Tag Archive | philosophy

How to behave when you meet people from other Traditions – Part 2

Feb8

Solitaries

Do not tell a Solitary you need a group to practice.  If they have chosen to attend a public pagan function you will only be confirming their opinion that pagans are best not met in groups.  Besides, all witches, if they are practicing their Craft every day are solitary some of the time.

People of other Pagan traditions not Wicca:

Remember not every Pagan uses the Rede as its guide.  This is important to remember when hanging out with Ceremonial Magicians and their ilk. Satanists sometimes call them selves Witches but they are not Wiccan. And if people want to accuse you of worshipping Satan, remind them that Satan is a Christian deity; no one else believes or cares about him.

Be nice to practioners of Asatru they carry more pointy objects than most pagans and generally have a great liking for mead. They can have great accuracy with these weapons even when intoxicated. They like to sing loud songs and carouse. If you are setting up a Gathering put them and the Klingon Wiccans in their own special area far from those who would like to sleep.

Do not assume a Native American wants to teach you anything. Some Native Americans have very strong feelings about sharing their traditions with outsiders, and rightly so. Miss Kat thinks you are better off starting out if you can with the branch of Craft closest to your genetic heritage. She’s not saying its wrong to feel affinity with gods and goddesses that aren’t of your genetic coding; she just thinks it’s easier to make a connection with beings that might recognize who you are in this lifetime. This holds for where you are starting in the Craft. As you get farther into the Craft deities for other cultures may make themselves known to you but your own heritage gives you a framework to start your journey in.  Miss Kat thinks we may not know what the ancients did to practice their religion but she does think there is something to be said for racial memory.  She is one of those lucky people that ended up with a family that kept its traditions when they moved to America so she knows whom she bears definite affinities for or to. It also may be why being raised to worship a Middle Eastern refugee war deity did not take.

Celtic Pagans can be of several sorts. Some are Wiccan, some are Druids and some are folk practitioners of various kinds and combinations. There are men here who wear skirts. Never tease a man wearing a kilt! The majority of men who wear kilts can pound people into the ground. You don’t want to mess with people who dance with swords and throw telephone poles for fun. And, yes Miss Kat knows it’s called a caber. She went to the Highland Games in the womb.  The women are just as armed and dangerous so you’ve been warned! Never mess with a red-haired woman. These traditions can call different directions and may have a different number of directions than 4. They also may make their Circle in a counter clockwise direction. Be Prepared! They may use various forms of Gaelic. Some of it very badly pronounced.  Be wary of the Cakes and Ale portion of ritual you could get introduced to a delicacy called haggis. Stick to the uisge beatha and don’t drive home if you do.

Any Reconstructionist: Leave them alone too! They are usually better educated than any Wiccan and more boring too.

Church of All Squirrels oops err… Church of All Worlds. Founded on Heinlein’s book Stranger in a Strange Land.  Do I really have to say anything more? They’re strange.

From: http://www.amazon.com/Miss-School-Genteel-Witchcraft-ebook/dp/B0049P22TY/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1328733799&sr=8-5

Not exactly the Friday Philosopher of the Week

Oct20

May I present: Albert Hofmann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Hofmann

quotes:After some time, with my eyes closed, I began to enjoy this wonderful play of colors and forms, which it really was a pleasure to observe. Then I went to sleep and the next day I was fine. I felt quite fresh, like a newborn.

They do not know very good Latin, these botanists.

Through my LSD experience and my new picture of reality, I became aware of the wonder of creation, the magnificence of nature and of the animal and plant kingdom. I became very sensitive to what will happen to all this and all of us.

And you will just have to figure out how this relates to LOST.