try. But it wont be until december.

[Windsmith]

Oh! Oh! This is brilliant, Poledra. I don't have much to add right now, because my brain is complete mush today, but I will definitely be adding my buck-fifty's worth in here over time.

To start, let me offer my favorite song about the Sun: "Why Does the Sun Shine?" (http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/whysunshine.htm) most commonly known as being by They Might Be Giants.

[cheddarsox]

I post my pantheist poetry at the "pantheist prayer place" at the altar of ancients here on MW.

I'm not sure if any of it would qualify as "mythology", but it feels in keeping with what Poledra posted.

I won't clog this thread with any of it, since it may be way off topic.

[RavenStars]

I don't think it would be off-topic, cheddersox. If you post alot, maybe you could give us a link?

Here's something I wrote:

East
You who are the heavily scented breezes of late spring,
Whispery, buzzing, song-filled air...
Breathe love and joy into my ears!
I send my voice into the evening breeze,

South
You who are the warmth of the new summer sun,
Energy buzzing, burning fire...
See love and joy come my way!
I send my desire into the sunlight

West
You who are the passion of an open heart,
Dripping, soaking, love filled water...
Soothe me with love and joy!
I send my love into the watery depths.

North
You who are the soil beneath my feet
Rich, nourishing, darkness...
Touch me with love and joy!
I send my strength into the rock beneath my feet.

[TygerTyger]

I don't see this as creating a new culture. In fact, quite the opposite, I feel like this is simply an acknowledgement of the culture we live in today. I understand what you mean because we usually associate a body of myths with a singular "culture", but I am more suggesting that we look at our modern lives through the poetic and literary filter. And, quite honestly, ritual is really only one way this project can enrich your life. If you don't find ritual useful, I'm sure you can enjoy looking at your mundane life with a little more poetry!

Poledra

Actually, I think that you are wrong in a very positive way. The fact that you are concentrating on this aspect of your life and inviting others to contribute across a broad spectrum of activities, not just the ritual, could very well prove to be a catalyst for a development of pantheistic culture.

How else do such things start but with the coming together of like minded individuals?

Ritual has never interested me, I never got it as a Christian and find the lack of it in my Pantheism quite liberating, but I freely accept that it is an important part of other people’s beliefs and respect it within that context.

Now you are being perceptive, I do indeed look at my life, and it is as mundane as most people’s, with a little poetry. In fact I probably don’t use enough poetry. That aspect of what you are proposing will certainly keep me interested and is probably the area where I will feel most likely to contribute.

Keep it going!

[Poledra]

Cheddarsox, my definition of mythology is very loose here since the classic definition requires anthropomorphic gods and goddesses and that doesn't really suit pantheism. I will definitely check out your thread in th Altars subforum, but feel free to post it here too!

Tygertyger, I think I understand what you mean. I do hope you feel inspired to join us!

Poledra

[cesara]

I don't think it would be off-topic, cheddersox. If you post alot, maybe you could give us a link?

Here's something I wrote:

East
You who are the heavily scented breezes of late spring,
Whispery, buzzing, song-filled air...
Breathe love and joy into my ears!
I send my voice into the evening breeze,

South
You who are the warmth of the new summer sun,
Energy buzzing, burning fire...
See love and joy come my way!
I send my desire into the sunlight

West
You who are the passion of an open heart,
Dripping, soaking, love filled water...
Soothe me with love and joy!
I send my love into the watery depths.

North
You who are the soil beneath my feet
Rich, nourishing, darkness...
Touch me with love and joy!
I send my strength into the rock beneath my feet.

Your poetry is beautiful, RavenStars! Very well written!

I really like the idea behind this thread. The thread will (and already has) taken on a life of it's own and will go where it wishes. I look forward to see where it goes. :)

[Eleisawolf]

Seems one of my poetic moments came along the same lines as RavenStars'.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This is for calling the elements, including Spirit. If I use this one, I then call Mother Earth and Father Sky with a Tewa Pueblo prayer that is a favorite of mine... But I can't claim credit for it, so I won't post it here. This one also makes a good meditation on wholeness--at least as I personally define it.

Mantra

I am the winding path of growth
I am the rich loam of sustenance
I am the still mountain of stability
I am the supporting earth of life

I am the whirlwind of curiosity
I am the filling breath of knowledge
I am the steady calm of understanding
I am the uplifting air of life

I am the wild blaze of passion
I am the driving burn of ambition
I am the warming flame of fulfillment
I am the fomenting fire of life

I am the great fount of love
I am the soft rain of empathy
I am the quiet pool of compassion
I am the moving water of life

I am what supports
I am what uplifts
I am what foments
I am what moves

I am life

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This one, I wrote for Winter Solstice.

Rebirth

Looking out over darkened landscape,
watching the blotches of white
tumble past my windowpane
to layer deeply below,

I hold my candle so its glow points
between the grey peaked housetops
where the Light begins to come—
slowly, and ever slowly.

The waiting has been long, the pitch-black
drawn-out nights so cold and stark,
murkier than the depths where
my soul has gone in retreat;

I have pulled within to hide myself
and find myself—winter’s task:
find the me I lose when Light
becomes too bright for my days.

But waiting, loveliest decoration
of this, the inner season,
anticipates all the gifts
we have to give… and receive.

And so I smile through now sparkling snow
as the sun’s orb surrounds, frames
my small shining candle flame—
refreshed in new Light’s first morn.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Peace

[cheddarsox]

This morning on Yahoo answers (It's campfire Freyasday!) someone posted a "question" the gist of which is..."have you learned the lessons of the compost pile"

And it totally spoke to me because composting is one of the things that helped me fully embrace my pantheism.

I keep worm farms to feed my amphibian pets, and they are indoor compost bins. At the time I embraced pantheism, I had a worm bin that lived under our dining table...it started with newspapers torn into strips, added table scraps and redworms...and the rest is lovely history! Over time we actually added some roly polys..a few millipedes and a marbled salamander who lived in there happily for years.

Later, when we moved into a house, we had a compost pile in the backyard, and I used to observe the goings on all the time, the seasonal cycles of critters, etc. Now I have both an indoor worm bin and an outdoor compost pile...how rich is THAT!

THAT is my "mythology". That I am of the same stuff as everything around me, that I am part of the same cycles. I don't have to add anything to it, or turn it into symbolism, or impose my own "take" on it. I just have to observe and know that it applies to me too.

It may not be as poetic as your offerings, but I was happy when I read that question and realized I had something to add to this discussion.

[RavenStars]

Great one, cheddersox!!

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I feed the local birds. There's debate about this, of course, since wild birds really aught to find there own foods. But the trees and bushes were totally silent when we moved into this housing tract. There was a bevy of crows but their territory was some distance away. But it was disturbing to have not a single peep, nor the lovely flash of birds between the fence and hedges. It just was creepy. It took me 6 months to attract birds. Now we have birds that nest in the neighborhood. The goldfinches are around for the winter and gone in the summer (as it should be). We seen breeding plumage come and go, and fledglings visit the feeder for the first time. I actually saw and accidental bird that should have been up in the hills who rested a moment on the feeder and then was gone. The cycle of the seasons. Living, breathing reminders to be present in the moment.

[Poledra]

Wow! I've been away for a few days and this has become better than anything I could have hoped for. Everybody's writing is beautiful. I love the statements of experience - it's the little things that make the biggest difference! I love the idea of active mythology Cheddarsox, being out in the world really *is* what pantheism is about to me, so your post really spoke to me.

Congratulations Ravenstars for managing to attract some local birds, that's quite an achievement!

Poledra

[Poledra]

This weekend I was in Paris and I visited the Pantheon where they have a reconstruction of Foucault's pendulum (it was first demonstrated for the public there at the pantheon). I'm not sure whether everyone knows the significance of this experiment, but it demonstrates the fact that the Earth spins.

As I sat on a bench and watched the pendulum slowly move its way around the circle, I was faced with competing mythologies. I was standing on solid, unmoving ground, but the pendulum in front of me unmistakably showed that I was spinning. My mind and my body were at odds. While this was not the first time I had learned that the Earth was spinning, I had never taken the time to truly contemplate what it meant that I believed in two totally contradictory things. In order to live my life, I have to believe that the Earth will *not* move under my feet, but in order to live my life, the Earth must be spinning. Contradictions are an essential part of any mythology (look at the number of polytheistic mythologies that have goddesses of love and war) and this was the one I grappled with this weekend.

Poledra