Fitness and Stuff, Maybe

Fit, fat, fuck yeah!

Before we start, let me say that fitness - or even health - is not mandatory for anyone. You don't owe it to anyone no matter what others say. If you don't want to exercise, or if you don't want to do whatever it is people tell you is healthy, that is entirely your decision. That is completely yours.

If you are interested in fitness and healthy eating habits, please continue.

Recently I became the moderator of a subReddit called askHAES. There came a pretty good post that talked about fitness goals that I would like to share and discuss a little:

Hello, HAES people.
I wanted to bring up a subject that I think some of you might find worthwhile. Here's the deal: I'm not telling anyone here they need to exercise or train at all. That's your call.
That said, if you choose to train, I'd recommend the following general rules. They're pretty simple.

1. Throw away the scale (unless you're trying to make weight for a tournament or something). This one's especially important for women. I've seen girls literally go the scale immediately following a tough workout to see what they've lost. Pointless. Weight is going to fluctuate from day to day, and upon initiating serious training many people will actually gain weight as their muscles begin retaining more water as they adapt to the increased workloads. Seriously, stop looking at the scale.
2. Pick a goal that you can measure. Here's the magic: you get to set these, not society, not your friends, not your family. You. They're your goals. When I ask people what their goals are, 9 times out of 10 they'll say, "I want to be in shape" or "I want to look better." Neither are really useful, but the former is better than the last one. Here's the deal: pick a few performance-based tasks which are quantifiable (e.g. run a 5k in X amount of time, or squat 275 lbs., whatever) and make sure they're reasonable for where you're at. If you've been away from exercising for 20 years, it's probably unreasonable to say you're going to run a marathon in 4 months. Stay away from, "I want to weigh X in Y amount of time." That's a white rabbit you'll chase forever. Pick good performance-based goals, and I promise you that your body will adapt as it should.
3. Now, take an initial (honest) assessment of where you're at with respect to your goals. Write it down. Don't bullshit the assessment. Don't say, "well, I ran this in 20 minutes, but I was under the weather; it was really 18 minutes." Nope. It was 20.
4. Develop a plan. If you're a novice, get smart or get some help. Make sure the plan aligns with your schedule. Guess what, if you work 60 hours a week and have three kids, you're not going to be able to stick with a program that calls for 4 hours of training 5 days a week. You're setting yourself up for failure.
5. Train hard. No bullshit. No excuses. Get it done. When it's time to train, that's all that's going on in your life. You're not reading. You're not thinking about work, or your significant other, or any of life's little dramas. You're not even worrying about where you'll be with respect to your goals next week, next month, or next year. You're only there to do the work. Anything less is a waste of time. I see people at the gym on the treadmill for half an hour walking, reading "Self" or whatever. I don't say a damn thing to them, because it's not my problem. But, guess what? They're wasting their own time. Why spend 30 minutes half-assing something, when you could be doing it for real? It's your time. My time is a precious resource; I have no intention of wasting it.
6. Re-assess regularly, but not all the time. I typically put together 8-week training programs and assess at the 4, 6, and 8 week marks. If you're starting off, you're going to need more time, especially if you've got a busy schedule and don't have as much time to dedicate it. For true novices, I build 16-week programs.

Finally, a note. Forget about what someone's definition of attractiveness is. Train to do something, not to look some specific way. This is another white rabbit. Here's a truth: you're never going to be pretty enough for everyone. That shit is subjective anyway. You know what's not subjective? Trashing someone in a 5k when six months ago you couldn't even finish one.
That's my take. Again, I stress that I couldn't care less whether anyone here trains or not. Not my problem or my business. I only want to give people here an honest look at how serious athletes think about training. It ought to put your mind at ease. They don't care about looks; they care about performance.
-Ragnar

 I like this as it really does reflect the thought process of a "serious athlete." For a lot of athletes, and even fathletes like myself, measurement in physical progress is more important than physical appearance. The guys I work out with talk about running marathons, jumping hurdles, climbing mountains, or snatching heavier, not about their weight. Their goals are performance based. Even if your goal isn't being able to run a 5k, you can make performance goals as well, like being able to walk up the stairs without almost dying halfway through (heh, this was my goal when I was starting out). Anyway, let's start at the top.

This is "bulk."

1) Throw away that scale and never look back. Don't use the scales at the gym or in the locker rooms either. First, you don't know if they have been calibrated at all ever and second, if you have had body image issues in the past it will be triggering. I know because I do it sometimes and the difference between what you used to know and what it shows can either crush you back into unhealthy eating habits or will excite you into continuing the "trend." Just don't; I promise you will feel better about it.  If you really, really need a scale, try a Yay! Scale.

By the way, while we are on the subject of muscles and retaining water, it is good to note now that women do not bulk like men do. Women don't have enough testosterone in their body to gain massive amounts of muscle quickly and are more likely to "tone" and build than bulk.

 And before you ask: yes, fat people can be toned as well.

 2) Goals are important, but they have to be attainable. It was a good year and a half before I was fit enough to run without joint pain, and about 8 months before I really noticed a difference in my stamina. Fitness is long term, but that doesn't mean you have to hate the journey. More on that later. For now, think about some good goals to set. I think you should probably take an assessment before you move into specifics, but again, more later.

3) Honesty here will be a boon later, and write. it. down. so you can see your progress. If your goal is "being able to walk up the stairs without keeling over", go climb the stairs and count the number you make and the time you did it in. Note your breath, as in whether you were gasping or not. While Ragnar might have been harsh, it really is important that you are very honest with this.

4) There is this great site that I will recommend forever. Bodybuilding.com is full of awesome resources for people of all fitness levels, from fitness articles to already made fitness plans to an awesome shop and more. With the fitness program, you can either try the ones listed or you can find a specific one for your age and fitness goal. I personally like LiveFit since it has a great progression built in along with specific exercises for specific days and all the information is already there. Yes, it does talk about weight loss but the muscle building results are amazing. Jamie Eason (the one who created the program) also has a great head on her shoulders and doesn't shy from speaking her mind.

Note: if you wander around the site, there is talk about weight loss. Ignore it, there is so much more than that.

Options: you haz them.

5) I would say just to do your best. I feel my best when I work out that day and I feel like crap if I don't, so try not to lapse. If you feel like it is such a chore to go, then something is wrong. If you don't look forward to it, then try something different. Try karate or dancing or kickboxing or boxing or Pilates or yoga or something. There is literally hundreds of options. I think that if you really enjoy something, you will give it 100% and "train hard" for it, even if it is peaceful yoga. And if you can, try EVERYTHING at least twice, even if you think you might look stupid. Why twice? Because if you had a terrible time the first time, you can confirm it or have a better time the next. As for others, you can shake your head at their silliness, but unless they will hurt you or themselves (as in doing an exercise move that will F them up), just go on about your business.

6) Yes, please re-assess. Go back to those stairs and do them again (write it down!). I suggest a 12 week program, or any of the ones on the Bodybuilding.com site linked earlier. Change your routine every 12 weeks too, or your body will adapt and you may not see any more improvement (depending on your goal, of course)

Ragnar sums up pretty well, so I just want to say that I understand that everyone has different commitments. I totally understand having your schedule packed so hard even particles would have difficulty getting through it. Your fitness is yours and no one can tell you what to do. I suggest 30 minutes a day, but hell, it is just a suggestion. This is also why I suggest doing something you love; you will be more inclined to go. Exercise is also a very good stress reliever, and it doesn't have to be in the gym either if that causes stress. My mother hates group exercise and hates the gym, but loves walking outside. One of my friends loves to run but prefers outdoors. Another friend absolutely hates exercise in every form. To each their own.

A nutrition post will be coming soon, but expect it over on Fierce, Freethinking Fatties.

Do you have any recommendations? What do you like to do?

Role Models?

I was reading submissions on This Is Thin Privilege Tumblr and a few posts have caught my attention and made me think of some issues we have discussed about the Deaf Community in my college classes. Specifically, the lack of adult role models. In the Deaf community (btw, that capital D is not a typo. Capital D Deaf refers to the community of deaf people who are linguistically connected by ASL), schools don't typically hire deaf teachers for their deaf students. In fact, it is difficult for deaf people to get hired anywhere, especially somewhere public and with high volumes of hearing people. There are really no deaf role models; besides Helen Keller, what other deaf person in history do you know?

Source is actually very interesting!

Taking this same thread and expanding it, what fat role models are there? Think back to all your teachers in your whole school career and count the number of fat teachers you had or saw. Include administration, security, and any other supporting members. Think about shows or actors/actresses that you either admire or admired when you grew up. What about in real life, when you go out to a restaurant and order food, what does your waiter or waitress typically looks like? In fact, what about when you enter sit-down restaurants and are put into the back where no one can see you; does this happen?

 What about on TV? How many fat actors or actresses get gigs that play the good guys? How many fat people do you see on regular TV shows that aren't being berated or made fun of?

And here I am looking at the commercials for American Idol (I swear I am watching Criminal Minds!) and what do I see? No one that looks like me, even in the audience. Then a judge says "you look like a million bucks!" to some contestant and it reminds me of the awe and surprise that this woman received because she wasn't conventionally pretty. Seriously, look at those people's faces before she sings and then directly afterwards, like it was a surprise or something that she could actually sing in a fucking singing contest.

Anyway, thin privilege is being able to walk into any store and see models that look like you (let alone clothes that will fit you, clothes that will be cheap, and employees who don't look at you or speak to you in disgust). It is seeing movie stars and politicians (especially the women) and lawyers and CEOs and managers and doctors and biologists and especially those who run studies and teachers and anyone else in power who look like you that you can aspire to.

Thin privilege is having role models that look just like you.

Oh, Ostara!

Ostara has past (it was this past 20th) but due to various circumstances, I will be celebrating on the 26th. This will be the first Ostara that I practice with my brother and I have a lot planned; so exciting!!

Of course there is always the customary egg dying. I would love to do some natural dying one time with these recipes (OH AMAZING!), but it looks like we will have to fall back on regular dying.

How cool would this be??

Another great craft for Ostara is making egg charms. Basically you blow out the inside and then paint or dye the outside, then add herbs or various items inside. I would totally add a string so I could hang them up, perhaps gathering a bunch onto a mobile or inside "wind chime." It would probably be messy, but would be very good for kids!

Another idea would be to  make some ladybug stones. How cute are these? This is a very easy craft with paint that more mature kids could do, and you can populate your house or garden with them. There are also ideas for butterflies and dragonflies. If you like crafting, I recommend this site! From bottle cap coasters to Book of Shadows to pentacle necklaces and recipes for writing ink, it is impressive!

My brother has also taken a liking to making God's Eyes. If you get some multicolored thread or yarn, you can make all sorts of cool designs. Here is a video that shows exactly how to do it, from beginning to end.

How about a wreathe? Or just some other types of decoration? Here are some more pictures of crafts! That Ostara Tree looks interesting and very pretty. Now this has some very good ideas as well, especially the eggshell candles and the Moon/Sun masks. Pintrest, and this blog for children and this one too!

Cool!!!!!

Maybe the simplest activity I will do with my brother is plant flowers or put a plant in a container for him to take care of. Since we can't have a pet at my place (and I wouldn't be able to take care of the poor thing right now anyway), a plant is the next best thing. I would like to start a Witch's Garden with various herbs and flowers of my own, but perhaps we can start off small yet.

That's it for now; have a great Ostara/Easter!

Garden, Yay!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I love gardens!!!!!! I love planting and taking care of plants; they just bring a freshness to the place unlike anything else. However, I am stuck with a portable garden since I don't live in any one place for long. So, I have decided to give this particular gardening pots a try. I've seen them around and want to see if I can get anything out of them.

I think I will be planting lots of herbs, but also a bunch of peppers. Gotta love those peppers, man! YAY YAY YAY YAY!!! I am so excited, can you tell?

When I receive them and start planting, I will post again. Yay! (?)

Source is from another blog talking about these

Other Interests Are Important

I was told, in no uncertain words, that I shouldn't focus 100% on one thing, that I should have other interests and hobbies other than whatever it is that I am currently focusing on. You know what? I think that person is right.

So, I am interested in other things besides Health At Every Size (tm). I am interested in exercising, in healthy foods, in American Sign Language, in ASL Interpreting, in volunteering, in animals, in world religions, in cars to a lesser degree, in art and especially ceramics, in Paganism, in the news and goings on of the Native American population.

I am interested in raising my brother and taking care of him. I am interested in getting a job where I can make more than minimum wage. I am interested in people and what they do and what they think and why they think that and why they do what they do and how they gather and where and why and who and what and when and how (I think this is called psychology and sociology).

Dancing, singing, teaching, and graduating. Diversity!

I am interested in biology by a lot. I want to know what the body does, why it does that, how it does it, and what miracles it holds. For instance, during a pregnancy absolutely everything has to go JUST right in order to have a healthy child and if one thing goes wrong the body purges it (which is usually either a clump of cells - ie, your period - or a miscarriage). Or did you know that scientists can now create stem cells out of your skin cells?

I was originally interested in becoming a veterinarian for horses and livestock. When my dreams were crushed and I saw my first ASL interpreter and consequently my first deaf man, I decided to change paths. However, I am still ultra interested in science, as it makes quite a base for my personal beliefs. I especially like quantum mechanics and physics.

I am currently learning about accounting and PC systems, along with my regular class courses of English, ASL, Interpreting, Fingerspelling, and PE this Spring semester. Who knows what I will be doing next semester!

So then, what are you doing? What is your diversity like?

I know, Herbalism!!!!

Re: Anorexia and Disorder Eating

About a month ago (and just recently cross-posted on Fierce, Freethinking Fatties) I wrote about anorexia and bulimia nervosa. I compared anorexic symptoms with dieting and made the correlation between eating disorders and dieting behaviors. Some comments were made and points were raised which I would like to discuss here more.

Disordered Eating Recovery advice

First and foremost, I know that anorexia is thought of as a mental disorder and that there is some research that may point to anorexia being a biological/genetic disorder as well in that the sufferer tends to have low leptin levels, which drive hunger/appetite. I understand that some people may be able to diet in ways that do not mimic an eating disorder, but for the majority - and every single person I know - "extreme dieting" is the norm.

"Counting calories, fixation on weight, preoccupation with food or cooking, and strenuous exercise are all dietary requirements for fat people, but if you are thin you have an eating disorder." These behaviors are encouraged by society (at least in the US and UK) for people who are overweight or obese and are denounced for people who are not. My point is that dieting promotes disordered eating. Perhaps it was ignorant of me to compare fat people on diets to anorexic people; I apologize.

However, even though debilitating, all consuming, dangerous dieting is part and parcel of anorexia, I disagree that not eating is involuntary. Not eating to an anorexic is as involuntary as smoking is to a chain smoker. They both know good and damn well what they are doing is dangerous and detrimental to their health, and both participate anyway. I like the smoking analogy because not eating is still a high for an anorexic like nicotine is for a smoker. And just like smoking, the person who is suffering from this disorder needs help to overcome it.

As for choosing to diet, this is true in part. Someone who chooses to diet (or get bariatric surgery) are those who have an incredible amount of pressure from society to change their bodies, to change who they are. It is socially expected that a fat person is "actively trying to fix " themselves and if they are not, they are berated and insulted and concern trolled and shunned and passed over until they "do something" about themselves.

So fat people go on diets that have 1,200 or 800 or 500 calorie limits or they just stop eating altogether until they black out. I personally know someone who quit eating for 5, 6, 7 days at a time and if she did eat, she would purge it. This woman would work out compulsively and force herself through the pain. She said, "once you get past the third day hunger pains, they go away and you don't notice them anymore." She was hospitalized several times for just passing out at seemingly random times to other people. She did this for her entire teenage years. This woman was 170lbs, 6'0" tall, with a BMI of 23 (on the "high side" of normal) and is my own mother. I have read this same story all over the Fatosphere as well; it is not uncommon. This is disordered eating.

Another thing; while anorexia has existed for centuries it didn't become noticeable until 1970's, which happens to be the same time that diets came on the scene. From the Medical Dictionary:

"[Anorexia nervosa's] incidence in the United States has more than doubled since 1970. The rise in the number of reported cases is thought to reflect a genuine increase in the number of persons affected by the disorder and not simply earlier or more accurate diagnosis." (emphasis mine)

I noticed a few other things on the Medical Dictionary that should be mentioned too:

"Social factors. Anorectics are more likely to come either from overprotective families or disordered families where there is a lot of conflict and inconsistency. Either way, the anorectic feels a need to be in control of something, and that something becomes body weight. The family often has high, sometimes unrealistic, and rigid expectations. Often something stressful or upsetting triggers the start of anorexic behaviors. This may be as simple as a family member as teasing about the person's weight, nagging about eating junk food, commenting on how clothes fit, or comparing the person unfavorably to someone who is thin. Life events such as moving, starting a new school, breaking up with a boyfriend, or even entering puberty and feeling awkward about one's changing body can trigger anorexic behavior. Overlaying the family situation is the unrelenting media message that thin is good and fat is bad; thin people are successful, glamorous, and happy, fat people are stupid, lazy, and failures." (emphasis mine)

 The diet culture we live in is recognized as a factor for anorexia. Thin at any cost, any cost. It is worth saying, however, that this disorder is thought to be caused by heredity, biological, psychological, and social factors and that the combination of these things are at play. "Research suggests that some people have a predisposition toward anorexic and that something triggers the behavior, which then becomes self-reinforcing."

Now let me move specifically to the Facebook comments. Amber makes a great point; she objects that I said dieting and eating disorders are the same:

"I think it's important to make a distinction between the two because if you say 'diets are eating disorders', it also opens up the idea that eating disorders are diets, which trivializes the seriousness of restrictive disorders. Generally speaking, your average dieter does not have the 20-30 percent mortality rate that your average anorexic does. Anorexia, sadly, is often fatal.

I'm aware that this is not intended, but if one says 'A is identical to B', the implication is that B is also identical to A, which I think is a dangerous way of thinking. I have no doubt that dieting, in certain individuals prone to disordered methods of thinking, may expand into becoming an eating disorder. Both dieting and eating disorders can be extremely dangerous, and both reflect on the disgusting narrow window of what is considered societally[sic] attractive. But I don't necessarily think saying they're the same thing is beneficial to either dieters or anorexics."

The first sentence is a "All poodles are dogs therefore all dogs are poodles" logical fallacy. Everything else proceeds from there. There is no way that saying dieting is not disordered behavior. It *is* disordered behavior. It's not *compulsive* disordered behavior with an inability to see reality in the mirror. I do think dieting is dangerous, possibly just as dangerous as an eating disorder, especially what some call "crash diets" because studies show that those fat people who never diet are much healthier than those who diet. That said, there is a difference between anorexia and dieting; for example, it's the difference between a 3 pack a day asthmatic with an oxygen tank and someone who only smokes when they drink and they only drink 3 times a year. Anorexics are addicted to dieting; your average dieter is not. Anorexics have body dysmorphic disorder; your average dieter does not. That's not to say that these don't occur in dieters, just that the average don't do or have these things.

I thank everyone who read my post and everyone who commented. Your opinions are valued and I appreciate them. Carry on!

What Do You Desire?

This came across my news feed yesterday. It took my breath away.

What do I desire? What if money was no object? What would I like to do with my life?

I would.....

Do everything. I would read a library or two. I would hike mountains and ride horses and surf and skydive and bungee jump and para-sail and cliff dive and cave dive and explore the sea and experience space. I would visit the world and speak 6, 7, 8, 10 languages and try to comprehend other cultures and see exotic animals and taste the fresh air and hear the unearthly sunshine through the trees and touch the spark of Life.

I would found grocery stores in the middle of food deserts that would be non-profit or at least would sink the majority of the profits back into the business and surrounding community. It would pay the employees at least a living wage - if not more-, and would provide benefits like Costco does. It would have a small time loan office where people can borrow money for necessities at a very, very low interest rate or perhaps no interest rate at all with the choice of giving what you can.

I would found a fully non-profit Temple that would offer everything from yoga to meditations to affordable, non religious child care that engages the children to worldwide celebrations that would raise money for community action and benefits. It would have its own garden with food for the community as well as the Temple. Maybe it will even have goats for milk and chickens for eggs. And it would have a membership, and the members get to choose where the extra money goes every year, like a Board of Directors would.

I would buy larges swaths of land and make them into preserves so no one could develop it. I would buy land and make it a natural burial ground like Circle Sanctuary has. I would advocate for legalizing hemp. I would also advocate for legalizing marijuana and taxing it. I would make a business out of Hempcrete and hemp foods and hemp building materials and hemp things.

I would be an interpreter, a physical fitness coach, a veterinarian, a doctor, a judge, a lawyer, a psychologist, a sociologist, a biologist, an astronomer, a scuba diver, a High Priestess, a singer, a dancer, an actress, a politician, an advocate, a protester, a hermit, a public speaker.


Most of all, I want to stay happy. I want to go to bed every night and know I have done something good for someone else for nothing in return. I want to help people.


What do YOU desire? Post in the comments!!!

Ah, Lupercalia

This past week (Feb 13-15th) was Lupercalia, as I am sure you pagans know. For those who don't, it's a general "Spring Cleaning" ritual that the Romans used to do. In (late) honor of this holy day, how about a cleansing ritual? No need to sacrifice two goats and a dog, either! /BoNuS/

This picture comes from a cleaning service. O_o

First, cleaning! Yay, fun. Clean your entire house/apartment/living quarters and make sure that you continually focus on cleaning. Think about all the germs you are killing and any potential diseases being avoided. Think about how nice it will feel to be in a fully cleaned house. Make sure you get the walls; inside the closets, cabinets, and pantry; all the corners; even under your bed. If you have children you can encourage them to participate and help them (because kids like helping but are really bad at doing it themselves. Plus, it is a good activity to teach cleaning habits...).

Clean your altar too! Make sure to wipe off all the dust and pick up any tools you have and put them to your heart or head. Thank them for their service and charge them with love. If you have a permanent shelf, table, or place, clean the surface in a clockwise (deosil) motion. If your permanent place happens to be wood, you can take olive oil and lemon juice to clean it.

When the house is clean, it's time for the (more) fun part: cleansing and warding!

What you need:
One or two Sage bundles
Water
Salt
Candle
Lighter or matches

Decide now if you are going to first banish any negativity and then charge the house, or if you will just charge alone and make any appropriate changes in the amount of items. Place all the items in the northern part of your house (or wherever you live), where you will start. For the water, you should put some salt into it and stir it deosil three time, but make sure that you have a separate dish for salt as well. Bless the items for their corresponding Elements. Say something like:

Guardians of the North, Spirits of Earth, ye who are the ground beneath my feet and the bones of my body, I ask thee to bless this salt with protection and prosperity for the benefit of this house and those who reside within it. Blessed Be! (Trace deosil either on the dish or in the salt as you say this, charging it)

Guardians of the East, Spirits of Air, ye who are the winds of secrets and the breathe in my lungs, I ask thee to bless this sage with protection and good will for the benefit of this house and those who reside within it. Blessed Be! (place hand over sage or have sage in hand and charge it with the intentions)

Guardians of the South, Spirits of Fire, ye who are the catalysis for change and the spark of life in my soul, I ask thee to bless this candle with protection and righteous passion for the benefit of this house and those who reside within it. Blessed Be! (Charge the candle and then light it.)

Guardians of the West, Spirits of Water, ye who are the persistent flow of of time and the blood in my veins, I ask thee to bless this water with protection and healing for the benefit of this house and those who reside within it. (Dip finger in water and stir deosil, charging it)

Pick up the salt and, depending on whether you decided to banish first or not, go around the house sprinkling the salt around. If you are banishing, say something like "I banish all the negativity from this house. No negativity may enter here." If not, say something like "I bless this house with the power of Earth (for the salt, you will change accordingly) and with the blessings of the Lady and Lord for the protection and prosperity (changing for the others as well) of those who live here."  Imagine you are drawing a protective circle around the house that will reach above and below the house as well, like a bubble. Do this for each of the other Elements, except that the difference is that with the sage, candle, and sage you will draw a pentacle on every window and door, including any that are in the house (for example, the bathroom doors and windows into another room). Make SURE to get into any cabinets, drawers, doors, closets, attic, basement, and anywhere else things can hide.

At this point, if you want to bless the house with a patron Deity or with the Lady and Lord, go ahead and do so.

 Enjoy your physically and spiritually clean house! Blessings.

What If It Never Stops?

What if the progressive fight never ends? What if peace never comes, and equality of opportunity is never achieved? What if our struggle is in vain? What if, after all the civil rights battles we wage for all these different reasons, there comes a new, more important battle? What if humans are never equal, or have equal access? What if there is never peace? 

This is how I feel. Also, this isn't photoshopped.

A friend reminded me why we should fight. Carol Steinel, from Teh Portly Dyke (and several other blogs) commented:

"Some perspective (from just within my lifetime): When I was growing up, people not only beat their children regularly, they were encouraged to do so and applauded for it. I was forced to wear a dress to school (even when it was below zero) because I had a vagina. When I came out to myself (in 1968), the fact that I was gay meant that I could be hospitalized as a person who was "mentally ill" and could be jailed if I acted on my desires. The thought that anyone, anywhere would ever legalize same-sex marriage was BEYOND COMPREHENSION. Segregation still existed, and lynchings were not only happening, but applauded.

That's ONE PERSON'S (not even that long, really) lifetime. We are evolving. We will continue to evolve. We will have equality, and peace, and when we see what we've made of it, we will yearn for greater equality, and greater peace.

This is already happening. It has been happening. Don't let the news-media and the drama of people who like to fight convince you otherwise."

Forty years ago, mixed race couples were abhorred. The thought of a black President of the United States was inconceivable. Forty years ago, Christian was the default and being anything else was career ending, and being homosexual was actively persecuted. Now, we just made history by electing the first Hindu rep, the first Buddhist rep, and the first openly homosexual rep. Two days ago, Illinois became the 10th state to approve same sex marriage. All this and hundreds more examples like this happened in half a lifetime. 

But looking forward, there is still much to do. From Deaf Pride to Fat activism to Feminism to Religious Equality, there is much left. We still struggle with racism in this country after 55+ years of progress, let alone sexism, which is in its fourth wave of combat. 

I think that humans must be socially conditioned to segregate people and place them in neat, tidy labels. Take for instance the study that was reported saying white 9-month-old babies had a hard time telling African-American babies' emotions apart (they were actually called "racist babies." Google it). When you consider that these white babies probably were not exposed to black babies during the 4 month difference, it points more to conditioning than genetics.

What about the fact that in the Middle Ages, men and women (peasants) were fairly equal, because when you have to literally battle every day against starvation, every body is important in tending the fields and the chick isn't taking shit from the dude about sandwiches and kitchens. And lets not talk about how bodies weren't pathologized (but where still split; fat being viewed as more desirable. Only when someone suddenly lost a lot of weight did doctors start worrying).

What about the open (male-centric) homosexuality in Rome? What about the religious tolerance that was shown in Rome, the same place we get our democracy from?

"The religion of the Christians and Jews was monotheistic in contrast to the polytheism of the Romans.^[16] The Romans tended towards syncretism, seeing the same gods under different names in different places of the Empire. This being so, they were generally tolerant and accommodating towards new deities and the religious experiences of other peoples who formed part of their wider Empire.^[17] This general tolerance was not extended to religions that were hostile to the state nor any that claimed exclusive rights to religious beliefs and practice.^[17]"

So then why has this changed? Where is the roots so we can kill it there? Why have we changed so much?

No, seriously. Can anyone answer this?

Same Thing, Different Skin?

Recently there was a discussion question posted on a religious facebook page I follow that was a submission by an atheist. "[W]hy believe in deities and supernatural without evidence?"


Four of the first five comments said "faith" and is repeated again over the rest of the comments. Some said that there is no harm in believing in "something that encourages you to be a better person." One man even said "because... there has to be more."

Can you guess which religion this question was aimed at? If you said Paganism, Witchcraft, and Wicca, you would be right. Curiously, these are the same arguments made for Christianity (and other monotheistic religions). It seems that many pagans taken their old religion and just re-wrap it. Take the belief in Karma in our community:

Fear-based Karma sounds an awful lot like the Wiccan Threefold Law. It also sounds a like like the dogma of Christianity, where your actions can either land you in Heaven or Hell, and God is the judge and jury of you. Why? Why do this? Is it familiarity, or that you truly don't believe in anything else? Is it because you were sick of the company you had in your old beliefs and decided to put yourself elsewhere while still believing? Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with believing in the doctrine of Christianity, but please don't call it Paganism because it isn't.

Now, back to the question and comments; why exactly do you need faith to believe in the supernatural and deities without evidence? Faith is a dirty word, and if there is absolutely no evidence, then there is no reason to worship or "believe" in something. "Evidence" is a tricky word, however, and can and is manipulated to suit the need of whomever is using it. Personally, I have my evidence through personal contact, results, feelings, and experiences. My "evidence" is mostly subjective. Is that enough to convince others, especially atheists or scientists? No, and I wouldn't try to because Paganism is a personal path. Again and again, you will come across the "personal path" tid bit around the community because it is true. I will not have the same experience as the covenmate standing next to me or the solitary doing the same exact ritual. "Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn't believing. It's where belief stops, because it isn't needed any more." - Terry Pratchett

Believing in something "because it doesn't hurt to have morals" is a poor argument.
It's Pascal's Wager.

"The Quirmian philosopher Ventre put forward the suggestion that "Possibly the gods exist, and possibly they do not. So why not believe in them in any case? If it's all true you'll go to a lovely place when you die, and if it isn't then you've lost nothing, right?" When he died he woke up in a circle of gods holding nasty-looking sticks and one of them said "We're going to show you what we think of Mr. Clever Dick in these parts..." --Terry Pratchett

 You can have morals without believing in a higher power. Not killing, stealing, or lying doesn't have anything to do with Gods or Goddesses, it has more to do with just being a good person in general. Perhaps some Gods and Goddesses care about whether someone does these things, but others couldn't care less and might even advocate for it if it teaches a lesson or is just fun entertainment. Some Deities are not good role models for morals as well. Take being faithful to one's spouse and the example of promiscuous Zeus. This kind of flawless role model is the structure of the omni-everything Christian God. 

Hecate by William Blake

Which brings me to another point: it has come to my attention that our Deities are being twisted. Hekate, for example, has been praised as a kind, motherly Goddess who cares about humans and their well being, especially the witches who worship her. Hekate is a night Goddess, a Moon Goddess, who presides over crossroads, fire, magick, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery, among other things. Her abode is the Underworld, and "Zeus the son of Cronos honored above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honor also in starry heaven, and is honored exceedingly by the deathless gods." Hekate alone heard the rape of Persephone and did not come to her aid, then ten days after Persephone was missing, Hekate finally told Demeter. She was the consort of Underworld Hermes, and both were leaders of ghosts and the springtime return of Persephone. She was highly regarded, powerful, and dark, not some fluff-and-bunnies kind of Goddess. Many other Deities are getting personality lifts nowadays, and it seems like the trend is towards righteous, loving, all powerful, and caring gods.

Lastly, there "has to be more"? Why? What if all of this is just in our heads, an idea that has persisted and only lasts for our short, troubled life? What is so wrong about saying there might not be an afterlife for our consciousness and the neural synapses that make "me" up will stop and decompose into the Earth? What if this is an elaborate lie to keep the masses in line? What if this world isn't real and only in our dreams we are alive? What are you scared of, that all of your hard work and dedication and rituals and spells and beliefs are empty and meaningless?

So, what do you do? If there really is nothing after this, what do you do? You do whatever it is that you were doing. What will you leave behind? The leaders in our community have done so much in their lives to further our causes, and they will forever be remembered; Selena Fox, Patrick McCollum, Starhawk, Jason Pitzl-Waters, Star Foster, and even Silver Ravenwolf. Even if you don't think you can do the extraordinary feats like these people have, you can do "small" things like volunteer somewhere, donate, or help someone.

Anyway, Paganism isn't Christianity and shouldn't be made into just another flavor of it. For many, it was the doctrine of Christianity that made us leave in the first place. I just hope that this trend ceases before I grow old.

As always, the Pagan Disclaimer: everyone has the right to their own beliefs and can choose what they want to do and how they practice without harassment or prejudice. Do as you wish, so long as it doesn't trample on the toes of others and deny their rights.

Interestingly, the Lola Witch picture comes with a pretty cool article on Fluff Bunnies and (a new term for me) Diet Wiccans. Pagans, Fluff Bunnies may be newbies or movie witches or whatever you want to call them, but they are still our brothers and sisters in spirituality. They are still our relatives. We can't discredit them or call them less of a Pagan because of what they believe, and that goes for the pagans I talked about above. Even Christo-Wiccans are still our relatives, despite how I feel about them. I firmly believe we are a family, and we should treat each other as such. Yeah, there is the crazy Uncle Ted who sucks his toes, and Grandma Silky who bakes weed brownies, and Brother Lambert who showers less than a French peasant did (history lesson, French peasants were known to shower only once a year), but they are still family. We should totally chastise and argue and even throw fits, but we should remember that we should spend just as much time congratulating, playing around, and having a merry time with each other. So, all in all, have a good time.