Dropping Off The Radar
Amid all the revision I have to do before Monday, the manic preparation of 'extra' slides and handouts to ensure that the course I'm teaching goes well, I have been trying to keep pace with the blogs of a number of people from whom I take an RSS feed. It has been an interesting fortnight and particularly, the tone and intensity of these blogs has intensified over the last week.
Now, I shall probably be about as welcome as a fart in a space-suit for saying this, but (diplomacy not being my middle name) I do wonder at how people are carrying on. The majority of blogs that I watch purport to be Craft or Wiccan in nature and yet, they really don't sound as if they are; mostly, they sound like devout Christians with a different label stuck on the tins. How can I explain what I mean clearly? First, let me qualify what I am about to say with a statement that I'm not a hugely sophisticated creature, that I don't have qualifications oozing from every pore and that I am, quite simply, as Pagan in the true sense of the word. I am a country dweller, I live a pretty simple life and high theology is rather wasted on me.
What do I believe? That I have a deity, who is female and male, one yet separate, and that they are omnipresent and pervade everything I do and everything that I am. I haven't read lengthy tomes to get to this belief and although I have a few books on my shelves, I have read little compared to some of the Uber-Wiccans and 'turbo-Witches' that seem to be on my horizon increasingly of late. It's not that I revel in being a simpleton, but sometimes I do wonder at the convoluted meanderings of people I read, of the angst-ridden self doubt and fraught questioning of everything, however simple and obvious.
Most of the histrionics seem to smack of Christianity with a fresh label. Call me cynical and stupid, but surely ours is a nature based religion that has living in harmony with nature at it's core? So, just where does the self-flagellation the constant introversion and questioning fit?
- Should I worship male as well as female?
- Should I eat animals?
- Should I feel bad about carnal inclinations?
- Are we indulging in a cult of personality?
- Am I truly connected to my Gods?
- What is the nature of God?
- How can I, a mere speck, understand God?
And on and on. You know, It's enough to send me running to the hills of atheism for a bit of peace an quiet! Please understand, this is no attack on one person, it is merely the observation of a trend that has been prevalent of late; it is a trend that I am finding deeply uncomfortable and terribly familiar.
Perhaps I'm not the right person to run a site like Whitewicca - I just can't be doing with all this navel-contemplation and being entranced by the bright lights shining from the bottoms of the Witchy glitterati, it's all so... boring. Perhaps I'm having a crisis of faith (that would be ironic in the circumstances!) but I just don't get it - the Buddhists and the Hindus don't seem to go in for all this self-doubt and introversion - actually few other faith systems do. The most refreshing things I have read of late have been written by a Muslim and given the choice, I find it more cheering to read the doleful financial pages!
In light of this, I'm seriously thinking of giving my blog and all my RSS feeds a very wide berth for a while. I think it might be good for me to step away from the intellectual debate and just BE. It's what I've always been good at and I'm rather missing it.
posted by The Shepton Witch @ 01:09
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9 Comments:
This post resonated with me so much! I often find myself in much the same place you are now, just wanting to BE what I need to be at that particular moment with no deep seated underlying meaning to it all. I just want to sit back and appreciate the beauty and wonder of a sunset for just that. The beauty and wonder of a sunset.
Spiritual hiatus or no, I support your need to find that place to be. {{hugs!}}
Yup. I'm finding myself becoming rather humourless of late, and getting too close to the theory when perhaps the practise might be more useful!
The problem with blogging is the temptation to use it as a means by which to sort out the problems and inconsistencies in the theory. It turns into a sort of stream-of-consciousness. Perhaps the abstraction is helpful, perhaps unneccessary!
I think we all need some more sunsets - good one, Fox!
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I think to 'Be' is a crucial key and 'being' is the wonder of our Pagan path, because by 'being' we celebrate our connection to the One Divine Life.
If I've contributed to this in any way, I'm sorry, but I do use my blog as my own spiritual journal, a place where I work things out, record my journeys and spiritual progress and thus my journal, my blog, acts like a series of markers for me.
I hope I've not contributed too much to your present situation!
There's no need for anyone to be concerned about contributing to how I feel, that's purely what's happening in my head. Each of us uses our blogs to express our thoughts, feelings and attitudes and that is our right. All I have to do is stop reading other people's blogs so much and get out and just do my own thing.
How each of us travels our own path is entirely a matter for themselves, there is no proscribed way, thank goodness! It concerns me that as a brand new religion we're desperately trying to clothe ourselves in some quarters with an invented tradition and in others with the desperate desire for a western mysticism bordering on the Jesuit-like.
I haven't often stepped outside the boundaries of the small group I interact with on Whitewicca and in person; each time I do, I find it troublesome and the view unappealing. I have the luxury of being able to set the tone on Whitewicca and I just love that people come out of themselves and reach out to others who need help and support. In helping others to learn or deal with experiences and by reaching out to others, those people grow and learn about themselves.
I have seen barely literate drug users learn self-respect and walk away from their habits and even offer to help others, I have seen people with some pretty deep-rooted problems stepping outside of their troubles and remembering how to smile, never mind the shy and nervous who learn to trust themselves and what they have to say - in seeing another person who is worse off than them, or who they can help, they rise above their own limitations and problems and blossom.
There was a recent report that perhaps keeping a 'stiff uppper lip' and not splurging out one's troubles is a much better way of coping with troubles - a bit of a radical change from the accepted norm, and it followed hot on the heels of a report that ssri drugs might not work at all for depression. One thing I do know is that getting out, being with people, setting one's own cares, troubles and mental babble aside is just about the best was of growing that I can think of.
All the people I hold in high regard have done this: Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Dalai Lama, my late father... and I struggle to think of any others at the moment, but these people got on, did what they had to do and channelled their energy and love outwards. If we are the intelligentsia of this new movement (and I'm not so conceited to think I am one), then let us lead by example in this world!
Sheshat had some very worthwhile and interesting points to make about the cult of personality in The Craft and I have to agree with her entirely. So, why don't we leave the impoverished egos to their own little worlds, the western mysticism to the Jesuits and go out and reclaim life, love and laughter as our own?
Go on, I dare you.
Eat animals (respectfully) and acknowledge that you are an animal and at the top of the food chain.
Dance - celebrate the fact that you can do something so bloody wonderful that you should have your legs cut off if you don't make the most of it.
Have sex - it's ok. We are carnal animals and it's bloody good fun. It is part of our lives and natural and healthy. To not enjoy such pleasures is a sin, if such a thing as sin exists (and no, don't even think about starting a debate on that topic!)
Accept that you have a dark side and embrace it - we are not candy-coated bars of sweet yukkiness, we are complex creatures and are driven so strongly by the 'darkness' in our souls that it's a darn sight easier to just grasp the concept and learn to live with it, love it and integrate it. Denying it or trying to suppress it will only make you sad and sick.
Trust you are divine. That's how it is, just accept and get on with life.
It's really that simple. On my planet.
Very interesting points, SW, and I agree with you in part.
However, I think it's very easy to read someone's blog and to see that as the whole of the person, when, in reality, especially in my case, it's the person working through a particular part of their life or spiritual journey, and therefore the blog only represents aspect of me and any given time. There's much more to me than that which appears on the blog, so please don't judge me on that alone!
I have been reading Dion Fortune recently, but that does not mean that I am about to embrace the Western Mystery Tradition - not at all. Neither does it mean that I consider the carnal desires of the flesh to be wrong. I am simply reading something by a respected leading Occultist of her day, and to understand how this may inform something of my path. I don't want a limited view of my spiritual world, just as I don't want to be blinkered here in this world, I have a curious mind and a curious spirit and therefore this curiosity needs to be satisfied! Without this sense of curiosity and spiritual longing I would not know the personal freedoms that I know today.
You put yourself down too much. You have always struck me as an intelligent woman and the points you have made on your blog, and the comments you have made on mine in the past, have helped me greatly on my path. You've often brought illumination to my eyes, and for that, I thank you.
I do enjoy most of the things you suggest! There is no need to dare me, as I am already happily doing most of the things you suggest.
Sex is great, thanks. As a gay man I have sex with men, so that would be even more difficult for dear old Dion to cope with! It's also difficult for a number of wiccans to cope with, also.
I won't eat animals as I am vegetarian and although I know I am on top of the food chain I also reserve the right not to eat other sentient beings, and neither can I condone our modern farming methods. Go and meet a lion face to face and tell her/him that you're on top of the food chain - the lion may not agree!
Yes, it's important to dance, to celebrate life, to love, to live, to fully experience this life, this gift we have been given, and to enjoy this body whilst we incarnate within it - but I also know there is more, much more. We cannot limit ourselves.
I am not dull, I'm not pious and neither am I a leader of any kind - in no way, shape or form. I'm just me, trundling along, trying to make sense of everything, just like everyone else.
I genuinely wish you well with whatever you decide to do.
Bright Blessings, Andy
All great points Andy, only my original post, and follow up comments, weren't directed at you. They were very general comments, and indicative of a trend that I see emerging.
I haven't set out to criticise or question how anyone lives or conducts themselves in the blogsphere, but to express my view and perception as well as my resolve not to be drawn into the way things are going. Please try not to take it personally, it's not a pop at you.
I am minded of the wonderful comment I saw on Guru Kripa's blog when talking about enlightenment:
From somebody to be nobody and then from nobody to be everybody.
I mention this as I am no authority; I'm not stupid, but I'm certainly no mental giant and I have absolutely no illusions about my ability, intelligence or anything else. I wasn't fishing for compliments - the only ones worth having are unsolicited anyway! I'm just hoping that I'm progressing towards the 'nothing' part of the Guru's description as being a 'somebody' is an onerous responsibility.
I know what you mean, but consider these people are using the internet as a resource and given your post (I'll Pass on the Saccharine) about the way people avoid challenges on the internet, is it any surprise that many have questions that smack of the religion they just left?
Its frustrating, I know.
I was frustrated when I first used the internet to find people of similar spiritual bent to myself. It took several years and several re-organizations of various websites before I found those with whom I could relate; people who challenged my assumptions and beliefs and helped me grow.
If you are the owner and/or moderator of a website, it can become tiresome listening to the newcomers repeat themselves over and over with the same inane questions, but isn't it worth it to see them grow?
I understand, too, your point about following your own path at your own pace. However, there are times when you need someone to "turbo charge" you, and if the gods aren't offering anything (i.e. they are sleeping on the job), then fellow pagans may be able to help with a quick shove. After all, we all reach plateaus at times. The trick is not to become complacent I think.
I also think its important to shut off from the chattering of others, too and take time out to reflect on your own path.
I must say I am enjoying your posts. Thanks for taking the time to write them.
Welcome Ancestral Celt, it's really nice to 'meet' you. Yup, I needed a time-out and having taken one, feel refreshed.
I have been running whitewicca.com for six years now and there is a bit of a tendency to see the same things coming around regularly, but on the whole, it's incredibly gratifying. We get our fair share of Charmed-wannabes and I'm-a-vampire-so-I-have-to be-on-a Witchy-site (never did figure the logic of that one), but mostly it's a place where I can see people growing and blossoming and that's special.
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