From:    Knife                                  Area: MagickNet
To:      All                                     9 Sep 92 16:08:00
Subject: New Student                            UpdReq 

  I am a new student to the practice of magick and am attempting to teach 
myself through use of books such as Magick by Phil Hansford and other 
informational sources (i.e. text files dl'd from this BBS) and would like 
help in learning it if possible through E-mail.  I already know much about 
the occult through prior studies for basic knowledge however this is the 
first time I am trying to learn it to practice it and am having problems 
focusing any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

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From:    Erin                                   Area: MagickNet
To:      Domi O                                  9 Sep 92 22:59:32
Subject: Irish Sources and Stuff                UpdReq 

 > There really aren't "exceptions" to aspiration and eclipsis,
 > though  there are regional differences. 
       Wish you'd quoted.  I've forgotten now what I said about exceptions. 
I think I must have been talking about the differences in dialects?
  > know perfectly well that  each word is correct, and yet
 > cannot make sense of the whole.
 > If you can do Japanese, you are way ahead of me! At least
 > Irish is an  Indo-European language...
      Give me an Oriental language any day of the week!  They are simplicity 
itself.  None of this complicated grammar, these declensions of nouns, these 
conjugations of verbs, these exceptions to rules governed by blood 
temperature and how hot the moon is.  All you have to learn is the character 
system.  And even it's not as intimidating as it looks.
                                                 Erin

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From:    Lewis Stead                            Area: MagickNet
To:      Paul Hume                               9 Sep 92 09:38:26
Subject: Re: PAGAN SEMINARY                     UpdReq 

  PH> In the "requirements" portion of the document (#1-6) my initial
  PH> reactions are: 1: Pagans who go to non-pagan seminaries: I would have
  PH> the gravest doubts about someone who is so hungry for certification as
  PH> a "Cleric" that they would feel impelled to attend a seminary having
  PH> little or nothing to do with the religion they espouse. If they want
  PH> the training in counselling, there are degree programs in counselling,
  PH> etc. Attending a seminary implies a desire for "God" to sign your
  PH> diploma, in this context.
The ones I've seen are Unitarians and many simply unable to understand that
there are differences between Unitarian and Pagan belief.
  PH> 6: Without wishing to discount Alan's sincere vocation, this point
  PH> raises the gravest doubts about his suitability for such a role. We
  PH> see a list of three individuals who have taken priestly obligations
  PH> under false pretenses and WHO CANNOT (apparently) HOLD A "REAL" JOB.
  PH> Yes, all three are also in a dilemma, if they have a real vocation to
  PH> serve their fellows in the religious paradigm, but they're solutions
  PH> (or lack of solutions) shows a lack of moral fiber that is not
  PH> comforting. If they are capable of living in the broom closet and
  PH> working as clergy of other religions, waiting to jump ship to Paganism
  PH> as soon as they can find someone to PAY THEM TO DO IT, what does this
  PH> say for their belief in the God/Gods to Whom they made the vows that
  PH> presently bind them, and to Whom they apparently wish to make new
  PH> vows?
  
Here!  Here!  I agree completely.  Locally we have two or three "in the closet"
"Pagan" ministers.  As far as I'm concerned that kind of fraud is around the
same level as TV Preachers telling retirees to sign over their social security
checks.  Being a Priest or minister or whathaveyou is a sacred trust and not
living up to that trust or resigning your vocation when you no longer feel it
is nothing more than the most cynical and immoral type of fraud.  The people
that contribute to churches are sincere believers looking for spiritual 
leadership
in their own communities, not looking to fund someone elses spiritual 
excursions.
How would the Pagan community feel if we found out some of our leaders were
just making $$ off of us and were really Evangelical Christians.


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From:    Domi O                                 Area: MagickNet
To:      The Wizard                              9 Sep 92 19:48:00
Subject: LOCAL COVEN?                           UpdReq 

Where is Vineland? I know druids in Jersey City and Gardnerians in Dumont......
Domi of ADF

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From:    The Grey man                           Area: MagickNet
To:      Paul Hume                              10 Sep 92 11:54:32
Subject: PAGAN SEMINARY                         UpdReq 

Paul, I have passed your comments on to Alan.  Judging by past experience, I 
will end up posting his reply within the next few days.
By the way, your comments echoed mine almost exactly 3(except that I was quite 
a bit harsher about the "pagan" Christian clergy than you were).  I'm afraid 
that Alan is going to think that I am writing these responses and putting 
other people's names to them. :-)
I don't know if I mentioned it to you before, but my son enjoyed talking to 
you at Free Spirit last June.  Of course he didn't bother to tell me that you 
were there until we got home...
Blessed be,
Grey


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