Rantings of a Queer Pagan

Keep the Craft Free

I see two things being discussed here as the same thing. Feeing, and gifting. At COG, there’s gifting. When I attended Yule Circle with my family and friends, I brought food, a gift, and money for the cauldron. Said requested gifts were identified as needs for the ceremony and night to be successful, but not mandatory. I do not believe I would have been excluded or made to be felt less than if I did not toss an hours wage into the pot, nor unwelcome if I could not afford the drink I provided. Nonetheless I, like many of you, gladly gifted the community with necessary treasures. These were gifts, from me, to the community in appreciation, respect and participation.

Fees for spiritual service are required gifts, they are demanded values, much like mandatory volunteerism. I do not think that it is very unreasonable to charge for spiritual aid, (Though I think it impractical if that is how one wishes to make a living, within context of ones lifestyle requirements of course.) I understand and appreciate the arguments, from a historical and modern context, but also realize our expectations of our community have changed. To dictate something is proper because that is the way it has always been is absurd, to state taking without giving is poisonous however, I can agree with.

I think where the objection comes in to this argument (I could be off base here, but from my observations this is what it appears) is that fees tend to be demanded, even if the amounts are flexible, but more importantly then the demand it’s that they are individual. Take the gifts we make at COG rituals for example. The gifts are for each other, for the community, all benefit equally from the gift, and no one person does better than the next. I also do understand the desire to acknowledge contribution by premium for teaching and leading, and the community does so, in its own way, by allowing the ritual team first chance at the wonderful food offerings made.

For me, personally, I’d prefer to gift. I’d be insulted if a gift was refused, but I can understand and appreciate the request that the token be made to the community, which also supports me, not just a single individual. However, if I want to “tip” or gift for exceptional or meaningful service then I think that should be allowed, not required I hope I’m making sense to everyone. To sum up, the way I see it, it’s not the giving or the payment that is so much the issue, but the withdrawal of our choice to make payment, and determine it’s value that upsets people. If there is one thing I’ve learned about pagans, we like to share with each other, but we also like to have the choice, even if we choose not to exercise it, feeing, in my opinion, revokes that choice. Therein lays the conflict. It’s not a solution to the debate, that I am not wise enough to offer, but this is what I see as the central conflict.

Another two cents to the pot.

Kasper.

posted by Kasper @ 02:35