Walking the Hedge

I was recently asked why my recent Witchvox article did not discuss any of the currently living Leaders and Elders? Actually, I’ve been asked this a few times. So before I head out to the pasture to check on the new fillies (pics coming soon) I thought I’d toss an answer out there.

There are a couple of reasons why (in no particular order)

1) I was playing devils advocate and responding to the attitude and growing complaint (especially amongst younger newbies) that there are NO “good” elders out there. And thus, I was responding as if there really are no good elders anymore. EDITED TO ADD: I was also responding to the attitude that there is no hope for the younger generations, that we are all Charmed and Buffy junkies.

2) I didn’t want to enter into a debate or discussion about who are our current “good” or “bad” elders and who was worthy of that title or not etc etc etc

3) Not all pagans live in the city. There are many of us who live in Bumhole Nebraska, or Middle-o-Nowhere Alberta. Plenty of us have to drive 2 or 6 or 16 hours to get to the nearest open Circle, or workshop or Wicca 101 class.

For many of us, there are no Elders where we live. The only Elders are the ones in the books we order online and pay high shipping costs to get, or on web pages we must look at using slow speed dail-up. And this makes these elders and teachers barely tangible.

Many pagans, heathens and witches are struggling with the fact that there is no one else with more experience in the faith or Craft than themselves in their hometowns. Or if there is one or two, they are busy with their group (etc).

Plenty of us are dealing with the reality that these great elders and teachers do exist, but they are so far away they might as well not.

You have no idea how frustrating it is to put together a little workshop, sharing what you have learned with the handful of peers you have in your small town (because there is no one else to teach and you guys need to learn from each other then), and along comes some big city witch ranting and raving at you that “how dare any non-elder teach!”

Well, there might not be any elders where I live!

Cheers folks!

Related posts:

1. Another Article on Witchvox
2. Making Do Without Elders
3. Leaving the West and Something to Think About