[HPFGU-OTChatter] And you wonder why the Magic World keeps itself secret.

[Silverthorne Dragon]

Iggy here:

That's aside from things like faucets turning on, things falling, and other
minor stuff.  (I'm a strong believer that some "poltergeist" activity is
just untapped and uncontrolled telekinetic potential.)

{Anne}

Okay, so if we ever visit each other and get upset, you don;t make any
sudden moves, and I'll stay away from the pipe-work and water
heaters...sound fair? ^^;
As a note, I was really good 'remote viewing' myself in my teens/early
twenties. I quit doing it though, so my 'average' sucks now...


Iggy here:

Fortunately I have just enough Christianity incorporated into my form of
Paganism that I don't think the last one would be as much of an issue
for me.  (Not to mention more than enough knowledge of "acceptable"
faiths to either convince them that I'm simply a non-traditional
Christian, or that I have some home of "redemption."  Uh huh... right...
like God would pick a self-righteous, judgmental, hypocritic, violent,
narrow-minded bigot as his choice of "savior" for others.  I think those
people need to take a *much* closer look at the Bible/Torah/Koran and
consider what... or *who* in their religion... is influencing their
actions and thoughts.)


{Anne}

I have to agree...I always was under the opinion folsk should follow the
path that best suits them--no matter what it happens to be. The problem
comes when they think they have to make everyone else follow their path
too...fanatics are NO fun, no matter what their beliefs...


Iggy here:

I've actually lost a couple of jobs because my manager found out that
I'm a Pagan and not only didn't understand what it means (the most
common reaction I get it "Oh, so you're a Satanist?"

{Anne}

LOL! My poor dad asked me the same thing when he cuaght on that I had left
my Christian upbringing behind...it;s taken almost 20 years now, but he's
starting to get it...when he actaully wants to talk about it, that
it...Surpsingly, my grandmother (his mom) was a LOT more accepting--I talk
to her on and off about it, and have been for the last 12 years...her take?
As long as no one is getting hurt, and I still have some of faith in a
'good' aligned higher power, she;s cool with it...yay for Grandmas!

Iggy here:

Might I ask where you're from?

That happened up on Denton, Texas several years back. Before that, I lived
in Tucson Arizona--and out there, as long as folks didn't think you were
killing the local pets, they left you alone...then again...in Arizona,
there's enough weird shit going on all over that a few young pagans in the
backyard barely raises an eyebrow...(or didn't way back when I lived there
at any rate).


{Iggy}

Funny thing is, I ended up with a number of Pagans in Santa Cruz who
claimed I wasn't a "True Pagan" because I'm not Wiccan, and I don't
follow the "accepted" forms of ritual and life.

{Anne}

*Groans* that's just stupid. Consdiering most pagan nowadays are, by
necessity, rebuilding the beleif system as well as the 'magic' and 'ritual'
(Since most of it was wiped out in centuries past by other religions that
took over the pagan lands), I really don't understand how ANY of us can get
off on saying one way is the right way over all others...folks like that
make my teeth itch...

{Iggy}

I've already posted a *long* essay on the nature of prejudice.  You can find
it in the archives if you're interested... I don't know the message number
off the top of my head
though, sorry. Back in the first week or so of December we also had a
thread titled "RE: [HPFGU-OTChatter] Religious Freedom...Was Re: Faith
Education" that you might find interesting

{Anne}

Thanks, Iggy...I'll look it up...

Oh yeah, here you go (like you care...lol):

Started wicca, changed to shamanism, taking from both NA as well as older
Celtic systems--am not traditional by any means.

Eagle totem as primary
Water, Air, Spirit my best elements, earth my weakest
have one totem each for the 9 directions (NA influence there). ^^
Best at: Protecting against nasty spirit stuff....heh....had to be in
AZ...:P