respect and sensibility

[Wazron]

Dear all,

Many of you might have been looking in this part of the site out of vague interest. Maybe you saw 'The Craft'. Maybe you watched 'Buffy'. I can only hope you never wastedmoney on 'Practical Magic'. Witchcraft. A marketable commodity. The Catholic church, the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Scientologists; all are religions that would kill for the success with which witchcraft has been marketed. And why? Witchcraft is still regarded as silly or adolescent. The public's perception of witchcraft stems from their exposure to it in the mass media alone.

In our culture, the very terms 'witchcraft' and 'wicca' have inbuilt value judgements. Witness, if you will, the Potter film: witches and wizards have broomsticks, talking owls, and jolly good adventures. Witches are also old women, with warts, and even Shakespeare wrote about them...

Wiccans are regarded as 'serious' practitioners, when they rely on empty ritual as much as any mainstream religion. This forum cries out for people who have an intuitive knowledge that force of will alone can accomplish many wondrous things. It languishes because so few modern 'witches' and 'wiccans' use sacramental herbs. The body is a temple, to be defiled only by alcohol, caffiene, nicotine and smog. No 'hard drugs' or poisons need apply.

So, we are left with a forum that feels left out. With the exception of Chemical Shaman's compulsive and hussy-like exhibitionism (smile CS, everyone who reads this just *knows* you got that little kick of adrenaline when you read your handle above ), there has been little posted of worth in regards to serious pagan culture.

As a pagan (a word which itself carries value judgements in our culture) I make this offer: I will happily discuss seriously any topic of relevance in the field of paganism, nature worship, Kiva, zen, or any of the ecstatic traditions. I wish to have contact with others who share a genuine interest in the empowerment of the self, with and without the plant guides.

As readers of this board, I would assume that many of the people here would have experience with altered consciousness. That some of us should explore our sentience by chanting, drumming or dancing should not be cause for ridicule.

Learning requires direction and focus. I would be happy to answer questions posed honestly, should anyone choose to ask. However, until I see some signs of this forum being taken seriously, I can't consider volunteering on-topic material in case I become a target of derision.

Wazron

[Torsten]

Wazron, you will notice that most of the antics and banter is in the chillspace - where it belongs. Ridicule in any of the on-topic forums will be halted quickly by the mods or myself.

[Torsten]

Please e-mail me and also please update you profile with a current e-mail address.

[email protected]

[anubian lights]

Well said Wazron. I vote for you as moderator. I think Paganism and Magick are worthy subjects of serious discussion. And you have summed up, and offered some form for the forum.

Some people take drugs for kicks, to get wasted..to obliterate the mind from the artifical pain we live in.

Sometimes this opens up a door, and we see a different picture.

Perhaps this is only a glimpse into the world that the Alchemists (I guess they are scientifically minded Pagans) or the Pagans themselves who dance and celebrate the mysteries of nature. Or the magicians who also study the esoteric clues and attempt to manipulate them with the will.

I think we are on the right track. Its almost time to go back to nature, and the trees have souls, and plants are teachers.

Witchcraft is a European form of Shamanism.

Its a connection with nature, climaxing in xtctatic states of being..

The pagans knew there herbs man. Show some respect!

[Darklight]

Yep I reckon you should wrangle here too Wazron

That some of us should explore our sentience by chanting, drumming or dancing should not be cause for ridicule.

No, but neither should the presence of serious discussion imply the complete exclusion of humour. It's a fine line.

However, until I see some signs of this forum being taken seriously, I can't consider

volunteering on-topic material in case I become a target of derision

Geez if we all took that attitude to important things, nobody would say anything and nothing would change. I thought you were beyond such minutiae, say it anyway, so what?

And almost everyone I've encountered on these forums have been more than happy to apologise for inadvertantly offending someone. It's not a matter of ppl giving you a break, its a matter of everyone giving each other a break. Assume offence only as a last resort ( unless you're talking to CS of course )

[spiraleyes]

magic is the art of creating reality.

true magic is simply the art of creating what you want. people who consciously and deliberatly create their reality are the ultimate magicians on the planet.

[Adrian]

Hi Wazron,

R-E-S-P-E-C-T !!

as a fellow mod, I wish you all the best.

I hope that there are many inter-disscussional topics that will link between us (ethnobotany & magic and witchcraft).

I feel slightly bound, in expressing my "deeper" beliefs on such (potentially sensitive subjects),

until I feel I have helped create, somewhat (more) of a bridge between: information & knowledge, knowledge & understanding, understanding & wisdom, wisdom & beliefs etc,

for myself and others.

Hope you get my drift

I have, as so many have, experienced beyond

the realms of "yet proven science".

Not but a few hundred years ago a famous man was ridiculed to the point of insanity because he tried to inform the "scientific" community that miniscule organisims, invisible to humans were responsable for both illness and death.

These days if you have a bug (germs, virus, bacteria, fungi etc, etc) you will most likely be prescribed a medicine that has beeen "isolated" from a plant known to the "shaman" for millenia.

SHAMANIC DREAMS

[terah]

Greetings Wazron, Lead the way and Ill contribute.Anyone who ridicules this forum is beyond help since most of the plants discussed on this site have been the source of magical inspiration for peoples throughout time. My grandmother has been using magic conbined with herbs ever since I can remember. One of my earliest memories was walking in on her cupping an old lady.Do you know anything about Santeria?