Damage Control for Intolerance

So, Harvard allows anti-witch rallies? Great. Well, here are some tips (if you happen to be a pagan, new ager, or open-minded human being) to combat ignorance from Courtney Weber (reposted with her permission):

Here are a few ideas you are free to ignore, but I encourage you to consider:

Don't point fingers, as in blaming the decent Christian guy next door who has always been nice to you for the crap pulled by these fuckers. Blame the action. Blame the mentality. Blame the individuals involved. Don't blame the religion and its affiliates.


Do be an out Pagan, if you are in a part of the country where it is safe to be one. Be a good neighbor, a good co-worker. Buy the Girlscout cookies and wear the Pentacle while you do it. Make a good impression on the person next to you, and maybe they'll take in of their own accord to educate their ignorant relatives at Thanksgiving about the Nice Pagan Lady at the office or on the block.

Don't be weird and secretive. Hiding your practices and acting shady when people ask you questions makes you think you have reason to hide what you do. Of course, keep personal matters of your group private, but be open to answering questions about your practices. Maybe they'll still think you're weird. But at least they won't think you drink blood of virgin kittens or some shit like that.

Do invite people of other faiths to your open gatherings. Help make them feel at home. Explain what's going on and do your best to show them a good time. There's a good chance they'll go back to their own communities or congregations and say, "Hey! Pagans are nice and throw a good party!"

Don't use social networking sites or blogs to announce your plans to curse the idiot who pissed you off in gym class. You sound like an idiot and you don't scare anyone. What you have succeeded in doing is in making the rest of us look bad.

Do use social networking and blogs to talk about your spiritual beliefs and your community building endeavors. Particularly if you are in an area where it isn't safe to be an open Pagan, this is a great way to help educate others in a safe format.

Don't alienate yourself either within your own Pagan community, or even just within your own self. Find friends and build bridges with other communities who share the same goals that you have.

Do be aware of religious persecution, but don't be paranoid. It ruins your own life. As my mom likes to say, "Don't give out free rent in your head."

Book of Shadows

Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess by Phyllis Curott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On second reading of this book, I realized that my life now is mirroring the author's, with the whole "Persephone's descent into the Underworld" theme. All that glitters most certainly is not gold, and the thing of true value in this world are our spirits.

An amazing book, and highly recommended for those people still seeking out their own form of spirituality.



View all my reviews

update

Working hard, or hardly working? Isn't it funny that some days you work your ass off, only to turn around and look back at the day and feel that you've accomplished nothing? Yeah, I'm feeling that kind of frustration right now, and my NaNoWriMo novel didn't survive that kind of work pressure. At the very least I might revisit what I accomplished with it (which is 20,000 words thus far). To more exciting news:

I attended this tarot workshop this past Saturday, and it was awesome. I'm sure I will blog about it more on my tarot blog at a later date. I seem to always be refilling my tarot business cards whenever I'm at Whimsies, so I'm taking that as a sign that there are more people out there interested in my readings than I originally thought. I'm just putting that positive vibe out there, and seeing what comes back from it. I wore my pentacle again for the workshop on Saturday, and it just felt right putting it on, and leaving it on. I'm not fighting that kind of feeling. I'm just meant to wear it again. I'm going to take it as a sign that I need to be reminded of my spirituality more at this time. And that's okay with me.