Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Bad Juju vs. Good Vibrations = A Fractured Pagan Fairytale

The controversy surrounding what can be done by the pagan community about the DC 40, spearheaded by John Benefiel of the Heartland Apostolic Prayer Network (HAPN)  has taken some interesting, but not surprising, twists and turns.

Hecate Demeter shares a lot of good (and well worth reading) information on what HAPN is planning, along with End-Time Handmaidens (a name I find curious as it suggests that they see women in a subservient role... but I digress) and gives a peek into this group of conservative christian extremists view of the "District of Columbia".  

Distressing to just about every pagan out there?  Absolutely.  And yet - as is typical of pagan nature - so difficult to get a group of free thinkers to agree on what - if anything - should be done.

I watched a highly respected blogger Kallan Kennedy be admonished by a self professed "new-agey practitioner" on her Facebook page when she explained her views on using magick to defend herself against negative attacks.  Her philosophy (one that we share) is that "a witch who cannot hex cannot heal"  His response to her was "your karma, not mine".  Really?? 

On Alison Leigh Lilly's blog she admonishes pagans who are basically using a "fight fire with fire" means of fending off the negative impact something like this DC 40 imposes on us all.  A clear voice that rings out the "let's all just play nice and they will like us!" mentality.  Again.. REALLY??

Apathy, disconnect from each other as a pagan whole, and the lack of being able to put certain views aside to collectively come together for a very important cause is exactly why the extreme conservative christian right is gaining power POLITICALLY on us by leaps and bounds.  And gaining POLITICAL power means they have the gold and are getting to make the rules.  Is this what we really want??

Yeah... I said the "P" word.  Too many pagans shudder at the thought of it and run down their pagan rabbit holes, refusing to deal with it.  If pagans would start working towards more involvement - even at a local level - in the politics of this nation, then we might gain more ground and effect more change.  Don't want the government to allow the extreme christian belief system to color your rights?  GET INVOLVED!  That means, go vote, get elected, write to your Congressmen/woman and Representatives.  Make calls, contact the folks at Covenant of the Goddess and just make noise in general.


Pagans want either religious equality, or the complete separation of church and state (both noble thought processes) - but WAY too many are afeared of POLITICS.  Brother and Sister John and Jane Pagan COME OUT OF THAT RABBIT HOLE!!

 So - back to the Bad Juju/Good Vibrations concept.  Does it really have to be only one or the other?  Why can't the "love and light" side accept that there are others who will willingly pick up the magickal sword and do battle against the oppression?  For as we all know - energy is just that:  ENERGY.  It is neither good nor evil.  It's the INTENT that counts.  And if putting a stop to the negative energies of the christian extremists to protect the INTENT of our Founding Fathers means using every ounce of energy I have to deflect and PROTECT then I will.  

Good Goddess, people - didn't approximately 3,000 soldiers die on the battle field in Gettysburg alone just trying to (and SUCCEEDING) protect those freedoms?  They gave their lives - are some of you so narcissistic that you won't risk your "karma" to at least support those who are willing to do battle?  

I personally invite the "love and light" pagans to send their own INTENT along with ours, so that it melds together into one big ball of  WE DID IT!  What deflates the overall intent is the strong argument that these same pagans use to try and shame us into thinking WE are evil.   Your negativity has the potential of deflating the overall balloon of success!

 We can't overcome the "Us vs. Them" until we overcome the "My Juju is Better Than Yours" attitude.

 That's my Fractured Pagan Fairytale.  What's yours?

6 comments:

  1. I say, short out their magic. They can pray all they want to, they can gather and protest all they want, but they're not allowed to use their God like a mystical cannon to dominate and control the thoughts of politicians in Washington DC.

    Goddess knows *I* don't want to control the politicians either, I want them free of magical influence - period.

    For the folks who aren't comfortable taking what they view as an "aggressive" action, I fully support them in their prayers of peace and healing for all. That's a good thing, and much needed in this world. My way is needed too, though.

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  2. Awomen, and praise Goddess! Peace, love, and rock & roll is a sweet way of thinking and living as is all "light and love"...beautiful inner spirits. But how long will that sort of spirit be allowed to live as they please if they never defend, protect, or stand-up for their right to be who they are? Hex to heal?....how else does one get rid of a dis-ease? A cancer is motivated to leave with powerful toxic medicine. When one faith imposes its will on others it is like a cancer that eats away at not only the freedom and rights of the attacked faith, but all religions that oppose the arrogant attacker. As i follow the blogs and stories about what the DC40 has planned, I began to wonder how people would respond were the intended victims (and they are intended VICTIMS) Muslims or Jews or a single race. Would law enforcement step in immediately? Probably! Why? Those groups stick together whether all members agree one a single ideology or not...they are one against enemies. There is a big difference between pagan and pacifist, there is some variations between pacifist and indifference, but there is very little distance between indifference and being enslaved by those who wish to build up their organization or religion by belittling and condemning all others. Kudos to you for this blog...the fight need not be marching and taking up arms. But for anyone who wants to continue to practice their version of paganism freely without fear of pursecution the least one can do is cast out protection and yes, (mentally, visualized, in ritual, however one does personal magic)cast out a fisherman's magical net over the DC40: "Cast this net, over the DC40; they play hard, and they play dirty. No one is right, no one is wrong. All we wanted was to get along. But DC40 has other evils in mind. May all their plans turn on them in kind." Something to this effect simply sends their plans back and shields intended victims. Every now and then we gotta be the medicine. Blessed Be....

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  3. Wow you really stirred some stuff up with this one, didn't you, Pookie? lol
    I'd really like to see us all work together and stop the arguing and in-fighting- that's what the Christians do.. we are supposed to be the non-judgmental types.. if you're a pacifist, I'm cool with that. Don't do anything unless you feel led to do it.. for those who are more aggressive.. have at it.. each of us can play our own part according to our own moral codes without having to moralize onto someone else. Not everyone in an army wields a weapon- there are cooks, yeoman, mechanics, etc... they don't kill, but they sure are necessary. My two cents.

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  4. Thanks you guys! I don't say it as eloquently as Kallan, or inject the same wisdom as she and Leayn do, and that gets me into trouble sometimes. ;-)

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  5. Preach it, girl! :)

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