Witchvox Article

Author: Jonah
Posted: January 16th. 2005
Times Viewed: 4,473

Our community is being faced with a challenge. This struggle is well known, and has been the subject of many essays and articles. It is a multi-faceted issue, but it is often seen as three separate obstacles: Continual bickering amongst ourselves; poor public perception of our religions; and a bitterness toward 'mainstream' religions. It is very easy to see these things as individual problems, but the truth is that they all stem from a deeper issue.

For some time now I have noticed an increase in the number of essays posted here about actively improving the public perception of the Pagan community. More and more people are coming forward to remind us to accept Christians, and others, as we would have ourselves be accepted. I have seen article after article and response after response regarding the continuing quarrel amongst various traditions and individuals. A common admonition is to “stop wasting our energy fighting with each other and apply it to building up our community.”

I agree that our energy would be better spent constructively than in arguments. I agree that we should celebrate the faith of others rather than denounce it. I agree that Pagans are looked down upon by the Big Three. But I do not agree that these issues should be our focus. They are merely symptoms of a deeper problem that I have not heard much about in the essays, articles, discussion boards, mailing lists, and books. If we address the real issue, the rest will naturally be resolved as well.

The fact of the matter is that the problem does not lie with the Pagan community, with mainstream society, or with other religions that continually fail to understand us. The problem lies in the individuals that make up the Pagan community. The problem lies in us because our focus is in the wrong place.

The prime example of this is the “New Age” section of any corporate bookstore. Publishers produce books that sell, and books sell because people want to buy them. So what does it say about us when what we buy are books on spells, rituals, and 'Learn to read the Tarot in twenty minutes?' Spells, rituals, and the Tarot are all wonderful tools. It is unfortunate that the tools have become the focus, and the deep spirituality that they try to lead us to are all but forgotten. This is especially true of Wicca, which, being a Wiccan, irks me to no end. So often Wiccans would rather argue about ritual structure and etiquette than take the time to see the beauty and feel the power behind someone else's way. And even more often are the rituals in which the words and motions are precise and exacting, but the connection to Spirit is lost in the effort.

On a broader scale, when we focus on mechanics and formats and ideals and politics, instead of our common spirituality, we fight amongst ourselves and nothing gets done. When we focus on 'how we must look' to the Christians when we fail to live up to their standards, we also fail to live up to our own. And when we focus on the teachings and peoples of other religions that denounce and berate us, we miss out on rejoicing that so many of their followers are good and beautiful people that have found their spiritual path, just as we have for ourselves.

As within, so without.

When we see the people in our community fighting each other over ultimately meaningless agendas, from where does that stem? Many articles on this subject that I have read suggest that it is a failure to let go of the ego. I think that theory is bunk. We are human, and ego is part of the package. We are not Buddhist, striving to break free from our ego in order to remove ourselves from the cycle. We are Pagan. We celebrate and respect the cycle. We strive to revel in our uniqueness, love our individuality, and express that freely. My ego isn't going anywhere any time soon.

When we manifest conflict and struggle in our world, it is not because we are holding onto our ego, being too much of ourselves. It is because we are conflicted within ourselves – we haven't figured out, or refuse to accept, who we truly are. If we are conflicted in our own heart, we will manifest conflict.

The resolution to this is to connect with and live in harmony with your gods. The gods are powerful because They know exactly who They are, and if there is one thing They are good at teaching us, it's who we are. Once you have aligned your heart with your gods, you can't help but act with their love and be open to their wisdom. If you are open to Divine love and wisdom, you will begin to resolve the conflicts that cause you anger, frustration, and fear. And if we all were to do that, we would realize that we don't need to fight over formalities and semantics. We would realize that we come together not to argue, but to celebrate our common spirituality.

The first thing magick changes is the self.

I have heard much about volunteer work, picking up litter, activism, and community outreach. Unfortunately, the reason for doing these things is always the same: improving the public perception of Paganism.

Well, I'm sorry, but that is just not a good reason.

I admit that our public face could use a lift, and I agree that all of the activities listed above are good ways to begin creating that change. But public image should never be the motivator for doing good. If you want to volunteer to feed the homeless, great. Do it because the Goddess wishes none of her children to hunger. If you want to clean up your parks and beaches, excellent. Do it because you treasure the Earth and her natural beauty. If you want to get the Republicans out of office (or keep them in as the case may be) , more power to you. Do it because you believe in the rights of every human as a child of Spirit. DO NOT do it to make us look better.

By changing our own actions and attitudes, we inevitably change others' perception of us. Whether the Pope thinks the Pagan community is a force for good or not is the least of my worries. Before I can care about that I have to care about the Goddess and God, the Earth, my friends and family, and myself. If I ever get all of that down, maybe then I'll worry about what the Church thinks. In any case, if we do good because it's in our hearts, it will be recognized as good. If we do it to bolster our own image, it will be recognized as advertisement.

We all come from the Goddess.

It's really a shame that so many Pagans seem to expect mainstream religions to accept us for who we are and then turn around and bash the same religions they seek that acceptance from. How can we expect respect when we don't afford it to others?

Again, the issue here isn't simply that we don't 'get along with' these religions. It's also not that they don't get along with us. The real problem is that some of us refuse to accept the validity of these other religions, just as they refuse to acknowledge the validity of ours. If there is one rule that I strive to live by, it is to never ask anyone else to do something that I am unwilling to do.

Pagans are generally polytheistic, or at least duotheistic. Whether we see the gods as individual entities or as facets of a more general divinity, it is irrational to exclude the gods of other religions. This is especially true if our only reason for doing so is that we're having a fight with the god we grew up with.

If we have created a real relationship with our gods, we know that their power and love touch every facet of our life and we praise them for it. Why should we reject that relationship between a Christian and Jesus? How much easier would it be to say, “Wow! I'm so glad that you have so much faith, ” than to be offended by it? How much better would it feel to be thankful that so many millions have found a path that works for them than to go around harboring resentment about it? We are all children of Spirit, and we all have an uncanny ability to misinterpret our gods. Don't hold it against mainstream religion that they've gotten a message or two wrong (as you perceive it) . We're in the same boat.

Personally, I try to live my life as a Wiccan in such a way that I uplift the faith of my Christian friends and colleagues. I have even been known to offer guidance to them based on their own faith (I feel part of my duty as a Priest is to be one to everyone that needs me, not just other Wiccans) . In this way I am not only able to be of assistance to those in need of it, but I have also been uplifted by their relationship with Spirit.

So instead of cringing when we hear about the accomplishments of other religious and spiritual groups, we can be happy for them. Then we can try to learn from their accomplishment and apply it to ourselves.

The only person you can change is yourself.

The future of any community is dependent on the individuals that make it up. This is especially true of the Pagan community, in which everyone that chooses to use it can have a voice. The problems that we are facing arise not out of excessive expansion, conflicting views, or public perception. They have nothing to do with differences in beliefs or traditions. They stem from focusing on the wrong things. By developing our own spirituality and relationships with our gods, and helping others to do so when asked, we will make the truly deep and important changes as individuals that will inevitably heal us as a community.

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Jonah

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