Purpose? Just a matter of perspective

So my blog has been slacking since my forced vacation, and I find that I am behind on my rants etc.  So what is a witch to do?  Well get off her ass and write of course!

I’m on FB as is my usual and I am playing in the stalker feed which can be entertaining since I can follow friends postings in groups that I’m not in(and don’t want to join).  So as I’m reading, I see a posting from someone that asks people what their purpose in life is. There are many answers from being a good parent(honorable) to walking their path better(eh…~shrugs~), but the answer was apparently connected to “what are you passionate about”.  Umm..no.  IMHO, our passions change as we grow,age, experience life.  What we are passionate about at 5-not taking naps- we might learn to appreciate say about the age of 50.  What we love in our teens may not translate over into our adult years.  While we may still hold an appreciation for them, they are not our true purpose.  Did Mother Teresa always hold a purpose of helping the poor?  I don’t think so.  I think it grew as she did, seeing and experiencing life around her to the extent that she placed herself among them in order to further that true purpose.  What of Buddha?  Born of privilege, his path to enlightenment began as he surveyed life experiences around him.   His purpose ? Personal enlightenment.  His passions changed to a more self-centered personal one.  One can have passions about many things and while they are fulfilling, they may not be our true purpose in life.  Our goals change as we grow and experience life experiences.  Some may love art and seek to attain a greater experience with that.  So what is their purpose?  Is it to be commercial and make a living doing what they enjoy doing?  Is it to actually create something that is received favorably by others or is it simply to experience that feeling of nirvana that comes from the creative process? It could vary and still yet what if their purpose was simply to put that art out there that is to be experienced by someone else to gain an appreciation for the world at hand?

While it is true that it’s better to be passionate about what we do, sometimes what the universe has decreed to be our main purpose in life is totally different.  My guides give me definitive instructions.  They show me why I am here.  I don’t always listen much as a stubborn child, but I do know it’s not what I show to the world at large on a grand scale.  I am passionate about my family, their well being is of my concern on a daily basis and I make sure to keep in touch with them so that things run smoothly.  While they are a great part of my life, there is part of it that doesn’t concern them and has nothing to do with my main purpose.  It is centered around my spiritual self and that is personal.

I often wonder about those who claim to have  a lock on their “purpose”, because for me it’s a work in progress.  Simply posting “quotes in a bottle” here and yon for others to find a “nugget” that they feel applies to them in the moment does not mean you have found true purpose.  What it means is that you have found a way to connect to those seeking and while you personally have made a connection, the other person may not have found what it is they seek as purpose in their life.  I can’t tell people what their purpose is, but I think too often they have a tendency to limit their idea of what that is.  For me purpose has to fulfill EVERY aspect of one’s life, not just on one level, so if somewhere it’s not available in an area of your life, chances are, it’s just a passing passion and not true purpose.

 

Ignorant attempts at Justification

I’ve probably been more than my usual snarky self with my enforced “vacation” .  But I have valid reasons for them…really !

It took over a week to get my computer back from a local tech shop(yeah should have taken it to bigger place, but it was such a simple fix that….yeah ya’ll get the picture). A week to get the power jack reseated and a new charger since the jack is little bigger than previous.  Their reasoning is that they had to order one and of course it takes time you know.  Really?  I’ve NEVER ordered ANYTHING online so have no idea that it takes over a week to get something in.  Just some usual bullshit over taking their slow ass time, which seems to be the norm according to reviews I have seen(after the fact of course).

Then of course there have been the conversations both online..which I have been kept apprised of thanks to some friends…They revolved around the way others are perceived according to race, sexuality and religions…Wait…Remind me again what year this is?  We are STILL having to have conversations about this shit?I know that some people were raised in certain atmospheres of hate and intolerance, but seriously, don’t you think that as one ages they can evolve into something, oh let’s say…something close to resembling a HUMAN BEING? I realize that being raised all over the world gave me a broader view but my parents were products of the south and held on to some of those beliefs when it came to our personal scope of things.   Want a for instance?  Ok, they objected to my dating someone who wasn’t my skin tone…did that stop me? Let’s just say that what they didn’t know surely didn’t hurt them(I still smile Marcus when I think of you)…What did it do for me?  Proved the point that he wasn’t any different than any other guy I dated, just NSFP(not suitable for parents), or at least not MY parents.  I’ve seen first hand the hatred and bigoted rhetoric spewed from people who want to sit on church pews and then treat others with utter disrespect as if they do not count for anything more than to take up space.  The judging of others who see a mixed child and the whispers of “they’re mixed you know”.  Really?  So….does that mean they won’t grow up to be anything more than a welfare mother or some thug on the street?  Exactly what do you mean when you say that you cannot love a child who is mixed race? Do you mean that you could not show them love or compassion of any kind or that you feel they are less than you as a human being?  Personally, and this is my opinion, but YOU who are across that line I’ve drawn are the worthless beings, not worth the air that the universe has given you to breathe.  YOU are the ones with a problem because you cannot see past a color divide that divides us into races, ethnicity.  Truthfully, EVERY white person upon the earth is MIXED with some other race.  Some of us even may have a darker persuasion*gasp* if you but check your family tree.  My family came from Ireland, some parts from Romania, some even mingled within Native american tribe.  I know..lots of people claim to be Cherokee, but I’ve done the research as have others in the family.  My brother even went so far as to claim his tribal number.  Cherokees as a civilized tribe often had whites, blacks as slaves, captives, and children were often born as a result of someone taking advantage of the situation.  Fact of life.  So it bothers me that people tend to assume that just because they look white, that it makes them so.  What if they were to be reminded of a time in history that said if one had ONE drop of “black” blood, they had to claim that as a race? Damn..I think I just caused someone to faint.  All those closeted sheet wearing bigots are pissing their pants right about now running to check their genealogy charts.  Better look close because even white doesn’t mean white ass crickets.   So race is still a big issue even when one is walking down the street wearing something that others deem to be “thug-like”.  I’ve seen people hold their purses a little closer when passing them in the mall, pull their kids out of the way.  Now to be fair, sometimes things ARE what they seem to be, but most often not, It’s just a way of self expression, and sometimes it can lead to tragedy, such as the case in Florida, which is now beginning to wind it’s way through the court system which has been too long delayed(yeah I know..that is my opinion and I’ll voice it..thanks all the same).

Race is not the only issue in which we still have work to do.  Women’s rights have seemed to be pushed by ignorant ass crickets back into the dark ages where we were treated as chattel.  Unfortunately for them, women today have been raised by many to believe that they can be and do anything they so choose,  thanks to a great many brave women who spoke up when it was not easy to do so.  But now we keep hearing the rhetoric of when and what a woman can do with her body.  It is getting beyond ridiculous.  Do these morons think that women cannot make informed decisions without their interference?  Majority of this is nothing more than a pandering to the religious zealots who demand things go their way or you’re going to hell for stepping out of line.  I don’t let fear rule my life even in the name of some unseen god, so choose to treat others with respect.  We are long past the stage where we are to stay at home letting the man be solely in charge of household doings(marriage is a partnership and if you don’t see it that way better check that expiration date). Women are more than capable of making informed decisions about their lives without having our options removed from us by those with their own agendas.  It’s time to take a stand and demand it stop.  IMMEDIATELY.

I’ve had people tell me that my opinions make me little judgmental myself.  Why yes.  Yes I am.  But I actually prefer to think that it’s on the correct side of the fence in a utopia like atmosphere that believes that in some point in time we can stop fighting the same old battles and learn to stop repeating so much negative history.  Pollyannaish I guess, but I really wish it could happen in my lifetime.  It would make the world a much easier place for our little people to live in.  One where they can be who they want to be, love who they choose to love and not have to explain what or why they believe as they do.  So while I’m on this side of the fence choosing to treat your ignorance with the disdain it deserves, just stay out of my way and stfu because I have no patience for the willfully stupid.

 

tempête parfaite

Storm witch

The night was a dark one, with just a sliver of the moon shining behind gossamer wisps of clouds .  The spanish moss hanging from the huge ancient mangrove trees provide an air of secrecy, as she steps forward from the boat.  With bare feet , it’s as if she is connected instantly as she feels the earth beneath her.  Pulling her cloak closer, she gathered the things she had brought with her tonight.  Things have been off kilter as of late…some things needing a tweaking, other things to be let go.  It was time to call the storm.  She walked forward to a clearing that was used for ritual work.  Secluded, private, and unseen by those who have not the eyes to notice where it was located.  As she approached, it seemed as if the wild life that resided in the swamp knew why she had arrived, as they made their presence known.  Alligators splashed their tails upon the water, the cranes covered their nests with their wings as if they know what is coming, and are in agreement.  The croak of the bullfrogs seem to beat in rhythm to the energy that is beginning to stir…singing a chorus only known to them.  She walks into the clearing, greeting the keeper of the gate as she does, and moves toward a place where the fire has already been stacked in preparation of her coming.  All is in readiness.  She stepped closer and snapped her fingers, bringing life to the fire, which illuminated the sheltered copse as a protected circle.  Drawing a bundle of herbs from her cloak, she tossed them into the cauldron that sat beside the fire, and she moved it to catch the heat of the flame, letting the perfume from the herbs waft around her.  She breathes in deeply, letting the warmth and perfume envelop her, filling her with peaceful energy.  She smiles to herself because she knows this is but the eye.  She turns then to the small bag she has brought with her, setting up a small altar with candles, rum, incense and sits a small drum down beside a rock near the fire.  Standing before the altar, she welcomes those in who would work with her this night and then turns to the drum.  She begins to drum lightly, caressing the skin as a lover might, smiling as it begins to vibrate within her spirit, as she continues to play watching as the fireflies dance to the rhythm overhead.  As she drums, she begins to sing..words of old, known to but a few, calling the storm to come and clear the air, to toss out that which no longer works, and causes pain.  To reap chaos on those who willingly put themselves in the way of the storm that has been building, calling it to themselves as if they were a magnet.  The storm clouds begin to gather and the wind blows from the east, bringing with it change,  raging, howling, moving, swirling with its anger.  The rain begins to rage as rapids, like the waterfalls over mountains in all its fury, and yet she sings on… calling out to the elements that bring forth life and fill her soul with renewal.  The rain, wind and drum dance together, filling the night with their energy.  In and out, over and under, all around it flows until there is no beginning or end to any of them.  And still she sings until at last all of her energy is spent, and the drum falls silent.  She sits now, spent and exhausted as the last of the storm begins to dies down and all that is left is a cleanliness to the air, and a light cleansing rain falling.  She smiles and places the drum back into her bag, giving it one last small pat in thanks, and gathers the pieces of the altar.  She sits and contemplates before the fire, then thanks those who lent their assistance and drinks one small libation with the gatekeeper.  She makes her way back to the entrance, not looking back because she knows that the fire will be extinguished and things made aright as they always are. As she seats herself in the small boat to makes her way home,  she knows that whatever the storm has wrought, will be  necessary and things will be righted in balance once more.

 

tempête parfaite

The prayer chain

Ya’ll know that I don’t mind people praying.  If that is their thing, then by all means do that.  Spells are after all prayer in action really.  it all comes down to the intent.  But here is where I’m having a problem lately.  In voodoo/hoodoo groups, and even in some of the pagan groups, I see postings of prayer chains.  People asking for prayer for simple things like sore throat, get a new job etc.  Now that is all well and good, but since when did we step off into the christian realm?  As a pagan, I do not expect the gods to answer every whim or need, desire that I have.  If I am ill, then I see a physician, or use some herbal supplement to help out. I need a job?  I get my ass out on the pavement, putting in applications, revamping that resume and working actively to gain employment.  I do not believe in a  god the same as  those who walk a christian path..it’s in different manner that  I place my beliefs, and different ones that I choose to work with.  So why would I even offer prayers for those I do not know for mundane things?  Now don’t get me wrong..I offer energy when its needed for those who can use the assist, that is NOT the same as praying.  Praying would mean I say the words you wish to hear, expending energy that I have, for something that can be handled with physical action here in the real world.  I choose when and where to offer myself, and it’s not done lightly, but I see people all the time offer to do that for others and it makes me curious really as to why that is.  Is it some kind of holdover from the christian construct they have grown up with?  Is it that they want to claim energy from others to add to theirs because they cannot put their own forth as necessary to accomplish the job?  I have no idea really.  I only know that I cannot in good conscience pray for someone since that would mean asking for something from the divine and that is not something I do lightly or for things that to me seem a bit on the silly or weak side.  I know that there are some who disagree with this, but I also know others who hold the same belief that they have no need of the words for their desires/needs here in the mundane.  Some would say…”oh but any positive energy is a good thing”.  Really.  I also disagree with that.  Pray/Prey..to some they are one and the same.  There are those who pray that someone would “come to Jesus”.  It  is praying amiss because in truth, you are violating their free will to believe as they choose, and that prayer will not be honored.  If one cannot come on their own, they walk another line.  Simple as that.  So to pray in that setting..the other person then becomes prey.  You are setting your yardstick and guidelines on others beliefs.  That is wrong on many levels.  So for those who want to walk with a foot in both paths, and send all that love and light to every corner of the earth..feel free.  For myself, I’ll stick to the shadows where it’s comfortable and do what I’ve always done and assist when and where it’s really needed, not just because someone cannot handle real life.  I am just not comfortable watching or participating in prayer chains because I left that path a long while back because it did not fill me spiritually and that is what my path is about.  I’m not a love and light kind of witch, and am not the one to ask I guess for simple things.  I don’t carry a lot of patience in my pocket lately it seems.

 

tempête parfaite

Just a little introspection

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

There are monsters all around, but none worse than the one that resides within us.  We can often times be our own worst enemy, especially when we fall victim to listening to others who want to shape and mold us.  The problem with this is that its more their vision of what we should be and become instead of the real image of ourselves.  If we allow them to push us to their view instead of standing our ground then we lose part of who we are.  Now that doesn’t mean that they are always totally wrong, because sometimes it is easier for others to see things we often do not since it under our nose so to speak, but it has to be our move and our choice.

Last night I was sitting around a fire and thinking things through.  I lost my temper with a friend because I felt that he was assuming things about me and my path that were incorrect.  He spoke to me as he speaks to others, teaching, but it lost something in the translation.   Maybe it’s because I rarely speak of how I work, what I actually believe, except in generalities.  Maybe it’s because I keep quiet about those I work with.  Perhaps its because I’ve had a lot going on lately and the comment just missed its mark, and I took it in the wrong way…~shrugs~.   The path I walk has been forged over time with changes in direction, false starts and utter chaos at times.  Through it all my guides have been beside me, protecting me, speaking with me and guiding the person I am today.  There are times when I want to walk away, shut the door and yell “enough”! But truthfully, that thought scares me more than staying the course.  Because without this spiritual connection, I’m not sure I could deal with all the mess of the mundane.  It keeps me grounded when the earth seems to fall out from under my feet, allows me to stand in the the strongest of storms yelling back into the wind for the universe to BRING IT because I am still standing.  It also allows me to find the silence within my soul and nurture that peace so that I am able to appreciate the beauty around me.  It’s not always easy, but then life is to be a challenge isn’t it?  If we always got everything we wanted, we might not end up where we are supposed to be, and then the disappointment and dissatisfaction would set in and everything would end up in chaos anyway.  So did I find any definite answers?  Not really, other than I know more about who I am and  what I will and will not allow in my life anymore.  I don’t have a need for everyone to understand or pat me on the back for knowing what I know…I’ve seen too many running like rats after cheese  wanting those accolades.  It’s nice to be appreciated, but I prefer that come from those who mean something to me rather than total strangers sucking up in the hopes that they can feed from the scraps at your table.
It will take a lot of work, daily to tweak this path, but that is what keeps the journey interesting.  and if by chance I don’t agree with your view of what that should be, then keep stepping.  Life is too short for me to try and please anyone other than myself.

 

tempête parfaite

Let me spell it out for you

I have issues…I tell you all the time, that I like to be the one in control..of my life, my path, my….EVERYTHING.  It goes way back to a time when things in my world spun beyond my control, filled with abuse fueled by alcohol, insanity and perversion.  So at a time when I could not protect myself, I developed some skill sets that served me well and I still put into use even now that they aren’t as necessary as they used to be.   So I have a tendency to over think things(not always a bad thing), and demand space from what is mine.  It’s like drawing a line 3 feet out and telling you to stay the fuck behind the line or draw back a nub.  I have issues..I tell you :).  The reason for this little rant is that I use this little blog to write out storms, dreams to go back and decipher, and just put out what I am thinking.  It’s included in the “all that is mine” space I just mentioned, and I’ve had some people just come in and wholesale it out on front street without even so much   a “may I please”.  Now I ask you…just what kind of ass cricket does this?  With my control issues, I get a little paranoid already when my little writings get sent on the wind, but I get downright snarky when things get hijacked.  So for those who just think they can do as they please, let me spell it out for the very last time.  If you think that lifting things that do not belong to you is the way to go, I suggest you check the fine print that says it has legal protection,  It also has lojack, which means for the uninitiated that your wheels will fall off your little red wagon because I’m sick and tired of trying to explain the term respect to those who have no fucking clue even if I were to hand them one wrapped in a bow!!!  So this is last time ass cricket.  The next sound you hear will be your lungs trying to suck air(my personal code of ethics say I have to leave you breathing..just not in what condition).

Profitez de cette écriture, et vous verrez, à quel point il sera dangereux. La douleur et le conflit avec elle vient, vous donnant la tempête parfaite. Maintenant allez vous faire foutre

Assumptions and all that carp

Don’t you love when you see things people post that make a broad statement about “everyone?”  Today I get home and peruse through status and see this one from Pagan Coalition:
A Pagan is a person who believes that everything has a soul or spirit. This is called Animism, and all Pagan religions share this common belief.Sun,Moon,Stars,Planets,Elements, Rivers,Animals, Rocks, Trees,as well as People, are all filled with there own unique spirits. Traditionally, Christians believe that only humans have souls or spirits.

Really.  So, let me see if I can decipher this mess.  ALL pagans believe everything has soul or spirit. ALL pagans are Animists. ALL pagans believe in the universe as a whole, sun, moon, trees, rocks, etc.  Christians believe ONLY humans have souls.

So, let’s go through these shall we?   Do ALL pagans believe everything has a soul or spirit?  It depends on one’s definition of the word “pagan” I think, but quite a few of us do. But there are many that are Pantheistic(which is similar) , and some are totemic.  So to lump us all under ONE definition is to my personal opinion, assuming way to much.

On to the next little jewel that ALL pagans believe in the universal of sun, moon, trees, et al.  No.  We don’t.  Some of us do not even involve nature at all into our path.  Some do not abide by timing of the moon, sun or any other planetary bodies.  We don’t all go out and commune with nature, hugging trees, picking flowers, collecting rocks and twigs.   I might have a few elements of nature in my path because of the herbs, elements and timing, but saying that ALL of us believe that way ….I call bullshit!

Last but certainly not least is the “Christians believe only humans have souls or spirits”.  Now soul and spirit are often used interchangeably by many.  But in certain faiths, it is applied to the incorporeal essence of a person.  Many secular faiths believe it to contain the real essence of that person, as in the case of one “going to heaven” .  But Christians are not alone in their belief that humans alone possess a soul.    In fact, Judaism, B’hai faith, Orthodox churches also believe that way.  Buddhists believe in a transient state..We are always in a state of flux.  Taoism says humans have two souls, hun and po, yin and yang…So to specifically state and imply that Christians alone believe that humans have soul is again a crock of shit.

So why post an all encompassing one size fits all, everyone is alike kind of definition?  It makes no sense. Confuses the hell out of the little fluffmuffins wandering around trying to find their “truth” and destination.  Why not tell them the truth?  Tell them that we don’t all believe the same.  some of us have a traditional path that has a set dogma and structure, while others have a combination of UPG and knowledge gained through study and exploration.  We are Not all the same, nor do we believe that way.  the main reason many of us walk a pagan path is that we hate structure and rules.  The secular faiths did nothing for us so we came seeking something that speaks to us personally.  We don’t all fit into the same hole.  so personally, I want pagan groups in general to stop trying to speak for one and all because we are all diverse, coming at this from our own perspective, and while some generalities might be true, as a whole, it does not fit.  So stop with all the bullshit and try a little truth for a change.  Who knows? You might actually like that view in the mirror for a change.

DEUCES

And the dance continues

Sometimes it is amazing that one receives validation from various places when you are not looking for them.  Such has been my case the past week.  Hell has been calmer, I’ve worked hard enough to get a 3 day weekend, and then there are the little things,, such as the feeling of getting water flicked at my face for attention, when there is no water near or anyone else for that matter, birds that aren’t usually out when I leave for work are suddenly swooping in front of the car as if they lead the way for me.  Even messages left for me from friends give me direction .  While things around me are a little shuffled, and I have had several tell me since my health issues to step away, leave it to others, I stood still.  To catch my breath for one, but mostly to listen…really listen to the messages from those who have always guided me well.So today when I was awakened by the little girl who brightens my days and her just as hyper dog, I realized that my knee was extremely sore.  If I put it to the mundane,  I could have dismissed it as an overuse this week, but in truth, that was normal thing for me. Or I could say it’s going to rain so bothers the arthritis there, but that too is normal.  So why do I believe it is something else?  Because I was traveling last night. To a place that welcomes me every time I have need to go. I was in the swamp. Not too far from where the cabin sits, but not in Brin’s clearing.  This was a special place,  confined and enclosed within the moss hanging from the Mangrove trees. I sat in the bottom of the boat as it was steered closer.  I could smell herbs as they wafted on the breeze, feeling the energy flow over and around me, embracing me as it pulled me closer.  As I began to come into the bank, I could feel it.  The rhythm of the drums.  They seemed to call my name in welcome and I was eager to be within the confines of the circle.   I pulled my cloak around me and stepped onto the earth which seemed to pulse with life in time to the drums which  gathered me  in and pull me closer.  As I reached the outer edges of the circle, I could see those who guide me, counsel me and sometimes chastise me when I’m not listening.  Their ceremonial garb and painted sigils tell me that this is no ordinary dance..this is more like corroborree, full of ceremony, ritual,…special circumstances.  As I step in, I am met by Maman, who hugs me warmly and whispers to me that she is glad that I have decided to come.  As if I had a choice I think….”you always have the choice” was the response.  There are others in this circle that are important party of my path and I am welcomed in as an equal.  Equal?  No fucking way am I equal to them! And yet the answer I hear is that we are equal…its human nature to place the divider…there are rules for some that are not in place for others, and they are the conduit to do the work necessary.  All the while the drums have been low, just seeming to vibrate, but now their song of knowledge, magic, protection and love is getting louder, sweeping over the clearing, embracing one and all there.  My feet seem to twitch at a long forgotten dance, one that has not been done for some time.  I feel the heat on my hand and the sigil there seems to glow as if to reassure me, and I feel a hand take mine.  I look into familiar eyes and smile, and so we begin to dance.  Twisting, twirling, turning with the beat of the drums moving through us as if we are non corporeal beings  and are one with the energy flow.  Time has no meaning in the elsewhere so I could not tell you how long the night lasted.  What I can tell you is that I awoke this morning smiling, feeling more at peace than I have in some time and aside from the knee’s small complaint this morning, I feel refreshed enough to know that walking away is not an option, because I would lose part of who I am.  

ORIGINAL THOUGHTS? ANYONE?

I’m beginning to feel more than a little frustrated really at reading some of the pagan groups as of late.    They all seem to be of one coven:    Copy/Pasters of the Unimaginative, Uninformed Fae of the Great Beyond. Yeah, can smell all that glitter from here.

In truth, it’s frustrating, both to the authors themselves and to others who want accurate information.   The lines are blurred as to what will and will not go when it comes to posting, even though there are documents detailing such..many aren’t aware or get confused as to what they should do.   So my thought is that its better to err on the side of caution and assume everything is protected, and source it back with links.  Much less headache that way.  But people being people, are invariably lazy  or need that ego boost of “look what I found/know” and copy everything they can put their little mouse on.  Sometimes they even have the audacity to post it as their own works.  And yet, if you were to ask if they would consider stealing in the mundane, you would get a resounding “NO”! The problem is that for many, they do not feel as if they are stealing, because “hey if it’s on the net, it must be free right?” I know that in a secular world, people sit up right quick when their works are compromised by theft, but in the pagan realm it seems like that people think that if it’s out there, then share away.  I’m not sure why they feel so, other than the thinking that we are mostly outside the box from the start so no need to stick to what is the norm for most people.  I don’t know if it’s because I’ve suddenly taken a good look at what is going on, talking with those who write and are working to change this , or that it’s taking off on a life on its own.  It just seems like something new every day.  Some new site, group, page, whatever,that is just full of unsourced material.  It makes my head hurt to think about it really.  I cannot even begin to think about how those who write for a living must feel when they see their work splashed all over without even a credit given.

I don’t even have any answers for this mess either.  The logical one would be to read up on copyright laws and keep informed as to what one can share legally, or just give a summation and link back to the author.  As for those who still belong to the coven of copy/paste…a word of advice….STOP!  It doesn’t make you look smarter, give you any street cred should your deceit be found out(and it will because unlike some school of thought, the pagan world isn’t as large as it once was)…and it can cause you great legal issues should you not do the right thing.

DEUCES

Hey soul sister!

I’ve been trying to behave this week.   I’ve not done  not a lot of ranting, kept the blood pressure in its proper sphere, and just watched the discussions as they move past.  I’ve even posted on a few…just enough to keep me awake and involved, not enough to have a relapse.  But one has caught my attention, that has always been one of my pet peeves, so I am going to stroke it today.

Why is it that one  thinks they  can assume a “familial” connection to someone,  and call them “brother” or “sister” from the outset?   It happens quite often, especially online. Too often I see people who come into groups, chat or otherwise and when they address others, it is as “sister” or “brother”.  I have major issues with this.  Let me see if I can count down the ways that it bothers me: First, I have a biological sister..one is enough.  Second, this word implies a familial connection, closer sometimes than blood kin. I have people like this in my life and I cherish them…but they were chosen with care, NOT on a whim.  Third, it implies that we are like-minded individuals holding the same beliefs and practices. While we may have  some similarities, since I am not in a traditional coven setting, this would be highly unlikely.  Fourth, it smacks of a pretentious hypocrisy that assumes quite a bit about our “relationship”….news flash!  We DO NOT have one! Especially if you have just now arrived in said group, we have never spoken, and do not interact outside of one thread.  There is no soul connection, nothing spiritual between us, nada, nothing zip!

Maybe I have this peeve as a holdover from a christian view on life? I did walk that way once until I began seeking things for myself and stopped trying to fit in with society’s view of what I should be.  People in a secular faith frequently call each other sister/brother because they ARE in a like minded setting, connected to one another in their beliefs.  It is another extension of setting themselves apart from those who walk differently, or “worse” don’t believe at all.  So perhaps in thinking on my issue with this, it stems from some of this.

Someone in a group setting says that they see this as a term of endearment.  Really?  I am used to hearing all sorts of such endearments living here in the south, from “Hon, Honey, Sweet Pea, Sweetie, Dear, Darlin’, but the sister/brother thing is usually a secular one and not done for the masses, so am just not a fan. I’ll choose my own familial connections thanks.  I’ll  make my own connections to souls that I consider closer than family, love and most importantly…RESPECT for their views, their humor, their knowledge.  They and ONLY they would be the ones I’d ever address with a familial term, but none of us are prone to doing so because we just aren’t in that type of mindset.  We know the value of one another without making a show out of the connection.   That type of connection is not an act friends, nor does it need shouted from the rooftops making everyone aware of said link.  To do otherwise just cheapens it in the eyes of others and with that said….just this once, I’ll give a shout out to tribe, even though they know the emotional ties… I am grateful for each and one of you, and if I ever forget to tell you(not that will happen anytime soon), I love and respect you all.  Ok, enough sappy shit and back to the usual channel of snark 😉

DEUCES