Ecstatic Practices

"Ecstatic Practices" is Volume 3, Number 1 (Winter 2016) of the Walking the Worlds journal. Every polytheistic religion in the ancient world had its ecstatic practices, exploring the limits of the human way of being so as to approach the Gods. As contemporary polytheisms continue to develop, denominations and sects are likewise exploring the potential of ecstatic work within their respective traditions. This is not always readily accepted by the mainstream movements within the contemporary religious landscape, but such work continues to shape the future of polytheisms in the West today. This issue looks at the impact and nature of ecstatic practices across a broad spectrum of traditions including Bacchic Orphism, Heathenry, and Celtic polytheism. Topics include dream incubation, mumming, working with entheogens, and the image of Galli in Roman poetry.