Thanks, and a suggestion Options

hi its valkyrie! many thanks to whoever made sure i was validated into the site. It was damn hard trying to contact anyone about my "implode function" problem so i had to totally register as a new member to do it! Im not particularly computer smart, soooo.....yeah.

alright, i have a suggestion! i thought we could use a section for the environment. It might not have to do directly with magick but lots of people here, i would venture, are into the green and i DON'T mean money. Conservation is a big topic, and since Mother Nature is closely tied to many or the religions represented in this forum she might as well be represented too! I would be active in posting in this section....and the field for possible topics is vast.

Plus lately i have noticed a major change in thought. People are more aware of Earth; and this just happened recently but because the forum prides itself in worldliness, and because I truly believe Sacred Magick Forums contributes to new ways of thinking...

Thanks!

-Valkyrie

This post has been edited by valkyrie: Dec 9 2007, 11:44 AM

I like this idea, but not entirely. So I am wanting to get more feedback on it.

Personally, I do not feel Mother Earth is in any danger, we on the other hand quite possibly are.

So I personally would be all for discussions on how we are striving to improve our community and our home Or discussing how to do that.

I would not be in favor of going on about the terrible things going on in the world and who is to blame or politically charging the event at all.

I love politics in a certain way, I watch it and study it like many watch and study sports. I have also seen focused topic driven forums die because of political topics. This was very much imprinted for me after 9/11/2001 and the invasion of Iraq. Of the 4 forums/e-mail lists I frequented that had strong international member bases, 3 where unrecognizable after the dust settled, one took it in stride.

For this type of topic, politics would have to be left 100% out. I do not want to have to be the mod dealing with all of that, if it is about how the sky is falling and it is X’s fault.

I would be more then willing if it was about how doing x y and z bring such and such to my neighborhood and it adds to my oneness with the earth and that affects my practices in such and such a way.

It might also be that I was once a member of green peace and found them to be a bunch of hypocrites. I currently see that with the environmental movement in general, though at the same time I am seeing strides taken by local groups interested in improving their lives and that of their children.

Anyway that is my take.

So what topics do you have in mind?

actually now that i think about it, it might be more appropriate as a subforum, but in any case here's what i came up with on the spur:

1. Earth based religion discussions (like Wicca, Druidism, and Shamanism...)
2. Ways to get closer spiritually and magically
3. Conservation methods
4. listing of alternate resources
5. posting of new and old inventions that benefit the planet and everything living on it
6. sharing mythos and cultural beliefs about how the world came to be (no evolution versus creationism!)
7. Green thumb section, tips to grow the perfect magical garden, (herbs, medicinal plants, and tree and rock garden ideas)
8. Preservation topics
9. An animal section....this might prove popular for any therians or people with animal guides or familiars.
10. the elements and magick pertaining the use thereof.
11. Discussions on Earth based deities, and rites evoking them.
12. Listing of everyday things we do that might be harmful to Earth or our existence.
13. Information on old and new books or movies that touch on the subject Earth
14. Magical destinations: personal Meccas for the spiritual wanderer.
15. The regional effects of Magic; how environment has influenced the face of Magick.


other topics that don't quite fall under an Earth forum, but otherwise might overlap with it or compliment it:

1. Symbolism: On the origin of human imagery and cultural differences; The Magick of a symbol.
2. Duality: the male and female, heaven and hell, salt and pepper ;P
3. On the evolution of religion: from the days of hunter and gatherer to the 21st century, from polytheism to monotheism and back, and from Earthly to Transcendental.


Yeah, but you have a good point. I HATE how politics talk kills good intent. If you don't think people are mature enough to not sling dirt...well, perhaps it is best if we all die off anyway. just joking. but i still wonder if the initial idea is wise; err, i don't want to start any fights -----Valkyrie

This post has been edited by valkyrie: Dec 15 2007, 02:14 PM

Well point 1 is somewhat already covered. It is just not that popular.

Point 2 I see almost as why I am here, so not sure it needs it’s own topic, but perhaps it does.

Points 3,4, and 5 need a bit more context or I do not see a direct relation to this board.

6, 7 and 9 I see as probable good subtopics.

10, 11, 13 I see as things we are already doing, but not in a totally organized/easy to find way…I’m going to give that some thought.

12. Very interesting topic, not sure it is relevant here. There is nothing or very little that is not of the earth here. There is little we have done to this point to actually harm the earth. If we are talking of the bio-sphere, then there is a lot more there, but earth and such in it’s entirety is pretty resilient. So it is something to explore.

14. I think can be covered in lifestyle and entertainment.

I think I see a theme coming or an idea brewing in the back of my little reptilian brain…or is it my not so little but still small mammalian brain???

I like a lot of the topics you mentioned, but perhaps the board as it is, is not the place for them.

I think that perhaps a quarterly newsletter might be the right venue. After the newsletter, we create a temporary board that covers the topics mentioned. When the next newsletter comes we lock it and archive the old quarterly. For topics that take on a life of their own, we add them to the forum….hmmm.

I’ll bring the topic up with the Mods and admins. Getting these things organized is the biggest problem, but I will see.

However I think there is a lot to think about and hope there will be more response to this.

well well! that satisfies me. just as long as there is some attention in that area, i don't really care in what form it takes! This way, also, you can see if it would even be a popular read. I suppose i was a lil' ambitious, but i find if i aim just above the target, it will be a likelier hit. thank you for your time paxx! keep me informed, okay?

We have the witchcraft, ancient wisdom sub-forums related to shamanism that deal with earth based, natural energies and magick. As far as conservation, while I think it is a good idea, I think it would detract from the main goal of this site, which is to facilitate sharing and learning about magick, and might come off as having a sort of green agenda. Fight club is pretty much where we keep the political/not necessarily occult topics. Only in the most extreme circumstances to do any mods need to intervien there. Also the coffee shop can used as means to inform people about conservation and environmentalism, just take it easy on the preaching or pushing some political agenda. (like don't tell us to vote yes for an amendment to save the whales or some such thing).

THe news letter idea is also not a bad idea. however I already get like 4-5 news letters from other sites and I don't even read them. However a new letter could be used as a means to alert members to new modifications to the site and up comming events, including natural events like eclipses, pagan holidays and such. We could include publications by other members or give ratings to new books on the market. I could see that there are things we could do with a news letter. But if most people are like me I think it would sort of be a waste of time if no one reads them, let alone contributes to them.