OLD GUARD PAGANISM
Koren
Fri Mar 23 1990
RELIGIOUS VS. POLITICAL REASONS FOR JOINING: Similar to the passage above,
this again deals with one's primary motivation for becoming a Pagan. For Old
Guard Pagans, being political was something that grew out of one's religious
ideas. But, just as there is much variance in Old Guard Paganism, so too
there is much variance in Old Guard politics. From my own friends, I can
cite Old Guard Pagans who run the gamut from Socialist to Libertarian. This
same political diversity is noticably absent in New Guard P aganism, with
most New Guard Pagans sticking to the same party line. Also, there is less
tollerance of Pagans who diverge from that party line. More stress is placed
on being 'politically correct'.
RELIGIOUS VS. FEMINIST REASONS FOR JOINING: Finally, many Old Guard Pagans
have become feminists AS A RESULT OF their Pagan beliefs. By contrast, many
New Guard Pagans are Pagans AS A RESULT OF their feminist beliefs. Once
more, it's a question of which t akes precedent. And although it may seem
like the final result would be the same, such is not the case. Pagans who
come to Paganism via feminism are often separatists, Goddess monotheists,
anarchists, distrustful of both structure and authority, insisting on such
ideas as consensus political forms, rotating High Priestesses (often without
High Priests at all), and other non-traditional Coven structures. ( Often,
such groups disdain to use the word 'Coven' and simply refer to their
'Circles'.) The perenial problems that plague such groups (the lack of
focus, the inability to set goals, the endless personality clashes and power
plays, and the fact that nothing ever gets done) come as no surprise. Much
of this would be unthinkable to Old Guard Pagans, who wo uld no more rotate
the position of High Priestess in their Coven than they would rotate the
position of mother in their family. ( The New Guard attitude toward
authority arises, I believe, from a healthy mistrust of it as it is
typically used (abused) in patriarchal society. This perception is
particularly acute among feminists. What it fails to consider is how
authority may be used positively in a matriarchy.)
NON- VS. PROSELYTIZING: For an Old Guard Pagan, the idea of saying to
someone 'Would you like to join our Coven?' or 'Would you like to become a
Witch?' would have been unthinkable. Proselytizing was one of the most
detested aspects of the religious tradi tion (usually Christian) being left
behind. Those groups who actively recruit members were, to the Old Guard,
groups to be shunned at all costs. Witchcraft is not the one, right, and
only religion. In fact, it probably appeals only to a select few. And th ose
few exhibit their courage and sincerity when they seek out a Coven or a
tradition. When a Coven seeks THEM out instead (Won't you please join our
Circle tonight?), there is no guage of the novice's devotion. Perhaps that
is why the 'drop-out' rate is much higher for New Guard than Old Guard.
(Other mystery traditions, such as the Freemasons, strictly forbid a member
to ask an outsider if they would like to join.)
Lest one conclude that there are only differences between Old and New Guard
Pagans, let me mention a few things they seem to have in common. First,
there is magic -- both in its frequency of use, and what it is used for.
Second, the use of drugs by modern Witches has always been a minority
position, and seems to remain so. Third, the times of celebration and
festival, appointed by the seasons and the phases of the moon, seem constant
(although New Guard Pagans often employ inappropriate names for the holi
days). So, while there are differences, there is common ground as well.
If the remarks you overhear made by Old Guard Pagans (and the remarks made
in this essay!) seem slighty petulent, tinged with sibling rivalry, it is
not to be wondered at. The Old Guard Pagan is in the position of older
brother or sister of the family. Th ey often feel, quite justifiably, that
the things which they had to fight Mom and Dad so HARD for, are now being
handed to the younger brother or sister on a silver platter. They feel that
since their freedoms and privileges were so hard won, they value t hem more.
They often feel that the younger siblings do not APPRECIATE all the things
the older siblings have done to make such freedoms possible. And, of course,
they are right. Such will always be the way of the world -- the march of
generations. Still, the thing to remember about sibling rivalry is that,
underneath it all, we ARE siblings; we ARE brothers and sisters, whatever
forms may divide us; we ARE all sons and daughters of the Great Mother.
re very often
skeptical of new forms. For example, you won't find many Old Guard Pagans
going in for the current fad of quart z crystals. In fact, Old Guard Pagans
will likely point out that there have been no controlled experiments
concerning the psychic property of crystals, that there is no historical
precedent for such beliefs, that the use of crystals by Native Americans ha
s been overstated and misrepresented, and that other precious and semi-
precious gem stones are traditionally just as effective. New Guard Pagans,
however, are often not far removed from New Age Pagans, and go in for
everything from crytals, to channeling, to UFO's, without much hint of
critical evaluation.
RELIGIOUS VS. SOCIAL REASON FOR JOINING: This is perhaps the SINGLE MOST
IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE that exists between the two groups, and it could well
account for many other differences. For many Old Guard Pagans, there COULD
be NO SOCIAL REASON for becoming a Pagan, since Pagans were so few and far
between that most of us didn't know ANY other Pagans anywhere! New Guard
Pagans, on the other hand, often become involved in Paganism for purely
social reasons. One has the feeling they need the security of being in the
SCA, or some other form of surrogate extended family. Not that such a need
isn't valid. But if social reasons are the primary motivation for becoming a
Pagan, it marks a significant break from the Old Guard, whose motivation was
chiefly religious. Perhaps that is why Old Guard Pagans are often a bit
isolationist, and are quite happy with a fragmented, insular Pagan
community. In fact, Old Guard Pagans tend to look with grave suspicion on
the 'calls to unity' -- to create a homogenous Pagan communi ty -- that one
often hears coming from New Guard Pagans.
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