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paganism
June 2008 
So Much for Paganism in Summer
Posted on Jun 23rd, 2007
by 
Quill
Quill
I just got the report back on the "wiccan" ritual that was just held on base from the chaplain who was in charge of supervising. Keeping in mind he didn't have to tell me anything, this is what I got:
Very dull/boring.
A lot like a regular church gathering in that afterwards they all sat around the barbecue and bitched about this that and the other. But not in that there was no singing and no fun to be had, not even by the practicitioners.
Apparently they talked about how while the ritual was going on the mosquitos didn't bother them but as soon as the circle was broken they attacked - nevermind the fact that they stopped after the sun went down and the wind stopped blowing ie. "mosquito hour".
The athame (sharp pointy thing) had to be used twice - to "open the door" for latecomers.
Probably the main reason (or rather, main reasons) there were twice as many men as women were the apparent leaders breasts - which is alright, one supposes, considering it's a "mother goddess" type religion.
The ones in getup look like Saturday Night Live ripoffs. (This is a direct quote, and I'm not sure exactly what he means.)
The person they were expecting to show up as leader didn't come, so they had to scramble for a last minute leader.
In interviews afterward the three-ish people who seemed to have some small idea what they believed all claimed to practice something different, as if an excuse for why things didn't exactly go all glowy-mystical. The others were apparently there to sort of learn. (And this is my opinion: great job! Now you've completely confused and turned off a couple of converts because apparently "wicca" means "I don't know what the hell I believe but it's definitely not the same as you".)
Now keep in mind that I am not pro- or anti-pagan or wicca at all. In fact it's a saying of mine that "I like religion so much, I have three!" and much of my personal belief system could easily and justifiably be deemed "pagan" (but certainly NOT wicca by any means).
I am, however, very much against the wave of neo-paganism sweeping through the united states due directly to the fact that it's such a self-centered undirected random load of... well, as one who has spent their entire life submerged in religion, it strikes me as a total crock. People who desperately seek spirituality (some - the rest are just attention starved teenagers and twixters seeking to make a statement, and they have: "I am full of crap.") but don't want to be restrained in any way by authority or don't want to deal with the history of any organized religion (Christian, Muslim, Jew, we're all murdering bastards one way or another, right?).
*sigh* I don't know. It makes me sad, in a way. I am glad it didn't turn out to be a freak show.
Very dull/boring.
A lot like a regular church gathering in that afterwards they all sat around the barbecue and bitched about this that and the other. But not in that there was no singing and no fun to be had, not even by the practicitioners.
Apparently they talked about how while the ritual was going on the mosquitos didn't bother them but as soon as the circle was broken they attacked - nevermind the fact that they stopped after the sun went down and the wind stopped blowing ie. "mosquito hour".
The athame (sharp pointy thing) had to be used twice - to "open the door" for latecomers.
Probably the main reason (or rather, main reasons) there were twice as many men as women were the apparent leaders breasts - which is alright, one supposes, considering it's a "mother goddess" type religion.
The ones in getup look like Saturday Night Live ripoffs. (This is a direct quote, and I'm not sure exactly what he means.)
The person they were expecting to show up as leader didn't come, so they had to scramble for a last minute leader.
In interviews afterward the three-ish people who seemed to have some small idea what they believed all claimed to practice something different, as if an excuse for why things didn't exactly go all glowy-mystical. The others were apparently there to sort of learn. (And this is my opinion: great job! Now you've completely confused and turned off a couple of converts because apparently "wicca" means "I don't know what the hell I believe but it's definitely not the same as you".)
Now keep in mind that I am not pro- or anti-pagan or wicca at all. In fact it's a saying of mine that "I like religion so much, I have three!" and much of my personal belief system could easily and justifiably be deemed "pagan" (but certainly NOT wicca by any means).
I am, however, very much against the wave of neo-paganism sweeping through the united states due directly to the fact that it's such a self-centered undirected random load of... well, as one who has spent their entire life submerged in religion, it strikes me as a total crock. People who desperately seek spirituality (some - the rest are just attention starved teenagers and twixters seeking to make a statement, and they have: "I am full of crap.") but don't want to be restrained in any way by authority or don't want to deal with the history of any organized religion (Christian, Muslim, Jew, we're all murdering bastards one way or another, right?).
*sigh* I don't know. It makes me sad, in a way. I am glad it didn't turn out to be a freak show.
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