The Ramblings and Wanderings

Posts Tagged ‘Rants’

How can finding the right thing to say

Be so simple?

Words drip from their lips

Like flawless pearls

My mouth is full of marbles

The right thing to do

Seems as bright and clear as day

As they move gracefully

And with an inborn ease

While I stammer and stumble with each step

The right thing to wear and the perfect hair

Adorn their elegant bodies

Complimenting style and finesse

Eyebrows delicately raised in response

To my failed attempts at dignity

Did they have mothers

Who were just as refined?

Who taught them manners and propriety

Until it became as natural as breathing?

I cannot help but wonder

If only I had a mother capable of tact

Would I socialize with such

Utter nimbleness?

Intelligent conversation

Sails past my ears

Their words never take a wrong turn

As I struggle not to misspeak

To not interrupt or repeat

Mindless pleasantries surround me

I struggle to maintain a smile

Grateful that they deign

To tolerate my ineptness

At least for a little while

Then I take that inevitable misstep

Exposing my clumsiness

I cringe and shudder

As they cluck their tongues

Gossip behind my broken back

Speak over my bowed head

And assume only the worst intent

Silent tears slip unempathized

Down my burning cheeks

As I silently wish I had just half

Of their shine and polish

Excuse me please

Which way to the can?

I think I am about to have an anxiety attack

Last night I dreamed that I was on a long, multi-day, chartered bus trip with many of my co-religionists. The hired bus driver was a quiet and professional Muslim.

My fellow bus mates became very upset that the bus driver did not want to make friends and socialize with them. They were angry that he refused to listen to the usual “Pagans are not Satan worshippers, we are good people” spiel.

It go the point that most of them had all piled up at the front of the bus demanding to know why the bus driver wouldn’t accept the fact that Wiccans and Pagans are good people too! “Why didn’t he join us for meals and talk to us?”

The driver kept repeating that he was just a bus driver and it wasn’t his job.

The Pagans grew more and more insistent and upset. Sad and angry the bus driver did not want to be friends or hear about how they are good people. “Why won’t you validate us?’ they cried. “You monotheists are all the same! Judgmental!”

The driver was getting so distracted that the bus began to swerve on the hiway. I climbed my way into the aisle of the bus and hollered at everyone for their attention.

I said:

“Guys, he is just the bus driver. He is a professional. It’s his job to get us home not make friends or learn about the Lord and Lady. He doesn’t give a shit what you believe.”

They all turned and looked at me, pouting. I waved my fist in the air and shouted; “Everyone doesn’t need to accept you! Now quit distracting the driver before you get us all killed! Stupid assholes! Sit down and shut up!”

I owe you guys a post! Its been a while since I wrote some long, rambling, scattered rant so here ya go:

In my opinion the universe (or should I say multiverse) is just to dammed big and complicated for statements like “there is no such thing as luck”

It’s a great big multiverse and we’re all really puny, we’re just tiny little specks … its big and black and inky and we’re all really dinky. It’s a BIG multiverse and we’re not.

Perhaps it’s the pluralists or shamanic practitioner in me, but I cannot conceive of a multiverse where luck, coincidence, fate, destiny, force of will, personal responsibility, social responsibility, divine presence, divine will and a million other factors do not exist all at once. The black and white thinking where we see all or nothing, or one or the other just doesn’t make sense to my mind. I believe in fate and luck, I believe in personal power and responsibility and all the other things all together. I believe there are factors involved in the operation of the worlds (deliberate plural worlds there) and more forces at work than we could ever be fully aware of at any given moment or even over the course of one single century long lifetime.

I am uncomfortable with blanket statements such as “there is no fate” or “there is no luck” the human mortal mind is just too simple and too small to fully comprehend the wizard behind the curtain. We can barely perceive that there is a curtain.

I do believe that we create our own reality, not in the sense of the Secret, but in the sense that we are responsible for how we choose to perceive things and deal with them.

I agree that we are often more responsible for the things that happen to us than we often think we are, or can see as it is happen to us.

However I refuse to believe that only we are responsible for the goings on in our lives. That we cause these things by being “closed or “open” or through thought or visualization… or even through our actions and words. I will agree that often these things are a factor, even a major factor. But I cannot accept that they are the only cause.

I refuse to accept any claim that we cause everything that happens in our lives to happen.

I will not believe that any child being raped has brought about her abuse upon herself in any way shape or form. No child is personally responsible for being raped. As an adult that child will be responsible for her own healing, yes, but never should that child ever be considered responsible for what was done to her.

When people claim that it’s all a matter of personal responsibility they do so without thought for the child being molested. They do so without thought for the woman helplessly watching her son be executed by a guerrilla militia, they do so without thought for the people swept away in a tsunami.

To make such a blanket, black and white statement as everything is a matter of choice and personal responsibility makes as much sense in my mind as to say that the people in Haiti really DID cause the earthquake to happen to them by practicing Voodoo. It relies on a similar kind of logic.

The multiverse does not fit into boxes. It cares nothing for our definitions or attempts at explaining its myriad of processes. The forces of the worlds, both seen and unseen cannot be understood, let alone articulated by your or I. We cannot even begin to comprehend them.

Therefore I wholeheartedly reject all blanket statements such as “there is no such thing as luck”

It’s easy to say things like “everything is a matter of personal responsibility” and “there’s no such thing as luck” when sitting in an air conditioned home in one of the safest neighbourhoods in North America. Try farming…try simple living, try living in such a way that something as fickle and unpredictable as a hail storm can mean the difference of having enough food to eat and enough money to support you through winter.

Physical magazines are dying out for four main reasons:

1) Most people in Western Society under the age of 30 learned to type on a keyboard right along with learning how to write on paper. Folks are just as comfortable reading on a Kindle or PC as reading a book or magazine. Also digital information can be stored on a single, small external hard-drive whereas magazines fill boxes that take up much more space and can become fire hazards. The days of keeping old magazines in boxes for decades are coming to a close.

2) Magazines are made of paper. Paper is made of trees and deforestation is bad. Also most magazines are made of that glossy stuff you can’t even recycle, compost properly, build a decent fire with, or lay down to paper train your puppy.

3) There’s a recession going on. Rather a lot of us are trapped in dead end entry level position jobs because a certain generation didn’t save up and thus retire when they were supposed to. Now that they are retiring, they are expecting us to help take care of them, and our own families, while stuck in dead end entry level positions. Also most of them have remarried so most of us don’t have two parents, we have two sets of ageing parents. That’s if you have a job at all right now. My point? Magazines take up disposable income people just don’t have.

4) Most stuff found in Pagan periodicals are opinion pieces, 101 re-hash, “what I did for Beltaine” articles, advertising and bad poetry. In short, it’s all crap I can get for free reading people’s blogs.

No, I don’t consider myself to be leader (see my about blurb to the right) this was written for friends and loved ones.

*

Build you up to tear you down

Spitting on their heroes

Tearing you part

Then holding their hands out

What the hell do they

Think that they doing anyway?

*

They say toughen up and deal

If you want to be a leader

Then harden up your heart

And don’t take it oh so hard

Do they not understand?

Can they not comprehend?

It is that very soft spot

That giant loving heart

That makes you willing and able

To be a Pagan leader

*

They say it’s all trade off

Part and parcel for the fame

As if you were Madonna

Riding around in a private plane

*

Why do they do it?

What could be their reasons?

Do they think that they are

Doing the community a service?

Are they stroking their own egos?

Riding on your coat tails?

Or do they just want to see you suffer?

*

Making two whole dollars

For each and every book sale

Speaking at the festival

And getting paid with peanuts

Isn’t all that easy

When you have mouths to feed

*

Buying up a property

Organizing a gathering

Taking out a second mortgage

Promoting and volunteering

Working when you could be

Spending time with the kids

*

And then the people show up

And they have so much fun

Then toss a bag of chips

Out the window on their way out

Leaving you to clean the litter

*

They say you can take it

Even if you hate it

Take the heat and love it

Or get your Pagan ass

Out of the kitchen

*

I can’t help but wonder

How long they could do it?

Would they last a week running fest?

Or teaching a class?

Could they handle all the slander?

From those they are serving?

I know that I am dying

To see them dying inside

And know how it feels

To be hand that’s feeding

Only to be bitten

*

They pick and they snipe

Argue and criticize

Gossip and spread rumours

Then expect you to give them

Everything for nothing

*

They only want what they want

Never mind what they need

Tow the party line

And you must tell them only

What they want to hear

Remember to always cater

To the lowest common denominator

*

Don’t expect them to think

Don’t ask them to examine

Their very own beliefs

Just spout New Age bullshit

That’s all they want anyways

*

And then some day they wonder

Where did all our leaders

Disappear to?

Where have they gone?

What caused the burnout?

Why did they leave us

Hanging in the wind?

*

So why even bother?

What’s the point of doing it?

Why spend back breaking hours?

And waste hard earned money?

And take time off from work?

*

They obviously

Do not deserve it

Respect it or want it

Anyways!

*

Do it for the father

Who hands his teenager

A book on Pagan ethics

*

Do it for the girl who

Is learning about the Goddess

And how to love the body in the mirror

*

Do it for the baby

Sitting in the Circle

Nawing on an acorn

*

Do it for the gods

Who want only to be

A part of our lives

*

Do it for a culture

Steeped in hate and ignorance

Arrogant and proud

Do it

To turn it into something

Worth living in

*

Do it for the planet

Our most sacred Mother

The rocks and the trees

The animals and bees

*

Do it to spite

Those narrow-minded idiots

Who never think to say

Thank you

Or please

*

So be a Pagan leader

Work your fingers to the bone

Expose your bleeding heart

Protect and serve

Give everything you’ve got

Give them all that you are

*

And when they bitch and moan

Just smile and tell them

Congratulations!

You just volunteered!

Links:

Wild Hunt Blog

Dr. Brendan Myer’s website

The statement thus far:

Part 1

(Short version for print distribution.)

We are here –

– A circle of spiritual people from many traditions, groves, hearths, and circles. We are young and old, from many walks of life, and many parts of the world. We are Pagans of the modern era, Druids, Heathens, Wiccans, Witches, Shamans, practitioners of magical lore, and many more paths besides these. We walk the paths of the sacred Earth, in the footsteps of the Goddesses and Gods of the Land, the Sea, the Sky, and the Tribe.

2. We have learned of recent incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by individuals claiming to be religious teachers, some of whom claimed to be members of our community. In response to these incidents, we have crafted this statement.

3. We hereby categorically reject, disavow, oppose, and repudiate any and all coerced, nonconsensual, harmful or exploitative sexual acts, especially when claimed to be part of our ways and traditions. We identify all such acts as sexual abuse, and we refuse to tolerate them in our community.

4. Many of us believe the human body is profoundly sacred. Many of us believe that the presence of the Divine dwells within in the body. We therefore find that human sexuality, and acts of love and pleasure between consenting, informed, and mature people, have great religious significance. We affirm the goodness of human sexuality, and the goodness of celebrating sexual identity.

5. Because of these beliefs, we also find that coerced, nonconsensual, harmful or exploitative sexual acts are extraordinary affronts to the Divine presence which dwells within every human body. These acts grievously harm the victim, and inflict deep wounds upon the sense of bodily identity which all of us hold so dear.

6. A sexual predator who exploits the relationship of trust that exists between teacher and seeker harms the whole religious community, and undermines the good work of the honourable teachers in our midst. Similarly, acts of sexual abuse between seekers in the same circle, whether one party is a teacher or not, also harm the whole community.

7. An accusation of sexual exploitation is a very serious matter. The accusation alone, even in the absence of evidence, can damage the reputation and the self esteem of good people. We therefore find that a false or vindictive accusation of sexual misconduct is but another form of sexual abuse.

8. Yet we also recognize that real sexual abuse victims experience deep feelings of guilt and shame, and that they often struggle to admit that they have been abused. Their condition should not be made worse by a predisposition to doubt the validity of their claims. Nor should they be automatically counter-accused of having a vindictive intention, or of lying. We hold that anyone alleging sexual abuse should always be treated with compassion as a primary response, and that claims of sexual abuse should be handled with intelligence and concern for all.

9. We voluntarily commit ourselves to this declaration, and we encourage others to commit themselves to it, whatever their path.

Part 2

(for internet distribution, which includes part 1 as well as the following discussion.)

1. Our movement has many principles of moral thought, not just one singular monolithic principle. As there are many gods in the world, so there are many models of the good and worthwhile life for humankind. Some of us practice Heroic Virtue, others Classical virtue, others a Utilitarian principle such as the Wiccan Rede. There are also many among us who find that ethical principles are revealed through the intuition of a Divine presence that dwells within the human heart and mind. This presence unites us with the Earth, with each other, and with the cosmos.

2. Among our many traditions, groves, hearths, circles, and communities, there are broad areas of moral agreement. For the purpose of this statement, we (the authors and the undersigned) wish to emphasize the matter of sexual abuse. We agree to the broad and general principle that the human body is a sacred temple, a work of art, and a good home for the self and the soul. Many of us believe that the body is the dwelling-place of the Divine, and the seat of a deeply integrated web of relations which ultimately includes the whole of life on Earth. The human body is thus among the first of all things that deserve our care and respect. On this principle, the differences between our various circles tend to be only a matter of emphasis. Indeed, on this principle, we may share some moral agreement with the dominant religious traditions of our dominant culture: the view that the body is made in the image of the Divine.

3. In our circles, the sacredness of the body, as a religious truth, leads to positive conclusions about human sexuality. Our view is that sexuality, sexual identity, sexual expression, and acts of love and pleasure, between consenting, informed, and mature people, have great religious significance. Indeed such acts can take on the significance of ritual. We hold that our sexual identities are worthy of celebration. And for many of us, an occasion of shared sexual pleasure and lovemaking is a most spiritually meaningful event: a communion with the Divine which dwells within ourselves and within each other.

4. Indeed, there are some traditions in which a sexual act is performed as part of some rituals, such as higher-level initiations. Various names designate these rituals: Heiros Gamos, the Great Marriage, or the Great Rite, to name a few. In most cases, the Great Marriage is performed “in token”: for instance, a priest touches the tip of a wand or a blade to the bottom of a chalice held by a priestess. This is an ancient gesture, with precedents in the ancient cultures of the Greeks, the Romans, the Hindus, and other great civilizations of the distant past.

5. Naturally, given our perspective on the sacredness of the body, our view is that all coerced, nonconsensual, harmful or exploitative sexual acts, are seriously morally wrong. We find that sexual exploitation and violence are particularly worse than other forms of criminality, such as property offences, because sexual offences invade the body. Sexual abuse ignores the sacredness of the body, and ignores the privacy, the dignity, and the freedom of the victim to use and delight in his or her own body. It is an extraordinary affront to the Divine presence which dwells within every human body and which animates the body with goodness. It severely harms the victim, and degrades the dignity of both victim and offender. Sexual abuse also inflicts deep wounds upon the precious sense of bodily identity which all of us hold so dear. No exceptions or relativist interpretations can alter the basic moral wrongness of sexual exploitation and violence. We identify all such acts as sexual abuse, and we refuse to tolerate them in our community.

6. Thus in our contemporary circles, the rite of the Great Marriage, if it is not performed in token,  is held privately and by invitation only. The participants come in full knowledge of what they have been invited to. If there are any initiatory “surprises”, they are never intended to violate the sacredness of the seeker’s body. Ideally, the invitees already know, love, and trust one another. They have already given their informed consent, and retain the right to withdraw from the event without prejudice at any time. When we mix sexuality with religion, there is no space for deception or coercion. Religious sexuality is always consensual and never obligatory. No one should enter a circle with eyes covered when sexuality, sexual identity, and the sanctity of his or her own body is put to a test. This remains true even when the ritual participants are not strangers to each other. Initiatory surprises, tests, and ordeals are intended to help a seeker find the sacred within him or her self. If they threaten or invade that self, then the initiators are harming, and not helping, the seeker.

7. If someone finds a private group’s practices uncomfortable, he or she is always free to find another group to join. It is wrong to hold someone back from spiritual progress or knowledge for refusing to participate in a sexual act. We are always right to doubt the sincerity, honour, and spirituality of someone who claims that a sexual act is a mandatory requirement for initiation, or for any kind of relationship with the gods, goddesses, or deities.

8. An accusation of sexual exploitation is a very serious matter. The accusation alone, even in the absence of evidence, can damage the reputation and the self esteem of good people. We therefore find that a false or vindictive accusation of sexual misconduct is another form of sexual abuse.

9. Yet we also recognize that real sexual abuse victims experience deep feelings of guilt and shame, and that they often struggle to admit that they have been abused. Their condition should not be made worse by a predisposition doubt the validity of their claims. Nor should they be automatically counter-accused of having a vindictive intention, or of lying. We hold that anyone alleging sexual abuse should always be treated with compassion as a primary response, and that claims of sexual abuse should be handled with intelligence and concern for all.

10. It is clear that one need not be a spiritual person to recognize the wrongness of sexual abuse. Yet we are especially outraged when the perpetrator is a leader or a teacher in a religious community. In our circles, religious teachers are held in high esteem. A seeker who approaches a teacher in search of spiritual guidance and comfort offers a special kind of trust to the teacher. Teachers and seekers often open their hearts and minds to each other, and thus they becomes very vulnerable. It is for this reason many of our traditions require teachers to possess not only great knowledge, but also great integrity and honour. It is also for this reason that sexual predators will pose as religious teacher: in that way, they may find more victims for their gratification. There are also some teachers who, exploiting the trust given them, become sexual predators as well.

11. Furthermore, a person who uses this relationship of trust to exploit people thus harms the whole social environment in which teaching and seeking take place. For the sexual predator’s harm touches more than just the victim. It affects all the victim’s friends, family members, fellow seekers in the same circle, colleagues at work, and anyone to whom the victim may turn for help. The harm of sexual abuse thus affects numerous other people who the predator may not know, nor ever meet. Moreover, sexual abuse also casts suspicion and doubt on the intentions of the honourable teachers in our midst, undermining the good work that they do.

12. Finally a sexual predator can sometimes exploit the relations of trust that grow between fellow seekers in the same tradition, hearth, or circle, even when he or she does not pose as a teacher. This kind of exploitation also harms the whole community. In all cases, we maintain our condemnation of unwanted sexual acts.

Therefore –

We, the authors and signatories of this statement, commit ourselves to:

• Demonstrate by example a fully moral sexual spirituality;

• Vigorously entreat others to agree to the principles of this statement;

• Handle all accusations of sexual exploitation and misconduct with intelligence and compassion, for victims of real sexual harm, and for victims of false or vindictive accusations;

• Cooperate with the police when an incident of sexual abuse in our circles is under investigation;

• Help bring comfort, medical assistance, legal aid, and spiritual healing, to victims, as far as ability and opportunity may allow; and

• Help seekers find groups, circles, traditions, or individual teachers, whose practice involves as much or as little sexuality as the seeker feels comfortable exploring.

We voluntarily commit ourselves to this declaration, and we encourage others to commit themselves to it, whatever their path.

We remain, respectfully,

A community of Pagans.