Cultural Backlash: An Open Post

[causticus]

There were some interesting discussions on yesterday's Magic Monday post and on the past month's or so posts on the Ecosophia blog regarding the collapse of alternative spirituality in the West and a likely impending cultural backlash against decades of general rot and grubbiness that is decaying our civilization from within.

Some of us here in the US are afraid that a sudden cultural jolt in the other direction, away from leftism/progressivism, will result in any type of spirituality that doesn't fit a narrow, literalist Christian/Abrahamic format as being seen by the reaction mob as "part of the problem." Anything the people leading and directing this backlash deem to be adjacent to the aforementioned cultural rot will be lazily lumped together into one big, bad conspiracy against what they believe they are trying to save and preserve. This likely means anything occult/esoteric, overtly pagan, or too foreign will be included, with very little nuance. As we know, the moral collapse of both Neopaganism and the postmodern occult scene hasn't helped matters at all in this respect, especially in light of recent tragic events.

Anyway, I want to know what anyone else here thinks of this and anything in your own area (US or somewhere else) you have seen indicative of a new cultural direction that may or or may not involve the condemnation of the things I listed above (or anything else that comes to mind). Also, we could use this space to think up ideas on how to preserve and carry on various spiritual teachings and practices if/when an intolerant religious climate becomes reality.

This is an open post that will stay open for quite a long time.

Comments

[alexanderthered]

Thanks for the reply!

The Heathens have put in a lot of work over the years to ensure they have a solid set of principles, morals and ethics, and to hold the line when someone (often a person who describe themselves as neopagan) inevitably comes in to try and upend it all. While they certainly have their challenges, I think they have a much brighter future than most other neopagan-associated religions, as its largely managed to make itself independent of the big neopagan tent.

Re:luck, I'm working on a philosophy that's somewhat related - the idea that the universe isn't random, but pseudorandom.

This means essentially that, while nothing is predetermined, there is a limited number of possible outcomes given a situation (though, this being a big universe, that number might be really high).

Situations can be further changed utilyzing energy from the universe / nature in the form of magic or prayer, from the deities, daemons and spirits, etc

It also forms a basis for why divination and various other magical or psychic pheonomina work, and I do plan on extending this to luck (both bestowed luck from the spirits, as well as luck in the form of built up positive energies and good old fashioned positioning+action (right place plus right time)).

It's early days yet though and I have a lot to learn :)

I agree with you re:neopaganism being largely unsalvageable. The term "Witchcraft" has really bad connotations to the point where I refuse to call myself a witch (at the moment, I use the term Cleric, but I also like Magi/Magus), not that I found the term very palatable in the first place.

The early Druid stuff is really interesting and was one of the first things I looked in to heavily after failing to really connect with neopagans. The latest I'm willing to go is RDNA - while they're definitely a bit much, their documentation is excellent, and I found their "nature is good" philosophy nice and succinct enough to adopt it in to Sylvydism.

And yes I'm aware of the founding of RDNA and how it wasn't originally a serious thing. I still think they have some philosophical value though, at least until they (and every other Druid sect) got sucked in to the Age of Aquarius stuff in the late 60s / early 70s. That, combined with the fact that some Druids have been pushing the idea of making their religion proprietary, doesn't really vibe with me.

(FWIW, everything I release for Sylvydism will be public domain. I don't believe in making spirituality proprietary. We will make money for the organization - IF I even make one, which I don't even know if it'll even get that far - selling clothes for clergy or something.)

Re:technical stuff, I agree. The lack of space for lay people is a big problem in neopaganism- honestly, most people just want some guidance and stability in their lives. They don't want to be clergy, they don't want to be in charge, they don't want to do big group incantations on the regular or become a theologian just to be involved, they just want to come in, worship, ask for guidance / advice, and sometimes bring some food with them to contribute to a potluck.

But there's no space for these people in the vast majority of neopagan beliefs.

Neopaganism has a "too many cooks" problem and, combined with the taboo of involving kids as well as the push for cultural subjective solipsism, is going to result in its eventual destruction. It's already wildly unstable, and getting less stable every year.

As I like to say IRL- if your only ethic is consent, then you have no ethics. If your only moral is consent, then you have no morals. And if your only philosophy is consent, then you have no philosophy. This is a huge problem in neopaganism, and it's slowly percolating in to mainstream culture as a whole.

The proliferation of post-modern deconstruction in to the larger culture and every day life has resulted in people having nothing, and it's not sustainable.