The Chaos that is Modern Paganism
Modern Paganism and Wicca, have over the last 25 years becomeunfocused in a number of directions and both lack a central theme, ifeither ever had a single focus. Lost is the electricity andexcitement that was evident as recently as the middle 1980's. This may have been a generational rebellion in the form of a renaissanceof the hippie movement 20 years early, or a reaction to thecorporate "me generation" of greed and junk bonds. Lost since that time also has been what they was of a cohesiveness of a single commonbase for all traditions.The older traditions and the more established paths; the Alexandrian, Gardnerian, Welsh and a few other groups have been overwhelmed by an explosion of special interest and special cause groups calling themselves "Wiccans" or "Witches", with their background and tenets not in the least connected with the historical mix of Masonic ritual,Egyptian High Magick, Mystic Theosophy and Kabbalism. Most, if not all traditions originally had some connection with the Order of TheGolden Dawn, if not directly at least in a similarity of practice and ritual.
The confusion in the neo-pagan movement notably the Wiccan traditions and groups of today is not a charge against these traditional groups or covens, or the questioning of their resilience. They have chosen to remain traditional and in many cases to achieve this they must withdraw from the lighter and revisionist views of Paganism and theWicca expansion. It is the explosion of information, misinformation and disinformation available in self-publications and on the Internet that are damaging traditions and weakening the resolve of many people and altering the traditional structure of the older traditions. Newer traditions are promoting and allowing an openness and acceptance of everyone wanting to appear politically correct, whereas older traditional covens,where by invitation only with a selection committee and even membership votes with "blackballing". Now most traditions and groups are so open and bending over backwards to expand membership, that community action groups cannot evenen force the rules of their own charters or ideals at the risk of offending someone. The most traditional groups are not being open,they still exist, but have distanced themselves from the greater number. This is good in the in the respect that they are remaining true and abiding by in their commitments, however the negative side to this is that, this is the time of greatest need for their stewardship. These groups be they; Pagan, Wiccan, Witch or Occult in nature, all face similar criticism if they remain exclusionary and are called aloof or elitist, yet they are the root organizations of all the newer groups. When one of these group opens itself to everyone and reveal their in mysteries and secrets, they are seen as losing both credibility and purpose, and are then criticized for being too accommodating. Some pagan information sources say that paganism and Wicca are two of the fastest growing movements. In America it is second only to Islam in growth. Yet perhaps it is not that there are more people are joining the movement than there was twenty years ago it is more thecase that the umbrella of subgroups under the general label ofpaganism is growing in number and scope. Nor are is the pagan movement of today even similar to the one of that period.
Today there are more diverse groups that are gathering and associating with some form of paganism, and proportional there is an equal number of these groups being wrongly labelled as Wiccans orWitches. With this unparalleled growth, there is a changing and misrepresentation of the ideas and fundamental beliefs of what constitutes a pagan, a wiccan" and a witch. This modification in terms rather than offer an enhancement of quality of what was, is a classic argument of quantity versus quality.The older traditional groups focused on the quality aspect both onthe individual and in a group, both for the solitary practitioners and for group work. This tradition represents a movement against the scattering of direction has allowed many standard pagan and wiccan,and even witchcraft ideas to be diluted by almost every new-age idea, passing fashionable fad or theory of subjects from pre-deluviancultures to UFOS. This dilution seems to be founded and rooted in want to be accommodating of all. Where traditional paganism, back toits Roman roots, Wicca back to Gardener and witchcraft, throughout history in all cultures was standing and representing something distinct. Today it is as if that all the individuals or group are afraid to be different in any real or substantial way. Everyone is altering their standards and opinions to be accommodating to the lowest common denomination as opposed to raising themselves to a higher standard of excellence.
There are two general weaknesses in modern trend of altering tradition Wicca and Witchcraft. The first being that as the number of groups expand and these groups expand their memberships, too many members and adherents of these groups or larger communities have become too introspective and without what could best be described as "an edge". This is common when any movement attempts or begins to move from the fringe towards the mainstream. Yet in paganism, the very essence of the pagan movement itself is to be different, to be radical and to be fringe.This is often reflected in the situation where the majority of the rank and file members feel impotent in dealing with community matters and afraid to voice an opinion that is contrary to the status quo. A great amount of the cause of this problem is that many of the newcomers to whatever group are embraced to quickly. In not wanting to appear to have a hierarchy or have elitist policies, many groups function on the premise that religious groups can function as a democracy. This is rarely a workable situation, as newcomers or recent initiates may feel intimidated by the elders, or they may be simply scared in some cases of those with the actual authority and power, although these individuals will be the first to preach the groups democratic principles.
It is never easy to question the direction of a movement or to see it happening from within. Those who do may feel that if they either offer questions of suggestions or become the voice of a minority they will find themselves at odds with what is often a self-appointed leadership or a leadership based on popularity. Secondly, the other great weakness in much of paganism is the other direction, that of outreach and an extension of being politically attached or becoming politically aligned to what would be on the political spectrum, left of centre causes and the pagan movements adopting of a radicalized politically correct stance to avoid upsetting anyone. Thus shooting themselves in the foot, by virtue of the maxim "if you try and stand for all things, you stand for nothing".
The pagan movement is adapting into a political hypocrisy. On onehand wanting to become more mainstream and hoping to exert some semblance of strength by showing themselves of having or commercial, social or political clout. While on the other hand embracing the political extremes of radical causes, lost causes and what is seen by the mainstream that they so wish to be accepted by, as fringe causes. The idea that of paganism and wicca having a harder leading edge may upset some, those who believe that the path is to be silent and gentle. Part of this silence and gentleness is actively avoiding any centralization, leadership or core that can chart, steer and control the given dynamics of the pagan movement. Unfortunately the world in large part and realistically is not silent and gentle. Those groups without direction and a clearly defined agenda are by-passed, ignored or dismissed. It is that particular mindset against unity and organization that is weakening paganism from within.
It is clear to me that a return to the Folkway is the only hope for survival of the Ancient Gods. The path lies within the Folksoul of our ancestors. We need to build from the family outward. We need to strip away the costumes of SCA and fantasy reenactment and the "Dungeons and Dragons" mentality and send the fluffy-bunnies and the teen witch crowd packing...Let them rebel against their Christian upbringing somewhere else...they are only dragging us down.
The confusion in the neo-pagan movement notably the Wiccan traditions and groups of today is not a charge against these traditional groups or covens, or the questioning of their resilience. They have chosen to remain traditional and in many cases to achieve this they must withdraw from the lighter and revisionist views of Paganism and theWicca expansion. It is the explosion of information, misinformation and disinformation available in self-publications and on the Internet that are damaging traditions and weakening the resolve of many people and altering the traditional structure of the older traditions. Newer traditions are promoting and allowing an openness and acceptance of everyone wanting to appear politically correct, whereas older traditional covens,where by invitation only with a selection committee and even membership votes with "blackballing". Now most traditions and groups are so open and bending over backwards to expand membership, that community action groups cannot evenen force the rules of their own charters or ideals at the risk of offending someone. The most traditional groups are not being open,they still exist, but have distanced themselves from the greater number. This is good in the in the respect that they are remaining true and abiding by in their commitments, however the negative side to this is that, this is the time of greatest need for their stewardship. These groups be they; Pagan, Wiccan, Witch or Occult in nature, all face similar criticism if they remain exclusionary and are called aloof or elitist, yet they are the root organizations of all the newer groups. When one of these group opens itself to everyone and reveal their in mysteries and secrets, they are seen as losing both credibility and purpose, and are then criticized for being too accommodating. Some pagan information sources say that paganism and Wicca are two of the fastest growing movements. In America it is second only to Islam in growth. Yet perhaps it is not that there are more people are joining the movement than there was twenty years ago it is more thecase that the umbrella of subgroups under the general label ofpaganism is growing in number and scope. Nor are is the pagan movement of today even similar to the one of that period.
Today there are more diverse groups that are gathering and associating with some form of paganism, and proportional there is an equal number of these groups being wrongly labelled as Wiccans orWitches. With this unparalleled growth, there is a changing and misrepresentation of the ideas and fundamental beliefs of what constitutes a pagan, a wiccan" and a witch. This modification in terms rather than offer an enhancement of quality of what was, is a classic argument of quantity versus quality.The older traditional groups focused on the quality aspect both onthe individual and in a group, both for the solitary practitioners and for group work. This tradition represents a movement against the scattering of direction has allowed many standard pagan and wiccan,and even witchcraft ideas to be diluted by almost every new-age idea, passing fashionable fad or theory of subjects from pre-deluviancultures to UFOS. This dilution seems to be founded and rooted in want to be accommodating of all. Where traditional paganism, back toits Roman roots, Wicca back to Gardener and witchcraft, throughout history in all cultures was standing and representing something distinct. Today it is as if that all the individuals or group are afraid to be different in any real or substantial way. Everyone is altering their standards and opinions to be accommodating to the lowest common denomination as opposed to raising themselves to a higher standard of excellence.
There are two general weaknesses in modern trend of altering tradition Wicca and Witchcraft. The first being that as the number of groups expand and these groups expand their memberships, too many members and adherents of these groups or larger communities have become too introspective and without what could best be described as "an edge". This is common when any movement attempts or begins to move from the fringe towards the mainstream. Yet in paganism, the very essence of the pagan movement itself is to be different, to be radical and to be fringe.This is often reflected in the situation where the majority of the rank and file members feel impotent in dealing with community matters and afraid to voice an opinion that is contrary to the status quo. A great amount of the cause of this problem is that many of the newcomers to whatever group are embraced to quickly. In not wanting to appear to have a hierarchy or have elitist policies, many groups function on the premise that religious groups can function as a democracy. This is rarely a workable situation, as newcomers or recent initiates may feel intimidated by the elders, or they may be simply scared in some cases of those with the actual authority and power, although these individuals will be the first to preach the groups democratic principles.
It is never easy to question the direction of a movement or to see it happening from within. Those who do may feel that if they either offer questions of suggestions or become the voice of a minority they will find themselves at odds with what is often a self-appointed leadership or a leadership based on popularity. Secondly, the other great weakness in much of paganism is the other direction, that of outreach and an extension of being politically attached or becoming politically aligned to what would be on the political spectrum, left of centre causes and the pagan movements adopting of a radicalized politically correct stance to avoid upsetting anyone. Thus shooting themselves in the foot, by virtue of the maxim "if you try and stand for all things, you stand for nothing".
The pagan movement is adapting into a political hypocrisy. On onehand wanting to become more mainstream and hoping to exert some semblance of strength by showing themselves of having or commercial, social or political clout. While on the other hand embracing the political extremes of radical causes, lost causes and what is seen by the mainstream that they so wish to be accepted by, as fringe causes. The idea that of paganism and wicca having a harder leading edge may upset some, those who believe that the path is to be silent and gentle. Part of this silence and gentleness is actively avoiding any centralization, leadership or core that can chart, steer and control the given dynamics of the pagan movement. Unfortunately the world in large part and realistically is not silent and gentle. Those groups without direction and a clearly defined agenda are by-passed, ignored or dismissed. It is that particular mindset against unity and organization that is weakening paganism from within.
It is clear to me that a return to the Folkway is the only hope for survival of the Ancient Gods. The path lies within the Folksoul of our ancestors. We need to build from the family outward. We need to strip away the costumes of SCA and fantasy reenactment and the "Dungeons and Dragons" mentality and send the fluffy-bunnies and the teen witch crowd packing...Let them rebel against their Christian upbringing somewhere else...they are only dragging us down.
posted by Bob Freeman at 3:37 PM
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