Cultural Rape and Misapropriation
So, there's been a-lot of talk lately about how common cultural misappropriation is among eclectic neo-pagans. Now there is noting with being eclectic, but one should try very hard not to do cultural misappropriation. However it can be difficult to avoid this with all the books on the market today, which speak about being eclectic and how they can use basically anything they want.
The dictionary defines appropriation as
Dictionary
3. a deliberate act of acquisition of something, often without the permission of the owner; "the necessary funds were obtained by the government's appropriation of the company's operating
unit"; "a person's appropriation of property belonging to another is dishonest"
unit"; "a person's appropriation of property belonging to another is dishonest"
Dictionary
1. selecting or choosing from various sources.
2. made up of what is selected from different sources.
3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
2. made up of what is selected from different sources.
3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
The problem it seems is poor researching. "Wicca" seems to be the most common guilty party in cultural misappropriation. Authors like SRW and DJ Conway perpetuate information that is not only inaccurate about the religion of Wicca, but about what it means to be an honest eclectic pagan. That and they misrepresent what some of these "witchcraft" traditions are. They name them as Wiccan, when they are decidedly not.
The problem is many of these authors state that you could use deities and practices from any culture out there, just because you like it. What about cultures that are closed, or misnamed? The Celtic deities are a part of a closed culture, and there for not able to be worshiped/worked with by non-Celtic people.
Seanet.com
Oaths were sworn by the Gods, within the three realms of land, sea and sky, [Ellis, 131] and they were taken very seriously. When the Gods are real, their displeasure is as real as their favor, and they do not like their names being taken lightly. Calling upon them in swearing oaths brought their attention to you, and they watched to be certain that sworn oaths were not violated. Death was considered preferable to the breaking of oath, for without the honor of individuals and the trust between members of the tuath ("people, children, tribe" ), the entire tribe could collapse, and who would want to be responsible for the destruction of the tribe?
What about the common "Rede" of Wicca? Many eclectic neo-pagans use this to justify their practices. Yet, again we come to what right do they have to use closed cultures? That any many of them try to apply the Rede to no Wiccan practices. Let's look at the celts again shall we:
Seanet.com
Many modern Pagans, particularly Wiccans, follow the Rede Harm None as their guiding principle. There is certainly a need for this in the modern world, but it is not, nor has it ever been a Celtic ideal. Instead, honor and "face" or social perception were very important to the Celtic peoples.
Another thought on the same subject is using titles not given to you. Two very popular titles among the neo-pagan scene are Druid and Shaman. Both mean different things today then they used to. Shaman:
paganachd.com
Many of us find the use of the term “shamanism” problematic, as it is a term which refers to a specific spiritual/religious complex in a specific, non-Celtic, culture (Tungus/Siberian). The word “shamanism” came into common usage as anthropologists noted some similarities between the practices of a few differing and unrelated traditional peoples. They began using the term, loosely, to refer to these varying practices. However it has always been a rather superficial generalization that did not accurately fit many of the cultures described. That usage has travelled, and become even broader and less useful, into the Neopagan and occultist lexicons (largely due to the controversial work of Michael Harner).
To call any mystical practices which deal with the spirit worlds “shamanism” is unfair to the culture which originated the term, and to those other cultures which are subsequently lumped together and homogenized. It fosters a sort of spiritual laziness, where culture-specific practices are mistaken for universal, and which often prevents seekers from looking deeper to the actual practices of the culture in question.
To call any mystical practices which deal with the spirit worlds “shamanism” is unfair to the culture which originated the term, and to those other cultures which are subsequently lumped together and homogenized. It fosters a sort of spiritual laziness, where culture-specific practices are mistaken for universal, and which often prevents seekers from looking deeper to the actual practices of the culture in question.
Druid:
Britan Express
In simple terms the Druids were the priests of the Celtic tribes in Britain. But to state that fact does not convey the breadth of their influence in Celtic society. The Druids were a sort of super-class of priests, political advisers, teachers, healers, and arbitrators among the Celtic tribes.
Spoons:
What are the ethical standards an eclectic neo-pagan should go with?
How can we be sure that we are not guilty of culture rape?
Is there any way to work with a closed culture if you are not a member of that culture?
