ugh-politics
Judge not by the label
Tuesday, 20Aug2019 Filed in: thinking by blogging
But for me, politics is not a part of paganism. Things don't go well when faith and politics are mixed. So I am saying that politics has nothing to do with the sunrise of the bright Moon. You can't find politics in an infant's laugh or in the call of a coyote.
Read More...NeoNote — Not slur words
Sunday, 04Aug2019 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ NeoNotes
Before you can do one simple task, you have to do another task that gives you what you need to do the first. And before you can do the second, there is a third and fourth that you really should take care of.
Read More...Erase the past
Saturday, 20Jul2019 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ tellus
“Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two patterns with “opposing” characteristics, and each will contain the essence of the other within itself.”
Journal - Friday, 24Mar2019
“Touch seems to be as essential as sunlight.”
Three Laws of Thermosecurity
Thursday, 23May2019 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ practicals
“Only the mountain has lived long enough to listen objectively to the howl of the wolf.”
NeoNote — For your own good
It means I watch for the exceptions where neither IS nor IS NOT applies. It means our understanding is limited by our perception and assumptions at the moment.
Read More...“The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?: Crash Course World History #10”
Saturday, 13Apr2019 Filed in: studies
Distasteful
Saturday, 30Mar2019 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ simple
❝If we wrap ourselves in sorrow and pain and misery and self-loathing, then that is exactly what we attract.❞— NeoWayland, Invoking passion for failure or success?
NeoNote — This tragedy does not reflect on Heathens.
“In which John compares and contrasts Greek civilization and the Persian Empire. Of course we're glad that Greek civilization spawned modern western civilization, right? Maybe not. From Socrates and Plato to Darius and Xerxes, John explains two of the great powers of the ancient world, all WITHOUT the use of footage from 300.”
Read More...My fourth sex rule
Thursday, 13Dec2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ sex
“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
Will this solve the problem?
Tuesday, 27Nov2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans
The Moral Guardians® have taken for themselves the exclusive power to decide who will and will not be heard. Or read. Or even mentioned.
Read More...NeoNote — Taking a stand against politics in paganism
Tuesday, 27Nov2018 Filed in: NeoNotes⭐︎ modern adult pagans
Culture war
Tuesday, 27Nov2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Truly Proper
Tuesday, 20Nov2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Journal - Friday, 09Nov2018
Friday, 09Nov2018 Filed in: thinking by blogging⭐︎ sex
Anything in the Gallery or albums has to have grabbed my attention. That usually means it has to be unusual.
Read More...Tuesday - November 6, 2018 - election day
Tuesday, 06Nov2018 Filed in: daybook
The Gods Do Not Vote
Monday, 05Nov2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans
The Gods Do Not Vote, So Why Are You Asking Them?“Meanwhile, I see some Pagans convinced that they know how the gods vote — or would vote, if they could produce a photo ID at the polling place.
Are these the same Pagans who sneer at that subset of evangelical Christians who apparently think that Jesus is a Republican?
If you are really a polytheist, then you must accept that the gods do not vote. Their values are not always aligned with our day-to-day political values. Really, what does Aphrodite care about Colorado’s proposal to change the redistricting process or about who wins the race for Pueblo County coroner? Should I consult Hekate about my congressional candidates?”
Spells for Democracy?
Saturday, 21May2005 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ rite & ritual
How does it make the World better?
Rewritten.
This has been the year of politics. Even more, it's been the year of Pagan politics, with Doomsayers announcing that the Current Administration is a threat to paganism, women, children, world peace, climate, and the price of organic rice.
Codswallop.
Years ago I chose to separate my politics from my paganism. Lately I've been trying to separate sex around me from politics. We know that politics corrupts. I've no desire to see my faith enslaved to the cause of the day. And I really don't want to give control of my sex drive to the activists. It's not a circus where we all go home safe and sound afterwards.
It's not a fantasy epic. As John Halstead pointed out, fantasy epics are adolescent. Not even thinking, it's desire unleashed. We're not the Ones Chosen By Destiny to Triumph Over Overwelming Evil.
"Me, ME, ME, ME!"
Any blood paid wouldn't be theirs.
We're people, not legends.
The real world, the mundane world, the everyday World isn't like that. Real heroes make a stand, knowing that the price may be more than they can pay. But these poseurs? These wanna-be Big Name Pagans? These shallow sorta victim types? What's heroic about that? It's wish fulfillment. They will never be satisfied. They never see beyond the next moment of What Could Be, if everything goes the way they want. If nothing goes wrong…
Real change in the real world costs blood, sweat, and tears. It means thinking about tomorrow and the week after that. It means accepting the consequences for your actions. It means knowing that big changes start with small changes, not grand gestures. It means something beyond the fantasy.
Let's say there were these hot, uninhibited, possibly bisexual and very well developed 15 year old twins that lived over on the next block. Now there's a part of me that would look at them and think "me FUCK now!!!".
But that isn't an adult thing to do. Leaving aside the social consequences of boinking two underage girls, just what is going to happen next? What do we talk about between sessions? Do I feed them in the morning? Who cooks? If they mess up the bathroom, do I take time away from screwing to clean it up? Would they want to fuck me? Or is it only about my desire? What happens next week? Would I want them back? Would they want me back? When does this little fantasy stop being about me? When does this become something we share and can build on? Beyond the moment, is there something more?
How does it make the World better?
So when I read about the very public hexing of a Supreme Court justice, I see some very adolescent behavior. It's not that the hex couldn't be effective (although not the way it was set up). I just have to wonder what is the point? All those people doing the hexing weren't wronged. But they were making a very public statement that they AS PAGANS WE ARE NOT GOING TO STAND FOR IT.
Maybe they should try sitting.
And maybe listening.
Is there something they can share? Or is it only about their desire?
We know what they want. They want a Grand Crusade Against Injustice. They want to make a difference in the World and be acknowledged for the good that did. With no risk to themselves and no consequences for their choices. They are Pagan. They are Proud. They are Morally Superior. They want you to know that. They are Those Who Want to Be Noticed, who MUST be celebrated for the stand they took against the fuddy-duddy crowds that said no. But what is pagan about it?
While all this serves the ego, what does it have to do with the sunrise?
How does it make the World better?
This isn't the change we should be making. This is selfish. This is about as far away from the natural World as we can get. It's not about harmony and understanding, it's about threats and demands against our fellow humans. It's about cultivating resentment. It's about driving barriers between us. It's about destruction for the sake of destruction.
How does it make the World better?
It doesn't.
Don't be a great Pagan. Just be a great human.
Be the best human you can be. Leave the World a little better than how you found it. Find something good you can share.
Codswallop.
Years ago I chose to separate my politics from my paganism. Lately I've been trying to separate sex around me from politics. We know that politics corrupts. I've no desire to see my faith enslaved to the cause of the day. And I really don't want to give control of my sex drive to the activists. It's not a circus where we all go home safe and sound afterwards.
It's not a fantasy epic. As John Halstead pointed out, fantasy epics are adolescent. Not even thinking, it's desire unleashed. We're not the Ones Chosen By Destiny to Triumph Over Overwelming Evil.
"Me, ME, ME, ME!"
Any blood paid wouldn't be theirs.
We're people, not legends.
The real world, the mundane world, the everyday World isn't like that. Real heroes make a stand, knowing that the price may be more than they can pay. But these poseurs? These wanna-be Big Name Pagans? These shallow sorta victim types? What's heroic about that? It's wish fulfillment. They will never be satisfied. They never see beyond the next moment of What Could Be, if everything goes the way they want. If nothing goes wrong…
Real change in the real world costs blood, sweat, and tears. It means thinking about tomorrow and the week after that. It means accepting the consequences for your actions. It means knowing that big changes start with small changes, not grand gestures. It means something beyond the fantasy.
Let's say there were these hot, uninhibited, possibly bisexual and very well developed 15 year old twins that lived over on the next block. Now there's a part of me that would look at them and think "me FUCK now!!!".
But that isn't an adult thing to do. Leaving aside the social consequences of boinking two underage girls, just what is going to happen next? What do we talk about between sessions? Do I feed them in the morning? Who cooks? If they mess up the bathroom, do I take time away from screwing to clean it up? Would they want to fuck me? Or is it only about my desire? What happens next week? Would I want them back? Would they want me back? When does this little fantasy stop being about me? When does this become something we share and can build on? Beyond the moment, is there something more?
How does it make the World better?
So when I read about the very public hexing of a Supreme Court justice, I see some very adolescent behavior. It's not that the hex couldn't be effective (although not the way it was set up). I just have to wonder what is the point? All those people doing the hexing weren't wronged. But they were making a very public statement that they AS PAGANS WE ARE NOT GOING TO STAND FOR IT.
Maybe they should try sitting.
And maybe listening.
Is there something they can share? Or is it only about their desire?
We know what they want. They want a Grand Crusade Against Injustice. They want to make a difference in the World and be acknowledged for the good that did. With no risk to themselves and no consequences for their choices. They are Pagan. They are Proud. They are Morally Superior. They want you to know that. They are Those Who Want to Be Noticed, who MUST be celebrated for the stand they took against the fuddy-duddy crowds that said no. But what is pagan about it?
While all this serves the ego, what does it have to do with the sunrise?
How does it make the World better?
This isn't the change we should be making. This is selfish. This is about as far away from the natural World as we can get. It's not about harmony and understanding, it's about threats and demands against our fellow humans. It's about cultivating resentment. It's about driving barriers between us. It's about destruction for the sake of destruction.
How does it make the World better?
It doesn't.
Don't be a great Pagan. Just be a great human.
Be the best human you can be. Leave the World a little better than how you found it. Find something good you can share.
NeoNote — I don't think politics should be a part of paganism
“But yes, this is between you and him.”— Shawn Herles, comments from Pagan Community Notes: exorcism and hexing, Canada Pagan community, Michigan Scholarship Fund, and more.
❝I'd rather not deal with him at all.
I don't think politics should be a part of paganism.
I know that puts me in direct opposition to the "the personal is political" crowd. I know this isn't a political site. I'd rather not see politics here at all.
There are reasons I separated my political blogging from my pagan blogging. There are reasons why there is no "politics" category at my pagan/life blog and there is only a tag for "ugh-politics" there.
Politics corrupt, especially religion. We know that from the People of the Book. Why on Earth are we so damned determined to prove it again?❞❝When you let your politics define your personhood, there's not much room left for your personhood outside of your politics. Without your personhood, you can lose empathy and humanity.❞— label
NeoNotes are the selected comments that I made on other boards, in email, or in response to articles where I could not respond directly.
The pedestal problem
❝I am Pagan because I was born that way, and because I made that choice long before I was born.❞— NeoWayland, Why are you Pagan?
Journal - Friday, October 12, 2018
It's been a while since I've done a journal entry,
This week I'm really proud of two things. I came up with a definition of "wise" that is practical and better than anything I found in online dictionaries.
And I managed to separate sexuality from politics. I've been trying to do that for years, decades. Our culture took something that is about sharing and coming together and shoved it into tribalism. The labels aren't important unless you're trying to make fun political.
So I had to come up with something that described sexuality without tribalism.
I don't know how we made sex about politics. But from now on I'm going to do my damnedest to make it responsibly fun and only fun.
Paraphrasing from The Ethical Slut and my lexicon definition, “Sex is nice and pleasure is good for you.”
I think it's a mistake to suppress our biology in the name of politics.
I'm going to look at pretty girls and women. I'll flirt unless it makes them uncomfortable. If the lady is unpledged and willing, I may fuck her if I can.
And yes, some clothing sexualizes and objectifies women. It's also something that they choose to wear. Which means they are flirting too. They want to be looked at.
I'm going to enjoy sex. I'm going to talk about sex ethically. Sex is a gift from the Divine and I am going to treat it that way.
Politics doesn't belong in sex.
This week I'm really proud of two things. I came up with a definition of "wise" that is practical and better than anything I found in online dictionaries.
And I managed to separate sexuality from politics. I've been trying to do that for years, decades. Our culture took something that is about sharing and coming together and shoved it into tribalism. The labels aren't important unless you're trying to make fun political.
So I had to come up with something that described sexuality without tribalism.
❝Unless it's with me, who you have sex with, how you have sex, and how many times you have sex is frankly none of my business. Likewise, unless it is sex with me, I'm not responsible for the consequences.❞That was the beginning, and now I've got a definition I can point at. If you haven't already, take a look at my lexicon sex index.
I don't know how we made sex about politics. But from now on I'm going to do my damnedest to make it responsibly fun and only fun.
Paraphrasing from The Ethical Slut and my lexicon definition, “Sex is nice and pleasure is good for you.”
I think it's a mistake to suppress our biology in the name of politics.
I'm going to look at pretty girls and women. I'll flirt unless it makes them uncomfortable. If the lady is unpledged and willing, I may fuck her if I can.
And yes, some clothing sexualizes and objectifies women. It's also something that they choose to wear. Which means they are flirting too. They want to be looked at.
I'm going to enjoy sex. I'm going to talk about sex ethically. Sex is a gift from the Divine and I am going to treat it that way.
Politics doesn't belong in sex.
On-line biding ritual
Thursday, 04Oct2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ manifest
NeoNote — Not about paganism
Thursday, 23Aug2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Worst experiences with paganism
Thursday, 16Aug2018 Filed in: NeoNotes⭐︎ modern adult pagans
Philosi-bear
“This week, we're continuing our discussion of heroes by talking about Gilgamesh, star of one of the earliest written hero stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh was a terrible ancient king who left his kingdom seeking adventure, and eventually on the prowl for immortality. Along the way, he checks pretty much all the boxes on the checklist of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey.”
Read More...“Damnatio Memoriae, or How to Erase Someone from History”
Wednesday, 08Aug2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans
In the name of inclusion
Sunday, 22Jul2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ modern adult pagans
“Anthony Howe has been sculpting kinetic structures for nearly 30 years. In 1996, he filled his own sculpture park with metallic pieces that dance in the wind. His work has even appeared at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the holiday display for Barneys in NYC! Howe hopes his artwork gives viewers a moment of semi-meditative peace.”
Read More...Journal 15May2018
Tuesday, 15May2018 Filed in: thinking by blogging⭐︎ celebrations & passages
This is both my Tuesday entry and a journal entry.
I've had three deaths in the past month. One a friend, one an uncle, and one person who I did not get along with.
I really don't think these "poor little me" bits are healthy, but my blogging took a hit and I wanted people to know why. Since my companion passed last fall, I'm not dealing well with people I know passing.
The friend wasn't a close friend, just someone I had known for a long time.
My uncle was my mother's older brother. You know that old story about the oldest son being allowed to get away with anything because he was the older son? That was my uncle. He was the troublemaker. Still, he did things mostly right. He gave the world two sons and laid the groundwork for many grandchildren. He was a party guy, but he'd bend over backwards and jump for family and his friends. This was the guy who'd take you fishing and hunting and then help you bury bodies.
And then there was the other person. We kept bumping into each other over the years. There were a few epic arguments. I can't blame it all on her. She did win in the end though. She left special instructions that I be invited to the funeral. What was I supposed to do with that? Say no? Tell her family that I couldn't be bothered?
People passing makes me think of mortality. I'm my mother's caregiver and I worry about her. But I worry about me too. I can't hike and walk like I used to, my feet don't like me and I don't like them. I can hear my joints rubbing against each other, especially in my neck. My handwriting has gotten worse. There are days it hurts too much to type. I spend more time than I should coughing up phlegm. I don't sleep particularly well and that makes me even more paranoid. I'm getting older and I don't think it will end well. My family is long lived but I'm not sure.
These toxic politics have made things worse. I see pagans more interested in making their mark than in nurturing the Earth. I see devotion to the gods replaced by tribal identity. I see the endless oneupmanship and "gotcha" attacks. I see us concentrating on our differences rather than what we share. And I think I have been too big a part of that.
The sun still rose this morning. It was particularly gorgeous, but I only noticed after I took the trash out. I stopped to think then, I had not greeted the sun in more than a month. Thoughts of death pushed thoughts of dawn out of my head. Only happenstance made me notice. That's not who I want to be. That's not what I want to share.
I still have time. I do not know how much. But some.
I've had three deaths in the past month. One a friend, one an uncle, and one person who I did not get along with.
I really don't think these "poor little me" bits are healthy, but my blogging took a hit and I wanted people to know why. Since my companion passed last fall, I'm not dealing well with people I know passing.
The friend wasn't a close friend, just someone I had known for a long time.
My uncle was my mother's older brother. You know that old story about the oldest son being allowed to get away with anything because he was the older son? That was my uncle. He was the troublemaker. Still, he did things mostly right. He gave the world two sons and laid the groundwork for many grandchildren. He was a party guy, but he'd bend over backwards and jump for family and his friends. This was the guy who'd take you fishing and hunting and then help you bury bodies.
And then there was the other person. We kept bumping into each other over the years. There were a few epic arguments. I can't blame it all on her. She did win in the end though. She left special instructions that I be invited to the funeral. What was I supposed to do with that? Say no? Tell her family that I couldn't be bothered?
People passing makes me think of mortality. I'm my mother's caregiver and I worry about her. But I worry about me too. I can't hike and walk like I used to, my feet don't like me and I don't like them. I can hear my joints rubbing against each other, especially in my neck. My handwriting has gotten worse. There are days it hurts too much to type. I spend more time than I should coughing up phlegm. I don't sleep particularly well and that makes me even more paranoid. I'm getting older and I don't think it will end well. My family is long lived but I'm not sure.
These toxic politics have made things worse. I see pagans more interested in making their mark than in nurturing the Earth. I see devotion to the gods replaced by tribal identity. I see the endless oneupmanship and "gotcha" attacks. I see us concentrating on our differences rather than what we share. And I think I have been too big a part of that.
The sun still rose this morning. It was particularly gorgeous, but I only noticed after I took the trash out. I stopped to think then, I had not greeted the sun in more than a month. Thoughts of death pushed thoughts of dawn out of my head. Only happenstance made me notice. That's not who I want to be. That's not what I want to share.
I still have time. I do not know how much. But some.
NeoNotes — Women's studies
❝Okay, seriously though, and this relates to one of my long standing criticisms of women's studies (and any number of gender studies, skin color studies, etc.)
If these various fields of study have any worth at all, they have to acknowledge that they are only part of the picture. Limiting your studies to one subgroup is going to limit your understanding. Especially if you dismiss without question other subgroups. It's the difference between rigorous study and fantasyland. It's why the theoretical has to cross over with the practical. It's not enough to say how things should work, you have to examine how things actually work together. You have to look outside your preconceptions and expectations for the things you can't explain. Otherwise you never leave the echo chamber.
Or, women's studies without human studies is sh*t.❞
NeoNotes are the selected comments that I made on other boards, in email, or in response to articles where I could not respond directly.
John McConnell & Earth Day
Saturday, 28Apr2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ celebrations & passages
❝Much of the justification for "establishing" a Greater Pagan Community® is so that certain individuals can get the adoration and deference they believe they deserve.❞— NeoWayland, Greater Pagan Community®
NeoNotes — Diversity
Wednesday, 28Mar2018 Filed in: NeoNotes⭐︎ modern adult pagans
NeoNotes — Defending my faith (the long one)
❝I hadn't heard of the "well poisoner" bit, although obviously I heard about "poisoner." There are certain bits that I don't let folks get away with, like the "unbroken matriarchal tradition" or "Never again the Burning Times"
I try to give Christians the benefit of the doubt, mainly because I expect the same. Some make it harder than others (Bob Barr). Live and let live works mostly.
Anyway, I'll go back to my books now.
Satanists are not witches, usually.
One does not like being labeled as the other.
Sort of like comparing an intramural softball team to a volunteer soup kitchen. There are similarities but there are far more differences.
And I've seen extremely energetic discussions why they aren't the same thing. I even agree with most of it, Satanism is usually more self-focused.
As far as the "eternal destination," no one This Side knows.
Which is almost certainly the point of being This Side.
Actually you don't.
You know that I don't like labels and that I prefer to live and let live. You know I think humans are mostly good, given half a chance and a few kind words.
But part of my path means I don't casually share the Names of my gods. It's part of how I honor them.
It's not your place to judge, and it certainly isn't your place to allow me anything.
It's literally between me and the Divine. Your own book teaches that.
Parity. Simple parity. You don't want your stuff questioned by me, don't try to impose it on me. Live & let live. You're not a gatekeeper no matter how hard you try.
I'd like to make this World just a little better than I found it. Where is it "written" that is wrong?
It's not complicated. It doesn't require Divine evaluation.
There you go again, trying to assume authority that was never yours.
There's nothing in that special handbook that gives Christians power over other humans.
I won't bow before your belief, just as you won't bow before mine. You can't require that of me and I can't require that of you.
Parity.
Pardon, but I didn't say anything about forcing. That's not why I'm objecting.
He's disputing my beliefs because he doesn't share them. Nothing wrong with that. But then he attempts to put his beliefs over mine without logic, but faith. He'd be screaming bloody murder if I tried the same thing.
I don't allow it when the climate change crowd tries. I don't allow it when the RadFems try. And I don't allow it when certain Christians try. Not because I disagree, but because no one has the power to dictate faith.
I pointed out that no one This Side knew what the "eternal destination" was.
I pointed out that QM wants me to put his faith over mine."But that doesn't mean we have to stop trying to warn you.""The only judgment he made was that God suffers you to live."
Both those were yours I think.
Pardon, but both those were taken from your replies."The key, however, is the eternal destination is the same…"
That was QM, above.
Absent proof, my belief is as valid as his. That was my point.
And NONE of that matters This Side, where it's up to us to Manifest the Divine in a way that hopefully makes the World a little better than we found it.
You and he are nitpicking about the afterlife when we should be focusing on the here and now.
Oh my, that is just too funny!
Just what do you think you're doing when you continually insist your beliefs apply to me when I disagree?
Oh, and while we're at it, note that I haven't said one blessed word about what I think will happen to you after This Side.
We weren't discussing invalidating, we were discussing calling something invalid.
We also had established that using your beliefs to control others is a Bad Thing™. Just in case you hadn't noticed, my criticism of Christianity is reactive and mostly directed against certain Christians.
Celebrate your beliefs and cherish your faith. All I ask is the same. Just don't demand that my beliefs and actions are bound by yours. Live and let live.
There is a difference.
You can call something invalid, but that does not invalidate it.
And yet you're still here trying to convince me.❝Come down off your high horse.❞
This from someone who presumes that the default setting for humanity is Christianity, or at least that Christians are in the majority.
You know, one thing I haven't been able to figure out about you is why when you tell people that they should be Christian, the only reason you give is a vague threat about what "happens" to non-Christians after death.
Yes, yes, I know you're going to tell me it is not you that threatens and it is up to Christians to "warn" others.
I didn't say it was what you said, I said it was what you presumed.
Why are you so desperate for me to bow before your belief? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were threatened by my beliefs.
And of course, this discussion conveniently lets you ignore the here and now in favor of your "Christian duty."
Outside of religion, it's accepted practice to say "I disagree" and both parties move on.
However, some Christians act as if that's a full challenge.
For whatever reason, you feel you cannot allow dissent to your chosen creed. Now, the logical and respectable thing to do would be to accept that some believe differently and not "mark your territory." It would get you allies and a certain amount of leeway.
But that's not the way you're going to do it, is it?❝You need to go back and read everything I've said.❞
No, I don't think so.❝You beclown your by doing so, then whine that the other guy is doing bad things to you.❞
Actually what I do is show that when you can't handle the argument, you go after the person. It's amateurish and you can do better.❝I'm not looking for allies.❞
You should be.
So you've gone from warning to leading me "around by the nose."
Except you haven't.
You still can't address the argument, you have to go after the person..
Having dealt with some incredibly silly propaganda over the years, I beg to differ.
The first step to invalidating something is to prove it wrong.
Words matter. Actions matter more. Intentions don't.
By the way, have you noticed you're focusing on my "unbelief" and the Christian reaction? Do you remember what I said a few posts back?
❝And NONE of that matters This Side, where it's up to us to Manifest the Divine in a way that hopefully makes the World a little better than we found it.
You and he are nitpicking about the afterlife when we should be focusing on the here and now.❞
Seek paradox for truth.
What you have is an either/or trap. You believe that the conditions of your faith are such that all other faiths and belief systems must be universally false. So when I say my faith tells me different, by your conditions I am declaring your faith to be Untruth.
But by the conditions of my faith. I'm just seeing things from another perspective.
What you need to ask yourself who imposed the either/or trap? Your god? Or people claiming to speak in His Name? Why should Diety be limited by a human logical construct?
It's paradox and illogic because some of the "universal" assumptions that you use aren't exactly universal.
You can mix metric and English parts, but something is probably going to come loose and fly apart.
Assume I am making a pie.
You tell me I need apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, cane sugar, apples that have been cored and peeled (preferably Granny Smith but others will work in a pinch)…
But I am making a key lime pie.
Then you tell me that's not a True Pie®. And it may not be from your perspective.
But from my point of view, it works just fine. It's round, it's dessert, and my guests will enjoy it.
There's not just one type of pie.
Your belief shouldn't control what I can and can not call a pie.
Who knows? Next month I may go with my grandmother's pecan pie. It's a pain to make but absolutely delicious.
My key lime pie and my pecan pie do not negate the existence of your apple pie. Your apple pie doesn't prevent me from making my key lime pie and my pecan pie. They aren't your pies so you may not wish to call them pies, but they exist for me.
You didn't state your motive, at least not all of it.
You stated your justification.
If it were really about "warning" people, you would give your warning a few times and that would be it.
You also wouldn't try to go after another's character when they disagree with you.
This is what you do.
When you can't dismiss the argument, you go after the person. When that doesn't work, you go after the person some more.
That doesn't work with me.
Simple questions.
Would you give up your faith and your beliefs for mine?
Why should I give mine up for yours?
Will it make you a better person?
Will it give you some Divine merit points?
Why should I care about some nebulous benefit that comes to you?
Live and let live.
The questions are central to this discussion. Particularly the first two.
❝Would you give up your faith and your beliefs for mine?
Why should I give mine up for yours?❞
I'm pretty sure if you think about those questions, you'll discover what "live and let live" means.
I've told you before that my faith and beliefs are at least as important to me as yours are to you.
You wouldn't stand for someone like me telling you what and how to worship.
Parity.
Live and let live.
No, you are insisting that your beliefs trump mine.
I'm telling you they don't.
I never take anyone's word alone for their motives. I always include their actions.
Guess which I place more importance on.
Guess which tells me more.❝He is the only reality.❞
You believe that, but you have no proof other than faith.
I do not believe as you do.
I have my own beliefs, they are at least as real to me as yours are to you.
I've no proof other than faith.
Live and let live.
Neighbor.❝You do in deed have "faith" but it is not faith based on a firm foundation.❞
As opposed to you?
Who are you to judge what is a "firm foundation?"
Why do you assume you have that power?❝Go back and digest what I said earlier.❞
Why? Would you do that if I demanded that you do it with what I wrote?❝I don't "assume" to have any power.❞
Again, your own words prove my point better than I could. You're here now, trying to disprove what I wrote, unleashing your "big guns." That's an awful lot of trouble to take against one man who is seriously outnumbered and hasn't really done anything except write "I disagree."
The main point I make is that there are different faiths and it's wrong to act as if Christianity controls the others.
You wouldn't stand for it if someone tried to do that to Christianity.
Parity.
Live and let live.
Very simple.
Again, it's live and let live.
Not the strange rewrite that you keep pushing, but the simple idea.
I have my belief, you have yours. As long as you don't keep insisting that your belief governs mine, there's no problem.
It's your insecurity that makes this happen.
Through each of our every discussions, I've never criticized Christianity. It's always been specific followers.
Except you have.
Every single time you trotted out your afterlife threat. Every single time you've insisted that people with other faiths are bound by Christian rules. Every time you've insisted on deference for Christianity while dismissing other faiths.
Can you show how your "firm foundation" is better than mine?
In fact, let's take it one step further.
Can you give me ANYTHING except a vague threat about the afterlife to tell me what a good thing Christianity is and how it is better than my faith?
I've never seen you do that, you know. You recite plenty of afterlife threats, but never any benefits This Side.
I've never seen you do it for anyone you disagree with.
Always with the threats.
Never with the wonders.
Certainly something to think about.
You still haven't established how your "firm foundation" is better than mine.
So now we've come back to where it all began.
Your problem is that you want me to put your faith first and I tell you "no" because I have something else.
No other reason.
You can't tell me the wonders of Christianity, you can only claim that my faith is lacking because it is not Christian.
That is just sad.
ETA: Okay, that was awkwardly worded. Let's try again.
But you still can't bring yourself to say what the wonders are.❝I'm not telling you how, or what, to worship. I've simply pointed out the warnings of the consequences of rejecting Christ.❞
Behold the contradiction.
Or the paradox if you prefer.
As I told RHW above, if there's a paradox, chances are pretty good at least one of your core assumptions is wrong.
He can claim Biblical justification all he wants, but he needs something other than "the Bible told me so." If that's all he got, then his faith is no different than mine, is it?
He may believe that it's more, but he can't control my belief. That's why he trots out "my God suffers you to live."
Instead of looking at the World and how we might make a difference, he presumes his faith gives him the power to give judgement, even as he denies the judgement is his.
And if anyone disputes it, well, it's Holy Writ, isn't it?
It certainly has very little to do with the message of the Bible.
Unfortunately this is not my first or thirteenth dance with QM, we have a history. He has in fact at different times done everything you said he hasn't done on this specific thread.
I'd still prefer live and let live. Which means not publicly insisting that the tenants of your faith control the actions of others. It also means finding a common morality without putting one religion over all others.
Is it more important that I acknowledge that "the Bible is Holy Writ," or is it more important that I agree that government mandated and funded abortion is A Really Bad Thing™?
Which is more practical?
That's the thing. You and others believe that the Bible is "Holy Writ," but that doesn't make it so.
I happen to think there are some good ideas there, but I don't think it's particularly holy.
Now we can get hung up on my "unbelief" and Christian reaction to it, or we can find things we do agree on and work from there.
Again, which is more practical?
And why do you feel compelled to speak for your God? Did he call you on the phone? Was there a registered letter?
More importantly, how does that get us closer to agreeing?
My faith and beliefs are at least as important to me as yours are to you."The Almighty, however, probably has a different perspective on what you believe."
Beats the usual. Most Christians just cite chapter and verse.
Nothing wrong with that PROVIDED you don't use it to try to control others.
And yes, I know Christians are supposed to spread the news. However, Christians don't appreciate it when others do it to them.
Parity. Or the Golden Rule, if you prefer.
*shrugs* Which is why I don't usually make it except under very specific circumstances.
Some Christians insist that the rules defined by their religion are universal and everyone must comply or else.
I disagree. That's usually when I'm accused of attacking Christianity."Neither of us have accused you of attacking anyone."
Give QM time."Listen to us or don't, that's your choice."
Stars above, if only it were that simple."But that doesn't mean we have to stop trying to warn you."
And if you only did it once each or once each per thread, that would be great.
But I didn't lie.
As for the afterlife, you have your belief and I have mine. No one This Side knows.
You were the one who took exception to that statement."You are your source of authority."
No, I'm not.
Perhaps what frustrates you most is that you can't denounce my faith without undermining your own. At the end of the day, we don't have anything but our faith. Mine is just as valid as yours by every "objective" measure you trot out.
Live and let live. Why is that so hard for you to accept?
My posts "reveal" that I answer to an authority different than yours.
I never claimed an "objective" standard. Truths are incredibly subjective.
How many times have I told you that a man is measured in the lives he touches?
That's not exactly about the self, is it?
Of course it is not you that threaten, it is your God. He just sits down at your keyboard and types away.
That tells me is that you don't know your God very well.
Yep, too many people are into religion for the politics.
No, you believe that the Bible is God-inspired. So do a lot of other people. That doesn't make it "objectively true." Especially since it is the most heavily edited, redacted, and revised book in history. Remarkably well preserved, but still.
What I "fessed up to" was that I didn't remember the Hebrew that I studied briefly for a few months about three decades ago. Since I don't use Hebrew regularly, that's hardly surprising.
Again, if you don't like what I have to say about the Bible, stop insisting that I am bound by it. Even Christians are extremely selective when it comes to the portions they use.
ETA: I don't think the Christian message was ever intended to be confined to dusty writings.❞
NeoNotes are the selected comments that I made on other boards, in email, or in response to articles where I could not respond directly.
Religion is dangerous
Thursday, 22Mar2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ simple
Giving away your power
“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.”
Journal 09Mar2018
Friday, 09Mar2018 Filed in: thinking by blogging
So here I sit, putting my mental house in order.
A little sketching. A lot of reading. Listening to music.
I've been so wrapped up in politics, paganism, and taking care of Mom that I didn't let my wheels spin for me.
I'm feeling more of myself.
Splitting focus really helps. But it helps even more indulging in both fiction and non-fiction. Even if the fiction is old favorites I've not read in a while.
Reading is a dying art, especially the way I do it.
I've been thinking about many things in the last few days. But I don't think I'll share them. More stuff for the private journal.
A little sketching. A lot of reading. Listening to music.
I've been so wrapped up in politics, paganism, and taking care of Mom that I didn't let my wheels spin for me.
I'm feeling more of myself.
Splitting focus really helps. But it helps even more indulging in both fiction and non-fiction. Even if the fiction is old favorites I've not read in a while.
Reading is a dying art, especially the way I do it.
I've been thinking about many things in the last few days. But I don't think I'll share them. More stuff for the private journal.
Journal 02Mar2018
Friday, 02Mar2018 Filed in: thinking by blogging
One thing that cropped up a lot lately online is the idea that "we" have to win, and the only REAL way to win is by eradicating "them."
All or nothing. Win at all costs. The only way to succeed is to do away with anything else.
Conservative or liberal, pagan or Christian, city or rural, it doesn't seem to matter. "They" must be vanquished, exiled, destroyed for "us" to win.
But veritas comes out. Because if the only way for "them" to win is by Total Eradication, doesn't that mean that as long as one small spark exists, they didn't win? If the only was for "us" to win is by otal Eradication, doesn't that mean that as long as one small spark exists, we didn't win?
It goes deeper than that of course. It goes back to borders. In order for any side to progress, ideas have to be mixed. It's where ideas evolve. It's where change happens.
It's where magick happens.
We need those ideas that we totally disagree with. We need truths that make us uncomfortable. We need challenges that we can't meet alone.
It's the mix, it's the argument, it's the conflict that will give us some of our best new ideas. And almost all of the bad new ideas too.
We've no way of knowing which is which until we've tried them. All we know for sure is that our old ideas don't always fit our new circumstances.
Eradication isn't the answer. That's not where the Spark of Inspiration lies.
But some disagreement, some need, some faith, and the willingness to try something else, that gives miracles. Messy miracles, but still miracles.
Just something to think about.
All or nothing. Win at all costs. The only way to succeed is to do away with anything else.
Conservative or liberal, pagan or Christian, city or rural, it doesn't seem to matter. "They" must be vanquished, exiled, destroyed for "us" to win.
But veritas comes out. Because if the only way for "them" to win is by Total Eradication, doesn't that mean that as long as one small spark exists, they didn't win? If the only was for "us" to win is by otal Eradication, doesn't that mean that as long as one small spark exists, we didn't win?
It goes deeper than that of course. It goes back to borders. In order for any side to progress, ideas have to be mixed. It's where ideas evolve. It's where change happens.
It's where magick happens.
We need those ideas that we totally disagree with. We need truths that make us uncomfortable. We need challenges that we can't meet alone.
It's the mix, it's the argument, it's the conflict that will give us some of our best new ideas. And almost all of the bad new ideas too.
We've no way of knowing which is which until we've tried them. All we know for sure is that our old ideas don't always fit our new circumstances.
Eradication isn't the answer. That's not where the Spark of Inspiration lies.
But some disagreement, some need, some faith, and the willingness to try something else, that gives miracles. Messy miracles, but still miracles.
Just something to think about.
Tainted frisson
We've not had one of these in a while, have we?
I've been busy, but that is not the reason. Politics has tainted paganism in my mind and I am working to re-establish the separation.
Paganism is about the relationship between you, the World, and the Divine. Politics is not a part of that.
This author is Officially Approved this week, but that doesn't mean anything about next week. Next week it may be old fashioned. The week after there may be some scandal as defined by Today's Morality that wasn't immoral when it happened. If it happened.
This isn't new. One of my favorite symbols is the wheeled cross. But it has white supremacist connotations, so I can't use it in "public" pagan discussion. Never mind that it makes more sense to me than the pentagram. It's racist. Off limits. Not allowed.
Sex play and flirting that was allowed a decade or so ago is now denounced. And everyone who participated is expected to abase themselves before the new morality.
As this leaks more and more into how pagans act, it's less about paganism and more about doing the "right thing." Enforcing the echo chambers. Closing out dissent or contrasting opinions. Expelling all that might be tainted by immorality or evil. Part of it is politics, but it goes beyond that.
Some pagans want to change paganism from an experienced faith to a revealed faith. Something with all the bumps and twists and turns ironed out. No unexpected surprises. Nothing not previously declared. No uncomfortable truths. No juice. No frisson. Everything nice and neat and perfectly defined.
The experience has been sanitized for your protection. Truth will be revealed, but only if you do as you are told.
It has been approved by the powers-that-wanna-be.
Not necessarily the gods.
It's politics, not faith.
Some things will be revealed. If you pay attention and ask the proper questions. In the proper order. And no more. Politics will advance you more in this new pagan faith than experience.
Except those people aren't really a part of paganism.
It's about your Journey. Not about their Story.
Paganism is about the experience. The juicy, sexy, messy, screwed up experience that you struggle to make a part of your life. It's about embracing the passion. It's about where the gods point you. It's about finding and living your own way.
Paganism is about the relationship between you, the World, and the Divine. It can't be revealed, it can only be experienced.
Will you live it?
Or will you avoid the taint?
I've been busy, but that is not the reason. Politics has tainted paganism in my mind and I am working to re-establish the separation.
Paganism is about the relationship between you, the World, and the Divine. Politics is not a part of that.
This author is Officially Approved this week, but that doesn't mean anything about next week. Next week it may be old fashioned. The week after there may be some scandal as defined by Today's Morality that wasn't immoral when it happened. If it happened.
This isn't new. One of my favorite symbols is the wheeled cross. But it has white supremacist connotations, so I can't use it in "public" pagan discussion. Never mind that it makes more sense to me than the pentagram. It's racist. Off limits. Not allowed.
Sex play and flirting that was allowed a decade or so ago is now denounced. And everyone who participated is expected to abase themselves before the new morality.
As this leaks more and more into how pagans act, it's less about paganism and more about doing the "right thing." Enforcing the echo chambers. Closing out dissent or contrasting opinions. Expelling all that might be tainted by immorality or evil. Part of it is politics, but it goes beyond that.
Some pagans want to change paganism from an experienced faith to a revealed faith. Something with all the bumps and twists and turns ironed out. No unexpected surprises. Nothing not previously declared. No uncomfortable truths. No juice. No frisson. Everything nice and neat and perfectly defined.
The experience has been sanitized for your protection. Truth will be revealed, but only if you do as you are told.
It has been approved by the powers-that-wanna-be.
Not necessarily the gods.
It's politics, not faith.
Some things will be revealed. If you pay attention and ask the proper questions. In the proper order. And no more. Politics will advance you more in this new pagan faith than experience.
Except those people aren't really a part of paganism.
It's about your Journey. Not about their Story.
Paganism is about the experience. The juicy, sexy, messy, screwed up experience that you struggle to make a part of your life. It's about embracing the passion. It's about where the gods point you. It's about finding and living your own way.
Paganism is about the relationship between you, the World, and the Divine. It can't be revealed, it can only be experienced.
Will you live it?
Or will you avoid the taint?
Enough to destroy
Thursday, 01Mar2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
NeoNotes — Fluffies and Crusaders
“The pagan loves the earth in order to enjoy it and confine himself within it; the Christian in order to make it purer and draw from it the strength to escape from it.”
Pagan virtue signaling
Tuesday, 13Feb2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
❝A choice that is imposed is no choice. A religion that is imposed in the name of 'freedom and decency' will be neither free nor decent.❞
Imposed
Tuesday, 13Feb2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ practicals
“True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”
Summing up the circus
Saturday, 20Jan2018 Filed in: sex⭐︎ modern adult pagans
“Our own heart, and not other men's opinions, forms our true honor.”
Journal 19Jan2018
Friday, 19Jan2018 Filed in: thinking by blogging
Old discussions
Thursday, 18Jan2018 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ sex
No Grand Cause here
If it works for you and challenges you to be a better person, more power to you. It is not my place to question that, it's between you and the Divine.
Read More...NeoNotes — Shift happens
❝1 pint Haagen Daz vanilla ice cream dumped into a sixty-four oz thermal mug (yes they exist). Fill up the rest with double-strength Circle K coffee at 2 a.m.
It didn't keep me alert, but it did keep me awake. Sometimes for a couple of days.❞
Slice it
Tuesday, 16Jan2018 Filed in: tellus⭐︎ modern adult pagans
More and more I'm convinced that I was smart to (mostly) separate my political blogging from my pagan blogging.
Anyway you slice it, politics is about controlling other people. What that has to do with the dawn or the coyote's howl drifting through the night is anyone's guess.
When pagans jump up to recite approved scripts to this week's Officially Designated Outrage, they make paganism look silly.
I think it grew out of when paganism was part of the American counterculture. Pagans had to rebel against established mores. Existing culture wasn't good enough, it had to be replaced even if the replacement didn't work. In the 80s it got worse. Pagans became moralistic busybodies when it came to the Earth, and of course when it came to minorities.
But what does that have to do with the Dark Moon or the chill of the night air? What does that have to do with a winter rain or the clouds as they stretch to cover the sky? What does that have to do with a vigil kept in front of the fire all night?
That's paganism.
It's almost sunrise. I'm going to share some oranges with my friend the raven.
Anyway you slice it, politics is about controlling other people. What that has to do with the dawn or the coyote's howl drifting through the night is anyone's guess.
When pagans jump up to recite approved scripts to this week's Officially Designated Outrage, they make paganism look silly.
I think it grew out of when paganism was part of the American counterculture. Pagans had to rebel against established mores. Existing culture wasn't good enough, it had to be replaced even if the replacement didn't work. In the 80s it got worse. Pagans became moralistic busybodies when it came to the Earth, and of course when it came to minorities.
But what does that have to do with the Dark Moon or the chill of the night air? What does that have to do with a winter rain or the clouds as they stretch to cover the sky? What does that have to do with a vigil kept in front of the fire all night?
That's paganism.
It's almost sunrise. I'm going to share some oranges with my friend the raven.
In defense of Bonewits' work
Since the reddit comments on my blog entry saying that I don't think Isaac Bonewits abused Moria Greyland, this site has been labeled as "supporting abusers."
Over the years I've developed a small reputation for straight talk and honest answers about sex, particularly sex in a pagan context. My two personal carved-in-stone sex rules are consenting adults and you're off limits if you promised to be someone else's "one and only." I believe that those two rules cover most of the sexual issues in American society. I've recently added two more. "Regret does not equal rape." "Acknowledge but not celebrate." These are personal rules, they affect me. I can't impose them on anyone else. But honestly, the first two cover so much of what is wrong with American sexuality that I often use them in discussions to show how messes could have been avoided. If it's not consent, it's not right. Now I could go into the why and wherefore, but that is not really relevant here. I will say that my sex category on this blog doesn't include porn. There are essays on ethical pagan sex and how responsible sex can fit into paganism. I also point out frequently that sex is not love, nudity is not sex, and love isn't nudity.
The site gallery does include nudes. With a couple of exceptions it does not include sexual nudes. And you will not find photos of nude children anywhere on the site. Many of my vintage nudes are classical pieces of art where I point out things that the artist was trying to convey.
I discourage sexual abuse and sexual misunderstanding. I condone truth, I do not condone abuse. Before the accusations against Bonewits, no one questioned that.
I have this habit of pointing out truths, even when they are uncomfortable. Look at the motto of this site. I firmly believe that I am called for veritas.
My introduction to Isaac Bonewits was in Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. For a seminary dropout with magickal experience but very little formal training, it was eye-opening. His ABCDEF talked about how people were treated. Bonewits didn't focus on the "correct" Deity or if the priesthood/leadership had special "rights" beyond the membership.
Of course Bonewits wasn't the first to focus on how people were treated. But it was the first that I have ever seen that didn't start with a religion-specific context. I wore out my first copy of DDTM because I used to copy that chapter for minister friends when they asked for help. There was no web addy to hand out in those days.
Real Magic wasn't my next purchase, but I did buy it within a year or two. Rural location, a lot of road trips, no real bookstore, no internet, yeah, it took a couple of years. When I started studying, I was hooked. Here were explanations that actually fit in the real world. Bonewits credits Sir James Frazer with isolating the laws, but points out that anthropologists don't acknowledge him. Still, here was a framework where I could hang my own studies. Even when I goofed up and had to backtrack, I never had to throw out Bonewits. His stuff was just too damn useful.
That should be a law. Oh wait, it is. Bonewits calls it the Law of Pragmatism.
Were the Laws of Magic as defined by Bonewits absolute? No. But he allows for that too.
To this day, I've a poster of the laws hanging near the altar in my sanctum.
So here's the question. Now that P.E.I. Bonewits has been "shown" to have questionable character, should his work be forgotten? Should his name never again be mentioned in polite pagan company? Should we conduct a cultural scrubbing and remove any influence that Bonewits might have had?
No. I don't think so.
He was a flawed man. How flawed is still open to discussion. But his contribution to neopaganism and anthropology can't be denied. We can accept the work without accepting his sexual activities. And if his work can't stand on it's own, people will find something else.
I think removing him and his work is very close to what a fundamentalist Christian would do. I don't think the world is either/or, and neither did he. I tell people that if they tell you the choice is black or white, you should go for the fuzzy. Or maybe the minty. Reducing the choice to all or nothing means you probably overlooked some things.
For ourselves, for our understanding, we should keep Bonewits' work.
Over the years I've developed a small reputation for straight talk and honest answers about sex, particularly sex in a pagan context. My two personal carved-in-stone sex rules are consenting adults and you're off limits if you promised to be someone else's "one and only." I believe that those two rules cover most of the sexual issues in American society. I've recently added two more. "Regret does not equal rape." "Acknowledge but not celebrate." These are personal rules, they affect me. I can't impose them on anyone else. But honestly, the first two cover so much of what is wrong with American sexuality that I often use them in discussions to show how messes could have been avoided. If it's not consent, it's not right. Now I could go into the why and wherefore, but that is not really relevant here. I will say that my sex category on this blog doesn't include porn. There are essays on ethical pagan sex and how responsible sex can fit into paganism. I also point out frequently that sex is not love, nudity is not sex, and love isn't nudity.
The site gallery does include nudes. With a couple of exceptions it does not include sexual nudes. And you will not find photos of nude children anywhere on the site. Many of my vintage nudes are classical pieces of art where I point out things that the artist was trying to convey.
I discourage sexual abuse and sexual misunderstanding. I condone truth, I do not condone abuse. Before the accusations against Bonewits, no one questioned that.
I have this habit of pointing out truths, even when they are uncomfortable. Look at the motto of this site. I firmly believe that I am called for veritas.
My introduction to Isaac Bonewits was in Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. For a seminary dropout with magickal experience but very little formal training, it was eye-opening. His ABCDEF talked about how people were treated. Bonewits didn't focus on the "correct" Deity or if the priesthood/leadership had special "rights" beyond the membership.
Of course Bonewits wasn't the first to focus on how people were treated. But it was the first that I have ever seen that didn't start with a religion-specific context. I wore out my first copy of DDTM because I used to copy that chapter for minister friends when they asked for help. There was no web addy to hand out in those days.
Real Magic wasn't my next purchase, but I did buy it within a year or two. Rural location, a lot of road trips, no real bookstore, no internet, yeah, it took a couple of years. When I started studying, I was hooked. Here were explanations that actually fit in the real world. Bonewits credits Sir James Frazer with isolating the laws, but points out that anthropologists don't acknowledge him. Still, here was a framework where I could hang my own studies. Even when I goofed up and had to backtrack, I never had to throw out Bonewits. His stuff was just too damn useful.
That should be a law. Oh wait, it is. Bonewits calls it the Law of Pragmatism.
Were the Laws of Magic as defined by Bonewits absolute? No. But he allows for that too.
To this day, I've a poster of the laws hanging near the altar in my sanctum.
So here's the question. Now that P.E.I. Bonewits has been "shown" to have questionable character, should his work be forgotten? Should his name never again be mentioned in polite pagan company? Should we conduct a cultural scrubbing and remove any influence that Bonewits might have had?
No. I don't think so.
He was a flawed man. How flawed is still open to discussion. But his contribution to neopaganism and anthropology can't be denied. We can accept the work without accepting his sexual activities. And if his work can't stand on it's own, people will find something else.
I think removing him and his work is very close to what a fundamentalist Christian would do. I don't think the world is either/or, and neither did he. I tell people that if they tell you the choice is black or white, you should go for the fuzzy. Or maybe the minty. Reducing the choice to all or nothing means you probably overlooked some things.
For ourselves, for our understanding, we should keep Bonewits' work.
So much for avoiding the topic
I don't approve of older men having sex with young teens, but it has been happening from the beginning.
Read More...Defined
Wednesday, 03Jan2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ modern adult pagans
Paganism is not political
Monday, 02Jan2006 Filed in: modern adult pagans
This is a page from the third version of Technopagan Yearnings. There are some formatting differences. Originally published at www.neowayland.com/C65989237/E20060103044338
Faith is a personal choice. So are politics. One does not define the other.
I'm getting very annoyed with this idea of "political pagans."
If you are lucky enough not to have had this inflicted on you yet, the idea is that all real pagans are naturally progressive and green. And if you are not progressive and green, then you can't possibly be a real pagan.
I was an environmentalist before the global warming movement hijacked environmentalism. Today you can barely mention environmentalism without bowing down before the global warming altar. Everything environmental must give way to the global warming agenda. When is the last time you saw a news story about water pollution or air pollution? But I have lost track of how many stories I have seen about global warming in the last year.
And of course, if you really care about Mother Gaia and Her children (and you can hear the capitalization in their voices) you are against poverty, injustice, and war. Unless the "enemy" is a wealthy Republican, then all bets are off.
What the blazes does ANY of this have to do with Paganism?
If you are a reconstructionist, I'm willing to bet that there are gods in your personal pantheon who were not only responsible for commerce, but probably invented coinage.
And dice games. Don't forget the dice games. VERY important foundation for commerce.
Now I happen to be very political. But my politics don't come because of my faith or my Patrons. Likewise, my faith isn't defined by my politics.
There are people I identify as part-time pagans and fluffy pagans, but not because of their politics. That is because of how they treat their faith.
If you are lucky enough not to have had this inflicted on you yet, the idea is that all real pagans are naturally progressive and green. And if you are not progressive and green, then you can't possibly be a real pagan.
I was an environmentalist before the global warming movement hijacked environmentalism. Today you can barely mention environmentalism without bowing down before the global warming altar. Everything environmental must give way to the global warming agenda. When is the last time you saw a news story about water pollution or air pollution? But I have lost track of how many stories I have seen about global warming in the last year.
And of course, if you really care about Mother Gaia and Her children (and you can hear the capitalization in their voices) you are against poverty, injustice, and war. Unless the "enemy" is a wealthy Republican, then all bets are off.
What the blazes does ANY of this have to do with Paganism?
If you are a reconstructionist, I'm willing to bet that there are gods in your personal pantheon who were not only responsible for commerce, but probably invented coinage.
And dice games. Don't forget the dice games. VERY important foundation for commerce.
Now I happen to be very political. But my politics don't come because of my faith or my Patrons. Likewise, my faith isn't defined by my politics.
There are people I identify as part-time pagans and fluffy pagans, but not because of their politics. That is because of how they treat their faith.
Choice
Tuesday, 02Jan2018 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
❝Faith is a personal choice. So are politics. One does not define the other.❞— NeoWayland, Paganism is not political
NeoNotes — Real religion
Tuesday, 26Dec2017 Filed in: NeoNotes⭐︎ modern adult pagans
❝Pardon, I don't think anyone is capable of judging what is and is not a "real" religion. I can't tell you how many times certain Christians have told me that my faith isn't real.
Pauline Christianity is something completely different that what Yeshua Ben Yosef preached. Gnostic Christianity is something completely different yet again. Which is true? Who knows? Who am I to judge what happens between someone else and the Divine?
I think these are the wrong questions. Christians are much nicer when they aren't the only game around. From what little I've seen, the same applies to Muslims.
I think what matters is how we treat others, especially others who do not share our faith and culture. Ramming it down other's throat by force will cause resentment. That's where some monotheists go wrong. It's not that they have the True Faith™, its that no other faith can be allowed. Because of their Greater Understanding and enlightenment, they can break society's rule for the Greater Good. Thou shalt not dissent.
Climate change alarmists stole the game lock, stock, and barrel. It's common for some of the radical feminists too. If anything, I think it indicates a weakness in the argument. Their faith isn't strong enough, they can't convince others, so it must be forced.
Getting back to Christianity, how much would history have changed if Constantine hadn't made it the state faith? How would it have developed if it had stayed one faith among many? How much of the Official® was really about politics and controlling the populace?
Could it be that control is really the issue?❞
NeoNotes are the selected comments that I made on other boards, in email, or in response to articles where I could not respond directly.
Several rewrites later…
Saturday, 13Feb2010 Filed in: beliefs
This is a page from the third version of Technopagan Yearnings. There are some formatting differences. Originally published at www.neowayland.com/C550866538/E20100213150023
Dealing with life - updated
I can't be politically correct on this one and writing it has been frustrating. I think the only thing that would be more frustrating would be to shelve it.
So here goes.
Back in 2006, I wrote about Pagans and victimhood. Recently online and IRL, I've been talking with Pagans who believe that Christianity* is a Big Bad Evil that must be confronted.
Here's the thing.
Drawing your power from your victimhood depends on the other recognizing the wrong done and expressing guilt. Without the "oppressor" doing both those things, your victimhood has no power. It also only lasts as long as the Big Baddy feels guilty.
Here's the real scary bit.
As long as you embrace victimhood, you can't possibly be as "worthy" as the person who made you a victim. You'll always need "help."
And yes, you should recognize the abuser/abused pattern here.
I put it simply in my Quick notes to a new seeker.
Do you really want to give the Christians that much power over you?
Find yourself. And remember that like calls to like.
_____
*Okay, so I forgot the word Christianity in the original post. Sorry about that.
So here goes.
Back in 2006, I wrote about Pagans and victimhood. Recently online and IRL, I've been talking with Pagans who believe that Christianity* is a Big Bad Evil that must be confronted.
Here's the thing.
Drawing your power from your victimhood depends on the other recognizing the wrong done and expressing guilt. Without the "oppressor" doing both those things, your victimhood has no power. It also only lasts as long as the Big Baddy feels guilty.
Here's the real scary bit.
As long as you embrace victimhood, you can't possibly be as "worthy" as the person who made you a victim. You'll always need "help."
And yes, you should recognize the abuser/abused pattern here.
I put it simply in my Quick notes to a new seeker.
❝Beware of anyone who tells you power comes through victimhood. That power can only be borrowed and only at the sufferance of another.❞But the real power is not in victimhood. Overcoming victimhood can be the first gate to power because that is your power that you discover.
Do you really want to give the Christians that much power over you?
Find yourself. And remember that like calls to like.
_____
*Okay, so I forgot the word Christianity in the original post. Sorry about that.
❝One Tin Solider❞
Friday, 17Nov2017 Filed in: entertainment
Listen children to a story
That was written long ago
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folk below
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath a stone
And the valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own
Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the Judgment Day
On the bloody morning after who
One tin soldier rides away
So the people of the valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they'd kill
Came an answer from the kingdom
With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain
An' all the riches buried there
Now the valley cried in anger
"Mount your horses, draw your sword"
And they killed the mountain people
So they won their just reward
Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain dark and red
Turn the stone and which beneath it
"Peace on Earth" was all it said
Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the Judgment Day
On the bloody morning after who
One tin soldier rides away
Go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of Heaven
You can justify it in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the Judgment Day
On the bloody morning after who
One tin soldier rides away
words and music by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter
This last week in free speech
“Unity in things Necessary, Liberty in things Unnecessary, and Charity in all.”— Richard Baxter
Absolutely maybe sort of - updated
Now, should I reject Bonewits and all he stood for because he and I didn't agree?
Read More...Ego-trapped
“As a pagan, I've found that 99% of my practices and worshiping consists of just going outside, sitting still, shutting up, and listening.”Read More...
Journal 21Jul2017
Friday, 21Jul2017 Filed in: thinking by blogging⭐︎ site news
≠ ✰ pagan festival season AZ monsoon season ☯ waning crescent moon
I had a bit of a scare this week. My blogging program developed a bit of glitch for a while. The idea of having to rebuild five websites and all the connections did not thrill me. This is the fourth major version of the site and it has been tweaked and tweaked again.
When I first started Technopagan Yearnings, I was coding things by hand and I loved arranging HTML modularly. I started using Lifli’s iBlog when I gave TPY and Pagan Vigil their own domains. Since then, Lifli went out of business and I started using RealMac RapidWeaver. I've upgraded from version 5 to version 6 and apparently I should have upgraded to 7.
Things change. As something suitable for the ages, the websites work as they are. As something that I can update and tweak, I need programs to manage. Using something dynamically is different from an unchanging text set in stone. Things change. A good lesson, but I wasn't ready to hear it at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night after a day of frustration trying to fix the program. I had just gotten my new rhythm in blogging. I didn't want to spend months reconstructing the sites.
I managed a quick trip to Gallup on Wednesday. If you've never been, Gallup is sometimes called the "Heart of Indian Country." There's a lot to see and do there. I was meeting a friend that I hadn't seen in years. He had made a small necklace with red coral. I'm giving it to my companion tomorrow. The red will look excellent on her skin tone.
Speaking of changes, for the first time since the new cable company came to town, I've no cable TV signal and no internet. So as I type this I can't preview and I've no idea when I will be able to post. Hopefully today.
One of my issues with this site and P•V has been providing enough content. That's why I've scaled back the original content and moved this site more to "a slice of life." P•V is now mostly headlines and news clippings. I can't give daily original articles, not and maintain some kind of sanity. Paganism on the web is getting more and more wrapped up with politics and the Great Anti-Trump Crusade. I'm seeing first hand just how poisonous and destructive that is. Not that I support Trump, but removing a legally elected president for no credible reason. This obsession isn't healthy, and it's making some of my pagan friends unravel.
My garden is producing well. Like I've said before, they aren't really your vegetables until you give them away.
Mom is still getting along. She and I are having our disagreements. The other day when I checked on her, we got into discussion on if she should leave things on the stove cooking while she is in the other room. She has ruined one skillet. Bless her heart, when she doesn't see something, she's more likely to forget about it. I want her to be independent for as long as she can, but there are some things I don't think will ever really come back.
Well how about that. I just put in the tag for "Mom" and I thought I would double check the other entries because it came up "mom" instead of "Mom." It seems I use the word "moment" a lot. I didn't realize how much I did.
I suppose I should go do a fast pass through the kitchen and load the dishwasher. Then maybe some breakfast. Then a shower and shave. And then maybe I'll have internet.
Political assumption
Tuesday, 11Jul2017 Filed in: quotes & thinkums⭐︎ modern adult pagans
“Over the years however I have noticed a disheartening trend in the community. And that trend is what I refer to as political assumption. What I mean is that what seems like a large degree of practitioners of the Wicca faith and other similar earth based religious belief systems automatically pigeon hole everyone else in the faith as being politically a democrat or of some other left leaning ideology. Many attacks have been directed at me over the years for my right leaning political beliefs by many people who know me very little or not at all. Well, I actually do lean politically right; however, I consider myself a right leaning Independent.>snip<
I have been personally attacked en mass on a number of occasions to the point of people screen copying my personal opinions, taking them from other conversations and importing them to their social justice warrior sites, and then trying to get people to gang up on me for my deeply held (conservative) pagan viewpoints. Some going so far as to sending my viewpoints directly to well known individuals in the magickal community to show them how much of an "evil" person I am. I do equally find it a cowardly thing to do when I have the strongest feeling that these social justice warrior types could not muster the courage to say this stuff to my face under the fear that they would receive a serious beat down.”— Douglas Helvie, On Preconceived Pagan/Wiccan Political Affiliations
Communities
Thursday, 13Jul2017 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
Religion for the politics
Tuesday, 11Jul2017 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
Fare poorly
Friday, 28Jul2017 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
❝Get someone out of the light pollution of major cities and let them marvel at the real Milky Way and the Moon. Let them lie out under the stars and feel the Earth move under them.
But then I am just a tiny bit biased.❞— NeoWayland
No one
Tuesday, 16May2017 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ beliefs
“I'm taking my dreams back. You can share them if you want. But don't buy into this sacrifice "for the greater good."”Read More...— NeoWayland, Why does your enlightenment demand that I sacrifice?
Solitary
Wednesday, 10May2017 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ celebrations & passages
❝Do I think I can change the universe? I already have. Can I make it better? Maybe.❞
— NeoWayland
❝No American judge should have the power to decide matters of faith…❞
Saturday, 27May2017 Filed in: quotes & thinkums
Journal 05May2017
Friday, 05May2017 Filed in: thinking by blogging
NeoNotes — Ecology vs environmentalism
“Morality in sexual relations, when it is free from superstition, consists essentially in respect for the other person, and unwillingness to use that person solely as a means of personal gratification, without regard to his or her desires.”— Bertrand Russell
What does that have to do with greeting the sun?
I'm winter-born, so a good snow always touches my soul in a quiet joyful way. I could watch it for hours. I did watch it for hours.
Read More...ugh-politics
Tuesday, 28Feb2017 Filed in: practicals⭐︎ modern adult pagans
Most importantly, my faith is not political. Read More...
Signs
Monday, 27Feb2017 Filed in: practicals⭐︎ modern adult pagans
❝Faith cannot be given. Faith cannot be taken. To mean anything at all, faith must be chosen freely.❞— NeoWayland
Revising my expectations
Monday, 31Oct2016 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Religion and politics
Hold her hands, gently, almost like a caress. Tell her how you feel about her. Tell her how you feel when you are with her. Do it again in thirteen minutes, precisely.
Read More...A dangerous pagan
Tuesday, 01Dec2015 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ quotes & thinkums
No, I am not quite foolish enough to do it on my own. I don’t know enough about explosives and I don’t own an anvil.
Read More...Political pagans
Friday, 27Nov2015 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Usually when ravens group together, it’s up on fences or power lines or rooftops
Read More...No dissent, or The content of his character
Sunday, 07Jun2015 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ NeoNotes
“A real man loves strong women, whether as lovers or just as friends, because weak ones are boring, often parasitical, and make the worst exes.”— Isaac Bonewits
Earth Day & politics
Tuesday, 21Apr2015 Filed in: celebrations & passages⭐︎ modern adult pagans⭐︎ Gallery⭐︎ beliefs⭐︎ quotes & thinkums
Statement on the Environment
Tuesday, 31Mar2015 Filed in: modern adult pagans
❝The universe is written in mathematics. The Mystery is written in poetry. We're born where the two meet.
At the crossroads.❞— NeoWayland, Kissed by the Lady Moon
Community and being a Proper Pagan
Tuesday, 20Jul2010 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ sex
The Day After Earth Day
Thursday, 23Apr2009 Filed in: tellus
Don't mix religion with politics
Monday, 16Feb2015 Filed in: modern adult pagans
The Authority Problem
Wednesday, 21Apr2010 Filed in: tellus⭐︎ modern adult pagans
Progressively regressive
Monday, 05Apr2010 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Semi-hermit
Tuesday, 06Jan2015 Filed in: modern adult pagans⭐︎ thinking by blogging
I keep my politics separate from my faith
Read More...
Revealed!
Tuesday, 02Dec2014 Filed in: modern adult pagans
Harassment: Avoidance & Confrontation
Monday, 03Oct2005 Filed in: practicals
