The real community is in individual choice


Why Pagan leaders worry me sometimes

I want to very briefly revisit my rant against Starhawk's political opinions the other day.

I think that Starhawk's efforts to speak for the "Pagan community" strike to the very heart of my beliefs of individualism and distributed networking.

The Catholic Church has a strong hierarchal structure, with each level "controlling" the ones below. But that's not the only way to do things. My favorite example of information distribution is the internet. As much as possible, control and information are spread among many local networks. If one fails or even if several crash, the 'net still exists and data still flows.

I think that if a hierarchy exists, it should be at the most local level possible. It's another version of my "one off" map of human interaction. A High Priestess or High Priest could speak for the coven/circle/grove that they lead and possibly the groups that it spawned.

I honor and respect Starhawk for what she is (not who, never who) and the things she's done. I don't always agree with her, but I respect her. In the "council of advisors" that lives in my imagination, she's got a place at the table. But it's a round table. No head, no foot, everyone there has an equal voice. I know they have merit, otherwise they wouldn't be at the table. But no one has precedence at the table.

If there were a "Pagan community," that would be the only organization I personally would recognize. Individual effort, ability and commitment gets you into the circle, but once you're there, you have to share "the talking stick." No one speaks for ALL Pagans. If the community exists at all, it's a fluid dynamic thing.

That's it's strength.

It's also the very thing that frightens people because now they have to be responsible.

But then, they always did, didn't they?

Posted: Tue - December 29, 2009 at 01:44 PM
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