Somewhat, especially the popularized forms of Eclectic Wicca. However, I feel the deeper Mystery aspects of most paths are still more obscure.
I think it's good that there is more visibility because that can take up towards less intolerance, but bad in that it's easier to spread misinformation and have to "un-teach" it when a Seeker does happen to find themselves pulled towards deeper Mysteries. However, I think it is definitely good the those Mysteries are harder to find, because it lessens the chance that they can be corrupted and misused.
I believe that Wicca "flavor of the week" is mainstream because it's "the cool thing" or it's the "angsty" thing, or whatever. Some outrageous ideas (to me) in Wicca have managed to become visibly stable belief systems. Some are just so much fluff (uneducated).
We have to take the fluff with the good I think, as all sects of other religions do.
Yes it's getting that way slowly or at least becoming more acceptable, but I think, that if someone thinks it's a bad thing, then I'd have to question their own motives behind following it.
It would make me wonder if in some part they are into it because of it being unusual or unconventional.
I don't see how someone else following paganism, even if it's out of some misguided sense of being cool, truly should affect your own beliefs, if you believe in something, surely that's all that should matter.
I can't for the life of me think of any truly good reasons why it isn't a good thing, even if people are getting a wrongish impression of it (and to be honest, it's hard for me to tell what impression people are getting because I'm not an outsider looking in) however you look at it though, it's becoming more socially acceptable to identify with it and if it's becoming more acceptable then the outside impression must be improving. The pros overall massively outweigh the cons.
No, I don't think there's anything that's "gone mainstream" about any kind of Paganism, unless it's the vague nods to Goddess Spirituality that upper-middle-class housewives have picked up since the mid-'90s. I don't even think fluffy Neo-Wicca is "in" among teenagers anymore.
Paganism in any form still occasions far too many comments, shock, and astonishment for it to be considered any kind of mainstream. Maybe in another 20 years, but definitely not now.
Comments 6
I think it's good that there is more visibility because that can take up towards less intolerance, but bad in that it's easier to spread misinformation and have to "un-teach" it when a Seeker does happen to find themselves pulled towards deeper Mysteries. However, I think it is definitely good the those Mysteries are harder to find, because it lessens the chance that they can be corrupted and misused.
Reply
Reply
Reply
We have to take the fluff with the good I think, as all sects of other religions do.
Reply
It would make me wonder if in some part they are into it because of it being unusual or unconventional.
I don't see how someone else following paganism, even if it's out of some misguided sense of being cool, truly should affect your own beliefs, if you believe in something, surely that's all that should matter.
I can't for the life of me think of any truly good reasons why it isn't a good thing, even if people are getting a wrongish impression of it (and to be honest, it's hard for me to tell what impression people are getting because I'm not an outsider looking in) however you look at it though, it's becoming more socially acceptable to identify with it and if it's becoming more acceptable then the outside impression must be improving. The pros overall massively outweigh the cons.
Reply
No, I don't think there's anything that's "gone mainstream" about any kind of Paganism, unless it's the vague nods to Goddess Spirituality that upper-middle-class housewives have picked up since the mid-'90s. I don't even think fluffy Neo-Wicca is "in" among teenagers anymore.
Paganism in any form still occasions far too many comments, shock, and astonishment for it to be considered any kind of mainstream. Maybe in another 20 years, but definitely not now.
Reply
Leave a comment