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Occasionally I wandered in where I was not wanted and gave truthful answers.
Sometimes I even did it deliberately. A little disruption now can prevent disaster later.

Myth ruminations

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Journal - Friday, 26Oct2018

Thinking by blogging
This last week I've been polishing the behind the scenes stuff on this blog. That includes cleaning up the formatting for my quotes & thinkums. There's a goof in 2017 that's throwing things off, but I will find and fix it. I've been reading my old stuff. I've been cross referencing. Most of it isn't obvious.

Mom isn't doing so well. She forgets things. She's having a harder time moving around. We'll see.

One of my biggest frustrations is sex. One companion passed and the other moved. I try to avoid casual sex these days and I don't do the pickup scene at all. The younger women aren't interested in an older guy, especially the kind that makes them think. The older available ladies, well, many are into the victimhood thing. Some of the others want a bad boy. When they find out I am pagan, they think danger and blood and risk. Usually that's not me. I used to have sex six or seven times a week and now it's once or twice on a good week. I'm horny in an age of #MeToo and regret equalling rape accusations. I'm not sure how to fix that.

Truth is winning in a small way. I've been finding people that I agree with online. Of course it will never be a massive or even an impressive number, but there's hope for Isaiah's Job yet. I serve veritas, that has it's own rewards. Widespread recognition for my, um, obvious insights and grand wisdom is not one of them. I'm pretty good, but it won't bring fame and money. Still, it's nice to stumble across some like minded folk here and there. Wisdom is where you find it.

It dawned on me that I can save time by copy-pasting the source code from the quotes & thinkums blog entries in my comments. I'll have to eliminate the <div class="offset"> and the following </div>, but the rest shows up in Disqus just fine. Not with all the bells and whistles, true, but with enough to show it's a blockquote. I sill may have to toss in some <em> and </em>, but it works.

Time for a shower. Then I'll greet the sunrise while sharing breakfast with my raven friend. Then over to check on Mom.
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NeoNote — People cherish their passions

I like the leaves and her expression.

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Broken

A swimming hole is always a good reason to shed clothing.

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NeoNotes — Perception and symbols

Why it was removed is unclear.

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Master the discipline

What makes the so many modern pagans fluffy? And why don't they seem to want more?

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Being a victim

Dealing with life - updated

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Discipline, the Modern Pagan, and power from victimhood

This is a page from the third version of Technopagan Yearnings. There are some formatting differences. Originally published at www.neowayland.com/C65989237/E20060722013450

What makes the so many modern pagans fluffy? And why don't they seem to want more?

There is an old saying that the difficult truths are the only ones that must be told.

I've tried several times in the last couple of weeks to write this post. It keeps coming out wrong. So I am going to sit here and hammer this one out once and for all so I can concentrate on other things that I want to say. It's probably going to be shorter than I wanted, but there are only so many times I can rewrite the thing.

Before I get too deep, I want to say that I absolutely despise classifying people, their abilities, and their accomplishments based on membership in some group. I am an individualist. As far as I am concerned, we are human. To understand the poisonous mindset, it's necessary to put that viewpoint aside for a bit and wade into meaningless yet influential group distinctions.

I read Shelby Steele's excellent White Guilt. While not a pagan book, it gave me excellent insight into American life over the last few decades, and helped focus some of my own realizations. Most of it doesn't apply in a pagan context, with one very important exception.

The rise of the popular forms of modern paganism are tied into the rise of the feminist movement that followed the success of the 1960s civil rights movement. Feminism (and paganism through feminism) borrowed some of the best and worst ideas of the civil rights movement for it's own purposes.

One idea was power through victimhood because of past crimes committed against one group by members of another.

Before you tell me that doesn't apply, go find someone talking about "Never again the Burning Times!"

For "power through victimhood" to be successful, it's not enough to have an "oppressed victim," there also has to be a public acknowledgment of guilt by the powerful and a lingering guilt. "PTV" gains it's moral authority only through guilt, otherwise it runs smack dab into the morals and ethics of the majority.

To simplify, American blacks had a legitimate grievance. That isn't necessarily so for American feminists, and it probably isn't so for American pagans. It is the difference between oppression and repression.

Paganism was a good way for repressed women to explore the Sacred Feminine and experience the Divine instead of having it handed to them through a patriarchal framework. Since many pagans celebrate the Female Aspects of Divinity, of course we took joy as the ladies took center stage and found themselves.

But all things have destruction wrapped in creation. The power wasn't in the victimhood. It never was. Overcoming victimhood could be the first gate to power. Some took power from the victimhood itself, never realizing that their "strength" depended entirely on the guilty pity of others. Without that guilt and pity, the "moral authority" collapsed.

This wasn't just in paganism of course. Much of Western culture and society was undergoing the same growing pangs. So to preserve the "power through victimhood" of certain groups, permanent victim groups were enshrined. Blacks first. Then other minority groups. Then women (of course). And finally alternative religions. With a pecking order firmly established, it became the Progressive Thing to make sure that the victim groups and the pecking order were universally established. If some members of the victim groups weren't quite good enough, that was okay, they had been through enough. Allowances would be made.

That in turn introduced our second and third tier problems. Members of the victim groups weren't expect to be "as good" as the majority. Excuses were made for their failures. They were never held personally responsible.

Imagine that. By virtue of victimhood and belonging to a recognized victim group, someone could be excused from being an adult and taking responsibility for themselves.

I want to stress that the victimhood was never universal. Many people soon learned to move beyond victimhood and into individual excellence.

But for those who didn't, they never realized it was a trap. Some of them still don't.

Fast forward a few decades.

Now some areas have schools that cherish victimhood of certain groups before the kids are old enough to understand if they are even victims at all. Being a social victim means that others will look out for you and that you are not fully human.

Nor can you be fully trusted. Even if your victimhood grants you "moral authority" and exceptions from the rules.

Other kids see that being a victim is the easy path. Even if you don't know the answers, they will be provided to you in a timely manner. And if you can't be bothered to learn them this time around, that is okay. You've had a hard victimhood.

The end result are people who not only don't know the answers, but expect those answers to be provided on demand. And they want a second chance to take any tests, only this time with crib sheets.

It's not their fault that this is how they were taught.

It's their fault if they do not change once their path demands more.

Master the discipline or be mastered by the victimhood.

Bright & Dark Blessings, everyone.

Posted: Fri - July 21, 2006 at 09:34 PM

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Several rewrites later…

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.

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.

Posted: Sat - February 13, 2010 at 03:00 PM

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You can't be worthy

The Wheel turns and the World touches me.
— NeoWayland, Migration noise
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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.
— AmericanCeltic
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Take the power

Her expression is what sells it.

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Neighborhood pagan

How we treat the Other may be the defining mark of a civilization. How we treat civilization may be the second defining mark of an individual.

"I. Was. Different." Some outgrow it. Others Want To Be Noticed. Still others
DEMAND attention.

I never have understood why someone would wear ritual garb in public. It probably has something to do with crossover with the SCA, the RenFaire crowd, and cosplay. But these things don't have
pockets. Where do you keep things like your keys, your wallet, and your smart phone? In my case, there are even fewer pockets in my ritual garb.

It's not that hard to "freak the mundanes." But does that mean that people will trust you? Can you trust them? And yes, there will be times
you need to trust someone who doesn't share your beliefs.

Or your
victimhood.

We should discuss that too. I've said before you should not draw power from victimhood. It draws on the pity of others and will probably fade the more you depend on it.

So if your paganism can't depend on how weird you are or how much a victim you are, what should it depend on?

How about your connection to Nature?
Magick may be about changing the world, but paganism is about finding the place where you balance.

You start by being a good neighbor. Not just to the plants and the creatures and the four-foots around you, but to your fellow humans. Those humans are
important.

Yes, really.

Humans are a part of the World. We're not separate.

And that means you should trust your neighbors. That they should trust you. You won't get that with a six inch pentagram and ritual garb. You won't get that with "mysterious" symbols painted on your house. You won't get that if you are too strange.

How we treat our culture may be the defining mark of an adult.

Are you ready?

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NeoNotes — Witchcraft as rebellion

Ravens are amazing birds aren't they?

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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.

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Gaia

I mentioned some of my concerns, but their future is full of utopia and collective effort.

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Community and being a Proper Pagan

Refuge

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Quick notes to a new seeker - Updated

It's what brings us together

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“We've got trouble my friends…”

Profiles are just the start to understanding, and programs don't always work

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Synchronicity, coincidence, perception, and perspective

Using Pagan practices as an excuse to collect pelts

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Groups

I don't bow unless I respect

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On Christians and Pagan tolerance

Bet you thought I wasn't going to get one up today. I almost didn't.

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Depression and the Modern Pagan

“”The

Sort of progress, still not sure if I am going to do it

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Sunfell Tech Mage Rede Nine Words Serve The Tech Mage Best Keep What Works Fix What’s Broke Ditch The Rest

A narrow slice of life, but now and again pondering American neopaganism, modern adult pagans & the World.

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