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.

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.)

[Pagan Blog Project] E is for Everyone's Included!

A little late to post, but I wanted to use the PBP to springboard a project I started thanks to the inspiration from QueerPagans. 

Pagans Against Gender Binary and Heteronormativity (PAGBAH) began November 2013 and came to fruition February 2014. The movement or slogan started after discontent over the excessive amount of Binary and Heteronormative language within pagan circles and literature. This website aims to help inform pagans on what the Gender Binary and Heteronormativity are, why they are damaging, and how to counteract its presence at pagan events, forums, and other types of communities. 

Ironically, I started this though I'm not sure if I want to consider associating myself with paganism... But, I will probably continue to frequent those corners of the internet, so...erm...PAGBAH!

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 Community

This is going to be about my need for a community, not necessarily about pagan communities at large.

Reflections on Sunday's Ritual

My Parshall Cross that I gave the UU's Little Free Library has a new home it seems on the banner! I'm happy it's still able to protect the church. I saw it tonight while attending January's UU pagan group's get-together. First ritual with a different organizer. While I'm still overall enjoying my visits with the group, I still have a bit of a complaint as someone without Wiccanate privilege. I don't know how to exactly bring up these sort of complaints... but at least I can voice them on this blog, eh?

[Pagan Blog Project 2014] A for Altar

I suppose it's 'bout time I joined in on the wonderful Pagan Blog Project. Better than late than never, eh? (Especially considering how late in the day I'm submitting this. Eeps.)

Anyway, so Altars!

Mental Illness and Spirituality

From Hyperbole and a Half: Depression Part 2

When I was living in Philadelphia, I attended an open Full Moon Ritual at a local Wiccan Coven. I went with two other pagans I had met previously and attended two Sabbats with at the same Coven. This was just at the beginning of my path in paganism, so I felt very new, out of place, and ignorant. I was also probably the youngest person of legal age there (which is to say, I was 18 and everyone else was 28+.) This ritual was different in that my friend had a visitor from Florida joining us. An elderly witch who had been a witch for more than the sum of my lifetime.

On the car ride home, we somehow started talking about mental illness. Mine in particular. I don't recall the timeframe, but I might have brought up how I wasn't doing well in school and would probably be moving to my parents' house in Nebraska. The witch from Florida said something to the effect of, "If you give yourself over to the Goddess, she would take away all your sadness."

Perhaps it was Lugh who gave me the strength, but I was able to firmly and boldly say, "No. That is not how mental illness works, and is extremely ignorant to suggest that it is."

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.

My Beliefs ... As of Today

"Change" by NaBHaN

I am starting a new Tumblr blog, despite creating this blog so I wouldn't. But my idea behind what this blog should be changed. Instead of just being a place to store and type out my thoughts, I have started to consider this blog a platform for discussion.

And like my idea behind what this blog should be changed, so have my personal beliefs. For one, I am distancing myself from calling myself "pagan" and "witch"--two identifiers I have used for several years now. But my perceptions are changing, thus so too are my beliefs in what I am and should be.

Woe is Me: Celtic Culture and Eclectic Paganism

This is an article I have been itching to write, but I don't really know how to go about it. Perhaps it is because this is probably the most opinionated piece I have so far written; these are more about my thoughts about something that irks me, but isn't necessarily unmoral or a call to movement.

My problem boils down to this: a lot of people in the pagan community tend to use terms, practices, and holidays removed from their original cultures.

For example, pretend that someone in Europe is celebrating Fourth of July. They have fireworks and are eating outside--but why call it Fourth of July? Why celebrate another country's national holiday when that person is outside the country?

So... Why celebrate Lughnasa without understanding of the culture that created it?

Another One Bites the Dust

I wonder if I should make getting kicked out of Facebook Groups my new hobby?

(Warning: Below the cut contains slurs.)

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.

Druidry, Books, and Reflections

"Berrymore" by Kylie Stillman

This reflection spawned from trying to answer a crowd-sourcing question and spiraled into analyzing what I have so far read regarding Druidry and Celtic neopaganism. Coincidentally, Agora's columnist Nimue Brown wrote a related article yesterday called "Books for Druids." I highly recommend reading Brown's article to get an understanding of what books are relevant to aspiring and current Druids as well as a short overview on how to evaluate books about Druidry. 

However, this article is instead my own reading and what I was able to take out of it. A reflection, if you will, on books and articles.

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...