Today in a long awaited installment of the What is…? series here at Simple Abnormality, we are going to take a look at a widely misunderstood faith underneath the Paganism umbrella and that faith would be Discordia. Many people know a few Discordians and upon asking what they practice will rarely get one answer; which is just an aspect of practicing Discordia.

Discordia began, as most modern religions do with an idea. A couple of men named Gregory Hill whose pseudonym was Malaclypse the Younger and Kerry Thornley whose pseudonym was Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst, wrote a book called Principia Discordia or How the West was Lost that was published in 1965. The book claimed seriousness with its humor and provided for the main tenant of the religion which is that chaos is much more important that order when it comes to the world. The first edition of the Principia only garnered five copies but the fourth edition entitled Principia Discordia or How I Found Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her: The Magnum Opiate Of Malaclypse The Younger, Wherein is Explained Absolutely Everything Worth Knowing About Absolutely Anything and published in 1970 is the most well known and widely expounded upon text in the Discordian faith.

There are two main Goddesses associated with the faith and they are the Greek Eris and the Roman Discordia; both deities of chaos and discord. Now, it is worth mentioning that there are Erisians who will recognize Discordians but do not see the practice as an actual faith but more of an extension of their own faith. The symbolism of the faith is that of the Apple of Discord and the pentagon.

The main system of belief is that of chaos. Discordians embrace the ideal that there must be enough chaos to equal out the more organized structure of things. Being of discord or helping to create chaos and dissent are looked at as good things while forcing a certain view of reality to conform into order are seen as bad things. One of the most interesting precepts of Discordia is to continually question the presented world’s version of reality with the universal from of reality. This last view has many times labeled some Discordians in the media as Anarchists.

There are five commandments in Discordia which are known as the PENTABARF:

I - There is no Goddess but Goddess and She is Your Goddess. There is no Erisian Movement but The Erisian Movement and it is The Erisian Movement. And every Golden Apple Corps is the beloved home of a Golden Worm.

II - A Discordian Shall Always use the Official Discordian Document Numbering System.

III - A Discordian is Required during his early Illumination to Go Off Alone & Partake Joyously of a Hot Dog on a Friday; this Devotive Ceremony to Remonstrate against the popular Paganisms of the Day: of Catholic Christendom (no meat on Friday), of Judaism (no meat of Pork), of Hindic Peoples (no meat of Beef), of Buddhists (no meat of animal), and of Discordians (no Hot Dog Buns).

IV - A Discordian shall Partake of No Hot Dog Buns, for Such was the Solace of Our Goddess when She was Confronted with The Original Snub.

V - A Discordian is Prohibited of Believing what he reads.

Click here to read the Principia Discordia or How I Found Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her: The Magnum Opiate Of Malaclypse The Younger, Wherein is Explained Absolutely Everything Worth Knowing About Absolutely Anything.

For more information you can check out the links below:
Discordian.com
Discordian Research Technology
The Eris Society
Maybe Logic Academy

Technorati Tags: discord, discordia, discordian, eris, laura jean karr, Pagan, paganism, what is discordia

Summer is coming and the snow is almost gone away from the Sierra Nevada range. Pagans are coming out to gather and build community while enjoying the warmer weather here in Nevada.

The majority of happenings listed below are not found on Witch Vox but only through groups here in the state. So, without further ado… here is Simple Abnormality’s list of current Pagan Nevada events, groups and contact information.

1. First off we have the “I AM” campaign from the PUC that is set for all of us political Pagans to get our post cards out by Summer Solstice. Here in Nevada the campaign started out well with the distribution of the main PUC press release for “I AM”. The Nevada Pagan Unity Campaign is starting fresh this season and I am hoping to make “I AM” noticeable here in our state. If you would like to join the NV PUC e-group to stay updated with all the latest Pagan politics in Nevada while meeting other like minded Pagans, then have a visit over at our main page: Nevada Pagan Unity Campaign

2. Avalon’s Gate, which is a Pagan shop located in Reno is one of the only shops left in the greater Reno area that still has a storefront. Some shops have been hard it with the economy here and three have closed this year; two of them that had been local staples for the Pagan community for years. Avalon’s Gate holds various classes as well as being a shop and the ladies running the place are quite active in the Reno Pagan community. Some of their activities for this month are as follows:
June 7th: Herbal Craft at 11:00 a.m.
Deepening Divination at 3:00 p.m.
June 10th: Dragon Magic 2 at 4:00 p.m.
June 13th: Spell Crafting at 11:00 a.m.
Deepening Divination at 3:00 p.m.
June 15th: Otherkin Meetup at 7:00 p.m.
June 17th: Dragon Magic 3 at 4:00 p.m.
Witches Meetup at 7:00 p.m.
June 20th-22nd: Midsummer Camping Trip
June 24th: Dragon Magic 4 at 4:00 p.m.
June 28th: Spell Crafting at 11:00 a.m.
Deepening Divination at 3:00 p.m.

Have a stop by their main shop site: Avalon’s Gate

3. Silver Dawn Chapter of CUUPS in Reno is having their monthly meeting this Sunday, June 8th at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada. For more information you can give them a call at: 775-851-7100

4. Northern Nevada Pagan Pride Day is having a fund raising bake sale this Saturday, June 7th in Golden Valley at 7515 Hillview Drive. For more information give Susanna a call at 813-6653. She is the coordinator of the sale and all proceeds go to putting on this year’s Northern Nevada Pagan Pride Day which is set for October this year. Go check out their e-group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NNVPPD

5. The Pagan Alliance of Nevada is taking part, as most pagan groups in the area are, of the new Community Garden that is being form. Right now the garden is in the starting stages but the goal is to help grow food to support the local community and add more food to the Pagan Pantry in Reno. For information about the Community Garden and to volunteer your time for planting stop by the e-group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pagan_alliance The Pagan Alliance e-group is not apart of the Pagan Alliance of Nevada which has just gained it’s non-profit status. Click here to learn more about the Pagan Alliance of Nevada

6. Carson City’s All World Magick Circle is hosting a Spirit Social to come Party with the Dead on June 7th at 600 E. College Pkwy, which is the Clubhouse of the Parkway Manor Apartments. This event features a meet and great type thing with Erin Renee, a local Carson City witch and medium. For more on Erin visit her site here: www.erinrenee.net

7. Carson City’s All World Magick Circle is hosting a Spirit Social to come Party with the Dead on June 28th at the River School. Visit here for directions: www.riverschool.info
This event features a meet and great type thing with Erin Renee, a local Carson City witch and medium. For more on Erin visit her site here: www.erinrenee.net

8. Tribal Belly Dance Classes by Dark Moon Dance, ran by local Carson City witch and professional dancer Jessa, is held every Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Each class is only $5.00 and is open to anyone regardless of dance history. For more information you can give Jessa a call at (775) 721-1869.

Technorati Tags: laura jean karr, nevada pagans, Northern Nevada, northern nevada pagans, pagan events

That’s right, Summer Solstice is coming and for activist Pagans that means more than just celebrating the equinox it means getting the word out to our government officials that we exist, we vote and we are watching them.

The following is this years Press Release for “I am”:
From: Pagan Unity Campaign
Subject: I Am Campaign
Date: May 21, 2008
Contact: Laura Jean Karr, Nevada State Chair
laurajeankarr@simpleabnormality.com
http://www.paganunitycampaign.org

Seven years ago the Pagan Unity Campaign began what has, for many,
become an annual tradition. We gathered our post cards and set to work
reminding elected officials that the United States is home to some of
the most diverse groups of people around; and Pagan Americans are one
of those groups. With one simple line, ‘I Am a Pagan _____,’ we
reminded elected officials in all 50 states that this is truly a
nation of religious diversity and that we expect them to work to
preserve that diversity and the importance religious beliefs of every
stripe hold to the American people.

As Pagans, our religious beliefs hold a special place in our lives,
but our religious beliefs are not the only thing by which we may be
defined. We are teachers, we are parents, we are students, we are
lawyers… and we are everything between. And just as importantly, we
vote.

It is once again time to take up the charge and remind elected
officials that we are American, we are here and that we not only pay
attention, but that we are proactive in addressing issues of religious
tolerance.

The Pagan Unity Campaign would like to encourage the Pagan community
to get involved during this important election year and send in
post-cards to current elected officials at the local, state and
federal level in addition to those who are running for office. Your
post cards should say “I am a Pagan ______” (as always, that blank can
be anything you wish it to be) and should be mailed during the week of
the Summer Solstice. The rest of the details are up to you.

Contact information for elected officials can be found below!

House of Representatives
Senate

Hillary Clinton
15 Old House Lane
Chappaqua, NY 10514

Barack Obama
Post Office Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680

John McCain
2211 East Camelback Road
Phoenix, AZ 85016

Ralph Nader
Post Office Box 19312
Washington, DC 20036

Technorati Tags: I am campaign, laura jean karr, pagan unity campagin, pagans and politics, puc press release

Except for opening up the segment by calling Pagans “Paganists”, this story on The Church of the Sacred Moon in Yakima, WA isn’t really that bad. Take a look at the segment here.

More and more there is coverage in the mainstream media that isn’t always perpetuating the myths that a lot of people still believe.

Like this other story in Canada: Pagans celebrate new season; Group looks to dispel myths, rumors about their religion.

Technorati Tags: laura jean karr, news on pagans, Pagan, paganism