From: Herb Mitchell Area: Metaphysical To: All 14 Mar 95 21:23:02 Subject: Community Ethics UpdReq * Forwarded from "PNW: Pagan Discussions" * Originally by Lugaid * Originally to All * Originally dated 10 Mar 1995, 22:49 Arinn Dembo's editorial from _The Northwest Magickal Times_, Jan. 95 issue: Greetings! Welcome to the January issue of _The Northwest Magickal Times_. In this issue we celebrate Twelfth Night or Epiphany, traditionally the last day of the Christmas holiday, falling on January 6th. Historically, this is the day that all the debris of the feasting and rejoicing was cleaned up. People's lives and homes were put back in order. What brings this to mind? Well, our community could use a little cleaning up, as well. "An' it harm no one, do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." This is the Wiccan creed; it's a simple ethic, and in some ways you could look at it as a statement of the ideal spiritual state: complete freedom of action, limited only by love and respect for others. If all of us were perfect beings, we might even be able to leave off the first part--none of us would _want_ to harm anyone. On the other hand, let's get real. The Creed was probably useful when Wicca was a secret society, made up of very tiny, isolated groups banded together against the outside world. A coven can police itself, so far as the way members treat one another; you either behave yourself, or you're out on your ear and no one ever speaks to you again. Period, end of discussion. But Paganism is no longer a secret society. There are thousands of us, and although we may organize in covens at the grassroots level, we also meet and celebrate in large groups. Paganism is faced with the problems not of a tiny order but of a whole culture--or rather, a subculture, since we are an island within a much larger mainstream. In other words, "Do what thou wilt," is not cutting it any more. I have heard more than one person say that since they moved to the Northwest, they've never been lied to or ripped off except by Pagans. Of course, you might take that as a sign that most of their acquaintances are Pagan, and that no one else has really had the opportunity to rip them off...but that's beside the point. The point isn't really that other people are just as bad as Pagans--the point is that we're supposed to be much better! Especially to each other. The Northwest Pagan scene really does need some work. People who move here from other places are shocked and appalled by the things they see around here, and I can't blame them. The standard of behavior for Pagans in this area is stunningly low. People are selfish, tight-fisted and often unfriendly to new-comers--and they get away with an amazing amount of bullshit which would be considered intolerable elsewhere--which is why, by and large, the morale here is vastly inferior to that of much smaller Pagan communities elsewhere in the country. The fact is, associating with other Pagans in the Northwest is simply not a very pleasurable experience. Anyone with good sense and good social skills is so put off by what they see at the average Pagan event that they come away vowing never to attend again. Anyone with the strength of character to resist the pettiness and bigotry of the rest of the community quickly finds him/herself drowned in a tide of malicious gossip and skullduggery. Most of the Elders of the community have retired from public life now, because it was simply too exhausting for them to remain on the scene. Despite the fact that they should be leading the community, teaching neophytes and binding the disparate covens together under one Law, they stay in their homes and avoid social contact. We lose the benefit of their years of experience, and the chain that links us to a greater tradition is broken. Why do they abandon us? The answer is simple; people won't listen! Everyone thinks they know best; everyone shouts for attention; everyone argues rather than obey. The simple fact is that the Elders are not permitted to lead. Because "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." People are so short-sighted that they don't realize what harm their bickering has done--nor would they care, if it was pointed out to them. These people don't give a damn about the health of the greater community; what they care about is the power, political and magickal, that they can clutch in their greedy little hands. This community is full of people grasping for power that they neither deserve nor understand. We are plagued by a horde of pathetic little dipshit sorcerers, who have no conception whatsoever that worship is a two-way street. We all supplicate the Gods, of course. We all invoke great Presences and beg Their favor. But Paganism is not a "something for nothing" proposition. The Gods demand that we make some return for Their blessings... and the best, most worthy offering that anyone can make is to lead an upright, honorable life. Very, very few of us are doing this. 201434369420143436942014343694201434369420143436942014343694718 From: Herb Mitchell Area: Metaphysical To: All 14 Mar 95 21:24:04 Subject: Community Ethics UpdReq * Forwarded from "PNW: Pagan Discussions" * Originally by Lugaid * Originally to All * Originally dated 10 Mar 1995, 23:09 Because older and more experienced Witches are rarely consulted, the standard of public ritual is execrable. Rituals are frequently clumsy, useless, and unsafe--at best they lack direction. Large groups of people place their energy in the hands of amateurs who misdirect it accidentally; and sad to say, I have also seen that energy placed in the hands of experienced clergy who misdirect it deliberately. The Gods are routinely insulted in badly planned, poorly executed ceremonies. Many so-called "priests" and "priestesses" haven't mastered the simplest things, like the creation of a sturdy shield for the group, or the opening and closing of a Circle; the only protection the participants have, in the end, is that the Powers choose to ignore them. For a large proportion of Northwest Pagans, this isn't a religion, it's a dodge. It's yet another excuse for the fact that they can't behave them selves like responsible adults. They read "Do what thou wilt" as "rip people off and fuck up at will". To them, the Wiccan creed means that they never have to do the dishes, take out the garbage, or defer with respect to their elders. "An' it harm no one" is very liberally interpreted: when a man speaks love-words to two separate young women, impregnates them both and abandons them both with small children, has he harmed no one? When a "Priestess" uses her initiates to run a prostitution ring, has she harmed no one? Why do people like this still have a place among us? Why do we tolerate this? Perhaps in this modern day and age we can't stone them to death or sacrifice them, but we certainly have the option of ostracizing them. They should be shunned when they try to join our revels and ceremonies. And yet, we do not. Regardless of how morally repellent a person's behavior may be, it is taboo to administer the treatment they have earned. Why? I think that we should take a clue from the Celts: they knew that honesty and honor, hustice and respect, courtesy, cooperation and courage are all ten times more important than hocus-pocus and secret handshakes. If you tried some of the crap I've mentioned in a Celtic community, your head and shoulders would quickly have parted company. It's too bad we're so "civilized" now...because these parasites I'm talking about depend on the rules of civilization to protect them from just punishment for their crimes. I hope to see less of these people around in the New Year. I'd like to see more sincere worship in 1995, more consideration and respect for others in the community, more reverence for the Gods and less grandstanding and quibbling. [remainder of article not pertinent... regards the contents of the issue in question] Well, that's Arinn's editorial. Hope you find it interesting. Sla/n, Lugaid (lugaid@ix.netcom.com) Disclaimer: the opinions of this editorial do not necessarily coincide with my own, yada, yada, yada... 201434369420143436942014343694201434369420143436942014343694718