We all know that one guy or girl in the community who has the fanciest of velvet robes, the most expensive athame, dozens of tarot decks, and all of these really cool and expensive toys and relics of the Craft, but he or she couldn't cast a circle to save his life. People like this are, quite arrogantly by some, called fluffy bunnies, and while they get on the nerves of many people, they may just have a place within the greater pagan community.
The above description is for one type of 'fluff bunny' pagan. There are many types of them. There are those who would be called a witch simply to be different and cause shock in other people. There are those who want to claim the label of witch, but refuse to do the work of going through the degree system and changing internally. Then, there are those who would search for knowledge under the guise of 'knowledge is power' and do nothing with that information. As the Craft evolves and the religion becomes more prevalent, there will be more and more people who come to the Craft for information, not to learn.
So, what do we do with people who come across like this? What do we do with those who are obviously more into being different than being spiritual? We do the exact same things with those people that we do with everyone else. We love them anyway. Without getting angry or frustrated, we do our best to guide them to their own understanding of their own personal path.
For those with the 'knowledge is power' mentality, dealing with them can be a bit trickier. We still love them anyway, mind you. However, these people come across as sincere seekers who are interested in learning and changing. Then, when things get beyond the general information on the religion and get into the actual personal changes, the approach is a little more hands off.
With these particular people, there seems to be the mentality that if I know what happens, then I can make the choice to do it or not. This mentality happens when a person is firmly stuck in the element of Air. The curiosity about something drives them, but the fear of the unknown stops them short of full achievement and moving into the element of Fire.
Insincere seekers follow every religion and paganism is no exception. We can only accept these people for who they are and hope to help them find their own true path. They aren't to be scorned or made fun of, as they have their place just like anyone else. How do you deal with the fluffier of pagans in your community?
Brightest blessings my friends!!
The above description is for one type of 'fluff bunny' pagan. There are many types of them. There are those who would be called a witch simply to be different and cause shock in other people. There are those who want to claim the label of witch, but refuse to do the work of going through the degree system and changing internally. Then, there are those who would search for knowledge under the guise of 'knowledge is power' and do nothing with that information. As the Craft evolves and the religion becomes more prevalent, there will be more and more people who come to the Craft for information, not to learn.
So, what do we do with people who come across like this? What do we do with those who are obviously more into being different than being spiritual? We do the exact same things with those people that we do with everyone else. We love them anyway. Without getting angry or frustrated, we do our best to guide them to their own understanding of their own personal path.
For those with the 'knowledge is power' mentality, dealing with them can be a bit trickier. We still love them anyway, mind you. However, these people come across as sincere seekers who are interested in learning and changing. Then, when things get beyond the general information on the religion and get into the actual personal changes, the approach is a little more hands off.
With these particular people, there seems to be the mentality that if I know what happens, then I can make the choice to do it or not. This mentality happens when a person is firmly stuck in the element of Air. The curiosity about something drives them, but the fear of the unknown stops them short of full achievement and moving into the element of Fire.
Insincere seekers follow every religion and paganism is no exception. We can only accept these people for who they are and hope to help them find their own true path. They aren't to be scorned or made fun of, as they have their place just like anyone else. How do you deal with the fluffier of pagans in your community?
Brightest blessings my friends!!
I think "witch' here is used as a synonym with Wiccan. I agree that if someone has been called a fluff, that doesn't mean the person should be reviled but loved anyway. But there are plenty of witches who call themselves such, but who do not cast circles, wouldn't want an athame and do not follow a specific religion. (And, of course, paganism is not a religion but a collection that includes many and varied religions and other philosophies that are not religions. Still, it doesn't matter to me. People get the loves be they pleasant, hard or blah. It's more productive over all that way IMO.)
ReplyDeleteI used to think there was no harm in someone being a fluff. To every their own. However, I read once that within community interaction if the loudest voices are those who have not done research etc. then the conversations and progress of the whole community is limited by that. So damage can be done I suppose. I remain solitary in my doings, so I do not know how much damage actually can be done, but when I read the idea it made sense.
As a bit of a hedgeworker, I do think there is danger in someone who chooses not to see things, or change or feel things or learn in this arena. After all, it takes some learning to know one plant from another and choosing the wrong one or harvesting it poorly can result in physical harm. And if ingested, death could result of course. So there are practical dangers even for witches who aren't Wiccan. So someone who acts as a milkweed seed could land in some dangerous spots. They still deserve compassion, IMO because the plants teachings can be more harsh than a humans. Ha!
I enjoyed your post and wish you luck in your studies.
I was solitary for many years, before coming to group workings, but even within the solitary community (as vast and as scattered as it may be) there are those who don't want to grow but just want to know things or be different. Mostly, I am saddened by these people and their reaction to being told, "The Mysteries are not something that can be taught. They must be learned through experience." I can not relate my own experience to some of the Mysteries because their own will probably be different.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply and recognizing the compassion we all need for each other. :)