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 Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:29 am
In the most recent issue of Witches & Pagans, there was an article discussing an alleged trivialization of nonhuman animals in contemporary Paganism. Some of the authors points were interesting, but I'm curious if any of you out here feel that the use of critters in our community is superficial or trivial in any fashion and if so, how? Consider things like totemism, animal guides, etc.
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Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:41 am
I would not consider it superficial and certainly not trivial. It is a part of people's beliefs and paths.
Now there may be a large number of Pagans, who are already considered just plain fluff that may use animals in a superficial way. But for me it is not like it.
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Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:59 am
I'm not sure what you mean when you say trivialized. I can imagine several distinctly different meanings, from disregarded to disrespected to devalued. I mean, I consider the differentiation "nonhuman" to be trivial. =/
That being said, it is not something that I've really noticed, in my community or whatever greater pagan community I'm acquainted with. If anything it seems to me that animals have been aggrandized, being given spiritual or magical significances that may not be appropriate. This seems to be strongly connected to cultural influences from indigenous peoples untouched by the Abrahamic faiths. Several of these cultures lend allegorical spiritual significance to animals in ways not analogous to either Western Monotheism or Polytheism. Cultures from the Pacific northwest, sub-Saharan Africa, and the arctic circle all come readily to mind. More often than not I see these cultures bastardized in neopaganism, and often attempted (inappropriately imho) to reconcile with European or Middle Eastern polytheisms or folk religions. I have a lot of disrespect for copy/paste religious practices, and a lot of resentment for the culture-rape of suppressed peoples. Such as totemism.
Or alternately aggrandized in names like Raven Silverwolf, whom I will leave to defend her own validity.
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Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:38 am
I'm not sure where you might have read that, but I can't imagine that the mainstream pagan/wiccan community would trivialize animals. All life is sacred and is key to the continued balance of the material, spiritual and divine realms - in my opinion anyway
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Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:34 pm
Trivialized how? In some paths and cultures non-human animals are seen as divine beings or messengers thereof and so are sacred. In others they are important as high value sacrifices which may not sit well with everyone but I wouldn't call trivializing.
Maybe a link to the article or an overview of its points would make for a clearer discussion.
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Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:26 pm
I believe that animals can teach us things by watching their natures. I do understand that a lot of that is anthropomorphizing the spirits and the animal, but it also helps us understand some of what the animals teach us.
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