eBay’s Ban–Get a grip people.

It is quite interesting how much of a shit storm this eBay change has stirred up.  I have been finding reports from the UK and almost every national new agency.  I think most of it comes from some misinformed people crying "discrimination" and "hate" and "anti-Pagan".

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I am at a loss on why so many people are so quick to jump on the discrimination bandwagon.  I have even seen some discussions that mention the removal of religious freedoms.
How is this the case?  This change in eBay's listing policies only means that a person cannot sell an intangible item such as spellcasting services.  It does not mean that all Pagan items are going to be banned.  The part on Divination services will have to be worked out in the future.  I do agree that some of those practitioners deserve to be on eBay.
As I said before, I sell on eBay.  I sell the stuff that is NOT getting the boot.  For that I am happy.  I do not think that this is the prelude to the powers that be removing all things Pagan, Wiccan, or Witch-y from the endless pages of stuff to buy on eBay.  Those that believe so need to take a breath and put away the pitchforks.

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I also believe some of the problems stems from the media and their headlines.
Examples include:
eBay Bans Sale Of Magic Spells, Potions And Other Witchcraft - The Huffington Post
The last part being the problem, "Other Witchcraft".  This is what is causing so many to assume that all Pagan items will be removed.
A more accurate headline comes from the Daily Mail out the UK.
“Auction site eBay bans sale of magic potions, spells, curses and advice books in bid to stop charlatans”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2189757/Auction-site-eBay-bans-sale-magic-potions-spells-curses-advice-books-bid-stop-charlatans.html#ixzz241WJktyE

Examples of what is not going to be allowed come August 30th.

ALMIGHTY BLACK MAGICK PENIS ENLARGEMENT SPELL TANTRIC LOVE VOODO

Of course it is.

EXTREME RARE POWERS 72 SPELLS NECRONOMICON SPELL

Yea I got nothing.

ultimate 12 month cast Weight loss divine gods goddesses beauty spell ritual sex

Have you seen some of the Goddesses?  Size zero they are not.

What will be staying.

Celtic Brass Cauldron Pagan Cerridwen Wiccan Witchcraft Ritual

Centering Ritual Kit Pagan Wiccan Witchcraft

Goddess Athame with Sheath Ritual Tool Pagan Wiccan Witch Witchcraft

I ask that if you do happen to get into a conversation about this with those in the community or anywhere else for that matter be sure to give accurate information.
This is not an attack on the Pagan community nor it is an attack on religion or the freedom associated with it.

Without the darkness there is no light

A recent discussion on Facebook inspired me to post a comment.  I thought I should share it with my readers who don’t follow me on Facebook.

I have removed the names of the others in the discussion as a courtesy.

The topic of the discussion is apparent from my comment.

I embrace my darker side because I know that without it I am not a whole person physically and spiritually.
To be honest, all the "Love and Light" stuff make my stomach turn sometimes. Being a Pagan is far from nothing but fluff.
I must politely disagree with XXXXX on his statement that the Light is more powerful then the Darkness. Many times in history has the Darkness been forefront as well as the Light. It is a constant balancing act that must be to maintain. I do agree with XXXXXXXXX. I would add that when an individual denies the darkness that individual is denying a part of his/her self.
Celebrate the darkness and the light! Be part of both and be balanced.

For Teachers, Parents and Students

This is a reprint of an essay made back in 2000.  It is just as pertinent today as it was back then.

"You have a Pagan in your classroom:"

An essay for school teachers about Paganism by Suzanne "Cecylyna" Egbert,

2000-NOV-2

A student in your school practices a religion with which you may not be familiar. This leaflet is simply to give you information you may need to understand the different experiences this student may share with you, and answer any questions you might have.

What is a Pagan student likely to practice and believe?

Because Pagans generally follow a non-creedal, non-dogmatic spirituality, there may be even more variants between Pagan religious beliefs than there are between denominations of Christianity. The most commonly practiced types of Paganism are Wicca, Asatru, Druidry, or simply Paganism, just as a Christian can be Catholic, Presbyterian, or simply Christian. All of these are somewhat different from each other. Because of this, the following statements may not be true for every Pagan you encounter. However, there are some practices that are generally common among Pagans; the student or his parents will tell you if their practices differ significantly from the following:

A Pagan student will celebrate a nature-based, polytheistic religion:

A Pagan student will honor Divinity as both God and Goddess, sometimes with a feminist emphasis on the Goddess. One effect of this is that the student is likely to treat gender equality as an assumption,

A Pagan student will celebrate religious ceremonies with small groups on Full Moons and at the beginning and midpoint of each season, rather than with large congregations or at a set weekly schedule. These celebrations are often called 'rituals' or 'circles', and the congregations called 'covens', 'groves', 'hearths', or 'circles'. Some of the items commonly found on the altar in a Pagan ceremony are statues of the Goddess or God; candles; crystals; wands; the athame, a blunt-edged dagger used as a symbol and not as a tool with which to cut; cups; cauldrons; incense; and a five-pointed star called the pentagram or pentacle.

A Pagan student may wear a symbol of his or her religion as an item of jewelry. The most common symbol is the pentacle, a five-pointed star in a circle. The misconception of the pentagram as a satanic symbol is based upon its inverted use by those groups, in the same manner in which devil-worshippers may use the Christian cross inverted. The meaning of the pentacle as worn by Pagans is rooted in the beliefs of the Greek Pythagoreans, for whom the pentagram embodied perfect balance and wisdom; inserting the star in the circle adds the symbol of eternity and unity. Other jewelry that may be worn includes Celtic knot work; crosses; triskelions; Thor's hammer; the labrys, a double-headed axe used as a symbol by Greco-Roman worship of Cybele; Goddess figurines; crescent and/or full Moon symbols; the Yin-Yang symbol; or the eye of Horus or horns of Isis from Egyptian mythology.

A Pagan student will view Divinity as immanent in Nature and humanity, and view all things as interconnected. This often leads to a concern with ecology and the environment, and a fascination with the cycle of life.

A Pagan student will believe in magic, and may spell it 'magick' to differentiate it from stage illusions. This may include belief in personal energy fields like the Chinese concept of chi, and may also include the use of rituals and tools to dramatize and focus positive thinking and visualization techniques. It does not mean that the student is taught that he can wiggle his nose to clean his room, summon spirits or demons, or do anything else that breaks natural laws, though if young, like any child, a Pagan child may pretend these things. It also does not mean that the student is taught to hex or curse; in our ethical structure such actions are believed to rebound on the sender, and therefore are proscribed.

A Pagan student may believe in reincarnation. It is the most common eschatological belief held among Pagans, but is not universal. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to believe in either Heaven or Hell; she may believe in the Celtic Summerland, a place of rest between incarnations, or Valhalla, a realm of honor in Norse religions.

A Pagan student may call herself a Witch, a Wiccan, a Pagan or Neo-Pagan, a Goddess-worshipper, a Druid, an Asatruer, or a Heathen. He is unlikely to call himself a Warlock, as that is believed to come from the Scottish word for 'oathbreaker'. And while a Pagan student may or may not be offended by the stereotype, she is likely to quickly inform you that the green-skinned, warty-nosed caricature displayed at Halloween bears no relation to her religion.

Ethics and rules of behavior:

A Pagan student will be taught ethics emphasizing both personal freedom and personal responsibility. Pagan ethics allow personal freedom within a framework of personal responsibility. The primary basis for Pagan ethics is the understanding that everything is interconnected, that nothing exists without affecting others, and that every action has a consequence.

There is no concept of forgiveness for sin in the Pagan ethical system; the consequences of one's actions must be faced and reparations made as necessary against anyone whom you have harmed.

There are no arbitrary rules about moral issues; instead, every action must be weighed against the awareness of what harm it could cause. Thus, for example, consensual homosexuality would be a null issue morally because it harms no one, but cheating would be wrong because it harms one's self, one's intellect, one's integrity, and takes unfair advantage of the person from whom you are cheating.

The most common forms in which these ethics are stated are:

The Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou wilt," and

The Threefold Law, "Whatsoever you do returns to you threefold."

Religious plurality:

A Pagan student will hold a paradigm that embraces plurality.

Because Pagan religious systems hold that theirs is a way among many, not the only road to truth, and because Pagans explore a variety of Deities among their pantheons, both male and female, a Pagan student will be brought up in an atmosphere that discourages discrimination based on differences such as race or gender, and encourages individuality, self-discovery and independent thought.

A Pagan student is also likely to be taught comparative religions. Most Pagans are adamant about not forcing their beliefs on the child but rather teaching them many spiritual systems and letting the child decide when he is of age. However, a Pagan student is unlikely to have an emotional concept of Heaven, Hell, or salvation as taught by Christian religions, though he may know about them intellectually. And a Pagan student will be taught to respect the sacred texts of other religions, but is unlikely to believe them literally where they conflict with scientific theory or purport to be the only truth.

Personal interests:

A Pagan student is likely to enjoy reading, science, and helping professions. Margot Adler, National Public Radio journalist, reported the results of a survey of Pagans in the 1989 edition of her book, Drawing Down the Moon. 1 The results showed that the one thing Pagans hold in common despite their differences is a voracious appetite for reading and learning. Pagans also seem to be represented strongly in the computer and health-care fields, so the Pagan child is likely to be computer-literate from an early age.

Conclusions:

Despite their sometimes misunderstood beliefs, earth-based religions have grown steadily throughout the past few decades, and provide a satisfying spirituality to their practitioners. With the current appreciation of diversity and tolerance, more people now understand that different cultural backgrounds bring perspectives that can be valued instead of feared. It is our hope that as an educator this will provide you with the information you need to be able to facilitate understanding.

References:

Margot Adler, "Drawing down the moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess worshipers and other Pagans in America today," Penguin USA, (1997) Rated by Amazon.com in the top 3,500 of all books sold. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store

Introductory books on Wicca are listed elsewhere on this web site

Copyright © 1998 Cecylyna Dewr; Reprinted by permission

Distribution is welcome. Please include this notice:

For more information, contact the Pagan Pride Project Executive Director, Cecylyna Dewr:

Web site: http://www.paganpride.org.

Email: paganpride@paganpride.org.

Address: Pagan Pride Project, PMB 119, 133 W Market St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Phone: 317.916.9115