I have not been a very prolific blogger the last few months. Some of that is because I’m busy writing different things now and again (books! articles!) but a lot of it is because I’m just burned out. For every one article I write here these days I leave three drafts unfinished. Part of me wants to respond to so many of the articles I read here and in other places, but for what end? All it often does is lead to more arguments, and I just don’t need all that negativity in my life.
While confessing to this conundrum today on social media I had a few people tell me that they don’t find the Pagan Community welcoming, and in the most basic of ways. When an “open” gathering turns into a simmering cauldron of Witch War there is a problem, and it’s one we should work on fixing. And I see this kind of thing happen nearly everywhere. It’s super-easy to drift into our own personal cliques and gossip about those we disagree with, and I’m certainly guilty of it too, but we can do better.
Paganism online isn’t much better than our flesh and blood gatherings, and I’d argue that it’s probably worse. While I feel that the majority of the discourse in the Pagan Blogosphere is overwhelmingly positive, you are probably more likely to find someone sharing an argumentative article. This isn’t always malicious, I think many of us tend to share things we agree with, but I’m not sure we always weigh the consequences of that. The end result is that something often done in innocence turns into an argument.
The best way to create a more welcoming Pagan Community is to be as inclusive as possible, and to take a deep breath and think for a moment before saying something negative. But in addition to that here a few more ideas, for both the online world and your area’s next open gathering.
ONLINE
I often read that the only articles people see from the Pagan Blogosphere are the negative or argumentative ones. Those do get passed around a lot, but that can be countered by taking a few simple steps.
Share articles you like that are positive. This sounds ridiculously simple, and it is. There’s an old adage found in many magickal traditions that states: like attracts like, and it probably works when it comes to online articles too. Writers are human, and while many of us write for altruistic reasons, it’s also flattering to know that people are reading our work. If an article sticks with you for the right reasons, share it! Sharing positive articles also helps to put an end to the idea that the blogosphere is only for arguing.
In a similar vein, simply commenting on articles that you enjoy will probably result in similar articles in the future. If I know that people are getting something out of my articles on Doreen Valiente or Dion Fortune I’m more likely to write things related to that. If no one is reading them, I’m probably not going to bother. Just a quick note can go a long way.
Most of the people who leave comments on this blog are intelligent and thoughtful people. Seriously, the vast majority of you are fabulous and wonderful folks, and I probably don’t have to tell you to think before you write a comment. But most of us see just that on a near daily basis, on blogs and in social media. Some of that comes from people commenting on things they didn’t bother to read (and it happens far more often than most think, and is usually pretty easy to spot!).
No one wants to participate in an online world where we just snipe with one another over meaningless things. I read a comment about Sorita’s Pentacle Article the other day saying something along the lines of “the pentagram isn’t just a Wiccan symbol, what about all the other traditions it’s a part of?” Completely true, but the commenter said it in such a snarky manner that it raised my hackles, and in addition, all of those concerns were addressed in the article! No wonder people people don’t want to participate in the online community.
There are also a lot of people out there who share articles they disagree with, often just to fan the flames of outrage. Many of you have Facebook accounts with more influence than the Pagan Blogosphere. Highlighting shitty articles that you disagree with often gives those articles a much wider audience than they would have had otherwise. Certainly there are instances where people need to be called out for bad behavior (and just general awfulness), but so many of the “controversies” in the Pagan blogosphere do not meet this standard.
How we discuss things matters too. Over generalizing (“all Pagans” “all Polytheists”) won’t fix anything, and it’s completely possible for words to have several meanings (especially words like Witch!). “Absolutes” have long been one of my pet peeves in the online Pagan world, and certainly don’t help anything. There are no gatekeepers; if you think you are a Witch you probably are.
If a large amount of people perceive of the Pagan Blogosphere as an awful place only a small few will bother to participate in it, and that’s a shame. I honestly think the online Pagan Community has a lot to offer, but I also understand why people run from it. When all they see are the fights and arguments there’s no reason to stick around.
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