Structuralism, Cultural Relativism And Deprogramming

The term ethnocentrism was coined by William G. Sumner, upon observing the tendency for people to differentiate between the in-group and others. He defined it as “the technical name for the view of things in which one’s own group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it.” He further characterized it as often leading to pride, vanity, beliefs of one’s own group’s superiority, and contempt of outsiders. Robert K. Merton comments that Sumner’s additional characterization robbed the concept of some analytical power because, Merton argues, centrality and superiority are often correlated, but need to be kept analytically distinct.

Just as it may take “deprogramming” to get out of a “cult” (in the modern meaning) it may take some to get into a cult (proper).

A deprogramming of the norm so to speak.

It is very easy to by way of structuralism and ethnocentrism attempt to apply a teaching or way to ones life that is really nothing more than ones original one in other trappings.

I would say that this is true regardless of weather it is a mystery school such as Thelema, Kabbalah or Raja Yoga or if it is a reconstructivist or ethnic path.

I sometimes find myself struggling with sexual ideas, ideals as to what is “sacred” and what is “profane”, the nature of morals, philosophical and cultural ideals and so on that i can clearly see are Christian (despite not having been a Christian for decades), Post-Modern or other strains of philosophy that are part of contemporary mainstream  society.

This despite a number of initiations, years of religous practice and study.

This is probably (one reason ) why banishings are so essential to the Ceremonial Magician.

Taking out the trash leaves room for any other work.

Just like when studying another contemporary or ancient culture, the glasses of ones own has to come off.

Paralells that dont exist must be exorcicised and the subject must be studied objectively and with some degree of honesty.

This however also applies to the praxis that might follow.

Just like an ethnocentric antropologist would be more or less studying his own culture, a mystic or reconstructivist stuck in the norm of today would simply be a guy changing robes.

Are these critters really of the same custom as i???

To me that is an insult.

To me that is like acknowledging that heathen (or pagan) really means “Hick” or “yokl”.

I am always surprised and get kind of a LARP vibe when i read things like “our folk ways”.

Their “indignation” dumbs my customs down. They really have more in common with snake handling Christians (not to be Christian bashing ) than anything that feels “Norse”.

These people belong in a heavy metal video.

I am straight but i am also educated and my mother is not married to her brother.

I belive in active studies (of academic material), a living custom through folklore and adapting to modern society while reconstructing.

In short, i am a modern Scandinavian, NOT some “Viking warrior” with a need to preserve my “folk” (“they”, regardless of how you count, seem to be doing just fine).

I am simply a person doing my best to live according to a custom such as it presents itself through academia, scientific disciplines (history, archeology, anthropology, linguistics,etymology, semiotics and so on ) ,my own culture and folklore and some philosophical and theological speculation on my own part.

Some of them are Scandinavian. I´m willing to bet they stay clear of blóts of a more mainstream (in lack of  a better term) nature.

They would be verbally (at least) and intellectually bitch slapped by pretty much any follower of the custom i´ve known.

The only threat i see to Norse culture and heritage are these circus clowns.

How can anyone take heathenry seriously with these around?

(Far from complete) List of reconstructionist polytheistic pagan religions

I reblog this because i want to add a few recon and / or etnic religions. 

Hope all links work.

Polytheistic reconstructionism (Reconstructionism) is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and gathering momentum in the 1990s to 2000s. Reconstructionism attempts to re-establish historical polytheistic religions in the modern world, in contrast with syncreticmovements like Wicca, and “channeled” movements like Germanic mysticismor Theosophy.

Many practitioners of folk religions live outside of the original cultures and territories from which those historical religions arose, and reconstructonists consequently face the problem of understanding, and then implementing, the worldview of pre-modern rural societies in a modern, possibly urban environment.

1.

1. There is no attempt to recreate a combined pan-European paganism.
2. Researchers attempt to stay within research guidelines developed over the course of the past century for handling documentation generated in the time periods that they are studying.
3. A multi-disciplinary approach is utilized capitalizing on results from various fields as historical literary research, anthropology, religious history, political history, archeology, forensic anthropology, historical sociology, etc. with an overt attempt to avoid pseudo-sciences.
4. There are serious attempts to recreate culture, politics, science and art of the period in order to better understand the environment within which the religious beliefs were practiced

Celtic shrine

Asatru – Norse  (Please keep in mind that some practices of Asatru differ between Scandinavia and America, partly since the custom never really left here butb stayed in traditions, folklore, placenames and so on. The actual FAITH is the same though).

http://www.asatru.ca/?page_id=3

Hellenismos – Greek

http://hellenismos.us/b/

Religio Romana – Roman

http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/

Anglo – Saxon Heathenry – Anglo – Saxon

http://www.englatheod.org/anglosaxon.htm

Celtic Revivalism – Celtic

http://redbranchsociety.wikidot.com/celtic-revivalism

Natib Qadish – Caanaanite

http://canaanitepath.com/introduction.htm

Romuva – Lithuanian

http://www.romuva.lt/en.html

Finnish Paganism – Finland

http://www.taivaannaula.org/finnish_paganism.php

Estonian Paganism – Estonia

http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=162063

Kemeticism – Egyptian

http://www.inkemetic.org/Library/kemeticism.htm

Slavic Paganism

http://www.circe-argent.com/slavic_paganism.htm

 Chimariy Yüla ( Mari Traditional Religion- Finnic, Russia )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Traditional_Religion#Gods

Vattisen Yaly ( Chuvas Religion-Turcic, Russia )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vattisen_Yaly

Noaidevuohta (Sami-Norway,Sweden, Finland, Russia )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_religion

Romuva

These are only a few (the biggest) reconstructive religions out there, and dont forget that using terms like “Germanic, Celtic” or “Slavic” are simplifications.

There whyere several tribes of each of these larger ethnic groups and  time and geography would mean variations. Even within what is now Sweden there where differences in cult.

The biggest reconstructive polytheistic religion last i checked was Asatru.

Hellenists

There are about a 100 000 Hellenists in Greece, a country that only recently gained religious freedom (ie it was forbidden to be a Hellenist) and a whole lot in the US

Modern Day Väinämöinen (Blog On Finnish Paganism)

My name is Christine, and I’m originally from America, but moved to Finland in the summer of 2009. For a long time I have been interested in Finnish paganism, but never found many sources out there in English. After I moved here, my knowledge about the practice increased greatly through personal experiences and meeting other Finnish pagans. Now I have created this blog in hopes that I can help other English-speakers gain some more wisdom about this religion.

AMERICAN CELTIC: The all important 'UPG' in Celtic Reconstructionism.

americanceltic:

I am a nerd. I get excited by things like proper grammar and science. I love the study of our natural world and I have always been enthralled by the strict adherence to rules that scientists slavishly attach themselves to. One of the coolest things about this world of science is the Scientific…

The Agora Forums

westernmystery:

The Agora This board is for the discussion of “Pagan” (non-Abrahamic) religions, Magick, politics, snark, utter nonsense, and occasionally the works of the author Bryon Morrigan…