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Topic: Pagan stereotypes
SunRiser
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Posts: 20
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Pagan stereotypes
on: November 21, 2011, 06:11

I've been thinking about our stereo types lately. Blame some of the students at my lil college. Their of another message therapy class but one of my classmates know them. We had a few people come in for demos; we had a reflexologist, chiropractor, a deep tissue… Person thing that I can't remember the name of, a reiki lady and a hot stones lady. Well, at some of the ones where there was energy involved these people apparently were not comfortable and got bad vibes at some of the demos. (keep in mind this is second hand info) I was at the same demos and I dont know what their problem was.

I can't help think that these guys get a little overreactive when it comes to energy work and psychic stuff. Their not fluffies thou; they seem serious about their spirituality, even tho ones looks like she'd be a good poster child for the gothic-punk fashion of paganism. They remind me of a girl I used to know that I met at a meetup. She made a big deal about the psychic part of the spirituality and was kinda paranoid about it.

I've figured out what these people are: their devas. They use their spirituality to get attention. To make them appear … More different, special. Made them the hero of whatever lil fantasy they've revolved around them. On a spiritual level. While I can understand some of the whys, I've been on the other side of this stereotype far too often to be okay with it. It border lines on psychic vampirism for the fact that their fantasy can suck the energy out of those that are in their group. Devas are annoying at the best of times; add our energy and psychic awareness to the mix and it can be thrown way out of proportion. And they do kinda put a bad face on Wicca and general paganism depending on their belief system. If I had to choose, I might just choose a fluffy bunny over a deva for the fact that' the bunny is less dangerous.


So thats my musings.

And I put this in the Fuel for the fire section for a reason, so feel free to take advantage of that. You won't hurt my feelings.


Thanks for letting me get this off my chest and I look forward to your input on it.


~Dare to believe in the unbelievable!
~If that which you seek you cannot find within, you shall not find without-CotG
~The ability to speak does not make one intellegent! -SW

Goibniu
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Posts: 51
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Re: Pagan stereotypes
on: November 21, 2011, 08:15

hmm You do get the occasional pagan who has nasty energy, or who has some sort of hidden agenda, but the same as in any group of mainstream people. I'm also in the massage therapy business and some of the centres and clinics can have more than their share of big egos or money driven agendas, for instance, most pagans are pretty average seeming. For instance, this evening I was at the monthly Pagan Pub night. Most people there were a mix of youngish and middle aged. Most had fairly ordinary jobs like commercial artist, chef, teacher, nurse, etc. When your livelihood is based on some New Age or vaguely pagan thing you may have a financial interest in promoting that specific technique or whatever. But most pagans are enthusiastic amateurs. Their beliefs in energy work, for instance, isn't money driven so is more self-less and honest in general. But they probably have less skill and knowledge so could possibly be misled by a teacher who was promoting an approach to energy work that netted the teacher more money.


Most groups of witches, whether churches or covens teach for free, so eliminate the financial aspects. I've always said that the New Age movement is as money driven as the Christian televangelists or private healthcare. This still leaves ego and the desire for power over others, or reputation/ feeling special as reasons to misuse psychic abilities or energy work skills. But diva behaviours tend to dissipate over time as the individual matures. There are still going to be a few jerks who never grow out of it, but I'm quite sure that within Christianity and other more mainstream religions they have as many jerks as we do if not more.


The fluffy bunny stereotype is so prevalent not because there are so many fuzzy bunnies but because the fuzzy bunny types are generally much louder and more noticeable. A lot of them delight in being noticed and a few are actually in everyones' faces. But typically pagans are low key about their spiritual beliefs. I have the suspicion that most people know and hang out with pagans but aren't aware that their friend or co-worker is pagan. In this sense, the stereotypes about pagans are quite inaccurate. All of the above is of course my humble opinion.


Live in Hamilton, Ontario. RMT, and teach Qigong and Taiji.

British Traditional Wiccan.

Copperwoman
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Posts: 8
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Re: Pagan stereotypes
on: April 28, 2012, 23:23

We did not create the stereotypes. Pagan stereotypes are not caricatures or distorted/exaggerated representations of real Pagan people, trads or culture. For the most part, the stereotypes attached to us are scary, evil, sexy, funny, goth, hippie, fluffy etc…


one definition:


"…A stereotype is a popular belief about specific types of individuals. The concept of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often interchangeable. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of people based on assumptions. Another name for stereotyping is bias. Stereotyping can turn into discrimination."


IMO, people who adopt a stereotype are not seeking attention, they are trying to belong. Sadly, it will never happen because imitating something that is not real, usually results in membership to a different club of outsiders, not insiders.


I’m dedicated to an advanced understanding of the pataphysical manifestations of everyday Chaos! Amor Vincit Omnia

Ladyhawke4
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Posts: 3
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Re: Pagan stereotypes
on: June 3, 2012, 12:51

Deva (Buddhism), a superhuman being in traditional Buddhist cosmology

Deva (Hinduism), a favorable supernatural entity in Hinduism

Deva (New Age), spiritual forces or beings behind nature


I presume that this is not the Deva you're looking for.


Funny thing about stereotypes; the label is acquired or used by people without sufficient thinking skills to come up with their own definitions. That little goth girl might just like black clothing. You're making some rather broad assumptions.


It's kind of hard to tell from your post just who is giving out bad vibes and who is receiving them; practitioners or clients. It's been my observations that people who expect bad things generally find them. Anyone coming to receive energy work and who is convinced it's not a good thing is going to be screwing with any good vibes before they get started. As for freaking out a bit; it can be overwhelming when you realize you actually have some positive effect on someone; overwhelming because with that ability comes an awareness of great responsibility.


I've grown more tolerant of the fluffies and devas lately; the truly motivated ones generally mature, their perspectives deepen, the nervous energy and enthusiasm mellows into a genuine warmth. I've even grown more tolerant of the judgmental ones who often seen to project their own worst fears or doubts about themselves onto others. Karma is a bitch and either they learn to mellow out or all that negativity comes back to settle on their own shoulders. Ouch.


Favourite quotes:

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. – Dr. Seuss. American Writer and Cartoonist best known for his collection of children’s books. 1904-1991
http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/basicpri.htm

Ananta_Androscoggin
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Posts: 3
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Re: Pagan stereotypes
on: June 6, 2012, 09:37

I suspect that "diva" (and all of its negative worst-type associations) is the searched-for term.


I often find myself feeling that "New Age" should be defined as some sort of "fluffy-bunny Christianity." Just as the Maryknoll Catholic Dictionary says that "Christopaganism" is an impossibility (perhaps more dogma-driven than reality-based), there are numerous people who claim Christian-Wiccan as their pathway who are so flaky that it seems their real belief is that this pathway means they "can do magic, and still go to heaven with Jebus." Of course, there are others on that pathway who are much more serious than this.


The worst, I think, are those who with all deliberation undertake to present themselves to the world as the Ultimate Completion of a stereotype (any stereotype), in all its details, with all its attitudes. Some do this simply because of their zeal for a new passion, intending to prove to themselves, their new compatriots, and the world of their dedication; which hopefully they'll outgrow as they learn the true ways of it.


Others, unfortunately, have convinced themselves that the stereotype is the only way to be whatever it is they've undertaken.


Achriel
Administrator
Posts: 19
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Re: Pagan stereotypes
on: September 16, 2012, 21:27

Though the 'Diva' is one of the more noticable pagan stereotypes (mostly because you noticing them is the goal of every Diva). Thyey are (to me) neither the most annoying or most dangerous so I safely ignore them and they, in turn, ignore me.


Once upon a time we had a list (might be in the Reference Section) of the 'Field Guide to Pagans' or something like that. have a gander in there and at your next gathering hand our score cards and see who can find all the 'species' :)


– Achriel (head janitor)

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