It really disappoints me when a television show or a group of people shows their lack of intelligence by repeatedly associating demons or curses with pagans and/or witches. It shows just how uneducated and small-minded these people are. Just as with any culture there are people within that culture that are good and people that are bad. No other single culture (with the possible exception of Muslim) has been accused of being “evil” more than the members of the pagan/wiccan community.
Why would someone openly admit their lack of intelligence unless they just don’t know any better? That’s a shame. I seem to be in the minority in my belief that you should know as much as possible if not everything there is to know about a subject before you make your decision. And that has nothing to do with me being pagan and everything to do with me wanting to be the best human being I can be. I understand that there are some really dark (bad) people that have the same beliefs that I do and choose to do the wrong thing with their power and their actions. But this can also be said of every other religion and culture in the world.
I rejoice when the rare event occurs where a pagan is portrayed in a positive light or as the individual that came to “save the day”. That doesn’t happen very often, I’m sorry to say.
Tonight I was watching my DVR recording of The Haunted on Animal Planet. I was disappointed to hear that the individuals involved with the second story decided that the “roommate” that supposedly “cursed” the woman and her home was a witch, implying that she was EVIL, without any evidence to support this fact. Supposedly, the woman started dressing “Gothic” and lit candles and incense in her room. After a pet disappeared the roommate mysteriously disappeared as well. Supposedly there was “paraphernalia” left behind that identified the roommate as a witch that cast a curse. Paranormal researchers that were called in were interviewed for the show and one stated that casting spells or curses leaves behind a negative energy that accumulates other negative spirits until they turn on the people in the house. What an uneducated assumption!!
Yes, I’m sure there are foolish pagans out there that don’t know what the heck they are doing (another indication of uneducated idiots causing trouble for the rest of the world) and cause chaos, but it is a gross generalization to make a statement such as that investigator did. GROSS GENERALIZATION. Casting spells can leave behind energy that must be dispersed back into the universe but it is rarely if ever evil or bad. There wasn’t any proof provided in the show to indicate that this “roommate” was truly a witch. I understand that the production company could have edited out any proof but my “spidy sense” says how it came across was how that group meant it.
The type of magic performed depends on the pagan/witch and yes there are some bad people that perform bad magic. Thankfully, those people are the minority and yet they are the ones that seem to get the most press. This is where things need to change. I only know of one paranormal program on TV that has the right idea on how to deal with individuals of other faiths. One such show has a member that specializes in the occult (she comes from a pagan family) and has on more than one occasion helped people that were in dire need of assistance. Unless this is a case of artful editing, which I don’t think it is, PRS is the only group I know of that openly accepts and appreciates individuals from all faith. I hope this is a trend that continues.
Just like any and every other group in the world we deserve positive press. Keep your eyes and ears open and you might find ways to educate or be educated to the reality of those in the pagan world. The majority of us are good, decent people and we believe that bad people should be held accountable for their actions, but we are smart enough not to assume everyone is the same.
Pounds lost: 7.2 (381.8)
Daily insight: Try reading the book instead of making assumptions reading the cover.
Ounces of water consumed: 75
Steps in the right direction: 21
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