Tilting at (lexical) windmills
As a Witch, and a sometime word-smith, I try to be careful of the words I choose, and how I use them . From time to time I review the things I say, and perhaps choose a new windmill to tilt at.
-----It seems to me like I have spent a lot of time reshaping my vocabulary to better match the world view I have, or *wish to* have.--I got rid of the "N" word, and Christian swear words early on, ditched abominations like "poetess" and, "authoress".
I have been making good progress with using 'their' instead of 'his' as the generic,("Each child put out their hand" kind of thing.) I am still pushing for using 'Feri' as both singular *and* plural
And now, with fond regrets, I think I must bid a (I hope temporary) farewell to "The Great Work" and "Do the Work" in general.
The current culture has *such* a bad set of expectations/assumptions about work, that I am reluctant to keep using it for my spiritual stuff, no matter the long and honorable history.
--I shall be using "Practice", (--Which I was using some, before---) "Discipline","Art" -perhaps "exercises", and "play".
One can practice arts (--singing, dance, music, ti-chi, painting, juggleing, slight-of-hand) Magic is an art.
There is the *Improvement* aspect,(practice makes perfect). Most Importantly, you *choose* to do it, even if you don't 'quite' feel up to it-(-or choose not to...)
It does not imply that magic is to be had without effort, or by purchase, but that it rests on ones own discipline...
When they say 'work' today, folk seem to mean:
"As little as I can get away with",
"the stuff I despise, and do Only for the reward",
"Tedium I endure because I Must"
even, "stuff I hate myself for doing"
"stuff I do poorly, on purpose, because it cost less to do it that way"
None of which I wish associated with Feri practice.
I am seeing less laughter in Feri students.
(a trend I do not like----one of the things I liked *best* about Victor, and Gwydion, was their laughter)
I think that perhaps the grim, "do the work" attitude may be *adding* to it----Any thing *I* can do to stem this tide, I will do...
So farewell, dear word. I will use you for other things.
* * * * * * * * * *
While I hope we can save poor 'work', the rehabilitation is gonna take *Years* and a culture-wide overhaul of values.
Where most folk are once again *proud* of the work they do, and do it to the Very Best of their ability----perhaps even with some hope of perfectibility
Where work makes their heart sing, (or at least hum, contentedly)
In That place I shall once again be able to speak of the Great Work.
....I do not expect to have other folk follow me in this use change---though I hope for you all that you will examine your words--
-this is my windmill (but it *might* be a giant)
I bid you all---
Good Hunting!
eldri littlewolf
-----It seems to me like I have spent a lot of time reshaping my vocabulary to better match the world view I have, or *wish to* have.--I got rid of the "N" word, and Christian swear words early on, ditched abominations like "poetess" and, "authoress".
I have been making good progress with using 'their' instead of 'his' as the generic,("Each child put out their hand" kind of thing.) I am still pushing for using 'Feri' as both singular *and* plural
And now, with fond regrets, I think I must bid a (I hope temporary) farewell to "The Great Work" and "Do the Work" in general.
The current culture has *such* a bad set of expectations/assumptions about work, that I am reluctant to keep using it for my spiritual stuff, no matter the long and honorable history.
--I shall be using "Practice", (--Which I was using some, before---) "Discipline","Art" -perhaps "exercises", and "play".
One can practice arts (--singing, dance, music, ti-chi, painting, juggleing, slight-of-hand) Magic is an art.
There is the *Improvement* aspect,(practice makes perfect). Most Importantly, you *choose* to do it, even if you don't 'quite' feel up to it-(-or choose not to...)
It does not imply that magic is to be had without effort, or by purchase, but that it rests on ones own discipline...
When they say 'work' today, folk seem to mean:
"As little as I can get away with",
"the stuff I despise, and do Only for the reward",
"Tedium I endure because I Must"
even, "stuff I hate myself for doing"
"stuff I do poorly, on purpose, because it cost less to do it that way"
None of which I wish associated with Feri practice.
I am seeing less laughter in Feri students.
(a trend I do not like----one of the things I liked *best* about Victor, and Gwydion, was their laughter)
I think that perhaps the grim, "do the work" attitude may be *adding* to it----Any thing *I* can do to stem this tide, I will do...
So farewell, dear word. I will use you for other things.
* * * * * * * * * *
While I hope we can save poor 'work', the rehabilitation is gonna take *Years* and a culture-wide overhaul of values.
Where most folk are once again *proud* of the work they do, and do it to the Very Best of their ability----perhaps even with some hope of perfectibility
Where work makes their heart sing, (or at least hum, contentedly)
In That place I shall once again be able to speak of the Great Work.
....I do not expect to have other folk follow me in this use change---though I hope for you all that you will examine your words--
-this is my windmill (but it *might* be a giant)
I bid you all---
Good Hunting!
eldri littlewolf