Spirit – Page 2 – Gus diZerega

Critics of natal-women-only rituals oppose NeoPagan religion

Posted on June 28, 2019June 28, 2019 by Gus

One of the more disturbing things about the uproar among some mistakenly calling themselves ‘woke,’ while attacking natal women-only rituals in a Pagan context, is their failure to distinguish between universal human standards and those focused on honoring a particular

Two Sexes, Many Genders and the Perils of Thinking in Dichotomies

Posted on January 30, 2019April 13, 2019 by Gus

The NeoPagan community has been divided over issues of gender and sexuality, particularly the appropriate relations between natal and trans-women. While this controversy deals with important issues, its vehemence is due to mistaken ways of thinking about it, ways rooted in … Read more

Why arguments against abortion fail

Posted on May 7, 2018March 17, 2022 by Gus

I am struck with how the debate over whether or not abortion is morally acceptable has become a battle of slogans rather than of reason. I think the major culprits are on the so-called ‘pro life’ side, but at this … Read more

Transforming the Cultural Appropriation Debate: Pagan and magickal insights.

Posted on September 2, 2017April 28, 2023 by Gus

The common academic issue of whether or not one engages in ‘cultural appropriation’ has divided the Pagan community. I have been very explicit in my dislike of the idea, but in working out just why I dislike the concept I … Read more

Circles and Lines in “The Wolf at Twilight”

Posted on September 29, 2016June 23, 2017 by Gus

I was started along this line of thought while reading Kent Nerburn’s powerful, moving, painful and hauntingly beautiful The Wolf at Twilight: An Indian Elder’s Journey through a Land of Ghosts and Shadows. There are many levels to this … Read more

Social Justice from a Pagan Perspective

Posted on February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 by Gus

On January 23, 2016, I gave this paper as the keynote speaker at the Conference of Current Pagan Studies, in Claremont, California. It was well received and I want to make it available to anyone who is interested.

Social … Read more

What is Indigenaity in Religion?

Posted on November 19, 2015April 17, 2021 by Gus

With small changes this article appeared in The Interfaith Observer.

SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/gus/Downloads/INTERFAITH.doc

Can indigenous peoples not practice indigenous religions? What if a non-indigenous person claims to practice their religion? Can people normally not considered indigenous have an indigenous religion? Can … Read more

Why Pagans aren’t much interested in theology compared to monotheists

Posted on June 4, 2015June 4, 2015 by Gus

Over at Witches and Pagans I have posted a piece explaining theology’s relatively unimportant role in Pagan religion compared to what it plays in Abrahamic ones.… Read more

Earth Day 2015: a Pagan take

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Gus

My piece on it is over at Witches and Pagans.… Read more

What is indigenaity in religion?

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Gus

I was asked to write a piece on this topic for The Interfaith Observer and think it will be of interest to anyone wondering how we NreoPagans relate to the many indigenous religious traditions in the world, traditions that do … Read more