From: salea@athena.mit.edu (Sherrian Lea)
Subject: Re: Annoying, cloying "wann-be"s (was Pagan Bumper Stickers)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 00:25:38 GMT

In article <1206@abb-sc.abb-sc.COM>, ksm@abb-sc.abb-sc.com (Ashley) writes:
|> 
|> In article <1992Nov3.044232.9475@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>, radzy@ICSI.Berkeley.EDU (T. O. Radzykewycz) writes...
|> >radzy@ICSI.Berkeley.EDU (T. O. Radzykewycz) writes:
|> > 
|> >I've seen bumper stickers that say "Blessed Be" and "An it harm none, ..."
|> >at things like SciFi conventions, as well.
|> 
|> 
|> 		- It just prompted me to write -
|> 
|> 	I often have a problem with the sci-fi pagans. Every time I stick 
|> my nose into one of the sc-fi conventions or one of the habitual lairs of 
|> such people, I eventually find someone who fits into one of the following 
|> categories:
|> 
(stuff deleted)

|> 	Sci-Fi Dweeb Wizard: A person who is interested in the mystic arts 
|> because of fantasy novels and role playing games and is usually prone to go 
|> off fighting battles in their mind or reality with real Witches or imagined 
|> supernatural beings. Also prone to annoying displays of chest pounding and 
|> bragging about how very powerful they are. They usually have little or no 
|> real knowledge and their primary sourse of information is something like 
|> "The Modern Witch's Spellbook" and their dungeonmaster's manual.
|> 
|> 
|> I really get annoyed when a Sci-Fi Dweeb Wizard notices my jewelry and begins 
|> chest pounding about how very powerful they are and they could fill the room 
|> with snakes if they wanted to, or they are a tenth level water warlock and 
|> could "zap" me any time he wanted or some other such dreck. Or a Show-pagan 
|> and I start talking and they follow every thing I say, pretending to know all 
|> about it, but in truth just throwing buzzwords back at me and trying to 
|> weasel more info out of me.
|> 

I've been thinking about these people for a while and I'm becoming 
convinced that fantasy role-playing has, in general, been a problem for 
the Pagan community.  Bright, creative, imaginative people, who have always
known that they weren't like everyone around them wander into all kinds of 
places -- like SF fandom, the gaming community, the SCA and Paganism.  
Unfortunately, it takes a while for them to recognise that just because 
these activities attract what they perceive to be the same kind of people,
they aren't the same activities.

When the only place a kid learns about mystic arts, to use your phrase, 
is from gaming manuals, there's a problem.  They're likely to end up
EXPECTING visible, instant results from magical ritual, and getting disappointed
when they don't get them.  It doesn't help that gaming companies and 
SF writers are starting to write about Witches, "real Witches," allegedly Wiccan,
who get page after page of immediate spell-casting gratification.  As far as
I've seen, most of them give up and get bored or get a clue after about a year.

I'm surprised you've encountered so many; as a Witch and a gamer, I think
I find about two a year -- which is plenty.  I'm surprised there are
that many of them about, although I shouldn't be, I guess.  Might it be 
possible that some of the people you encountered were in some kind of "con 
persona" or otherwise making stuff up on purpose.  I hope so, for your sake; 
finding one of what you call the SFDWs at every con would really suck.

But I'm not sure I agree with your approach, especially to the ones you 
call "Show-pagans."  I hate to feel manipulated or interrogated, too, but
it's been my impression that when people are clueless and looking for 
information it doesn't hurt to give it to them.  Is the situation bad 
enough that setting these people at least partially straight would keep you 
away from the con?   Is it possible to ask the person who's telling people
you trained her to stop, and explain to her why?  Is there anyone you
know with whom she could study who might give her a bit more of a clue?

Or is it bad enough that you just want out?  Good luck -- I hope they 
learn something or leave you in peace.  Blessed be.

Sherrian

 



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