Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

The Guide to Modern Pagans

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
Home » Discuss » DU Groups » Religion & Spirituality » Ancient Wisdom and Pagan Spirituality Group Donate to DU
 
davidinalameda Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Apr-05-05 10:13 AM
Original message
The Guide to Modern Pagans
This was in an email I received today. It's just way too funny not to repost it here

The Guide to Modern Pagans
By: Author Unknown


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Bright-Eyed Novice
You just read this cool book about a religion where there's a Goddess and a God, and they meet outside in nature, instead of some scary old building. They think sex is good not evil, and you want to know where to sign up.

Distinguishing Signs: Mispronounces god/dess names, has to think a moment about which is deosil and which is widdershins. Has a shiny new athame (rhymes with "A-frame".)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.Grand Old Wo/Man
Actually remembers Woodstock (the first one.) Will tell you about the time they droppedacid with Kerry Wendell Thornley - or maybe it was Robert Anton Wilson. Anyway, it was somebody with three names. Or was it three people with one name?

Distinguishing Signs: Luxuriant gray locks, listens very intently, knows dish about people you've only read about.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.Tree Hugging Nature Sprite
Most prized possession: one of Judi Barry's old tree spikes. Simultaneously believes in
universal love for humanity AND returning the planet to a pristine, uncorrupted state. Apt to remove clothes and fondle the shrubbery at a moment's notice. Can discuss compost in great detail.

Distinguishing Signs: No meat, no fragrance, no leather, no plastic, no smoke, no drugs, no eco-exploitive products, no animal tested cosmetics, no TV, no car, but very tolerant.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.Anal Retentive Ceremonial
Book collection actually holds up the ceiling in places. Is studying Greek, Latin and Hebrew all at once. Does "workings" instead of "rituals". All twenty volumes of their magical diaries are all in Enochian.

Distinguishing Signs: Won't go anywhere without a book. Is constantly aware of which direction is east. Dresses according to planetary conditions, or whatever was on sale at Wal-Mart.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.Womyncentric Gynocrat
A man's shadow crossed her altar once and she spent three weeks purifying it. She'll have no wands in her chalice, thank you. No boys allowed in her full-moon club. Can hold forth for hours on the magical properties of menstrual blood.

Distinguishing Signs: Tiny axes or curved knives, just right for amputating a penis, are a favored symbol and often hang conveniently from her body parts. When a man approaches she rolls her eyes and stops talking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.Sexy Pagan Nymph
Oh, they're so nice! All that warm, round, sex-positive flesh -- and you can actually carry on a conversation with them between orgasms... pant, drool...

Distinguishing Signs: Cute. Horny. Displays prominent cleavage. Will recite love poetry to you under a full moon. Likes to do it outdoors. Often destitute. All too few of them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.Corporate Closet Witch
"Hey, boss -- I'd like to take February 2nd as a personal day..." Has an entire chapter of their Book Of Shadows concerned with spells for purifying the workplace. Doesn't mind working on Christmas, especially if there's overtime involved. Quit being overtly Pagan at work since being canned by that born-again boss, but still refuses to say "Merry Christmas."

Distinguishing Signs: Can assume a properly smiley work persona at the drop of a hat.
Constantly glances around the room anxiously looking for co-workers and their spies.
Non-distinctive style of dress, no conspicuous tattoos.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.Childe Ov Kaos
Can name seventeen industrial goth bands without pausing to think. Knows what a Prince Albert is. Personally feels that if no panicky headlines appear the day after you do a ritual, you screwed up. Painted on their jacket, engraved in their flesh and/or boldly displayed as jewelry is an emblem which resembles a combination of corporate logo and arcane symbol. If you don't know what it means, they'll think you're a dweeb.

Distinguishing Signs: Easy to picture as an alternative musician or bike messenger, difficult to visualize as a school teacher or research assistant, impossible to imagine as a TV news anchor or bank officer. Always wears black leather, even when sleeping.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.Pagan Celebrity
At conventions, stays on the hotel floor that requires a special key for elevator access. Lurks around knots of conversation eavesdropping in order to see if their name is being mentioned. Arrives in helicopter especially for rituals. Starts every sentence with "I". If you ask them how it's going, they hand you a press release.

Distinguishing Signs: Always has plenty of books to autograph and will personally sell them to you at a slight discount from cover price. Never seen unaccompanied by beefy amazonian bodyguards and doe-eyed hangers-on. Seems vaguely afraid of anyone they don't already know.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.Scary Devil Worshipper
Would never be caught dead skyclad. Rarely smiles, except in a snide, knowing way which insinuates you are an ignorant peasant worthy of conquest. Secretly enjoys Rush Limbaugh and read The Bell Curve with smug satisfaction. Fascinated with Nazis. Probably has never hurt a fly, but they want you to think they're capable of vast destruction.

Distinguishing Signs: Lots of black and red. Men like goatees, women favor heavy black eyeliner. At least one inverted pentagram somewhere on their person. If you see several of them getting tanked in a bar, it would be wise to stay far away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.Crowley-In-A-Past-Life
Every magical gathering has at least one of these, along with several variants along the lines of Gerald Gardner, Tituba, Morgan LeFey, or somebody who was Atlantean royalty. Many of them were abducted by aliens recently, and have disturbing dreams rich with arcane symbolism that they will tell you all about, in great detail.

Distinguishing Signs: Look for the intense gleam in the eyes, the backpack rattling with various psychiatric medications, and the garments that were clearly designed and tailored on another planet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.Ravin' Pagan
Young and psychedelic. Can dance non-stop all night. Refuses to do boring Eurocentric rituals and prefers deities from sunny climes with lots of interesting local plants. Can say "Ayahuasca" ten times real fast and deliver long quotes from Terrence McKenna
.Distinguishing Signs: Dresses in color combinations that hurt the eyes unless you've taken ecstasy. Bloodshot eyes, blissful smile, never goes anywhere without ritual drum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13.Fairie Queen
Is he a she? Is she a he? Are they a couple, or are those two a couple or are all four of them a quadruple? If getting answers to these questions could disturb you, best stay away. If, on the other hand, these kind of questions seem overly judgmental, you might have a real good time ...

Distinguishing Signs: When you look at this person, does every sex act you've ever experienced in your life seem hopelessly vanilla? If so, congratulations -- you've found a Fairie!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14.High Episcopagan
Do their rituals have a script, a choreographer, a stage manager, an orchestra with chorus and last at least three hours? It's a High Episcopagan! They can memorize pages and pages of Olde Englishe, have more ritual garbs than most people have socks, and consider their main pagan influences to be Gerald Gardner, Judy Garland and Busby Berkeley.

Distinguishing Signs: Book of Shadows exceeds five volumes. Knows every note of "Carmina Burana" Don't ask them about that 18th century seed pearl trim on their ritual hat unless you've got an hour to spare.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15.Fundamentapagan
If it's in a book, it must be true. If it's in an old book, it must really be true. If it's in an old book that was handed down from an oral tradition of people who couldn't read, then it must really be way true. Gnashes their teeth if anyone shows up at a circle wearing a watch, glasses, or other mechanical assistance. Believes that anyone who lives in a city, eats meat or has a regular job dare not call themselves a pagan.

Distinguishing Signs: Has hissy fits when somebody brings up the old "Crowley ghosted Gardner's books" argument. Goes around correcting everyone's gaelic/old norse/latin/babylonian.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16.Dances With Bunnyrabbits
Uses animal symbolism to express nearly all opinions and feelings. Charter member of PETA. Thinks meat eaters should be publicly executed. Has many, many, many pets. Has a spirit animal. Personally owns 927 models, pictures, and other depictions of their spirit animal.

Distinguishing Signs: Not counting the pagan his/herself, how many animals can you see when looking at them? If the count surpasses five (including critters found on tattoos, jewelry, garments and undies), you've found a worshipper of beasties.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17.Priest/ess of Political Correctness
Analyzes everything they read or hear for sexist-racist-homophobic- imperialist-Eurocentric content without paying attention to what is actually being said. Believes in personal liberty -- everyone has the right to be overbearing, dogmatic and holier-than-thou, not just the Xtian Right. Incredibly boring yet annoyingly self-righteous all at the same time.

Distinguishing Signs: Beady hyper-alert little eyes are constantly in motion, waiting for someone to do or say something bad. Has loud and attention attracting hissy fits when confronted with everyday things such as advertising or corporate franchises. Rudimentary sense of humor is rarely activated.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.Our Lady Of Intense Suffering
Is constantly persecuted. You're probably persecuting her right now, you just don't realize it. Became a Pagan because she decided it was that most persecuted religion of all. Can't enjoy anything because it would be selfish to have any fun when so many are suffering.

Distinguishing Signs: Tales of woe. Even less of a sense of humor than Priest/ess of Political Correctness. Bristles when anyone says the words "masochist" or "whining".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19.I Am Not Spock (at the moment)
Knows at least three filks about Cthulhu and at least forty Star Trek jokes. Has found a clever way to create simple furniture from stacks of science fiction paperbacks. Can name ninety different kinds of space ship.

Distinguishing Signs: Two fisted drinking style. Probably still lives with parents. Many cryptic buttons, badges, patches and other insignia. Too smart for their own good.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.Het-Case
Insist that they aren't homophobic; they just believe that Paganism is about a goddess and a god and they do it and what could be more obvious than that? It just doesn't "work right" if you try any other way! Are secretly afraid that gays and/or lesbians are dying to jump their tender hetro bones.

Distinguishing Signs: Living spaces abound with depictions of satyrs with enormous genitals and huge-breasted, doe-eyed goddesses. Long manicured nails and wreaths of flowers (on females only -- men have big, bushy beards instead).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21.Norse Code
Heroic and vikingly, these pagans often get into trouble with festival organizers and park rangers due to their fondness for running around with a huge battle-ax in one hand and a full mead horn in the other. They throw the best parties, but if you're a wimp, you're expressly not invited.

Distinguishing Signs: Look for the large, foreboding, biker-like persons wearing runes, with many pounds of amber dangling from their necks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22.Pentacles, Inc.
Pagans have disposable income too, right? So how come they aren't buying my hand forged Venus of Willendorf necklaces -- they come in silver and gold, and each one has a genuine cubic zirconium belly button. Would you like a reading? Will that be Visa or MasterCard?

Distinguishing Signs: Has business cards featuring little embossed pentagrams. You've never seen so much Egyptian god/dess jewelry on a human being in your whole life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23.Monster Truck Pagan
Can build own house, kill own food, school own children, and brew own hootch. Owns guns. Anointing oil is 30 weight. Scrying mirror says "objects are closer than they appear".

Distinguishing Signs: Athame is a Gerber with a compass and waterproof secret compartment. Eats meat with visible twitches of pleasure. Ritual robes made from cammo fabric.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24.TechnoPagan
Often found discussing the best method of removing hot wax from keyboards. Seems
unaccustomed to sunlight. Have had coven-mates for years whom they have never seen face to face, much less know which continent they live on.

Distinguishing Signs: Casts circle with #5 torx driver. Chalice contains Jolt. BoS is writtin in Perl. Refers to eclectic ritual as "cross-platforming." Thinks "naked in your rites" means a non-GUI environment...
Refresh | 0 Recommendations Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
LiberalEsto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Apr-05-05 08:24 PM
Response to Original message
1. Absolutely ROFL!
:rofl:

Somewhere in there should be the Paganer-Than-Thou, someone who wove their own robe fabric, raised the tree from which they cut their wand, was initiated at Beltane on Glastonbury Tor, built their own wooden altar, distills their own essential oils, designed their own tarot cards, owns amulets autographed by Starhawk and other Pagan notables. In other words, no matter how Pagan you might be, they are more Pagan, more authentic, and did it years before you even heard of it.




Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
WildClarySage Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Apr-05-05 09:11 PM
Response to Original message
2. LOL I used to be the Ravin' Pagan,
Edited on Tue Apr-05-05 09:11 PM by WildClarySage
then when I worked at the battered women's shelter I was the Womyncentric Gynocrat, now that I'm in the for-profit world, I'm the Corporate Closet Witch.

In my next incarnation I wanna be the Sexy Pagan Nymph. :7

Which one are you?
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
LiberalEsto Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-06-05 11:10 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. I'm a hybrid...
a cross between the Grand Old Woman and the Tree Hugging Nature Sprite, with a dash of Unitarianism.
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
Chovexani Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Apr-12-05 04:13 AM
Response to Reply #3
4. Heh. I remember reading the first version of this on a BBS
:P
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
davsand Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Apr-12-05 12:52 PM
Response to Original message
5. What? No Kitchen witches?
I'm kind of in that odd place where I use my cooking knives in circle, I use spices for spell work, and I "find" stuff that looks or feels good to me...

I kinda dig men, so I don't fit into that Gyno scene. I have been at this for a long time, but most of the people I've known personally are equally unknown, and I am out of the broom closet only in limited places. Ritual to me is only as good as you feel about doing it, and it pisses me off when somebody tells me I am doing it "wrong" when it feels ok to me.

My Book of Shadows is about like my recipe collection--written on an amazing variety of papers and materials--and my personal philosophy is that this entire seeking of understanding is universal and I could care less if you want to wear Norse-horns, woolly under-drawers, or go sky clad. (I live in Illinois, and Sky-clad in January is an invite to illness!)

I just feel like an utter failure when I read lists like this! :)


Laura

PS: It made me laugh, and my response is pretty firmly tongue in cheek!
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Mon Jan 06th 2025, 03:58 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » DU Groups » Religion & Spirituality » Ancient Wisdom and Pagan Spirituality Group Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC