The Ramblings and Wanderings

Posts Tagged ‘Elders’

Don’t say anything negative

Don’t rock the boat

Don’t weed the garden

Just let Paganism get over grown

*

You have to stay positive

Even when it’s stupid

Just smile and sing

Even if it’s boring

*

Don’t go looking

For anything harder

Don’t think any deeper

Paganism 101

Is all we have to offer

*

We’ve got next to nothing

For your generation

We never once thought

The kids we raised on this stuff

Would one day find it quite stale

Might find the worry and bother

Over lighting right colored candles

To be redundant and pale

*

So shut up kid

Don’t you complain

Offering more than Wicca 101

Seems like such a pain

*

Just study the same subjects

Again and again

See how it’s just a little different

Each and every time?

We are satisfied

You’re not

And we don’t know why?

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!

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 an experienced practitioner of traditional hedge-craft, and the web-master of the popular Walking the Hedge website, blog and forum.

If you would like us to visit your shop, coven, grove, or circle, we are available for workshops, lectures, book-signings, and impromptu concerts! (or just hanging out)

Our tour schedule includes:

November 2: Calgary Alberta

November 4: Regina, Sask.

November 5: Winnipeg, Man.

November 7: Thunder Bay, Ont.

November 8: Sault St. Marie, Ont.

November 9: Sudbury, Ont.

November 10: Ottawa, Ont.

Please contact Brendan at bmyers33@live.ca, Juniper at juniper138@gmail.com,

Find out more about Brendan

Find Juniper on the web

If you know of someone in your area who would be willing to put us up for a night (two adults and one friendly elderly dog), please let us know as well. Many thanks!

The laypagans have been getting on my nerves lately. That’s my problem, not theirs, I’m big enough to admit it.

I believe that people need to shake free of this McWicca mentality and stop looking for easy way to anything.

However … we can’t fault laypagans for being laypagans.

Not all of us are called to a deeper path, not all of us are smart, or educated, or disciplined.

Some of us may have learning disabilities or have other things going on in our lives that take away from our ability to practice and study at someone else’s standards. If a fellow witch seems to be lazy to me, while I may rail against lazy pagans in general, I will not rail at HER. For all I know she has a hubby with pancreatic cancer at home and doesn’t have the time to read like I do.

Not all of us are called to be mystics, priestesses, shamans and so forth … some of us are just pagan. Most villagers or farmers in the Old Days did little more than attend the major festivals, bringing an offering along and eating the feast with everyone else, maybe tossing a old hammer in the nearby lake now and then. We modern Pagans are getting large enough now to again see such things.

Congregation. Its reality now, accept it folks.

While I do strive to advocate responsible practice, intelligent study and critical thinking skills, cultural respect and so forth myself, I see no good in getting involved in the “Real Witch Debate”. Calling particular groups out, or getting into the thinking that we can judge whether or not another is worthy of their own spiritual path is a dangerous and slippery slope. It also does nothing to help build bridges, community, or communication. Nor does it create an atmosphere where those who do yearn for a deeper spiritual path feel welcomed and invited.

And while I’m at it …

I’d also like to state for the record that not everyone in my generation is obsessed with Charmed and Buffy. I’d also like to point out that was the 90’s, over a decade ago … nearly two. We grew up; I’m pushing thirty for crying out loud I don’t watch kids shows any more. Get over it. There are new teenagers now, go look down your noses at them.

Thanks

Juni

I was inspired by the award I received; Also I have been thinking about the fact that more and more people are calling for the Pagan Community to do better to recognize those hardworking members that make modern Paganism and Witchcraft go ‘round.

I decided to make an award and pass it on so that it folks will pay it forward.

Yes it works a little like a chain letter, but the dammed things are effective, especially online.

This award can go to any website, group, blog, individual, podcast, organization, magazine or newsletter, forum, networking site and so forth that you feel has done a good service to the community or added something important, special, unique etc to the Community.

This is meant to be a show of respect and/or appreciation, but it can still be delivered with some affectionate humour and so forth

(And yes I am capitalizing “Pagan Community” now! Look up the definition of community; we all don’t have to be the same to be a freakshow family people)

To get the ball rolling I will choose a grand total of four awards to hand out, though people are encouraged to award three.

Ladies, gents and everyone in-between, I present to you the Real Witch Achievement Award

When you receive this award, you are to:

* Post the award on your website, blog, etc in some way. Remember to thank your mom!
* Mention the person who gave you the award.
* Select three new recipients of this award you feel are worthy.
* Send them the award via email, by commenting on their forum, by printing it and handing it to them, etc
* Announce your choices on your website, in your magazine, on your podcast etc

***

My nominees are a networking site, a forum, a blog, and a podcast:
The WiccanWeb.ca
Networking site based on the west coast of Canada for Wiccans, and all Pagans, in Canada or who live in or love Canada. They have forums, classifieds, pictures, a wiki, news articles, a chants page that is awesome, two pagan radio stations and more. They are also kind enough to post link to my articles sometimes.

TerraSpirit ~ Canadian Pagan Living
Delivers what it states in its name. A forum linked to other goodies is set up for all Pagans in Canada to talk and discuss. Terra Spirit was created to help unite Canadian Pagans with an interest in topics such as family, health, divination, celebration, pregnancy, and all areas of Pagan Living in Canada. You don’t have to be Pagan, you don’t have to be Canadian, but that is the main theme of the boards. Also very family oriented. Wonderful!

Vanic Thoughts
A thoughtful, intelligent and insightful blog from a Vanic heathen.
I love the practical handing of the woo moments that come from living the life of a mystic (or whatever you want to call it)

The Wigglian Way
The Wigglian Way is a pagan podcast brought to you by Sparrow and Mojo from Beautiful British Columbia. They have been around for a while now and seem to be going strong. All sorts of topics have been covered and they feature great music from people you may have never heard of.

Congratulations guys, please pay it forward!

I had considered handing this out to some of the big guys who would be obvious like Witchvox or the Wild Hunt blog, but I’ll let someone else do that.
Also, yes I choose three nominees that are Canadian well; this is the Journal of a Canadian Hedgewitch after all!

Now I am off to send the awards off … after breakfast.

hehehe!

Oh and here is a link to a smaller image:

I have an ethical question for you all:

Is a person obligated to care for an aging parent who had been abusive and/or neglectful to them, and what if they continue to be at least verbally abusive?

At lunch with my older brother he had made a comment that he was willing to take as much care of Dad as he took care of him as a child, which is next to nothing. Late child support payments, visiting once in a blue moon, cutting him loose for 5 years when he got into trouble as a teen.

It got me thinking, my mother needs help because her hands are crippled with arthritis, the hands that used to pull my hair and hit me and throw things at me. The very woman who used to stand there and do nothing while her hubby beat me or walked about the house naked playing with his cock in a manic depressive haze…

So many in my generation have dead beat dads and mothers who allowed step fathers to abuse us etc. Are we still responsible for their care when they failed to care for us?

And what of step-parents? Many of us now have 3 or 4 parents. If you are a couple that may mean between both of you, you may have as many as 8 elderly parents to care for, to pay for. Must we care for ALL of them, while trying to put our own kids through college and pay our bills etc?

And what about financially irresponsible parents? My folks are poster children for the cause of the economic collapse, never saving up, racking up credit cards, drowning in debt, no money saved up to put us through college etc etc. Now I have to put all my hard earned money and saving into their care? Must I pay off their debts?

Where does respect for our elders and our responsibility for our parents start and end? And at what cost must we care for them?