The Ramblings and Wanderings

Posts Tagged ‘Community’

A few images from the trip to Alberta. More to come, I’m waiting on emails of more pics from cameras that aren’t mine.

I told off the whole BC Pagans Yahoo group yesterday. It felt damned good to call them out for their (public!) petty bickering, but I might just have to flee to another Province for a while now *ducks and covers*

So June is Pagan Values Blogging Month or some such thing, and since you can’t rock the boat if you aren’t on it, I decided to join in.

The first thing I noticed reading all these blog posts, is a plethora of catch phrases and key words. Pagan values as pop culture?

Next will we be using words like “synergy” and (shudder) “proactive”? You know, to quote the Simpson’s: “Those words stupid people use to make themselves sound smart” ?

Anyways …

Can ethics and values really be boiled down to a simple list of words like “Industriousness”, “Loyalty”, or “Harm None”? Is the human animal really that simple?

How many of us, when faced with an important decision or a difficult time in our lives found a easy solution based on a single, simple, catch phrase?

“What would Goddess/God/Great Spirit do?”

Actually before I attack such things, I ought to point out that a mangled version of that good ol’ Rede helped me quit smoking about 6 and a half years ago. But that’s all it was, a mantra, a reminder of a decision I had made, not the decision or the decision process itself. It was an affirmation (egad, another pop culture catch word!) of my will power, it didn’t actually GIVE me the will power to quit smoking.

And maybe that’s it right there. We can have all the cute little key words and catch phrases in the world. We can write about them, read about them, and argue about them until the cows come home (another catch phrase, I’m on a roll!)

BUT …

Its not the interpretation of the Rede (or list of Virtues or whatever), its what you DO with it.

As you my dear readers may well know, I firmly believe in putting your money where your mouth is. (yet another catch phrase, goodness, our culture is steeped in them is it not?)

I’ve seen more than enough Pagans preach and rant and rave about how the “Earth is our Mother and we MUST take care of Her” (a very pagan catch phrase) who then turn around and flick a burning cigarette butt out the car window during the dry season.

You know, I’ve been slapped across the face by a self proclaimed pacifist once? Imagine that. Though I may have deserved it at the time (me and my big mouth)

I’ve met witches who firmly believe that a Earth-centered spirituality has next to nothing to do with Nature, and there’s no need for them to have to go outside, and certainly not in the rain! HUH?

Like all humans, we Pagans are hypocrites by nature, expecting others to meet a standard that we ourselves fail at.

How often have we chided someone else for breaking the Rede (I’m really giving the Rede are hard time today aren’t I?) but then when we find ourselves doing the same damned thing, we feel totally justified and get upset when chided by others?

So … how about instead of blogging about Pagan values, we each make the effort to spend the time from now until next June actually living those Pagan values?

Then we all might have something to write about other than catch phrases and lists of key words.

Philosophy is great and all don‘t get me wrong, the Pagan community could use a little more of it … but isn’t this something that ought to be practically applied before we stand on mountain tops (or blogs, for that matter) and start making proclamations?

Here‘s an good old fashioned one I‘ve heard my Granny use before:

“The proof in the pudding is in the eating”

Well, that’s my ramble on Pagan Values, I hope you weren’t expecting anything deep and meaningful!

Take good care of each other,

Juni

“In June the sun is at it’s height in the Northern Hemisphere and nearly hidden from view in the Southern Hemisphere. Midsummer and Yule, festivals of fire and of light.

Let us then use our hearts and minds and words, invoking the fires of inspiration; let us write of the virtues and ethics and morals and values we have found in our Pagan paths, let us share how we carry these precious things forward in our own lives and out into the world.

Join me, in the month of June 2009 in writing about Pagan values.”

 

The abouve quote come from Pax, over at Chrysalis

 

 Lots of folk have answered the challenge, so go to his site and check out all the links folks have posted.

To begin my contribution I will link you to two articles I wrote along these lines last month, and promise a fresh one to come.

Dancing With the Ancestors    &    “Not I”, Said the Witch

There is something of a discussion on the subject going on at the Hedge’s forum so check that out as well.

A tidbit of mine that came from that thread:

“What matters? What is necessary?

 For myself, it is service to my gods, helping animals, being a steward of the land, living on a mountainside at the edge of the forest.
 My clan, kith and kin, my ancestors, my community.
 Being but one more person out there doing my own thing, adding my voice, my vote, living as green as I can, being one more blade in the grass roots movement that is modern paganism and Earth centered spirituality.
 It is connecting with the land, contacting the divine, being one with nature, walking in Otherworlds.
Seeking near forgotten lore…

 These things are what I need to grow and live and love and laugh as human and spiritual being.”

What do you really need?

Cya after the Spirit of the West Druid Gathering this weekend folks!

Know Thyself,

Juni

I will be attending the Spirit of the West Druid Gathering June 12 – 14 in Alberta, Canada.

 

I’ll be vending, selling some of my arts and crafts, as well I might enter the Second Annual Spirit of the West Eisteddfod – a Bardic gathering and competition. Entering some of my poetry *yikes*

Get your tickets by the end of the month folks. Hope to see you there!

Took a while to get around to posting these, being on dial-up is a pain.