THE POWER OF PAGAN DEITIES:
AWAKENING THE SPIRIT OF
ANCIENT SEXUALITY IN TODAY'S WORLD

 

    In the Ancient World, sex was a celebrated, focal point of human life.  There was no censorship of human attraction, no social stigmas against healthy sexual expression. Sculptures, paintings and shrines commonly displayed the sexual organs and physical attributes of related deities, with much focus on the phallus and female breasts. Beyond the so-called norm of heterosexual marriages, homosexual relationships were not unheard of or chastised in ancient civilizations. Before the emergence of synthetic religions on Earth, the Goddesses of Pagan religions were held with high regard in practicing communities, and were universal symbols of a sex-positive way of thinking and living. The Goddess was a representation of prosperity, fertility, passion, love, and lust. Sex rituals were a common act, whether performed as a marriage rite or simply as a celebration in honor of the spirit of the Goddess. Male sex deities were equally celebrated, and their energy channeled through to the humans that worshiped them, creating a sense of sexual pride. Though Christianity attempted (and still attempts) to diffuse human sexuality in history, we are seeing that the spirit of these ancient sex deities is becoming more apparent - and more accepted - in modern society.

    When Christianity came about, Christian leaders and practitioners made sure to desexualize much of human society. Any who worshiped an idol or deity besides the Christian God were criminalized and told that their ideas were criminal and false. Famous leaders such as Theodosius and Constantine of Rome helped to expedite and insure the success of Christianity, all but destroying the old religions in the process. Before Constantine exerted Christianity upon his people, Romans worshiped a variety of gods and goddesses, including many that represented sex and healthy views about it. The Egyptian goddess Isis, for example, had many followers in Rome before her worship was outlawed. With attention forcefully shifted from the traditional pantheon of gods and goddesses, positive views of sex eventually were extinguished along with them, and once-accepted deities were promoted as evil.


(Pan, a powerful deity of sex.)

    Pan, for example, is a well-known figure in Greek mythology and an open representation of raw human sexuality. He is also a god that is wrongly targeted and persecuted by the Christian religion. Often depicted with an erection or otherwise exaggerated sex organs, Pan is a god of the wild, of shepherds and hunting, music, and was usually in the company of nymphs (Wikipedia). He is indicative of unrestrained sexual desire, a natural occurrence that Christian law finds dangerous and destructive. Pan is also associated with the concept of "panic sex," otherwise described as sex for the sole reason of pleasure or lust - - a form of sex that is slowly being rekindled and awakened in modern society. The modern world has been increasingly unsuccessful in fighting the fire of natural sexual power and awareness. Though Christian religions attempt to stifle raw sexuality, the power of Pan and other ancient forces is erupting worldwide as we are experiencing a new sexual revolution. We are also seeing a rise of individuals who refer to themselves as "pansexual," meaning that they have the ability to be sexually attracted to any person, regardless of their assumed gender or sexuality. The power of Pan is obviously alive and well.

    Given the fact that in most illustrations, Pan is drawn with horns, he gained even more notoriety amongst Christians as being associated with - or actually being - the Devil. To the Greeks, the horns were a symbol of his association with shepherds. To Christians, however, they served as more evidence of Pan being a devilish figure. He was a well-liked god in Greek society, which is possibly one more reason that his character was demonized by Christians. In their minds, Pan was seen as competition for the attention and love of the people. Pan is representative of a love of sex, and the natural instinct to not be ashamed of it. Preachers of Christianity saw this as a threat, as sex was continuously portrayed as immoral and destructive.

 


(Dionysus, Greek god of fertility and nature.)

    Another figure in Greek history, and yet another target of the Christian Church is Dionysus. He is a god of many things, including fertility, winemaking, harvest, ritual madness and ecstasy. Representing the ethereal pleasures achieved by sexual ecstasy, it is no wonder that Dionysus did not find many fans in Christianity. However, his existence and history prove that at one point in time, most of society knew the truth that sexual expression and physical pleasure were not things to be ashamed of or disallowed. An interesting point is that in many different tales of Dionysus, he is described as somewhat androgynous or effeminate. Being that he had quite a following in his time, this points us to the idea that gender roles were not manufactured, enforced, or strictly monitored as they are in today's society. Greek society focused widely on the masculine, with concepts such as patriarchy being very important to the masses. However, there were no stipulations on what was required to be considered a "real man" as we often hear in today's world, mainly due to the media. In the age of Dionysus, male homosexuality, and even androgyny were celebrated, embraced, and all considered strong characteristics.

    Today, as homosexuality becomes more and more acceptable worldwide, it is evident that the power of Dionysus never faded with the changing of the times. Though many Christian religions have done their worst to silence, murder, and harass the gay community, the energy once created by the beloved deities of the Pagan world is superseding unnatural regulation of sexuality. In these ancient times, and through Pagan practices, people of Earth were strongly connected to nature and all that surrounded them.  The natural world was honored for all that it supplied to the people, be it food, shelter, or life itself. As time progressed and false religions took shape and influence across the globe, man lost its bond with Mother Earth, along with his pride in sexuality.

 


(Image of Dionysus and phallus.)

    With artistic evidence and records of such gods as Dionysus and Pan, it is very clear that sexuality was honored as the centrifugal and vital life force that it is. Both gods are often drawn or otherwise depicted as having enlarged and very visible sexual organs. Today, such worship and focus on the sexual aspect of life is criminalized and attacked by the Church.

 

 

 

 

 

USEFUL RESOURCES

Pan (Wikipedia)

The Demonization of Pan

The Great God Pan

Why Did Christianity Succeed?

Pan's Rapture (Blog on Pagan Lifestyle, BDSM and Sexuality)

Gender and the Phallus in Dionysian Religion

Dionysian Mysteries

The Ivied Rod: Gender and the Phallus in Dionysian Religion

The Ancient Roots of Our Judeo-Christian Sexual Prohibitions

Ancient Pagans and Christians, or Who Did What to Whom

A Brief History of Religious Sex