Witches Today and Mutual Respect

In this day and age, we pagans are incredibly lucky. We're free to practice without having to fear for our safety (at least in the more privileged countries, that is). We can be as open as we want about our practices and there are laws in place that protect us from loss of employment, violence, and any other kind of persecution based on religious beliefs. Yes, we still get judged by those who don't understand or agree. But You Guys: no one can drag us out in the street and beat us senseless because we're wearing a pentacle. It was NOT always like this, and it's currently not like this in other places in the world.

And of course, we have the internet now. We can post whatever we want on the internet. You know what that means? We all have access to each other. I can check the listings on WitchVox and find other witches in my area to hang out with. I can make a blog and post all of my opinions, knowledge, and spells for everyone else to borrow and use. If I'm at a loss for a spell or need a recipe for a tincture, all I have to do is hit up Pinterest and there are pages and pages of ideas. I can go to Amazon online and buy any book I want to on any single witchy subject I can possibly dream of. The entire world of witchcraft is right at our fingertips right now. Do you guys know how amazingly good we have it?

But what are we doing with this freedom? Lately, I see a lot of hate on the internet in the pagan community. Person One posts something that Person Two doesn't agree with, and Person Two just cannot refrain from commenting to "correct" Person One's obvious mistake. Person Two leaves a snippy, passive aggressive comment that is supposed to make Person One doubt himself. Person One then feels the need to defend why he practices the way he does, and now it's a full-blown argument.

It would be completely different if the commenter approached it in a way that is respectful and doesn't belittle Person One's beliefs, but that's not usually the case. I've seen it happen so often that I just can't take it any longer, I HAVE to say something!

We are taking what we have for granted. We can be out in the open with our practices, and we have all these different opinions and variations of practices to learn from, and we are taking this privilege and using it to belittle each other. Chew on it for a second. WE ARE BELITTLING EACH OTHER.

Maybe it's just that in this age of online interaction, we've all lost touch with our communication skills. Maybe we just forgot what the difference is between being respectful and polite, and being rude and condescending. Maybe we think it just all looks the same on the internet. Whatever the reason, we are handling our differences incorrectly. When we see something we disagree with, we get offended and angry. We get snippy and jump down each others throats about how that is NOT the way to do things. And when we respond like this, we come off as rude, judgmental, and stuck-up.

Consider things from the opposite point of view for a second. Maybe the person who dared to offend you is just starting out, and has gotten their information from questionable resources. What if they just really need to be taught and set straight? How does it make you look when you post a snarky passive-aggressive comment about their practices? That's not a very warm welcome. If this is the case and you just can't leave well enough alone, then jump in and help them. Suggest some resources that you deem credible. Just be kind. We all know it's not your responsibility to teach this person you don't even know. But if you're not going to help, then close the page and move on. Your comment is absolutely not necessary.

Or maybe this person isn't so new and impressionable at all. Maybe they just walk a different path than you. I see this one a lot, too. People make rude and snarky comments about other people's beliefs because they are different from what they, themselves believe.  If someone else's opinion offends you so much, stop what you're doing for a minute and think. Why are you so offended? Did this person say something rude about you or your beliefs? Is this person truly hurting you or someone else? If the answer to both of these questions is no, then check yourself! Is it really necessary for you to say something? If not, then close the damn window and go about your business.

What I'm trying to get at here, is that we are all sisters and brothers. We are all in this together, and we are all one in the grand scheme of things. If we don't have respect for each other, than what do we have, really? If we spend our time arguing and trying to prove one-another wrong, where do we end up in the end? We need to pull together and use our time and energy wisely. In this day and age, where we have such easy access to one-another, we need to take the opportunity to learn from each other! Don't judge, LEARN. It doesn't matter who you are or how long you've been practicing. There is something you can learn from everyone.

Imagine what we could all do if we stopped being so damn threatened by one another, started accepting one another unconditionally, and working together...