THE WONDER: Science-Based Paganism · The Wonder Podcast

Pagan Values

·57 min·3 clips

Pleasure is treated as inherently good, as long as others are not harmed.

Jukka and Mark open by checking in on the show's early momentum and thanking listeners for the feedback they have already received. They invite questions by email, then settle into a conversation about values and ethics in their own practice. The frame is explicitly non-theist and science-based. They are interested in what a pagan path asks of a person, not in defending belief for its own sake. Gratitude is the first principle they name. They treat it as a real discipline, not a vague nice feeling, and connect it to a happier, more fulfilled life. Humility comes next. Their version of humility means remembering that no one is better than anybody else, whatever their accomplishments or expertise. That leads naturally into perspective. They make room for laughter, including laughter at themselves, because they see humor as part of human experience. The hosts also push back on religious traditions that seem to take themselves too seriously. For them, the ability to laugh keeps people honest about absurdity, gravity, and shared vulnerability. Praxis is the point where philosophy turns into religion. Regular ritual matters because it gives the path a body and a calendar. They contrast that with philosophies that may contain cosmologies and value sets but no lived practice. Inclusiveness is another core commitment. They describe diversity and difference as things to respect because everyone has equal worth. The conversation becomes especially clear when they talk about race, gender, and who people love without trying to rank any of them. Near the end, they acknowledge that gender conversations are changing quickly and that their own language will need to keep up. The episode closes on that open-ended note, with ongoing reflection treated as part of the work rather than a sign of uncertainty.

As heard by us

A patient, practical look at pagan ethics, with gratitude, humility, laughter, praxis, and inclusiveness doing real work.

Jukka and Mark sketch a non-theist pagan ethic built on gratitude, humility, laughter, praxis, and inclusiveness. The strength here is the directness: they treat those ideas as lived commitments, not slogans, and keep the focus on regular ritual, values, and how a religion takes…

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Want a grounded pagan ethics conversation that treats gratitude, humility, and laughter as serious practice?

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