"What is Paganism" done entirely in American Sign Language! I am super excited. Here is the translation for the video. I realize now that I made a few mistakes and could have explained some things a little better, but it's great for my first time. I am hoping to make more videos in the future. Well, maybe!
Translation:
Hello! Welcome to the Fat Pagan (Signed "Thick Witch). My name is Kit, meaning baby fox. I have been a pagan for the past 10 years. About two or three years ago, I started studying American Sign Language. I love and cherish the language so much! In fact, I prefer signing.
Recently, I was searching on Youtube for "ASL + Pagan". I found VERY FEW videos, none of which were about the Pagan religion itsel. Now, I would like to discuss it; what's it about and what does it mean?
First, maybe you think that paganism is evil or Devil worship. Maybe your mental images are evil witches, Harry Potter, Charmed, etc. No, these are not part of Paganism.
If not, then what’s paganism?
A label!
Whoa, a label? I just said religion!
Yes! It is a label.
Here is an example.
You know about the Christian religion? Christianity encompasses a variety of different sects; for example, Catholicism, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Amish, etc.
Paganism and Christianity are kind of similar. Paganism is just as diverse as Christianity. BUT, all Christian sects have common beliefs: the Bible is true; there is ONE God; Jesus; Jesus himself was sinless and holy; Heaven and Hell; the Final Judgment; and so-on.
Paganism has only one common belief. All Pagan people themselves identify as pagan. That’s it!
Now, some paganism examples are:
• Wicca. Wicca has a long list of different sects but I won't be discussing them. Maybe I will discuss them later, on another video. But, a few examples are: Eclectic, Dianic, Faery, British Traditional
• Reconstruction/Revivalism (R/R). R/R has many different parts as well, and maybe there will be a video too. Few examples: Egyptian, Greek, Romanian, Irish.
• Gothic, list: Celtic, Deborean, Hereditary, Pictish
• Witchcraft
• Sometimes Heathenry
Et cetera.
Now, Heathenry is included only sometimes. Many religions NOT included in paganism. Examples: Hinduism, Buddhism, Native religions, Shinto, really religions themselves label Pagan NOT. Depending on who you ask, Heathens sometimes call themselves Pagan and sometimes do not.
I think I'm finished. I described a little about what paganism means. I briefly talked about the different beliefs, but didn't really go in depth. Maybe a future video will describe some of the different beliefs individually and really describe in depth.
Any questions? Comments? Go ahead and type them below.
Now for a typical pagan goodbye: merry meet, merry part, merry meet again! Bye!
"Do one thing every day that scares you." ---Eleanor Roosevelt
I recently read About.com's article on ten bad habits of Pagans. Seven down from the top is "Stop Wasting Time" with a common complaint that I have heard fall out of my own mouth. So, in an attempt to stop wasting my time, I decided to do something about my spirituality like a boss. I went to a Sikh Gurdwara (temple).
Everyone has to cover their hair, men and women. Here is my turban. Yes, I wore my pent.
I have wanted to visit a Sikh temple since I first learned about Sikhism via Project Conversion (there are more posts, the blog just doesn't show them) in September of 2011. You see, if I was not in love with Paganism, I would totally be a Sikh. Why? Because a good portion of the belief system I agree with -- from complete equality between men and women to the defense of the weak, powerless, and oppressed to service to the community, I love it all. And my experience today has strengthened my admiration. As you walk into the temple, you see a beautiful replica of the Sikh holy place, the Golden Temple. There is also a receptionist who started my day off great. I had told him that I had no idea what I was supposed to do and he kindly showed me (you have to take off your shoes and wash your hands). There was a special prayer going on that day for the victims of the Wisconsin Temple shooting, before the regular service. Afterwards, I met a woman in the main prayer room who was very nice and tried very hard to let me know what was going on, even though she didn't speak a lot of English. I couldn't pronounce her name even if I tried, but I do know that her name means Air, or "that which you breath in."
The Golden Temple replica. You can see one of four doors leading into the main prayer hall in the back.
I should mention that the entire service is spoken in Punjabi. Luckily for me, the temple had TVs that translated the songs sung into English. They were quite beautiful and very much story like. In fact, that was a lot of their purpose; to remind everyone about Sikh history and history in general. There was a lot of singing. Here is an example, but keep in mind it is a lot better in person.
One of the songs I heard was talking about the Indian Revolution, when India was fighting for its' freedom from Britain. It tells the story about how power and corruption devastated India, and there were millions of innocent people slaughtered for no good reason. It was a sad song, but like the woman who helped me said, it is important to know ones' history.
Another thing I asked my new friend about was why the men and women were sitting in separate places. She explained to me that it is more for focus than anything else, so that everyone would focus on the service and not become distracted, but that if I wanted to, I could sit by the men and no one would look twice and if a man wanted to sit with the women, that too was his choice. I was impressed, actually. There was a bit of crossover, but mostly it was children and a group of Methodists who sat together. More about them later. After a short morning prayer, everyone went into a big dining room/kitchen area to eat breakfast. I was not expecting to be served at all, but what they had was amazing. Completely vegetarian, Sikhs believe it is better to eat plants than animals. But, as it was explained to me, you can do whatever you please.
The gate.
The first woman had to leave, so she ushered me into the dining area and said good bye. There, I met another woman who spoke better English and was just as nice as the previous people. She actually elaborated on some of the things that Air had told me and also taught me how to say hello (sat siri akal) and thank you (tanbad) in Punjabi. Did I say that the food was amazingly awesome? After breakfast, there was a few more hours of service and learning and at the end of the service, a priest asked the congregation if anyone wanted to say a speech, and was specifically directed to the guests/newcomers of the temple. A woman went to the podium and explained that she and her group were from the local Methodist church and that they were there to become acquainted with the local Sikhs. They wanted to offer their condolences and compassion over the Wisconsin shooting and said thank you and Namaste. Being egged on by my new friend, I also went up there and gave a rushed and off the collar speech. I must admit, I was shaking a bit. I said that everyone had been so nice and welcoming, and thanked them for it, and told them that I had come to learn about Sikhism. I said that the shooting was very tragic (ugh! That's like the one thing you DON'T say!) and that as a member of the Pagan community, if they ever needed anything, not to hesitate to ask. Maybe I was stepping over my bounds by speaking as the Pagan community, but I don't think we would turn away from these people who were legitimately benevolent and peaceful and who were viciously attacked despite their openness and compassion. Oh, and I screwed up the hello too! I am so ashamed, but my friend told me that everyone had understood. She said I could speak again next Sunday. (Everyone wants to see me again. :) )
Concluding the service, the congregation again went back to the dining area to have lunch. It, of course, was mind blowing. This time, I ate in peace, surrounded by all sorts of people. For lunch, everyone mixed together and there was much rejoicing. Several people came up to me and gave me hugs or hand shakes and thanked me for the speech. I was totally blushing. Anyway, I kept wanting to leave and tried to tell a few people, but ended up with more food on my plate. It was funny (and also very good).
Lunch! I was given handmade ice cream later and some special Indian tea. Yum!
The Methodist lady came to say hello to me, and at the end I tried to say thank you to an old lady (who was the only other woman who was wearing a turban) and she ended up telling a guy to give me tea. Oh, the men were serving everyone. <3
The Methodist lady told me that she had Wiccan roots but that she was currently in the church and stuff and that there was a local pagan group and yata. She then introduced me to her group. About the time the intros were finished, a Sikh woman asked everyone to come with her. Rami told us about the holy book and how Sikhs believe it is alive. The book has its' own clothing, is fanned during service, and is put to sleep in a real Queen sized bed. It also has its' own bedroom. People sometimes take it home and take care of the holy book there, also putting it to sleep and clothing it in garments. Rami explained that Sikhs believe the book is a Living Guru. I can tell you that it definitely has a LOT of spiritual energy about it. Today is just one step to a thousand mile journey. Soon I will finish A Witches' Bible and will start on Drawing Down the Moon, will begin conducting my own Esbats like I should have been, start meditating daily (if not twice daily, like the Sikhs), and will get on with my spiritual work. My cards are right, now is the time to set fire to my world.
Front of the Temple.
Will you step out of your comfort zone and do something that scares you today?
This is my body. I do what I want with it. I exercise or not. I eat crap or organic or local, whatever I choose. I can love my body or not, despite what you think I should or should not do. This is my body.
I am not defined by my weight or height or BMI or age. I am not defined by my sexual orientation or my religion or whom I associate myself with or my lifestyle. I will not be shoved into your "ideal person" mold, to be smothered and stunted there, to die there - spiritually, mentally, and physically.
I refuse to buy into the Beauty Myth. I refuse to be put down about how my body looks, whether I am fully covered, dressed up, dressed down, in a bikini, or naked. I refuse to accept any kind of discrimination from you. I will call out your snide remarks, your backhanded comments, and your demeaning insults. My right to bodily integrity is exactly that, MY right. This is MY body, not yours!
If I want to diet, then that is my right. If I want to escape that system, that too is my right. If I want to be 600lbs and immobile, that is completely my right. I still deserve my human rights, because after all, I am still a human, whether you feel like acknowledging that or not. If I want to be 100lbs and sedentary, that too is my right.
If I am working out, I deserve the courtesy of not being taunted or teased. I deserve not to be bullied back into my house or laughed at or having fingers point at me. I deserve not to have harassing comments leveled against me, as if I am sub-human. If you wouldn't say it to your mother, grandmother, or daughter, do not say it to me. In fact, even if you would say it to your mother, don't say it to me.
And specifically to the Pagan community: you cannot say "all bodies are sacred, except..." and expect to be taken seriously. Either you fully believe in the word "all" or you do not. And being excluded from skyclad rituals because of our bodies is an affront against the Goddess Herself.
The whole point of being skyclad is not to get a peek at some tits and ass. It is to be fully connected to Nature Herself, to be as we were when we were born, to open ourselves up to each other and the forces of the Gods. To be naked in ritual is the highest of worship and requires the highest amount of trust and love. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. If your intentions are lacking, then you should not be doing skyclad rituals, or be allowed to attend one. As far as I'm concerned, the objectification of the body has no place inside the Circle, or out it as well. I digress.
The only people who should be concerned about my health is myself and maybe my doctor. Ultimately, my body is MINE and I can do whatever I please to it. Tattoos, piercings, scars, burns, body modification, plastic surgery - all of these and more are mine to choose. Your opinion may be valued, but in the end, this flesh is mine alone.
Indeed, do not be afraid of women realizing their own potentials, their own strengths, their own selves. To truly be free, our entire population must realize themselves, not just half. Half is not good enough. Most is not good enough. Almost all is not good enough. Only when every last person has realized themselves can our population really move Universes. And so we shall, so very soon.
A few days ago I wrote about the Obesity Crisis that flared up in the Pagan community and got a lot of comments about it. Today, I am collecting all the issues raised in the comment section and will eventually link out this post. Some links will be posts I haven't written yet, others will be from across the net. For now, here are some of the ideas/issues more or less in order of comment.
David Grega's weight. Seriously, none of anyone's business. If you wanna drag that into things, then why not consider that his weight lossprobably contributed to the stress on his heart.
How if David had been "normal" looking from the get go, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Peter Dybing, I put this in the comment section but I dunno if you saw. Thank you for commenting on that article. I hope that you didn't take
the post as a personal attack; I wasn't attacking you, only the facts you presented. I still respect you and all that you have done. May you
continue to be blessed.
Debunk "if you would only eat healthier/fresher/local/grow it yourself."
Obesity only in Paganism, not New Age or Native religions? I think not.
Disease appearing in animals that live longer, like dogs developing diabetes.
Weight Watchers IS a diet, even if you don't call it a diet. Also, WW sucks at people keeping the weight off.
Weight being a "choice" (hint: it isn't)**
Obesity is NOT an epidemic
BMI is a poor measurement of health, and was created for insurance companies to screw people over. Here is the Illustrated BMI Categories for those who are picture people.
Being criticized, ridiculed, and laughed at for just existing is a real, crippling, self destroying fear that has been conditioned into fat people. Body chemistry is physically changed after prolonged bullying and complete shut down actually happens.
June is the Pagan Values blog carnival, where pagans across the net share their values and practices in a big catch all. I am late (but fashionably so! I'm only 28 days late, srsly) of course, but finally here is a mish mash of the values I live by.
The Magic Circle by John William Waterhouse
I consider myself a Witch, not a Wiccan. I don't follow the Rede but favor the Asatru "Golden Rule": I shall do unto you what you do unto my kin. What you do to me, I shall do to you. Instead of the Threefold Law, I subscribe to Actions and Consequences: what I do has consequences, good or bad. If I study for my test, I will likely pass. If I don't study, I will probably fail. With this, I don't avoid curses or hexes; I accept any consequences of my actions. I believe a witch who cannot harm cannot heal either. Avoiding one part of the circle isn't balance; I don't think a person should live in one part or another, but in both the light and dark aspects.
I practice Witchcraft, but I seldom do spells. I think it is mostly because I think that if I can get what I need through mundane means, I don't need to do a spell and I can conserve my magick for important things, like protection spells. I work a lot on this mundane plane; healing with herbs and medicine, fostering relationships through action and words, working hard for monetary success, focusing on the body. Lately I have been trying to focus on other realms. So far, it hasn't gone very far. I SHALL TRY MORE!!!!!!
Children, the elderly, and animals are especially coveted in my philosophy. These three typically have no voice and little to no protection. They are to be respected and protected, not destroyed. I also find that they typically are a lot smarter than adults think. The things that children can understand are astounding, the things that animals can do is mind blowing, and the knowledge that the elderly possess is staggering.
Music - don't get me started. Oh, how music is to the soul! It is the expression of the soul itself, its joys and sadness, its love and hate. Just the way that music can pick you up after a hard day is amazing. I could not imagine a life without music. *swoon*
The Gods: for me, I am a hard polytheist. I believe that all gods exist in some form or fashion. Yes, I also believe that the gods are capable of walking this Earth. But my views are a complex hypothesis, hypotheses even. I will reserve for another post, but a taste... hehe.
Science knows that we have a least 9 different dimensions. We are said to be on the third dimension, and therefore also exist in the first two as well. What if, then, the beings we call Gods are actually beings that exist in a different, higher dimension? Another hypothesis is that there are an infinite number of universes, ones that run parallel to this one, or ones that are parasites, or ones so far away from us that we cannot even imagine it. What if some of these universes overlap and bleed into others, like the way that our physical world intersects with the spiritual world at certain points of the year (ie Samhain and Beltane). What if mythical creatures really did exist, but were "side effects" from a collision of two different universes? What if, what if.
Back to the point, Life is a constant choice - a constant battle between the things you should be doing and the things you are doing. Life is like a stream, it keeps moving, and eventually it ends into something larger and is recycled. The afterlife holds no fear for me. Death is a blessing, a movement into something new, a release of pain and illness. It is the end of one journey and the beginning of another. The Summerlands, a kind of rest stop or way station, is way better than the summers here in Texas, let me tell ya.
Balance... it really just boils down to balance in the end. Skepticism and faith, thought and action, light and dark, imagination and reality, magickal and mundane, right and wrong, even life and death.
There is no way that one person can completely write down their thoughts in one post, or one paper, or even one book. It takes a lifetime to learn things, and we never stop learning and never stop teaching either. "Christians and Muslims may be People of the Book, but Pagans are People of the Library." Libraries, even.
As to the other side of this blog, I am and will probably always be, a fat activist. While I don't proselytize my religion, I will totally spread HAES. It's something that everyone should believe in, instead of the FoBT. It may sound like a Christian, but this message will surely make the lives of thousands, hundreds of thousands, of people (women AND men) so much better than the current self hatred they are experiencing. When children don't have to constantly worry about their body image, they can focus on other things like learning and being children. They don't have to grow up with a warped sense of themselves.
Like Joy Nash said, when you look at pictures of when you were younger, you exclaim how adorable you were, and why you weren't wearing that cute dress you always thought you were too ugly for. But when you look at yourself, you shame yourself for being ugly, and you can't wear that dress you want to wear because you are so ugly and sometime down the road, when you are older, you will again look at pics you took today and exclaim how cute and adorable you were. Just be adorable now, and believe in yourself.
