Technopaganism

[Mithrea]

I hope no one minds this. I put it here in JT because I'd like to get a significant amount of replies, if people are interested.

I am doing a presentation on Technopaganism for my New Religious Movements class on October 31. I plan to take the class to the library and let them browse some sites through a website I created and also log them in to Mysticwicks Chat. If anyone has any sites they think would be helpful, let me know.

I was also hoping some of you might be willing to take part in an informal poll just to help me organize my thoughts and think everything through. If you would like to help but don't want to post your answers, I will gladly accept them by pm or by email at mithrea@msn.com. I'd like to take answers anonymously and will but I'm not sure how anonymous you can be through email :)Thanks!

Here are the questions:

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?

Okay, I hope that's not too many questions and thanks so much for your time! :heartthro :sunny: :smooch:

Cowgirl, this is my first poll!

*edited to add: I won't be logging them into Mysticwicks Chat because Cotse seems to be gone and I can't download mIRC onto the library computers :(*

[MammaStar]

I'm gonna try to answer some of these..

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan? Nope. Though I could consider myself a Pagan who's technically inclined.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you? To me, someone who does most of their practicing on line. Their BOS, spells, rituals, etc.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual? Nope.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice? I use the Net to look up lots of info. History mainly. Ideas. Different opinions. Not just MW or MM either. All over.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to? MW, of course. MothersMagic and Wiccanu (though i haven't been to the last place in quite a while...don't yell at me Greenman! :lol: )

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer? I have some things on my computer, mainly stuff I find on the net that I wanted to print out and put in my BOS.

Does that help?

[Danustouch]

1. Nope. I don't consider myself a Technopagan, though the internet has been an invaluable resource for my path.

2. To me, a Technopagan is a person who, as Ldystarlite said, confines most of their practice to the internet, and the computer. Reaching out to people of like faiths over the internet, rather than in person. Doing rituals online, confining most of their research to what they find online, and making their "community" online, rather than in real life.

3. Well..what do you mean by ritual? Heheh. I've posted here in Altar of the Ancients. Prayer is simply a simplified version of a ritual, to me. And i've received emails at differen't points asking the recipients to take a moment of silence at such and such a time on a specific date, and done that as well. Other than that..no. Never participated in an indepth ritual or ceremony over the internet.

4. As I said above, The internet has been an invaluable tool for me. More so in the last two and a half years. At one point, I was a member of a thriving pagan community in my hometown. And since I was working, I had plenty of money to go and buy books, and a large public library in which to do research. However, When I met my husband, and moved here with him, things became a little more difficult. The library here is very small, and i don't work, so rarely have money to buy books. I've also not met many like minded people in this town. Basically, i only developed one pagan friend, and we don't keep in touch anymore. So...when I visit home, I will get together with my old friends in the pagan community, and if I catch them on a sabbat, or esbat, I'll still attend rituals with them. I'm also able to keep in contact with them via email, and AIM. However, in order to continue to feel part of a community, I've branched out into messageboards, such as MW and Mothersmagic, as well as a couple of chatrooms. I crave exchange of idea's, and thoughts, so for me, finding a new community to replace my old one, was necessary. I also do a great deal of my research online, because as I said, buying books is kinda rare these days, and my library is too small, it doesn't have much of a selection.

5. Mysticwicks, Mothersmagic. I'm also on a couple of pagan mailing lists, for specific groups in my hometown, so that I can keep in touch with the people from the groups I used to be involved with.

6. Yes, I store poems, chants, texts on my computer, until my storage starts getting eaten up. Then I print em, or burn them on CD :) However, I have a regular "Written" book of shadows full of stuff from my friends, and stuff out of my own imagination, too. The stuff I have stored on my computer, are mostly things I've come across in my research.

[Sequoia]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
Not really. I never thought about it, in fact, I hadn't even really heard the term until this thread ^^;

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
hmm. . . maybe a pagan that's really obcessed with their computers and equiptment? Or who's religion revolves around mechanical things and technological things? or who likes a good remix and can dance the night away?
Of course, in the strictest sense, "technology" is just the level of impliments and advancements a given society has. . . so if you really wanted to be that way :p you could say any pagan that uses any sort of tool whatsoever (wand, bowl, etc) is a 'techno-pagan' hehe

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
umm. . . not really, no, unless sending energy to someone counts.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
As far as religion goes, the internet is very much as important as it is to my social life. I have friends outside the computer, but many of my closest friends are so far away, this is the only reasonable way to communicate (I can't drive, phone bills are EXPENSIVE). In the same way, it is an extremely convienient way to exchange ideas, thoughts, information. . . which is a lot of what religion is about. I learn new things every day about various religions, and being no specific path myself, often find things I hold true, and remember. I have also followed religious advice I gained from friends online, and actually once, I followed a spell that was posted here. It was helpful. And at the very least, opened my mind to more new ideas.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
Mystic Wicks, The Eternal Fyre, a few e-mail ring things. . . my lover is a member of a group, I belive they're called the Dragon Guild.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
oh yes! Some of which, I would not have been able to find or afford without being able to get them online. Some are things I've written. Some are 'unpublished' things by other friends.
And it's the easiest mode I've seen to share my own texts.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
A standardized definition of 'techno-pagan' might help ^^; considering I still am not quite sure of what you mean by that.

I think, in any religion (not just paganism), the internet is an extremely valuable resource for the exchange of ideas, thoughts, beliefs. . . it's a wonderful meeting ground. And who says you can't talk to God through your stereo?

[BeachWitch]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
Yes. Very.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
When I hear the term TechnoPagan I think of someone who is highly computer literate, a programmer or other "techie" by trade (webmaster, network admin, programmer, developer) and who is a practicing Pagan, either solitary or group.

I gravitate towards Technopagans for several reasons:
They are easy to get hold of via IM or email
They usually have solid steady jobs that pay well and so money is not a hardship - making elaborate rituals fun.
They appreciate toys - like Luna Bar and LunarPalm (a program for the Palm Pilot).

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
Yes, it was done in a chat room. Next month we are going to voice chat so there will be less typing. It was my very first virtual ritual!

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your religious education or practice?
Disconnect my DSL and I may as well be a sheep. I live online, email IM message boards. I'm ALL over the place. I may not post alot but I read constantly. I have at least 7 message boards I visit scattered far and wide across the net.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
What do you mean by organization?.

There are 3 official Website Newsletters. I'm listed on WitchVox, 2 local area email groups, 2 out-of-state email groups, 1 online coven, 1 RL coven, 2 online Communities and 3 online Message Boards.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
Yes. My active coven (a RL group that meets 2x a month) has a place on Yahoo Groups where we stay in touch and store all coven material.

I also have a CD of graphics and spells. A folder on my Hard Drive that is active and a folder of active web sites I visit regularly.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
I think it's important for TechnoPagans to have at least one RL group they participate in. Even if it's a ReWeaving open Gathering 4 times a year, you just have to crawl out of the processor every once in a while, disconnect the modem, and sometimes even erase those ethereal data back-roads.

Yea, the ether can be intoxicating, but the truth is, nothing else in the world can compare to sitting around a bonfire post-coitus - er post-ritual - drinking a beer and laughing with friends. The palm pilot, web enabled phone and T1 connection can wait a few hours while you decompress!

[Armitage]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
Not like most people define the term, but then again, I don't even know what to call my brand of paganism. :D

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
In relation to myself and my particular set of beliefs, it's someone who follows Technology and his energies as well as Nature and hers. Technology isn't, to me, mutually exclusive of magick, but is another avenue it can work through.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
Mmm...Again, not in the traditional sense. Energy-sensing exercises, yes.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
The Internet is part of Tech's realm. It's the technological astral.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
None.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
When I find interesting ideas, or have them while online, yes.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
Technology isn't the Gaia-destroying evil a lot of Pagans seem to think it is. (Apologies if I'm lumping, I can't think of a better phrasing for that right now.) It's just how we as a people implement and see it that is. There wil be better ways.

[Raevyn]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan? Yes

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you? A Technopagan is simply a Pagan who utilizes modern technology in their beliefs and practices - most notably of course the computer and internet. This form is related to chaos magick.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual? Nope

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
i) to facilitate communication and to act as an environment for magickal discussion and work
ii) to itself be used as a conduit for the manipulation and transmission of energies
iii) to act as a prop - screensavers for use with mantras, meditation on symbols and pictures, etc.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
Fellowship of Isis, Per Ankh, International Network of Kemetics, and of course various online forums ;)

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer? Yes. I have a disk of shadows in addition to books of shadows for storing information from online.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic? No

Related sources that might be of interest;
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.07/technopagans.html
http://www.fused.com/trap14/intro.htm
http://www.techgnosis.com/
http://www.hyperreal.org/raves/spirit/technoshamanism/Technopaganism.html
http://www.marigold.com/rt88/technopagan2.html
http://www.medeaschariot.com/techno/
http://technopagan.dhs.org/index1.html
http://www.flindersclubs.asn.au/pagan/journal/oct1999/techno.html

[Faery-Wings]

Here are my answers. Although it might seem like I am copying others' answers, I swear I didn't cheat! :D


1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
No. I see technogogy as a tool I use to help me in my studies, I do not use it as a part of my religious practice.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
To me, it is a person who uses technology as an itegral part of their religious practice, such as having online rituals.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
No.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
The internet helped give me the kick to get started on my path. It helped me find a name for what I believed. It helped me to connect with others who hold similar beliefs. It keeps me focused, grounded, and inspired.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
Just online forums.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
Lots of them!

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic? Not that I can think of.

[Radocs]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
No.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
A Pagan who uses technology as part of their practices.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
Nope.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
I learned a little from a few webpages.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
Just Mysticwicks.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
Nope.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
Nope!

[Psyche Ague]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan? No way. I'm a Nature creature, through and through.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you? A Pagan who uses technology to aid in rituals, etc.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual? No.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice? I used to look stuff up on the internet when I was first learning, but I found that I couldn't trust the sources and stopped looking online and started looking in Nature and within.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to? Just MysticWicks.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer? Nope.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic? I'd just like to point out that while my computer provides me with something to do when I'm bored, I really don't like it much. I can use it just fine, it's just cold and impersonal for me. I'd rather be outside where my religion really is. I'm the "anti-technopagan." ;)

[Pan]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
No.. not really.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
It means a pagan who does most of their work online or on the computer.. be it ritual, spells, their BoS, even creating .gif tools and moving them with their mouse when doing ritual.. that, to me, is a technopagan.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
I was supposed to lead one.. but it got taken over by the owner of the room. So I don't think I'll be doing any online rituals ever again. And any I've ever been to was just one person copy-pasting something they took from somewhere and expecting people to feel awe.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
It plays a roll in part that I can share what I know easily with like-minded (and like-hearted) people, I can talk with others and learn from them what I can't from books. I occasionally look online for info, but most sites just say the same thing over and over again.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
Several MSN communities:
http://groups.msn.com/wiccanandpaganbeginners
http://groups.msn.com/CircleofStones (this one is mine)

And I'm creating a website for the Kitchen Witch.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
Only until I print them out or if I already have them written down and I put it up on a website.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
I have no problem with technopagans. :) I'm just not one myself.. as I don't want to grow a virtual herb garden. ;) Though that's a neat idea! lol

[)O( ~ Khara~ )O(]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan? NO

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?Pagans who listen to terrible music..... NO SERIOUSLY, computer pagans, those who are pagan online only.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual? ummmm no, but I have posted my rituals in my online altar.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice? I share, I research, I learn, I chat

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to? well MW of course, and Eternal Fyre, Warrior Women of the Web, Witches Meet Up, Mothers Magic ummmm that's it.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer? Only when I post them to my online altar and those I have put into my book.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic? You said free chocolate :mad:

[Hamelyn]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
I'm not too comfortable with giving myself any single word just yet, so I guess not.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
Technopaganism, to me, implies someone with magic and skill related directly to their faith in their technologies would be more appropriate.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
Not a ritual per se, but I have used the internet to cast spells. Try making your startup sound a blessing chant, or using particular color combinations. Does strange things.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
I first discovered that witchcraft wasn't "evil" from the internet, and information here changes so -fast-. It taught me to question and be sure to remember that even the truth can change, one of my biggest beliefs.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
*waves his mysticwicks flag*

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
I had a Disk of Shadows once but it kinda got flooded to death.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
I like the idea of using magic that doesn't just pertain to the ancient aspects of things. I hope to try communicating with the spirit of my city soon... The Urban Primitive, a great book, seriously gets the mental juices flowing.

[DragonDawn]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan? No

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you? Someone who uses technology for most of their rituals

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual? No

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice? Alittle bit of research, but alot of finding other like-minded people

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to? Mysticwicks of course

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer? I have a Disk of Shadows. Since I'm in the 'broom closet' its easier to hide a disk than a big notebook. ;)

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
no

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Originally posted by Mithrea
If anyone has any sites they think would be helpful, let me know.

http://members.tripod.com/dagwench/christianwitch/my_story.htm

http://members.aol.com/RawnaMoon/index.html

The two sites listed above are the ones I used the most when I was figuring out my path. Hope they will be of some use to you.
Here are the questions:

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
At first I was gonna vote for What's a Technopagan. Then I decided not to be a smarta$$!:D
I would say yes, but I don't consider myself Pagan. I call myself a Christian Witch. But I interact with Pagans via the internet. I hold and believe alot of the same things Pagans do and I learned about the Pagan view via the internet. When I first started reasearching my path I used the internet alot. Now mostly I use books.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
Someone who uses the internet to
a. practice their belief
b. reasearch their belief
c. interact with others re: their beliefs

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
No

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
Mostly it has been used for reasearch.
And as a place to interact with others who believe much the same way as I do.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
The Christian Witch (which isn't exactly Pagan) and MysticWicks. But I'm not active in The Christian Witch. Once I came to MysticWicks I got hooked. The forum at MW is sooooooo easy and the folks are great! I'm not saying that the Christian Witch folks aren't great too just that I feel more comfortable at MW.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
No. I use my BOS for that. I feel more connected to what I have written than storing something on my computer.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
Not at this time.

[Caelin]

Originally posted by Mithrea
1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?

No. Both because I don't do what will be in reply #2, and also because the word "techno" just reminds me of that awful style of music...


2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?

Someone who does almost all ritual work online, through interaction with others in that way, and basically does everything sitting in front of their computer. Cool, but not for me.


3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?

I tried the sortilegium using Google, once.


4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?

Simply to provide information, helping in research, and in communicating with others via sites like this.


5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?

Er, none, I think, bar this forum.


6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?

Only ones which are too long to print out.


7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?

The sortilegium thing I mentioned is from here (http://www.geocities.com/pagantheology/sortilegium.html).

:)

[Mithrea]

Oh wow! Thanks for all of the wonderful replies! For those of you who asked about Technopaganism, the article Raevyn linked to by Erik Davis is really good. There is also a thread in Philosophy with a link to an article by Neville Drury here: http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?threadid=20524 It's the one I'm using as a starting point.

Thanks again. :)

And Raevyn, I ordered the Erik Davis book "Techgnosis" from the library today. It looks really promising. Thank you. :)

[Raevyn]

:)

[materra]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan? No, because I am not technically skilled.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
Pretty much what the others have said, Pagans doing ritual work on line etc.
3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual? No, but I have tried my hand at on line solitary practices and rituals. Was kinda interesting.... Hard to gauge the results tho.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice? Research, new information, and fun... getting to meet folks and new ideas...

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
MW and I visit a few sites, mostly just here is al the time I have.


6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer? Nope....

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic? I think it is a viable medium and as people get more accustom to the idea and techniques....we will see much more of it.

[phoenixsong]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?
Not really. The net is very important to me, and I use it to read up on deities and to contact other pagans, but I don't do rituals online or anything.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?
Someone who does rituals online, uses their computer in some of their magicks.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?
No. I'd love to, though, but Irish time isn't very well synchronised with American, and most pagans seem to be American. V_V

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?
It <i>is</i> important to me. I use it to research techniques and such, to read about the experiences of others, etc.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?
MYSTICWICKS!!! of courseI've signed up on others, but MW is the only one I've spent much time at. Also, I'm listed on Witchvox but with my old email address that I never use, so I'd better update that. The listing that I have there hardly applies to me at all now. Oh, I'm also on a few email lists: Metroon of the Goddess, and others.

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?
Yup. It's the handiest place; they can't be found by sceptical parents/sister.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?
Not really... but I do think that most of us practising these days are, in some ways, technopagans. The internet has been incredibly important in the moving of Paganism into the 'mainstream'. Not so much here in Ireland, but in other places, definitely. And I think that computers are a form of magic, themselves; connecting people worldwide, giving me the power to see through the eyes of other people (especially through reading online diaries, and personal webpages.)

[ReverendAJS]

1. Do you consider yourself a Technopagan?

Yes, very much so.

2. What does the term "Technopagan" mean and imply to you?

In my practice, a technoPagan first and foremost believes that all things are connected. There is an energy within all things that is divine and that energy connects all individual "things" like a giant network. There are several "real-life" systems that are great metaphors for this: The interenet, electricity (and power lines), ley-lines, tree roots, cordage (ropes, strings). I believe that no religion can exist in a vacuum, and nature without technology is only half of the story. I don't want to ignore technology which is such a large part of what it means to be human in the 21st century. Science, chaos and number thoery are also very important to me. I also spend a lot of time working with nature, I do outdoor rituals, using video projectors, laptops, wooden staves, feathers, seashells, water, and any other tool I think is appropriate for the ritual. I could go on for quite some time about this so I'll stop here.

3. Have you ever participated in an online ritual?

I create and participate in online rituals. First the sacred space is created (files uploaded onto the web), energy is raised and the ritual is performed. I then clear the sacred space (delete the files). There are also rituals that are based on my local computer only and not on the internet, it depends on the nature of the ritual. I also perform rituals that have nothing to do with computers.

4. What role, if any, does the Internet play in your in your religious education or practice?

I think I've done that to death. But I also talk to a lot of people about this subject and that helps me in a lot of ways. I can get a sense for what is working as a ritualistic symbol or get advice on the best day to perform a ritual. Stuff like that.

5. What, if any, online pagan organizations do you belong to?

This one, several email groups, and my own: (just started) http://groups.yahoo.com/group/technoPaganTribe/

6. Do you store religious texts, prayers, or chants on your computer?

Yes.

7. Do you have any other comments relative to the topic?

Too numerous to mention here. Let's just say that I have lots of opinions on this subject. Good thread!

Reverend aJS

[Mithrea]

Hey everyone :)

I just want to thank everyone who took the time to answer my questions. I know it was a lot and it was very helpful. :D

My presentation is next week and when it's finished, I will post the link to the site I created for all of those people who answered "What's a Technopagan?" (I've noticed that many people have clicked that option since the last time I checked the thread.)

In the mean time, you can check out the links Raevyn posted. They are extremely germane and informative. :)

Thanks again!

[Raevyn]

h;

I noticed you never posted a link?

[Mithrea]

!!

You're right, I didn't! I moved the page for some fixings after my presentation and just forgot about it. *smacks forehead*

I'm stuck at Mom's right now away from everything. As soon as I can get home I will fix her up and post the link. It turned out to be not much more than a page of links because my presentation time allowance was severely cut. :(

[Dellit Tandannon]

mithrea asked me to move this. it is not being moderated.