I posted this message on the alt.pagan and alt.religion.wicca newsgroups. But I think that if you remove the witch comments, it is equally applicable to ecofeminists. Let me know what you think. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Several ideas have been bouncing around in my head, and I think that they are finally starting to take some shape. Pondering, what defines neo-paganism, why certain groups were not particularly neo pagan, and delving again into my own environmental and feminist convictions I think I have come to this conclusion. Witches consider the Earth to be sacred and divine. In realigning ourselves with the earth, recognizing our part in nature, we begin to heal one of the many rifts between us, and the divine. Recognizing this division of humans and nature as being a lie that separated us from the divine, it is possible to look at some other relationships and see some parallels. Not only were we separated from the earth, but we were also separated from each other along many divisions. Instead of being humans, we have been divided and judged according to our gender, our skin color, our religion, our nationality, and even our sexual orientation. This division has justified a system of oppression, which I call patriarchy. Slavery was a direct result of this kind of division. The establishment of male authority over government is another result. War is one of the ultimate expressions of this us and them division. We have rid ourselves of slavery in some sense, and we have drawn some borders around patriarchy where we felt it was unfair. We have in the last 20 years or so, come a long way in civil rights. But the system itself remains one of oppression. Companies have become equal opportunity oppressors. The labor of the many benefits the few. Class lines still exist. Women and minorities have made inroads into this system of oppression, and have won the right to play by patriarchy's rules, and struggle to make it to the top themselves, usually against great opposition. But patriarchy still remains, even if some of its big players are now women and people of color. I think, if we are ever to live in a society free from oppression, we must begin to create it today. We *should* continue to limit the harm that patriarchy can cause, but we cannot turn patriarchy into something it is not and was never meant to be. We must form something else, an alternative to patriarchy. Here is where I think wicca, neo paganism, and other groups who embrace the notion that the earth is sacred and not here for the exploitation of humanity, can come together and create something good and lasting. I don't think we can gain what we want through violent revolution. Dominating those who dominate us will only turn us into oppressors ourselves. I think the way to liberation is in creating safe spaces in which we can live, and safe spaces where we can work. A community needs an economic base, something to support and sustain it. I think our first task is to create businesses that are not oppressive, are anti-oppressive and non-heirarchical. These businesses need to be competitive with businesses that are heirarchical, they need to be just as vibrant, and just as affluent. These businesses can form the basis of a new community of people. We can create our own villages, found our own schools, and live both apart from and within the society we live in now. Ever since I discovered the craft, 11 years ago, I have read pagan visions of what a community could be like. I have read feminist visions, and environmentalist visions. I have heard people speak about founding communes. There seems to be a hunger for this out there, but noone knows where to start. I say one way to start is in business, founding businesses that can support us, that can help us to purchase land, build homes, move into the same neighborhoods or cohousing groups, provide schools, etc.. So I am looking for people who feel like I do, that our society as it exists is irreprable, we can shore up the walls some but it will never fully provide us the world we want. Interested in starting some kind of business that can employ some 20-30 people? Got an idea that might employ a hundred or so? Lets figure out what we can do. If we create a company with an income of $10 million a year or so, think of the funds we would have available to build the community we want! Even if it didn't grow to be that large, even if we never formed the outside community, we would at least be working together in a business free from oppression. Lets talk about this. I think this thread is much more important than discussing who is pagan and who is not. I want to see it take over the alt.pagan and alt.religion.wicca newsgroups! Rather than fighting a battle that devides us, lets focus on one that could bring us together. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen R. Figgins [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://tech.ora.com/fig/ "Well, once again my friend, we find that science is a two-headed beast. One head is nice, it gives us aspirin and other modern conveniences,...but the other head of science is bad! Oh beware the other head of science, Arthur, it bites!" --The Tick
