Wiccanate Smiccanate....My Two Cents -- #Wiccanate

After a young Wiccan shared a post that mentioned *Wiccanate Privilege* I decided to go research and try to figure out what it was about because I hadn't heard that term before. It seems Wiccans are a highly despised and hated  bunch by a great many people for a variety of reasons but with one reason in common by everyone -- intolerance. Yep, intolerance.

Abrahamic faiths despise Wiccans because we aren't followers of Christ and therefore try to throw us over the fence into Satanic categories and label us evil. You would think the Pagans and Heathens could sympathize with us on that since they are frustrated that they are automatically being thrown into the Wiccan category because they are Pagans. But before we get into that, lets discuss the Brits.

The British Traditionalists despise us because the word Wicca got hijacked and placed into common use to define a religion that doesn't require initiation. For them, no one other than Gardnerian Wiccans have the right to define themselves as Wiccans. They strongly believe and have always believed that it requires a Witch to make a Witch and that without initiation, you are nothing, or more specifically, you are not Wiccan. Pretty much they enjoyed the original privilege of being a secret society and scandalous and the first and all that. Now they've been shifted to the back seat of the bus so to speak and the *new* Wiccans have flooded into the world and made Wicca a household word that everyone has heard and has some comprehension of. But therein lies the rub for the British Traditionalist, the current definition of Wicca couldn't be further from the truth for them. Well, that is sad indeed to be sitting and rankling over the usage of a word. Just think of all the words that have changed usage over the years: gay, queer, xerox, to name just a few that jump to the forefront of my brain. Yes, yes, I know, my what a wee small brain I have. If you'd like more entertaining information on words that have changed usage over time, check out these articles:words-literally-changed-meaning, The-Mad-Logophile-Words-That-Have-Changed-Their-Meaning-Part-1#, and this one is really interesting, 6-words-that-dont-mean-what-you-think-they-mean

And let's not forget the straight up Witches that do not identify as Wiccans. They get pretty irate at being lumped in the Wiccan category as well. In fact, they consider Wiccans *posers* and refer to them with derrogatory terms such as *fluffy bunnies* and McWiccans. I even saw the term Llewelynite Wiccan. Seriously?  It really does sadden me that people feel the necessity to belittle others to elevate themselves.

Now circling back to the Pagans and Polytheists, I do see what they are getting on about, but only sort of. They are complaining that because Wicca has become so popular its definition (the new one) overshadows who they are and what they are about. In other words, Pagan=Wicca is the modern perception propigated by the popularity of Wicca and therefore, all festivals, rituals etc. are spinning around the Wiccan axis so to speak. So when Pagans show up to a *Pagan* festival, what they have really arrived at is a *Wiccan* festival. Ok, I can see the frustration BUT I am not sympathetic. Where were the Pagans during the planning? If there are no PURELY Pagan festivals or Pagan festivals that have a *Pagan* emphasis, whose fault is that? You want someone else to do all the work of planning a festival and then have it fit you right down to a tee and all you have to do is show up? I want to avoid falling off that turnip truck. Because seriously, since Wicca is now an eclectic religion, it isn't even possible to do that from a Wiccan perspective. No two Wiccans are alike which I guess is also a bone of contention, but hey, no two Pagans and Heathens are alike either so do please tell me how you would accomplish making a perfectly wonderful Pagan festival that would please EVERY Pagan and Heathen out there?

While the Pagans are complaining that modern perceptions are Pagan=Wiccan, there is also the perception that Pagan=LGBT. Without some investigation, you can't really know what a festival is about -- is it Pagan, Wiccan or LGBT. All I can say is, if a person is unhappy with the tone of the current festivals out there, THEN PLAN YOUR OWN. That way you know you will be happy with what goes down and you can make certain it represents Paganism in a way that will make you happy. Personally, up to now I have avoided all festivals because they generally seem to have to a high level of crazy that I don't play well with -- sex, nudity, drugs, alcohol, etc. -- nothing that I care to do in a group of strangers. So, unless and until I plan my own festival, or know someone personally that can vouch that a particular festival would be something I would enjoy, I probably won't be at one. And yes, there is no doubt I'm probably missing some great festivals and that is my sad loss. But at least I'm not showing up and then whining that it didn't accomodate me the way I wanted it to.... Besides, just look at this ruckus over Wiccanate Privilege and the fight over words and what they mean -- do you really think I want to pay good money and travel long distance to den up in the middle of a bunch of people that despise each other over their differences? I'll pass, thank you.

Sorry for this bit of rant but it seemed that everyone was weighing in on it and I thought I would throw my two cents out there. And so now I am guilty of violating that old saying "better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt." Well, this old fool is going to toddle off to bed. :)

Merry Part until we Merry Meet Again
Bright Blessings to All
Rayven Michaels

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