My application to the Brotzen Summer Travel Award

Pagan Journey, Pagan Soul

Neo-Pagan Pilgrimage, the Identity Odyssey, and the Quest for Non-Conformity

It took a great amount of time to decide to which of the two scholarships I should apply. The excellent and supremely helpful Kelly Butler informed me that the Leebron Smyth was oriented towards the needs of research proposals, while the Brotzen searched out a more personal journey. My summer travel aspirations fit completely into neither of these categories. However, I believe that the merit of my proposal lies in this fact. To restrict it to one category or another would, I believe, limit its possibility and make it less of what it is: a deeply personal journey of exploration into the heart of an academic interest.

I am planning to travel in the British Isles. Now, I am also aware, from viewing the previous applications to the Brotzen Award, that the board usually gives preference to countries outside of Western Europe. The preference is given to students who go “off the beaten tack,” as stated on the website. Again, I believe that my proposal virtually embodies that description, even if it does happen to focus on Western Europe.

All my life, I have been acutely aware, enthralled, even enchanted by the practices and beliefs of people that wildly differ from conventional worldviews. I have intentionally searched out friends with contrasting attitudes, practices, and passions. My family and professors alike will attest to my fascination with the ancient, the archaic, the disparate, the divergent. This, combined with an academic interest in pre-medieval and medieval religious practice, and a fascination with the religious and historical construction of identity, has culminated in a passionate fascination for Paganism, both ancient and modern. Ancient paganism is, of course, constrained to the written word, and cannot be experienced. But Neo-Paganism, the dynamic and diverse belief system that continues to grow (most prominently) in Britain and America virtually begs to be experienced, to be felt, to be studied from the inside. Even the students at Rice University, who on the whole I have found to be some of the most curious and engaging minds in the country, do not yet give this religion their full attention, and if they express opinions about it, they are usually negative, uninterested, or simply misinformed. Although I have devoted a great amount of time to the study of this extremely important religious movement, I feel that in order to truly comment on Neo-Paganism in the interest of increasing global-mindedness and diversity on the Rice campus (and indeed, in my entire sphere of acquaintance), I must experience the Pilgrimage of the Neo-Pagan, the journey into the Soul of the religion itself. In order to do this, I must go to the British Isles.

Ever since Gerald Gardener, author of Witchcraft Today and The Meaning of Witchcraft, founded one of the first covens (a congregation of witches) in England, it has been the center of the movement, with more than 50,000 people claiming to be “Pagan” in 2002 [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/ataglance/glance.shtml]. That number is probably much larger, since many keep to themselves, but I think that it demonstrates the magnitude of the movement. What’s more, an estimated 21,000 people showed up when the British government allowed open access to Stonehenge on the summer solstice in 2006 (Sacred Sites, Contested Rites/Rights). That number, too, has increased. What draws these people to travel hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles to this mysterious structure? Many believe that it is in search of a forgotten past, an intangible heritage that resonates with Neo-Pagans and mainstream Brits alike. But is this a conscious act of nostalgia, or is it something deeper; a religious pilgrimage that calls across oceans and reaches into the souls and imaginations of Druids-at-heart across the globe? Stonehenge certainly calls me. And I must go.

I will begin at Stonehenge on the summer solstice at sunrise. There, I will begin to interview some of the thousands of people there, inquiring after their purpose in coming to Stonehenge. I will ask such questions as, “What does Stonehenge stand for to you?,” “How does the experience of traveling heighten the experience?,” and “Do you feel that you come for a more religious or historical reason?” These questions will not be so dryly worded, of course, because I want to come away with a better understanding of the population, not simply dry anthropological data. Rituals, such as binding-of-hands, the pagan marriage ceremony, will be carried out at Stonehenge as well, and I will ask what importance location and timing plays in the significance of the event. I will then travel to nearby Avebury by sunset, because a large amount of people travel there as well, where I will conduct the same interviews and record similar observations. 

For the next month, not only will I travel to sacred sites (megaliths, dolmens, tombs, etc.) across England, Ireland, and Scotland, but I will interview the caretakers and groundskeepers of the sites, discovering why they keep watch over the sites, what kind of people they come into contact with, and similar data. I will lodge as much as I can with Neo-Pagans (for lodging arrangements, see below) and with the native population of Britain’s and Ireland’s countryside. I am intending to avoid large cities as much as possible, because I have a fierce love for the countryside, and want to really experience the rocks and the wind and fields, the moors and groves and hills! It is curious, and sad at the same time, that I have never visited the islands to which I devote my study and passion. The reason is simple: I have never had the chance to financially support travel across the pond. When I saw that I might have the opportunity to go to Britain without financial burden on my family, I immediately (I mean, within the hour!) jumped at the opportunity by arranging meetings with the study abroad office and the undergraduate fellowships office. 

The pilgrimage will culminate in the 8-day “Goddess Conference” in Glastonbury, from July the 25^th to August the 1^st. Here is where I think I will receive the bulk of my data. The event includes festivals, ceremonies, feasts, worship, and general celebration. Hundreds of Neo-Pagans show up every year for the explicit purpose of honoring the Goddess, and I want to meet these people, and search to understand them. This, I think, demonstrates the value of my actual study; I don’t want to do what many researchers have done: fallen into the trap of attempting to define what Neo-pagans believe. I don’t specifically want to know that as much as I want to understand how Neo-Paganism is practiced. I think that this area has been neglected from a scholarly point-of-view, as most of the books commenting on Neo-Pagan practice are written by Neo-Pagans for Neo-Pagans, and while those texts accomplish their tasks very well, they are primary sources, not commentary, not study. This is what I want to accomplish, or, at least, contribute to: the study of Neo-Pagan practice in the British Isles. Among the main questions I will consistently ask are: What kind of religious practice is Neo-Paganism: Worshipful, Meditative, or Celebratory? Is it a combination of those, just like any other religion, or is it something completely different? What about the Neo-Pagan attitude towards other religions? Is the movement reactionary to what Neo-Pagans feel is the oppressive nature of conventional religion? Is the movement compensatory, trying to reclaim heritage that they feel has been lost? Is it truly a resurgence of ancient paganism as the mythical literature of the Neo-Pagans claim? Or is it, again, something completely different? I think that these are questions that need to be asked explicitly. I also think that the data that I will collect (interviews, observations, recordings, etc.) will be helpful to both the new student and more experienced religious scholars, of which I hope to become, even if I am not now. 

This brings me to the value that this journey will have for me. As I have mentioned before, financial difficulties in my family have consistently obstructed me from traveling to Britain, Ireland, or Scotland. Indeed, I have only been to Mexico on two service trips, and to Canada with my grandmother. While I think this is normal for many people, it is deeply surprising to me that I have devoted my entire life to the study of Europe and have never been there. I too, want to claim the heritage that I have never felt. Last semester I was enrolled in the Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall course, and simply learning the history of Germany (I am half German) seemed to fill a hole in me that I never knew was there. I am a quarter British, and I want to fill another hole, one that I can now feel acutely. As far as the academic, professional, and personal value that this will have for me, there is little difference between them; I desire more than anything to be a professor of religious history and heritage, and will therefore spend the rest of my life learning! Learning is my religion—not knowledge, but learning. The act, then, of traveling to the British Isles, the land that I love so much and that is so absent from me, is more than just a research proposal; even more than a personal adventure! It is an journey of learning, an odyssey of identity, a pagan pilgrimage.

Previous Research, Travel Plans, and other such odious details: 

I am teaching a Hanszen college course next semester on Neo-Paganism to increase the spirit of diversity on campus and to share an academic and personal passion that I think I have demonstrated in my personal statement. If this trip were to be successfully funded, the experience would contribute greatly to the student’s learning experience and to my own knowledge as well as the ease in which I impart that knowledge to the students. In all, I believe this trip is important for me, because I will get considerable field experience in taking notes, keeping a journal, conducting interviews, and making observations. It will also give me much needed experience in the area of the practice of religious and cultural studies. It is also my opinion that the trip will benefit Rice and its students, because I will be sharing my findings with my professor Claire Fanger, who is frankly my academic mentor, John Stroup, for whom I am a research assistant and planning to write a survey of the politics of diversity, and with the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance, so that they may have information to increase awareness on campus and perhaps provide attractive events for campus Neo-Pagans. As I said before, this could also benefit Rice through the class I am planning to teach; cursory questions (to the student population) about the awareness of Neo-Paganism have been rather depressing—the only people who have known anything concrete about it were in the religious studies department. As I am planning to teach this course, I have read (and am planning to read) a great deal about the subject ranging from Neolithic Tombs and their religious significance to medieval magical practices to the modern construction of Pagan identity and the struggle for a religious tradition sensitive to the needs of the ecosystem and gender equality. Here is a list of books, separated by those I have read, those I have ordered in order to read, and those that I am planning to read* (Those bolded are especially important for my trip):

*Note: About a third of the books were recommended to me by Claire Fanger.

Anglo-Saxon Paganism by David Wilson

Claiming Sacred Ground: Pilgrims and Politics at Glastonbury and Sedona 

by Adrian J. Ivakhiv

Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler 

Earth Rites; Fertility Practices in Pre-Industrial Britain by Janet & Colin Bord

Gardener's Book of Shadows by Gerald Gardener

Magic in the Middle Ages by Richard Kieckhefer

Man and His Symbols by C.G. Jung

Sacred Sites, Contested Rites/Rights by Jenny Blain and Robert Wallis

The Ancient Art of Faery Magick by D.J. Conway

The Civilization of the Goddess by Marija Gimbutas

The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly Hall

The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Language of the Goddess by Marija Gimbutas

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe by Valerie Flint

The Survival of the Pagan Gods; The Mythological Tradition and its Place in

Renaissance Humanism and Art by Jean Seznec

The Tomb of the Eagles; Life and Death in a Stone-Age Tribe by John Hedges

The Tribe of Witches by Stephen J. Yeates

The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho 

Christmas in Ritual and Tradition, Christian and Pagan by Clement A. Miles

Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves; Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community by Sarah Pike

Mushrooms and Mankind: The Impact of Mushrooms on Human Consciousness and Religion by James Arthur

Persuasions of the Witch's Craft by T.M. Luhrmann

Rites of Pleasure: Sexuality in Wicca and Neo-Paganism by Jennifer Hunter

The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Eisler

The Pagan Book of Days: A Guide to the Festivals, Traditions, and Sacred Days of the Year by Nigel Pennick

The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton

The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess by Starhawk

The Triumph of the Moon; A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton

Unwrapping Christmas by Daniel Miller

Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland

Goddess Spirituality for the 21^st Century by Judith Laura

The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image by Anne Baring & Jules Cashford

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Travel, Lodging, Living Expenses:

As you have gathered, I am pressed for money. Therefore, I want to make this trip as inexpensive as possible by backpacking through the isles. My airfare and travel within the Isles (buses, trains, ferries, etc.) will be the largest expense, but I plan to walk much of the way—this is an integral part of the experience for me. Also, when there are sites that are close together I will simply ask for a ride. This will cut the costs, but it is still significant. As far as lodging goes, there is a website—couchsurfing.com—that arranges lodging with families and students for free. It has been recommended to me by friends who have had similar experiences in Europe. I will, if necessary, stay at hostels, and I am also planning to sleep outdoors in the countryside if the weather allows. I have calculated the expense to include lodging in hostels for 40 days to avoid miscalculation. I can live (food-wise) on relatively little and this is also calculated below. I also will need equipment (namely, light recording equipment) and I have factored that in as well.

Tentative Budget

(All are maximum estimates)

Flight from Houston to London via AirCanada or JetBlue or similarly low-priced airfare (round trip), and travel throughout Britain App. $2000.00

Lodging in England for 40 days

This will include hostels, staying with families arranged on couchsurfing.com, and camping in the countryside. App. $1250.00

Living Expenses estimated at $25.00 a day App. $1000.00

Miscellaneous expenses: App. $350.00

Total: $4,600

Thank you for your consideration. If there is any other information I can give you at my email address, rossarlen@gmail.com

The Next Two Classes

I have, in light of my recent clarification of purpose, decided to pin down exactly what I'll be teaching in my Fall semester class at Rice. The first class—I haven't quite decided a name for it yet— will be a course detailing the Neo-Pagan movement in modern religious practice; its origins, texts, traditions, and issues with interpretation, etc. I think that I will require The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho as the only required text, because it has such an interesting way of approaching the individual's transformation, and also puts its finger on what is dissatisfying for some people about Christianity. I will structure the class mostly on the book Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler, as she addresses almost every aspect of the Neo-Pagan movement. I hope I can find a pagan group in Houston that I can take the students to, to witness what a ritual is like (this will be in the late summer/fall). If you live in Houston, and are willing to let a group of students witness a coven meeting, I would appreciate an email! Anyway, we will devote probably a third of the semester to Wicca, as it is the most prolific of the modern traditions, and then we will move on to Family Traditions, Reconstructionists, and other practices, as well as essential points in its history (such as the Witch's Councils). We will not refer to Neo-paganism as a mere "cult," but examine it as  a viable, growing, and spiritually satisfying religious practice that is steadily growing in America and Europe.

I think I should note, in order to avoid bias accusations, that 1.) I am not Neo-pagan, and 2.) my own personal knowledge lies solely within the European realm, that is, I cannot claim to know the religious traditions of the Native Americans or the Latin American tribes, although I will certainly be researching these in order to provide richer information to my students. Thank you for your suggestions and encouraging words.

And, for my next class (one that is much clearer in purpose, thank God), I will be teaching a class about Theology and Magic in popular British fantasy novels. This was, oddly enough, thought up after the suggestion of my Latin classmates, who urged me to use my love for Harry Potter to a more constructive end than babbling on about how much better it was than the Twilight shit—I'm sorry, series. So, after a long thought, I decided to address a broader and more detailed scope: "Deep Magic: Magic and Religion in English Fantastical Literature," which will draw from Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Prydain, The Circle of Magic, His Dark Materials, and The Dark is Rising sequence. Ambitious, no? These books were such an integral part of my childhood (and, I admit, adulthood) and I remember always wondering how the magic in these books "worked," especially the Deep Magic in C.S. Lewis' books. That always sent a chill down my spine, and it set me wondering how Lewis' Christianity could fit with this conception in his highly allegorical books.

Anyway, I'm excited, and I always welcome suggestions. Unless they have to do with Twilight. Please, don't insult the above books by throwing in that hateful waste of paper.

Always, etc.,
Ross Arlen

A delayed update.

So...
My trip to the British Isles started out as a blind grope for an opportunity for a free (or at least cheap) trip to Europe this summer, a way to prevent a blooming intellectual (that may be stretching...) from acquiring a droll, tedious, soul-sucking, time-wasting, minimum-wage job over the holiday. It then evolved into a "study abroad" plan that included taking hours of classes in Dublin while waiting for the real fun to begin. I've decided to (try to) teach a class in Fall 2010. Originally, I was going to teach it about Paleolithic death-rituals, and other mortuary rites from around the world, but I soon abandoned that premise for two main reasons: one, I realized that people generally don't like focusing so intensely on death, as a confrontation with death is tantamount to realizing the finality of mortality, and two, I have little to no knowledge on the subject, but merely wanted to know more about it. For some odd reason, I thought that teaching a class about it would be a great way for me to learn. I'm glad I have thought this (mostly) through, and I have ditched the idea.

However, I read, over the Christmas holidays, many books about Neo-Paganism. In short, it has begun a fascination with the subject. The two main books were Drawing Down The Moon by Margot Adler, and Sacred Sites, Contested Rights/Rites by Jenny Blain and Robert Wallis. This alerted me to the strange problems of Neo-Pagan identity. Although, by it's own admittance, and by the intense study that Margot Adler has done on the subject, Neo-Paganism is a very new religious tradition, completely different than previous religious patterns, Neo-Pagans themselves often declare that they are part of an ancient tradition, indeed the ancient tradition. Although, undoubtedly, many aspects of the ancient traditions survived, and some imported into Neo-Pagan belief and practice, the simple fact is: no one knows.

That, to me, is frightening. If once, at least in Northwestern Europe, there existed a religion that was the metanarrative of all living humans, and if that religion manifested itself in the customary outpour of cultural artifacts that last to this day (dolmens, megaliths, barrows, etc.), then why don't we know the finer points of the belief system? Many would answer, "Christianity," but that doesn't answer every question, especially since Christianity is actually responsible for preserving many ancient sites and basic rituals, even if they do use the name Jesus. While in ignorance of the beliefs of these ancient people, how may Neo-Pagans claim to have "re-founded" paganism? I want to find the answer. I need to find the answer.

This is, then, what I suppose & propose: I suppose that the thousands of people flocking to Stonehenge on the summer solstice and other such "Pagan Pilgrimages" are in search of identity that they feel has been lost somehow in the shifting soil of the ages. I propose that I go to Stonehenge on the summer solstice and ask these pilgrims "From whence?" "For which?" and "Wherefore?". I propose that, in the wake of a recent personal upheaval, I make my own pilgrimage across the sacred sites and tombs of the British Isles, alone and unhindered by hotel bookings and formal wear, to rediscover something of myself which has been lost, or rather, never has been. I propose that after the summer is over (in other words, when I run out of money) I come back and share what I found or didn't find with others, through the class that I hope to teach at Rice University and perhaps by other means as well. In short, I propose that I make the Pagan Pilgrimage.

Tally-ho and all that jazz.
Always, etc.,

Ross Arlen

Bad Timing

I'm afraid that starting a blog right before finals week is not a good idea. Forgive me, I beg of you, as the next 2 weeks slide by with no posts.
Then, I will be back. Meanwhile, a picture for you:

http://www.redearth.co.uk/index.html

What do you think about these dudes? Revivalistic Pagan rituals (without the erm...interesting aspects) in Europe combined with art installation atmosphere? Hm. Sounds like what my aunt does in California with Trails and Vistas!

http://www.trailsandvistas.org/

It has been done

I have finally yielded to the temptation and am starting this blog. I'm going to be practicing over the semester, but its true purpose will be as a travelogue when I go to Europe this summer.

So, my trip will be to Ireland (most likely) or Scotland or Wales. The purpose of this journey, besides my own enrichment, will be to study first-hand the tombs and death iconography of Neolithic to Bronze age British Islanders. I'm thinking about trying to elaborate and/or criticize Marija Gimbutas' assumptions about the goddess cult in these regions, and also be preparing myself for the class I will be teaching next year: "The Last Rite of Passage: Death Ritual in Old Europe." If you are a student at Rice, please consider taking it, and if you are interested and are in Houston, consider auditing! I hope to make it an engaging and eye-opening course, and I also hope that my trip to the Isles this summer will further that aim.

Right now, the biggest problem to sort out is the money! I'm as poor as a humanities student (oh, wait...) and I'm doing my best to sign up for scholarships, financial aid, and randomly acquired cash - I don't think it will be enough unless I start saving some serious pennies right away. If anyone knows any scholarships, grants, or ANY free money that doesn't involve posting links on Google, I would appreciate the notification. Wish me luck!

Vale, Amici!

Ross