Not the Usual New Year's Resolutions

Last evening I did an online interview with some folks from the International Pagan Music Association (did I get that right, team?), wherein we talked a lot about the Neopagan revival of the '80s, the people involved, and how the movement has gone since then.  Yes, I knew a lot of those Founding Elders -- Isaac Bonewitz, Gwydion, Morning Glory Zell, Tim/Oberon Zell, Paul Zimmer and others -- a dismaying number of whom are dead now.  It's sobering to realize that I'm officially an Elder now!  

Particularly interesting, to me anyway, is how the history and progress of the Neopagan movement parallels -- and is remarkably tied to -- Science Fiction fandom.  In fact, there's a considerable overlap of membership.  That's not surprising when you think about it;  SciFi fans have long played with the idea of psychic phenomena -- and bothered to learn that there's an enormous (and growing) body of evidence in support ot it.  Indeed, about 15 years ago the National Academy of Science yielded to that body of evidence and, in effect, said: "All right, all right, we'll admit that psychic phenomena are real -- now go away."  Of course the Academy didn't advertise that admission, but buried it in the back pages of its newsletter.  Still, it did make that admission.  "Psionics" are officially real.

From psychic phenomena to "Real Magic" -- as Isaac Bonewitz pointed out in his classic book of the same name -- isn't much of a step.  From magic to religion -- as James Fraser explained in his classic work "The Golden Bough" -- is a little more of a step, since the magician and the scientist have more in common than either does with the priest;  both of them hold that the universe runs on reliable rules, while the religionist claims that some intelligent agency can bend those rules at will.  Still, a god -- or goddess -- who sticks to his/her own rules is an acceptable compromise.  Bonewitz took it a step further by claiming that, by using psychic abilities, the magician can create gods/goddesses -- a step that only the Neopagans are willing to take.  

Take it they have.  I could tell you stories of experiments in "theogenesis" -- god-making -- carried out by various Pagan study-groups, and explored in many a SciFi story.  Note that once those "psychic standing waves" are created, they tend to hang around for a good while, especially if constantly nourished by the psychic input of "worshipers".  In other words, so long as the Pagans survive, their deities will too.  

Side-note: psychic practice requires putting oneself into at least Alpha-level trance state, visualizing the desired outcome, and putting a lot of emotional energy into it, since psychic talent appears to be rooted in the mid-brain, which is good for sensory and emotional processing, but not so good at linear logic.  To get into that state and then make use of it requires some light self-hypnosis and personal theatre, also called "psychodrama".  This, as Bonewitz discussed at length, is what a Magickal (or religious) ceremony is all about.  A great tool for such ceremonial activity is music -- often accompanied with dance, involving the rest of the nervous system into the activity.  

So it's not at all surprising that modern Pagan music and filkmusic evolved together, often practiced by the same people (including me).  

The development of the Pagan community and SciFi fandom took a serious hit over the last ten years -- first, a as various economic downturns cut into the money and time that the practitioners had available to spend on gatherings (ceremonies for the Pagans, conventions for the SciFi fans), and second, as the Covid lockdown isolated people.  We've not only lost much of our sense of  community but we've also lost track of each other, to a serious degree.  Both communities have tried to hold together by electronic communications -- "virtual" conventions, filksings, and ceremonies -- but we all know it's not the same, and certainly doesn't have the same intensity.  There's been some argument among the Pagan community as to whether a "virtual" initiation is valid.  I'd say it is, but not with the same strength as the real, face-to-face, within psychic range of each other, live activity does.  It's better than nothing, but we need more.  Virtual/electronic gatherings compare to real-live ones much like grape soda compared to Concord wine.  

Fans and Pagans both, we need to reconnect with each other and organize real gatherings once more.  Yes, I know how much gas costs these days.  Still, we've got to collect ourselves, even at small local events, and meet each other face to face again -- feast and party and talk and sing.  Now that the lockdown is over our only real barrier is economic, and there are ways we can work around that. 

So, my big new year's resolution is to reconnect, in real time.  Are there any fans, Pagans, et al (and let's not forget the SCA, likewise common to both) left in the Phoenix, Arizona area?  If so, get in touch with me (the usual email address), and let's start here.  Live long and prosper, and blessed be.

--Leslie <;)))><