1.
Bright-Eyed Novice
You just read
this cool book about a religion where there's a Goddess and a God, and
they meet outside in nature, instead of some scary old building.
They think sex is GOOD not evil, and you want to know where to sign up.
DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Mispronounces god/dess names, has to think a moment
about which is deosil and which is widdershins. Has a shiny new athame
(rhymes with "A-frame".)
2.
Grand Old Wo/Man
Actually remembers
Woodstock (the first one.) Will tell you about the time they dropped acid
with Kerry Wendell Thornley - or maybe it was Robert Anton Wilson. Anyway,
it was somebody with three names. Or was it three people with one name?
DISTINGUISHING
SIGNS: Luxuriant gray locks, listens very intently, knows dish about people
you've only read about.
3.
Tree Hugging Nature Sprite
Most prized possession:
one of Judi Barry's old tree spikes. Simultaneously believes in universal
love for humanity AND returning the planet to a pristine, uncorrupted state.
Apt to remove clothes and fondle the shrubbery at a moment's notice. Can
discuss compost in great detail. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: No meat, no fragrance,
no leather, no plastic, no smoke, no drugs, no eco-exploitive products,
no animal tested cosmetics, no TV, no car, but very tolerant.
4.
Anal Retentive Ceremonial
Book collection
actually holds up the ceiling in places. Is studying Greek, Latin and Hebrew
all at once. Does "workings" instead of "rituals". All twenty volumes of
their magical diaries are all in Enochian DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Won't go
anywhere without a book. Is constantly aware of which direction is east.
Dresses according to planetary conditions, or whatever was on sale at Wal-Mart.
5.
Womyncentric Gynocrat
A man's shadow
crossed her altar once and she spent three weeks purifying it. She'll have
no wands in her chalice, thank you. No boys allowed in her full-moon club.
Can hold forth for hours on the magical properties of menstrual blood.
DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Tiny axes or curved knives, just right for amputating
a penis, are a favored symbol and often
hang conveniently
from her body parts. When a man approaches she rolls her eyes and stops
talking.
6.
Sexy Pagan Nymph
Oh, they're so
nice! All that warm, round, sex-positive flesh -- and you can actually
carry on a conversation with them between orgasms... pant, drool... DISTINGUISHING
SIGNS: Cute. Horny. Displays prominent cleavage. Will recite love poetry
to you under a full moon. Likes to do it outdoors. Often destitute. All
too few of them.
7.
Corporate Closet Witch
"Hey, boss --
I'd like to take February 2nd as a personal day..." Has an entire chapter
of their Book Of Shadows concerned with spells for purifying the workplace.
Doesn't mind working on Christmas, especially if there's overtime involved.
Quit being overtly Pagan at work since being canned by that born-again
boss, but still refuses to say "Merry Christmas."
DISTINGUISHING
SIGNS: Can assume a properly smiley work persona at the drop of a hat.
Constantly glances around the room anxiously looking for co-workers and
their spies. Non-distinctive style of dress, no conspicuous tattoos.
8.
Childe Ov Kaos
Can name seventeen
industrial goth bands without pausing to think. Knows what a Prince Albert
is. Personally feels that if no panicky headlines appear the day after
you do a ritual, you screwed up. Painted on their jacket, engraved in their
flesh and/or boldly displayed as jewelry is an emblem which resembles a
combination of corporate logo and arcane symbol.
If you don't
know what it means, they'll think you're a dweeb. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS:
Easy to picture as an alternative musician or bike messenger, difficult
to visualize as a school teacher or research assistant, impossible to imagine
as a TV news anchor or bank officer. Always wears black leather, even when
sleeping.
9.
Pagan Celebrity
At conventions,
stays on the hotel floor that requires a special key for elevator access.
Lurks around knots of conversation eavesdropping in order to see if their
name is being mentioned. Arrives in helicopter especially for rituals.
Starts every sentence with "I". If you ask them how it's going, they hand
you a press release. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Always has plenty of books to
autograph and will personally sell them to you at a slight discount from
cover price. Never seen unaccompanied by beefy amazonian bodyguards and
doe-eyed hangers-on. Seems vaguely afraid of anyone they don't already
know.
10.
Scary Devil Worshipper
Would never be
caught dead skyclad. Rarely smiles, except in a snide, knowing way which
insinuates you are an ignorant peasant worthy of conquest. Secretly enjoys
Rush Limbaugh and read The Bell Curve with smug satisfaction. Fascinated
with Nazis. Probably has never hurt a fly, but they want you to think they're
capable of vast destruction. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Lots of black and red.
Men like goatees, women favor heavy black eyeliner. At least one
inverted pentagram somewhere on their person. If you see several of them
getting tanked in a bar,it would be wise to stay far away.
11.
Crowley-In-A-Past-Life
Every magical
gathering has at least one of these, along with several variants along
the lines of Gerald Gardner, Tituba, Morgan LeFey, or somebody who was
Atlantean royalty. Many of them were abducted by aliens recently, and have
disturbing dreams rich with arcane symbolism that they will tell you all
about, in great detail. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS:
Look for the
intense gleam in the eyes, the backpack rattling with various psychiatric
medications, and the garments that were clearly designed and tailored on
another planet.
12.
Ravin' Pagan
Young and psychedelic.
Can dance non-stop all night. Refuses to do boring Eurocentric rituals
and prefers deities from sunny climes with lots of interesting local plants.
Can say "Ayahuasca" ten times real fast and deliver long quotes from Terrence
McKenna. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Dresses in color combinations that hurt
the eyes unless you've taken ecstasy. Bloodshot eyes, blissful smile, never
goes anywhere without ritual drum.
13.
Fairie Queen
Is he a she?
Is she a he? Are they a couple, or are those two a couple or are all four
of them a quadruple? If getting answers to these questions could disturb
you, best stay away. If, on the other hand, these kind of questions seem
overly judgmental, you might have a real good time... DISTINGUISHING SIGNS:
When you look at this person, does every sex act you've ever experienced
in your life seem hopelessly vanilla? If so, congratulations -- you've
found a Fairie!
14.
High Episcopagan
Do their rituals
have a script, a choreographer, a stage manager, an orchestra with chorus
and last at least three hours? It's a High Episcopagan! They can memorize
pages and pages of Olde Englishe, have more ritual garbs than most people
have socks, and consider their main pagan influences to be Gerald Gardner,
Judy Garland and Busby Berkeley.
DISTINGUISHING
SIGNS: Book of Shadows exceeds five volumes. Knows every note of "Carmina
Burana" Don't ask them about that 18th century seed pearl trim on their
ritual hat unless you've got an hour to spare.
15.
Fundamentapagan
If it's in a
book, it must be true. If it's in an old book, it must really be true.
If it's in an old book that was handed down from an oral tradition of people
who couldn't read, then it must really be way true. Gnashes their teeth
if anyone shows up at a circle wearing a watch, glasses, or other mechanical
assistance. Believes that anyone who lives in a city, eats meat or has
a regular job dare not call themselves a pagan. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Has
hissy fits when somebody brings up the old "Crowley ghosted Gardner's books"
argument. Goes around correcting everyone's Gaelic/Old Norse/Latin/Babylonian.
16.
Dances With Bunnyrabbits.
Uses animal symbolism
to express nearly all opinions and feelings. Charter member of PETA. Thinks
meat eaters should be publicly executed. Has many, many, many pets. Has
a spirit animal. Personally owns 927 models, pictures, and other depictions
of their spirit animal.DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Not counting the Pagan his/herself,
how many animals can you see when looking at them? If the count surpasses
five (including critters found on tattoos, jewelry, garments and undies),
you've found a worshipper of beasties.
17.
Priest/ess of Political Correctness
Analyzes everything
they read or hear for sexist-racist-homophobic-imperialist-Eurocentric
content without paying attention to what is actually being said. Believes
in personal liberty -- everyone has the right to be overbearing, dogmatic
and holier-than-thou, not just the Xtian Right. Incredibly boring yet annoyingly
self-righteous all at the same time. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Beady hyper-alert
little eyes are constantly in motion, waiting for someone to do or say
something bad. Has loud and attention-attracting hissy fits when confronted
with everyday things such as advertising or corporate franchises. Rudimentary
sense of humor is rarely activated.
18.
Our Lady Of Intense Suffering
Is constantly
persecuted. You're probably persecuting her right now, you just don't realize
it. Became a Pagan because she decided it was that most persecuted religion
of all. Can't enjoy anything because it would be selfish to have any fun
when so many are suffering. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Tales of woe. Even less
of a sense of humor than #17. Bristles
when anyone says
the words "masochist," or "whining".
19.
I Am Not Spock (at the moment)
Knows at least
three filks about Cthulhu and at least forty Star Trek jokes. Has
found a clever way to create simple furniture from stacks of science fiction
paperbacks. Can name ninety different kinds of spaceship. DISTINGUISHING
SIGNS: Two fisted drinking style. Probably still lives with parents. Many
cryptic buttons, badges, patches and other insignia. Too smart for their
own good.
20.
Het-Case
Insist that they
aren't homophobic; they just believe that Paganism is about a Goddess and
a God and they do it and what could be more obvious than that? It just
doesn't "work right" if you try any other way! Are secretly afraid that
gays and/or lesbians are dying to jump their tender hetro bones. DISTINGUISHING
SIGNS: Living spaces abound with depiction's of
satyrs with enormous
genitals and huge-breasted, doe-eyed goddesses. Long manicured nails and
wreaths of flowers (on females only -- men have big, bushy beards instead.)
21.
Norse Code
Heroic and vikingly,
these pagans often get into trouble with festival organizers and park rangers
due to their fondness for running around with a huge battleaxe in one hand
and a full mead horn in the other. They throw the best parties, but if
you're a wimp, you're expressly not invited. DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Look
for the large, foreboding, biker-like persons wearing runes, with many
pounds of amber dangling from their necks.
22.
Pentacles, Inc.
Pagans have disposable
income too, right? So how come they aren't buying my hand forged Venus
of Willendorf necklaces -- they come in silver and gold, and each one has
a genuine cubic zirconium belly button. Would you like a reading? Will
that be Visa or MasterCard? DISTINGUISHING SIGNS: Has business cards featuring
little embossed pentagrams. You never seen so much Egyptian god/dess jewelry
on a human being in your whole life.
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