72 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
72 lines
4.6 KiB
Plaintext
Koren #1 @7314
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Fri Mar 23 12:48:45 1990
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RELIGIOUS VS. POLITICAL REASONS FOR JOINING: Similar to the passage above,
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this again deals with one's primary motivation for becoming a Pagan. For Old
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Guard Pagans, being political was something that grew out of one's religious
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ideas. But, just as there is much variance in Old Guard Paganism, so too
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there is much variance in Old Guard politics. From my own friends, I can
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cite Old Guard Pagans who run the gamut from Socialist to Libertarian. This
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same political diversity is noticably absent in New Guard P aganism, with
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most New Guard Pagans sticking to the same party line. Also, there is less
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tollerance of Pagans who diverge from that party line. More stress is placed
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on being 'politically correct'.
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RELIGIOUS VS. FEMINIST REASONS FOR JOINING: Finally, many Old Guard Pagans
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have become feminists AS A RESULT OF their Pagan beliefs. By contrast, many
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New Guard Pagans are Pagans AS A RESULT OF their feminist beliefs. Once
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more, it's a question of which t akes precedent. And although it may seem
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like the final result would be the same, such is not the case. Pagans who
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come to Paganism via feminism are often separatists, Goddess monotheists,
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anarchists, distrustful of both structure and authority, insisting on such
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ideas as consensus political forms, rotating High Priestesses (often without
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High Priests at all), and other non-traditional Coven structures. ( Often,
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such groups disdain to use the word 'Coven' and simply refer to their
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'Circles'.) The perenial problems that plague such groups (the lack of
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focus, the inability to set goals, the endless personality clashes and power
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plays, and the fact that nothing ever gets done) come as no surprise. Much
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of this would be unthinkable to Old Guard Pagans, who wo uld no more rotate
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the position of High Priestess in their Coven than they would rotate the
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position of mother in their family. ( The New Guard attitude toward
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authority arises, I believe, from a healthy mistrust of it as it is
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typically used (abused) in patriarchal society. This perception is
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particularly acute among feminists. What it fails to consider is how
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authority may be used positively in a matriarchy.)
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NON- VS. PROSELYTIZING: For an Old Guard Pagan, the idea of saying to
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someone 'Would you like to join our Coven?' or 'Would you like to become a
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Witch?' would have been unthinkable. Proselytizing was one of the most
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detested aspects of the religious tradi tion (usually Christian) being left
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behind. Those groups who actively recruit members were, to the Old Guard,
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groups to be shunned at all costs. Witchcraft is not the one, right, and
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only religion. In fact, it probably appeals only to a select few. And th ose
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few exhibit their courage and sincerity when they seek out a Coven or a
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tradition. When a Coven seeks THEM out instead (Won't you please join our
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Circle tonight?), there is no guage of the novice's devotion. Perhaps that
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is why the 'drop-out' rate is much higher for New Guard than Old Guard.
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(Other mystery traditions, such as the Freemasons, strictly forbid a member
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to ask an outsider if they would like to join.)
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Lest one conclude that there are only differences between Old and New Guard
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Pagans, let me mention a few things they seem to have in common. First,
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there is magic -- both in its frequency of use, and what it is used for.
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Second, the use of drugs by modern Witches has always been a minority
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position, and seems to remain so. Third, the times of celebration and
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festival, appointed by the seasons and the phases of the moon, seem constant
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(although New Guard Pagans often employ inappropriate names for the holi
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days). So, while there are differences, there is common ground as well.
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If the remarks you overhear made by Old Guard Pagans (and the remarks made
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in this essay!) seem slighty petulent, tinged with sibling rivalry, it is
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not to be wondered at. The Old Guard Pagan is in the position of older
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brother or sister of the family. Th ey often feel, quite justifiably, that
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the things which they had to fight Mom and Dad so HARD for, are now being
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handed to the younger brother or sister on a silver platter. They feel that
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since their freedoms and privileges were so hard won, they value t hem more.
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They often feel that the younger siblings do not APPRECIATE all the things
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the older siblings have done to make such freedoms possible. And, of course,
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they are right. Such will always be the way of the world -- the march of
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generations. Still, the thing to remember about sibling rivalry is that,
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underneath it all, we ARE siblings; we ARE brothers and sisters, whatever
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forms may divide us; we ARE all sons and daughters of the Great Mother.T |