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 Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 6:57 pm
Are you Pagan or Wiccan or Druid? Are you a Neopagan, a Witch or a Celtic reconstructionist? Are you an Asatruar, an animist, a shaman?
Then, again, there are the pejoratives, 'fluffy bunny', 'whitelighter', 'darksider'; and those are just the more polite ones.
This is a conversation about how we classify ourselves, the label sort of letting others know at least a little about what we believe, on first meeting.
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2009 7:17 pm
I have been reading the 'pagan' threads in the Gaia public forums and have decided not to participate, at least for the moment. This is why: several of the more prominent posters have very narrow interpretations of the meanings of our self-labels and are distinctly unpleasant towards those who do not adhere to the same viewpoint. Are the only true Wiccans directly descended from and strictly follow the system laid out by Gardner? Are the only true Pagans followers of specific ancient polytheistic religions? If you answer 'yes' to both of these you have just set a very small, narrow table and disenfranchised a lot of people who self-identify as Wiccan or Pagan. I do not know where this attitude comes from and find it disturbing. Our labels should not be subjects of contention and used for exclusion but should be tools to bring us together. I was wondering if I had missed something, hiding under my rock and living my life, but I headed over to Witchvox to check the pulse of the larger world: http://www.witchvox.com/and found things were, well, normal. Just to be strict, I have made my nametag say 'Neopagan' since I am a thoroughly modern country hick, thank-you. I will see how the conversation goes before expanding on any points. Bear in mind that these are my opinons - they aren't directives or carved in stone or any sort of 'test.'
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 1:14 am
WhitLighter???? How can we have a title form charmed meaning guardian angels for good witchs?
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 3:26 am
Well, I should explain 'pejorative.' Those are descriptive terms imposed, rather than self-assumed, when someone wants to be negative. I suppose 'whitelighter' is thrown at someone who seems to have gotten their spiritual beliefs from, well, a certain TV show!
On the surface I would think that getting this label stuck on you might be a way of saying that you lack balance between altruism and self-interest but is often an expression of annoyance that you're happy and shiny and oh, so enthusiastic! Hmmmm, I'm picturing a sweet, puppy-eyed.....
LOL, you get the idea.
Anyway, Merry Meet!
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 6:19 pm
I have worn a number of labels on my long and winding road. As I posted on one of these threads, I studied under an organized neoDruid tradition, rising to leadership for a time, and took a structured course in Wicca, attaining an outer-circle initiation. I think this latter endows a certain Priestess status but I don't make that much of it. I value a certain amount of humbleness in my own steps.
But the real Druids are all gone, I can appreciate some of the forms and knowledge of Wicca but have no feeling for its mythological cycle or theology, I'm the sort of leader who sets you free and Priestess? Well, I did sign it on a wedding certificate....but I am much more satisfied by the funeral where I officiated - people were uplifted rather than sad.
Yes, I will take the neopagan nametag or just the 'pagan' one. I definitely do not feel comfortable in the city and, quite frankly, its original meaning, unappropriated by reconstruction, suits me fine.
Am I a Witch? If that is a label for a worker in magic and simple ritual, then yes, I'll take that label, also. I can induce plants to grow, a handy bit of work.
So, you see how I sort through the words, weighing the various meanings, trying them on for size, looking at ideas for what wears well on me.
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 8:56 pm
Well, I consider myself a Shaman but have yet to go about 'shamaning'. Honestly, I'm not even sure what it's like to be a shaman yet. At least, not in this life. There was just a pull that kept saying 'shaman' rather than 'witch', 'wizard', 'warlock', or anything else. I'm not sure why.
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:05 pm
See thats an interesting post. I felt the Shamanic pull as well, But most of the books that I had skimmed or read said that the pull of Shamanism was a calling from a, and I cant remember the exact phrasing or whatever, but basically you had to be of some sort of vision to become a shaman. So I looked into Druidism Instead.
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:13 pm
I personally dislike the types of books and such that do say things like that. The thing is, I have a theory that maybe I was a Shaman in a recent past life (my theory, in more depth, would be a Shaman in an African tribe, maybe at least fifty or more years ago, since I also feel I led a life in the 1950s), and until I know I am or am not for sure, I'll keep up the interest and pursue it if necessary, regardless of what anyone says 'has to happen' for me to 'become' one. But it's possible I wasn't, and am meant to be one in this life.
My suggestion to you would be not to give up on Shamanism, quite yet. Since I don't know if you were or weren't one in a past life, or if you're meant to be now or whatever, that advice only goes so far. Go with your instinct: take a day or an hour or something to just go and explore to find if there's a connection to Shamanism. There may be, and there may not be. Only you can decide that.
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:18 pm
I think I just found my sign......
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:20 pm
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 9:32 pm
An animal one, Im too tired to explain tonight lol, but tomorrow im sure ill try and post about it. It happened earlier today, and I think ive been contacted before, I just never understood.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 1:54 am
Gee.... not really sure what I could call myself! I mainly jsut say I am Pagan, which stumps most people enough! Since I follow the ways of my Cherokee ancestors, a Lady Shaman, maybe?
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:32 am
The Scandanavian paths have a 'wise woman': sort of a witch and sort of a tranceworker. I suspect that many older cultures have someone who is close to being a shaman.
You find what triggers your trance, often a fire, drumming or the sound of water.
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 5:54 pm
I've been thinking again.....always dangerous!
Apart from those major labels we slap on ourselves there are those terms we use to describe what a pagan or a wiccan does.
We Walk a Path.
We Practice a Craft.
We Follow the Turning of the Wheel.
We take Inspiration from Nature.
We Learn.
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Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:41 pm
{X} im not quite sure... i got lost in all the types there were ^^"
is it wicca or some other form of paganism if i believe that theres a lifeforce in everything that we should respect and that karma really exists and will either bite you in the rear or reward you on what you do? i also think that talking to the 'air' is very rewarding ^^ though i get funny looks for it ^^" and i think reincarnation is real, though im not sure how to figure out if its happened to me or not... and am i talking too much? ^^" i can shorten my posts if you want me to {X}
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