Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – Witches in the Media

Lately, as I have been wading through newspaper stories about calls to book burning, Hell Houses, crusades against Harry Potter and trick or treating (which is apparently the devil’s work), I find myself wondering how anyone can take the ravings of the Religious Reich seriously. By now, any halfway educated person knows that Witches aren’t out to steal the souls of innocent little Christian children, right? Sometimes I wonder …

And as I am wondering if part of the world really IS stuck in the Satanic Cult Conspiracy of the early 80’s, I find people in the Pagan Community who seem to have a goal in common with the rightwing fundamentalists: the death of the fad that is modern Witchcraft. Online, I surf webpage after webpage of rants against everything from the Halloween witch stereotype to Fiona Horne’s character flaws.

My first exposure to Witchcraft as something other than a Halloween fairytale, was from a television documentary on Wicca in the early 1990’s. Since then, media coverage and the public’s understanding of Witches as real people has grown by leaps and bounds.

Wicca and Religious Witchcraft are among the fastest growing religions in North America.* This seems to be, in part, thanks to the media helping to make our practices more acceptable to mainstream society. No longer are Witches portrayed as the evil, misshapen brides of Satan, but as powerful, independent, modern women.

This isn’t to say that there aren’t problems that come with being ‘cool’. Aside from the influx of spell-begging, clueless newbies that comes every October, there is a definite trend of young seekers feeling that when it comes to Religious Witchcraft, it’s Wicca or nothing. Many feel that if the beliefs and rituals of traditional Wicca don’t sit well, they must somehow force themselves into a Wiccanesque-mold, or step away from Paganism entirely.

What can be done to help these young Pagans is being done, but change takes time. Storming back into the shadows and denouncing what recognition the media chooses to grant us, is taking a giant step backwards. They sensationalize us as they sensationalize everything … I imagine it would be just as boring to watch a standard full moon ritual as it would be to watch a standard Sunday church service. Special effects and fireworks let people see the magic they cannot feel through a television set.

I believe that it is only through cooperation with reporters and filmmakers that we will finally put to rest the ridiculous Satanic Conspiracy myths that seem to just refuse to die. True seekers of the Craft will ask questions, study, and learn that the life of a witch doesn’t mirror ‘Charmed’ anymore than the life of a Catholic mirrors movies like ‘The Order’ or ‘Stigmata’.

*Statistics from Religioustolerance.org

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::

 

Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – The Pagan Persecution Complex

This rant is inspired in part by the abundance of young Pagans littering various online forums with cries of “I can’t wear my pentacle at school”. Far too many of those making such complaints have not actually been told that they cannot wear a pentacle nor does anyone at their school or their home know of their interest in Paganism.

Here is a news flash for all of you who may not know it already – the simple fact that there is a large Christian population at your school does NOT mean that anyone is discriminating against you. You want your choice of faith to be recognized and accepted, but you don’t want your parents to find out? Guess what! You can’t have it both ways. The ACLU has better things to do with its time than force your classmates to stop wearing their crosses so that you will feel more comfortable.

Now, I am not saying that all authors of this claim should never be making it. There is a disturbing amount of prejudice in the world, but being one of countless other kids receiving a Christian fellowship flyer doesn’t count as religious intolerance. You want to be allowed to do your own thing … you HAVE to let them do their thing.

What ever happened to politely saying “No thanks, I am not looking to change my faith” or taking the pamphlet or flyer and dropping it in a recycling bin? If they pressure you or get nasty, then you may have a problem, but when did our first response become screaming discrimination and threatening to sue? Do you really think that that will make them any more accepting of you?

There are numerous ways of dealing with proselytizers that don’t involve flying off the handle. Witchvox.com can be an invaluable resource when you are new. However, the very best defense for those creeping out of the broomcloset is to learn all you can. Learn enough about your faith so that you can speak about it intelligently and answer questions should anyone ask them. The threat of a lawsuit should only be used as a very last resort … only after all other options have been exhausted.

If your parents won’t stand behind you on this issue (ie they don’t want you to be Pagan), then you may just have to deal with it. Many organizations are a little gunshy when it comes to dealing with minors without parental consent.

Though, you may not realize it, when you make inflammatory and outlandish claims without cause, you take credence away from those who are really suffering and need help. Remember Tempest Smith? It’s rare, but it does happen and when it does do you really want people to write it off as yet another Pagan blowing things out of proportion?

There is no obligation to hate Christianity when you become Pagan. Be better than that. Pagan paths bring happiness and beauty to those who walk them. Don’t sully it by focusing on someone else. Walk your own path. You will soon find that you could care less what anyone thinks when they are shooting their mouths off about Satanism. You would be surprised at the power that living your path has.

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::

 

Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – Satanists and Paganism

It has been nearly twenty years since Satanic Ritual Abuse Conspiracies first hit a mad fervor in the media. Outrageous claims made by preachers playing on the public’s ignorance about Witchcraft and Satanism threatened to explode into modern day Witch Hunts. Luckily for us there were those inside various churches and mainstream organizations who helped to expose many of the ‘victims’ of SRA as the charlatans they are.*

Between then and now there have been hundreds of books, movies, interviews and documentaries attempting to educate people on what Paganism and Witchcraft really are. And yet there are times I wonder if any good has been done at all.

You may be thinking, ‘Oh, it wasn’t that bad’. But I ask you – do you remember having to have your Halloween candy x-rayed at the emergency room to check for needles, razors and poisons when you were young – I do. I also know people who had their heavy metal music and fantasy novels burned for fear of Satanic influence. My own mother believed that fantasy role playing games caused kids to commit suicide.

It is now 2004 and still every Halloween we are inundated with campaigns condemning trick or treaters and Harry Potter as tools of the devil. One of the more familiar ministries that continues to spread this garbage is exWitch.

In my own experience, people who continue to believe and spread these conspiracy theories are not only ignorant of the basic tenants of Wicca and other Pagan religions (even though many of them claim knowledge and experience with the craft), but they are also usually completely ignorant of the beliefs of modern Satanism. So how do you warn someone against something of which you know nothing but discredited 20 year old rumors? Why, make it up, of course!

It isn’t difficult to find stories of the damage done by Harry Potter and conveniently unnamed ‘Witches’ if you look for it. Some of the more common tales involve domestic pet mutilation, the invoking of demons, and levying nearly fatal curses on ‘innocent, God-fearing Christians’ for no other reason than the fact that they are Christian. This is the kind of anecdotal ‘evidence’ that gives them not only the right, but the ‘duty’ to slam all Pagans in the media.

But, let it never be said that I lay all of the blame for this mess on the shoulders of Born Again Christians. For whenever there is an outcry against Witchcraft, there come an equally vocal (and often times equally ignorant) response from self-professed Witches attempting to shift the blame to the shoulders of ‘those evil Satanists’. Never a dispute over the so-called ‘facts’, just scream that their is no Satan in Wicca loud enough , and they’ll get the message. Uh, yeah … right.

These are the same people who claim to be tolerant of ALL RELIGIONS (except for Satanists, of course). All the while, neither side of the annual Halloween screaming match knows what they are talking about as both sides fear that some kind of taint will come from reading up on this subject.

Curiosity is what got me when I was young and still new to the craft. I found myself quite surprised at what I learned when I finally set out to learn about Satanism. The Church of Satan website describes their beliefs simply – ‘We Satanists are our own Gods, and we are the explorers of the Left-Hand Path.’ A church whose highest pursuit is selfishness doesn’t strike me as the type to attempt a global take over.

While it may seem at times like a fight that can never be won, I have come to realize that accurate information is the only way to end the ignorance. There will always be those who refuse to hear the truth, and prefer to live in their dark world of demonic conspiracies where everyone and everything outside of their church is out to get them. Actively seeking out and fighting these people usually does nothing more than make you look bad (unless you REALLY know your stuff and are trained in apologetics). I find that the best way is the just keep an eye on both sides (it is better not to be surprised by their antics), and keep your knowledge for those who actually want to hear you.

*Witch Hunts Series

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::

 

Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – Newbie Bashing

This article is inspired by the many emerging conversations where the claim has been made that those more knowledgeable in the Pagan Community have turned to Newbies for sport – deriding and cruelly ridiculing them for their lack of experience and knowledge just about anything Pagan related.

This complaint is not totally without merit. I have seen the same sort of rabid fundamentalism that is the bane of Christianity pop up in popular Pagan faiths. Claiming the label of Pagan doesn’t automatically make someone into the nature-loving, soft hearted stereotype that the media has perpetuated in recent years.

There in lies part of the problem. Many newbies are often so shocked to find out that even Pagans are regular people (and yes, some of them are jerks), that they either write off the spirituality entirely or congregate to ‘fluff bunny havens’ where no one has a harsh word to say about anyone or anything. There they insulate themselves from anyone with real practical knowledge about the mysteries.

Another part of this problem lies with the newbies themselves. Many don’t seem to understand how very different Pagan paths are mainstream religions. Nearly 99% of the time there is no one to spoon feed you what you need to know in nice, bite-sized, easy to understand pieces.

Many paths have no guides, no preachers to outline the ‘right’ way to do this or that, and those knowledgeable (I’ll refrain from using the term ‘elder’ as many would not accept the title) and able to teach their paths are tired of continuous requests for them to a) tell all they know in no more than three paragraphs, or b) teach about the ‘glamorous’ aspects of their craft alone.

Part of this ‘tell me everything you know’ attitude can be blamed on the way educators have taken to teaching students in the mainstream world – where school has simply become about passing the test rather than learning anything. You take this form of learning and apply it to the rest of your life and you get generations of youths wanting to be able to do advanced magickal stuff without having to learn the groundwork first.

Many now claim that the use of the term ‘fluffy bunny’ is derogatory and unbefitting a follower of the Rede (leaving aside that not all Pagans follow the rede). I think that the term came into existence for a reason. No one is branded a fluff bunny for life. Everyone expects that those to whom the label applies will grow out of it eventually – and many people are willing to wait quite patiently.

Even those whose patience has been worn thin (or worn out entirely) do the service of making willfully blind ignorance something to be ashamed of. They force the uneducated to step out of their comfort zone and learn something – to reevaluate their beliefs.

This is not a bad thing. Always remember that this is a lifelong journey. You cannot learn it all in a few months or even a few years. You only know you are moving forward when every new skill and spiritual illumination teaches you how much you have yet to learn. Don’t let your path stagnate because someone online says something to you that you don’t like.

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::

 

Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – Tips for Teen Pagans

So, you have discovered Paganism in all its glory. You feel like this is what you have been searching for all your life. This is the way … this is the right path for you. You’re happy … you feel a completeness, a sense of belonging that you never found in church. One small problem, though … your parents hear the word ‘witchcraft’ and freak.

So, now what? Do you turn your back on a spirituality that finally makes you feel whole, or do you keep your magick books and tools secret for as long as you can?  And what’s the deal with everyone online? You aren’t a possession! Your parents don’t OWN you – you’re practically an adult, right?

So … act like it then. Adults … we compromise. Think for a moment about the practicality of sneaking around behind your parents’ backs. Do you really want to spend so much time, money and effort on all of your tools and paraphernalia just to come home and find them being barbequed in the back yard?  Trust me, it can, and most likely will happen – nobody’s parents are as dumb as they think they are.

But you don’t want to turn away from your new found faith either, right? Here is where the compromising comes in.

Firstly, make sure that you start and keep an open a religious dialogue with your parents. Don’t use words that will shut the conversation down. Words like “Witchcraft”, “Wicca”, “spells”, “magick”, “occult” and especially “unfair” are guaranteed to stop any progress in its tracks (nothing turns a parent off quicker than screaming about how unfair something is).

Talk about nature, about environmentalism, the changing seasons, folklore and old superstitions – tell them that you are interested in learning about different cultures around the world and their belief systems.

When they are ready (and by ‘ready’ I mean that they have accepted that they cannot change your mind and that this isn’t just a phase – expect to wait at least two years for this point), pick up a book that explains modern Paganism to people who have loved ones involved in it. Scott Cunningham has a great one called ‘The Truth About Witchcraft Today’.

That is all well and good, you say, but they still won’t let me read any Wiccan/Pagan books and I have SO much to learn! There are actually a great many things that you will need to learn that no Wiccan/Pagan/Magick book can tell you.

• Read up on the mythologies of cultures that interest you (a connection to the divine is a LOT more important than being able to cast a spell).
• Learn about your roots and where your family comes from (a lot of people find a connection with a pantheon from a culture that is in their bloodline).
• Get some books on herbology, candle making, cooking, geology … there are many topics that relate to your spirituality that require looking outside the occult section of the bookstore.
• Learn about meditation and practice everyday (relaxation and visualization skills are essential to practicing magick).
• Take out your bible and read it. It’s an interesting book of mythology, and not really that different from any other (also, you will be better able to stand up to those rabid fundies if you know what they are talking about).

Still, you are SO excited and you want to be able to practice right away … you want to celebrate the Wheel of the Year … To this I say – get outside!

Nature is what you are celebrating … get out in it! Take your holy days as a time to reconnect with the earth. Go for a walk in the woods or in a park. Does the air feel different? How do the people on the street seem? Can they feel it too even though they may not know it? Keep a journal of your Sabbat experiences – you may want to look back on them when you are older and out on your own.

Most importantly in this situation is to SHOW your parents that you really are responsible and that you are becoming an adult. Volunteer in your community, pick up trash when you see it on the street, recycle, plant a garden. Show your parents that this controversial faith is changing you for the better. Good Luck!

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::
::Article image from the Witchy Tarot, and is copyright of Lo Sarabeo and Antonella Platono – for more info on the Witchy Tarot, visit Aeclectic Tarot::

 

Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – Revisionist History

We’ve all heard it. You don’t have to spend much time in the Pagan Community, either online or in real life, before you come across someone spouting half-truths and faery tales as if they were gospel.

I think perhaps the best known and most widely circulated bit of revisionist history is the notion that more than nine million Witches met a torturous, fiery end at the hands of bigoted, misogynistic Christians during a period of mass hysteria known as the Burning Times.

Now, anyone who has done any kind of historical research knows that this just isn’t the case. So, where do these radical theories come from, and why do they catch on with such fervor?

I can really only speculate at the motives of seemingly reliable scholars drawing conclusions that would be warped into such inflammatory tales. Perhaps by bolstering numbers and exaggerating details, they hoped to grab the attention of the modern public.

Perhaps they hoped to teach a lesson in tolerance by using these stories to shock and horrify. I cannot even begin to count the number of assorted “Never Again, The Burning Times” graphics that litter the Pagan web – in some sites you can find them on every single page.

But even though their intentions may have been good, many (myself included) see these stories, books and articles as doing far more damage than good. They foster a vehement animosity in new Pagans towards Christianity as a whole, and create a whole sect of self-made ever-victims who scream religious persecution at every raised eyebrow.

This adds to the belief held by much of society that none of the numerous Pagan paths are valid religions in their own rights, but are merely a rejection of the Christian church by disillusioned teenagers seeking to freak out their parents.

Paganism, Witchcraft and Wicca don’t need martyrs or to predate Christianity to be valid religious and spiritual paths. So, what’s to be done? Do we boycott every book that is factually iffy? Do we slam every Witch and/or author who has ever been taken in by these attractive fictions?

My simple answer is of course not. People live and learn, and though we may feel a little silly about believing something that seems now to be so completely unbelievable, I think that the best we can do is help get the right information out there so that there will be fewer who need to feel silly down the line.

My point is that critical thinking is essential when following a Pagan path (and in all aspects of life, if you think about it). Never take anything at face value. Just because someone can get a book on Paganism published doesn’t necessarily mean that they are an authority.

If you come across something that seems a bit outrageous, look into it. In the last few years, many theories that had previously gone unchallenged have been completely refuted by historical investigation.

Paganism and Witchcraft have no Bible (despite what you might find on the shelves of your local bookstore). There is no one set of absolute truths that every seeker can turn to. Our histories span the globe and many are forever lost in the sands of time.

When you are searching for an identity these can seem insurmountable obstacles – just remember that the past is never as important as the here and now.

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::

 

Blast From the Past – Circa 2004 – The Cleopatra Syndrome

There is an epidemic within our community. From ‘natural-born’ witches, to those Pagans who claim a anime bloodline, the Cleopatra Syndrome is no longer just for those claiming to be imbued with the historic queen’s soul.

While far more prevalent in the Fluffy Pink Bunny sects, one can still find traces of this syndrome in seemingly normal people who adamantly insist that skills such as divination, prophecy and astral travel, are in fact ‘gifts’ reserved by the gods for a select few. But what is this fascination with being better than your average Witch?

Is it just an overwhelming desire to be recognized as special? Or perhaps a true psychological weakness in believing that they are somehow not good enough just being themselves? What, I ask, is really so terrible about being a plain vanilla human being?

I believe that part of the blame lies with Western culture. We have been raised to strive to be the princess, the rock star, the famous actor, the sports hero … drowning in wealth and adoration … better than the average person. But pop culture is not the soul cause.

Many a church leader teaches that the earth belongs to mankind, to be used as we see fit … creating a severe distaste for the contention of modern science that human beings are little better than animals. This twisting of many religions’ teachings is what allows people to abuse the earth and her creatures … what does it matter if we are destined to be so much better than this place?

This is a fundamental problem I have with the notion of transcendence. If our goal is to become one with a deity that is beyond this world, then we, in turn, numb ourselves to our surroundings. Nature and the health of our planet no longer matter because this existence is a temporary exile from something far more … far better than can be imagined.

For me, one of the central goals of my craft is to reawaken those senses and abilities that were suppressed or forgotten due to conventional wisdom deeming them ‘childish’ or ‘make believe’. Many of these skills I believe to be instinctual and available to all humans.

Empathic ability, for example, is not just a sensitivity to energy fluctuations. Have you ever been told that animals can smell fear? That they ‘know’ when a storm or natural disaster is about to hit? Has it ever escaped the attention of your beloved pet when you were sick, or unhappy?

One thing science has taught us about animals is that they are extremely sensitive to body language – some to the point of seeming able to solve complex mathematical problems by mere observation of the questioner. Subtle fluctuations in facial expressions, breathing patterns, and muscle tension can alert ‘us’ to the moods and sometimes even thoughts of other people.

For some, these theories may take away the magic of extra-sensory skills, but for me, they provide a sense of illumination. This is an instance where science has allayed one of the greatest fears of many environmentalists. When we strive to reclaim psychic skills and abilities, we are not further removing ourselves from the world, we are forcing ourselves down into it. We are reconnecting with the earth and the creatures who inhabit it.

Perhaps a day will come when we are all able to feel the intricately woven pattern of life on this planet. We will feel the damage we do to the environment, and strive to limit it … we will feel the deaths of our fellow creatures and learn to respect them a little more.

You don’t have to be a fairy or some sort of mythical sorceress to understand this … you just have to be human. Embrace your humanity, warts and all. Perfection is not the goal … connection is.

::Essay Copyright of Phae Talon 2004 – please do not reproduce without permission, but feel free to link with impunity::

 

Rending the Veil

So, I am about as slow as those Shaw Cable snails at getting my website updated with new and interesting stuff. However, I have been volunteering portions of my very limited free time to RTV online magazine. I’ll be writing up an article and hopefully a couple of book reviews as well for the Litha/Midsummer issue.

Anyone super interested in reading what I think, stay tuned!

Also, we are always looking for content and any help in other assorted areas (you’ll have to contact Sheta on that account – I have a lousy memory for that sort of thing). So, if you’ve ever wanted to see your name in lights … er, print, give her a shout. I’m sure she’ll be glad to hear from other opinionated Pagans

–Phae

 

Been a While

I spent a good hour this morning trying to explain Paganism to a Christian today (found the post through random tag surfing). Haven’t done that in a while. I think I got a bit rambly. I’m not sure if I know how to cut it down to the short and sweet points anymore.

It got me to thinking about articles that need writing, and things that might be publishable to print magazines. A good and thorough look at Pagan spirituality in contrast to mainstream beliefs would probably find a home in one of our local lifestyle magazines.

A good long rant about how Eclectism isn’t a sin would probably be good for online publication. That one could be a bit of a powder keg, so it might take a while to get the words properly polished.

I have a couple of old article ideas that are still waiting for me to actually write them out. With Tara and Stonehenge being in the news so much lately, I should probably get my ‘Sacred Sites’ article together. Also, I’d like to write out my ‘Glamour’ article.

I think that when I first came up with the idea for ‘Galmour’ it was going to just be a rant about what Western society does to a woman’s self image, and it probably still will be, but I do have a bit of a passion for style and colour and to a lesser degree, make-up. What I need to decide is how to break it into two articles that don’t contradict each other.

I’m not really sure if my style of writing is something that would work on Rending the Veil. Most of what I write are opinion pieces. I would probably be a great columnist

Well, I guess we will see what the day brings.

–Phae

X-posted to LJ

 

It Begins …

This is where my new articles will live on the web. I’ll also post links to the one that are published around the web. Feel free to comment as you like. All feedback is welcome here.

That said, I don’t do debate anymore, so I may or may not comment.

Thanks folks,

–Phae