What does “tradition” mean to you? Let me know in the comments.
Traditional practices function to bring groups together by acting out their shared values, commemorating previous generations, acting out their mythology and stories, and reinforcing group identity.
Traditional practices (such as marriage) function to make a connection between the individual and the tribe. When you get married, you affirm the relationship with your partner in front of your tribe (family and friends) and your deities or deity.
Traditions that affirm identity and community can be a wonderful and life-affirming thing. They make us feel whole and loved and part of something bigger than ourselves.
Pagan Roots: Reclaiming concepts of the sacred will be published by 1000Volt Press in January 2025 and available from all online stores.
Contemporary Paganism has sought to recover some concepts that were lost or rejected in past centuries, but has ignored or rejected others that were absorbed into Christian discourse. Can we reclaim some of these terms and recover their original meanings?
Previous posts on this topic
In my previous posts about tradition, I have talked about the purpose of traditions, the fluid and evolving nature of traditions, and how and why they evolve.
- In Tradition and Change, I talked about the function of traditions in maintaining community cohesiveness, what are the criteria for keeping a tradition unchanged, and what are the criteria for changing it.
- In Individuation in Pagan Traditions, I talked about one of the goals of Pagan religions: the discovery of the authentic self.
- In But What About the Tradition, I pointed out that ancient paganisms and polytheisms were often inclusive of same-sex love and gender variance (though they had a different conceptual framework for these concepts).
- In Authority in Religious Traditions, I described how people telling you that you are doing your Paganism wrong is often a bid for power over others: power to define the tradition, power to say who is included and who is not, and power to control others’ religious practice.
- In Dialogue with Traditions, I propose a new approach to questions of tradition: more of a creative dialogue, and a focus on the real purpose of a tradition (which is the approach I have tried to take all along, but some people assumed that I was throwing away all adherence to tradition).
Also check out my YouTube video on the topic of Tradition.
Dowsing for Divinity 