Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

[ChainLightning]

fluffy to someone, sooner or later. I leave offerings for the fae, practice candle magic, work with herbs and incenses/oils, and casually go about believing in witchcraft, dragon magic, and a whole host of what some deem fantasy creatures. Fae.


So, to try and get us all past this 'us and them' mentality, (whether we at PF have been guilty of it or not, it's still all over the web, this anti-fluffy sentiment) I'd like to know! Honestly, aren't we all a stranger to someone? Don't we all have beliefs or traditions/practices that are kind of bizarre to the next person? Think about it.

I know YOU are weird simply because I know that I am.

[anunitu]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

I agree Chain,it is just a matter of taste. I have seen people get into a physical fight over how to eat grits,I myself try not to become so "Perfect" in my beliefs that I can't see that flexibility is the key to learning new things.

[Dez]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

Chain, that was very eloquently said. Well done.

The number one strange thing about me as I explore what works and what doesn't? It seems that as much as a path involving Norse and Germanic gods works for me, the Aesir have ZERO, and I mean zero interest in me.

However literal one wants to be, the beings that answer when I say, "Hello out there?" are Vanir and Jotun. Yeah...frost giants. Normally the "bad guys" from the traditional telling. That's a big part of the reason why I don't have heathen something-or-other listed under my name.

[Jembru]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

This is why I reject the term 'fluffy'. To my ears, it sounds like the speaker is trying to imply that THEIR way of doing things is superior to another's way. That kind of arrogance is somewhat fluffy itself if you ask me! I admit that there are things I dropped from my practice because of the influence of other people, but if anything, I think my need to be accepted and conform is my biggest weakness. I also sometimes roll my eyes at some of the things noobs or younger pagans write. This just shows how immature I am yet and I think a part of it is jealousy because I miss that feeling of excitement, wonder and the belief that I could do anything so long as I learned the special techniques. Conforming seems to make you 'dry up' and 'go through the motions'.

So long as you can explain why you do things the way you do (rather than 'because the book said), then I think you can be confident that you're on the right path. If others are so insecure that they need to look down on others in order to feel good about themselves, then it is surely THEY, who are a little behind in their development.

[Medusa]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

As an outsider, I didn't think that's what fluffy bunny meant. I thought it was the absence of all negative things and the belief that nature was nothing but bunnies and fairies and happy animals living together in perfect Cinderella esque harmony.

Do you think I could be a possible fluffy Satanist?

[MaskedOne]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

Chain, that was very eloquently said. Well done.

The number one strange thing about me as I explore what works and what doesn't? It seems that as much as a path involving Norse and Germanic gods works for me, the Aesir have ZERO, and I mean zero interest in me.

However literal one wants to be, the beings that answer when I say, "Hello out there?" are Vanir and Jotun. Yeah...frost giants. Normally the "bad guys" from the traditional telling. That's a big part of the reason why I don't have heathen something-or-other listed under my name.

I probably find that far too entertaining for my own good.

Toward the original post, if I don't come as strange periodically then I'm not trying hard enough. If that's the case then I can start preaching the Gospel of Bugs Bunny or the God-Emperor of Man but I'm less likely to be banned for Bugs Bunny. I would go for the true joy and start quoting from the SB Bible but if the various SB gods interpret that as a cross-board invasion then....

Hmm, lets just not find out.

EDIT: Not qualified to preach the Gospel of Bugs. This leaves GoEM, Skynet, if I had better memory the Animaniacs, must find better toons....

[anunitu]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

Stroking Medusa's fluffy bunny fur...Ouch..freaking fur is sharp and tipped with poison.

[Caelia]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

This type of stuff is what I'm going to deal with in a few YouTube episodes (yes, I'm dumb enough to come up with my own webseries) soon.

As for your fluffiness: I'd say "hairy bunny", but that's neither here nor there

[ChainLightning]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

As an outsider, I didn't think that's what fluffy bunny meant. I thought it was the absence of all negative things and the belief that nature was nothing but bunnies and fairies and happy animals living together in perfect Cinderella esque harmony.

Do you think I could be a possible fluffy Satanist?

Actually, I think you've raised a good point. Different people and even groups of people will likely have different meanings for what a fluffy bunny is. That white-light, love everything, happy-happy-joy-joy persona is just another fluffy trait... unrealistic, even in the terms of one with bizarre beliefs, to the point of action without thought, or like Jembru said about 'cuz the book says'.

But to answer your question? Oh, hell yeah. Fluffy Satanist, indeed. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, Medusa, but you're like... weird. There's no 'always on attack', 'anti-xian', 'take your God and shove 'im!' People expect dead babies, blood sacrifices and grave-robbing - that's the stereotypical Satanic stuff, isn't it? What are you doing being, like, NICE??



That's really the whole point, really. Beating back the stereotypes.

-----------------------------------------

I don't want to scare someone away just because I'm a critic, and I analyze others' beliefs for anything I may find useful in them, for my own path. That alone puts me in a weirdo category, so making someone else feel like an outcast is seriously misdirected. But then again, it's not a contest to see who is weirder, or which of us has the strangest superstitions. Just that, as far as I'm concerned, as different as we all are (which, frankly, is a VAST array) it's what makes us similar that we should be paying attention to. What the hell is wrong with someone believing that Love and Light are the very things we're all made of? Particularly if there's nothing wrong with believing in some sort of an afterlife, ultimate being(s) or a hidden yet spiritual meaning to something obvious.

I think I'm trying to talk people into being a bit more lenient, open-minded and accepting of beliefs that we're not already comfortable being around.

How many Wiccans do we have on these boards? Heathens? How about Eclectics? How many Christians?? So... a fluffbunny?

[Medusa]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

Actually, I think you've raised a good point. Different people and even groups of people will likely have different meanings for what a fluffy bunny is. That white-light, love everything, happy-happy-joy-joy persona is just another fluffy trait... unrealistic, even in the terms of one with bizarre beliefs, to the point of action without thought, or like Jembru said about 'cuz the book says'.

But to answer your question? Oh, hell yeah. Fluffy Satanist, indeed. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, Medusa, but you're like... weird. There's no 'always on attack', 'anti-xian', 'take your God and shove 'im!' People expect dead babies, blood sacrifices and grave-robbing - that's the stereotypical Satanic stuff, isn't it? What are you doing being, like, NICE??



That's really the whole point, really. Beating back the stereotypes.

Hmm...you do have a point there. But it feel 'natural' for me to be this way. This is my own level. So I wonder if everyone feels the same way? Maybe that's just their level and should be left alone. Also I'm nice because I don't bring kill into my own den. Other places? Oh yeah it's on like Satanic Donkey Kong!

[MaskedOne]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

I think I'm trying to talk people into being a bit more lenient, open-minded and accepting of beliefs that we're not already comfortable being around.

This I can support and with some effort even work on adhering more closely to. I won't always back it, there are some perspectives including one or two from late and unlamented members that should be challenged and challenged vehemently but those are relatively uncommon.

I'm still all for manufacturing odd superstitions though. Playing the lunatic is fun, otherwise I'd need to find a new role.

[Jembru]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

You can count me in too. I've already been trying to be more open minded, but I'll definitely do my best to accept other beliefs, even those that might sound weird to me. You did a great thing in starting this thread Chain! Lets hope it catches on!

It must be said though, that this forum is unique in its openess to all faiths. I've heard (and seen evidence posted here), of some real horror storied on other sites. Pagan Forum surely deserves some credit for this.

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

However literal one wants to be, the beings that answer when I say, "Hello out there?" are Vanir and Jotun. Yeah...frost giants. Normally the "bad guys" from the traditional telling. That's a big part of the reason why I don't have heathen something-or-other listed under my name.

[thalassa]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

It must be said though, that this forum is unique in its openess to all faiths. I've heard (and seen evidence posted here), of some real horror storied on other sites. Pagan Forum surely deserves some credit for this.

We try. Often we are successful... Sometimes we are not. We do try to maintain a middle-road, tone wise...but we've been slipping to more skeptical and less welcoming, lately (at least I think so). The first of which can be good and healthy--but not when it gives the impression of the latter.

I believe in plenty of stuff that some would deem "fluffy"...but the difference, at least in my approximation of the term, is in willful ignorance of factual information often combined with the purposeful perpetuation of disinformation. For example, the Burning Times or the idea of a matriarchal prehistory or Wicca=neolithic witchcraft region, etc. Medusa's idea of "the absence of all negative things and the belief that nature was nothing but bunnies and fairies and happy animals living together in perfect Cinderella esque harmony" would fall into this as well...

I may not agree with Chain on the nature of the existence of the Fay, but I don't see that belief as "fluffy".

[Dez]

Re: Fluffy Bunny! Well... yes, I am.

Hah, yes...I'm aware of those!

As is, I'm settling in a bit more before I pick a more specific title, if I ever do...