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Witches Weekly
February 10, 2005
Ode to the Fluffy
This week's questions influenced by: Jamie

1. How do you feel about the term "fluffy pagan?" What is your definition?

A Fluff Bunny is someone who revels in their ignorance. I have nothing against Newbies ... we were all new once, but the people who are setting themselves up as teachers or gurus when they themselves have only been studying for a year (or less), BUG me. And I think that it is good for Pagans (new and experienced) to be ashamed to carry that name.

One girl I saw online not to long ago illustrates Fluffiness perfectly. She was claiming to have been raised druid, but wanted to start a coven that was Wiccan/Asatru mixed (even though she had no experience with either), because she was suddenly interested in Norse deities. 

 
What do you feel are some of the "wrong" reasons that people tend to learn towards the pagan faith? (sex, drugs etc)

Well, the only wrong reason I can think of to get involved in a Pagan faith is people who are trying to prove that there is something wrong with it (that Pagans are flaky, or satanists, etc) ... they always seem to find what they are looking for and it only serves to make the rest of us look bad.

What annoys you the most about some of today's self-defined pagans?

The selfishness. Far too many of them live off the idea that their way is the right way, and if you aren't either doing it their way, or doing something for them, then you are a bad Pagan (or not a real Pagan at all). Bleh ... those people suck.

--Phae

Donated by: Volva

1. Do you celebrate or mark the Sabbats and esbats of the Wheel of the Year in any way? All, just some, or none? Why or why not?

I may not do a full out celebration, but I do try to mark the Sabbats of the Wheel of the Year.  It helps me to feel more in touch with my path to celebrate Pagan holidays rather than the traditional Christian ones I was raised with ... also, it is a good excuse for a party! 

The esbats are not really a big deal for me.  Occasionally, I go out to stand under the full moon and feel its glow upon me, but I am not big into rituals or the like, so it isn't much more than an admiration of nature's beauty.

2. If you don't follow the Wheel of the Year at all, do you follow some other calendar, OR are there days or periods that you celebrate or mark in some way that are not part of the modern Wheel of the Year?

There are a few secular holidays that are big for me ... Canada Day, New Years Eve ... really any excuse to get together with friends and celebrate!

3. If you were to create The Official Witches' Holiday, when, what, why and how...?

I wouldn't even try.  If there could ever be an official Witches' Holiday, it would be Halloween, but trying to come up with a holiday to please all Pagans (or even all Witches), would be a headache bigger than trying to define the term 'Pagan'.  For me it is just one of those 'DO NOT go there' things.

 

--Phae

Do you believe dreams are ever symbolic?

Sometimes, but not as often as some people think ... sometimes a weird dream is just a weird dream ... dreams can come from something you have been thinking on throughout the day or a movie or TV show you just watched that really spoke to you. I tend to think that people want to believe that every time they close their eyes they are having a prophetic dream - especially once they become involved in Pagan faiths.

How do you interpret dreams? Do you feel some are scenes from past lives? Future premonitions? Hidden thoughts and feelings?

Well, for myself, I have only had a couple of dreams that I thought could have been of past lives, and they were VERY different from regular dreams, they felt like memories. As for symbolism, if a dream strikes me as excessively weird, I might look up some symbols that stuck with me, but usually, my dreams are pretty straight forward, and I accept them for what they are. If it is recurring, then I might give it further weight, but I would have to have it more than twice in one month.

What do you feel was your most symbolic/meaningful dream?

I would have to say that the most symbolic dream I have ever had was one that could have been a memory of being born. I have had it periodically all my life, every time slightly different, but the theme is the same ... walking down a hallway towards a doorway, and having the hallway get smaller and smaller, tighter and tighter until I am almost being crushed ... it is too late to turn back, and I pull myself forward a little further and then find myself in a huge open room where I can breathe easy again.

--Phae

---What is one item that is sacred to you? (Can be anything, tool, amulet, object, etc)---

Well, the one thing that jumps to my mind is my mother's jade 'perfume decanter'. It was an heir loom passed down in my family from my Granny Harris (if I remember correctly). I put 'perfume decanter' in quotes because shortly after her death I found out from my father in law that it is actually an opium bottle. I was a little shocked and in denial at first, but now, I just giggle. I reminds me of what a character my Granny Harris was and makes me a little sad that I never got to meet her.

---What holidays or time of year do you consider most sacred to you personally?---

Fall is my favourite season. For some reason I always get really nostalgic in the fall. I first started dating my fiancé in the fall ... so there is the whole first falling in love nostalgia, and there is a certain smell in the air that brings back childhood memories of back to school and the warmth of the wood stove. As for holidays, I would have to say that it is a tie between Halloween and Christmas. Halloween has always held a certain enchantment for me ... even when I was a child I could feel that the air was different ... more charged (this is something I am starting to notice tends to happen on many of the Sabbats). Christmas is full of fond childhood memories, though I am having some trouble making it fit into my adult, childless life now. The whole Christmas tree and presents thing seems a little empty without little kids around to enjoy it (also, my family is much smaller now) ... I think perhaps I will spend some time trying to create a more 'adult' Yule celebration this year.

---Describe your sacred space (can be anywhere, indoors, outdoors, etc):---

Right now it is this little park that is near the city hall. It has a man-made stream and duck pond, and it is the only wooded areas around that isn't full of people jogging or playing with their dogs or whatever ... it is just so very peaceful ... it makes it feel like it is my own backyard (it will do until I have a yard of my own).

--Phae