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Article Specs
Article ID: 2098
VoxAcct: 6
Section: wars
Age Group: Adult
Days Up: 5,619
Times Read: 18,786
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Lessons of the Dark and the Light
Author: Amorgen [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: January 4th. 1998
Times Viewed: 18,786
Clearly, we have reached a juncture. It has been pointed out that only since the inception and assimilation of the Internet and its interconnection capabilities, both public and private, have we as a "community" become aware of our numbers. That word - "community" - can be interpreted broadly. Though many of us have felt a sense of community with others of our ilk, we would be hard-pressed to apply the term to ALL of those who are Pagan. Lhiannon has brought up a good point. There are people who make it hard to feel a sense of connection and hard to identify with. Indeed, the whole of the Pagan realm is feeling somewhat of an identity crisis. Let me explain that.
When efforts are made to bring diverse Pagans together, there are always many reasons brought up as to why this is a bad idea. We hear statements like, "If *THEY* come, I am not showing". Surely we are not mired in the thought patterns of the racist...you think? I have yet to meet a Witch who would refuse to associate with those of another race, but I *HAVE* heard them tell me directly that they had some ideological problems with those of another Creed. I've seen Witches shun Druids; seen Covens shun Solitaires; seen Trad members shun non-Trads.....the list goes on. I do not identify at all with practitioners of Voudoun or Santeria, but I find them fascinating and feel I can learn from them. I can make the very same claim regarding Druids. By talking with, associating with and learning from those of other practices and pantheons I become enriched and educated. I am less likely to objectify and dehumanize their people as a whole if I have met one of them face-to-face and shared back-and-forth. This is true even if I don't agree entirely with what they do. If Santerians kill chickens, should I not invite them to a Pagan unity gathering? It would make me a hypocrite since *I EAT CHICKEN*! I may not have wielded the knife, but by buying the meat I am sanctioning and condoning the slaughter. The point here is that we are all very different from one another and that diversity makes us strong.
Another area I've seen which is exasperating is the propensity of some Witches to remain steadfastly loyal to certain Elders, even to the exclusion of be willing to be objective in their observation of events and behaviors of those Elders. If you are unwilling to admit that an Elder is wrong in their behavior, you are creating more than just one problem:
- You are enabling and validating the behavior;
- You are allowing it to continue without intervention;
- You are setting up new people to be exposed to that environment;
- You are creating a setback for public relations; and
- You are hurting yourself - violating *ALL* Pagan Creeds.
One main reason, in my opinion, that it is so hard to see into our other lives is because the Goddess and God want us to pay attention to who and where we are right now. We have to clean our room before we can come to dinner, so to speak. Well, we've *ALL* got some picking up to do!
When Hecate creates dark lessons in our lives, do we love Her any less? Of course not. We still love and respect Her. We respect Her because She speaks the Truth. All the aspects of the Goddess and the God speak the Truth all the time. It is truly a universal law that none of the Deities lie. Not even to Themselves. I think one of the reasons people lie is out of fear of offending someone with the truth. "I won't tell this Elder what I *REALLY* think because she/he will not favor me anymore." Well, if you ask me, it is even more disrespectful and offensive to lie, even by omission, than to tell the truth as a friend *IN PERFECT LOVE AND PERFECT TRUST*! Do you remember that one?
This Witch is so very far from perfect. So very far indeed. I court no pity from anyone, but I sometimes think I am only marginally qualified as a human being. I have made mistakes, both mundane and magickal. I have told the occasional "white lie". I have broken promises...
This letter is not meant as a cathartic forum for me, however. It is rather an effort to bring to your attention the need for us to let go of that which is not important. We have to unlearn the thinking that different is bad. If there is no one that is different, there is no diversity. Every single example of a society which excluded diversity shows us that this uniformity is artificial. It is externally imposed, sometimes at the point of a gun. Long-term propaganda is far more effective than guns, however. Just look at fashion trends: The ideal female supermodel of today is a size 5. Marilyn Monroe was a size 16. The ulterior motives of opportunists became the driving force behind the image industry of places like "Madison Avenue" and Paris.
The point in that analogy is that if someone who is regarded in high esteem because of their knowledge and/or personality continues to "sell" a particular viewpoint as *THE* Truth, people will come to accept the idea as just that - *THE* Truth. In reality it is only *ONE* of the many ways of doing things.
Humans are social by their nature, and deeply ingrained in that part of our anthropological development is the need to be accepted and recognized. This is the mechanism which comes into play when die-hard, loyal zealots become seemingly incapable of independent thought. For them to admit the truth to themselves and then speak it is to risk abandonment. It is very much the same dynamic many women face in abusive relationships. It is my opinion that when we all see ourselves as wonderful people with much to offer, worthy of esteem and *NOTHING TO PROVE*, we will all be a great deal farther down the road to unity.
Everytime you feel the need to raise your voice to argue a point or react to an attack, ask yourself if the Goddess would find it worthy of Her time and energy.
Everytime you feel the compulsion to point out to someone why they are wrong to be who they are, ask your self the same question.
If people in our community look at you with an expression that says, "You'e not helping!", pay attention. Stop attacking each other and find a way to be of some help. If you are not able to look directly at yourself and be OK with what you see, then work on yourself before you attack other Witches. Believe it or not, there are those Witches out there who are more than willing to help you with that. They are qualified, too.
Blessed Be the Witches of the World,
Amorgen
A Must Bookmark...
| Amorgen's Witchcraft Pages | An ever-growing site of Witch information. Provides constitutional and caselaw documents pertaining to religious freedom. Pagan links, guestbook, a listing of the Sabbats and Esbats & an ecology page. There is a Book of Shadows, a Witch news page and one on the origins of today's holidays. Also a copy of the historic Papal Bull of 1484 and excerpts from the Malleus Malifacarum.
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Important Note: This article is presented by the author as a starting point for discussion on the issue. Each author has submitted his/her article independently and may or may not agree with all the viewpoints in the entire series.
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Location: Conway, New Hampshire
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