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Articles/Essays From Pagans
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November 22nd. 2009 ...
Rethinking Pagan Discrimination
Caveat Mentor, or Watch That First Step!
Ten Dumb Reasons To Join A Coven
Interview With Openly Pagan Elected Official, Jessica Orsini
Creating My Book of Shadows
Intolerance: A Curable Disease
Loving Spiritual Diversity
Good Vibrations
November 15th. 2009 ...
Recovering From a Bad Coven Experience
You Are Not A Tool
The Dangers of Virtual Reality and Magickal Life: A True Story
Diary of a High Priestess
When Religious Intolerance Destroys Friendship
Thinking With Your Heart
Beauty in Death
In that Moment: “Understanding Born From Sorrow”
Raining Down A Different Kind of Peace
November 8th. 2009 ...
Why Many of Us Will Never Be Christian (No Matter How Hard We Try)
Making Your Life Magical
Soul Connection: The Means to Finding Your Life Purpose
How I Met My Soul Mate. Twice
Perfect Love and Perfect Trust: Thoughts on Love and Loving
Love and the Use Of Magick
Spiritual Transformation
Follow the Yellowbrick Road: Sometimes Staying on the Path Takes a Miracle!
The Path: A Spiritual Chautauqua
November 1st. 2009 ...
My Magic Doesn't Work! (Because It Sometimes Doesn't)
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Paganism
The Breath and Faking It
Coming Out Of The "Broom Closet"
Profound Fruit Loops
Magick and Science
I Want To Live A While Longer
"Me Time"
October 25th. 2009 ...
Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone Touring East Coast USA for Samhain
Lemon Magic
My Black Kitty
Autumnland: Pagan Path and Paradise
The Modern Coven: Importance of Documentation
Crossroads Rite (Version 11)
Perceptions of Life
The Challenge of Acceptance
The Circle of Life
October 18th. 2009 ...
Honoring Our Elders, Leaders and Teachers
Space Clearing: A Fresh Look at a Classic Tradition
Group or Solitary: Which Is Best For You?
Which Witch is Which? The Importance of Scientific Terminology.
Soap Making 101
How I Maintain My Spiritual Practice in a War Zone
To Be or Not To Be – In Pagan Business
"Fusion" Magick
October 11th. 2009 ...
Italy, Clavicles and Witchcraft
The Fairies of Samhain
Horns of Gold, Horns of Red: The God as a Sacred Focus
The Veil as Seen Through the Eyes of a Witch
Owl Mythology, Folklore, and Magical Interpretation
A Celtic "Young Goodman Brown"
October 4th. 2009 ...
What Should I Put In My Book of Shadows?
How Do You Draw Your Pentagram?
Your Book Of Shadows
How I Became a Wiccan
Five-Point Witches’ Self-Healing Plan
The Responsiblity of Elders of Pagan Paths
My Curse
Thoughts on Death
Dinosaurs and Druidry
September 27th. 2009 ...
When I Was A Christian Wiccan
Shamanism: Seeing in the Dark
Dream Invasion: What It Is and How to Stop it
The Warrior Archetype and the Reemergence of the Goddess
Twittermancy and Open Sourcery
Past Life, Present Mission
The Burning Times: May We Never Forget
Ophiuchus, the 13th Constellation: A Call for Change
Changes: Facing Them and Making Them
September 20th. 2009 ...
How I Found My Craft Name (and Tips on Finding Yours!)
Life Without End: Death From A Pagan Perspective
Creating Your Reality
My Road To Wicca
Officiating At A Crossing Over Ceremony
NOTE: For a complete list of articles related to this chapter... Visit the Main Index FOR this section.
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Being Pagan in a 'Mundane' world
Author:
Posted: September 21st. 2001
Times Viewed: 3,963
Just this once, try to make up your mind of what you need in the local supermarket, and then go buy it. Buy that thing, and nothing else. Don't even look at something else, except when you are searching for it. When you have it, pay for it and go home. Without buying anything else. Can you do it? I bet you can't. (Of course you can cheat and look out something you want, and buy it later. Maybe go back and buy it, but that's not the point.) For instance, let's say you are short of milk. You take your wallet, but have no change. No worry, you always have your credit card, right? You need one (1) pack of milk. That's it. Nothing else. Just that one pack of milk. Next, you put on your jacket and go down the street. As you walk, you notice an ad for cheese.
'Great, ' you think, 'I think I'm out of cheese too.' Sure you are. There's a bit left, but it will only last a few days. So let's get that one too. Milk and cheese.
Finally, you arrive at the supermarket, and start looking for milk and cheese. Not here... not here... not he... wait a sec! You notice an ad for hamburgers, and realize you don't really have anything for dinner. Leftovers, sure, but nothing 'really'. So you take that bag of hamburgers. But hamburgers, don't you need ketchup? And salad? And drinking water with the burgers? No, better grab some Pepsi.
The cheese is near the milk, but as you grab for it, you see some other things you are sort of. At least, you think you are short of it right now.
Finally, pay for your groceries and leave the supermarket. But again, why did you go down there in the first place? One (1) pack of milk. But did you buy just that? No, you got dinner with everything included, and a lot of other stuff you are short of. Just that you are not really short of anything, you just thought you were when you were looking at the... ad. (you might of course be out of some things, but you do have plenty of replacements).
By now I guess you are wondering where I am going with all this. What does this have to do with being Pagan in a 'Mundane' world? Sure supermarkets and religion don't have anything in common? Then let me ask you this: What is the biggest problem with being Pagan? I bet you can have many problems, but the biggest of all is to still be one. You can't be a Pagan if you don't believe in it; that's the main part of every religion. Belief. But let's go back to the first story. You were going to get one pack of milk, and returned home with a lot of stuff you didn't really need. This is a lot like being a Pagan. You can have your religion, but you usually pick up a lot of other stuff along the way. I'm not saying the religion can be 'corrupted', it's just there are so many things trying to get your attention. Someone want you to buy this, someone else want you to buy that. The TV-guide keep telling you to watch this 'fabulous movie of the week', and don't forget that 'once in a life time' offer you got in the mail. (Along with ten other 'once in a life time' offers.)
Let's face it. The biggest religion in the world is called 'money', and this religion try to be the only one. The religion 'money' does not have a God like other religions, but it is controlled by someone. These 'someone' are the leaders of the big industries, like Coca-Cola and McDonalds. These industries only have a single goal; to make you buy their stuff and thus make money. Both of them are global, and are making a buck load of money every year by selling stuff. But if they managed to turn you into a mindless consumer, they could easily double the money them make. Maybe double it three or four times, even! So to them, it's bad we all still have our minds for ourselves. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the leader, and think about this: Does it really matter if people turn into mindless consumers, if they buy more? I guess the answer would be a big no. The more they buy, the more money you make. But to us, the consumers, it is a big deal if we have our minds in one piece or not. We don't want to buy stuff we don't need, most of us have to little money anyway.
Yet, we see ads and banners and commercials no matter where we go, telling us to buy this and that. Daily, dozens of industries are fighting to get us to buy their stuff instead of the stuff or an 'enemy'. The competition can be hard, but it's very rewarding for the winner(s). With all this going on, how can a person not only avoid it, but also keep his or her mind focused on something completely different? How can you stick to your religion, when there are so many others wanting your attention?
That question is something more or less everyone wants an answer to, yet it's a question I don't know if anyone at all can answer! Everyone is different, and thus the answer is different to everyone. You are the only one that can know how you react to every single commercial, ad and banner you see. If you see an ad for a pizza, you and only you know if you are going to buy that pizza some time because you saw the ad. I bet most people want to say they are not affected by all these ads at all, but who can know? I myself don't think I am affected by ads for Coca-Cola, but yet I love the drink! I like it for the taste, but think about this. I do like the commercials, and I do buy the drink. Any connection? Maybe not conscious, but how about sub-conscious? Could it be some part of my brain remembers the commercials when I am trying to figure out if I should buy Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
But let's go back to the Pagan-stuff. How can you be Pagan, when you are the only one that tells you to be one? And how can you be one, when everyone else try to make you stop thinking so much on your own?
The first question is obvious. You either are, or you are not. If you believe in the religion, you are Pagan. (by the way, I say 'religion' because the word Pagan (to my knowledge) means 'not Christian'. This mean Pagan are a whole lot of religions.) So how can you be a Pagan when everyone else wants to you to stop thinking? That's a bit harder, not but impossible! Everyone need to relax at times, but how about the brain? Don't that part of the body needs sleep too? Well, yeah. It does. My advice is to let go off all thought at least once a week, just sit down and let go. Turn off all lights in the room, unplug the phone, lock the door, relax, and let go. Drift away mentally, and let your brain get some time off.
But even if this helps at the time, it don't help when you are i.e. in a supermarket. I mean, you can't just sit down and let go off everything in there, can you? No, if you did the police or the 'nice men in white coats with happy candy' from the Mental Institution would pick you up. However, you can focus on the religion when things are getting to though. I have always a charm with me wherever I go, and try to focus on that if things are getting hard. I've needed to block ads or commercials, but I can't see any reason why it shouldn't work.
I guess what it all boils down to is you can't get an answer what to do from anyone. You might like or hate commercials, but they are there. The things you can do are not to let them affect you, and seek help from friends. Remember commercials are public, so there are dozens of other people that see them. You are never alone, so don't be afraid of asking someone to help you with them. You can focus on a charm or something, or focus on the person you love. If you have any hobbies, think about them. Think about a movie you have just seen, or about the weekend coming up. Don't worry about letting your mind wander a bit, it can help. I know.
Roger Sandbakk
ABOUT...
Location: , USA
Bio: I am 23, male and live in a bit north of the middle of Norway. My spiritual journey started somewhere in my early childhood, and have studied a lot of religions to some point to find out where I belong. Some years ago I almost found a match, it's called Wicca. But it didn't fit entirely, until I learned you can be both a Wiccan and a Witch. Now the religion(s) finally fits like a glove, and I'm happy as ever as a Wiccan Witch.
Other Listings: To view ALL of my listings: Click HERE
Email ... (No, I have NOT opted to receive Pagan Invites! Please do NOT send me anonymous invites to groups, sales and events.)
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