#thank you to the discord and to bran for adding to this list

[leannan-sithe]

“Taboo” Topics in the Pagan Community

Here’s a list of topics some people find to be “taboo” in the pagan community. Now, a lot of this list contains things people have highly variable opinions about -- either they love it or hate it viscerally. I’m in support of all of these topics as long as they’re engaged with in a safe manner. 

But my point in making this post is to warn folks -- given how the internet and tumblr are prone to dogpiling first, asking questions later, I’ve found that people simply don’t know these topics are “taboo.” They end up casually mentioning one, and then get hurt when people lash out. 

This isn’t a list to shame anyone, it’s just a warning that general pagan communities can go from kind to spiteful at the mere mention of some of these concepts! Keep it in mind as you navigate the internet. 

Being Neutral to Positive about Established Religions:

positive attitudes about Christianity in pagan spaces

talking about Christianity and Judaism as very separate things

talking about Christianity as a grouping of many different practices instead of one monolith (often conflated with the US Evangelical Version)

Holding People Accountable within the Community:

talking about any of what I call -isms (racism, ableism, queerphobia, s*xism, etc) in relation to paganism

talking about appropriation within paganism

Any Relationship Dynamic with Spirits / Deities that is Non-”Standard”:

channeling or possession, especially when done casually

godspouses (gods, spirits, fae, demons, angels, anything that can be in a godspouse-like relationship)

any kin or shard stuff

pop culture paganism

unrecorded gods

astral kids and astral s*x

any action that makes you the (wrongly perceived) “sole authority” on a deity or that posits your relationship as different from the standard pagan god-worshipper arrangement (and is therefore read as “special”)

#pagan #paganism #godspouse #spirit work #pop culture paganism #pop culture pagan #astral #thank you to the discord and to bran for adding to this list