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

[maenad nuri]

Tea and I are redoing the Witches Weekly. I will have a new sticky topic and questions starting very very soon.  

[maenad nuri]

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

The lack of value judgement. Not every idea is equal to another. If it can't be supported , why should you follow it as if it has the same value as another idea that is backed with lots of support.

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

To me, I love this 12 pointed flower with a circle in the center, it reminds me of the Olympians and Hestia, without being obtrustive. I'm also fond of the lyre.

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

To be unified only enough to share ideas, but disorganized enough so that Pagan doesn't always mean a member of an "Earth-based" religion. We need to embrace the term as an umbrella, rather than as a measurement.  

[Styskel]

Nuri

Each week, I will post the new questions from Witches Weekly here, and I invite you all to answer them.

"More Pagan Community"

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

The ignorance and refusal to learn on the part of some, and the intolerance for other unnamed beliefs that some people seem to think is necessary.

Nuri

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

To me the sword is an important symbol. I also hold cats close.

Nuri

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

People who can think, and people who are attractive that can represent the movement (basic marketting, as we need to sell the fact that it's ok for us to be here).  

[Doctrix]

Nuri

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

The way that some Pagans will bad-mouth other Pagans without knowing anything about them, just so that they can feel like they're "in the know" and involved in the community.

Nuri

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

The bat, the spiral and the Ouroboros.

Nuri

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

People who really know themselves.  

[Merlin the White]

Nuri

Each week, I will post the new questions from Witches Weekly here, and I invite you all to answer them.

"More Pagan Community"

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

The fact that adult pagans seem to jump to the conclusion that since I'm a tennage wiccan, I'm automatically a "Charmed" wannabe. If they knew anything about the form of the religion I practice they'd know I'm not even close to thinking like that.

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Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

Other than the pentagram, nothing that many people would recognise, since most are either buddhist, or borrowed from the philosophy of bushido.

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What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

A way to get rid of all the "Charmed" wannabees, and people who think that wicca, etc, are happiness and light religions, so we can start work on repairing our image in the eyes of the public and show them that we are serious, not just a bunch of uneducated bozos that can't seperate fantasy from reality.  

[Ess]

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?
The fact that it has a reputation now because of certain teenagers...

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?
The Star of Chaos, the pentagram, Armonia's Star.

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?
Better understanding. I've seen one too many sites bashing other pagans. We need to get along. Somehow. gonk  

[Sarevael]

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

Sometimes I don't see enough being done by us to try and remove negative stereotypes. I see it being reinforced too often by those of other faiths... 'Charmed,' 'The Craft,' the chick on 'Mad, Mad House.' (I sorta liked the last one, but not for her. The vampire guy sort of amused me, and I liked the naturist.)

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

Cats, certain birds, and, oddly, the Eye of Horus. I do very little work with the Egyptian pantheon (if anything comes up, it's usually with Bastet), but I've always found the Eye very powerful for me.

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

More open dialogue with other faiths with the other faiths actually listening and not judging. More unity within our groups to present a positive view of what we do. I'm just really a proponent of interfaith work and challenges... heck, my boyfriend of almost four years is a fundamentalist Christian. And yes, he accepts my faith, which has always been a shock to me.  

[Deoridhe]

Nuri

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

That people expect there to be some sort of huge, harmonious whole where everyone is on the same level and gets along well. Friction and disagreement are natural parts of human interaction, and to try to pretend a religion change should somehow alter that only forces those issues underground, instead of keeping them visible and developing ways to cope with them.

Nuri

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

The Thor's Hammer, of course, as well as the valknut, a golden snake, a viking boat, and an eight legged horse.

Nuri

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

Time, and for people to accept that in time things will clear out more. We're at the beginning of religions, here; beginnings are almost always messy and murky.  

[AvalonAuggie]

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?
hmm. Both the fact that we often do such a great job of discrediting ourselves that we don't even need fundamentalists to attack Paganism. ..and also how the anti-fluffy rationalist movement has somewhat diminished our capacity to be supportive of one another. (mainly from what I observe on Gaia. we're rather cynical, you know..)

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?
mmmm...the pentagram, occasionally hexagrams, elk, pinnipeds, and robins. among others.

What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?
time to develop, more mainstream literature focused on pagan history, better interfaith relations. Possibly the destruction of Lewellyn publishing. sweatdrop  

[xKelpiex]

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST ANNOYING ABOUT THE PAGAN COMMUNITY?

What I find most annoying are those "occultists" who hide behind "magic shops" and try to suck teens in. They don't really believe..they just want your time and money...I have met a girl who was sucked into one of these, and when she found out the truth--that The Goddess will NOT punish you for not sacrificing a lamb and bathing in its blood--she turned from the Pagan religion completely and became a Baptist. Now, there's nothing wrong w/baptists, but.....y'know, they killed her faith!

WHAT SYMBOL IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I use the pentagram, the spiral&Triskel, the three moon diagram )O(, and the rune of Thorn.

WHAT'S THE ONE THING THAT YOU THINK THE PAGAN COMMUNITY NEEDS?

We need to be open. We need to start orginisations that show that we are not a selfish religion, that we care for the sake and state of the earth and the people. We need to somehow get the message out that we are not just a community that dances naked and waves wands... heart heart
WHAT DO YOU  

[xKelpiex]

ummm, sorry it went twice!!  

[xKelpiex]

WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST ANNOYING ABOUT THE PAGAN COMMUNITY?

What I find most annoying are those "occultists" who hide behind "magic shops" and try to suck teens in. They don't really believe..they just want your time and money...I have met a girl who was sucked into one of these, and when she found out the truth--that The Goddess will NOT punish you for not sacrificing a lamb and bathing in its blood--she turned from the Pagan religion completely and became a Baptist. Now, there's nothing wrong w/baptists, but.....y'know, they killed her faith!(The "occultists" that is)

WHAT SYMBOL IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I use the pentagram, the spiral&Triskel, the three moon diagram )O(, and the rune of Thorn.

WHAT'S THE ONE THING THAT YOU THINK THE PAGAN COMMUNITY NEEDS?

We need to be open. We need to start orginisations that show that we are not a selfish religion, that we care for the sake and state of the earth and the people. We need to somehow get the message out that we are not just a community that dances naked and waves wands... heart heart  

[Mytyl]

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What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

Hypocrites regarding Christianity... the ones who say things like "all paths are valid" and then turn around and talk about how evil and persecuting Christians are, or get offended if anyone mentions Jesus within 50 feet of them. In other words, the kind of person I was, about four years ago. sweatdrop

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Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

The labrys - it's a double-bladed axe. One blade cuts the umbilical cord, the other the thread of life. It helped me to see the connections between life and death, and to come to grips with parts of myself that I didn't really like.

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What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

To better walk the line between unorganized and disorganized.  

[Elendraug]

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What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

The fact that it can be terribly difficult to find good, sound information, and that airheaded people choose to ONLY worship the Goddess because "boyz sux0r lol."

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Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?

Stars, trees, wolves...

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What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

To be recognised as a legit religion instead of a cheap fad. >.o  

[Sinister Kung Fu]

What do you find most annoying about the Pagan Community?

Authors who provide serious misinformation, or outright lies to promote their agenda (i.e. Ravenwolf) and the fact that Llewellyn actually publishes that crap.

Are there any specific symbols that are sacred to you or that you hold close to you?
The Rose Cross


What's one thing that you think the Pagan Community needs?

Many people are going to disagree with this, but I think it needs less publicity, and needs to be less easily accessible. I'm a strong believer in Initiation (and NOT self initiation). You shouldn't just be able to pick up a book, read a couple chapters and call yourself a Wiccan without going througn some sort of formal Initiation ceremony first.