Letters
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Sex `n' Stuff
A few comments on Scot's editorial [in] vol. 5, #1: Remember, not all males, human or otherwise, are polygamous and not all females are monogamous. I find generalizations of any sort get us in trouble. Some men are strategic, some women are tactical.
One more thing: please use gender inclusive language whenever possible. Listening to he, him, his, man, mankind, makes me feel excluded. That's one reason I dropped Christianity and didn't pick up any of the other main stream religions. They exclude me, as a woman. Most of your articles are fine on this subject, but the animal guides items leave me feeling as though none of the animals care to guide a woman. All of the pictures show a man. I'm not a man-hater. I have a husband I love and I relate just fine with my dad, but I think language can really affect people's views of each other. If we make the language fair, maybe people will start treating each other more fairly.
I see all kinds of naked goddesses in mags, which is fine, but I never see any naked gods especially with erect penises. I do object to pornography because it's violent, degrading and objectifies people. But there's nothing wrong with portraying the human body naked. I think art can be a useful tool for celebrating the human body.
Starbringer
Wow, you make many points that I should address
Oops. I suppose should have included a do not try this at home, kids caveat in my editorial to warn against misusing generalizations. You may not be suggesting I avoid them, but the thought does occur. I don't think it is helpful to try to avoid generalizations. While they can be troublesome, to attempt to avoid them is only to ignore them. Our focus should be on awareness and on learning to use generalization properly.
Generalization, in its broadest form, is a basic function of life. Without it we could not function. It is easy to show even in the lowly flatworm: light, shock, flinch, light, shock, flinch, light, shock, flinch, light. Gee, there must be a shock coming, flinch. That is a form of generalization.
To wax more germane: Humans (usually) are male or female. When we look at these two populations we see differences. Certainly there is enough overlap that only definitive physical characteristics will exist exclusively in one of the populations; but just because generalizations are not universal (only general), does not mean that they are useless. For instance, insurance companies use actuarial tables because they work for insurance purposes; only the nave believe the tables predict the future of any specific member of the population.
Since differences do exist, it is to our advantage to explore them. We can find out what they are and why they exist; then we will know how best to address them. We can change, eliminate, circumvent, exploit or celebrate them as we see fit.
I see this as central to Wicca and, to a lesser degree, Magick. The early Women's Movement seemed keen on proving that women could be good men, too. I agree that's true, but focusing on that message supports the idea that the way men are, is always the best way to be. For instance, there are hoards of women that love too much but no men that love too little. In Wicca, we recognize and celebrate the different aspects of the God and Goddess; and we all (I like to think) are aware that both manifest in each of us. [It is, perhaps, easier to label the principle Yin and Yang which lack the direct connection in our minds with female/male, woman/man.] When we analyze ourselves on a population level, females clearly manifest more Goddess energy and males manifest more God energy. (That is the foundation of the Deities' genesis.) A man is more likely to resonate more with the God and a woman with the Goddess. The generalizations work and we can use them to improve our lives.
But, we don't want to carry this too far! Such behavior is responsible for the nightmares of xenophobia, racism, sexism and many more isms that we are now struggling to eliminate. But if we attack generalization (rather than its misuse), we cripple ourselves. Since this is how our minds function, we can expect to feel guilty about and sublimate the fact that we can't avoid generalizing. If, however, we are aware that we generalize all the time, then we can look at what we are doing and how we are doing it. We can learn to tell when we are generalizing inappropriately and take corrective measures.
Generalization is a two edged sword. Like communication, it is frighteningly prone to misuse, but impossible to live without. For that reason, we must face it, so that we can integrate it in the healthiest way we can.
The gender thing has been a problem, as outlined in various letters and editorials (mostly in 2:2 and 2:3). There are several aspects: readability, readers' feelings, writers' feelings and supply.
Readability is a pet peeve of mine. I don't like printing text that is so clunky that the style draws attention away from the content. In the case you mention, I tried neutering Janice's pieces, but the result was so bad that I'm just leaving them alone now. By the way, about half her drawings feature women (though it is hard to tell sometimes).
The reader's feelings are, of course, paramount. That's why we're here. So far the response has been divided. (Practically all respondents have been women, if that matters.)
Writer's feelings have at times been a problem. I tend to over-edit (see this issue's Editorial) and since we're not paying for articles, I can't afford to alienate many writers. When someone asks me to leave their text alone, I do.
Because we have a limited supply of articles, I don't feel free to make pronoun gender a criterion for acceptability.
My solution has been as ambivalent as our readers' response: unless the writer asks me not to, I neuter prose where I can comfortably do so and I leave it alone where I can't. The things that can change this policy are a clear response from our readers or enough articles (or money) to allow me to be more picky. Any time you would like to see a change, let me know. I may not respond to one or two letters, but if you are part of a groundswell (or whatever), just watch me jump.
This is also a cheap excuse for me to finally introduce my cool idea on how to eliminate the gender problem in writing. Until now, people have approached the problem from the wrong end. They have adulterated words like `women' (womyn), created chimeras like s/he, invented artifices like co, and (the only one I use) resorted to bad grammar (they for he). The problem, however is really that there is no proper vocabulary for the male.
Consider the word `man.' It is used for all humans, or any humans, or male humans. The word `woman' is only for female humans; thus, wo modifies man. Males lack a modifier to distinguish them from general humanity. We need a word like yoman. [This word has at least some familiarity and historical justification (and biological, too: the y-chromosome —get it?).] We can figure out the aesthetics later, for now consider the `y' as a placeholder. Thus, `woman' is a human female, `man' is any human, yoman is a human male. Is that cool or what?
Here are some other things we could fix (though not all in the same way, exactly):
She, He, Yhe
Misses (any woman), Mister, Mis (any adult)
Her, Him, Hit
Hers, His, Hits
Female, Male, Yomale
ad nausiam
OK, it's a silly idea and no more likely to be adopted than a phonetic alphabet, decimal time, Dvorak keyboards or the Metric system. But I hope it helps to illustrate a point: one could feel that Woman has been subsumed into Man; or that only Woman has the honor of being distinguished from the general population of Man. The reason we obviously have the former case is not because of language, but because of society. Language influences society, but society influences the interpretation of language. If we had a despotic matriarchy, I expect our feelings would be more like the latter interpretation.
So, what do I suggest we do about it? While, as I've mentioned, I'm not entirely comfortable with changing the language, I do feel that complaining about it is a good idea. This draws attention to the subtle prejudices that we might otherwise miss. I think that it is wise for anyone who wants to change their use of the language to do so, for the same reason. But I think it's also OK to not change your use of language, as long as you are aware of the associated problems. I expect a better outcome through the interaction of those with differing opinions rather than if, magically, we all adopted the same attitude. At its best, the seeming antagonism of opposition inspires introspection and stirs things up to allow new solutions to surface.
OK? What am I going to do about it? As an editor, I have a responsibility to our readers (and if I didn't believe this, I wouldn't be an editor for long except through pure luck). I've mentioned the policy changes I've made in response readers' comments. If you'd like to see more change, make noise. In any case, please try not to take offense. I may not be competent, but I am honest and sincere.
Regarding God art: I agree, there is a prejudice for the Goddess here. I suspect that is because women in the Craft are focusing on the Goddess aspect and men in the Craft want to see naked women. (No joke! Really? Well, mostly) But seriously folks, while I'm as happy to print the occasional naked God we receive as I am the myriad naked Goddesses, I am concerned about legal problems with the erection thing. I'm going to have to look into the laws on that. While I don't respect such laws (if they apply here); I do respect the penalties for breaking them! Write your Congressperson.
The Kani Ksu Project
We are creating an intentional community on 440 acres; deep in the heart of the country that will be powered by sun, wind, wood and water. Surrounded by thousands of acres of National Forest lands on all sides, the air is clean and the water pure, and that's why we will use only ecologically sound sewage treatment systems and Bo-degradable soaps to maintain the purity of our waters.
Half the land will be set aside for private spaces and half-shared spaces. We will strive to become self-sufficient using perma-cultural techniques and farming and raising animals and fish in our lake.
We will break free from dependence on the mainstream economy with our own micro-economy that works by voluntary cooperation. This will allow each individual to be economically independent, self-sufficient. We will create our own jobs through business associations, marketing cooperatives, craft guilds, and trades apprenticeship programs.
We must reunify what was once whole in order to maintain the integrity and natural beauty of this hyperborealic paradise.
Kani Ksu Summer Solstice Gathering
We will gather on The Land in Idaho to hold a Council of All Beings on The Project and in honor of Regional Unification. We will come from coast to coast and from the U.S. and Canada to Unify as One People all who wish to be a part of An Ancient New Way of Life together here on The Land close to The Earth, in honor of The Ancient Keepers of Kani Ksu, in alignment with World Unity and with The Guidance of Spirit.
TimoThy
PO Box 849
Glen Ellen, CA 95442
United Federation of Pagan Revisited
Last issue, we published the Preamble of the Universal Federation of Pagans. My own personal manifestation of the Goddess (my wife Judy) hinted in no uncertain terms that we should have printed the application forms as well. To save space, we are just printing the questions (you can answer them on a separate piece of paper). We are reprinting the Preamble because the applications refer to it. Membership Application: Individual
Individual Federation members may be solitaries or belong to a working Circle. Dues are $15 per year.
Please record: Mundane name; Magical name (optional); Birthdate; Address; Phone number. Sex; Marital Status; Partner's Name(s); Number of Children (and sex). Education; Occupation. Pagan group affiliation (if any). What Pagan path or tradition do you follow? Special interests; Special skills, knowledge, etc. Why are you joining the UFP?
And sign and date the following statement: I have read and am in agreement with the Pagan Precepts set forth on the other side of this application form [the Preamble], and I wish to join the Universal Federation of Pagans as an individual member. l understand that my annual dues of $15 will entitle me to receive all Federation newsletters and mailings, and the right to vote as an individual on all ballot issues published therein. I also understand that my active (dues-paid) membership entitles me to representation in the Federation General Assembly through the nomination and election of regional delegates.
Membership Application: Circle
To qualify for Federation membership as a Circle, a group must consist of at least seven people, on the average, meeting at least once a month. Dues are $50 per year.
Please record: Circle name; Federation; Representative; Address; Phone number. Average/Minimum/Maximum number of people attending Circle meetings. Are your meetings closed or open? Do you have official members? Do you use a system of initiatory degrees? What Pagan path or tradition do you follow? When were you founded? Pagan Path affiliation (if any); What regional or denominational alliances are you affiliated with (if any)? Why are you joining the UFP?
And have a representative sign and date the following on behalf of the named Circle: We have read and are in agreement with the Pagan Precepts set forth on the other side of this application form [the Preamble], and we wish to join the Universal Federation of Pagans as a Circle member and be so listed in the Federation Directory. We understand that our annual dues of $50 will entitle our Circle to receive all Federation newsletters and mailings, and the right to vote as a Circle on all ballot issues published therein. We also understand that our active (dues-paid) membership entitles our Circle to a seat on the Federation Council of Circles, to which we may send an authorized delegate, and representation in the Federation General Assembly through the nomination and election of regional delegates.
All members of the Federation are expected to support and participate in Federation programs and to maintain their obligations to the Federation. Also, all Federation members are expected to become knowledgeable and wise in Paganism and its ways; to conduct themselves in an ethical and appropriate manner; to vigorously apply themselves to acts that support and promote Paganism and its ideals. The Federation expects that its members shall represent Paganism and the Federation in their daily lives and in all interactions.
Preamble
We who are Pagan come from many times and places to stand here together, united in will, hope and wisdom at the crossroads of humanity. We are one gentle, compassionate people whose ways are as ancient and diverse as Nature; joined in an essential creed and bonded by the shared tears, sighs, laughter and rites of many thousand years. We gather now to forge this Universal Federation so that we may honor our ancestors in the practice of the Old Ways, to nurture ourselves and our children in weaving the New Ways, and to revere and steward ourselves, our homes, our world and the sacredness that indwells all of Nature.
We humans are promising. Not a tenth of a million years old, already our deeds have brought us to this cusp where the actions of a few may choose the course for all our futures. Ours is a time of profound change, and the paths we choose today shall be remembered as they affect every life that is and every life that will follow. Ours is a time for heroes of the heart and the call to honor is strong.
And yet, we humans are young. We have so often confused wisdom with folly and excelled in both. So today, when our need is strong, our knowing is unsure and our hearts hold more bitterness than balm. As curious, troubled children, we have hurt ourselves, our Great Mother, and Her other children — yet not always from malice. In our delighted curiosity, we have gained great knowledge about ourselves and our universe; in our haste we have neglected to temper our intellect with thoughtfulness. In our hunger, we have tricked our Great Mother into giving up her riches; in our avarice we have over-sucked her bounty. In our rapture, we have trekked back and forth across Her lovely blue vastness; in our thoughtlessness we have fouled Her life-giving waters, abused Her rich soil, and poisoned even the air we breathe. In our eagerness to interweave with the All, we have callously murdered whole species, disrespected the web of life, and abused the trust of stewardship. In our joy of new things, we have come to disregard the Old Ways of mindful ecstasy in favor of empty sensation. We who are Pagan both honor this unbounded spirit of humanity and gently insist that humans temper passion with compassion and begin an immediate process to repair the damage to our planet, its life forms, and our hearts.
We Pagans speak with a newfound strength of voice. Ours is a depth and a knowing grown from a long and sorrowful silence, scorched by outrage and loss, sharpened by years of pain. We have been oppressed by the fierce and greedy among us who, in hatred and desperate fear, have conquered with weapons of war what they could not comprehend with heart and mind. They came to erode our ancient ways, to dishonor our wisdom and defile our sacred places, to enslave and pillage our peoples and to selfishly rape our world. In love, honor and resolve, we who are Pagan shall tolerate no more the fierce and the greedy nor their dissolution of our ways or their devastation of our world.
For all this, and for celebration of all that is, we who are Pagan have come from many times and places to stand here together, in unity, diversity and divinity at the crossroads of humanity.
So mote it be.
Send you application or requests for information (include a s.a.s.e.) to:
Universal Federation of Pagans
PO Box 674884
Marietta, GA 30067 | 
