A question was recently posed on Yahoo!Answers concerning witchschool.com and the Corellian Tradition. Several people, including myself, mentioned the misinformation that they teach. People were generally pretty specific in their objections too, giving very specific answers rather than something like "they suck." You know, they way that adults are supposed to voice criticism.
But then one poster, Enigma, stated the following:
[I]f they are doing good in educating the world about wicca and paganism (even if it is not all ENTIRELY correct) then let them. They may be spreading some incorrect information, but that is for the rest of the pagan community to correct. At least they are trying to spread some information.
Exsqueese me?
Yes, I do correct bad information, because the bad information is out there needing to be corrected. How does that possibly justify someone for putting out bad information in the first place? I'm taking responsibility because others won't. I'm stepping up precisely because people put out ridiculous information with no concern about the consequences. So, because I (and others) play nanny to the neopagan population, that's reason enough to excuse poor behavior?
On top of which, we're supposed to applaud them for spreading information at all. Are you out of your mind? Bad information should never be encouraged or applauded. Bad information ultimately never helps our case. Bad information is, well, bad. Sorry to put it in such simplistic terms, but apparently this needs to be said in small words.
Think of it this way: according to Enigma's post, when neo-Nazis spout their nonsense, so long as a bit of it is correct it's up to the rest of us to fix it and they should be applauded for bothering to share their information at all? (Or does this logic only apply to pagans?)
People like the Corellians make us all look bad. They don't appear serious, and the attitude that other people are responsible for cleaning up after them just reinforces that fact. They are liars about their origins, and that tends to make all of us look like liars. They are attention-seekers, which both makes them very visible and then makes it look like Wicca is essentially a faddish popularity contest.
Some people do like the Corellians. That is their choice. And if they accept what the Corellians teach as fact, that is their choice as well. But to admit they put out bad information and then try justifying it is despicable.
No, It's NOT Someone Else's Job To Clean Up Your Mess
12/30/2009 03:34:00 PM | ethics, rant, She's not with me... | 3 comments »
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Not to mention her "thanks to them we have far less fluffies"..
Yeah riiight. Far more she should say. Because of the nonsense of witchschool.com and its "kin" we have far more fluffies nutcases who think they are an uber High Priest/ess just because they answered a couple of multiple choice questions and got a "degree".
Or the fact that she overly states the free part of witchschool studies. Newsflash for her: the outer court seminaries and teaching circles of many Trads and covens also happen to be free. Ah and free doesn't equal good. In many cases the cheapest is also the worst quality-wise.
I'm an outer court member of the Correllian Tradition. I have no problem with them one way or another...I don't know if they give bad facts or not. I always try to do my research, but in the end I never wind up thinking anyone is right, so I simply sit down and go back to the books.
What I like about them is their non-exclusivity...you can be with them and be with absolutely anyone else...and they will never bat an eyelash. I see it as a mixing ground, from which those who need the structure to feel comfortable can have it, but those who are in it to learn can have a spring board platform from which to figure something else out.
The only thing they ask is that, IF you decide to to partake in their rituals, you act within the context of the ritual. Simple enough. And the people who write the lessons...[can't speak about the website]...I don't think all of the are professionals...some just had an idea they decided to roll with, and had the proper motivations.
I think you could even write some of those classes, if you so chose. At which point, you would stand a chance to reach people who go there for serious, and maybe do something about what you disagree with.
I really liked your post, and I hope to read your stuff again.
~Bujio
Not exclusivity? Absolutely for a price. One has to pay every step of the way, they attract kids who wish to become "Witch". Anyone who is Pagan knows one doesn't pay for anything, so where is this money going? His Salem museum, or as I heard first hand from a teacher into some of their pockets (which is why he left). Lets face it the claims are ridiculous, first Correlian is apparently a mish mash of stuff by Orpheis Caroline, she married into a Scottish Witch family, added Aradian yet she was Native American and owned a circus with her husband. She claimed to be psychic, a herbist and spiritual healer which sounds very much like a traveling gypsy con now they are making bank on this. My intuition says be careful and stick with good ole honest EArth based traditions that don't ask for money.