This group is primarily for Non-Wiccan Pagans to discuss pagan topics that are not related to Wicca.
I love Wiccans. Just like I love my Mom, but that doesn't mean I want to spend every minute of the day with her. I created this group beause Pagan groups on MySpace can tend to be highly populated with Wiccans and/or people espousing Wiccan ideas... which are valuable... but we've heard them all! I was hoping this would be a place where Pagan ideas that have not been inspired or influenced by Wiccan concepts could be explored more in-depth without distraction. It's not a perfect idea... where do you draw the line? Which came first, the Wiccan or the concept? But hopefully we can explore the other side of paganism in greater detail if we try.
Anyone is welcome to join. You won't be kicked out if you're Wiccan, or Jewish or anything, as long as you remember the focus of this group and play by the rules. I'm going to be a little tougher of a mod here, but that's only cuz I want to keep things on track. Don't let me scare you, I'm really just a kitten at heart. (Mew?)
Here are some of the Wiccan-Centric myths that will get you in trouble: (Posts containing these topics may be removed at the moderators discretion)
1.) Not all pagans embrace the Wiccan misconception of "Karma" (which would better be described as "balance"). The eastern concept of Karma is perfectly fair ground, but leave the weird Wiccan version out of this.
2.) This goes for the Wiccan rede and especially the threefold law. "Harm None" Is not a pan-pagan rule, not to mention just how vague that edict is. Every action is bound to have some pleasant and unpleasant effects, it all depends on how you interpret it. None of that, do you hear? Nobody in this group is expected to behave like a good little Wiccan.
3.) Which brings me to the subject of magick being performed on others, we're not the morality police. As far as love-spells, hexes, curses, anything done without the permission of the target... that's 100% the responsibility of the practitioner to decide what's right, wrong, necessary, unecessary and if people go cussing anyone out about how you "shouldn't be doing that! That's WRONG!" They'll get a kick in the shins... or a boot out of the group.
4.) This group is for Athiests, Monotheists, Polytheists, Pantheists, Theologans, Theocrats, Theacrobats and anything else that does or doesn't have to do with the structure of diety. Don't go assuming "All Gods are One" or that everyone's into the God/Goddess duality bit. So what if
I'm Jungian about it? Not everyone takes that view... don't be presumptive, you'll get tarred, feathered and laughed at mercilessly.
Some rules of conduct:
-Use internet etiquite... but that doesn't mean "be nice"
-Don't go capslock
-Don't spam, you'll be escorted quietly out the side door
-Don't be a h8er! No bashing, that includes Wiccan bashing. (Fluff-trimming will be tolerated). Listen to what people say, don't go jumping to conclusions and if you start spouting off intentionally racist, sexist, Anti-(name of religion here) and other offensive crap, you'll be kicked out.
- Christians (or any others for that matter) that wish to personally send the members of this group to Hell (or any other unfortunate place) for reasons of not being Christian or Australian or for Eating Pumpkin Seeds After Midnight will be vanquished. Open-Minded Christians welcomed.
-Trolls will be briefly charbroiled, then disposed of.
Links
General Paganism-
Scarlet's Online Book of Light, Shadows and Goshdarn Foolery
Midwest Pagans (My other group)
Sacred Texts
GodChecker Pantheon Resource
Pagan Info from Rainbow Zend's Page
The Pagan Federation
Pagan Paths
Information on several Pagan paths and magical systems
Animism-
A somewhat ethnocentric, but rather thorough study of tribal animism
An Essay on the Beleifs of Animism
Buddhism-
Essay on Buddhism
Kadampa Buddhist Tradition
CAW (Church of All Worlds)-
Official CAW Website
Celtic Resonstructionism-
IMBAS
Celtic Tree of Life
Comparitive Religions: Celtic Recon vs Wicca
Discordianism, Erisians and Chaos Magic-
Hyperdiscordia
Ode to Fnord
Principia Discordia or, How I Found the Goddess and What I Did To Her When I Found Her
Erisian Warfare Tactics
IOTA (Chaos Magic)
Druidry-
Druidry.org
Eclecticism-
You're Kidding... Right?
Elementalism-
Member Post with some definitions
Elementalism by Damien Moore
Green Witchery, Hedge Witchery and also Kitchen Witchery-
Wise Woman
Way of the Green Witch
The HedgeWitch - The Lies and The Truth
What is a Hedge Witch?
Kitchen Witchery
Heathenry (Astru, Odinism, Irminism and others)-
Odinist.com
Irminenschaft
Irminic Lore
Odinic Rite Guardians
The Troth
AFA
Odin Lives Radio
Hellenic Paganism-
Hellenic Info
Hinduism-
Encyclopedia of Hinduism
Hoodoo, Rootwork-
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice by Catherine Yronwode
Kemeticism, Egyptian Reconstructionism-
An Essay on Kemeticism
Wikipedia-Kemeticism
Pantheism-
Pantheism.net
Pantheism vs Panentheism
Satanism(LeVayan)-
Church of Satan
Info on Satanism's various forms and History
Religious Tolerance-Satanism
Santeria-
Santeria Info
Shamanism-
A Particularily Informative Page
Shamanism.org
Wikipedia-Shamanism
Dance of the Deer Foundation
Irish Shamanism
Shinto-
Shinto Information
Voodoo, Vodun-
Vodoun Culture
The Temple of Yehwe
Wicca (I just couldn't leave it out...)-
Wicca For The Rest Of Us-Timerift