9 posts tagged “paganism”

(Cross-posted on my LJ)

I read an LJ post on a comm called nonfluffypagans about whether it was elitist of a specific group of Native Americans wanting nothing about their religion to be taught or discussed with those who are not tribal members.

I personally agree with the first commenter, who said, "A religion belongs to those who believe and practice it. They make the rules."

(Completely off-topic, I also agree with the later commenter who said, about Paganism, "...you've got a religion that regards cakes, beer and sex as a GOOD THING, if not actively sacred. The benefits should be so obvious that evangelism risks attracting the wrong sort of people."  But I digress.)

Part of why I've been so neglectful of my Vox, which is where I began chronicling the religious aspects of my life (besides having a new full-time job, as well as a houseful of kids home for summer vacation and plenty of critters to clean up after), is that my personal beliefs and practices are undergoing something of a metamorphosis.  I'm not entirely sure that my personal religion can be termed Wicca anymore, although there are certainly more similarities than differences.  However, it's not something I am at all compelled to share, or even really interested in discussing, with others. 

An online friend recently blogged something that suits me very well:

If you're a grown-up walking around with unexamined and unchallenged personal beliefs about the nature of the world, life, our relationships with one another (particularly politics, ethics and religion) and with other living things, if you haven't stopped to check and challenge those beliefs as hard as you can and don't have a basis for why you hold them, then you're doing yourself and those you love a major disservice, and I for one can't trust you.

One of the things that I appreciate most about the best of Pagan faiths is that they don't teach that you should rely upon faith; they teach that you should forever question what you learn, what you experience, what you are told, and what you believe.  There is no exclusively sacred text that all Pagans uphold as the word of the gods; there is nothing written in stone to become the focus for fundamentalists who forbid questioning and curiosity.  There is no One True Way.

When I first began learning about Wicca in my teens, I made the same mistake that many seekers do -- I didn't question a lot of things, and readily accepted that things are done a certain way for a good (yet unexplained) reason, or due to tradition (which should be continued unquestioned).  But my own inherent curiosity (my mother says my first complete sentence was, "What's the difference between this and that?") prompted me to start questioning.  This did not make me entirely popular with the local Pagans I knew at the time...or any Pagans, since.

Then again, popularity has never been one of my goals.  *cheeky grin*  And while there are some practices in my personal faith that have remained unchanged for many years, it's because those particular practices make sense (at least to me) and they work (at least for me).  If there's an unofficial "commandment" of Pagan faiths, it's probably the notion that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Asking the question "why" can be a very touchy situation.  I can't even begin to count the number of times that someone has reacted defensively or angrily when I've asked them "why" -- because they misinterpreted my asking as questioning or doubting their beliefs or judgment, rather than my simple curiosity to discover the reasons behind something.  (And yes, my tone of voice or the particular phrasing I used in my questioning may have made a difference, as I've never won any awards for tact, either.)  It gets real old, real fast, to constantly have to preface your curious inquiries with, "I don't want to start an argument or make you feel uncomfortable, I just want to understand the reasons for this statement/opinion."  When it gets to the point that I feel I should just have a badge made up with an Official Disclaimer, I start becoming incredibly selective about who I'll ask "why" regarding anything!  (Even if that means bringing an interesting conversation to a screeching halt, because I simply have no interest in pussy-footing around someone's prickliness or stumbling into someone's drama-o-rama fest.)

But asking the question "why" is important and necessary, too.  If you can't question the "why" of something inside your own head or heart, you are basically being stupid on purpose -- and that's not something you should ever do without a damned good reason.  I'm not one to promote stupidity for any reason, but there are a few issues I consciously choose to remain ignorant or uninformed regarding, because I do have very good reasons to do so.  However, none of these issues involve religious faith or beliefs.

Although I've spent most of my life being "TMI Girl," a few months ago I came to the conclusion that my personal religious beliefs and practices weren't things I wanted to share any longer.  Not because I'm not proud of them, or because I don't feel they can stand up to scrutiny -- just the opposite, actually.  As I said, they make sense to me and they work for me.  But I just don't feel it's my job to "spread the good word," or justify what I believe, or even try to explain it to anyone who isn't an emotionally intimate and trusted friend.  I'll continue to question myself and my beliefs, and you can question anything you like -- including me and my beliefs.  But that doesn't mean I have to answer any and all questions put to me, if I don't care to.

It used to be the standard of polite society that politics, sex, and religion were Just Not Discussed for the most part.  Somewhere along the way, that changed...and now it seems that everyone, everywhere in America, finds it acceptable -- or even admirable -- to be "TMI Girl/Guy" about not only those topics, but any topic.  It's as though "good taste" not only became unfashionable, but thought of as rather archaic and ridiculous.  But that's not how I view it...so I think I'll take a stab at reinstating good taste, in at least my little corner of the world, at least in my little religious beliefs.

I was pointed to this website by a post to an online community that specifically snarks items of Pagan topic.  There's a ton of really fraking cool stuff on the site that I really, really want!!!  But (as was pointed out at the online community) most of that which is labeled "Celtic," ain't.

But I still want half the stuff in their "Wheel of the Year" section.  And enough of the other stuff on the site that I bookmarked it under my special folder labeled "Stuff I Want."  *huge grin*

Or, as my dear best friend and co-conspirator says, "Beltane is so very passe these days -- we should rename it Bel-chicka-bow-bow."  (You have to say it as if it were a naughty movie...you know, the XXX-rated ones. *grin*)  Because we all know what Beltane is about....(NSFW!)

It's about freaking time!  Now military veterans of the Pagan and/or Wiccan persuasion can have pentacles inscribed on government-issued memorial markers for their graves.

I've been saying for years that my cats want to go out to the "Really Big Room" (the outdoors), but if they actually manage to get out the door, they get scared and want back inside instantly!  (Obligatory soapbox mention that indoor-only cats are safe, healthy, & happy cats!)

When my next-door-neighbors, the World's Best Ex (Robert) & the World's Cutest Wife (Claire), were chatting with me for a few minutes today, and Claire said the baby was tap-dancing on her internal organs again, I remarked how amusing it was to see newborn babies look astonished when they stretch out their limbs and they meet with no resistance, since they're no longer crowded inside a snug little womb -- and Robert punned that they must think they've come out into a Really Big Womb.

First, I groaned (the correct response to a pun -- although if the pun is truly impressive, you must hold your nose and run screaming from the room).  Then suddenly, something just *clicked* in my brain.  As Pagans & Wiccans, we believe that the Earth is our Mother.  Therefore:

Earth is our Really Big Womb.

It's kind of what our religion is all about, yeah?

In case I overlooked sending an invite to any who is interested, I started a Vox Group called Pagan Ponderings.  It's a Q&A meme for all topics relating to modern Paganism, both beliefs & practices... if you think it's something you might like, please do check out the group info!  I really hope it's something that all members can enjoy, and will contribute both questions & answers.

I've been working on the archives of the Witches Weekly for some time now, and I've noticed that many of the subjects/questions tend to repeat after a while.  It's tempting me to start my own meme for Pagans... I used to run a music meme at my original blog, and there were some weeks that thinking up questions was a major chore, and after a year (which I thought was a fair accomplishment) I stopped doing it.

If I start a Pagan-themed meme, I don't want it to be just questions & answers -- the "Vox Hunt" feature here asks for images, music, video, and other media rather than just text, and I tend to like that (even if I don't actually participate in it very often).  I also wouldn't want the material to be too restrictive and therefore discourage participants -- while I'm Wiccan, a great many terrific Pagans aren't, and I wouldn't want them to be excluded.

Since Vox has the Groups option now, I'm thinking it would be a good idea to run a meme within the Group framework.  It would be a lot tidier & more organized than just putting the posts in my personal Vox!  Now I just have to think of a name, how often I'm going to add new material, and get a handful of initial posts prepared (at least mentally) so I'm not caught empty-handed a week or two down the road.

Suggestions are welcome!  (Comments are open to everyone, not just my neighborhood.)

I practically shrieked in delight when I saw this set of questions -- on Ode to the Fluffy -- come up in the Witches Weekly!  I have a confession to make:

I used to be a Fluffy Bunny Witch.  Oh yes, it's shocking, I know.  But once upon a time (back when rocks were soft and everybody knew that Wicca was the Old Religion with an unbroken line of practitioners all the way back to prehistoric times... *rolls eyes*), I actually purchased $ilver Ravingwolf's books with a sparkle of delight in my naively-shining eyes, and blathered on to anyone who didn't escape fast enough about how absolutely, amazingly fabulous Wicca was.  Luckily (!!!), that phase didn't last long enough for me to drive away my friends, who nonetheless were getting very, very tired of my exuberant gushing and tendency to relate every single thing in the entire world to Witchcraft.  (My gratitude toward their patience is why I can now tolerate Fluffies without giving into my first inclination, which is vicious sarcasm.)

1. How do you feel about the term “fluffy pagan?” What is your definition?

I consider someone a Fluffy Bunny if they can't be bothered to educate themselves about Paganism and/or Wicca, if they refuse to (i.e. "are too lazy to") think for themselves rather than just accept whatever is spoon-fed to them, and if they insist on believing (or claiming to believe, anyway) that the Universe is a place of "light & love" where nothing bad would ever happen if we just cast enough circles and chant "We all come from the Goddess" a few thousand times.  (It didn't work for the Flower Children of the '60's or the TM'ers of the '70's, and it's not gonna work for the Fluffies now!)  I'm probably more gentle with Fluffies than most people, precisely because I've been where they are and I remember how desperately I wanted all the fluffy nonsense to be true, since I was a rather unhappy girl yearning to find something good & sweet in life (and I think most Fluffies are experiencing much the same thing when they discover Paganism or Wicca).  However -- and this is the important part! -- I put on the Big Girl Panties, and actually learned my Craft instead of continuing to parrot the nonsense I learned from $5 D.J.Conway books.  (That's right, I eventually graduated to Uncle Bucky's Big Blue Book That Won't Fit On A Shelf!  *snicker*)

2. What do you feel are some of the “wrong” reasons that people tend to learn towards the pagan faith? (sex, drugs, etc)

I used to get pretty pissy about people who (presumably) got involved with Paganism because they were interested in the sex, drugs, drama-o-rama, gothy angst, or cosmic powers that they assumed would come with Being A Pagan.  Then I found this exquisite little tagline: "Many people are drawn to Paganism for what it isn't. Those who stay with Paganism appreciate what it is."  Now I don't stress over why anyone gets/got involved with Paganism or Wicca, because if they stick with it -- and they aren't total immature & irresponsible poseur jerks -- then it's probably good for them.  And maybe they'll be good for it, too.

That said, I do want to point out that my personal experience has been that at least 90% of heterosexual males who become Pagan or Wiccan get involved with it for one of two reasons: 1) his wife or girlfriend was into it so he figured he'd learn about it, too, and discovered it was really meaningful to him, or 2) he heard Pagan chicks are "easy" and figured it would be a great way to get laid.  (Back when I was a Fluffy Bunny, it drove me bonkers that the Pagan boys kept pestering me -- I had to become a serious practitioner out of self-defense!  *snicker*)

3. What annoys you the most about some of today's self-defined pagans?

Pretty much the same things that annoy me about people in general, the top offenses being: laziness, attitudes of entitlement ("the world owes me" complex), general stupidity in both common sense & intellect (I include poor spelling & punctuation in that), immaturity (most noteably shown in frequent failures to foresee or accept the consequences of their choices), and general irresponsibility.  But I'm not their mom, or their priestess, or their keeper -- so I usually just try to limit my interactions with people who score high in those categories, and try to live my life in ways that mean I've earned my self-respect.

And -- at least amongst the Pagans in my state...which is why I rarely hang out with local Pagans! -- I'm really sick of the pot-smoking, holier-than-thou vegetarian, tie-dye-wearing, hippie-type Pagans who want to make everything a political and/or feminist issue.  But quite possibly the worst thing is the damned patchouli oil.  It's nasty -- quit wearing it!!!

This amuses me greatly, because while I feel rather drawn to much of the environment of the British Isles (and have a special fondness for Sheela na Gig), my personal deities are Norse -- although I'm just as likely to call upon the God and Goddess in general.  But I've never had an affinity for strictly Celtic deities...
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You scored as Celtic Pantheonic Pagan. Your answers leaned very close to that of the Celtic Pantheon.  Very popular now among pagans, the Celtic Gods seem to draw those who are sensitive and insightful, but also very passionate about their beliefs.  Many Pagan Holidays are named for this pantheon and here is where you'll find many stories on Horned God, Green Man, and Druids.  You likely either have been or want to visit Stonehenge one day.  Many Arthurian legnds include references to the Celtic faith, as well.

Celtic Pantheonic Pagan		90%
Ecclectic Pagan		65%
Norse Pantheonic Pagan (Asatru)		60%
Zoroastrian Pagan		55%
Eastern Pagan		45%
Kabbalistic Pagan		40%
Roman Pantheonic Pagan		35%
Shamanic Pagan		35%
Egyptian Pantheonic Pagan		25%
Greek Pantheonic Pagan		25%
Sumerian, Babylonian, and Mesopotamian Pagans		15%
Catholic (Pagan?)		5%

What kind of Pagan are you?
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This one, however, was pretty darned accurate...

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You scored as Wiccan.  A practitioner of a nature-based/revering or folk belief system, art or religion. Not all Witches follow the same belief system. Some practice what is called the "Old Religion" which has its roots in Pagan pre-monotheistic folkways and beliefs and which usually follows the agricultural seasonal cycles. Many Witches believe in a polytheistic deity structure usually based upon the local gods and goddesses of the area of origin. (from www.witchvox.com) Wiccan 94% Simply Pagan 44% Slavic 38% Celtic Traditions 31% Druid 25% Religo Romana 19% Minoan 19% Vudou 0% Kemetic 0% Hellenistic 0%

What type of Pagan are you?
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