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    Eclectic Paganism

    Is there anyone who can give me or point me in the direction of information about Eclectic paganism or Steve Storm relating to it?
    thanks in advance.

    #2
    Re: Eclectic Paganism

    Far as I can tell, Steve Storm wrote the Eclectic Rede, but that's all I can find.

    Is there a specific topic in which you're interested? Electic paganism is. . . eclectic. It incorporates lots of different worldviews, ideas, practices, etc.
    Blog: http://thestarsafire.tumblr.com

    Kuchi wa wazawai no moto (the mouth is the origin of disasters)

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      #3
      Re: Eclectic Paganism

      Well I really can't point you to anything dealing with Steve Storm as until you wrote this I had never heard of him. After reading what I was able to find not sad to say I'm glad I didn't.

      Nine words the Eclectic Rede attest:
      Steal what works, fix what's broke, fake the rest.
      The "Eclectic Rede" above describes the basic starting point quite well. As a typical Eclectic, I grabbed it along at some point of my journey (the Eclectic Rede was originally written by Steve Storm {2}).
      http://www.kaaos.org/faerie/eclectics.html

      The above seems to be the only thing he is credited with and then that is not to promising a ground work in my opinion to define ones spiritual practices. Though I suppose in truth it's more accurate than saying borrow anything you desire to make your practice regardless of the wider cultural / social usage of some concept or the parts that are omitted as they do not appeal to the practitioner. At best it seems a slap in the face of anyone who is eclectic for it suggests they steal or simply fake everything in their beliefs which I do not think most eclectics would agree with.
      I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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        #4
        Re: Eclectic Paganism

        Originally posted by monsno_leedra View Post
        The above seems to be the only thing he is credited with and then that is not to promising a ground work in my opinion to define ones spiritual practices. Though I suppose in truth it's more accurate than saying borrow anything you desire to make your practice regardless of the wider cultural / social usage of some concept or the parts that are omitted as they do not appeal to the practitioner. At best it seems a slap in the face of anyone who is eclectic for it suggests they steal or simply fake everything in their beliefs which I do not think most eclectics would agree with.
        I think the Eclectic Rede captures the general spirit of eclectic paganism, but it's not enough because a lot goes behind an informed eclectic *anything*. In fact, the Eclectic Rede could apply to virtually any path, which is probably why it's not the best groundwork for a practice. For example, I'm a Kemetic Recon, and my approach to it is basically "steal what works [from the sources or other places as appropriate, being mindful of things like cultural appropriation], fix what's broke [because there are a crap ton of gaps in the sources], and fake the rest [by filling in gaps with best guesses]".
        Blog: http://thestarsafire.tumblr.com

        Kuchi wa wazawai no moto (the mouth is the origin of disasters)

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Eclectic Paganism

          Originally posted by Satu View Post
          I think the Eclectic Rede captures the general spirit of eclectic paganism, but it's not enough because a lot goes behind an informed eclectic *anything*. In fact, the Eclectic Rede could apply to virtually any path, which is probably why it's not the best groundwork for a practice. For example, I'm a Kemetic Recon, and my approach to it is basically "steal what works [from the sources or other places as appropriate, being mindful of things like cultural appropriation], fix what's broke [because there are a crap ton of gaps in the sources], and fake the rest [by filling in gaps with best guesses]".
          But the problem is your not fixing anything for fixing implies you take the whole of the system and correct or update it. Stealing implies no concern for what the social / ethical / ethnic influences and mindset suggests or how it pertains to the people who created or modified it from within the system. Filling in the gaps suggests a lot of fantasy and creation many times with no basis for the inclusion or understanding of how it all actually pertains to the deeper psychological structure.

          Most eclectic I know research the sources and try to find the underlying psychological / cultural and social constructs upon which the practices were built and functions they served. Fixing usually involved updating perspectives such as human sacrifice changed to some alternate form of sacrifice even if it was modeled sacrifice and comparing multiple source material that seldom included pagan authors or their psuedo historical credentials. then filling in the holes with material suggested from the source material or through comparison of collateral development or similar functionality from nearby cults or practices even if the main credit is upon folk custom vice hard written research.

          That is one reason so many viewed eclectics are playgans vice dedicated and serious practitioners and equate many of them to or as New Age fluff bunnies and white lighter want a bees copying Charmed. Not saying that an eclectic practitioner is such but that was a common perception and in many places is still seen as such.
          I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Eclectic Paganism

            Originally posted by monsno_leedra View Post
            But the problem is your not fixing anything for fixing implies you take the whole of the system and correct or update it. Stealing implies no concern for what the social / ethical / ethnic influences and mindset suggests or how it pertains to the people who created or modified it from within the system. Filling in the gaps suggests a lot of fantasy and creation many times with no basis for the inclusion or understanding of how it all actually pertains to the deeper psychological structure.
            I'll admit that the term "stealing" is unfortunate and I get the feeling that it's meant in a light-hearted manner in the Eclectic Rede. But for those cultures that are struggling, it's not light-hearted at all. In fact, the term is probably rather ominous, if not outright threatening. It's good to be considerate when "stealing" from another culture.

            In the case of Kemeticism, we do end up "fixing" a lot of things, because ancient Egyptian religion relied on the pharaoh as the lynchpin. Most Kemetic organizations don't have a pharaoh, which turns some aspects of Kemeticism on its head. So you have to "fix" the hole left by the absence of pharaoh. People do this in various ways. Me, I just ignore it. We also end up "fixing" the priesthood, because the structures that supported ancient Egyptian priests no longer exist. I could go on, and on, and ON. Anyway, I think the degree of "fixing" depends on the tradition (Recon vs not, for example), personal preference, etc.

            Filling in gaps does not have to suggest fantasy. Unless extrapolation and the occasional revelation is fantasy. Again, it's going to depend on the tradition, as well as the condition of the sources. I think part of the problem of filling in gaps is not giving the filler enough time to settle. I've filled in gaps before only to realize a few days to a few weeks later than it's not working and occasionally the Netjeru will pop in to tell me to stop. But some people fill in a gap quickly, then move onto the next.

            Filler for gaps comes slowly, and I've noticed that some eclectics don't want to wait. Just as many of them will wait, but for those who won't, it makes all the rest of look bad.

            Most eclectic I know research the sources and try to find the underlying psychological / cultural and social constructs upon which the practices were built and functions they served. Fixing usually involved updating perspectives such as human sacrifice changed to some alternate form of sacrifice even if it was modeled sacrifice and comparing multiple source material that seldom included pagan authors or their psuedo historical credentials. then filling in the holes with material suggested from the source material or through comparison of collateral development or similar functionality from nearby cults or practices even if the main credit is upon folk custom vice hard written research.
            Many of the eclectics I know are the same way. They have a deep respect for the cultures from which they draw and are careful to distinguish between what comes from where, what it means in context (of the home culture and that eclectic's practice), etc. They're honest about what's historical and what they've made up off the tops of their heads.

            Part of the problem is it's a lot of legwork to get to that point of being informed enough. Some eclectics I've met get so magpie they don't have enough time to learn about and appreciate the first culture/tradition from which they wish to draw before moving onto the next. Personally, I've spent two years studying Egyptological materials to get to where I am with Kemeticism, and have spent the past six months studying Hinduism. (That might sound strange, but Hinduism has some very powerful parallels with Kemetic thought that are useful in fleshing out a practice.) I'm not really eclectic, but I do respectfully draw from open cultures when I need to.

            That is one reason so many viewed eclectics are playgans vice dedicated and serious practitioners and equate many of them to or as New Age fluff bunnies and white lighter want a bees copying Charmed. Not saying that an eclectic practitioner is such but that was a common perception and in many places is still seen as such.
            I think we also have to appreciate that everyone is in a different place on their personal path. A newbie eclectic might appear to be horribly fluffy when really they're in the process of becoming informed. We have to look at the attitude. Someone on their way to becoming a serious practitioner will check their bad attitude at the door; a fluffy isn't likely to do so.
            Blog: http://thestarsafire.tumblr.com

            Kuchi wa wazawai no moto (the mouth is the origin of disasters)

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Eclectic Paganism

              Originally posted by Satu View Post
              I'll admit that the term "stealing" is unfortunate and I get the feeling that it's meant in a light-hearted manner in the Eclectic Rede. But for those cultures that are struggling, it's not light-hearted at all. In fact, the term is probably rather ominous, if not outright threatening. It's good to be considerate when "stealing" from another culture.
              I do think "stealing" is a difficult word to use here and what it implies. Given that many of the things being stolen are not just from archaic societies which no longer exist but things extrapolated from existing cultures which makes it all the worse.

              In the case of Kemeticism, we do end up "fixing" a lot of things, because ancient Egyptian religion relied on the pharaoh as the lynchpin. Most Kemetic organizations don't have a pharaoh, which turns some aspects of Kemeticism on its head. So you have to "fix" the hole left by the absence of pharaoh. People do this in various ways. Me, I just ignore it. We also end up "fixing" the priesthood, because the structures that supported ancient Egyptian priests no longer exist. I could go on, and on, and ON. Anyway, I think the degree of "fixing" depends on the tradition (Recon vs not, for example), personal preference, etc.
              But in that light your not fixing your re-creating or modifying what is known of an archaic practice and its entire social / cultural interaction. Since the culture / social strata does not exist any longer it can't be fixed. You can only modify what aspects are known to have existed or manufacture new aspects which no longer meets the criteria of what the original was used for and how it was viewed by the society that lived within its boundaries.

              It's like there is a lot of Hellenic influences in my practices but the temple / sanctuary system and cultural boundaries no longer exist. As such I can never hope to re-create the mindset and full cultural relationships back. The best I can do is try to understand what those relationships were in order to understand the whys of their practices.

              Filling in gaps does not have to suggest fantasy. Unless extrapolation and the occasional revelation is fantasy. Again, it's going to depend on the tradition, as well as the condition of the sources. I think part of the problem of filling in gaps is not giving the filler enough time to settle. I've filled in gaps before only to realize a few days to a few weeks later than it's not working and occasionally the Netjeru will pop in to tell me to stop. But some people fill in a gap quickly, then move onto the next.
              I agree that it dos not have to be fantasy driven but far to often that is what it seems to be. If not fantasy then a type of UPG that seldom fits any type of source material or even suggested from existing practices or later modifications to the practice that is being copied. In many ways when I hear people speak of fillers it comes across as a force fit that doesn't blend well nor does it seem to answer any deeper questions inregards to purpose.

              Filler for gaps comes slowly, and I've noticed that some eclectics don't want to wait. Just as many of them will wait, but for those who won't, it makes all the rest of look bad.
              Very True.


              Many of the eclectics I know are the same way. They have a deep respect for the cultures from which they draw and are careful to distinguish between what comes from where, what it means in context (of the home culture and that eclectic's practice), etc. They're honest about what's historical and what they've made up off the tops of their heads.
              I think that is one of the only reasons people slowly started to see eclectic practitioners as more than playgans. Granted to a degree even lineaged traditions have eclectic aspects to them as well as many recon practices. Sort of like biology where one takes some DNA aspect from another creature and plugs it into another place where DNA or such is missing.

              Part of the problem is it's a lot of legwork to get to that point of being informed enough. Some eclectics I've met get so magpie they don't have enough time to learn about and appreciate the first culture/tradition from which they wish to draw before moving onto the next. Personally, I've spent two years studying Egyptological materials to get to where I am with Kemeticism, and have spent the past six months studying Hinduism. (That might sound strange, but Hinduism has some very powerful parallels with Kemetic thought that are useful in fleshing out a practice.) I'm not really eclectic, but I do respectfully draw from open cultures when I need to.
              I agree with this as well. It seems Paganism and the contents beneath that umbrella term are quickly turning into an "I want it now!" mentality and practical outlook IMHO. That shake-n-bake approach seems to penalize any who would take the time to research and try to graft the results into their practice vice force fitting it upon it.

              Have to admit I am eclectic in the aspect that my practice is an evolved formation of family folk practices, family shamanic practices, a Stregian family folk practice and a lot of Hellenic structure and perceptions. Well that and things that influenced me over the 23 years I spent in the Navy and was introduced to those culture's while I lived in them or people who guided and helped train me in certain aspects.

              I think we also have to appreciate that everyone is in a different place on their personal path. A newbie eclectic might appear to be horribly fluffy when really they're in the process of becoming informed. We have to look at the attitude. Someone on their way to becoming a serious practitioner will check their bad attitude at the door; a fluffy isn't likely to do so.
              I agree a novice tends to appear fluffy at times where a true fluff never seems to consider anything but their own attitude.
              I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Eclectic Paganism

                Originally posted by TigersEye View Post
                Is there anyone who can give me or point me in the direction of information about Eclectic paganism or Steve Storm relating to it?
                thanks in advance.
                I've never heard of him. But, as far as Eclectic Paganism goes, I'd describe it as a set of traditions that seek to blend influences from more than one contemporary Pagan or historically pagan religions. Generally Eclectic Pagans are solitary, but sometimes they practice in a family or group. How an Eclectic chooses traditions and how to blend them is pretty individualized.
                Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                sigpic

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                  #9
                  Re: Eclectic Paganism

                  My take on Eclectic Paganism is that if done properly, it's a $&*# load of work. You see, to learn what fits together and works well out of two or more systems takes a LOT of trial and error, mostly error. You have to figure out your cosmology, your gods, your ethics, your holy days, your rituals...

                  Sadly, a lot of people take a cafeteria approach to their "eclectic" path and just throw things together willy nilly. More often than not, these people will move onto something else in a year or two because they realize they aren't actually getting anywhere.

                  There are a LOT of books out there that fall under the umbrella term of Eclectic Paganism, but you must remember they they are but one KIND and may have absolutely nothing of interest for you. If you want to pursue an eclectic pagan path, more power to you. It's not easy and comes with a LOT of homework, even more than Recon paths.
                  "The doer alone learneth." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

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                    #10
                    Re: Eclectic Paganism

                    Originally posted by Vigdisdotter View Post
                    My take on Eclectic Paganism is that if done properly, it's a $&*# load of work. You see, to learn what fits together and works well out of two or more systems takes a LOT of trial and error, mostly error. You have to figure out your cosmology, your gods, your ethics, your holy days, your rituals.. .. If you want to pursue an eclectic pagan path, more power to you. It's not easy and comes with a LOT of homework, even more than Recon paths.
                    I agree with that. Then figure that most of the work is just finding things, evaluating them via trial and error on the surface which doesn't really even touch upon the ethical and moral issues one will have to define and address as they develop their pathway. Answering that never ending series of "WHY!" as one answer simply begets another round of "Whys". Whys that have normally already been answered for you within established family traditions or mystical pathways such as Wicca, Fairy, Feri, etc with their dogma and structure.
                    I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Eclectic Paganism

                      I believe that I am somewhat of an eclectic pagan to an extent. However I feel very drawn to the ancient traditions Babylon, Persia, and Phoenicia. I am very interested in learning about all kinds of different cultures and beliefs systems all around the world and I can say I have prayed to many different gods. I believe in somewhat spontaneous worship as I will sometimes get a feeling a particular deity is calling out to me. I do a lot of studying of other cultures and there practices, some I put to use some I do not. In other words I believe as I wish and I go with my heart. I feel as though I have a connection with the god Hades but I also feel a connection with the god Hadad. Two very different gods from very different cultures. I believe that the more knowledge I have of spirituality and religion the more I can become connected with the divine.

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