What is Reconstructionism

[Lady Anastasia]

We've got a good handful or more of Recon's on the site now, and I'm sure that more than a few of the members are curious.

So, What is Reconstructionism?

How does the path of the recon differ from other paths?

What sites are useful for getting the good, factual information on Reconstructionism?

[Lady Anastasia]

Nice, simple easy to follow response, thank you

[Donna]

The facts, ma'am, just the facts. lol Recon in a nutshell

[Poisoned Spoon]

I have to agree with Tom Flannery but I want to add in a little something of my own.

Reconstructionist religious practices tend to look quite alien in comparison to some of the more mainstream Neo-Pagan practices. They have more in common with each other than they do with modern groups and this is what causes Recons to bond together. There is definitely an older world mentality that goes along with it and

Many Recon religions practice blood sacrifice. It isn't icky or strange and it certainly isn't unnatural but a lot of modern Pagan traditions have a huge problem with it. I suspect this has to do with the fact that many Neo-Pagans and witchy folk, like it or not, still come from Christian backgrounds where the attitude towards sacrifice is one of absolute revulsion or in some cases simply viewed as unnecessary. I can't think of a single Pre-Christian religion that did not practice it and yet I can name dozens of modern Pagan religious traditions that claim to have ancient roots and yet do not practice it. It can be argued that sacrifice is a cornerstone of most Reconstructionist religions and that right there is a fundamental difference in mentality.

Last night we spoke in the chat room about intent as well and after thinking about it for a little while I realized why I don't consider intent to be significant in any way. The reason is that in my particular brand of Reconstructionism (the Religio) there is a major "Do what you have to do" mentality. Intent is a luxury consideration that is completely superfluous to the end result. I don't care what a person's motivations are so long as they just do their duty. Intent is personal. The Religio is a public religion, we can't keep track of a person's thoughts, only actions. Duty is certainly far more important to me than intent.

I like to joke about my religion sometimes because in many ways its very complicated but those complications are the fun parts for me. In some instances we don't know why we're supposed to do things a certain way but we go through it so we can figure out why it was important or simply because we do want to honor our ancestors. I have over 30,000 Gods, or so the Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religoin tells me, but I would be hard pressed to name more than 100 of them. Still I try. I want to breathe life back into this long dead tradition and I do this so that I can connect to the past and bring it to the future because I think the religion has great merit. I also do this so that I can show others the roots of their religions and understand how the spiritualities of the world have progressed. I'm a Geek. I just enjoy this stuff.

My calendar is a mass of holidays of all sorts and I love it. If you think that the "8 High Holidays" are just the common points of all Pre-christian religions then you probably haven't studied many Pre-Christian religions. It amuses me when other Pagans (and I use that word "jovially"... har har) attempt to educate me on how their religious practice has its roots in my religion because it inevitably ends up with a History Lesson from Mrs. Spoon. (Now gather around class... Jimmy, did you pack your lunch?) I wrote the column "Sacred Days" for PagaNet News for three years running. I did a year of Roman holidays, a full year of Hellenic holidays and I started in on the Kemetic holidays but ended up switching over to a full interfaith calender at my editors request. (The Kemetics just get no love...) If there's one thing I feel certain of now it is that Pre-Christian polytheistic holidays are all very distinct and elaborate things.

I tend to get annoyed with websites a lot. I've pretty much abandoned them to the information Dark Age. I think the Religious Tolerance website is the last one I looked at and that was around Saturnalia when somebody was trying to tell me that X-mas trees were a Roman tradition and they got their info from that website. I think too many people do their research on websites and its really starting to show. I've been studying my buns off for years to know what I know so its always funny when I get somebody who does a web search and thinks they've just done "research." You had better bring your A game to the table if you're going to talk to me about history because I live it and I think that's pretty much the same for most Recons. We're an elitest bunch, at least the ones I know tend to be, but we're not too bad so long as people don't spread misinformation in our presence. That is one sure fire way to cheese off a Recon.

La Vechia Religione or the Old Religion(s) (we're going to make that plural) were nothing like the way they have been painted by even our fellow polytheists. It is very hard to remain optimistic and neighborly when our customs and Gods are being picked apart and violated in front of our eyes. But I think that many of us handle it pretty well. There was a time when I did not handle it so well. I worked very hard to develop a strong sense of humor and distance to keep my heart and mind from breaking. I've been doing this for a very long time, I don't even think about it much anymore... I just do and that's beautiful. I have a priestly heirarchy, I have an organized religion, I have religious laws and customs and they are usually nothing like those of my mainstream fellows. I accept that I'm a minority but I refuse to allow those who happen to be in the majority to rewrite history in their favor. So sometimes I do get a little hostile but I think you would do the same if you were me. I love history and I love living it. Those are my thoughts on Reconstructionists and in particular on the Religio.

~*Spoon*~

[Poisoned Spoon]

I thought of a few more things I want to toss in so that there's no confusion. There is a difference between Reconstructionists and Reenactors. Reenacting is a hobby and Reconstruction pertains to religion. Also Reconstructionists are not the equivalient of "Amish Pagans." I don't run around all day in a toga (I wouldn't anyway... its not historically acurate. *Snickers*) and I don't have any problem adjusting to modern society.

Reconstructionist does not equal primitive, sexist, racist, dilusional or any of those ridiculous things I've heard in my lifetime.

Actually I don't know about some of the other Recons out there since I don't keep track of everybody but my culture continues to advance and grow as the years go by. For instance there is a rather large secular festival out where I live that's put on by the city in honor of Neptune. *Adoratio* I go every year because Neptune *Adoratio* is one of my family Patrons. Also in the year 2000 the city of Rome unvieled a new Goddess, the Goddess "Nova Roma." *Adoratio* So naturally I now honor Nova Roma *Adoratio* as one of the Gods of my people.

Yay progress!

~*Spoon*~

[Blackbird]

This is one of my fave articles on the subject and so here it is for you to enjoy. The complete article and author can be found at the link on the bottom.

Defending Reconstructionism (excerpts)

Over the last couple months a curious trend has begun manifesting itself within Pagandom: the Fluffy backlash against Reconstructionism. At first it was just a few stray comments in the chat rooms and on the various lists and boards. Nothing special, really. Just the usual venting of "Recons are elitist bookworms," which is actually a pretty accurate description of us. I mean, back in the 1970s Asatru (one of the first Recon religions) proudly proclaimed itself the religion with homework, and someone who prefers their books to come from Harvard or Cornell University Press instead of the likes of Lewellyn or HarperCollins is bound to engender a reputation for literary elitism. However, this anti-Recon trend is growing.

There are five common objections leveled by the Neopagans against Reconstructionism.

1. All Recons do is study: they don't actually live the religions they claim to follow.

While this couldn't be further from the truth, I think that in some small way we have actually contributed to this impression. I have a friend that I met on a Hellenic Pagan list. He's actually a Wiccan, but is interested in the Greek Gods, and was looking for others to worship with. He had some very eye opening things to say: "I really like Recon Hellenism. You guys are far more knowledgeable than most Pagans I've met, but I've got to wonder: do you guys actually worship the Gods? I've been on the list two months, and all I've seen are arguments about the myths and which books to read. No one has talked about their relationship with the Gods, or what you do to worship them."

Now, part of that has to do with our nature. We are generally modest, private people. I've been on general Pagan lists where people shared everything. My relationship with the Gods is very natural, almost like a reflex, needing very little thought. When I go for a walk, and a breeze comes up, I thank the Anemoi. When I rise in the morning, I light incense and candles for whatever God is marked on the calendar. Before I take a bite of food, I give that first portion to Hestia. There are hundreds of little practices like these which are part of my day-to-day routine. The Gods are so woven into my life that I don't really think about it much. Like brushing my teeth, it's not something I'd think to tell anyone about unless they specifically asked for details.

2. Reconstructionism is too restrictive and doesn't allow for personal expression.

Neopagans tend to believe that anything goes, and you should do whatever you want. It's perfectly fine to combine elements from different religions, without worrying about how well they fit together. Reconstructionists, on the other hand, limit themselves to the religious practices of a single culture, and sometimes to a specific period of time within that culture. We also only worship the Gods of that culture. To understand why we Reconstructionists accept the limits of tradition, consider the example of the two musicians.

The first musician is a restless spirit. He picks up an instrument, and begins taking lessons. But no sooner has he started than he gets bored, and looks for something new to learn. When he writes compositions, they include bits and pieces from everything, and while it's certainly original, it is also discordant, noisy, ugly, and says nothing profound. Now, the other musician finds an instrument, and he sticks with it. Instead of jumping onto the next new thing, he continues his lessons and learns how to play that instrument like no one else. Because of his long familiarity with the instrument, he can make it do things that nobody ever imagined before. He breathes new life into old pieces, and when he creates new works, he has the support of tradition behind him. He may not have the range of the other musician, but he far surpasses him in depth and skill.

3. Recons are mean.

I don't think that Recons are actually mean, so much as there is a difference in the way that we communicate. Neopagans tend to be very accepting. When someone makes a statement, they usually take it at face value. When someone expresses an opinion that strikes them as different or weird, they often fall back on, "Well, we all have our own ways. Who am I to criticize another?" They are more concerned with whether something sounds true, not why it is or isn't.

Recons, on the other hand, often come from an academic environment, or admire the standards of academicians. When somebody makes a statement, we often ask them how they reached this conclusion, what sources they consulted, etc. We correct obviously false historical or mythological assertions when they are made. We require tangible proof for extraordinary claims. We believe that the archaeological record and established tradition are superior to someone's personal opinion. Most of the time when a Recon asks for one's sources it is because they are curious, and want to learn more about a subject, not because they are trying to show what an ignorant newbie the person is. (Though it can be an excellent way for accomplishing the latter.)

4. Recons are too focused on the past.

Many object to Reconstructionism on the grounds that too great a distance separates us moderns from the ancients. They point to technological and societal advances, and suggest that we cannot possibly know what it was like to practice the religion back then.

Less time separates us from the Athens of Plato than separates him from the entry of the first Greek speakers into Hellas. While we have experienced rapid technological advancement in the last couple centuries, so did the ancients. And anyway, we aren't pretending to be ancient people. We are moderns, and gladly accept the positive things about modern culture. The reason that we look back to the ancients is because their religion and culture worked. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we pay homage to our ancestors, and continue their traditions into the future. Some things we no longer possess information about, or like slavery, consider them firmly rooted in the cultural experiences of their time. We have no problem leaving the undesirable things by the wayside, and filling in the holes with informed and poetic inspiration.

5. Recons are just making it up.

This accusation is made by Neopagans who practice what they like to call Traditionalist religions. Recons freely admit that in most cases there is no continuity with the ancients. Christianity was very successful in its attempt to eliminate other religions, and by the 1600s, the last Pagan nation had been converted. It wasn't until the early part of the 20th century that people began to openly practice Pagan religions again, and not until the 1970s that people began to break away from Neopagan Witchcraft and revive the ancient culturally-specific Pagan religions.

Traditionalists claim to practice religions that survived in isolation, intact from antiquity. They often cannot provide any solid evidence for their survival, and frequently show great dependence on Wicca, Theosophy, and popular authors such as Robert Graves, Margaret Murray, and J. G. Frazer. Despite such apparent origins, they will claim to possess an authentic tradition, and make snide comments about Recons, who are making things up, have no right to practice their religion, and are woefully misinformed about ancient religion. It is easy to refute such individuals, since they are really the ones who have no idea what the ancients were like. One has simply to ask them for information about their tradition, or for sources whenever they make blanket statements about antiquity.

It should be interesting to see how things turn out. I imagine that the Neopagans are only going to get more fierce in their attacks on us. But hopefully, through contact with us, they will learn, and change, and lose some of their fluff. I would love to see them become more knowledgeable about their own religions, apply the standards of excellence and scholarship that suffuses Reconstructionism, and grow stronger, better, wiser, and more artistic.


*Complete article found at http://www.winterscapes.com/sannion/defending_recon.htm*

[Poisoned Spoon]

Good ol Sannion...

~*Spoon*~

Blackbird said:

This is one of my fave articles on the subject and so here it is for you to enjoy. The complete article and author can be found at the link on the bottom.

Defending Reconstructionism (excerpts)

Over the last couple months a curious trend has begun manifesting itself within Pagandom: the Fluffy backlash against Reconstructionism. At first it was just a few stray comments in the chat rooms and on the various lists and boards. Nothing special, really. Just the usual venting of "Recons are elitist bookworms," which is actually a pretty accurate description of us. I mean, back in the 1970s Asatru (one of the first Recon religions) proudly proclaimed itself the religion with homework, and someone who prefers their books to come from Harvard or Cornell University Press instead of the likes of Lewellyn or HarperCollins is bound to engender a reputation for literary elitism. However, this anti-Recon trend is growing.

There are five common objections leveled by the Neopagans against Reconstructionism.

1. All Recons do is study: they don't actually live the religions they claim to follow.

While this couldn't be further from the truth, I think that in some small way we have actually contributed to this impression. I have a friend that I met on a Hellenic Pagan list. He's actually a Wiccan, but is interested in the Greek Gods, and was looking for others to worship with. He had some very eye opening things to say: "I really like Recon Hellenism. You guys are far more knowledgeable than most Pagans I've met, but I've got to wonder: do you guys actually worship the Gods? I've been on the list two months, and all I've seen are arguments about the myths and which books to read. No one has talked about their relationship with the Gods, or what you do to worship them."

Now, part of that has to do with our nature. We are generally modest, private people. I've been on general Pagan lists where people shared everything. My relationship with the Gods is very natural, almost like a reflex, needing very little thought. When I go for a walk, and a breeze comes up, I thank the Anemoi. When I rise in the morning, I light incense and candles for whatever God is marked on the calendar. Before I take a bite of food, I give that first portion to Hestia. There are hundreds of little practices like these which are part of my day-to-day routine. The Gods are so woven into my life that I don't really think about it much. Like brushing my teeth, it's not something I'd think to tell anyone about unless they specifically asked for details.

2. Reconstructionism is too restrictive and doesn't allow for personal expression.

Neopagans tend to believe that anything goes, and you should do whatever you want. It's perfectly fine to combine elements from different religions, without worrying about how well they fit together. Reconstructionists, on the other hand, limit themselves to the religious practices of a single culture, and sometimes to a specific period of time within that culture. We also only worship the Gods of that culture. To understand why we Reconstructionists accept the limits of tradition, consider the example of the two musicians.

The first musician is a restless spirit. He picks up an instrument, and begins taking lessons. But no sooner has he started than he gets bored, and looks for something new to learn. When he writes compositions, they include bits and pieces from everything, and while it's certainly original, it is also discordant, noisy, ugly, and says nothing profound. Now, the other musician finds an instrument, and he sticks with it. Instead of jumping onto the next new thing, he continues his lessons and learns how to play that instrument like no one else. Because of his long familiarity with the instrument, he can make it do things that nobody ever imagined before. He breathes new life into old pieces, and when he creates new works, he has the support of tradition behind him. He may not have the range of the other musician, but he far surpasses him in depth and skill.

3. Recons are mean.

I don't think that Recons are actually mean, so much as there is a difference in the way that we communicate. Neopagans tend to be very accepting. When someone makes a statement, they usually take it at face value. When someone expresses an opinion that strikes them as different or weird, they often fall back on, "Well, we all have our own ways. Who am I to criticize another?" They are more concerned with whether something sounds true, not why it is or isn't.

Recons, on the other hand, often come from an academic environment, or admire the standards of academicians. When somebody makes a statement, we often ask them how they reached this conclusion, what sources they consulted, etc. We correct obviously false historical or mythological assertions when they are made. We require tangible proof for extraordinary claims. We believe that the archaeological record and established tradition are superior to someone's personal opinion. Most of the time when a Recon asks for one's sources it is because they are curious, and want to learn more about a subject, not because they are trying to show what an ignorant newbie the person is. (Though it can be an excellent way for accomplishing the latter.)

4. Recons are too focused on the past.

Many object to Reconstructionism on the grounds that too great a distance separates us moderns from the ancients. They point to technological and societal advances, and suggest that we cannot possibly know what it was like to practice the religion back then.

Less time separates us from the Athens of Plato than separates him from the entry of the first Greek speakers into Hellas. While we have experienced rapid technological advancement in the last couple centuries, so did the ancients. And anyway, we aren't pretending to be ancient people. We are moderns, and gladly accept the positive things about modern culture. The reason that we look back to the ancients is because their religion and culture worked. Instead of reinventing the wheel, we pay homage to our ancestors, and continue their traditions into the future. Some things we no longer possess information about, or like slavery, consider them firmly rooted in the cultural experiences of their time. We have no problem leaving the undesirable things by the wayside, and filling in the holes with informed and poetic inspiration.

5. Recons are just making it up.

This accusation is made by Neopagans who practice what they like to call Traditionalist religions. Recons freely admit that in most cases there is no continuity with the ancients. Christianity was very successful in its attempt to eliminate other religions, and by the 1600s, the last Pagan nation had been converted. It wasn't until the early part of the 20th century that people began to openly practice Pagan religions again, and not until the 1970s that people began to break away from Neopagan Witchcraft and revive the ancient culturally-specific Pagan religions.

Traditionalists claim to practice religions that survived in isolation, intact from antiquity. They often cannot provide any solid evidence for their survival, and frequently show great dependence on Wicca, Theosophy, and popular authors such as Robert Graves, Margaret Murray, and J. G. Frazer. Despite such apparent origins, they will claim to possess an authentic tradition, and make snide comments about Recons, who are making things up, have no right to practice their religion, and are woefully misinformed about ancient religion. It is easy to refute such individuals, since they are really the ones who have no idea what the ancients were like. One has simply to ask them for information about their tradition, or for sources whenever they make blanket statements about antiquity.

It should be interesting to see how things turn out. I imagine that the Neopagans are only going to get more fierce in their attacks on us. But hopefully, through contact with us, they will learn, and change, and lose some of their fluff. I would love to see them become more knowledgeable about their own religions, apply the standards of excellence and scholarship that suffuses Reconstructionism, and grow stronger, better, wiser, and more artistic.


*Complete article found at http://www.winterscapes.com/sannion/defending_recon.htm*

[Gorm Sionnach]

Just accept that we are better than you and we'll get along just fine ;P

Seriously though, I think a lot of what can be said has been.

Recons tend to be more focused on the sources and historic texts as well as folk custom of which ever culture one is reconstructing from. Haughtiness is too often conflated with academic rigour, which is something I would say is an intrinsic part of general Recon practice and philosophy. We are labeled as dour academics who are opposed to free religious expression, but that is only because Recons generally chime in on topics that interest them and have a tendency to 'correct' or 'inform' statements made in forums such as this.

The public face of Recon is the dour academic, but that has been interpreted as we do nothing spiritual, which is patently untrue. Ritual, even generally performed several times a day is not uncommon among Recons, is the central expression of the Tradition one belongs to. Much like a lot of descriptors of other religions, Recon is something lived, not just talked about (though WE do talk a LOT).

[Poisoned Spoon]

I really like what Sannion said about just not thinking about it and just doing it, just living it. I almost laughed out loud when he wrote, "I check the calendar" (I'm certain that I'm paraphrasing) because that's very true for me too. I wake up and look at the calendar to see what day it is and who needs their incense breakfast and if they get a side of mola salsa with that. Do people really want to know about my day? How I live as a Roman Recon? It isn't that exciting unless its a feast day. Its mostly things like keeping stocked with incense and baking a new batch of cakes every week-ish. I think that Hellenismos and the Religio are more interesting because it doesn't rely on the 7 day week. (I don't know anything about you Nordic people so you'll have to speak for yourselves.) This means that you have to completely rethink your perception of time and it makes it pretty darn essential to keep a calendar handy. I know I'm not that sharp first thing in the morning.

Apart from that... living as a Recon has a lot of customs that don't really leave the home. Most of it is domestic stuff so its not like people outside the home are going to be able to see a whole lot. It isn't something that you set aside time for every so often, its something that gets absorbed into everything you do, your outlook on life and how you go about your day. And Gods save you if you have the misfortune of being a priest of some kind. My friends know that I'm a Camilla and for the last 6 years since my apointment they have taken the opportunity to ask me to toast everytime they come over and drink wine just because they know I have a religious obligation to do it. And then there is the fasting. I have about a month of fasts that I have to do every year as a part of the Religio proper and then a period of fasting before major festivals and more fasting for my trance work which is separate. So... yeah... Just because I'm not out in the woods in a robe with my buddies eight days out of the year does not mean I am not actively religious.

~*Spoon*~

[Gorm Sionnach]

Njords? Where? I'll give 'em what for! ;)

[Lady Anastasia]

lol... Many Welcome's Mr Fox!

[Donna]

Just a note to BB--I copied that article and re-blogged it elsewhere. It was so well written--and explained CR so much easier than I could. I have not been as diligent in my studies and practices as I should be lately. I tend to get distracted by "life". ANd I have noticed that the old stresses are creeping back in---I truly feel because I have lost my focus on what is truly important. Soooo----Donna hereby announces that she is going to start putting her self-growth and walk on this path in the front of the line, because when I focus on the really important things, everything else just falls into place. What this means for all of you? I shall be hounding you, BB, with questions, lol, and I will be reading and posting my comments again faithfully. I know you all missed my eloquent opinionated posts. lmao

[Blackbird]

You know I love questions, though I obviously can't take credit for that particular posting. Came from someone I chatted with a long time ago on aol...

Funny that you state that the path has taken a back seat. I am going through that right now. I haven't lost faith - just the will to study. Maybe one day I will have the ability to do what you are doing and put it first again...for now, I am just trying to stay awake, focus and stay optimistic. Perhaps your efforts will be a domino effect for others. :)