And then, I gave my speech! I think it went really well; to recap, I had to give a 4-5 minute informative speech about a culture I belong to, so I decided to talk about being Pagan. It seemed like a good opportunity to actually talk about something important. Here's a transcript of my script. I'm going to leave the formatting as-is, because I'm lazy:
Cultural Artifact Speech
I. Introduction: A. (Attention Getter) Merry Meet, everyone. That phrase, “merry meet”, is commonly used in Pagan circles to open a ritual or ceremony.
B. (Background/Need) Paganism, and the many forms thereof, is growing as a religion in the United States. Most contemporary estimates describe the American demographic as being about 1.2 million people. Despite this, mainstream media rarely acknowledges the many branches of Paganism or terribly misrepresents them.C. (Thesis) As a Pagan myself, it is important to me that people understand something of my religious background. Prejudice and discrimination are serious problems that we face every time religion enters the conversation.
D. (Preview) In opening that dialogue today, I will share some of the most common beliefs held by modern Pagans and a special ritual chalice, as well as where I fit into this conversation.
*** Transition*** To talk about religion, it helps to contextualize what a person actually believes in.
II. Culture: All systems of belief have ideology, and they have practices.
A. Beliefs: Paganism is extremely varied in individuals’ beliefs; it has been said that there are as many branches of Paganism as there are Pagans in the world. That being said, a few elements are common themes through most branches. Pagans are polytheistic, which means we believe in multiple gods. These may be referred to simply as “God” and “Goddess”, or we may choose to call upon a specific deity from a specific region, such as Zeus or Astarte. We also tend to believe in other spirits or energies. Many Pagans accept that there are plant and animal spirits, as well as ones of earth, air, fire, and water. Respect for nature, as well as the idea of reincarnation, feature heavily in most branches of Paganism. We do not have any concept of Hell, but many of us do believe in karma, and that the actions we take come back to affect us in our lifetimes.
B. Practices: Pagans do not have designated church spaces – the majority of our worship is done in the home, or at the homes of Pagan friends. Most of us keep altars which display statues of our deities, candles, incense, and other ritual items. Those following Wicca, the most well-known Pagan subculture, have eight holidays throughout the year celebrating the change of the seasons, human growth and development, and mythological cycles. Non-Wiccans may also celebrate these holidays, or others specific to their deities. We also have a monthly ritual called an Esbat on the full moon, because the moon symbolizes the goddess. Pagan rituals usually call upon the elements and our deities. After that, we worship. This may include singing, dancing, making offerings, or whatever those involved deem appropriate. At the end, the elements are thanked, and we take communion.
*** Transition*** Now that you know a little Pagan 101, allow me to introduce this special drinking vessel.
(You may have seen this before - I've posted pictures of it in the past.)
*** Transition*** Now that you know a little Pagan 101, allow me to introduce this special drinking vessel.
(You may have seen this before - I've posted pictures of it in the past.)
III. Artifact: There is a communion expression which goes, “Drink. May you never thirst”.
A. Chalices: Chalices are a common feature of Pagan altars and represent the goddess. The cup shape is reminiscent of the womb, and suggests creation and female power. A woman entering into adulthood is often given a chalice as a symbol of her coming of age, and her right to choose her path for herself. Male Pagans are traditionally given athames, a type of ritual blade which is symbolic of the god, and is used to direct energy in rituals.
B. This chalice: I was given this chalice by my Aunt Christine as an eighteenth birthday present. The symbol in purple represents the goddess in three parts: as a young girl, a woman, and an elder. I use it in ritual to hold communion juice.
*** Transition*** Having now seen the chalice, I’d like to take a moment to explain the significance of my religion, and also the chalice in particular.
IV. Significance: Paganism has affirmed my existence in a way which organized religion was never able to do.
A. Culture: I was raised in a Christian household, and couldn’t feel enthusiastic about a judgmental god looking down upon me from heaven. Moreover, I disagreed with a lot of the Bible’s content. I was only twelve when, after doing months of research, I decided that Paganism was a path I connected with. Since then, I’ve been to Pagan festivals and local, Pagan stores. One of my best friends is also Pagan, so sometimes we get together for group rituals.
B. Artifact: My aunt is the only Pagan – and indeed, the only non-Christian – of which I’m aware in my family tree. I always connected to her and her beliefs growing up, and I felt so validated when she gave me the chalice. My choices are legitimate to her, and her support next to my family’s usually unsupportive attitude couldn’t mean more.
*** Transition*** You should now understand the basics of my religion, and why I practice it.
V. Conclusion
A. (Review main points) Having explained Pagan culture, my symbolic chalice, and some of their significance,
B. (Restate Thesis) I hope that you can respect us for what we believe in, even if your beliefs are very different. I also hope that I’ve cleared up any misunderstandings you might have had.
C. (Concluding Remarks) Merry meet, and merry part, until we merry meet again.
A. Chalices: Chalices are a common feature of Pagan altars and represent the goddess. The cup shape is reminiscent of the womb, and suggests creation and female power. A woman entering into adulthood is often given a chalice as a symbol of her coming of age, and her right to choose her path for herself. Male Pagans are traditionally given athames, a type of ritual blade which is symbolic of the god, and is used to direct energy in rituals.
B. This chalice: I was given this chalice by my Aunt Christine as an eighteenth birthday present. The symbol in purple represents the goddess in three parts: as a young girl, a woman, and an elder. I use it in ritual to hold communion juice.
*** Transition*** Having now seen the chalice, I’d like to take a moment to explain the significance of my religion, and also the chalice in particular.
IV. Significance: Paganism has affirmed my existence in a way which organized religion was never able to do.
A. Culture: I was raised in a Christian household, and couldn’t feel enthusiastic about a judgmental god looking down upon me from heaven. Moreover, I disagreed with a lot of the Bible’s content. I was only twelve when, after doing months of research, I decided that Paganism was a path I connected with. Since then, I’ve been to Pagan festivals and local, Pagan stores. One of my best friends is also Pagan, so sometimes we get together for group rituals.
B. Artifact: My aunt is the only Pagan – and indeed, the only non-Christian – of which I’m aware in my family tree. I always connected to her and her beliefs growing up, and I felt so validated when she gave me the chalice. My choices are legitimate to her, and her support next to my family’s usually unsupportive attitude couldn’t mean more.
*** Transition*** You should now understand the basics of my religion, and why I practice it.
V. Conclusion
A. (Review main points) Having explained Pagan culture, my symbolic chalice, and some of their significance,
B. (Restate Thesis) I hope that you can respect us for what we believe in, even if your beliefs are very different. I also hope that I’ve cleared up any misunderstandings you might have had.
C. (Concluding Remarks) Merry meet, and merry part, until we merry meet again.
No comments:
Post a Comment