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False Modern Mysteries

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Post  hhodios Sun Dec 29, 2013 7:33 pm

This appeared on Reddit's pagan subreddit and I thought I'd share it here:

http://www.aquariantabernaclechurch.org/spring-mysteries-festival

Basically, it's a claim by a Wiccan church that they are initiating people into the Mysteries of Eleusis, and I found it at least mildly offensive, so I wanted to get some other opinions on it. Obviously it's first and foremost a money-making thing, but my first thought was that people who practice magic and are not priestesses of Demeter have no business doing this, even if they could reconstruct it, which they can't.

Thanks,
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Post  Thrasyvoulos Sun Dec 29, 2013 7:43 pm

It's sacrilegious for certain. The original Eleusinian Mysteries were lost completely, and we now have only the vaguest of notions of what may have gone on in those rites. Even in modern mystery religions, such as Orphism, little of the goings on is known. To parade around a modern conception as an ancient truth is a bold faced, blasphemous lie.

However, I wouldn't say they are doing so intentionally; the modern neopagan community is infamous for it's "fluffiness" and "make-it-up-as-we-go-along" attitude toward religion. Do not attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. And so we should approach it from the appropriate angle. Hot anger rarely does anything constructive.

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Post  Erodius Sun Dec 29, 2013 8:32 pm

That's been going on for a while now. It's a money-making scam and an absurd, offensive, and ridiculous sacrilegious joke — not directly, but subtly malicious. It is intentional consumerist falsehood spilled over into 'religion'. Like 'Tibetan goji berries' as an ancient part of traditional Tibetan yogic medicine. (this gets marketed quite a lot nowadays, when, in truth, goji berries/wolfberries have never been a part of Tibetan medicine, and do not now, and never have, grown anywhere in the Tibetan plateau. They're native to central and northern China.

Modern playganism as a generalization, tends quite often toward disavowal of shame or ethics, flouting decency and morality as themselves 'evil misogynistic Judaeo-Christian oppression'. There is hardly any nonsense or trash, even more than you'd imagine, that I've not seen claimed at some point.

Incorrigible, presumptuous, and credulous — made more disgusting only by the fact that these individuals are charging money for a fraud.

Anything at all must be taken with a fair measure of doubt and suspicion from any source that idolizes repudiation of ethics, morality, and basic common sense.

This appeared on Reddit's pagan subreddit

I would recommend, as a scholar of religion and an academic in general, that you never use either of those as reliable sources of information.

*cough* load of hogwash *cough*


Last edited by Erodius on Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Post  Daedalus Sun Dec 29, 2013 8:45 pm

Erodius basically summed it up right there.....
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Post  Thrasyvoulos Sun Dec 29, 2013 9:26 pm

Oh, come now, Erodius, tell us how you REALLY feel, now xD

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Post  Erodius Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:17 pm

Icarus wrote:Oh, come now, Erodius, tell us how you REALLY feel, now xD


You want more fire and brimstone? I've been trying to tone down the heat of my jeremiad diatribes.

At a certain level of ridiculousness, some things don't even deserve much effort in condemnation.
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Post  Thrasyvoulos Sun Dec 29, 2013 10:44 pm

Erodius wrote:

You want more fire and brimstone? I've been trying to tone down the heat of my jeremiad diatribes.

I wouldn't call that fire and brimstone, per se xD then again, having a strong, Pentecostal upbringing probably has a hand in what has formulated in my mind as "fire and brimstone" teachings proper.

Erodius wrote: At a certain level of ridiculousness, some things don't even deserve much effort in condemnation.

Agreed. At some point, certain things tend to defeat themselves, and I think this is one of those instances. Not much we can do except sit back and point out the absurdity of it all.

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Post  hhodios Mon Dec 30, 2013 12:00 am

Erodius wrote:Modern playganism as a generalization, tends quite often toward disavowal of shame or ethics, flouting decency and morality as themselves 'evil misogynistic Judaeo-Christian oppression'.
....
Anything at all must be taken with a fair measure of doubt and suspicion from any source that idolizes repudiation of ethics, morality, and basic common sense.

Yeah, agreed, these kinds of attitudes are easily seen in some of these belief systems or their practitioners, and IMO are indicative of personal pathology (e.g. Thelema), though I'm not personally familiar enough with most of them to criticize too much. "Playganism" is a fun word though.


I would recommend, as a scholar of religion and an academic in general, that you never use either of those as reliable sources of information.
*cough* load of hogwash *cough*

But what if I'm a neckbeard who wants to learn to cast spells, burn sage to ward off evil demons, heal myself with power pyramids, and start a reading group for Crowley's Book of the Law? Sounds like exactly the place to go, then. Wink

Thanks for the responses, everyone. edit: I thought the level of fire and brimstone was appropriate, btw.
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