Raven Digitalis
MT: I must begin by thanking you for the experience of interviewing you for my book, and also for the wonderful exchanges and sharing of ideas we’ve had over the few months I’ve known you as a “Facebook friend.” For the sake of the readers I must point out that we often refer to each other as “my brother priest,” and that though we come from vastly different traditions of priesthood, there is a deep level of mutual appreciation and respect between us. Perhaps it would be good to begin with a brief explanation of the particular Pagan path to which you belong and serve as a Priest?
RD: Yes, you are certainly my brother and fellow Clergy member, and someone I am happy to count as a friend! As for me, the spiritual group I work with and co-run is rather eclectic, so I’m technically an eclectic Neopagan Priest (specifically, Eastern Hellenistic Neopaganism, within the spiritual training group Opus Aima Obscuræ in Missoula, Montana, USA).
MT: Can you briefly say anything more about that group?
RD: Sure. We integrate teachings from numerous spiritual paths by drawing on the ideologies of Alexander III the Great. I mean this in the sense that King Alexander intricately understood the interconnection of the religions in the various areas he “conquered,” which reached as far as India. We expand this idea to include other mystical Eastern paths in our practices including Taoism and Buddhism; we regard all religions and progressive spiritual paths as sacred and valid. As a ritual group, we observe the cycles of the moon and the sun, with monthly ceremonies for each, alongside the traditional Wiccan and European Pagan holidays (from which Catholicism and Christianity align many of their holidays) and regularly perform Cottage Craft or Hedge Craft events that work on honing old world skills.
MT: So to the theme of my book, was the person of Jesus part of your upbringing as a child?
RD: Not at all. My immediate family is non-religious, though I wouldn’t say that they are non-spiritual. Jesus was never emphasized in my life as anything more or less than a historical figure recognized by many religious groups in the world. The same would have been said for the Buddha, Mohammed, and so on.
MT: Even so, does Jesus hold any important to you now?
RD: Absolutely! Jesus Christ is an incredibly powerful force. The energy of this deity—and indeed he is a deity—has had an incredible influence on humankind. One should keep in mind that as with all deities, their interaction with humankind depends on one’s interpretation. Gods, spirits, deities: entirely interpretive. I occasionally call upon the Christ in my own Pagan rituals, depending on their intention. For example, because the Christ is a solar deity, I feel comfortable calling his presence alongside that of Ra, Horus, Mithras, Helios, and so on. Archetypes transcend time and culture.
MT: That’s all very cosmic and mythic. In your opinion, was Jesus a historical person?
RD: I tend to take the Buddhist view of the Buddha in terms of my view of both Siddhartha and Jesus, which is that we simply do not know whether or not they were actual, physical people, or if they were “regular” people whom heavy mythology was structured around (this was common in ancient Egypt and innumerable other ancient cultures), or whether he is simply a mythical figure. I am also subsequently of the belief that it simply doesn’t matter either way! These forces exist in the present regardless of their history, and the Now is the most supreme moment of all time.
I do believe that many churches lovingly and accurately attune themselves to the compassionate energy of the Christ. At the same time, so many do not, which is especially obvious in America. Christ is love, healing, and wisdom; politics are (quite frequently) built around fear, greed, and discrimination; sometimes the two spheres become confused—this is the danger zone.
MT: What feelings or thoughts does the Christmas story conjure up in you?
RD: The linguistic origins of the words “Santa” and “Satan” are rooted in the same Latin roots, and the red suit of Santa Claus is based on the red blood of Christ. Nah, not really. However, Santa’s clothing and mythical history is interesting history in itself!
Christ is another mythical example of the Holy Child; a child seen across cultures and throughout time in different forms. Christmas is the retelling of a mythology that is as old as humankind itself.
MT: This is one of the things I especially enjoy about you, Raven, your zany humor. In that light, what about Easter?
RD: Why, Cadbury Christ, of course! He laid the chocolate eggs at the foot of the cross, which in turn created the mythology of Jesus’s mystical hare-shapeshifting qualities. As a matter of fact, we find the origin of the word “rabbi” and “rabbit” being of the same linguistic foundation. Joking again. I tend to get goofy when I’m sleep-deprived. Which, come to think of it, is actually most of the time.
The mythology of the murdered-and-resurrected god is seen in numerous pre-Christian cultures, and is indeed the foundation of the Easter mythology. The mythology of the Sun has always been as such: He is born (or, rather, reborn) as the Holy Crowned and Conquering Child, gathers strength, and is then killed and enters the Underworld, which is where we get the cold and dark part of the year. This mythology is as ancient as humankind, and the Christian reinterpretation is no different nor any more or less sacred!
MT: Fabulous. Now, if you have one, what is your favourite story, parable, teaching, or symbol of Jesus?
RD: I resonate with Christ’s Discourse on Judgmentalism as given in the Sermon on the Mount. If only more followers would listen to their alleged prophet! Sadly, it seems that many self-proclaimed Christians, wallowing in their fear and hatred, are the ones furthest from the light of God.
MT: In your opinion, who was Jesus in terms of being a teacher, a prophet, a deity, or a magician?
RD: I think Jesus was a teacher of the Mysteries of Life; he was a man. Mohammed and the Buddha said that they themselves were only men, and spoke against people idolizing them. To this day, human depictions of Mohammed are forbidden in Islam because of the belief that one will tend to focus on the messenger rather than the message. In very early Buddhism, soon after the delivering of the Dharma (or Dhamma: life teachings of the Buddha) and Siddhartha’s Paranirvana (death or transcendence), you will find that the only artistic depictions of the Buddha himself were, for example, a simple footprint or a spiral rather than a human image of a guy meditating.
MT: What lesson of Jesus stands out to you as something of which the church needs to take note?
RD: Modernize! Adapt! Cultural appropriation! The world has changed and scriptural politics must also flow with change, which is the nature of existence. People need to separate the wheat (the teachings of the Christ) from the chaff (the politics). (Or separate the wheat from the chavs, depending on location.)
MT: Is it possible to be both Christian and Pagan?
RD: I think the purest form of Pagan Christianity, or ChristoPaganism, is actually Gnosticism. This early form of Christianity was very much Pagan or mystical, though a bit nihilistic for my personal tastes. Early Coptic Christianity and the Hellenistic Greco-Roman-Egyptian-Christian fusion paths are also worth a historical mention. I think a person can balance Christianity with Wicca and other forms of Paganism if—and this is a big if—he or she is able to recognize Christianity as a mythological system that is very similar to other religions and mystical systems the world over. Of course, doing so requires the person to throw away the politics and pseudepigraphic rubbish: i.e., dogma and hatred!
MT: What, if anything, can modern-day Pagans learn from the message of Jesus?
RD: Plain and simple: Love is the Law.
MT: Nicely put! What, if anything, can Christians learn from modern-day Paganism?
RD: They could learn to understand the similarities that exist between positive spiritual paths (such as views of the Divine, community service, humanitarianism, magick, and prayer). As well as, ideally, a bit of their own history. The majority of modern Christians seem to gravely lack an understanding of Christian history: I see this as extremely dangerous and spiritually incomplete. The path to God is many.
MT: Well, this has been a wonderful discussion, Raven. Thank you again. I’m very grateful indeed to you for sharing so much of your time, wisdom, and humor.
RD: You’re welcome, my brother!
About the Author
Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of Planetary Spells & Rituals, Shadow Magick Compendium, and Goth Craft, all published by Llewellyn. He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of the “Eastern Hellenistic” magickal system and training coven Opus Aima Obscuræ, and is a radio and club DJ of gothic and industrial music. Also trained in Georgian Witchcraft and Buddhist philosophy, Raven has been a Witch since 1999, a priest since 2003, and an empath all his life. Raven holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also an animal rights activist, black-and-white photographic artist, tarot reader, and the co-owner of Twigs & Brews Herbs, specializing in bath salts, herbal blends, essential oils, soaps, candles, and incenses. He has appeared on the cover of New Witch magazine, is a regular contributor to Dragon’s Blood and The Ninth Gate magazines, and has been featured on MTV News and CBS PsychicRadio. He can be found at www.ravendigitalis.com.