For fun - my version of PaganSpace FAQs
Welcome to PaganSpace!
In the past, people have joined this community and asked the same questions over and over, so I thought I’d just put up a brief summary of the answers to some of those Frequently Asked Questions.
1. “What is a Pagan” – good question, ask 10 people and you’ll get 20 different answers. More importantly, what does it mean to you?
2. “Why are there Christians here?” – because we welcome anyone here with a friendly voice, some of our Christian friends are here to learn more about the truth behind who we are, and free communication between people helps promote understanding, tolerance, and acceptance.
3. “Why are there Satanists here?” – because they want to be here. See #2. Satanists are not the posers portrayed in bad films, nor are they the boogeymen the media of the 70s portrayed. They’re real people, with feelings, jobs, families, and minds. This site is an excellent opportunity to have your preconceived notions dispelled of what a Satanist is, and come to a better understanding.
4. “Don’t we all believe in the Wiccan Rede of Harm None?” – no. There are some Wiccans who don’t even follow it, and not all Pagans are Wiccan. Not all Witches are Wiccan, and some people on this site don't consider themselves Pagan at all. There is not "one rule to rule them all, one creed to bind them" on this site.
5. “Isn’t animal sacrifice evil?” – no. There are some traditions that do animal sacrifice, and for them it’s a deeply powerful spiritual thing. And they treat the animals kindly. And no, they’re not kidnapping your puppies and killing them.
6. “Isn’t eating meat anti-pagan?” – no. Hunter societies have always eaten meat, and while modern conveniences make it possible to have a vegetarian lifestyle, not everyone thinks it’s either necessary or healthy.
7. “But we all revere Mother Earth and all things in Nature, right?” – no. As stated previously, we have LOTS of diversity here.
8. "What's the right way to practice magick?" - there isn't one. There are many different ways to approach it, you have to find the one that works best for you. Just because one way doesn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else, we all have different talents.
9. "Shouldn't all spiritual people be highly evolved and mature?" - No. We're all human, we have bad days and sometimes that comes out in our posts. Cut people some slack, allow them to be human, and if you really want to be nice don't stick anyone on a pedestal.
Common Misconceptions:
1. Age = wisdom - False. There are lots of brilliant, wise, young people, and lots of stupid older people to prove that associating age with wisdom is not valid.
2. You cannot get away with behaving any way you please. Common courtesy is appreciated if you don't want to be the subject of a flamewar. If you want to be respected, respect others.
3. Experience = Authority - False. Just because you've been doing something a long time doesn't mean you have the right to boss anyone around. (In my opinion, it means you have the responsibility to help others find the path that works best for them.)
That’s enough to start with. Please do keep in mind that we have lots of smart, helpful, witty people here. If you’ve come here to find folks of like mind to get to know, have fun with, and learn from, you’re in the right place. If you come in with a bad attitude, or expecting people to bow, adore, and worship you or conform to your way of thinking… well, don’t be surprised if you find people being less than respectful.
Oh, and if anyone posts this link in a thread, that's a subtle hint that they've run out of things to say and would prefer the thread just die once and for all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edaJP3Lp0Gg
Feel free to chime in with other FAQs (and their answers), I mean this to be more fun than serious.
In the past, people have joined this community and asked the same questions over and over, so I thought I’d just put up a brief summary of the answers to some of those Frequently Asked Questions.
1. “What is a Pagan” – good question, ask 10 people and you’ll get 20 different answers. More importantly, what does it mean to you?
2. “Why are there Christians here?” – because we welcome anyone here with a friendly voice, some of our Christian friends are here to learn more about the truth behind who we are, and free communication between people helps promote understanding, tolerance, and acceptance.
3. “Why are there Satanists here?” – because they want to be here. See #2. Satanists are not the posers portrayed in bad films, nor are they the boogeymen the media of the 70s portrayed. They’re real people, with feelings, jobs, families, and minds. This site is an excellent opportunity to have your preconceived notions dispelled of what a Satanist is, and come to a better understanding.
4. “Don’t we all believe in the Wiccan Rede of Harm None?” – no. There are some Wiccans who don’t even follow it, and not all Pagans are Wiccan. Not all Witches are Wiccan, and some people on this site don't consider themselves Pagan at all. There is not "one rule to rule them all, one creed to bind them" on this site.
5. “Isn’t animal sacrifice evil?” – no. There are some traditions that do animal sacrifice, and for them it’s a deeply powerful spiritual thing. And they treat the animals kindly. And no, they’re not kidnapping your puppies and killing them.
6. “Isn’t eating meat anti-pagan?” – no. Hunter societies have always eaten meat, and while modern conveniences make it possible to have a vegetarian lifestyle, not everyone thinks it’s either necessary or healthy.
7. “But we all revere Mother Earth and all things in Nature, right?” – no. As stated previously, we have LOTS of diversity here.
8. "What's the right way to practice magick?" - there isn't one. There are many different ways to approach it, you have to find the one that works best for you. Just because one way doesn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for someone else, we all have different talents.
9. "Shouldn't all spiritual people be highly evolved and mature?" - No. We're all human, we have bad days and sometimes that comes out in our posts. Cut people some slack, allow them to be human, and if you really want to be nice don't stick anyone on a pedestal.
Common Misconceptions:
1. Age = wisdom - False. There are lots of brilliant, wise, young people, and lots of stupid older people to prove that associating age with wisdom is not valid.
2. You cannot get away with behaving any way you please. Common courtesy is appreciated if you don't want to be the subject of a flamewar. If you want to be respected, respect others.
3. Experience = Authority - False. Just because you've been doing something a long time doesn't mean you have the right to boss anyone around. (In my opinion, it means you have the responsibility to help others find the path that works best for them.)
That’s enough to start with. Please do keep in mind that we have lots of smart, helpful, witty people here. If you’ve come here to find folks of like mind to get to know, have fun with, and learn from, you’re in the right place. If you come in with a bad attitude, or expecting people to bow, adore, and worship you or conform to your way of thinking… well, don’t be surprised if you find people being less than respectful.
Oh, and if anyone posts this link in a thread, that's a subtle hint that they've run out of things to say and would prefer the thread just die once and for all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edaJP3Lp0Gg
Feel free to chime in with other FAQs (and their answers), I mean this to be more fun than serious.
Tags: asked, frequently, questions
Add a Comment
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Comment by AlanHeartsong on November 10, 2009 at 12:12am - LOL, I'd love to know what prompted that, Arachneh! ;-)
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Comment by Arachneh on November 9, 2009 at 1:25pm -
Common Misconceptions:
You cannot hide behind compliance to the Terms of Service and break them at the same time.
To wit: "Prohibited content includes but is not limited to [that which] harasses, degrades, intimidates or is hateful toward an individual or group of individuals."
(aka read the fine print, not just the parts that serve you)
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Comment by Posie Mare on November 9, 2009 at 10:18am - I like this post. It should be in the FAQs.
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Comment by Elizabeth A on November 9, 2009 at 2:49am - I like these
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Comment by AlanHeartsong on November 8, 2009 at 11:08pm
- Thanks! :)
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Comment by Ivy Wald on November 8, 2009 at 10:30pm - Very well said!
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Comment by Ananta Androscoggin on November 1, 2009 at 11:09am -
Perhaps a heading for Misconception 2 (which doesn't now have one): Paganism = Anarchy
Misconception 3. "All Opinions Are Valid" hell no! Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but an opinion which is based in fear, or in misinformation, in prejudice, or in egotistical megalomania is unlikely to have anything valid in it. Some of it may resemble valid data, but when examined closely turns out to be totally made up of steer-manure.
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Comment by AlanHeartsong on October 31, 2009 at 10:50am
- Hehe, those are good Mojo, but I think they'd fit better in a "Suggestions for being less obnoxious" guideline document :)
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Comment by MoJo on October 30, 2009 at 6:01pm -
I think my addition would be better in a "Do's & Don'ts" format:
-Do Search before starting a new discussion. It's quite likely to have been covered before. Add to an older post & bring it to the forefront.
-Do consider whether your discussion would be better as a blog before clicking add.
-Don't be afraid to Google information.
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Comment by Carey Moore on October 30, 2009 at 4:59pm -
Ah, another FAQ:
"I'm new to this. I saw one website that said X, and another that said Z, and in a book it said Y, but this guy on a forum told me Q was the only right way. I'm so confused, which one is RIGHT? Because I don't want to do things WRONG."
If you're finding multiple sources that all list different answers, it means different people do it different ways -- meaning there probably isn't a "right" way. If you are a member of a specific tradition, or are studying under a specific teacher, check with them, and see if there's a way they recommend you do it, or that is right for your tradition. But if you're studying on your own, here's the right way: research until you find at least five ways other people approach the idea. Write all of them down in a list and look at them. If any of them seem scary, silly, or dangerous, cross them off the list. (If your list is now empty, go back to research.) If any of them make no sense, read more about them. If any of them inspire you and give you that inner feeling of "ooooh, yes!" circle those, and try those. If none of them thrill you, keep researching, or based on what you now know of how other people are doing it... make something up that fits the general pattern other folks have been using but that does feel right to you, and try that. If what you tried sucks, go back to researching and creating. When you find something that feels right when you read about it and feels right when you do it... keep doing it that way for now, and move on to the next thing you want to research... If you happen to find something you like better and that works better for you later on down the road, start doing that.
The folks who are paralyzed with fear that if they use the wrong color of candle they'll anger the Gods... this makes me sad. I want to give them crayons and a xanax and I want to yell at horror movie and occult thriller movie script writers. Gah.
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