Labels

I've just read Liz's latest post on Lizzie's Logic "Project Pagan Enough"

Firstly I whole heartedly agree with it and if I can work out how to set up the button and link to Firelyte's page I will do so. **help welcomed**

Secondly it set me thinking about labels.

Liz said in her post "I made the promise to accept all pagans and wiccans".

This struck me a strange as I thought that all wiccans were pagans (although all pagans aren't wiccans), but by doing so she has separated the two, made them different.

I'm not having a go at Liz - really Liz, I love your blog! It's just that it sparked a train of thought at how labels (and their use in language) can mean so much. I could be making a mountain out a mole hill over this, it's a commonly used distinction - used by both wiccans and non-wiccans alike but why is this so?

By putting a label on a group or set of ideas defines it, it gives it an identity. It becomes a shorthand way to sum up who some is that uses that label - rather than explaining your beliefs, you say I'm a druid and everyone knows what sort of things you believe.

Or do they? They assume they do. They have in their minds what a druid is and if someone claims to be one then surely that means that they are what you think a druid is? Not really. And there is where the problems begin.

Hopefully a label is well enough defined that people know what to expect, but they aren't for the most part.

Take the term vampire.

A vampire could be said to be a human risen from the grave that feeds on the blood of the living and can't go out in daylight. Right? Well not any more. Vampires range from animated corpses from Romanian folklore, to a race that can either be born or created in the Blade setting, to beings that can go out in daylight and don't need blood to survive but find it addictive in Being Human (BBC tv show - really good), to creatures that stay out of direct sunlight because they sparkle like diamonds in Twilight. All use the label vampire but all are different. Sure they share some common ground but there is a world of difference between Romanian vampires and Twilight vampires! It makes the term to almost be meaningless. So why use it? Because vampires are generally seen to be cool. So they are all drawing on the kudos that it brings (well maybe not the Romanian vampire lol), but it's no longer acting as a term that clearly defines.

But I'm getting side tracked...

Labels to me are easy. They are quick to use and can purposely mean many things to many people. It doesn't take any effort. Now I'm not saying that we should go round with a 10 minute presentation prepaired about what it is we exactly believe in and practise, that would be silly but we should be aware that when we use a label that it may not mean the same thing to the listener as the speaker. We need to elaborate, a little, to make sure we are understood correctly and avoid assumptions.

But Labels are also divisive as it separates us. It plays to our tribal/pack natures. I am this which makes me different to you as your are that. By giving yourself a label or adopting one you are defining (clearly or otherwise) where you stand. By this very act you are separating yourself from other groups.

Now this is ok if the label is used as a shorthand to define but often it develops as a flag to rally round and this is where the dangers creep in. People flock to your label as it seems to fit with what they believe and want to learn from/be part of something bigger than them. This often leads to a group thinking that their way is the best - how can it not be? After all they believe it is the right way of doing things else they wouldn't be doing it. Unchecked this can lead to thinking that other ways aren't the best way and maybe even wrong - a subtle difference in thinking but an important one. This road leads to elitism and even persecution - which can take many forms from trying to persuade others to do things their way, to active suppression/conversion.

Now I don't see us running around on crusades against any heretics within paganism but it could happen. I've seen 'witch wars' rage on a local and regional level, it could escalate to national levels if paganism continues along the road of standardisation. All it takes is enough people to claim membership to a label. It is already happening. Wiccans see themselves different to Heathens (who chose that term to differentiate themselves from Wiccans - a Heathen told me this so who am I to disagree). Druids are different to the Northern Tradition. And even in Wicca there is a huge debate raging about if you are wiccan or not if you self initiate or whether you have to be of a tradition that came from Gardiner.

Divisions everywhere

I guess it's human nature to want to belong

Gods know I wish I belonged at times, but I've yet to find a group that fits well enough for me to claim to be one of them.



I'll try and pull things together as I've lost my way - maybe the pills are kicking in already lol (see medication post)

Labels are not wrong, they can be useful tools to explain generalised concepts or affiliations but they should remain at that level and not be used to separate us as a community.

I rarely use the term Pagan within and without the pagan community. I am me, I have my beliefs that I will happily discuss with you and I'm happy to discuss yours. We may disagree but that doesn't make either of us right.

As the Hindus say

"My faith is the best one,

FOR ME"