Every month, the Animist Blog Carnival (organized by the devoted Heather Awen) gathers together essays and blog posts on a particular theme from writers all over the world who are exploring animism as an aspect of their spiritual lives. If you consider yourself an animist, you can join in! It’s super-easy: just share your reflections, thoughts and experiences on the month’s chosen theme on your own blog or website, and then email a link to your post to Heather (or that month’s ABC host).
And now’s a great time to get involved. The theme for this month’s ABC is Animism and Religion, and Heather shares a list of thought-provoking prompts over on her blog to get you started, including:
- How do you mix animism with the religious tradition you belong to?
- Have you ever left a religion because it was not compatible with animism?
- Share a personal animistic experience that you had during a religious ritual or ceremony.
- Imagine a future animistic religion (50, 300, 1000, 5000 years from now): What are they doing and why? How did it happen? How are radioactive waste sites, GMO fields, poisonous rivers, and Climate Chaos handled? What about technology? (Sci-fi fantasy writers and poets, go for it!)
These are just a few, so if you’re stumped, head on over to Heather’s blog for more. The deadline to submit your writing is November 28, 2013. You can find out more about the Animist Blog Carnival and how to participate, look at future themes and read past contributions by clicking here.
Photo Credit: “Ancestors of the North,” © Susan Seddon-Boulet [source]
Alison Leigh Lilly 
Hi Alison, I always follow the ABC with interest and aim to take part in this one for the first time. Considering the theme though I was disappointed to see that Heather’s blog contains blanket negative statements against the demographically largest religions (see the Eaarth page) some of which, despite her animosity, have actually often harboured and even protected animistic practices — East Asian Buddhism being a case in point. I will address this in my contribution but my point is that Heather’s stance makes it rather off-putting for anyone who subscribes to a religion to actually participate.
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Hey Dhiosdh, Thanks so much for your comment. I know what you mean about some of Heather’s writing, and I have similar reservations. I think Heather herself is aware that her opinions can sometimes be alienating. I’m really glad that you’ll be participating in the ABC anyway (I’m looking forward to your post on Buddhism)! I can’t speak for Heather, but I see the ABC as a community project, inclusive of all kinds of voices. I was a little hesitant to join at first because my views can be very different from Heather’s, but she’s been nothing but welcoming and supportive. So I understand your hesitancy, but I also believe in her passion for animism and her sincere desire to provoke meaningful conversation. I think the ABC can only benefit from having a more diverse group of writers participate. 🙂
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Thanks for this Alison. Here is my contribution to the ABC … a little early but I had to grab a window of opportunity. I’ve emailed Heather the link.
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Thanks for the signal boost!
I think I make very clear what my personal issues are with religions like Buddhism: women having no merit aside from birthing monks, the killing of native spiritual leaders and the pop culture psychology thing. Because I live in the hotbed of pop Buddhism and grew up with an evangelistic Buddhist uncle who screwed us all up with terror of reincarnation, trying to get people to see the whole picture of Buddhism is important to me.There is a weird double standard. Christian bashing is acceptable for all the same reasons I point out the problems with Buddhism. I find that modern pop culture Buddhists know very very little about Buddhism. Christians have had to acknowledge the violence and sexism and oppression in their religion – I ask that Buddhists do the same. The two religions are the same to me. I know good in both, but sadly I have to be the person to tells the hidden stuff. It sucks. Same with Neopaganism, the drugs and orgies and child sexual abuse, we cannot pretend that never happened either. Once all religions admit their sh*t stinks as much as anyone else’s, I won’t have to point out hypocrisy and say the High Priestess wears clothes. My problem is people’s lack of education about the religions they profess to belong to and the “we are perfect” recent convert dogma. Every religion has goodness in it and it gets tainted by human greed and power struggles. Neopaganism is a consumer sport for many people. If we all pretend everything is perfect and do no critical thinking, we’ll keep doing the same crimes against the world. People who don’t deal with the painful legacy of their religion upset me, especially if they choose the religion. Joining a religion means you join the worst history too. My Mom as Christian Priest has to deal with a lot of people’s hate towards the Church being directed at her and she expects it. She joined something that has done horrible things worldwide. As well as the good that made her join. Her work includes healing the damages done by the church. I guess I had too good of a role model as most Christians don’t think that way. My whole life I see what is being hidden and say it. As a child it was precocious, as an adult I’m an arrogant bitch. But it’s all done from LOVE. If no one points out the abuses of power, the history rewritten, the violence against the land, sea and sky and all that are part of her, things go off in very bad directions. That is my job and it only makes me popular with people who have low tolerance for BS. I’d love to say it’s all wonderful and great, but it’s not and someone has to balance the media. If people could own their religion’s baggage, I wouldn’t have to chase them down with it. LOL. Remember I grew up in hippie land so I have seen Hindu gurus and Native shamans sleaze on my Mom. I’ve seen the hypocrisy of MANY religions and I want to PROTECT people from the sexual predators and money thieves and to know what they have attached themselves too. I have seen so many people deeply wounded by religions they were told were perfect and then found out they weren’t. If Buddhism hadn’t been turned into a yuppie self help program, I’d have no reason to educate the masses of “Buddhists” who think it’s a totally pure religion -as they slam Christian corruptions. Buddhism is the current sacred cow. If we cannot critically think about something, then it’s oppressive. No one would have this problem with me if I was talking about Fundy Christians. But I know so much about so many religions, whatever one becomes the watered down white washed one, I will point out the crimes it committed. No religion gets to be untouchable.
Again thanks for plugging the ABC. The ABC is NOT about me, it’s about animism. I’ve never turned away anything. I’m not a branded “person” and the ABC is not mine. That’s why it is a carnival moving from blog to blog. There is no editorial bias. What I personally think isn’t what the ABC is about.
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Hi Heather, having received and read my contribution I hope you can see I’m not picking a fight. I agree with much of what you say above and myself have myriad reservations about Buddhism. In my original comment I referenced your Eaarth Animism page where you write ‘animism was almost wiped out by the invasive species religions: Islam, Buddhism and Christianity.’ As I indicate in my contribution to the ABC this is far from accurate, at least in the case of Buddhism, however my point here was simply that finding you make such a comment at the same time as hosting the ‘Animism and Religion’ themed carnival made me wonder whether it would be possible to be heard. Your email response to me the other day was most generous and set such concerns to rest. Best wishes, D
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