Witches Weekly--Updated July 15th, seriously. -- old topic

[Charity.Solei]

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

I think that Pagan Clergy of all types has a rather important role. I believe that their role is to be out in the open about their faiths so that new commers and seekers have them to turn to for advice. Even if it's not following in the exact religion of that clergy persay it would at least help a newbie to Paganisim on their way.

I also think they should be the ones out in the public who stop the rummors and help get the truth out about Pagan faiths. I think that they should meet with Christain Ministers and ministers of all other religions to help work together to get a better understanding of all the different diverse ways to see God and religion in general.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

I would probablly visit there on a regular basis for meditations and discussions on faith. If I had a good feeling about the place I would probablly have my hand fasting there if I couldnt get a spot on the ocean.

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

I would feel very comfortable getting counseling from members of the pagan community. I myself am training to be a counselor (or was). If a person is some one you can trust then you should be able to go to them for advice.  

[Triste Morningstar II]

July 03, 2005
Pagan Clergy


Questiond donated by: Malory

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

I think that it entirely depends on the religion. Obviously, pagan clergy members should be important for newcomers in general, and it should be part of their duty to fight the fluff.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

Well, no. Handfastings are pretty cool, though.

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

Sure, why not?  

[LadyEladrin]

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

Right now, the role of the Pagan clergy should be to lead their groups, be available to perform rituals, weddings, ceremonies etc, pass on knowledge and wisdom and be a leading voice for their respective communities to help stop the spread of misinformation about Paganism.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

Heck yes! That would be wonderful! And it would mean that Paganism in my/your area had been recognized as an actual faith and was able to get the money to build said temple! I can't wait for the day where there are five or six in every city, possibly more!

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

I would, as long as they were already somone I trusted, the same as if I was going for any type of counselling, Pagan or not.  

[Miza_Radioaktiv]

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?
- They are very important. I think they should be there for all of the people who join the pagan faith to help them grow and learn about their specific faith.

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?
- Most definately I would! I think that proves my point... Heh...

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?
- I'd feel so much more comfortable recieving counseling from a pagan than anyone else. I'd feel like I could tell them anything and they would be a bit more opened minded about it.  

[Aithnea Micheals]

Nuri

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

I think that pagan clergy is helpful in our society. They help explain the religion to those who are new to it and help explain the common miscomceptions of the religion

Quote:

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

Yes I would. I would also go to the temple to learn more and ask the temple leaders to help me understand the religion better

Quote:

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

Yes, I have an older friend who as been pagan for much longer than I. Currently she is helping me and some of our other friends who are new to the religion learn more about it.  

[maenad nuri]

Nuri

1. What do you think the role of pagan clergy is in our society/communities?

Specifically, I think clergy exists as people to go to about our gods. Traditionally, they took care of sacred places-not how we modernly see clergy.
I'd like to see a combination. Clergy devoted to Gods and leading public rituals, but also celrgy devoted to the followers and mixes inbetween.

Quote:

2. If there was a pagan temple in your community like the Temple of Sekhmet, would you use it for a place to hold handfasting, naming, and coming of age rituals?

Depends on the type of clergy, and types of rituals available. Mines going to be different from the general pagan variety.

Quote:

3. Would you feel comfortable getting counseling from a member of the pagan community?

...frankly, when I'm looking for a counsler, I'm looking for one I can relate to. If the best person I can relate to is pagan, I'll take them.  

[maenad nuri]

July 17, 2005
Classes

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?  

[Charity.Solei]

Quote:

July 17, 2005
Classes

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

I am a very artistic person. I useually take classes pertaining to differnt types of art (Drama, Art, Chorus, Band, Dance, ect) at various points though out the year. Commonlly I am seen involved in more then one of the described classes. At the moment I am not takning any classes besides that of my Martial arts: ukado-The form of martial arts I take

The martial arts have helped me to remain calm and physically active. It teaches me control and to fight back negitives that are found with in the mind. Training in Jukado has been very useful for my mental health (for those of you who don't know I have been on the verge of becomming very mentally ill the last few months) and has been able to keep me on some what of an even keel.

I have found now that part of me is missing. That part is the actuall performace artist who loves to join others in putting on a production and providing entertainment for those who have chosen to come and see it. I year to be back on stage in the light singing, dancing and being some one else other then myself.

When I perform I feel free and my soul feels relaxed. It's something that I live for and something that I need to keep involved in my life. I feel as if even though performances can be very stressful at times, I am more myself and better able to communicate with the Gods.

Quote:

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

I honestlly do not know. At this point in my life I am still studying very hard. I am re reading old books and revisting knowlage given to me through them. I have an understanding of what each area of Witchcraft is and the like, but I could not teach on it as the actuall practical practice is something I have a difficulty with.

One day I'd like to be able to teach a class over the history of divination and where every thing came from. The differt types, and people that made changes. It's a very interesting topic and one that I am "taking a class on" right now.

Quote:

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

Like I said. I am not able to teach a class IRL at this point in my life. I would love to some day teach any class I could that I felt I knew a-lot about. However that is not the case.  

[LadyEladrin]

Classes

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

At the moment, there aren't any classes I'm taking outside of my regular Pagan ones. A pottery class downtown has recently caught my eye but I haven't been able to find the time to get there. I like to do artisitc things as well, although being a student limits my resources a great deal.

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?
Right now I actually am teaching a Paganism 101 class for a few interested students that I know. However, I'd love for it to be a lot bigger, and more indepth. You can't do a whole lot with only four or five students once every other week.

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?
Well, I'd do something a lot like they have at the Academy here on Gaia, a real lesson plan and everything. More of a lecture style, definately homework, but also, if the group was cohesive, meditations, trance work and visualization excersises. I would base the class on the interests of the community, if I could gauge what that was. A basics of Paganism class to start, and then move from there. This would benefit the Pagan community by (hopefully) giving anyone interested in it a good grounding in the basics of the faith and not just spells like a lot of the fluffier books out there do.  

[Aya Azura]

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

I don't take pagan classes...sadly I've been teaching myself, with the help of this kind woman Andrea online, she's been helping me a lot...., but I used to take a cracature class a while back, but now the classes are over. I say it really helped me because, now I can draw in a different style, but it also helps, because drawing relaxes me, and I love coloring...(yes...I am 14...hehehe)

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

I'd say I would teach one class on the basic stuff. The things that you need to know in order to practice. (Rede...yes, I know fluffly...but my concious is too huge, and I can't ignore those damn eight words..., the Crede, The 5 elements, and what emotions the control, time of day, tools in association to the elements, things like that. Wait I think I'm thinking of Wicca...hehehehe)

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

It would benefit it I think because so people who want to work it know what they are doing before they do it, and have someone who knows what they are doing teach them(Not that I have a clue what I'm doing... mrgreen rofl ), but I think it's better to have someone who knows what they are doing to teach you. I think I would start by everyone having to write down what they know on a piece of paper, and then read them out loud, then go around adding to what they know, and telling them to take it slowly. (I wouldn't be a very good teacher sweatdrop ..)  

[Doctrix]

Nuri

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

Well, I'm in grad school right now, so I get to take quite a lot of classes outside my Coven! Most of them are about how to teach. I just finished up an elective dance class that I felt was very helpful for getting some exercise, and learning some ways to raise energy!

Nuri

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

I would like to teach a beginning tarot class to my local Pagan community.

Nuri

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

I think the community could benefit from more of its members using some form of Divination in their everyday lives. It shouldn't be something relegated to the novelty of phone psychics. It should just be another way to communicate with deity and observe the interactions of energies in your life. I'm not sure how I'd teach it. I think I'd start out with everyone just writing meanings on 3 x 5 cards, and then using them for Divination so that they can see how to weave the story with the cards into a meaning.  

[Willowhawk]

I have taken many art classes, especially computer arts and ceramics two years ago. And it really helped me. If I could teach art at any level, especially children, then that would be wonderful. As someone who is strongly interested in different beliefs of Druidism, Asian and Native American, I feel that learning never ends and should be cultivated. Especially creativity because it allows us to go back to being a child and keeps our minds open to things and ideas around us. I know that if it were to benefit the pagan community that is how it would benefit any community. If you want a specific class, I would love to continue what I know of Ceramics and teach it since it is in every culture and it teaches patience, meditation and creativity. You have to have those things in order to pull off something really cool off the wheel. biggrin 3nodding That's my 2 cents biggrin  

[TeaDidikai]

Nuri

July 17, 2005
Classes

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

I took voice and singing lessons. I have taken dozens of art classes from Metal Casting to ceramics so I could make my own tools. Although I haven't used them in a while. I still have a beautiful statue of Odin. I took some classes on herbalism and some basic psychology, as well as some physics, and a class my college offered on the Disc World books.

Philosophy and World Religion classes were fun. I took a Japanese Intensive that taught me things about tea, sex and Japanese culture.

As for teaching, I don't want that kind of karma at the moment, so in the end, I just wouldn't teach anything  

[Aithnea Micheals]

Quote:

What kinds of outside classes (non-coven/non-metaphysical shop) do you attend to broaden your skills? IE: flower arranging, art class, crisis intervention. How has it helped you?

I take art and craft classes. For the most part I find that working with my creativity helps be focus my energies. Drawing helps be tap into my inner most feelings and energy where knitting relaxes me.

Quote:

If you could teach one class of any level to the pagan community in your area, what class would it be?

Honestly, I don't really feel qulified to teach any classes. I am still new to the community myself. But if I were to teach a class it would be on expressing creative energy as a form of meditation.

Quote:

How would you go about teaching that class, and why would it be something others would want to take? How would it benefit the Pagan community?

Not really sure. Personally I believe that the Pagan community thrives on being creative. We work on coming up with our own individual rituals and cerimonies. We express our religion and beliefs in our own unique indivdual ways.  

[maenad nuri]

August 06, 2005
Your Knowledge


Do you keep a journal or some other archive to keep track of what you learn, rituals you attend, etc?

Would you ever want to share all the knowledge you've gained on your path? Or would you prefer to keep it personal, only to those close to you?

How do you plan to pass down what you know to your children?