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?