![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mdehnersI’ve been thinking about this for quite a while and, while probably will make a mess of it…here it goes.
We members of the ‘Archaic Renaissance’ , Reconstructionist and Inspirationalist alike tend to forget something…..Human Nature. Partly this is because unlike “traditional” religions, the majority of our populations are Beta Personalities with a higher than normal Percentage of Alphas. As is oft mentioned in ALL of our Ways, we are not good at “following”. We are also not good at “leading” (but would NEVER admit it:>).
The thing is, most people are Be-ers, not Do-ers and we tend to pretend this isn’t True. This conflicting view has been experienced in any group older than a month. While we’re "all clergy”(that is, we Know how the Central Rites of our particular Way go…), the same folks end up AS clergy….by choice or by necessity. We have a problem not in the more traditional ways….we don’t have that many lower “pack” rankers;>. Those that aren’t Leaders want the power but not the Responsibility. A typical Beta view, unfortunately….
Most Wish to “go to church” not “be the priest”, yet we create a group dynamic that goes contrary to this basic Human behavior. Instead of accepting this, we overwhelm those that are acting as(without supporting them) and make those who aren’t feel guilty about not doing so(making the Beta tendency of “Power behind the Throne” switch to “Whisper in the Dark”). Groups that survive tend to have Godfolk; those that do the Rites and are supported in this by the rest. It’s usually not money but it is of substance. Leading Holy Rites IS NOT something you “do” on top of the rest of your “stuff”. It means a Sacrifice of something in your Life, of at least time. A real group Shares in Sacrifice for the common Good. This leads to another problem:
Esp. with Recons, we reconstruct the “high church” Rites that a historic clergy with a congregation would perform, not those Rites that the Individual or household would. We create a situation where you need to be at all times with a group to “BE a ______", a view both “traditional” and historic religions would find incomprehensible. Those Ways had/have Rites for Individuals and households away from a “congregation” to fulfill their Needs. Religions that fail to do this don’t LAST.
So we have two Needs:
Some to perform the major Rites for their groups while the rest support them in this...
Rites for those unable to go to where these are being performed...
Some Ways are attempting to meet the 1st with clergy programs. The only drawback is that most don’t fulfill the needs of that of a clergyperson. It sometimes shocks folks that I think it’s better to have a Performer than a Scholastic as a Godperson. All the Knowledge in the world without people skills is useless as a cleric and I’ve been to enough Rites of enough Ways to Know. The other is the combo of Human Nature and Political world-view. Until they become synced(and it’ll be Political WITH Nature, not the other way around folks…), nothing lasting will be created.
On the 2nd, some have come up with Rites for Solitaries but unfortunately, they are simply cut-down versions of the Major Rite(s). They are usually clumsy and lacking in the Beauty needed to Honor the God/desses. Feeling awkward and/or stupid is not condusive to Connecting with the God/desses your Way Follows…
Of course, the traditional and historical religions formed over 100’s of yrs so we can’t expect perfection but if the basic needs of the folk are NOT met….they won’t last PERIOD.
Troth,
Pat
“Modern,” said Granny Weatherwax with a sniff. ‘When I was a gel, we had a lump of wax and some pins and we had to be content. We had to make our own enchantment in them days.” ‘Wyrd Sisters’-Pratchett
We members of the ‘Archaic Renaissance’ , Reconstructionist and Inspirationalist alike tend to forget something…..Human Nature. Partly this is because unlike “traditional” religions, the majority of our populations are Beta Personalities with a higher than normal Percentage of Alphas. As is oft mentioned in ALL of our Ways, we are not good at “following”. We are also not good at “leading” (but would NEVER admit it:>).
The thing is, most people are Be-ers, not Do-ers and we tend to pretend this isn’t True. This conflicting view has been experienced in any group older than a month. While we’re "all clergy”(that is, we Know how the Central Rites of our particular Way go…), the same folks end up AS clergy….by choice or by necessity. We have a problem not in the more traditional ways….we don’t have that many lower “pack” rankers;>. Those that aren’t Leaders want the power but not the Responsibility. A typical Beta view, unfortunately….
Most Wish to “go to church” not “be the priest”, yet we create a group dynamic that goes contrary to this basic Human behavior. Instead of accepting this, we overwhelm those that are acting as(without supporting them) and make those who aren’t feel guilty about not doing so(making the Beta tendency of “Power behind the Throne” switch to “Whisper in the Dark”). Groups that survive tend to have Godfolk; those that do the Rites and are supported in this by the rest. It’s usually not money but it is of substance. Leading Holy Rites IS NOT something you “do” on top of the rest of your “stuff”. It means a Sacrifice of something in your Life, of at least time. A real group Shares in Sacrifice for the common Good. This leads to another problem:
Esp. with Recons, we reconstruct the “high church” Rites that a historic clergy with a congregation would perform, not those Rites that the Individual or household would. We create a situation where you need to be at all times with a group to “BE a ______", a view both “traditional” and historic religions would find incomprehensible. Those Ways had/have Rites for Individuals and households away from a “congregation” to fulfill their Needs. Religions that fail to do this don’t LAST.
So we have two Needs:
Some to perform the major Rites for their groups while the rest support them in this...
Rites for those unable to go to where these are being performed...
Some Ways are attempting to meet the 1st with clergy programs. The only drawback is that most don’t fulfill the needs of that of a clergyperson. It sometimes shocks folks that I think it’s better to have a Performer than a Scholastic as a Godperson. All the Knowledge in the world without people skills is useless as a cleric and I’ve been to enough Rites of enough Ways to Know. The other is the combo of Human Nature and Political world-view. Until they become synced(and it’ll be Political WITH Nature, not the other way around folks…), nothing lasting will be created.
On the 2nd, some have come up with Rites for Solitaries but unfortunately, they are simply cut-down versions of the Major Rite(s). They are usually clumsy and lacking in the Beauty needed to Honor the God/desses. Feeling awkward and/or stupid is not condusive to Connecting with the God/desses your Way Follows…
Of course, the traditional and historical religions formed over 100’s of yrs so we can’t expect perfection but if the basic needs of the folk are NOT met….they won’t last PERIOD.
Troth,
Pat
“Modern,” said Granny Weatherwax with a sniff. ‘When I was a gel, we had a lump of wax and some pins and we had to be content. We had to make our own enchantment in them days.” ‘Wyrd Sisters’-Pratchett
