Witch Wars: The Fight to be Right
Author: Phae Talon
Posted: August 13th. 2006
Times Viewed: 1,259
Some Thoughts on Community -
A community is something that most of us strive for. The gathering of souls of a like mind is a very powerful calling. Even those who are not converts from a monotheistic, congregation-style religion seem to seek the simple joys of socialization and worship with others. With the advent of the World Wide Web, you can find what may seem like the whole of modern Pagan society at your fingertips.
Yet for all the romantic ideals of people coming together for a common cause and enjoying the company of fellow Pagans, there comes the undeniable truth that Pagans, just like any other group of people, come in all shapes, sizes, and opinions. For those unaccustomed to having their own ideas challenged, the world of Pagan internet forums and e-mail groups can seem like a barrel of wet cats—clawing, screeching and just cranky in general.
A common thread throughout Paganism (and there are precious few of these threads) seems to be that minority faiths draw people of strong opinions. Be it deity worship, gardening, spellwork, parenting or even just creating the perfect cup of tea, many of us are quite vocal on the right and wrong ways of doing just about everything.
Opinions clash with such vehemence that sparks can become a flame before any of the players notice, and more often than not you end up with a full-blown Witch War on your hands. Participants become their opinions, and their views narrow to the point at which they no longer see a fellow Witch or Pagan; the only thing that seems to matter is that they are right and the “other” is very wrong.
Witchvox article