The Ramblings and Wanderings

Archive for November, 2009

Or at least safe in my temporary home in Ottawa

Off to bed now, driving across Canada is tiring!

So far the trip has been going well.

The folks in Winnipeg amazed us with their hospitality and a huge gathering of folks coming out to meet us and hear Brendan talk and sing!

I can’t wait until I am home and I have had  a bit of rest so I can write about all the beautiful sites and the amazing people we have met. As well as post some pics.

Also in the news, Brendan and I were interviewed by the good folks at the Magical Earth Podcast while in Winnipeg. It should be up soon, so check it out!

Cheers!

Had a blast in Calgary and in Regina. I will write more about our wonderful experinces in the West as soon as I can

Many thanks to our gracious hosts Susan in Calgary and Erin in Regina (and their families) I will wax poetic about what wonderful hosts they are … when I have a bit more time and am on my own computer.

Today we head for Winnipeg! The city my mother was born in. Hurrah!

In the meantime, I will leave you all with something to ponder, something that has come up a little on our journey meeting Pagans from all over.

In one of the places we visited, we were told by a few different people (all independently) that there was a division and some strain in their community. We mentioned this to a couple of the leaders in that community. At first they seemed quite happy to use the Solitaries, Newbies, Teen Pagans and Ecletics as scapegoats (like many Pagan Leaders I have met, GRRR!)

Anyways….

They then kept insisting there was NO split because they feel the Leaders do get along very well.

(huh no spilt but you are happy to sacrifice the Solitaries and Newbies eh? hmmmmm I smell a rat) 

So I asked them this:

If you say that the Leaders and Elders in your community all get along just fine, but your community says otherwise … are you leading by example? Do the members of your community SEE their Leaders & Elders getting along? Do they see you talk, do you organize events together? Do they see you going out for a beer together?

The answer I recieved from said Leaders was:

“Um … well, NO”

So …

Dear Leaders and Elders, do you get along with other Elders and Leaders in your community? Especially ones from other Paths, Groups and Trads? And, more importantly, does the community SEE it with their own eyes? Do you lead by example? Do you encourage or discourage people in your group to get along with other Pagans from other groups and Trads? And how do you justify blaming Solitaries for problems between groups they do not belong to? Why are Solitaries, Ecletics and Newbies to blame for your failings as Leaders?

And dear lowly ordinary Pagans, Heathen and Witches, do you SEE your Leaders get along? Do YOU feel they Lead by example and build bridges, or do you feel that is not the case? Do your Leaders and Elders encourage or discourage people in your group to get along with other Pagans from other groups and Trads? Do you feel pressured to pick on Solitaries etc?

And, are you a Solitary, Newbies, teen or Eclectic? Are you sick to death of being the fall-guy, the scapegoat, the one the community walks all over … all because you lack a group to support you and guard your back? Because I know I am! Do you feel that your Leaders and Elders encourage solidarity or division? Do you feel picked on because you do not belong to a group?

Think about it, and please post a comment or make your own blog post.

I am not asking this or mentioning this to be nasty or pick on anyone, but as someone who has wandered all over North America and met many Pagans from many places, I see this is a common theme and I think we need to open up a dialogue about it  :)

Cheers!

Everyone is welcome to attend. I hear tell that there is some kind of spilt or division within the Calgary commmunity. I would like to make clear that I do not give a shit. All Calgary and area Pagans, Witches, and etc are totally welcome to come hang out and have fun and talk Craft. Brendan and I do not belong to any special groups or organizations (not my OBOD Bardic Grade) and have no interest in choosing sides. We just want to meet you and share a drink    maybe we can encourage some mending within the community or at least civility.

Info:

A world-traveled Druid and a down-home Hedgewitch are touring central Canada, and are looking to meet feollow Pagans & Witches!

Dr. Brendan Myers, Ph.D. is an award-winning Canadian philosopher, writer, and public speaker. He is the author of several well-respected books on ethics, environmentalism, mythology, and Celtic spirituality. His titles include “The Other Side of Virtue”, “A Pagan Testament”, “The Mysteries of Druidry”, and “Loneliness and Revelation” (forthcoming in 2010).

Juniper Cox is a practitioner of traditional hedge-craft, and the web-master of the popular Walking the Hedge website, blog and forum. And also has experince in wildcrafting, homesteading, and simple living as well as work in animal rescue.

The idea is to just hang out in a pub, talk to people about philosophy and spirituality, and sell a few copies of Brendan’s books to raise money for our travel expenses. No formal lecture, no schedule, no stress. After all, if Socrates could do philosophy at dinner parties and public marketplaces, why can’t we?

Let’s meet at Tipperary’s Pub, 2002 16th Avenue NW, at or around 6pm, on Tuesday, 3rd November.

About Brendan:

http://wildideas.net/cathbad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Myers

About Juniper:

http://walkingthehedge.net