Hello everyone I'm one of your friendly admins, my name is Shesta Novacension One of the three founders of the Wyld Path.
This group was created because we were sad to see so many others grouping together to discuss and enjoy community with those of their path.
Along with my two associates
Black Joker
and Candiipup
We wish you blessings and much love within our little circle!
The Wyld Circle Manifesto
This year at Anthrocon there was a drum circle held on the roof of the convention center. Unfortunately the roof was closed due to the stupidity of an unnamed individual and much to my disappointment only a few people were allowed on the roof at a time.
But all was not lost. As my friend Shesta and I stood outside of the rave waiting on some friends and idea stuck us. There is a large quantity of pagans within the furry community, and the two groups do have a lot in common. Both seem to have a negative image forced on them by mainstream media and religions. They have both been accused of heinous things over the years, but this is not to say they only have negative things in common.
I have personally found both groups to be much more open and spiritual, both have a certain reverence for nature and life. Best of all though I have noticed that the furries and pagans have an overall more positive outlook on life than shall we say “normal” people for lack of a better term. That all being said the idea Shesta and I came up with is a group for pagan furs. Most of the time we keep out beliefs and lifestyles hidden for fear of ridicule or retribution; we’re already at the furry con so why not let our hair down completely you know? What we want is a group where people of many faiths and beliefs could come and simply enjoy being around their own kind.
Name and Symbols
Shesta and I decided that we would need two things for this group. First was the name. Most pagan faiths have different names for a group; coven, grove, kindred, hall, so on and so forth. We settled on calling it a circle. The circle is a common theme in pagan worship. The wiccans cast their circles in worship of the Goddess. The Oath rings and rune circles of the Norse are used to swear powerful bonds and to honor the gods. Even the high sorcery of the Hermetic orders use magical circle in their spell casting..
But to truly encompass all that we are, ever changing and harmonious as the world around us, we decided to call ourselves what we are, wyld. All are welcome in the wyld and all (hopefully) leave with a sense of wonder and knowledge, that’s what we want for our group.
Shesta came up with our other symbols, the bat and pentacle. We chose these for two reasons. The pentacle which is predominantly a Wicca symbol is one that has become synonymous to the public with pagan faith. The bat was chosen because this tiny (and adorable!) critter is found all over the world and has some meaning in almost every faith, and lets face it, bats are cool.
Our Goals
The Circle has five goals, to match the five points of the pentacle.
1. Foster Relationships
Our first and foremost goal is to make a place where the pagans and furs can be themselves with people just like them! We want everyone in the circle to feel welcome and be friendly. There is no room for disdain and bigotry here.
2. To bring awareness
As I stated earlier both pagans and furs have a bad rep. I have found however, the best way to beat a bad rep is to live by example. Show everyone else that we’re not bad people; we’re just like everyone else, just with different beliefs and hobbies!
3. Promote an open exchange of ideas
Different views are a good thing, giving your own point of view is fine but you must also be willing to listen to what others have to say. Perhaps you will hear something you had not thought of before.
4. Promote spiritual and social growth
As we hear new ideas and opinions we gain insight and knowledge. Taking a moment to step back and look at things from a different view can be an enlightening experience that can nourish us spiritually. Also being in a group can help with social skills. Many furs and pagans, myself included, are shy at time. Being around a group of friendly folk who just want to hang out with you can be a real icebreaker.
5. Have fun and be happy!
This is the most important goal! Without this one the other four goals are just words. In the immortal words of Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan Esquire, “Be excellent to each other!”
Conclusion
I know what some might be wondering, is this going to replace my current group? Do I have to give up solitary work to be a member of this? The answer to both is no! We’re not here to replace anyone or make someone do something they don’t want to. The Wyld Circle is open as the natural world around us. Come and go as you please. We have no oaths, no initiation or secret handshakes, you’re welcome into any ritual we hold but you certainly don’t have to take part any anything at all, it’s all up to you.
FAQ’s
These are just some questions I have personally been asked and from talking to other pagans they’ve gotten similar questions.
What is a pagan?
The word pagan is an old roman term that was originally used to describe someone who lived in the country, the opposite of an urban was a pagan! Nowadays they term is sort of a catch all phrase for anyone of polytheistic, new age, non Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Do you worship the devil?
No, as a matter of fact most pagans don’t even believe in the devil. The concept of the devil is that there is an ultimate evil which makes us do bad things. This idea of a supreme evil is usually found in monotheistic beliefs systems such as Islam, Judaism, Christianity and some forms of Gnosticism.
Are you a witch?
Not all pagans are witches and not all witches are pagans. Some pagans are purely into the religious and spiritual side while others are purely into the magical side. Though I have found that most are into both!
Are you a cult?
No, a cult is a secretive organization that strives to take over every aspect of its members thoughts and lives. Examples of cults are the Branchdividians in Waco Texas led by the late David Karesh. Their order ended in a bloody shoot out with the Texas police decades ago. Another more recent example is the Church of Scientology, who in recent years have had many allegation of abuse and brain washing thrown at them by outsiders and former members. We are vehemently against any kind of cultic behavior and will not every willingly participate in it.
Any other questions please feel free to direct to our email
Wyldcirclewebmasters@hotmail.com and we will do our best to answer you, thanks for reading. Live tru.
If you wish to join, please make sure to fill out a members information form and post it up so we can all get to know each other!
Name:
Age:
Species:
Path:
Tell us about yourself:
Please post your info as a new topic in this thread so everyone has a chance to welcome you!
Fri Jul 02, 2010 9:52 pm