The Pagan Christ thesis by Tom Harpur proposes that the story of Jesus Christ and many of the elements of Christianity can be traced back to pre-Christian pagan religions. Harpur argues that the figure of Christ is not a historical person, but rather a mythical archetype that has been reinterpreted and reimagined throughout history. According to Harpur, the story of Christ bears striking similarities to the myths and legends of ancient pagan deities, such as Osiris, Dionysus, and Mithras. He claims that many of the key events in Jesus' life, such as his birth, death, and resurrection, can be found in the stories of these earlier gods. Harpur also suggests that the teachings of Jesus, particularly his emphasis on love, compassion, and forgiveness, can be seen as universal principles that are found in many religious traditions, not just Christianity. He argues that these teachings are not unique to Christ, but rather reflect the common wisdom of humanity.
Blue Pixie Dust is the most powerful of them all, as if infused within a regular maple tree it can turn it into a special one by making it produce regular golden Pixie Dust as soon the Blue Pixie Dust is dropping inside it. The process of growing Pixie Dust Trees was discovered by an extremely gifted and powerful dust-keeper named Zarina.
When Pan s youth was close to expiring, the trees no longer had any Pixie Dust; likely his breaking of Neverland s rules of only visiting in dreams caused too much strain on the world to continue production of it. When Paige was turned to stone by the TitanMeta, fairy dust was part of a combination used a Leprechaun s luck, a Dwarf s axe, and Phoebe s magical potion to free her from her petrified state.
He argues that these teachings are not unique to Christ, but rather reflect the common wisdom of humanity. The Pagan Christ thesis challenges the traditional understanding of Christianity as a unique and exclusive religion. Harpur contends that the true message of Jesus has been distorted over time and that it is important to strip away the myth and metaphor in order to find the universal truths that lie at the heart of all religious traditions.
Discover Your Magic Pixie Dust
The transition from 2013 to 2014 was different for me. I had evolved light-years from where I was a decade ago, yet knew that there would still be many more miles to go before I took my final sleep.
I wanted to more fully occupy who I am on a daily basis. I wanted to dive more deeply into who I am becoming. I wanted my actions to be more fruitful when it came to what I desire to create in this world.
Yet, deep down, I knew that I was missing a spark of something to fully embody those desires.
I wasn’t seeking overnight results, but I longed for some magic pixie dust to rain down upon me and allow me to discover the key between how I was already (consciously) living to taking it to the next level.
So, let me be honest, darling: I knew that I had the magic answer, but I just hadn’t stumbled upon the right question or prompt to allow me to uncover it.
Then it hit me as I was reviewing lessons from Make Your Inner Sex Kitten Roar and writing blog posts: it boils down to the twins: routines and rituals. Part one, the routine, is to bring action towards your deepest desires into your daily life.
But in order to make them stick (and not become more unconscious action), you have to become dedicated to those dreams and find a way to plug into them on a deeper level.
Part two is ritual.
Yes, the magic answer was something I already knew: we need ritual in order to connect us more deeply to who we are and to God. (Whatever your definition of God / The Universe / Etc. may be.) There is an innate human need to feel connected. To touch something greater. To be fed spiritually by a higher source.
And rituals satisfy that need.
R ituals offer you compassionate discipline and help to focus your attention and energy on a desired way of feeling. They will ground you regardless of what’s happening around you.
After numerous conversations with clients, soul sisters, and colleagues around the subject of not only creating goals and dreams, but going after them and making them a part of your reality, I’ve realized that taking that Dedication for your Dreams and Goals into your life doesn’t just leave you simply craving rituals, but demanding them.
My logical mind has been playing with this concept.
If ritual connects me to who I am, to God, to my bigger sense of purpose and being, then why did I often avoid it? Sure, I regularly begin the day with a ritual that grounded me: that first cup of coffee was like a prayer for me. But beyond the coffee? There wasn’t a subscribed set of things.
Sometimes I meditate. Sometimes I began the day with a walk. Sometimes I light a candle when I walk into the office with the intention of writing. My ritualistic actions and routines varied according to what was on the agenda for the day. Then those “sometimes” activities would click and I would have stumbled upon just the right combination of things to really plug into who I am at my core.
I found the tiny pieces of ritual that, even in a stressful day, would keep me feeling connected and not getting exhausted.
I learned that the days when I engaged in deliberate actions of consciousness and connection were the days that I did my best work. (And, for the record kitten, by ‘best work,’ I don’t mean ‘largest number of words,’ but ‘the most profound words’ – and not having coached a ton of clients, but getting in deep with the clients I worked with that day. )
Because I’m logical, I know that in order to hone in on my successful routines and rituals, I had to catalogue them, so I began to jot down what I did that day.
Eventually patterns emerged.
What connected? What felt empowering? Where was the love? What did I eat? Where was the truth? Where was my vulnerability? What kind of stillness did I give my mind? What kind of movement did I give my body?
How organized and prepared was I for the day? Did I journal? Did I write down my dreams? How far into the morning was it before I checked email? When did I begin engaging in Social Media?
At the end of the day, what allowed me to feel open, loved, tender and powerful? What made me feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and frazzled? What felt like I was trying to hard? What felt like the real me?
W ritten in my journal on December 31st of this past year is a single line of intention around how I desired to experience 2014:
“Passionate: full-time devotion, not part time love”.
There was the pixie dust I needed, right before me. Written in my own hand in my journal.
Yep. The answers were all about being devoted to the dream, not offering it a tiny piece of my heart. It was about being devoted to what was on tap for the day. It was about making sure I was passionate about my rituals, not doing them as if they were a prescribed checklist.
The answers were all about being devoted to who I am naturally, which is someone that doesn’t want an endless list of things to check off in order to be able to do my best work. I need to jump right in and do it. I want it to be efficient.
Don’t get me wrong: I love the idea of having two hours to mindfully go through every possible thing on the list that makes me feel the love. Sometimes, I may do every single thing – coffee, journal, go for a walk or bike ride, meditate, go to yoga, etc.
But I also know – logically, instinctively, soulfully – that it’s not the sort of thing I have the patience for every single day. The real secret of those rituals is that many of them were tiny in the time they actually took, yet giant in their impact on my soul.
I need rituals that are efficient and deep. I need rituals that connect me to God, but don’t disconnect me from the real demands on my schedule. And I’m betting, darling, that you do, too.
Y ou see, I would go so far as to say you NEED rituals. Your dreams DEMAND dedication. Your soul INSISTS you need to have faith in the little voice inside you.
So, how are you going to feed that need? How are you going to become devoted to yourself? How are you going to deepen your faith in your desires? How can you honor your dreams?
Begin small.
Begin with your morning beverage and make it mindfully. Begin with 3 minutes of meditation. Begin by stating (out loud) your intention for the day. Begin by choosing a quote for the week and read it every morning and night. Begin by choosing a mantra for the week, and writing it on a post it that you stick on your bathroom mirror. Begin by simply sitting quietly on your porch for two minutes. Begin by saying a prayer and lighting a candle as you begin getting ready for the day and blowing that candle out as you walk out the door to work.
Rituals require that we slow down for a few moments. And this, my darling, is good. Because, baby, we can’t live a life we love if we rush through it at a hundred miles an hour.
Then, get logical. What felt like love? What felt like connection to yourself? What felt like you were a full time lover of your own dreams? What, at the end of a long day, allowed you to look back and say THIS allowed me to feel like the REAL ME?
H ere’s your magic pixie dust experiment: become devoted to one or two of the rituals for a solid week and see how that impacts your heart and the way you feel about your work. Strengthen your dedication to your dreams with this devotion.
Each and every one of us has the answers deep within us. We have magic pixie dust running through our veins. We just need a way to release that into our own lives so that we can impact our own little world.
Become dedicated to your dreams. Bring ritual into your daily life in some way. Isn’t it time that your dreams received your full-time devotion and not your part-time love?
We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you…
Critics of Harpur's thesis argue that he is oversimplifying and cherry-picking similarities between different mythologies to support his claims. They point out that while there may be superficial similarities between the stories of Jesus and pagan gods, there are also significant differences that cannot be ignored. Despite the controversy surrounding his ideas, Harpur's book, "The Pagan Christ", has sparked a widespread debate and renewed interest in the historical and mythical roots of Christianity. Whether or not one agrees with his thesis, it is clear that his work has made a significant impact on the study of religion and the understanding of the figure of Christ..
Reviews for "Tom Harpur's Pagan Christ: A Historical Perspective on the Origins of Christian Beliefs"
1. John - 2/5
I was really disappointed with "The Pagan Christ Thesis" by Tom Harpur. While the concept of exploring the pagan influences on Christianity intrigued me, I found Harpur's arguments to be poorly executed. His claims were often based on vague connections and his research lacked depth. Additionally, his writing style was dry and repetitive, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a thorough and well-supported exploration of the topic.
2. Sarah - 1/5
"The Pagan Christ Thesis" by Tom Harpur was a complete letdown for me. I was hoping for an insightful analysis of the potential pagan origins of Christianity, but instead, I found the book to be filled with baseless assumptions and flimsy evidence. Harpur seemed more interested in pushing his own agenda rather than presenting a balanced argument. I struggled to finish the book due to the lack of clear reasoning and the author's constant repetition of the same ideas. Save yourself the disappointment and look for a more credible and well-researched examination of this topic.
3. Mark - 2/5
I had high hopes for "The Pagan Christ Thesis" by Tom Harpur, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. While the idea of exploring the influence of pagan beliefs on Christianity intrigued me, Harpur's arguments lacked substance and seemed highly speculative. The book lacked the depth of research and critical analysis that I was looking for. Additionally, the writing style was dry and repetitive, making it difficult for me to stay engaged. Overall, I was disappointed with the lack of scholarly rigor in this book.