What's "punk religion" and does Paganism fit the label? Can gods be "slackers?" And do the dead ever really leave us, even after millions of years? It's Watery Wednesday, our weekly segment on news about the Pagan community from around the globe! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
The wide umbrella of Paganism has encompassed many definitions over the years. But punk religion? That's a new one. Shinto-Pagan writer Megan Manson explains what "punk religion" means and how it applies to Paganism over at Patheos.
Runes have long had an aura of mystique and wonder surrounding them, especially within Germanic Pagan groups. One of the best known runic inscriptions, the Rök Runestone, has added to that glamor by way of its own seeming incomprehensibility. But it turns out the runestone might be more accessible than we thought.
One of the fundamental ideas behind devotional theism (whether it's to one god or many) is the idea of a compact or covenant, where both worshiper and deity fulfill duties and responsibilities to one another. But what happens when the deities fail to come through? The Twisted Rope takes a look at so-called "slacker gods."
It's often said that the dead are not truly dead so long as we remember them. But even if we don't, they can still impact our lives. Gods & Radicals takes a look at how the dead are often forgotten by society... only to come back and haunt us anyway.
Wicca and other forms of Paganism remain minority religions in the United States. But they've been making progress and are growing. One place where Wicca has recently gained a foothold is Austin. Reporting Texas shares more details in this article.