Stereotyping

Having been perusing a few profiles of online pagans recently and watching some of the people who swan in and out of pagan/witchy shops, I have come to the conclusion that I may not be your typical pagan. What's more, I am not the only one thinking about stereotypes as the topic came up on a pagan message board just today as I was thinking of doing this post.

You see, I don't do a lot of things other pagans do.

I work in an office in the city and I drive in to work and I drive home. I prefer it that way and, one of the reasons I work nights is because I couldn't stand the daily commute on the trains/buses - it made me ill. I have this job because it pays well and is (relatively) stress free, not because I like it or its something I feel benefits my community.

I drive a car - everywhere. I'd drive a Bugatti Veyron if I had the money. I relish watching Top Gear because cars and fast driving fascinate me, always have, though I'm not that keen on actual day-to-day driving. I like speed - fast planes, fast boats, water skiing and, I'm sure if I were to try it, snow skiing. I don't like motorbikes, but that's because I've come off twice and sustained injuries. If I could own and run a helicopter, I would. If I had an unlimited budget, I'd also have a fully integrated entertainment system, home computer with all the top of the range software. in my eco-friendly, but high-tech home/farm.

I am not an eco-warrior. Sure, I do my bit of recycling and composting and I take in my own shopping bags with me when I go out. When I use my car, I drive sensibly in order to keep fuel consumption and emissions low (unless someone were to give me free reign on a track that is). All my lights bulbs are eco ones and I turn off lights and other electrical equipment (even in the office ), but, I don't chain myself to trees or involve myself in protests, because I am time poor. I do support various groups through subscriptions, memberships and donations.

I have a black thumb, i.e. I can't grow anything. The only success I had was a rose vine outside my sister's window back in Australia. I eat a lot of microwave meals. Yup, you heard me. I work in an office, mostly after hours, so preparing meals from scratch isn't possible, especially when you don't have an "official" break time, nor it is possible to cook anything in an office without Health and Safety stepping in. I keep cans of soup in the office as well. That's not to say I don't cook when I have the chance. I have a bench top stove/hob where you can only use one thing at a time, so its mostly one pot cooking or baking. I do try to buy locally sourced products however. So my fruit and veg is local, my juice comes from my home county, as does my honey, milk, meat, cheese, etc. I don't drink alcohol, except for the odd "hot toddy" when I have a cold/sore throat. I don't do drugs, either.

I support fox hunting having seen what pests the blighters are to farmers, who have it rough enough as it is. Actually, I support hunting and fishing in general. I wear leather and eat meat and I'd wear fur, too, provided it came from an animal who has been wholly consumed, not just killed for its fur/hide.

I don't do fancy dress. Yes, I like the velvet medieval gowns, and have a penchant for the fashions of other bygone eras, but I couldn't wear those things today; not in public. I live and work in the real world, where a suit and sensible shoes are deemed appropriate. I wear t-shirts, shirts, jeans and boots away from work and track suit trousers are for indoors. I do wear a charm bracelet that has a pagan/witch theme, but that's because I like it, not so others will "know" who I am.

I don't have an overtly pagan home, either. I have four statues, a pendle witch, a resin skull, a green man next to my back door, no indoor altar (unless you count the family photos) and a dreamcatcher above my bed and a few herbs in a bag under my pillow for bad dreams. Yes, I have lots of candles, but I prefer the softer lighting at night.

I use both conventional and complementary medicine. I'm different from most, though, because in a crisis I revert to homeopathy and magic, rather than the conventional route. I've been through the New Age scene, but am glad to be out of it. That said, I did train in Reiki and I think it works if you've gone and learned from a lineaged master. I've found most are fakes and it really pays to check their credentials and sample their work before paying out any money. That said, Reiki is very basic in comparison to the energy work most witches do, especially those who've been working at it for years.

I don't do: chakras; crystals; auras; kabbalah; demons; angels; spirit guides; using my pets (cats and dogs) as familiars; the necronomicon; the goetia; the eight sabbats and however many esbats; solstice at Stonehenge; ritual nudity; Wicca; pointed hats; unicorns; dragons; otherkin; Victorian-style fairies; and I'm sure a host of other things pagans are supposed to do. I don't subscribe to the "love and light" brigade, nor do I go around saying "blessed be" and/or "merry meet".

I don't dream of living on a commune with like-minded folk, as I'm too much of an anti-social hermit/home body. I don't go to pagan camps/festivals/moots - mostly because they occur during my working hours but also because I don't want to align myself with the weirdos that attend most of them. That, and the incessant, arhythmic drumming.

I laugh as people buy the tat from various shops they believe will make them pagan, or buy the books they think contain all the secrets. But that's okay, because I was once one of them. I do concern myself with historical fact when considering my pagan path, but I balance that with my own experience and beliefs.

I don't camp, mostly because I never have and wouldn't know how to do so safely and without damaging my surroundings. That said, were I to be given instruction, I'd be more likely to try it. I don't traverse the great outdoors as much as I used to, either, but that's because I have a condition which limits my ability to venture far. My idea of roughing it is a two star hotel (minimum), though I prefer 4 and 5 star accommodations. I like fine dining, quality theatre, Armani watches, Chanel perfume, designer silver jewellery, my digital cameras and lenses, my iPod and other lifestyle luxuries. I am not immune to rampant consumerism and collect books, DVDs and CDs by the shelf.

Am I your stereotypical pagan? I think not.

Danu Arrives

So, back in the Summer I decided there was something I particularly wanted for my birthday and I put aside money for it. I placed an order with Wicca Moon and Shirlee placed the order with the suppliers in the United States, who said it would not be available until the fall. Well, it finally arrived and, on Saturday, I went into Wicca Moon to collect her: Danu.

Danu, as crafted by Maxine Miller © 2007

It was worth the wait. If only Lugh had arrived with her, but I'm assured he is on his way.

I must admit to having a bit of penchant for the statues of Baphomet that has also arrived, but both were sold, so perhaps its for the best, as I can ill afford to purchase him at the moment.

Expensive Holiday Tours

I have booked my holiday for next year already. I enjoy visiting prehistoric or mystical sites and, in particular, megaliths, so I have done so with Neil at Megalithic Tours. I did this, because Neil provides an excellent services going to places that few others do at a very reasonable cost. Only, I did not realise just how reasonable until this week when I saw two separate tours advertised.

The first I encountered in a well-known pagan magazine. It was called Celtic Trails and it advertised a seven day tour taking in Highland Perthshire, the Isle of Iona and the West Coast. The prices ranged from £1,100 to £1,500 depending on itinerary and accommodation. As much as I want to get to Iona one day, that was way out of my price range.

The second tour company operates out of Australia, and calls itself Dragon's Eye Tours. It runs two tours: one to the West Country of England and another to Ireland. Granted, the first is 11 days long and costs AUD$4,500, but the Irish tour is only 9 days long and comes in at AUD$3,000, but this is land cost only, flights not included.

Now I realise both of these companies provide specialised guides for the tours and, in some instances, secure private access to certain sites, and this may justify some of the cost, but it is often possible to arrange access to sites through special interest groups, and often volunteers from said groups will provide you with good, honest information.

I'm just glad Megalithic Tours follows these kind of itineraries, otherwise I would probably not visit the sites. As I travel alone which adds to the cost and the miles involved can make a fun trip tedious, so having a tour guide and fellow travellers makes more sense. Apparently, Megalithic Tours can now be found on facebook, too.

Still, if you want to go to these places, here's a nice selection of what's on offer:

Ireland and the Ancient Emerald Isle ~ 9 days

Stonehenge, Avebury and Glastonbury ~ 4 days (private access to Stonehenge included)

Orkney & Shetland ~ 6 days

Do have a search around and see if you can't find better. I lived in the UK for over a decade and I've yet to find a better touring company than Megalithic Tours for visiting historic or mystical sites.

The Night of the Bard

I wrote a piece last year entitled "The Night of the Bard" about a night of storytelling by Steve Patterson, as a guest of Wicca Moon. Well, Steve returned to Wicca Moon last night and I was lucky enough to attend. Sadly, he left his lyre behind, but this did not detract from his storytelling.

This time the talk was centred on charms and Steve brought with him a lovely collection of items for us to view whilst he discussed various aspect of folk magic through the ages in Cornwall. There were only two tales this evening and, unfortunately, less attendees. I made the mistake of believing you had to book, and I passed this erroneous information to others, who obviously decided it was too much trouble. Alas, it was open to all.

Steve also had some items he had made himself available for purchase. One item of particular interest was made from the nails of a church floor and blackthorn. He had a lovely collection of bull-roarers, athames (one made from 40,000 year old bones retrieved from the North Sea), wands, labyrinth boxes, obsidian mirrors, hag stones, and various other charms for sale, too. I have not seen anything to match his work anywhere in the UK and its worth tracking him down if you can.

And, if you happen to hear he is in the area offering his bardic delights, make sure you go, as you are sure to be entertained.

Groups

I have seen a few discussions recently on group work and how most of the people I know through the internet do not work in groups.

I am not sure this is altogether true, though. I mean, we may not all meet up (in the physical world) to work together for a common aim, but how often do you see those messages asking for support or healing and people responding that they are acting upon the request? Is that not a form of group working, i.e. the group operating in the virtual and magical realms only?

I do participate in groups, but only online where a sharing of information takes place. I have only ever worked with one person magically, but we worked separately as it were to achieve the same end. I just wouldn't trust anyone else; its not in my nature to trust anyone that way.

When it comes to spirituality, I have participated in group (ritual and informal), but I still prefer the sharing of information through internet groups. That said, a chance encounter with a well-know pagan witch did give me assurance I could be more open about my experiences with others, something of which you are never sure when most contact is via the internet.

I am still very wary of group working and I will probably always work alone, but I wonder ... am I truly working alone if I am interacting with others through the medium of the web?

Call to Put Gaelic TV on Freeview

As a new learner of Scots Gaelic, I was dissapointed to find that the new BBC channel, BBC Alba is not available on freeview boxes, despite being a "free" channel on subscription services, such as Sky. Apparently, this will be the case until a review in 2010.

So, I found out that there is a petition doing the rounds to urge John McLeod of the Scottish parliament to release the channel onto freeview. Why is this important? Because not everyone can afford to subscribe to cable/satellite television and why should they if the channel is paid for by their television licence fees? What's more the Scottish government state they wish to promote gaelic culture, yet by having BBC Alba available on subscriptions services, it limits the potential for promotion that television can provide.

So, if you are new learner of the language, a native speaker or just interested in the culture of Scotland, why not sign the petition, so everyone can enjoy what only the priveleged few can at the moment.

Sign the Petition Here

Progress

I have started to make progress towards my goal of relocating to my "spiritual home". I have found someone to assist me in learning more about the history, language and culture of the area. At last, I feel like I am moving forward. Its seems I've spent a lot of time in reflection, planning and thinking about what I want to do instead of actually doing it, so this development is welcome.

Its not to say I have not made any effort towards reaching my goals, as I have spent months seeking the right people who can help. I have been contacting various groups, societies, and various other organisations, all without result. Finally, I contacted a college and they, rather suprisingly, provided me with further contacts. Its given me hope that I will be able to locate others who will be able to provide me with assistance in my goal.

As much as these new studies will take up much of my time, I still have other smaller goals to achieve all of which will contribute to the ultimate goal of relocation and I will devote more energy to achieving these. I just hope that these will require less prep work!

Reflection

Perhaps its the time I year; I don't know. What I do know is that I am spending a lot of time reflecting on what I do, how I do it, why I do it and so on. To that end, neither this online journal, nor the one I mantain for my family has seen any activity.

I've noticed other bloggers have slowed down a bit, too. Its not that I don't have ideas on what to post, just that the ideas I do have are not as cohesive as I would like before posting a comment. There is activity in one quarter, which I am watching with a keen eye, but I have to say I am not contributing at all. I waiting to see what's left when the dust dies down and this seems to be a theme with me this month.

If I have time on the weekend, I hope to do some meditation out of doors. A long walk through the local woods, which I've not seen for over two months, would be nice and, as its so familiar, it would be condusive to clarifying my thoughts.

Tonight marked the end of several "honouring the ancestors" projects, too. It was good to take part and talk openly about various ancestors with others. If it happens again next year, I will take part again.