The Dionysian Naturalist

  We Belong to the Turning Earth A Dionysian Naturalist Ritual Poem for Samhain Wayne Martin Mellinger, Ph.D. · Collaborative working draft · October 31, 2026 This contemporary observance draws on the seasonal Wheel of the Year practiced in Naturalistic Paganism and modern Druidry. It honors the autumn cross-quarter in the Northern Hemisphere without invoking spirits or other worlds. The seasons and directions are acknowledged as earthly relationships, not supernatural powers. Adapt the landscape references to your home. Allow about fifteen minutes, or longer for shared memories. Gather a photograph or remembrance object, a candle or battery light, a little plain water, and an apple, pumpkin bread, or another seasonal food. A mask and music are optional. One person may speak every line; in a group, everyone may join the refrain. Silence, seated movement, and passing are always welcome. Pause. Feel the support beneath your body. Here we are, with the day still clinging to our ...

The New American Religions of Nature Lived Religion, Ecology, and Religious Innovation in the United States Book proposal  Wayne Martin Mellinger PhD  October 29, 2026 Consolidated draft for author review. Production options and items requiring confirmation are identified below. Overview How does treating nature as sacred become a way of living, and when does it become a reason to act? The New American Religions of Nature is an illustrated textbook for advanced undergraduate courses on nature spirituality, religion and nature, and American religions. It examines religious creativity through what people do: seasonal rites, household observances, meditation, gardening, gatherings, online learning, ecological service, and relationships with particular places. It follows these practices through organizations, informal networks, and solitary lives. The book brings a comparative sociological approach to Pagan traditions, Druidry, religious naturalisms, Buddhist-influenced practices,...