Reposted from onyxtwilight: Craft related, sustainable communit

[sabrinamari]

http://gnosiscafe.com/gcblog/2006/08/06/the-baby-and-the-bathwater/

As onyxtwilight has noted, this is a useful, reflective post, with lots of provocative discussion about one important contemporary Craft community. It's also a guilty pleasure of mine, because my way cool brother's work in Pagan Studies is cited by Macha in the first comment.

If you are interested in Craft history and the greater contemporary Craft community, check it out.

It still amazes me that both my brother somacandra and I have decided to devote big parts of our life's work to Craft. It wasn't intentional or planned that way: it simply happened. We both chose to enter Craft and we both chose to explore Buddhist thought and practice. He works at the macro-level, exploring contemporary Craft at the national and international levels, while I work at the micro-level, mostly in one tradition and certainly in one or two geographic areas (the NE coast and the city of Minneapolis).

Christopher operates mostly at the level of critical analysis, history, religious movement and intellect, grappling with what Craft and Pagandom means at the broadest levels; I mostly operate with that which is primarily experiential---knowledge and wisdom that comes from experiencing ritual, transformation and an initiatory path. Our work overlaps, and we each do some of what the other does, but mostly, our efforts are complementary.

I am so proud of him. I feel so blessed that he has chosen to contribute to a field that I love deeply. I am so blessed that we each work on the same great project together, in own ways.

Comments

[evaelisabeth.livejournal.com]

It's interesting to see the different and sometimes similar challenges that are faced by a tradition that has taken such a different approach to structure than we do.

[shades-of-nyx.livejournal.com]

The article K references fascinates me.
I've worked in communities that were on the face non-hierarchical that truly lived their values. Other communities became cults of personality. I still have severe ambivalency about hierarchy. I honor process and unique experience. I get the wisdom of "walking a common path." I'm just never sure that experience is equal to or should be equal to power over. On some level, I'm always uncomforable with being "under" anyone but the Gods.
I have a girlfriend R (ex only because of geography) who has a D.Div. from Harvard with a concentration in Ancient Canaanite/Israelite studies who was a initiate of Z. Budapest's original Susan B. Anthony Coven. R found that her personal truth wasn't sung there, and that she needed structure and organization and now terms herself EpiscoPagan.
On the other hand, my current partner S's mom is a Quaker and the Society of Friends is the ultimate in lack of hierarchy. They make it work.
And, kudos to your brother. I'd love to meet him!

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Brina's brother is way cool. I was not at all surprised to see his name there connected to an insightful observation.

The Quakers impress me, too.

The Reclaiming Discussion

[ingridsummers.livejournal.com]

I loved reading this thread. The part that struck me the most was the thread that for a consensus-based path, there seemed to be alot of "behind the scenes" power. It has always struck me that, while I like consensus process, it is important to clearly say "this person has this power". Perhaps it's a limited power for a limited time. When you try to pretend that everyone is equally powerful in all circumstances, you are fooling yourself.

I do believe that we can find a place of balance. A place where are leaders appropriately weild the power we grant them. A place where each individual has the power of choice in thier own life. Am I totally foolish? Perhaps.

Re: The Reclaiming Discussion

[oakleaves.livejournal.com]

When you try to pretend that everyone is equally powerful in all circumstances, you are fooling yourself. I do believe that we can find a place of balance. A place where are leaders appropriately weild the power we grant them. A place where each individual has the power of choice in thier own life. Am I totally foolish? Perhaps.

I don't think you're foolish at all, and I think these thoughts are very lucid, relevant, and useful.

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

I read the thread from K's original post, but didn't catch the family reference! How great! We've spoken briefly about your brother's work and it interests me greatly. I tend toward the macro as well, tho' my focus has been pubhlth, I'd be interested in exploring his work more.