tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6990698585863992812024-03-12T16:10:58.415-07:00Wyrd WilesA Heathen perspective on the Pagan community. As a student of anthropology, I actively study the growth and development of the Pagan community, and as a Heathen I have devoted myself to seeing that community flourish.
Here I hope to present news and information relevant to practicing Pagans, as well as offer perspectives and analysis of events within the community itself. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-81884686328514785222013-09-26T21:03:00.000-07:002013-09-26T21:19:04.498-07:00Freyfaxi?<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So as I've mentioned previously, I recently started participating in the ADF through the local Grove here in Phoenix. I've just started their </span><a href="http://www.adf.org/training/dedicant/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: navy; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Dedicant Program”</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and I'm (give or take) about a third of the way through it. One of the major requirements of this program is a thorough understanding of, attendance to, and written analysis of the eight cardinal holy days of the wheel of the year. Of these eight occasions, four of the holiday observances must be held in the </span><a href="http://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/core-order.html" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: navy; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ADF ritual format.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I've read the entire manual, and while their chosen format isn't my usual practice, I think it's a perfectly reasonable arrangement of events. Thus, when I found out that there was an open Autumnal Equinox celebration I jumped at my chance to get one of my ritual observances in, and to meet some new people!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Cue dramatic foreshadowing music) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My first hint that something might be off was when I looked up the event details and saw that this years celebration of Mabon would be held in a traditional Norse Freyfaxi...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 11px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> You have no idea how much fun I had creating this image</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> For those of you that are curious (or have no idea what the heck a Freyfaxi is), the holiday is held on August 1</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 10px; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">st</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and is essentially the Asatru equivalent to the more common “Lammas”. So a ritual hosted by a group which requires documented proof that you know your stuff about the Wheel of the Year (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">which I was attending in order to prove just that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) was honoring the wrong holiday, nearly two months late.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span> <img height="206px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/QLKYanEy_ZaplfbScamowbugYpuBE9-knF6h3whN4T2m0BzIWmUYTSWsSTOBDIDTtXUfRiaQju33C2-blZSVrGfDRDIUkZMo_oCABaJyh0DtPusS0H0-Y_W37uyu36c1KKE" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" width="244px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Now this is a group which I've heard GREAT things about, which includes a number of my friends, and which generally promotes scholarship and research. So I did some digging, and discovered that there ARE groups of heathens which celebrate Freyfaxi on the equinox (as opposed to Winter Finding, which is more common). Thus informed, I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt and go anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The gathering was held at the Irish Cultural Center (Which looks like Hogwarts, and is AWESOME) and about fifty people came to celebrate. The ritual began with a mood setting chant as we walked around the courtyard and gathered around the altar. The druids at the ADF don't cast a circle or otherwise denote the ritual area, instead they either give an offering to those forces they would placate, or call upon a protector/hero to watch over the ritual. So when they called upon The Thunderer to keep any ill forces at bay, it seemed perfectly reasonable. When you're envisioning the out-dwellers as the forces of </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B6tunheimr" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jötunheim</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, you could do a lot worse than Atli, Jötuns bane. They then proceeded to call the Aesir, and the Vanir, and honor Freyr in particular. It all seems pretty kosher so far. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Then, without even a blink, they invited Brigid to come and be honored for the occasion. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My mind boggled. I was completely at a loss for words (NOT a common occurrence, I assure you). First off, those are NOT two pantheons that had a friendly relationship. The Vikings raided Ireland for hundreds of years, and the two were regularly tied up in land wars. Needless to say, these two cultures were not exactly cordial. As if that wasn't enough to question the wisdom of bringing these forces together, you have invited two notoriously hot headed gods, both competing for the same role as god/ess of the forge. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Fundamental law of nature: any two organisms in the same ecosystem, which fill the same ecological niche, will end up in competition. Put a lion and a tiger in the same cage with a lump of meat and they will (most likely) kill each other. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Well... as below, so above. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The ritual continued, with offerings to the landvaetter, the ancestors, and the gods. As the procession wound down, in standard ADF fashion, an Omen was cast. Essentially, after everybody has made their offerings to the powers that be, the idea is to do a divination to see what gifts the powers offer in return. To that end, one rune is drawn for each “Kindred” (Gods-Ancestors-Landvaetter, in that order). The woman who had been leading the chanting and meditation that evening drew up a set of runes and drew for the Aesir. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thurisaz</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A questionable enough “blessing” as it is, it's also known as Thor's rune.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then the chanter drew again, this time for the Ancestors.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thurisaz</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Again. Ok. I think we're getting the message here.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then finally she drew for the Landvaetter.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ansuz</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The god rune, the Aesir, Odin's court. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Let me sum that up... We ask what we should expect in return for our ritual. The gods say “Expect Thor...”, the ancestors say “Yeah... You should REALLY expect Thor....”, and the spirits of the land say “You should listen to them.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After the ritual, during the feast, I got a chance to speak with a few friends about the omen. One pointed out: “That isn't the only definition for Thurisaz. It could mean challenges ahead, or giants!”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> So to recap, our alternate explanation was the rune representing the ritual protector, indicating that there would be troubles ahead (and maybe giants). Our alternate explanation is sounding strikingly similar to the first one... In the end I did the only thing I could. I had brought a flask of my favorite liquor (Ouzo, left over from my wedding night), which I had intended to share as an offering to the Aesir and enjoy the rest. After the feast I walked out to the fire where the offerings were made, and emptied the flask. All of it. </span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DGHjPmaXLo-eeZsF3HYG2uiigsf09G8LdRjIToYDUfGhS-_sqdAN-bwWYabdBSPDh0fQy_eYXYi5EHc3aK7NN_rEWQaRFo7UneBEG-TDIln87QDVF7ZOKza5sLCi8wSAzHQ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DGHjPmaXLo-eeZsF3HYG2uiigsf09G8LdRjIToYDUfGhS-_sqdAN-bwWYabdBSPDh0fQy_eYXYi5EHc3aK7NN_rEWQaRFo7UneBEG-TDIln87QDVF7ZOKza5sLCi8wSAzHQ" width="431px;" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It's not uncommon for individual pagans at a ritual to encounter some particular detail which they don't agree with, or feel the need to correct later after the celebration has concluded. Sometimes we just silently correct the issue in our head, other times we pour some extra booze in the fire, and occasionally we write a blog about it! All issues aside, the feast was great and getting to hang out with friends (new and old) was a blast; however I'm a bit wary of going to another Norse ritual. They have an event coming up which is in conjunction with another local group </span><a href="http://hammerhearth.org/home.html" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Hammerhearth”</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which might be a bit less problematic. While I've decided not to let this deter me from completing the Dedicant program, I'll admit that it does make me appreciate my usually solitary practice. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">P.S.- Thor, I'm really, really, REALLY sorry.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 11px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please don't smite me</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-75325521086992397182013-09-18T23:47:00.000-07:002013-09-18T23:47:03.101-07:00Announcements!<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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So sometimes life goes from 0 to 90
without any warning, and all you can do is cling desperately to your
seat and enjoy the ride. The past few weeks have been a maelstrom of
chaos. (and by <i><u>chaos</u></i>, I mean <b>AWESOME!</b>)</div>
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Since there's no way I could tackle
each of these subjects individually in a timely manor, I decided to
do a big update where I just try to cover all of the interesting
things going on.</div>
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-<b>I will be authoring a column on
Agora, over at Patheos! </b>
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<b> </b>Wyrd Words will be keeping the
Thor in Thursdays on a bi-weekly basis! Look for the inaugural piece
<a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/agora/">today</a>! As if this
wasn't completely obvious, I am a HUGE fan of many of the writers
over at the <a href="http://www.patheos.com/Pagan.html">Patheos Pagan
Chanel</a>. Even being invited to be a columnist (rather than a blog
owner) feels like getting front row seats to some kind of
Pagan/Blogger Superbowl.
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In other news, I'm a complete nerd.
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<b>-I will be participating in the ADF
Dedicant program.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> </b>Over
the past couple of years I've essentially danced in circles around
the ADF. I've known more then a few members, and I follow <a href="http://www.bishopinthegrove.com/">Teo
Bishop</a> who was a member until relatively recently. Despite this,
I had never bothered to really examine the organization. I'm really
not sure why. When I finally got around to checking it out though,
what I found was an organization of Pagans which promoted scholarly
study and research. What's more, they're completely open to Heathens
(Even solitary ones)!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
will be writing about my experiences with the program here on Wyrd
Wiles in what will likely be my first blog “series”.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>-Intra-Pagan Interfaith dialogue</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> </b>In
an effort to initiate a long term project that I've been trying to
get off the ground, I will be writing about an interview with Vice
Sr. Druid of the Grove of the Rising Phoenix, Mr. Mark Bailey.
Expect this piece within the next few weeks. My hope is that this
will be the first of many such discussions across the various Pagan
traditions!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>-The FRD has announced the launch
date for “The World Table” </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> </b><a href="http://theworldtable.org/">“The
World Table”</a> is a program which will facilitate inter religious
conversations, both for spiritual leaders and for any individuals
with an interest in education. Essentially two parties will engage
in conversation over some chosen topic, and others will be allowed to
“spectate”.
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our
hope is to have the Pagan Chapter of the Foundation for Religious
Diplomacy up and running in time to officially participate in the
opening events!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-59563399129293224352013-09-04T22:55:00.001-07:002013-09-04T22:55:22.534-07:00Northern Winds: Asatru and Heathen Meet-up<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b><a href="http://www.thenorthernwinds.com/">Northern
Winds</a>: Asatru and Heathen Meet-up</b></u></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">So one of the first things they teach you about in
Anthropology 101, is the history of the field and how we used to be
REALLY BAD AT IT. One of the predominant examples of this is the
phenomenon of “Armchair- Anthropologists”. In a nut shell; these
early pioneers in the field would study and compare cultures around
the world, without ever leaving their comfortable countryside homes.
Content to sound like they knew what they were talking about, simply
by reading reports from abroad, these guys are responsible for a LOT
of cultural misunderstandings and stereotypes. </span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeSVg5Luie8x5lf3AG4UVMeLgSs2OktR1AUBqp3XfEhD9GJuZfZyVx6rJYF36WAx40v5sxhamOHKvXY4LWqbe-Ulxm7220YUiG1HzqLi4lQbDb1IGS-64tXLrgHudA0W_26Zma1Ljsg6X/s1600/Armchain+anthro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeSVg5Luie8x5lf3AG4UVMeLgSs2OktR1AUBqp3XfEhD9GJuZfZyVx6rJYF36WAx40v5sxhamOHKvXY4LWqbe-Ulxm7220YUiG1HzqLi4lQbDb1IGS-64tXLrgHudA0W_26Zma1Ljsg6X/s320/Armchain+anthro.png" width="254" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Thus, as a student of Anthropology, and somebody who
hates to look like a hypocrite, I occasionally venture out into the
world to see what's happening! </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> This
past Friday evening was the monthly Asatru and Heathen Meet-up hosted
by Northern Winds. I had been to the shop once before, but not for
some time. Northern Winds is a small, one room shop, adjoined to the
larger </span><a href="http://www.fantasiacrystals.com/">Fantasia
Crystals</a><span style="font-size: small;">.
While the majority of the store seemed to have a more general Wiccan
target audience, Northern Winds has a distinctly Nordic feel to it.
While Pentacles and Irminsul decorated the walls, the shelves were
topped with statues of the Aesir and the Vanir. The display counter
boasted a large variety of rune sets, as well as </span><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Mjölnir
pendants made of everything from wood, to bronze, to chain-mail
links. This, along with a small shelf in the back with a few
impressive (out of print) books, convinced me that I'd come to the
right place for my excursion. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> As
the room filled up with people I was intrigued to see people from a
number of traditions in attendance, including the friendly
neighborhood Druid Mr. Bailey. (Whom I had the pleasure to meet once
before at the local Witches Ball). I was pleased to see such a
diverse group participating amicably in a kind of Intra-Pagan
Interfaith discussion. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> The
lesson that night was lead by Kevin Puckett, author, Gothi, and
creator of </span></span></span></span></em><em><a href="https://asastrong.myshopify.com/">Asastrong</a></em><em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">.
I had no idea what topic/s the lecture was going to be covering that
evening, so I was curious what direction Mr. Puckett would take when
he announced that the focus of the talk was going to be the concept
of the “Folk-Soul”. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> I
was expecting a 101 lesson on the idea of the Orlog (Ones connection
to their ancestral past), but Puckett had a more active, communal
vision in mind. Puckett's “Folk-Soul” is something more akin to a
community network. He described it as a quilt, into which each member
of the community stitches their most valued skills/attributes, thus
making them accessible to the whole group. By making connections with
others who possess different skill sets and resources than ones own,
an individual can gain access to a greater breadth of knowledge and
ability. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> In
addition to his lesson on “Folk-Soul”, Puckett also included a
practical daily philosophy, based on the idea of community
contribution, represented below:</span></span></span></span></em></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6HyDwty-IqowiJ9p-LTaY2-t9lnqrn5syc95xqTKR1nJ0BhNRPG4w2oF5sh1jEVJcY2BAyzZ4Vcj3O5hLW7RfPX2ScasXqUpCieTu0BTma1RIwJPjJ9Z2yeQZCqoL6hBFiiXvsDgoOR_/s1600/four+fold.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6HyDwty-IqowiJ9p-LTaY2-t9lnqrn5syc95xqTKR1nJ0BhNRPG4w2oF5sh1jEVJcY2BAyzZ4Vcj3O5hLW7RfPX2ScasXqUpCieTu0BTma1RIwJPjJ9Z2yeQZCqoL6hBFiiXvsDgoOR_/s320/four+fold.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Puckett's basic idea is that the human experience can be
broken down into these four fields, and that by maintaining a healthy
balance of these attributes, one can better contribute to their
community. (I believe his words were “commune with the Folk-Soul”.
There's a reason I'm a blogger and not a priest; I do not share the Skaldic Gothi's skill at waxing poetic.)</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> In his lecture, Puckett expounded upon each of his four
attributes, and his perspective on balance within each quarter as
well as within the whole. The Physical requires a balance between
work, exercise, and leisure. The Social involves the need for
solitary time, balanced against ones social obligations. The
Spiritual category emphasizes the need for practical grounding, in
addition to spiritual growth. The Mental quarter represents the need
for mental stimuli/critical thinking skills, vs mental leisure time.
(<i>On that last note: Guilty as charged, I spend WAY more time on
netflix then I do in science journals...</i>)</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> The talk ended with Mr. Puckett bringing the whole
thing full circle, and explaining that the resources for improving
ourselves can be found within the network of the Folk-Soul; and by
keeping ones life in balance, one can better contribute to the
Folk-Soul.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Now, putting aside my personal nitpicking around terms
like “spiritual” and the amount to which it may or may not be a
part of any individuals life, the Folk-Soul sounds like a fairly
positive social mechanic. If you want to encourage community activism
and tribal bonding, then promoting symbiotic relationships, founded
in reciprocity, through religious values is an effective strategy.
Couple this with a philosophy of personal progress as communal gain,
using a common Pagan ethic of self-reliance and responsibility for
support, and you have the beginnings of a great community action
plan. While I think this would be difficult to implement in a larger
community, I believe this kind of construct would make a strong
foundation for smaller groups like individual kindreds/covens/groves.
</span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> After the lecture, I had the opportunity to speak to
Mr. Puckett briefly about his work as an author, and his goals for
Asastrong. Puckett emphasized his company's stated mission:</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">ÁsaStrong’s
mission is to provide all Ásatrúar with new foundations well as
deeper philosophical based in our ancient tradition, as insights into
what has become our new, contemporary, tradition. We also seek to
provide books, clothing, ritual items, and jewelry created by actual
Ásatrúar for Ásatrúar. We seek to accomplish these goals through
the concept of Folk-Building (a term coined by some of our amazing
Folk-Mothers within the Folk community). This means we seek to only
do business with other companies, Kindreds, and organizations within
the Ásatrú or Folk community. Symbolized
by the Úlfheðinn logo, ÁsaStrong stands on the front-line of our
Trú each day that we don our Hammer. We will Progress our Trú and
our Folk by securing the rights and freedoms of all Ásatrúar. Our
motto, “Nevermind the False, Progress the Folk” will see us
through the times to come. We focus only on that which is positive,
and serves to further our Love for our Folk and our Gods.</span></span></span><br />
<blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> His focus, throughout our conversation, was always on
contributing to and building up the community. At first glance I
admit, I felt Asastrong's mission statement was a bit exclusivist.
While I respected his desire to bolster the Heathen population, I
didn't seem to make much room for Pagans outside of those borders.
However, after listening to his talk and discussing his work, I found
him to be a very open and accepting gentlemen. His personal
definition of Folk seemed to have room for anybody who wished to
consider themselves a part of the community, and I have a lot of
respect for that. In the end, I left the meet-up feeling like I had
potentially made some new friends, and I intend to follow Kevin
Puckett's career with interest. </span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> So, I have a bit of a guilty pleasure. I LOVE buying
books on runic interpretation. I'm always fascinated to see how
different people see the meanings behind the same symbols, and I've
got a collection which is starting to rival the harlequin romance
section at some bookstores. Thus, I made sure to procure a copy of
Kevin Puckett's “Runic Philosophy”! Expect a book review in the
near future!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-10479352049659157182013-08-15T14:01:00.002-07:002013-08-15T17:16:40.656-07:00What About the Children?<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 15pt;"><b>What
About the Children?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Patheos issued a
<a href="http://www.patheos.com/Topics/Passing-on-the-Faith.html">writing
prompt</a> for August; how do we pass on our faith to our children?
As half of an interfaith marriage, both members of minority religious
communities, let me take this opportunity to express how insanely
LOADED this question usually is. I have heard this question a hundred
times, each colored with it's own preexisting assumptions. More often
than not when somebody close to me asks this question, it's more
important to address the question they're NOT asking.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> When my father, a
Pagan with Taoist leanings, asked me </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“How
are you going to raise the children?”</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">, the
more important question he was really asking me was </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Is
she going to try and make you convert?”</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">.
When my father-in-law said the exact same phrase, his real question
was </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“You understand that you're going to
raise them Jewish, right?”. </i></span><span style="font-size: small;">When
my conservative Baptist mother asked me the question, her real
meaning was </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>“Will you let me teach
them about Jesus?”</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">.
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> More
often then not, I don't even get the opportunity to go into my plans
for my potential children's education. Instead I end up trapped in a
circular dance, trying to figure out what they're actually trying to
get at. In fact, there is exactly ONE person who has ever asked me
that question and actually wanted to know what my ideas, ideals, and
plans actually are; and that's my wife. (Arguably the only person
who's business it is in the first place!)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> My
wife and I met exactly two years to the day before our wedding, and
had known each other for about twenty minutes before this topic came
up as a tangent of a seriously FASCIN</span><span style="font-size: small;">ATING
discussion</span><span style="font-size: small;"> on
religion. Twenty minutes into the rest of our lives, and she made it
abundantly clear that her future children would be raised Jewish.
Bear in mind, I had no idea that this was my future wife at the time
and thus really was not concerned with this early revelation until
nearly two years later. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> So
how can I pass on my faith to my children, when I already swore to my
wife that I would raise them in the manner of her ancestors? I swore
on my honor, and on my sword (literally) that I would do my best to
ensure they went to Shul, learned about Jewish culture, and
got their Bar and Bat mitzvahs. My one and only caveat, was that once
our children are old enough to decide for themselves, that they will
be allowed to make their own choices as men and women; secure in the
knowledge that they will always be unquestionably accepted at home.
While they are growing up, and we're still responsible for leading
them along their paths, they'll follow my wife's god. They may choose
to do so for the rest of their lives, and I will never question their
choices in that matter. This doesn't mean that I won't be passing
down my own beliefs to my children. </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I
plan to raise good Heathen children. Let me be clear, I'm going to keep my word and raise our children to be Jewish; however I intend to raise children that any Heathen would be proud of! I intend for my children to grow
up understanding frith, and the unwavering support and loyalty of
kith and kin. I will teach them honorable conduct, regardless of
whether or not modern society recognizes the value of honor. I will
teach them to be self reliant, and to never stop questioning. I will
teach them the value of holding their word as their bond, and the
rewards of perseverance. My children may or may not ever choose to
honor the Aesir and the Vanir. They may devote their lives to
Judaism, following their mother into the Rabbinate. </span><span style="font-size: small;">If
I can instill these values, these core tenants of my belief, then I
will state with pride that I have taught my children all I have to
offer. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> To
some, it's more important to pass down the cultural lore. Others say
that the most important thing for them to pass on to their progeny,
is the desire to honor their gods. These virtues are what my
Heathenism means to me. If I can encourage my children to lead a
life that would make their ancestors proud, I will happily count my
duties as a Heathen father successfully fulfilled. </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Edited by: Jessie</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-62598530860401732802013-08-08T15:19:00.002-07:002013-08-08T15:19:53.458-07:00Community Networking Update<div style="text-align: center;">
Introducing Our New Segment:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Community Networking Page</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Just above this post, next to the "About" page, you'll see the new addition. Wyrd Wiles was created as a community building effort, and to that end I thought it might be a good idea to include some of the community! This page will be a constant work in progress, adding links and information about resources, activities, and entertainment geared towards the Pagan community.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This page will also be a communal effort. Want to see your site listed in the network? Send it in! Have a favorite blog that you want to promote? Just use the handy Contact button and shoot me a message. It's impossible to have a community of one, so we're putting out the call! The more you all participate, the better it will be!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-40920469068815151152013-07-31T16:39:00.004-07:002013-08-18T05:47:57.824-07:00PRIDE<div align="CENTER" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Andalus, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>PRIDE</b></span></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Pride.
That's a really loaded word these days, isn't it? Pride can be
dangerous, leading to overconfidence and vanity. Pride can be
glorious: taking pride in your work, your skills, your
accomplishments; full confidence in one’s personal abilities can be
a sign of strength and discipline. As if the word wasn't contentious
enough, modern social movements have given the word a political bent.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: black;">The
</span>Politicization of Pride</b></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; page-break-inside: auto; widows: 0;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 100%;">Since
the desegregation of America, your average citizen has become
familiar with the idea of “Black Pride,” and more recently, with
the major legal battle over marriage equality, the phrase “Gay
Pride” has become common vernacular. As a culture we've become
familiar with celebrations of these ideas. We have rainbow pride
parades, black history month, women’s history month, in addition to
all the designated times or events where people within these groups
can gather and feel accepted and appreciated by the community. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 100%;">It
also seems to be some inevitable law of nature, that whenever these
ideas arise, there's that one person in the room who says something
like “Why can't we have straight/white/male pride?”. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 100%;">Much like
the majority of Americans, I'm fairly active on Facebook, and spend
an inordinate amount of time keeping up to date with the goings on of
my family, friends, and acquaintances on the site. It was there, just
this morning, that I </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">re-encountered</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 100%;"> this line of thought. An
acquaintance of mine, who I know to be a tolerant person, posted
this:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 100%;">You
may ask, what does this have to do with Heathenism? I've noticed a
disturbing thought pattern, one to which I once unfortunately subscribed. While I
no longer hold this view, the prevalence in our community still sets
me on edge. While sexual orientation is rarely seen as a sticking
point, even the non-folkish members of our community </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">occasionally</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> ask questions like, “Why can't we have White Pride?”. This question
is usually posed a bit more delicately than that (as most can agree
that the phrase “White Pride” has some seriously negative social
connotations), but the sentiment remains the same.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> In
a tradition where one venerates their ancestors, and tries to
acknowledge their Orlog, it can be difficult to explain the issues
with this line of thinking. Celebrations of various forms of “Pride”
mean more than an appreciation for your ancestors, or your
orientation, or your gender. These celebrations are a <span style="color: black;">symbol
of an oppressed group being allowed to integrate into society. Black
history month isn't only about being black; rather, it's about
acknowledging those individuals within that community who made great
strides for social equality or scientific development.</span><span style="color: black;">
Gay Pride parades aren't just celebrations of ones orientation; they
are celebrations of the great strides that our society has made, and
of the idea that people should no longer have to hide who they are.
These are groups who represent minority voices, which are often
ignored by the majority culture.</span><span style="color: black;"> The
picture above asks for those who are “Straight and Unashamed” to
share the picture. My response is: You don't need to celebrate being
“unashamed” of your heterosexuality, because nobody in our
society is trying to tell you that you SHOULD be ashamed. As members
of the majority, we don't need to proclaim "We are here, and we
are people too!". Our inherent worth as human beings was never
in question.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: black;"> As
a man, every day where I can get a job or a promotion; where I can
have my stated capabilities accepted as true without assuming
limitations based on my gender; where I can have access to
male-specific health care functions without comment, essentially </span><span style="color: black;"><u>IS</u></span><span style="color: black;">
male pride day. As a Caucasian, every day where I never have to worry
about somehow being held as a representative of my whole race through
my actions, or have to worry about my employment opportunities due to
the color of my skin, </span><span style="color: black;"><u>IS</u></span><span style="color: black;">
white pride day. As a heterosexual, every day where I can get
married, adopt a child, get healthcare, and visit my spouse in the
hospital </span><span style="color: black;"><u>IS</u></span><span style="color: black;">
heterosexual pride day. The point of celebrating pride in one’s
grouping is to state to the greater society that we- as a unified
group- exist, and that we deserve equality. Pride celebrations state
that we are just as good, just as valid, just as capable as you are.
As a white, heterosexual, male, I will never have to argue those
particular points, because I already have “equality”; my rights
were never in question. </span><span style="color: black;">So instead of
white (or straight) people complaining about not having their own
pride day, they should try to be thankful that they don't need one.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> A
common problem I've met with while trying to explain this to fellow
Heathens (and other Pagans) is that there IS an issue of social
inequity. We are members of minority religions, and as such we all
find times when that makes our integration and ability to function
within the general society more difficult. Every member of a minority
faith has, at some point in their lives, had to stand up and remind
people that, "We are here, and we are people too!". It's
imperative however, that we remember what battle we’re fighting.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> In
a recent debate on this topic, I was asked:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> “What
about Heathen Pride? Why can't we take pride in our ancestors?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> Yes,
yes we can, and we DO! We have any number of Heathen festivals and
Pagan gatherings. While not explicitly Pagan, the Highland Games are
a celebration of our cultural heritage! My appreciation for my
predecessors, my attachment to my Orlog, has to do with their legacy,
not the fact that they were white. I am proud of my community, and
the great strides it's made. I am proud of my Kith and Kin, who stand
as the pillars of my life, and the role-models by which I judge my
own actions. I am proud of many of my ancestors, who accomplished
great feats of discovery and innovation. </span></span>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> So
why don't we have white/male/straight pride? Because we don't need
recognition and equality; we already have it. I eagerly await the day
when we are all equal, and such displays are no longer necessary to
force society to recognize your existence. That day hasn't come yet;
we're still fighting for it. So before you complain about somebody
else’s “Pride Day,” consider the last time you were denied a
voice because of who you are. Would you want to deny somebody else
their voice?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Edited by: Jessie</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-11597176661322912832013-07-26T17:46:00.002-07:002013-07-26T17:46:48.488-07:00It's been a Haglaz couple of months...<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4P6ngdr5Amlq29ok1zJd73HUS293DrB40E0YEmE3x-IfgtSnSczdS535lYlz77_hxRPN_kpOIY4kHELnTOSo-pXvxkL5pOqTD5KDdJmM0DFiYL3RGl4Gtx8-BUSZKQUX5q3UKpfdOxHoR/s1600/haw-ga-laws.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4P6ngdr5Amlq29ok1zJd73HUS293DrB40E0YEmE3x-IfgtSnSczdS535lYlz77_hxRPN_kpOIY4kHELnTOSo-pXvxkL5pOqTD5KDdJmM0DFiYL3RGl4Gtx8-BUSZKQUX5q3UKpfdOxHoR/s1600/haw-ga-laws.png" /></a></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="font-size: large;">It's been
a Haglaz couple of months...</b></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> As
some who follow our Facebook feed might know, just about two months
ago I got married! Awesome, right? So why the heck has it taken me
two months to get back on the horse, and get writing again? Well,
long story short I've been job hunting, trying to get back into
school, trying to arrange our (now combined) finances, and devoting
what little time I have left over to the Foundation for Religious
Diplomacy. </span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> The
past couple of months have been chock full of AWESOME news and
developments, not just for our own communities but for the broader
American audience. While I may not have been able to hit those point
when they were fresh, rest assured I'm not going to just let stories
THAT GOOD just slip past. First and foremost however, I would like
explain a bit of what I've been doing over at the FRD. </span>
</div>
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</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The
Foundation for Religious Diplomacy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Some
of you may remember the piece a few months back over at The Wild
Hunt, which can be found <a href="http://wildhunt.org/2013/04/guest-editorial-pagans-and-the-foundation-for-religious-diplomacy.html">HERE</a>.
In that post David Dashifen Kees (Author of : <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildgarden/all-posts/">Wild
Garden</a>) announced that he was seeking volunteers to assist in
opening a Pagan Chapter within the foundation. While the reception in
the peanut gallery was mixed, a LOT of great writers and activists
answered the call. I get to work with some truly fantastic people,
whose qualifications are so far beyond mine, to build something which
could do some real good.</span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>But I've
been burned by “Interfaith” organizations before...</b></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;">Trust
me, I hear you! Many of the supposed “Interfaith” organizations
out there are overwhelmingly Abrahamic, and seem like giant
proselytization machines. So what changed my mind and convinced me to
give this organization a go? Where some other organizations actively
try to convert, or preach some kind of vague Universalism, the FRD
has a different goal. The FRD is focused on a concept called “Honest
Contestation”. The basic idea is to combat the insular tendencies
of religious communities through dialogue with a trustworthy
opponent. The goal of the dialogue isn't to convince the other
party/parties of your own particular religious ideals, the goal is
for each side to communicate their beliefs and motivations. In
essence: we don't all have to agree, but that doesn't mean we can't
try to understand one another. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;"> In
fact, I would argue that if your goal is to try and convince/convert
people through debate, you're all but doomed to failure. Most people
change their minds through internal processes, slowly, and generally
only when confronted with a situation in which they must address the
issue at hand. The more you actively try to “convert” someone,
the more likely they are to simply cling to their convictions. The
Pagan/Heathen community realized this a long time ago. While there
are certainly exceptions, by and large our communities have never
bothered to try and convert people. People come to us when their own
beliefs lead them here, always have. So when I read the FRD methods
and goals, I couldn't help but think that this was the most Heathen
interfaith discourse I'd ever seen. </span></span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>So what am I
trying to do?</b></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> The
Pagan Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy is still
under construction, but it get's closer to reality every day. If I
could sum up my desires for what this chapter could try to achieve, I
would say that<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
want the Pagan Chapter to promote mutual respect and understanding
between various religious communities through dialogue, and emphasize
that modern Paganism </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>in
all its forms</b></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
has a place within these dialogues.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> My
second goal would be to ensure an inclusive environment for Pagans of
all paths who identify as such. Unlike the other branches of the FRD,
we're not a single religion. We are a coalition of traditions bound
together by circumstances, history, and some shared ideals. To
promote an organization which emphasizes addressing diversity rather
than universalism, and then to turn around and pretend that all
“Pagans” are the same, would be ludicrous! I would love to see
this branch stand as a proper representative of our own communal
pluralism. I want to see ambassadors from any number of “Pagan”
traditions, who are willing to stand up and share themselves with the
world outside of our own bubble. </span></span></span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Back
on track!</span></span></b></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ok,
off the soapbox! To wrap up this post, I've fought through a hectic
coupe of months and I am getting back on the horse! It's been a long
hiatus, but we are back in business and you all can expect regular
updates once again! There's a lot of great ground to cover, so stay
tuned!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></b></span></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">P.S.</span></span></b></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pics,
so it happened! </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Behold,
the Groom/Groomsmen! </span></span></span></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-SXAdfKoLzufngyeljfqyOGewbNCfVDrEsQlKbuB4RicSkddPJQuGuqNdMm3MHSFFftENzAohE0BB-C7Fvh2XS4xjpSimhSwMLhClasTrujE5u4glKDhI8jkrUh277blkSF5w1jRrQUw/s1600/groomsmen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-SXAdfKoLzufngyeljfqyOGewbNCfVDrEsQlKbuB4RicSkddPJQuGuqNdMm3MHSFFftENzAohE0BB-C7Fvh2XS4xjpSimhSwMLhClasTrujE5u4glKDhI8jkrUh277blkSF5w1jRrQUw/s1600/groomsmen.png" height="310" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-32497894949421634022013-05-22T21:16:00.004-07:002013-05-22T21:18:44.590-07:00Multimedia Mysticism: How the Digital Age has Affected Modern Paganism<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> The
Pagan community has changed a lot over the decades, particularly in
regards to how we organize and communicate. Once, news letters like
</span><a href="http://www.greeneggzine.com/default.htm">Green
Egg</a> were the primary method of staying apprised of the goings on
in circles outside of one's own local group/s. Communication was
slow and existed in only one direction; information was much more
difficult to come by. The very makeup of the Pagan culture- its
traditions and perspectives- has evolved with the changing
environment of the modern social arena. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What the
Research Says</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A lot of research
has been done in recent years involving the effects of “Network
Culture”. There are discernible trends found within the endless
records of digital networks that have had a massive impact on modern
culture.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the
defining aspects of digital communications is its accessibility,
versatility, and ability to be personalized. Old style media would
present you with a prescribed narrative, in a fixed format, which the
reader could then choose to accept or reject. Alternatively, modern
digital media is information driven, as opposed to story driven.
Users have the ability to deconstruct, fact check, and determine the
validity of the information they are being presented with, all from
the same terminal and within minutes using research tools like
Google.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This was a massive
shift in perspective, which drastically altered what we sought from
our media communications. People want to hear about issues which
interest them. They want it from sources they like, they want to be
kept up to date in real time, and most of all they want to be in
control of how that digital media is presented. Story driven
narratives sum up singular events and attempt to reach a conclusion.
Information driven networks are never complete. They are thus a
process rather than a product. What this really comes down to is that
the arrival of the Internet, social media outlets, and online news
sources placed the user in control, allowing them to research as they
wish.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Digital
Pantheons</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> </b>So
what happens when the digital age hits a religious community? Most of
the research here is done from a specifically Christian perspective.
Lamberts <i>Secularization
of New Religious Paradigms</i>
concluded that digital communities “promote Dehierarchization,
personal practice, pluralism, and relativism”. This was backed by
the Barna Research Group a year later in a study which found that
within religious communities there was a sharp decline in the number
of people who believed church affiliation was important. This is
WITHIN religious communities, meaning that these people were still
believers (in this case mostly Christian) but felt that Church
affiliation was less important than personal practice.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>So what does
this mean for us Pagans? </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b> </b>Obviously
these traits were highly distressing to organized religions, but they
hardly seem to troublesome to modern Paganism, right?
Dehierarchization, personal practice, pluralism... These are many of
the traits which Pagans often pride themselves on! It's easy to
overlook the influence of the Internet on our traditions, when you
try to judge those effects based on most modern practices, but it
didn't always work this way. Even for those of us who weren't
practicing back in the days before the digital revolution , all it
takes is a simple look at our history to see how we've changed.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most
traditions in the 60's were initiation based, with information being
much more restricted. Concepts like lineage and bloodlines were
highly valued, and carried a degree of authority or clout in many
circles. Most covens also had a significantly longer life-span. So
what exactly changed? The 1970's and 80's brought about several new
concepts and organizations. The first important shift came from
authors like Raymond Buckland, who promoted the idea of self
initiation and solitary practice. Texts like the infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ray-comp-wicca.jpg">Bucklands
Big Blue Book </a>, encouraged the reader to form their own personal
practice based off of their own research. At the same time, modern
Heathenry was really bursting into the scene in America with the
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ásatrú
Free Assembly. The AFA was heavily research focused, as a
reconstruction effort. By the early 90's there was a growing notion
of Paganism/Heathenry as an information driven effort, where the
individual practitioners had the power to declare their own beliefs
and ideas. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> So
when the digital age hit the religious sphere, the various Pagan
communities were already working on, and to some (</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>debatable</i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">)
degree prepared for, the coming changes. Because we were so few and
far between, we latched onto this new method of interaction, and it
has DRASTICALLY changed our culture. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pro's
and Con's </b></span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;">For
better or worse, most parts of our community have fully integrated
online resources. This comes with certain strengths and weaknesses.
We can communicate and mobilize nearly instantly, and have a
community which often promotes self reliance and critical thinking.
However the majority of our covens/kindred/groves only last one or
two years before collapsing. Unlike our predecessors from the 60's,
many groups simply cannot be maintained long term. Sometimes people
just move on to a new area, sometimes the group splits over some
issue, or simply disbands due to lack of time or money.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> One
of the reasons I am a solitary Heathen, and the reason many of the
Solitaries I know decide to remain such, is because of this
extraordinary turnover rate. So how do we, as a community, maintain
the advances we've made while addressing our potential weak points?
Do we push from better offline organization, pushing for permanent
locations and maintained memberships? Or do we accept this transient
trait as an aspect of the community and simply integrate the idea as
a strength rather than a shortcoming? Our communities are constantly
changing, adapting, and growing. Our ability to change and integrate
is a large part of our successful survival. Only time will tell what
the answers will be, but progress can't be made by simply overlooking
the issues at hand. As ever, open dialog is the key. </span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Edited By: Jessie</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-35657299364627561382013-05-09T02:34:00.006-07:002013-05-12T09:19:23.637-07:00The Pagan Elephant<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Adventures in 2A.M.
Editing! </b></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Those
of you who may have read this when it was first posted may have
noticed s few (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Read: A plethora</i></span>) of
errors. This has been amended and we here at Wyrd Wiles would like
to apologize for the wait, and thank you for your patience!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A
Heathen, a Jew, and a Baptist walk into bar...</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As many awesome jokes as I'm sure can
come from that into, believe it or not this is the story of my life.
I am a practicing Heathen who loves to pore over the Eddas and the
Sagas, as well as being an active Rune reader. My wife is a devout
Jew, who hopes to someday become a Reconstructionist Rabbi. Our
roommate is a conservative Baptist, who is known for going to church/
church functions multiple times a week. Welcome to my household, my
Kith and Kin, and that's just the ones I live with!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The subject of interfaith dialog and
interaction is both massive and complicated. My every day life is an
exercise in cross cultural communication, and living in that kind of
environment will force you to learn not only about your peer's
belief's, but your own as well. Being the only member of the house
from a Non-Abrahamic tradition has its difficulties; being solitary
doesn't help either. As Heathens/Pagans we often don't have an
organized collective to cite, or definitive texts to fall back on. If
we want to participate in religious conversations with those outside
of our community, we have to leave that “Pagan Bubble” and stand
on our own.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many interfaith organizations tend to
focus on the religious “Common Ground”, treating their
differences as the unspoken elephant in the room. Even in
overwhelmingly Abrahamic interfaith organizations, it's difficult
enough to coordinate between paths with a common origin, how then are
we ever supposed to integrate traditions which are founded on
fundamentally opposing worldviews? The more inclusive you try to make
the conversation, the smaller that common ground is going to get, and
the less you're going to accomplish without stumbling into that
elephant.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The key concepts that keep my home
afloat are open curiosity, and considerate but unapologetic dialog.
We don't shy away from our differences, we can't. My roommate, author
of <a href="http://velveteen-girl.blogspot.com/">The Velveteen Girl</a>,
is a young earth Biblical creationist. I'm an Anthropology major who
studies human evolution. Her worldview is so PROFOUNDLY different
from my own, that if we tried to stay only on common ground there
would be almost no conversation at all. So how do we manage to get
along and work together?</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Open Curiosity</u></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We ask questions, and then LISTEN TO
THE ANSWERS. You don't need to agree, but it's important to
understand.
</div>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<u>Considerate but Unapologetic
Dialog</u></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When I'm
talking to my roommate, I understand that she's a creationist, but I
don't hide the fact that I'm not. She is a friend and her beliefs
mean a lot to her, so I would never mock her for those beliefs, but I
don't shy away from discussing my studies in her presence. I don't
make exceptions or change the way I conduct myself when around her,
nor does she. She'll talk to me about her church without fear or
reservation. She asks about my faith, or my classes, and never
belittles or attacks them, even though I know she disagrees with
them. We are both comfortable with ourselves and our beliefs, and
aren't threatened by opposing ideas.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My wife is a
Monotheist. She follows the god of her people. She doesn't feel the
need to defend this belief, nor is she threatened by the gods of her
Heathen husband, or the trinity of her Christian roommate.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We all hold
differing worldviews, cultures, and practices, and that's fine. The
rare nights when we are all home together often end in discussions of
religion, politics, and philosophy over a glass of wine. There's a
catch 22 to this though. Everyone in this discussion is willing to
participate and listen, and is secure enough in their own beliefs
that they can do so without becoming defensive. The lesson here is
“Choose your battles”. You can reach across the aisle, but unless
the other person is ready to do the same, you're not going to get
anywhere.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The
Pagan Elephant</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> On so many occasions when speaking to fellow Pagans
about community building and inter religious dialog I hear the phrase
“when talking to Non-Pagans...”. While standing outside that
bubble and working with those beyond the borders of our community is
vitally important, so many forget to apply those same foundations to
communication within our own groups. Wiccans, Heathens, Druids,
Celtic re-constructionists, Dianics, Radical Faeries, and a hundred
other groups and subgroups exist within the Pagan umbrella. Why then,
do we pretend that interfaith discussion is only needed outside the
bubble? Why is there a Pagan Elephant? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> A close friend of mine, we'll call her T, is a Faery
Wiccan. She holds to the Three Fold Law, and emphasizes “Harm
None”. She's essentially a magickal pacifist, practicing only
defense. These aren't uncommon guidelines to be found within the
greater Pagan community, but (<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>as I'm sure my fellow
Heathens are thinking</i></span>) they're hardly universal. However,
they're often portrayed as the “Common ground” of the pagan
community at open gatherings. Assuming that everyone at the circle
believes in these concepts is naive, and can lead to
miscommunication. You can't learn to really understand someone, their
choices and motivations, by simply making an assumption about their
beliefs. We're all aware that there are those among our circles who
believe differently, sometimes DRASTICALLY differently, but we don't
talk about it for fear of confrontation. We talk about our
connections, we talk about the correlations between many of our
paths, we pretend that we're all fundamentally the same. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Thence cometh our great pentacle-spangled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachyderm">pachyderm</a>.
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> We can stand together, work together, and support each
other, and still acknowledge that we are different, without ending in
confrontation. I disagree with the Three Fold Law, and just like when
I'm speaking to my wife or my roommate, I don't shy away from the
subject when speaking to T. If we're going to work together, we need
to understand these differences, not sweep them under the rug. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> If we're going to work on how to speak to the world,
make ourselves understood, we're going to need to learn to how speak
to ourselves. </span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Edited by: Jessie</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-5924052232661821812013-05-01T23:40:00.001-07:002013-05-01T23:40:06.372-07:00Not ENTIRELY Awful<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sometimes the Gods whisper hints in
your ear, other times they whack you over the head with a message. In
my last post I mentioned the idea that the Pagan community is coming
to the attention of mainstream media more and more often. Sometimes
as a curiosity, other times as easy sensationalized cannon fodder, or
(as in the recent Fox incident) as a joke. So when I heard that the
infamous “Wife Swap” was doing an episode with a Pagan family THE
VERY NEXT DAY, I took the hint.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(/written while nursing
a lump on top of my head)</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The
Show</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For those who either aren't brave
enough to ford the waters of insanity, or who simply have no wish to
subject themselves to reality TV, here's the basic structure of the
show.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1- Two families are chosen and the
wives are <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(predictably)</i></span> swapped.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
2- For one week, the guest wife lives
in the manner which the host household is accustomed to.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
3- For the second week, the guest wife
is allowed to write a set of rules for how she wants the house to
run, which the host household must follow if they want the money.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, I feel I should make it known <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(as
if you all hadn't figured this out already</i></span>) that I don't
watch shows like “Wife Swap”. In fact, I make a point of actively
avoiding daytime, reality TV rags. In the spirit of proper analysis,
however, I bit the bullet and watched 3 episodes. The first two were
from the previous incarnation of the show, which is back in business
after spending a year off the air. Both of these episodes featured
Pagan <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Read: Wiccan)</i></span> families. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, first and foremost, this IS
reality TV. If there's no drama, there's no money. The families
selected a chosen specifically so that there will be
tension/conflict. The first two episodes didn't exactly help with my
preconceived notions about reality TV. In the first episode they
pointed at the “weird and kooky” witches, and essentially made a
joke out of the community by choosing a particularly unbalanced
family and portraying them as representative of the community. The
next episode simply presented the witches as laughable. Knowing full
well that I couldn't just let this one slide by after my last post, I
grit my teeth and plunged into <a href="http://abc.go.com/watch/wife-swap/SH5539547/VDKA0_g7r377r7/fireheart--terry">this
weeks episode</a>. Imagine my surprise when it actually wasn't
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(entirely)</i></span> awful.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Fireheart family was presented
with their religious affiliations at the forefront of every scene.
The show made a point to display various pieces of religious
paraphernalia, ritual activities, and even common household beliefs
in action. Now, if you're at all like me, the first reaction to this
is to cringe at what looks like the beginnings of a sensationalist
“Look how weird these people are” piece. After a few minutes of
cringing, waiting for the whammy, I managed to take a peak. Wonder of
wonders, the Fireheart family is being shown as a loving, relatively
mundane, all American family. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Pagan Culture and
Mainstream Media</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The pieces of Pagan culture that shown
mostly seemed to be a display of a colorful subculture. The majority
of the viewing audience for “Wife Swap” isn't going to know much
about Modern Paganism, and the pieces shown were meant to grab
attention. The part which makes this latest episode different from
it's predecessors, is that it was done without exploiting or
condemning that culture. Without going into an in depth review of the
whole episode, <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Which you can watch for free via the
link above) </i></span><span style="font-size: small;">the
religious tension was used to mark the differences in the two
families without inherently mocking Pagan beliefs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> So
what should we, within the Pagan community, take away from this? A
single episode of a reality TV show does not a cultural revolution
make, however it is an encouraging sign. While the Firehearts hardly
represent all Pagans, they did represent many common aspects of the
over all culture found in our community. They also did a wonderful
job of showing a healthy, well balanced, family unit.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Coming
so soon after the aforementioned Fox Fumble, one can't help but
wonder; Have we finally achieved the point at which the complaints of
our community are loud enough to be heard by those producing
mainstream media? Given the radical shift in tone and tactic between
the first two episodes featuring Pagan families, and this latest one,
the idea doesn't seem as impossible as it might once have been. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> What
I think we should really learn from this, is that when we choose to
come together over a cause of mutual interest, it's not impossible
for even a minority voice to be recognized. The world isn't going to
change overnight, and one episode of a reality TV show isn't a huge
lunge forward, but it is a step in the right direction. Through the
networks we form, both in person and online, we can enact real,
visible, change. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Our
community is finding its voice, and the media is beginning to
recognize that there are enough of us around to matter. Once we have
that recognition, once we become prevalent enough to warrant
consideration, THEN we will have achieved the social foundation that
we need as a movement to progress. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05028581346114209501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-699069858586399281.post-50875162378189524742013-04-24T19:48:00.001-07:002013-04-24T19:48:23.158-07:00Welcome Fellow Pagans!<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Welcome
to the inaugural post of Wyrd Wiles! </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> I've
been carefully considering beginning this blog for months, and I
think the time has come for me to actively participate in, and
contribute to, the community which has given me so much. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">As
a second generation Pagan I've practiced for most of my life, but for
much of that time I was never involved with the greater community. It
wasn't until I entered into the study of Anthropology, a few years
ago, that I really began to study how Pagan circles <Pun totally
intended> have changed and adapted over the years. I began to see
how our community has both influenced the world, and been influenced
by it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> In
a recent piece written by </span><a href="http://wildhunt.org/?s=pagan+bubble"><span style="color: #4d8b97;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Teo
Bishop</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">,
we were introduced to the idea of “The Pagan Bubble”. A piece on
the somewhat insular nature of the modern Pagan movement which
spawned a lot of follow up. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2013/03/the-pagan-bubble.html">Like
this piece by John Beckett</a> . The idea raises the question of risk
vs gain. The bubble restricts our efforts to communicate with those
outside, but it also protects us. As Beckett said in his response, it
allows us to have a safe space to communicate our ideas without fear
or need for translation. However, modern Paganism is becoming more
and more involved in affairs outside of that bubble, and the
“Mainstream” is becoming <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwJqUQzghhM">increasingly
aware of our presence.</a> As this continues, we will be forced to
confront those outside our own circles. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> So
what do we do when confronted outside of our bubble? That's why I'm
starting this blog. What we need is a community that is cohesive
enough, networked enough, that we can communicate and take action
outside of our own social arenas. We are getting there. The
beginnings are in place, the seeds are planted, now we need to
encourage them to bloom and grow. In the recent case linked above,
concerning Fox and Friends, we and our allies were able to rally
quickly enough, and make enough noise, that our concerns were heard!
Organizations like <a href="https://www.circlesanctuary.org/index.php/lady-liberty-league/lady-liberty-league.html">The
Lady Liberty League</a> are making these things more possible every
day.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> My
goal here is to present news and perspectives on the Pagan Community
and it's interactions with other religious and secular communities.
Lets build a social foundation,from which those who represent our
community can stand and speak to those outside our bubble. Lets shape
the tools that will allow for dialog and understanding. The goal of
this blog isn't to talk to Pagans about being Pagan, it's to talk
about the world beyond our borders and how it affects us. </span>
</div>
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