Sky's Intervention, UU's Response, and Banning

I may have to hang this picture up on all the UU buildings...

I'm Really Getting Irritated

...but I guess I shouldn't try to post information about cultural appropriation, eh?

Under the cut: Facebook "conversation" about Cultural Appropriation with EarthSoul

ADF and My Final Comments

I got an email from ADF asking to renew my membership. Since I wasn't going to renew it, they asked if I could fill out the survey instead. So...I did. Here's what I wrote:

click for larger view

And submit.

The second question really made me pause. In a way, I think I wouldn't be opposed to joining the local ADF if the tolerance of cultural appropriation went away. It would be something I'd be open too for community, though since I know the local grove is Norse-based anyway, I'm not holding my breath.

It was an experience while it lasted

With the UU Group becoming yet another pagan space that permits racism and inappropriate eclecticism, I think I've exhausted all the in-person pagan groups that are available in this area. I won't go near the local occult store, which lead to being kicked out of Pagans of Nebraska, which means I don't want to be involved with ADF since the person who runs that in this region is part of Pagans of Nebraska. I was part of a pagan group on Facebook, but got banned after I asked for racial slurs to not be allowed. And now, with the entire debacle that is the UU group and church... What is left? The only other group I knew of is a branch of Silver Ravenwolf's Coven. Not touching that. The Pagan Pride Day in the area was started by Pagans of Nebraska and is sponsored by the local occult shop. I have no reason to want to go to that.

I don't like being in some antagonist role whenever I go to these groups. I don't want to worry about cringing at something racist. I don't want to silently sit by while people talk about the "Pagan Wheel of the Year" that bastardizes the Gaelic festivals. That isn't fun. It isn't enjoyable. It isn't how I would want to spend my weekend. Every pagan event I have ever gone to caters almost specifically to NeoWiccans. I have to ask to be included in the subculture I am supposedly already part of.

So... I'm done. Unless something twists my arm or I stumble into it, I am not actively seeking out pagan communities. I think I'll still transverse the online forums and blogs, because I'm not so outnumbered there. In fact, I have spaces designated to my beliefs on sites like Tumblr or The Cauldron. As for in-person spaces though? Bah. Unless I make my own space, I doubt I'll find any.

Basically, the I'm suck of living in a house that keeps throwing parties without inviting me. I'll find a new house.

Therefore, this blog will continue to archive any pagan community news, but I am moving my spiritual and religious posts to a new blog: Daughter of the Storm on Wordpress.

Continuing the UU Conversations...

Well, I emailed the Reverend of the UU church. Here are the copy and pasted conversations thus far. Feedback about how I am handling the situation is always welcomed.

And goes on and on...

I support CAORANN.

Well, after three weeks of silence, I get a message from the UU Pagan group's organizer about a decision they reached about me, my actions, and the issue...at a meeting they knew I wouldn't be at. The conversation isn't done, but I want to post what I have so far have collected so I can show it to the Reverend of the UU church (reasons will be given at the end.)

And it continues...

Well, I got responses from my remarks on the Facebook group page.

Before I post the screenshots, I want to mention that I changed methods in how I screen-capped these conversations about half-way through the events. Typically, I block out names. As much as I'm for public scrutiny on people who have problematic opinions and practices, I do realize that employers and communities hold prejudices against non-Abrahamic religious beliefs that fall under the pagan umbrella. This Facebook group I am screen-capping is actually private for those reasons. So, I block out names for that reason.

However, green-blocked guy from all these chats is public about his beliefs. He legally changed his name to reflect these beliefs. So I think Kevin EarthSoul doesn't need this type of protection when he is willing to be public about his ideas, beliefs, and teachings. (This extends to his wife.)

And in fairness, I also unblocked my legal name (typically hidden with the purple blocks). My online life and offline life are so intermingled that it hardly needs to be a secret. I'm open about my spiritual beliefs too. So after I unblock his name, I also unblock mine. (Spoilers: my legal name is Marcella. "Allec" is my nickname backwards, "Cella.") And I also want to be under scrutiny for my actions. I am a white middle-class person. I am speaking as an ally, not as an oppressed person, in these conversations. Therefore, if I misspeak in any way please tell me.

UU Group and Cultural Appropriation Articles

(image source)

While on Tumblr, a person I follow posted a link to a really insightful article on cultural appropriation on Jezebel's website. The article is titled: "A Much-Needed Primer on Cultural Appropriation" by Katie J.M. Baker. I thought it had some really informative parts as well as helping people who want to wear Native-inspired clothing. (Hint: you should buy from Native Americans.) I reblogged it on Tumblr, linked it to my Facebook timeline, linked it to OPPSG (which needs to be changed over into PAGBAH, I think), linked it on Cross Quarterly's Facebook, and finally decided to also link it to the UU Facebook Group.

Which brings me to this: I haven't been removed from the Facebook group! Even though I have decided to stop attending monthly meet-ups, they haven't removed me from the Facebook group. I would like to go back to the monthly meet-ups once the current organizer steps down.

Anyway, after I posted that article from Jezebel, the guy declaring he should be able to use the word "Shaman"--whom I've dubbed MoonSpirit--decided to make another post after mine about his views on cultural appropriation:

(trigger warning: racism below, though thankfully no slurs.)

Goodbye to the UU Group (For Now)

xkcd: "Slippery Slope"

I think I've mentioned this before, but I don't like being an instigator for problems. But I am hopeful for resolution and hopeful that if I bring up a problem, others will acknowledge it for its problematic aspects. This...hasn't been the case so far in most of the pagan groups I've visited: (see here, here, and here.) I was hopeful with the UU group, though, but I've already had a couple of cringing moments. The remark made by the group organizer towards including Shamanism made my skin crawl. I decided to try to nip it in the bud before it even became a thing.

It didn't go so well. (Warning: Uncensored slur below. I'll give a warning again when the image comes up.)

[Pagan Blog Project] C is for Cros Bríde

Wow this is super late. But I made my cros Bríde over the weekend! So I thought I'd share!

Early November Celebrations

My Home Jar

The end of October and beginning of November had a few key events I took part in. First was my own Gaelic Polytheistic celebration of Samhain, followed by a Dia de los Muertos festival put on by the Mexican Historica Society, and then lastly a NeoWiccan Samhain ritual at the UU Pagan Group. There was...quite a lot going on between all three of those events that I wish to share.

It's Not About Being Right

My veil--Dedicated to Lugh.

Last weekend, I went to the local Unitarian Universalists' ritual for Mabon. I hadn't been to the monthly meetings since Lughnasa. Prior to going to this ritual, I wondered if my presence would be unwelcomed. Not outwardly, but because I don't practice in the way the rituals were conducted and my growing resentment towards how the Wiccan Wheel of the Year is constructed.

But I did end up going, and I have a lot of commentary about the entire experience.

Local Community--Different Group, Different Results

Decorative hummus from Lughnasa Ritual I went to.

Looking over my Blogspot statics, my post: "Local Pagan Community--Summed up in Facebook?" so far has the most views out of any of my other posts. I guess everyone likes a good drama--that, and I have been linking to it every time I bring up my experiences in the local pagan community. However, I will probably start to refer to this article too; I have branched out once more and met with a different group of local pagans who work out of the local Unitarian Church.

White Clay, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and My Synopsis

picture credited to Native News Networks

Late last night, a friend posted this video on her Facebook wall accompanied only with, "I am appalled." With that in mind I braced myself, but after watching I was more curious than appalled. The video is not high quality (which is understandable given the circumstance it was filmed.) I couldn't make out most of the words, or what was even going on, other than a confrontation between two men. I had no sense of the context for the footage beyond the title.

So I did some research into articles and learned about the incident...

Critique: Next Millennium's Newsletter

taken from the newsletter email

I forgot to unsubscribe from the Next Millennium newsletter that is sent out via email once a month. On June 2nd I saw it in my email inbox and out of curiosity decided to peruse it. Who knows? Maybe they made a mention of my petition and/or boycott.

While they didn't, I found more troubling misinformation being spread. I am spending this email, as well as emailing the store back, with why certain parts of the email are very, very concerning. Even if you are not a customer at Next Millennium, these are still problems to look out for at any other occult store you may shop at.

Update: Next Millennium Boycott and now Petition.

Just an update on the boycott article I posted a couple weeks ago.

My position still hasn't changed on how the store should conduct itself. While this is considerably an opinion of mine, I have started a petition to help the owners see that I am not the only one of this opinion.

Here are some remarks to the boycott and petition with my answer:

The Local Pagan Community--Summed up in Facebook?

This is probably the easiest article post I will ever have to publish. All I am doing is copying over screenshots from a group I was apart of, called "Pagans of Nebraska." I'm going to avoid adding as the entire discussion can speak for itself. Also, it's going to get lengthy.