The more I view Facebook, the less I like. It seems to be turning paganism into something based on sharing sickly-sweet images and misinformation someone has invented either to impress others or to turn a fast buck by writing a book full of rubbish. It would seem that you can add anything to a beautiful picture to guarantee either a following, or instant belief, or both. In fact, the picture doesn’t even have to be there – just use the word “spell”.
The latest in a long line of those is one for “Seven Day Salt”. You couldn’t make it up – oops, sorry – someone just has! “Seven Day Salt is for cleansing and purifying…” Apparently one is meant to put the salt out overnight for 3 nights prior to full moon, then the night of the full moon, and then the 3 nights after. And this does what, exactly? If one already believes that salt purifies, then how does one intensify a property said to be innate? Perhaps this recipe should be for “concentrated salt” :D. If one believed in homeopathy, presumably one could derive results as good by placing one grain of salt in a gallon of water and leaving that out for 7 nights? That, at least, would be far less harmful to the earth, if scattered onto it.
I get so discouraged by the various pagan FB groups I am on. The members seem to be predominantly new pagans, or established pagans who have never really looked at their path. They exchange memes they have obtained from “trustworthy friends” and so have no reason to doubt. These memes attract any amount of likes and comments about how great it is to know this. I have learned to ease in and apologise for my comments, that point out the fallacies and downright lies in the meme. I have come to expect insults and name calling. If I’m lucky, I may attract nothing more hostile that complete silence. Mind you, at least I;m better off that atheist friends who are pagans. If they express their opinions on FB pagan groups they receive brickbats and pity.
Perhaps these people do not wish to learn. Is that it? Perhaps they prefer to exchange the internet equivalent of sparkly tinsel and nice looking baubles. They don’t want to know how recent this or that bit of “ancient knowledge” is. They don’t wish to know that the range of pagan beliefs is far vaster than anything they acknowledge.
Perhaps I should learn to leave them to share lies and ignorance pretty, ineffective, spells. And perhaps it is best the spells are ineffective! 😀
Leaves from a Book of Shadows 
Ah, and this is why I deal with Facebook rarely and with my local Fb community with trepidation. Part of the resistance to new information may be in part of defending an identity instead of examining their own beliefs. This type of resistance is common with those who are newly converted to any religion. I find it disturbing that this defence continues on long after the time the glitter should wear off and allow reason to return. Such I guess is the nature of identifying with the archtype of the rebel underdog.
You’re right – identity is fragile at the beginning. One clings to the obvious things, not (yet) having the knowledge to give nuance to anything. But so many remain forever stuck in the “rebellious teenager” attitude all their lives. I have known one person, on a forum I help moderate, who told me his form of paganism was being anti-Christian. There wasn’t anything more to it. He didn’t see why that couldn’t be vewed as paganism.
I agree. There was already an astonishing amount of misinformation out there, without Facebook adding to it.
I think part of the issue is that everyone on these groups wants to seem like an ascended guru master, and spew whatever pops into their heads to solidify that image. I’ve been calling it “like culture”. Then again, I’m the annoying prat in these groups who is constantly demanding credible sources…
heh. Yes, you’re right. Far too many guru masters. I’ve seen people do that when they’ve only been pagans for five minutes. I sit with my mouth open. How do they find the chutzpah to do that? Ask them for a credible source and they suddenly go deaf, though they manage to hear the slightest whisper of adulation.