When does Ecclecticism become it's own thing?

[Gho the Girl]

So, as I've been going down my own path, I've been moving away from using the symbols of others, changing names, titles, creating my own symbols, and even discovering my own ideas and philosophies, or at least I think I am (read an article in cracked which showed how I could be thinking I'm coming up with stuff when I'm actually not, so I can't be totally certain I am XP )

So, my question is, is there a point where something that starts ecclectic, if evolved enough, becomes something of it's own nature? Where is that line?

I don't know if it's appropriate for me to call myself an ecclectic pagan.  

[Recursive Paradox]

I'm pretty sure that as long as your path still contains defined items from other cultures and religions it would be considered eclectic.

If you start moving away from those items and building different concepts on your own, based on your own philosophical logic and UPG, then I could see you not regarding your path as eclectic anymore.  

[Gho the Girl]

Recursive Paradox

I'm pretty sure that as long as your path still contains defined items from other cultures and religions it would be considered eclectic.

If you start moving away from those items and building different concepts on your own, based on your own philosophical logic and UPG, then I could see you not regarding your path as eclectic anymore.

Define "defined items from other cultures and religions"  

[TeaDidikai]

Gho the Girl

So, my question is, is there a point where something that starts ecclectic, if evolved enough, becomes something of it's own nature?

... Like Wica?

Quote:

Where is that line?

When it becomes a codified system. See- things may be eclectic in inception, but eclecticism is a state of being, not a title within the pagan scene.

Quote:

I don't know if it's appropriate for me to call myself an ecclectic pagan.

I think that you're still in the process of developing internal consistency and cosmology, so I would say it's fine for now, and you may even apply it at a later date.  

[Recursive Paradox]

Hmmm. That might mean I need to stop referring to myself as Eclectic when discussing Etherism anymore.  

[TeaDidikai]

Recursive Paradox

Hmmm. That might mean I need to stop referring to myself as Eclectic when discussing Etherism anymore.

Potentially.

Myself, I'd likely go with "A branch of neo-paganism known as Etherism" were I in your place.  

[Recursive Paradox]

TeaDidikai

Recursive Paradox

Hmmm. That might mean I need to stop referring to myself as Eclectic when discussing Etherism anymore.

Potentially.

Myself, I'd likely go with "A branch of neo-paganism known as Etherism" were I in your place.

That works.

Wow... I founded a path. o_O  

[TeaDidikai]

Recursive Paradox

That works.

Wow... I founded a path. o_O

Does this mean you have to make your hair look funny or wear silly hats?  

[Recursive Paradox]

TeaDidikai

Recursive Paradox

That works.

Wow... I founded a path. o_O

Does this mean you have to make your hair look funny or wear silly hats?

I sure hope not o_o

I like my hair and the only hat I have is a fedora.  

[Gho the Girl]

Recursive Paradox

TeaDidikai

Recursive Paradox

That works.

Wow... I founded a path. o_O

Does this mean you have to make your hair look funny or wear silly hats?

I sure hope not o_o

I like my hair and the only hat I have is a fedora.

Dude, that would be awesome religious wear: fedoras.  

[TeaDidikai]

Gho the Girl

Dude, that would be awesome religious wear: fedoras.

I actually replaced the hat I use as part of my more mystic costuming. I wonder if I still have the pic of the old one...

It's a lovely rabbit fur pork-pie styled number. I can't say I'm fond of the current feather- I may be able to find a new one soon- but somewhere I have a tuft of squirrel fur that I plan to tuck in.  

[Movin on Up]

Recursive Paradox

I'm pretty sure that as long as your path still contains defined items from other cultures and religions it would be considered eclectic.

If you start moving away from those items and building different concepts on your own, based on your own philosophical logic and UPG, then I could see you not regarding your path as eclectic anymore.

That makes sense.
I think that if a lot of people decided to follow the same idea it might be more simply for being a group. You know?  

[TeaDidikai]

Movin on Up

Recursive Paradox

I'm pretty sure that as long as your path still contains defined items from other cultures and religions it would be considered eclectic.

If you start moving away from those items and building different concepts on your own, based on your own philosophical logic and UPG, then I could see you not regarding your path as eclectic anymore.

That makes sense.
I think that if a lot of people decided to follow the same idea it might be more simply for being a group. You know?

I'm afraid I disagree with both of you.

Things can transition from Eclectic to independent and new traditions. Case in point: Wica.  

[Recursive Paradox]

TeaDidikai

Movin on Up

Recursive Paradox

I'm pretty sure that as long as your path still contains defined items from other cultures and religions it would be considered eclectic.

If you start moving away from those items and building different concepts on your own, based on your own philosophical logic and UPG, then I could see you not regarding your path as eclectic anymore.

That makes sense.
I think that if a lot of people decided to follow the same idea it might be more simply for being a group. You know?

I'm afraid I disagree with both of you.

Things can transition from Eclectic to independent and new traditions. Case in point: Wica.

I um... already abandoned that argument in favor of your later one in this thread...

Otherwise I would have defended my old one when you disagreed earlier. >.>  

[Movin on Up]

TeaDidikai

Movin on Up

Recursive Paradox

I'm pretty sure that as long as your path still contains defined items from other cultures and religions it would be considered eclectic.

If you start moving away from those items and building different concepts on your own, based on your own philosophical logic and UPG, then I could see you not regarding your path as eclectic anymore.

That makes sense.
I think that if a lot of people decided to follow the same idea it might be more simply for being a group. You know?

I'm afraid I disagree with both of you.

Things can transition from Eclectic to independent and new traditions. Case in point: Wica.

I guess. But even if your group's new thing is mostly just a copy of one something else, you might get to call it a new sect.

Kinda like how I get the impression that a lot of Zen Buddhism came from Taoism and some local tribe stuff.

I see where youre coming from by saying it needs to be codified and all. But nothing is really done being codified. The Pope still makes proclamations, new Baptist-knockoffs with their own spin set up everyday. If you live in the right part of the bible belt, you can watch religions evolve if you pay attention! The only reason something like that wouldnt change is if its already dead.

So where do we draw the line?