hearthstone (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hearthstone) wrote2004-07-06 01:05 pm
hearthstone) wrote2004-07-06 01:05 pm
(no subject)
Okay, I have to say it--I do not understand these folks who decide to become heathen or pagan and the first thing they do is look for "a teacher." Seriously, maybe I'm weird, but my impulse would be to do my own research first! Wouldn't it make more sense to try to gain a broader base of information before handing oneself over to some random person? Why would someone think that this random person would be at all knowledgable, or even trustworthy, if they had no exposure to the faith in question ahead of time? How would they be able to tell?
I don't mean folks who ask for information or to be pointed to resources--or who do some work, realize that they've gotten as far as they can on their own, and ask for assistance in going further. That's reasonable. But that's not what you see--what you see is people who are looking for someone to hand them a pre-formed spirituality, whether because they don't want to do the work themselves or because they can't let go of the notion that there must be a single Truth out there--or, I suppose, because they are looking for the secrets of the universe or some such thing, and obviously anyone who happens to be hanging out on an email list would not only possess them but would jump at the chance to hand them out to anyone who asked. I'm not particularly offended by this--caveat emptor and all that--but I just hate to see so many people shutting off their brains before they've even tried to engage them.
I don't mean folks who ask for information or to be pointed to resources--or who do some work, realize that they've gotten as far as they can on their own, and ask for assistance in going further. That's reasonable. But that's not what you see--what you see is people who are looking for someone to hand them a pre-formed spirituality, whether because they don't want to do the work themselves or because they can't let go of the notion that there must be a single Truth out there--or, I suppose, because they are looking for the secrets of the universe or some such thing, and obviously anyone who happens to be hanging out on an email list would not only possess them but would jump at the chance to hand them out to anyone who asked. I'm not particularly offended by this--caveat emptor and all that--but I just hate to see so many people shutting off their brains before they've even tried to engage them.
no subject
What is it with people like this???
My first experience with seeking out a circle ended up very similar.
Not a guy ... but a couple. By the end of the meeting, it was very clear they were looking for new bodies to add to their stable for polyamory ... or perhaps swinging is better because polyamory seems to be more commmitted than that.
Either way, I don't care -- just that lifestyle doesn't suit me personally ... AND I was there about a circle for pagan worship on esbats & sabbats ... not there to see if I wanted to have sex with all the circle members.
5 years later I finally got up the nerve to contact ADF because after that first experience I was afraid to see what else I'd find if I tried again.
no subject
I had an experience with the poly thing too; I joined a Druid group with ideals of creating a Druid monastery. I loved the idea, but on further reading and after joining, the leader's idea was that at this monastery, everybody would be poly and there would be a rotating schedule (!), so everybody slept with everybody. You didn't have to have sex, but you did have to spend the night with someone. Sounded more like this guy's wet dream to me; not being poly wasn't an option even though a couple of us raised a stink about it. There was a spot picked out for this monastery but it was a rental property the leader and his wife were currently living on and had planned to buy; the owner of the property wasn't accomodating and the monastery plan was moved to somewhere else on the leader's say-so. It became obvious that this plan was wholly the leader's, not based on members' ideas, and the whole thing smacked of cult, especially because they based their spirituality on Stranger in a Strange Land. Part of that book is about creating a religion in which there's an inner circle, but the vast majority of members are just suckers. I put two and two together, and got out.
I knew of ADF before this, and the people and groves I knew were on a whole different level. I wasn't as worried. I've also been fortunate to find people I trust, whom I can go to and say "okay, is this good or is it just nuts?"
no subject
Geez, where do these people come from? Gah! Well, at least they were upfront about it and let you know right away.
The scary thing is that this has to work some of the time because otherwise they wouldn't try it.
I suppose I'm sounding like more of a prude than I actually am, here :). I have no problem with sexuality being an essential part of someone's spirituality, or of a particular spiritual path. Heck, I don't really care what anyone else does as part of their religion, as long as it's mutual and neither forced nor coerced. But some of the things you hear about are pretty creepy. Beginners need to know that they have options, and the call for "a teacher" kind of shuts that down for them before they even get started.