Please, let me explain something that should not need to be explained but, sadly, does. If you have to read ANY of the ancient myths literally, then you become a dogmatist and the parts you believe must be read literally become something necessary to your religion. In such an event, a holy book which contains at least the literally-read myths would need to be created and a college of priests would have to be ordained who could interpret it (because it still could not be read literally). In such an event, we would have made ourselves into virtual monotheists by default because what we would believe in would not be our multiple deities, but our precious holy book. THIS is why we don’t go there.

By being Pagan – being a polytheist – I am connected to something that existed much farther back than Christianity or any current major monotheistic religion (regardless of how they paint their history). I tap into something that, possibly, all of my ancestors could access, until many were forced to become Christian. I have a sort of oneness with them because of this. I will someday go exactly where they went and, frankly, where the Christians went too, because regardless of belief, we really all go to the same place after death. Whether we have a brief stay in Hades or Elysium is irrelevant. We will eventually return here anyway for another cycle unless, somehow, we have managed to reach full enlightenment during our current lifetime (and few do). But we can hope to get closer each time, which will ultimately make all the trials of life worth it.

Also, besides the fact that I have thoroughly examined Christianity and found it wanting, there is one reason that I am a Pagan today. My studies demonstrated for me that Paganism actually worked for the ancient peoples who practiced it, period. So, I am not here because I want some wishy-washing feel-good esoteric mumbo-jumbo like some seem to gravitate to. If I didn’t think it was real, I would be an atheist. If I thought that our Pagan ancestors were simply misinformed and their worldview was based on make-believe fairy tales with nu substance, I wouldn’t be here. Worse, if I thought for one minute that our ancestors were guided by demons and Satan, I would have to still be a Christian, for where else could I turn to get away from that influence? Obviously, there are some who wish to call themselves Pagans but who do not want to fully acknowledge the ancient past. That is their prerogative, but I think they miss the essence of what it is to be a Pagan in so doing. It is certainly about having a world-view that accepts things the way they are. But, more than that, it is about maintaining that natural cycle that can be seen all around. Because of this way of thinking, it is no labor to maintain that which one accepts as inevitable and natural. Because of this, one can have no real regrets at the end of life if one has done one’s best, although we all wish for a longer stay, knowing that death is a good rather than a bad in any case. To make a lasting name for oneself in this life, and each life to come, is all one can really hope for – and it is enough if one understands that the cycle continues whether we believe that or not. It has taken me many years of study and practice to get from the beginning to where i am now, but the one fundamental thing still exists – Pagan understanding and ritual actually works, period. I am as bad as anyone when it comes to neglecting to perform this or that prayer or ritual because, life…. But I guarantee, when I do take the time and effort to reach out to the deities, they do not disappoint.

It’s just time that the world was offered an alternative to the debasement of monotheistic thinking and theology. It’s time to stop allowing the monotheist to cloud the minds of the world’s populace. We desire something new, fresh, and alive – but based on the ancient understanding of things. This is it!

Since I have seen several Christian churches put out statements concerning the present pandemic of COVID-19, I decided that a response, based on Hyperborean understanding, would be in order. Hyperboreanism, as a religious system, does not suffer from the flawed taint of dualistic belief, any more than it suffers from the myriad of flaws associated from monotheistic belief. Therefore, the Hyperborean will never devolve into accepting the belief that any disease, natural calamity, and so forth is the result of either some war between “good” and “evil”, or the wrath or judgment of some omni-god. Diseases, including pandemics, and natural disasters are just that. They are completely natural and can be explained scientifically, without resorting to fables and delusions to satisfy the frightened mind. It is also unnecessary to resort to prayer as a first course of action. No, I did not say, “do not pray”. In fact, the deities favor those who do pray, especially when about to embark upon something important. That does mean that, whenever possible, one should pray, and sacrifice, prior to any important endeavor, just as the ancients taught us. But, to think that our prayers will have some, somehow, magical effect regardless of anything else that might be done is foolishness. The specter of people all over the country praying, especially on this “National Day of Prayer” is a throwback to medievalism and a pattern that will accomplish nothing other than that people will be seen by others praying, as if they had actually done something. I, for one, did indeed pray to the blessed deities today, privately. I even prayed that Christian prayers be granted, as long as they were prayed with correct understanding and for correct results. But, unlike most Christians, I KNOW that my prayers were heard. What form any answer may take is yet to be seen, for no one can predict that. My prayers were heard because they were not chained to medieval thinking. This pandemic will peak, and eventually decline. The disease, however, will likely never go completely away. That is why a vaccine is still necessary, so that when it resurfaces in the future, we will have something with which to combat it. That will not come through prayer, although it might be helped by it. It will come through science. Science is always to be trusted over supposition, myth (except that we learn from myth), or emotion. That is our way, albeit the fact that we are based on primordial understanding, so that we, as human beings, can continue to make greater progress while still venerating, and taking care of, our mother, the Earth herself. Bless all the deities.