Question of the Day: Avoiding Fluff

A 16 year old Wiccan seeking fellowship with other intelligent practitioners asked the following:
Can you recommend any *good* books about Wicca (Particularly culture and general philosophy)?
How do I avoid fluff bunnies?
How do I avoid becoming a fluff bunny myself?
How do I get *serious* practitioners to take me seriously?

My book recommendations can be found here: http://wicca.timerift.net/books.shtml . There's very little discussion of Wiccan "culture", which is fine in my book. When people turn Wicca into a culture, it tends to become a fashion statement, which annoys me to no end. Our culture is the community in which each individual lives, and in most cases that's better described as Western (as in Western Civilization), East Coast, West Coast, etc.

Avoiding being a fluff bunny is actually pretty easy: you seek out knowledge rather than sound bites that sound good. If you're worried about being fluffy, you almost assuredly are not. Fluffies don't care.

Avoiding fluffy or simply inaccurate information is much harder, and the fact is we all fall prey to it occasionally. Keep an open mind. If you learn about conflicting claims, examine the evidence for each. Be willing to change your mind when new information becomes available.

When a Wiccan writer is writing about history, take it with a large grain of salt *especially* when he or she doesn't footnote a source for such information. If you find too many problematic statements with a writer, it may be best to discard them entirely. While no one is perfect, multiple errors suggest poor research skills or a flair for writing what will sell rather than what is the truth. You're probably not catching all of the errors in their work - just the most obvious. This is why I warn people away from particularly bad writers like Ravenwolf. Sure, there are some factual statements in her work, but there's no way a beginner can sort between the fact and the fluff. (If you can, you've already advanced past her books).

If anything sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Common sense is important in any religion. There are many Wiccans who actually think they're supposed to check reality at the door because this is a "magical" religion. If you think magic is unrealistic, why on earth are you studying it?

As for being taken seriously, this is going to be very difficult for you for at least the next two years, possibly longer. Most sixteen-year-olds simply aren't serious about it, so it's guilt by association. Also, teaching a minor about religion without parental consent is considered unethical by many of us and can get us in serious legal trouble should your parents make an issue of it. If you're looking for a proper coven, you have to understand that a lot of these groups won't even consider initiation for someone until they are well into their 20s. Those who are younger simply haven't matured enough for the close spiritual work customary in covens.

The only reason people are treated seriously is if they act serious. However, just because you act serious doesn't guarantee you'll be accepted as such. That's the reality of the situation. However, the longer someone knows you and the more they see you behaving maturely and responsibly, the better they are going to view you.

If it makes you feel any better, one of the main reasons I am still a solitary at the age of 34 is because I've never been able to find a group of locals who were both interested in group work and were not fluff bunnies. Being on your own is way better than being in a bad group.