I am working with Pagan Pride here in Louisville to help raise money. We are currently putting together a Pagan Cookbook and we are in need of recipes. We are not just looking for food, we would like salts, incense, soaps, candles, etc... If you have anything you would be willing to share, please send me the recipe in the format below. Everyone will be given credit in the book for what they have contributed, so please be sure to include the name, and or sigil, you would like attached to your recipes.
Name of recipe Source of recipe (& culture of recipe if known) Full recipe (including ingredients list and whether it is known to fit a special diet lactose intolerance, Vegan, diabetic, etc.) A handle (name, sign, an identifying sigil) of the person submitting the recipe An organization (LexCUUPS, FUULCUUPS, Louisville Pagan Pride, Circle of the Blue Moon, etc..) First Sort would be by:
Eight Sabats 13 Esbats (full moons) 13 New Moons Blot & Sumbel recipes
Special Celebrations (Handfastings, Child Dedications, First day of School, and so on.) Ritual supplies (bath salts, incense, candles, etc.) Herbal information? Menus?
This article was written by Bonewits and is very important for all to read.
Introduction
Events in the last several decades have clearly indicated just how dangerous some religious and secular groups (usually called "cults" by those opposed to them) can be to their own members as well as to anyone else whom they can influence. "Brainwashing," beatings, child abuse, rapes, murders, mass suicides, military drilling and gunrunning, meddling in civil governments, international terrorism, and other crimes have been charged against leaders and members of many groups, and in far too many cases those accusations have been correct. None of this has been very surprising to historians of religion or to other scholars of what are usually labled "new" religions (no matter how old they may be in their cultures of origin). Minority groups, especially religious ones, are often accused of crimes by members of the current majority. In many ways, for example, the "Mormons" were the "Moonies" of the 19th century - at least in terms of being an unusual minority belief system that many found "shocking" at the time - and the members of the Unification Church could be just as "respectable" a hundred years from now as the Latter Day Saints are today.
Nonetheless, despite all the historical and philosophical warnings that could be issued, ordinary people faced with friends or loved ones joining an "unusual" group, or perhaps contemplating joining one themselves, need a relatively simple way to evaluate just how dangerous or harmless a given group is liable to be, without either subjecting themselves to its power or judging it solely on theological or ideological grounds (the usual method used by anti-cult groups).
In 1979 I constructed an evaluation tool which I now call the "Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame" or the "ABCDEF" (because evaluating these groups should be elementary). A copy was included in that year's revised edition of my book, Real Magic. I realize its shortcomings, but feel that it can be effectively used to separate harmless groups from the merely unusual-to-the-observer ones. Feedback from those attempting to use the system has always been appreciated. Indirect feedback, in terms of the number of places on and off the Net this ABCDEF has shown up, has been mostly favorable. For example, it was chosen by and is now displayed on the website of the Institute for Social Inventions, who paraphrased it for their "Best Ideas - A compendium of social innovations" listing.
The purpose of this evaluation tool is to help both amateur and professional observers, including current or would-be members, of various organizations (including religious, occult, psychological or political groups) to determine just how dangerous a given group is liable to be, in comparison with other groups, to the physical and mental health of its members and of other people subject to its influence. It cannot speak to the "spiritual dangers," if any, that might be involved, for the simple reason that one person's path to enlightenment or "salvation" is often viewed by another as a path to ignorance or "damnation."
As a general rule, the higher the numerical total scored by a given group (the further to the right of the scale), the more dangerous it is likely to be. Though it is obvious that many of the scales in the frame are subjective, it is still possible to make practical judgments using it, at least of the "is this group more dangerous than that one?" sort. This is if all numerical assignments are based on accurate and unbiased observation of actual behavior by the groups and their top levels of leadership (as distinct from official pronouncements). This means that you need to pay attention to what the secondary and tertiary leaders are saying and doing, as much (or more so) than the central leadership - after all, "plausible deniability" is not a recent historical invention.
This tool can be used by parents, reporters, law enforcement agents, social scientists and others interested in evaluating the actual dangers presented by a given group or movement. Obviously, different observers will achieve differing degrees of precision, depending upon the sophistication of their numerical assignments on each scale. However, if the same observers use the same methods of scoring and weighting each scale, their comparisons of relative danger or harmlessness between groups will be reasonably valid, at least for their own purposes. People who cannot, on the other hand, view competing belief systems as ever having possible spiritual value to anyone, will find the ABCDEF annoyingly useless for promoting their theological agendas. Worse, these members of the Religious Reich and their fellow theocrats will find that their own organizations (and quite a few large mainstream churches) are far more "cult-like" than many of the minority belief systems they so bitterly oppose.
It should be pointed out that the ABCDEF is founded upon both modern psychological theories about mental health and personal growth, and my many years of participant observation and historical research into minority belief systems. Those who believe that relativism and anarchy are as dangerous to mental health as absolutism and authoritarianism, could (I suppose) count groups with total scores nearing either extreme (high or low) as being equally hazardous. As far as dangers to physical well-being are concerned, however, both historical records and current events clearly indicate the direction in which the greatest threats lie. This is especially so since the low-scoring groups usually seem to have survival and growth rates so small that they seldom develop the abilities to commit large scale atrocities even had they the philosophical or political inclinations to do so.
The Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (version 2.6)
Factors: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Low High
1 Internal Control: Amount of internal political and social power exercised by leader(s) over members; lack of clearly defined organizational rights for members. 1 _________________________
2 External Control: Amount of external political and social influence desired or obtained; emphasis on directing members' external political and social behavior. 2 _________________________
3 Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader(s); amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations; number and degree of unverified and/or unverifiable credentials claimed. 3 _________________________
4 Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader(s) by members; amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader(s); amount of hostility by members towards internal or external critics and/or towards verification efforts. 4 _________________________
5 Dogma: Rigidity of reality concepts taught; amount of doctrinal inflexibility or "fundamentalism;" hostility towards relativism and situationalism. 5 _________________________
6 Recruiting: Emphasis put on attracting new members; amount of proselytizing; requirement for all members to bring in new ones. 6 _________________________
7 Front Groups: Number of subsidiary groups using different names from that of main group, especially when connections are hidden. 7 _________________________
8 Wealth: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members' donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members. 8 _________________________
9 Sexual Manipulation of members by leader(s) of non-tantric groups; amount of control exercised over sexuality of members in terms of sexual orientation, behavior, and/or choice of partners. 9 _________________________
10 Sexual Favoritism: Advancement or preferential treatment dependent upon sexual activity with the leader(s) of non-tantric groups. 10 _________________________
11 Censorship: Amount of control over members' access to outside opinions on group, its doctrines or leader(s). 11 _________________________
12 Isolation: Amount of effort to keep members from communicating with non-members, including family, friends and lovers. 12 _________________________
13 Dropout Control: Intensity of efforts directed at preventing or returning dropouts. 13 _________________________
14 Violence: Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s). 14 _________________________
15 Paranoia: Amount of fear concerning real or imagined enemies; exaggeration of perceived power of opponents; prevalence of conspiracy theories. 15 _________________________
16 Grimness: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s). 16 _________________________
17 Surrender of Will: Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual disempowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader(s). 17 _________________________
18 Hypocrisy: amount of approval for actions which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader(s); willingness to violate the group's declared principles for political, psychological, social, economic, military, or other gain. 18 _________________________
A German translation of the 2.0 version of this is available at: Isaac Bonewits' Sektengefahr Checkliste.
Other translations will be posted as they are done. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Low High
I always hear everyone talking about how they came to their path in life. So I decided I would share my story...
I was raised in a very strict Southern Baptist home. We did not just attend church on Sunday mornings. We were there for Sunday morning service, Sunday evening service, youth group on Wednesday, and any other functions we could fit in. Not to mentioned from as early as 1st grade we were put in Christian based schools. My little brain was always running on spiritual overload, never finding a release from it.
By the age of 13 I knew the stories inside and out, but I could never connect to them. Why was it that I was damned? Because I am a woman? How is that fair? The curse of Eve just didn't sit well with me. I needed to know more. I needed to understand why.
I continued to get in trouble in my Sunday school classes because I dared to question. Why is it this way? Always hearing, because Eve in her sinful ways tempted Adam. Well why did God create her knowing she would do this? Why did God give us the freedom to choose if he already knew? Always hearing, you do not need to question "Gods word" you must accept things as they are. WHY??
One Sunday morning our father decided we would try a church one of his friends told him about. We all got ready that morning and when we walked in we couldn't believe our eyes. There were people dancing in the isles, shaking a tambourine, shouting out words I couldn't understand, and celebrating. I was amazed, this place was more like it!! It took my father a little time to get use to the "spirit filled" church. At first he thought it was "of the devil" but it eventually grew on him.
For a short time I could not have been happier. Until it all started over again...the curse of Eve. I just couldn't make sense of it. Why did she have to give Adam the apple? Why did she listen to that snake anyway? WHY??
My path stayed the same up until college where my roommate and I were sitting around "studying" one night, I must tell you, our study sessions consisted of more wine than studying, and we got on the topic of religion. After listening to me try to make sense of what I believed he finally came out and told me....I am Wiccan. Wiccan?? What is that? At that time, I had never hear the word. Listening to him talk about how he honored a balance between the masculine and the feminine and how the Goddess has been hidden over time. Written out of the teachings to create a male dominated belief system. How it was a way to control the masses. All this, and coming from a MAN! I needed to know more. I wanted to know more. I had never been exposed to anything other than the Baptist/Assembly of God teachings. I had no exposure to Pagans of any kind growing up.
I started out just studing more into the Christian Mythology I had grown up with. That eventually led me to other cultures and other Myths. Surprisingly these new myths sounded very familiar. It took me awhile to get a grasp on all of this, several years actually. There was a battle going on inside of me. I had been conditioned to believe this was a one way ticket to eternal suffering.
I finally got the courage up to reach out to several Pagan groups in the area representing many different traditions. Then one day, I met with a Gardenarian HP and HPS. I felt an instant connection to them and we decided that we would meet again. After a few meetings in public they finally invited me to come circle with them. The only way I can explain the feeling I got when I stepped into circle for the first time is by saying...I was home. I know that sounds so cliche, but for all of you who have been there, you know exactly what I am talking about.
I whispered on the wind..."Goddess, speak to me." And a Raven Screeched. But I did not hear. So I yelled, "Goddess, speak to me!" And the thunder rolled across the sky. But I did not listen. I looked around and said, "Goddess let me see you." And a star shone brightly. But I did not notice. And then I shouted, "Goddess show me a miracle!" And a life was born. But I did not know. So I cried out in despair, "Touch me Goddess, and let me know you are here!" Whereupon the Goddess reached down and touched me. But I brushed the butterfly away and walked away unknowingly. Listening and remembering the innocence of our inner child, opens our eyes
Thursday, February 15, 2007, 08:46 PM EST [General]
Hello! My name is Vanora and I am in Kentucky somewhere...I think...I am married and have one wonderful daughter who is my love and my life. I have been studing Paganism as a whole for over 7 years now and about 5 years ago, I found my home with a local Gardenarian Coven.
I am also one of the Kentucky representative for P~A~A~N. Pagans against animal neglect is a newly formed non profit organization. Our mission is to assist and improve animal welfare through advocating humane treatment for all animals coexisting with human beings. Speaking for those who can't speak for themselves we intend to assist our animals friends while opening the minds of those who are willing to see the truth behind Paganism.
What can you do to help?
P~A~A~N is always looking for volunteers as well as new members to help out. You can join the organization by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/P-A-A-N/join. You will be sent a questionnaire to fill out to let us know where you stand and what you would like to accomplish.
Spread the word to your friends about P~A~A~N. Its the fastest way to get the idea out. All are welcome to join.
Last but certainly not least, please spay and neuter your four legged friends! If we can lower the unwanted animal population, their need for our help will lesson. This is a priceless gift!
