Ages of Paganism (Or How to Identify how Long Someone has been Pagan.)
I was looking through some old writtings today and found this one. Well I found a versiion of this one. I've been working on it all morning. (polishing a bit, adding stuff etc)This afternoon Helen has her doctor's appointment for her ear so they can check to see how well it is healing up. (Outer ear infection if I hadn't mentioned it, she got put on ear drops last week, needs it rechecked this week.)I still need to get over to my parents today again also. At least the girls are home so I won't have to drag Samuel along. he drives my Mom nuts any more and I get tired of being told things along the line of "Why don't you just take him home.)
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Ages of Paganism (Or How to Identify how Long Someone has been Pagan.)
By Sheila K Watkins
As you read this realize that the overlapping is deliberate. Please also note I do not say the actual physical age of the person because that can vary greatly.
Premature: Also known as the "High Almighty and All Powerful Witch of La Las" stage. (Or the “I read a book” (IRAB) or “I read a web page” priestess (IRAWP) stage. Can also be the also "I saw The Craft" or I saw "Charmed" or I saw a movie or TV show or read a fiction book with a witch character stage.) This stage can begin many ways. It can begin when a person decides partway through reading a web page that he or she is pagan and has in fact always been pagan. They just didn't know it. OR it can begin when a person sees any movie or TV show or reads any fiction book and decides that that is who and what they are. It usually lasts until they are called morons enough that they actually start studying or they find a different religion to bother. Can be identified by favorite places of 100's of web pages of mostly inaccurate information, two books at least one of which has inaccurate information which have only been partially read and by spouting off expertly on subjects that make everyone else choke with laughter or want to cry. Especially when they quote Buffy the Vampire slayer’s Willow as a source. If the person makes it beyond this stage they enter babyhood.
Babyhood: Time frame: first become pagan to about the second year. (Unless they have been premature before this time. Then it can be years later.) Also known as the "What's that" stage. This stage identified by the constant questions, and a stack of numerous books, some of which actually are accurate. If they have been premature prior to babyhood, he or she may still try to prove he or she is better then everyone with wild stories but they are starting to actually talk a bit of sense. They still have a tendency to believe it because it was written down someplace although they are starting to realize that fiction is actually fiction so they stop quoting movie Willow as a reference source. Can be easy prey for Fake id carriers, Peter Pans and wannabe high priestess who seem to know a bit more then the Baby witch but who really doesn’t have a clue.
Toddler hood: Also known as the Angry young pagan stage. The "You can't teach me, I can do whatever I want " stage. Ages one and a half to five (although in many cases even longer). It is the “I know everything there is to be known about my religion and you can't teach me anything more” stage. They still quote inaccurate information and are inclined to believe that 50 billion witches were burned at the stake during the burning times but at least they are starting to realize that not everything they read is completely true. . Forgets that that fiction is actually fiction and starts protesting Willow because she is not really Wiccan. (Poor Willow.) Still published Pagan authors are very much the authorities on any subject you can name. There isn't really any talking to them at this stage. The anger at the religion that was left has to be faced first Just nod and smile as they tell you "the sky is orange" and wait for them to grow up a bit.
Childhood Somewhere in here too (They grow so quick at this age don't they?) The "we are all on the same path so we should worship together in peace and tranquility all the days of our life" stage. Actually willing to learn from others but has the unfortunate tendency to find the wrong teachers. When this happens they rapidly progress to tweens. When they figure out that it is the wrong teacher or something else happens that causes growing pains then they enter the next stage.
Tween: Back to the angry young pagan stage. Four and a half to seven or so years. Starting to realize they don't know everything but not about to ask "Your" help. They will ask other Tweens and maybe get the right information. The same can be said for books. Very inclined to believe you are keeping secrets from them just to keep secrets. They are old enough to be told everything. It’s not fair you are keeping secrets.
Teenager: The "I know everything" stage. Six to ten years or so. Rolls the eyes at the old fogies, who seem to think they are actually still secrets from them and can be counted on babysitting those younger then them and teaching them some things. This is when they aren't finding the younger ones extremely annoying. When they don't know something they are inclined to fake it just so they don't have to admit that they don't know it all. Will get into arguments at a drop of a hat about things only to be very disgruntled when they are proven to be spouting out long disproven facts.
Peter Pan: this can be reached actually at any age and is identified by the fact that the person refuses to grow beyond the stage they have reached. Usually a case of almost infectious Lord or Lady High Muckity Muck can be seen around this person as well. He or she can do everything from control time and space to permanently change the laws of the universe. If you disagree with this claim you are either jealous or the spawn of evil sent to bring about their downfall. They will also tell everyone in a 1000-mile radius or more that this is the case.
Fake id carriers: Usually claim to be a crone or an elder way before their actual age or experience makes them creditable as either. They make these claims because being an elder or a crone is “COOL” (or KEWL!) and you don’t actually need to be older to be a Crone. Cronehood is a state of mind just like age. And you don’t actually need to know anything to be an elder just say you are. Usually the only ones who take them serious are those of the same ilk.
Young adult: Years nine to twelve or so. Still thinks he or she knows everything some of the time but starts getting enough life experience to realize that you know there might be a few things that just aren't the way he or she believes. Mellows out about other faiths "cause you know they might actually still be able to teach us some stuff." Starts to realize maybe the older pagans can’t tell everything because some things just need to be experienced. Starts to live the life more and study it less.
Adult: Years starts at 10 to 12 years or so and goes on and on. Starting to get fairly mellow about some things and easily annoyed about others. Cringes at the mispronunciations of some words that come out of the children's mouths. Not only knows and does but also realizes "you know I really don't know all there is after all in fact I am still discovering the questions." Still can be awed by meeting "famous" witches although not likely to take things written down as gospel. Gets annoyed when people quote Willow as a resource and makes claims that The Craft girls are real Wiccans but may enjoy the same character as fictional witches.
Old beyond their years. This can also happen at any age. They may appear young but knows their stuff and are wise beyond their physical years. They don’t care if you believe it or not either. They just keep doing their own thing. They know they don’t know everything. They know they will never know everything. But what they do know they know very well.
Crotchety oldster. "When I was a young witch we ..." seems to come out of their mouths a lot. As does "Back in my day we had to walk 15,000 miles uphill both ways buck naked in the snow to learn what you youngsters do with a flip of the switch" Personally knew every last witch you have ever read about in the books plus a few you hadn't and refers to them in casual conversation. Not only know and have done it but probably wrote it down and taught it the "correct" way as well. Laments at any change in tradition cause "this is the way things need to be done."
Old Hippy: very similar to the Crotchety oldster in he or she has known everyone and done everything. (Or is that done everyone and known everything? Or maybe both.) Still walks around naked to learn things. When dressed they can be recognized by the tie dye everything or the tendency to wear a sarong. A flower power bug still takes them to every gathering in a 500-mile radius. More open to experiment and experiencing new realities then the Crotchety oldster. Could probably teach you the meaning of life if you can translate the late 60's early 70's slang that still peppers their language.
Ages of Paganism (Or How to Identify how Long Someone has been Pagan)may be posted other places if you wish as long as it remains unchanged (except by me) and you keep my name (Sheila K. Watkins) with it. You also need to keep this notice up with it as well.
_________
A link back to here would be nice as well but not required.
__________
Ages of Paganism (Or How to Identify how Long Someone has been Pagan.)
By Sheila K Watkins
As you read this realize that the overlapping is deliberate. Please also note I do not say the actual physical age of the person because that can vary greatly.
Premature: Also known as the "High Almighty and All Powerful Witch of La Las" stage. (Or the “I read a book” (IRAB) or “I read a web page” priestess (IRAWP) stage. Can also be the also "I saw The Craft" or I saw "Charmed" or I saw a movie or TV show or read a fiction book with a witch character stage.) This stage can begin many ways. It can begin when a person decides partway through reading a web page that he or she is pagan and has in fact always been pagan. They just didn't know it. OR it can begin when a person sees any movie or TV show or reads any fiction book and decides that that is who and what they are. It usually lasts until they are called morons enough that they actually start studying or they find a different religion to bother. Can be identified by favorite places of 100's of web pages of mostly inaccurate information, two books at least one of which has inaccurate information which have only been partially read and by spouting off expertly on subjects that make everyone else choke with laughter or want to cry. Especially when they quote Buffy the Vampire slayer’s Willow as a source. If the person makes it beyond this stage they enter babyhood.
Babyhood: Time frame: first become pagan to about the second year. (Unless they have been premature before this time. Then it can be years later.) Also known as the "What's that" stage. This stage identified by the constant questions, and a stack of numerous books, some of which actually are accurate. If they have been premature prior to babyhood, he or she may still try to prove he or she is better then everyone with wild stories but they are starting to actually talk a bit of sense. They still have a tendency to believe it because it was written down someplace although they are starting to realize that fiction is actually fiction so they stop quoting movie Willow as a reference source. Can be easy prey for Fake id carriers, Peter Pans and wannabe high priestess who seem to know a bit more then the Baby witch but who really doesn’t have a clue.
Toddler hood: Also known as the Angry young pagan stage. The "You can't teach me, I can do whatever I want " stage. Ages one and a half to five (although in many cases even longer). It is the “I know everything there is to be known about my religion and you can't teach me anything more” stage. They still quote inaccurate information and are inclined to believe that 50 billion witches were burned at the stake during the burning times but at least they are starting to realize that not everything they read is completely true. . Forgets that that fiction is actually fiction and starts protesting Willow because she is not really Wiccan. (Poor Willow.) Still published Pagan authors are very much the authorities on any subject you can name. There isn't really any talking to them at this stage. The anger at the religion that was left has to be faced first Just nod and smile as they tell you "the sky is orange" and wait for them to grow up a bit.
Childhood Somewhere in here too (They grow so quick at this age don't they?) The "we are all on the same path so we should worship together in peace and tranquility all the days of our life" stage. Actually willing to learn from others but has the unfortunate tendency to find the wrong teachers. When this happens they rapidly progress to tweens. When they figure out that it is the wrong teacher or something else happens that causes growing pains then they enter the next stage.
Tween: Back to the angry young pagan stage. Four and a half to seven or so years. Starting to realize they don't know everything but not about to ask "Your" help. They will ask other Tweens and maybe get the right information. The same can be said for books. Very inclined to believe you are keeping secrets from them just to keep secrets. They are old enough to be told everything. It’s not fair you are keeping secrets.
Teenager: The "I know everything" stage. Six to ten years or so. Rolls the eyes at the old fogies, who seem to think they are actually still secrets from them and can be counted on babysitting those younger then them and teaching them some things. This is when they aren't finding the younger ones extremely annoying. When they don't know something they are inclined to fake it just so they don't have to admit that they don't know it all. Will get into arguments at a drop of a hat about things only to be very disgruntled when they are proven to be spouting out long disproven facts.
Peter Pan: this can be reached actually at any age and is identified by the fact that the person refuses to grow beyond the stage they have reached. Usually a case of almost infectious Lord or Lady High Muckity Muck can be seen around this person as well. He or she can do everything from control time and space to permanently change the laws of the universe. If you disagree with this claim you are either jealous or the spawn of evil sent to bring about their downfall. They will also tell everyone in a 1000-mile radius or more that this is the case.
Fake id carriers: Usually claim to be a crone or an elder way before their actual age or experience makes them creditable as either. They make these claims because being an elder or a crone is “COOL” (or KEWL!) and you don’t actually need to be older to be a Crone. Cronehood is a state of mind just like age. And you don’t actually need to know anything to be an elder just say you are. Usually the only ones who take them serious are those of the same ilk.
Young adult: Years nine to twelve or so. Still thinks he or she knows everything some of the time but starts getting enough life experience to realize that you know there might be a few things that just aren't the way he or she believes. Mellows out about other faiths "cause you know they might actually still be able to teach us some stuff." Starts to realize maybe the older pagans can’t tell everything because some things just need to be experienced. Starts to live the life more and study it less.
Adult: Years starts at 10 to 12 years or so and goes on and on. Starting to get fairly mellow about some things and easily annoyed about others. Cringes at the mispronunciations of some words that come out of the children's mouths. Not only knows and does but also realizes "you know I really don't know all there is after all in fact I am still discovering the questions." Still can be awed by meeting "famous" witches although not likely to take things written down as gospel. Gets annoyed when people quote Willow as a resource and makes claims that The Craft girls are real Wiccans but may enjoy the same character as fictional witches.
Old beyond their years. This can also happen at any age. They may appear young but knows their stuff and are wise beyond their physical years. They don’t care if you believe it or not either. They just keep doing their own thing. They know they don’t know everything. They know they will never know everything. But what they do know they know very well.
Crotchety oldster. "When I was a young witch we ..." seems to come out of their mouths a lot. As does "Back in my day we had to walk 15,000 miles uphill both ways buck naked in the snow to learn what you youngsters do with a flip of the switch" Personally knew every last witch you have ever read about in the books plus a few you hadn't and refers to them in casual conversation. Not only know and have done it but probably wrote it down and taught it the "correct" way as well. Laments at any change in tradition cause "this is the way things need to be done."
Old Hippy: very similar to the Crotchety oldster in he or she has known everyone and done everything. (Or is that done everyone and known everything? Or maybe both.) Still walks around naked to learn things. When dressed they can be recognized by the tie dye everything or the tendency to wear a sarong. A flower power bug still takes them to every gathering in a 500-mile radius. More open to experiment and experiencing new realities then the Crotchety oldster. Could probably teach you the meaning of life if you can translate the late 60's early 70's slang that still peppers their language.
Ages of Paganism (Or How to Identify how Long Someone has been Pagan)may be posted other places if you wish as long as it remains unchanged (except by me) and you keep my name (Sheila K. Watkins) with it. You also need to keep this notice up with it as well.
_________
A link back to here would be nice as well but not required.