Saturday, May 14, 2011

There's No Such Thing as Fluffy Bunnies

The term “Fluffy Bunnies” has been thrown around in Pagan circles, and especially in Wiccan covens, far too often in the past few years. In general it is a derogatory term used to describe a practitioner who is often young, inexperienced, and doing things “wrong.”

I’m not exactly sure where this elitest attitude came from, and I certainly don’t understand it. There is no such thing as a Fluffy Bunny - there are only new practitioners and practitioners who do things a different way than you or I do. (In many cases, you and I also probably do things a lot differently as well.)

Many people turn to Pagan practices as a result of leaving behind rigid and fundamentalist religions which were forced upon them at a young age. Unfortunately, I have encountered many Pagans who have become fundamentalists in their own belief systems. Whether they are vehemently quoting the “right” way to do things or spouting out a long line of coven lineage, these people have become more focused on doing things by the book – their book – than on exploration and personal growth. I find that not only sad, but detrimental to the Pagan community as a whole.

 The next time someone talks about the way they practice or – gasp! – reading something by Silver Ravenwolf, let’s give them a chance to explain their views and explore their ideas. Instead of labeling them as a fluffy bunny, maybe it is time to listen to their point of view and have an honest exchange of our ideas. Not only with this help us think about our own beliefs, but it may help us solidify our practices and determine WHY we do things a certain way on our own paths. You never know – we just might learn something, too.

For more information on Fluffy Bunnies, see these Witchvox articles:
The Term Fluffy Bunny Must Go by Praxiteles

1 comment:

  1. Hey, what's wrong with Silver Ravenwolf? Isn't she kinda like the Rachel Ray of the Wiccan world? You know, pointing out the obivous? :)

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