The Church of All Worlds

[Fallron]

What is the Church of All Worlds and what are their beliefs? Are they Wicca based or are they a more general Neopagan group?

[Jenett]

What is the Church of All Worlds and what are their beliefs? Are they Wicca based or are they a more general Neopagan group?

 
The Wikipedia article is a decent starting place in this case, with links to a bunch of the relevant people/resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_All_Worlds

Basically, CAW is based on the writings of Robert Heinlein (most famously, _Stranger in a Strange Land_, but others as well). They consider themselves Pagan, but they're not heavily Wiccan influenced, per se. (Their ritual structure is different, they use different core rituals rather than the Great Rite, etc.)

They were heavily active in the 70s and 80s, faded and were revived in the 90s, and had another round of fading and revival more recently. The most famous publication is the Green Egg, for a long time one of the longest-run and most widely read Pagan magazines out there.

My understanding from people who were involved in CAW Nests was that there were some great people involved, but that as a larger community, there were a lot of ups and downs (not uncommon in larger groups), and that the experience within smaller local groups (the nests) depended a lot on the mesh of personalities there are a given time (again, not a surprise: that's how small groups go...)

[Katefox]

Basically, CAW is based on the writings of Robert Heinlein (most famously, _Stranger in a Strange Land_, but others as well).

 
For this reason, the Church of All Worlds both amuses me, and fascinates me.  Is that bad?  Stranger in a Strange Land is one of my favourite books, but I have a bit of trouble taking seriously something that is so heavily influenced by a work of fiction (and feel a little bad saying that).  Sadly, when I stumbled across their forums a little while ago, they didn't seem to be terribly active, and I don't really actually know anything about them.

[RandallS]

Sadly, when I stumbled across their forums a little while ago, they didn't seem to be terribly active, and I don't really actually know anything about them.

Long ago, years before their were BBSes, let alone online services (Compuserve, GEnie, etc.) or the Internet, the letters in CAW's Green Egg magazine was one of the main public communication methods in the American Pagan community. Even people who were skeptical of a religion based partially on a science fiction novel used the magazine to communicate.

[Jenett]

Long ago, years before their were BBSes, let alone online services (Compuserve, GEnie, etc.) or the Internet, the letters in CAW's Green Egg magazine was one of the main public communication methods in the American Pagan community. Even people who were skeptical of a religion based partially on a science fiction novel used the magazine to communicate.

 
This. I have some old Green Egg issues from the mid-80s through early 90s (passed o from a friend no longer Pagan who knew they'd intrigue me.) The letters sections are *fascinating* cross-sections of where a bunch of common Pagan concepts developed.

[dragonfaerie]

This. I have some old Green Egg issues from the mid-80s through early 90s (passed o from a friend no longer Pagan who knew they'd intrigue me.) The letters sections are *fascinating* cross-sections of where a bunch of common Pagan concepts developed.

 
They apparently have a webzine at http://www.greeneggzine.com/

Karen

[diana_rajchel]

This. I have some old Green Egg issues from the mid-80s through early 90s (passed o from a friend no longer Pagan who knew they'd intrigue me.) The letters sections are *fascinating* cross-sections of where a bunch of common Pagan concepts developed.

 
I subscribed for awhile in the late 90s. I miss the print zine - not only did the letters tell you where some ideas began, it also let you see a very human aspect of the Pagan community. It helped me realize that my co-religionists are, like, people.