Not all the new gods were moral. There were beings of mischief, tricksters who led us to madness and doubt—but seemingly to an end. Those who were led away after a period of hazy incoherence and lostness often returned to us with a spirit of soberness and focus that shocked … (read more)

Not all the new gods were moral. There were beings of mischief, tricksters who led us to madness and doubt—but seemingly to an end. Those who were led away after a period of hazy incoherence and lostness often returned to us with a spirit of soberness and focus that shocked us. Something about the deity’s words had seemed to grant them a clarity previously missing from their lives—bringing those even on the fringes of our communities to return to us full of life and lucidity, new leaders in our society. We both feared and loved this unique presence of mischief in our lives.