DISCUSSIONS

Simple Facts:

Tolerance is often presented as a core value among Pagans, Heathens, and Universalists, yet in practice, it can be selectively applied. While many within these communities advocate for inclusivity, dissenting perspectives or unconventional spiritual paths frequently face skepticism, dismissal, or outright hostility. True tolerance requires a willingness to engage with differing viewpoints respectfully, rather than enforcing ideological conformity under the guise of acceptance.

Consider this:

In discussing Druwayu, a mystical tradition designating its male clergy as "Warlocks" and female clergy as "Witches," I have encountered a striking paradox. Conversations with Christians about Druwayu’s beliefs and terminology have often been more civil, curious, and constructive than those with self-described tolerant pagans, heathens, and universalists. This essay examines the dynamics of these interactions, incorporating the etymology of Druwayu’s titles and its clergy structure to contextualize the discussions. By streamlining phrasing, enhancing transitions, and organizing the analysis into clear subsections, I aim to elucidate why Christians engage more respectfully with Druwayu’s unconventional titles than these ostensibly inclusive communities.

Understanding Druwayu’s Context and Terminology

Druwayu is a spiritual path blending esoteric practices, emphasizing personal empowerment, rational inquiry, and community building. Central to its identity are the reclaimed titles "Warlock" for male clergy and "Witch" for female clergy, which transform historically stigmatized terms into symbols of scholarly and advisory roles.

These titles, rooted in historical linguistics, are stripped of mystical associations to align with Druwayu’s commitment to truth and integrity and doing away with centuries of distortions and misrepresentations regardless if they were intentional or circumstantial. The First Church of Druwayu (FCD) formalizes these roles within a structured clergy system, where Warlocks and Witches, recognized through a rigorous "Hallowing" process, serve as guides and leaders.

I initially expected pagans, heathens, and universalists—known for embracing diverse spiritualities—to be more receptive to Druwayu’s terminology and structure than Christians, whose doctrines might view such terms skeptically. However, my experiences reveal a counterintuitive pattern: Christians consistently demonstrate greater civility, while pagans, heathens, and universalists often respond with resistance.

Etymology of Titles

Understanding the etymology of "Warlock" and "Witch" is crucial to contextualizing these discussions, as their historical meanings inform Druwayu’s reclamation.

Warlock: Lawman  

• Etymology: From Old Saxon wærlogan (plural, pronounced /wɛːrlóʊn/), found in the Heliand (c. 830 CE) and Andreas (c. 9th–10th century), meaning “lawmen” (wær, “man” + logan, “laws”). Not “oath breaker.” The use of "oath breaker or traitor" was a later figurative imposed idea as it was used, especially in the Heliand, as a gloss for such as Pharisees, and then in a sweeping manner for male Judeans (the Jews) in general.

• Historical Context: Originally denoted legal authorities, such as Pharisees in the Heliand. Later misread as “traitors” due to Christian bias and antisemitic conflations.

• Misconceptions: Post-1950s claims of “coven betrayer” are baseless. John Dryden (1672) notes, “Warlock, in Scotland, is applied to a man whom the vulgar supposed to be conversant with spirits, as a woman who carries on the same commerce is called a witch” (A Dictionary of the English Language, 1755, p. 2243; A Dictionary of the Scottish Language, 1818).

• Druwayu Role: A male scholar, mentor, and teacher leading philosophical discussions and challenging falsehoods, as well as serving roles of religious, cultural, legislative and judicial responsibilities.

Witch: Speaker

• Etymology: From Old English wicce/wicca (feminine, Dōmbōc, 893 CE), meaning “female oracle” who speaks or divines, from Latin vica/vice (“voice/speak”) via Slavic veche, pronounced /weːʧe/. Plural: wiccan, /weːʧen/.

• Historical Context: Wicce were counselors, not sorceresses. Christian texts like Ælfric’s Homilies (late 10th century) misrepresented them as “fouled.”

• Misconceptions: Claims of wicca as masculine (Russell, 1980) are false; wicce is feminine, as seen in Saxo Grammaticus’s Wecha (13th century).

• Druwayu Role: A feminine guide providing rational counsel for personal and communal growth, as well as counseling, mediation, guidance, and teaching as the female counterparts to the male Warlocks.

Compatibility with Druwayu: Both titles reflect Druwayu’s values of integrity, rationality, and cultural identity. Warlocks and Witches form a distinct framework, free of occult connotations, symbolizing truth-seeking and community leadership.

Christian Engagement: Curiosity and Respect

Thoughtful Dialogue in Interfaith Settings

Christians, particularly those open to interfaith dialogue, approach Druwayu with curiosity, fostering respectful exchanges. In my discussions, they often inquire about the etymology and rationale behind "Warlock" and "Witch," seeking to understand their scholarly roles within Druwayu’s clergy structure. When concerns arise—such as the terms’ historical associations with occultism—they express their views within their theological framework, maintaining civility. This openness creates a space for mutual understanding, even when beliefs diverge.

Structured Theological Frameworks

The civility in these interactions stems from the structured nature of Christian theology. Christians view Druwayu as a distinct belief system that does not threaten their spiritual identity, allowing them to discuss its terminology and Hallowing process without personal offense. Their doctrinal framework provides a lens for exploring unfamiliar ideas, facilitating constructive dialogue. This contrasts sharply with the responses from pagans, heathens, and universalists.

Transition: While Christians engage with Druwayu’s terminology and structure through curiosity, pagans, heathens, and universalists often exhibit resistance, despite their proclaimed inclusivity. This contrast highlights the complexities of spiritual dialogue.

Pagan, Heathen, and Universalist Resistance: Unexpected Barriers Dismissal and Defensiveness

Contrary to their ethos of openness, pagans, heathens, and universalists frequently respond to Druwayu with defensiveness or dismissal. The term "Warlock" often triggers immediate rejection, with some pagans labeling it “problematic” due to its negative stereotypes in modern witchcraft, ignoring its etymological roots as “lawman.” Explanations of its reclamation as a scholarly title are dismissed, with critics prioritizing personal biases over dialogue. Similarly, the gendered titles "Warlock" and "Witch" are criticized as exclusionary, despite their basis in historical linguistics and energetic distinctions within Druwayu’s clergy.

Ideological Rigidity

Universalists often dismiss Druwayu’s terminology as incompatible with their ideals of unity, arguing that structured titles like "Warlock" and "Witch" are divisive. This overlooks the FCD’s Hallowing process, which emphasizes inclusivity and rigorous preparation for all candidates, regardless of gender or background. Such reactions reflect a tendency to homogenize spiritual practices, rejecting Druwayu’s specific framework in favor of vague inclusivity. This rigidity is surprising given these groups’ stated commitment to diversity.

Transition: These encounters raise a critical question: why do groups championing inclusivity exhibit less openness than Christians? The answer lies in theological, cultural, and structural dynamics.

Analyzing the Discrepancy: Structural and Cultural Factors

Theological Frameworks: Structure vs. Fluidity

Christian civility stems from their structured theology, which allows them to engage with Druwayu as a separate tradition. The FCD’s organized clergy system, with its High Elder Warlocks/Witches and Hallowed clergy, may resonate with Christians accustomed to hierarchical frameworks, even if they disagree with the terminology. Pagans, heathens, and universalists, navigating a fluid spiritual landscape, tie their identity to personalized beliefs. Terms like "Warlock" may challenge their efforts to redefine witchcraft, leading to defensive reactions.

Performative Inclusivity: Norms Over Dialogue

The emphasis on inclusivity within pagan and universalist communities can foster performative norms, such as avoiding terms deemed problematic. Criticisms of Druwayu’s titles as “exclusionary” prioritize ideological conformity over understanding their etymological and cultural significance. Christians, less bound by such expectations in interfaith contexts, engage more freely, focusing on exploration. Druwayu’s rejection of misaligned terms like “pagan” (pagus, “bound one”) or “occult” (oc + celare, “conceal”) underscores its commitment to clarity, which Christians seem to respect more readily.

Approaches to Authority: Hierarchy vs. Individualism

Christians, familiar with hierarchical traditions, may find Druwayu’s clergy structure—First Class High Elder, Second Class Elder Warlocks/Witches, and Hallowed clergy—less jarring. Pagans and heathens, favoring individualism, often resist formalized titles as constraints. Universalists, despite embracing diverse paths, sometimes homogenize beliefs, dismissing Druwayu’s specific terminology and Hallowing process as overly structured.

Transition: These insights highlight the qualities that foster meaningful dialogue, revealing broader implications for spiritual discourse.

Conclusion: Lessons in True Tolerance

While it has become ridiculously popular to attack and bag on Christians in general as though they are the bane of all people everywhere (some admittedly do act that way), it is frankly over stated, especially in comparison to the pretense of tolerance by such as those who represent and espouse Islam that considers all who are not Muslim immediately liable for conversion by force or extermination by decree.

My discussions about Druwayu reveal a paradox:

Christians, despite theological differences, exhibit greater civility, engaging with the etymology of "Warlock" (wærlogan, “lawman”) and "Witch" (wicce, “speaker”) and the FCD’s clergy structure with curiosity. Pagans, heathens, and universalists, despite their inclusive ethos, often dismiss these terms, ignoring their historical and rational basis. Druwayu’s rejection of misaligned terms like “wizard” (wysar, “wise one”) or “Voodoo” (vaudoux, 1840 CE) and its structured Hallowing process underscore its commitment to authenticity and inclusivity.

These experiences highlight that true tolerance requires humility and openness, not just proclaimed inclusivity. As I share Druwayu, I aim to foster the respect and thoughtfulness that enrich dialogues with those willing to listen, regardless of their spiritual path.

Consider this as well

Racism and White Supremacy

Certain pagan and heathen groups, particularly within Heathenry, have promoted racist ideologies. The Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) has restricted Heathenry to those of northern European descent. In 2016, the AFA posted on Facebook that only white, heterosexual identities align with their values, excluding non-white practitioners. This stance drew criticism from inclusive heathen groups like The Troth, which denounced the AFA’s position as antithetical to Heathenry’s ethos (SPLC, 2016).

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) identified the AFA and Soldiers of Odin as heathen hate groups in North Dakota, noting their use of pagan symbols to advance white supremacist agendas. A 2012 incident involving Maurice Michaely, a member of the neo-pagan Wolves of Vinland, who burned down a Black church in Virginia, illustrates how some heathen factions exclude people of color through violence (Vice, 2019).

Racist Black Nationalism

Black nationalism within pagan communities has also encouraged exclusion, sometimes manifesting as anti-white sentiment. In a 2018 Patheos forum, a Black nationalist pagan argued that white practitioners of African diasporic traditions like Vodoun were “stealing” sacred knowledge, creating a hostile environment for white attendees (Patheos, 2018) despite the facts that the very word itself originates from French, not African, languages and occultism with roots tracing back to the Vaudois. (Another fact Black Nationalists seek to suppress).

Similarly, a 2020 X post by @PaganTruth, described a Black pagan event in Atlanta that excluded white participants, labeling them “colonizers” unfit for African-based rituals which is contrary to actual indigenous African cultures that do not impose such "restrictions" or anti-white racism. These actions, while rooted in historical grievances, promote division and undermine pagan inclusivity (X, 2020).

Homophobia, Transphobia, and Heterophobia Tendencies

Pagan and heathen communities have displayed homophobia, transphobia, and, in some cases, anti-heterosexual tendencies. The AFA’s 2016 statement invalidated non-heterosexual identities, asserting that Heathenry should uphold traditional gender roles and heteronormativity, prompting over 180 organizations to sign Declaration 127, renouncing discriminatory heathen groups (The Troth, 2016).

Conversely, some pagan groups have marginalized heterosexual practitioners by prioritizing queer identities to the point of exclusion. A 2019 Wiccan gathering in Seattle advertised “queer-only” rituals, explicitly barring heterosexual participants, which alienated straight and even bisexual practitioners who sought inclusive spaces (Patheos, 2019).

In Wica (the original and correct spelling of the cult), rigid gender binaries have excluded transgender individuals from rituals emphasizing male-female polarity. A 2017 Spiral Nature article documented a trans-practitioner being barred from an Oregon coven due to their gender identity, highlighting exclusionary practices (Spiral Nature, 2017), though it can be argued the same was imposing themselves and their own ideology where it was not appropriate and could have gone with "some else."

Anti-Male Rhetoric and Feminist Bias

Some pagan and Wican communities have exhibited anti-male, especially heterosexual male, biases, often under the guise of female empowerment. This includes invented Goddess-centric traditions that marginalize male practitioners by prioritizing female deities or exclude any male deities in addition to men and proclaim al female deities as emanations of a supreme singular Divine Feminine to which anything male is considered and proclaimed an aberration of nature. A 2015 Wican festival in California offered workshops for “womyn-born-womyn,” excluding biologically male participation. Male attendees reported feeling sidelined, with organizers framing masculinity as oppressive (Patheos, 2015).

The selective reclamation of terminology also reflects bias. Many Wican and heathen groups embrace “Witch” as an empowering female title but stigmatize “Warlock” as negative for men which clearly shows it as a veiled "women good/men bad" projected narrative than reality. A 2019 Reddit thread in a pagan community saw users dismissing “Warlock” as “tainted” while celebrating “Witch,” ignoring historical evidence of gender distinctions but also imposed the added fiction of the "neutral non-binary" rhotic to claim either title applied to both genders which is itself entirely false and promoting its own strain of ignorance and imposed opinions instead of doing research (Reddit, 2019). This marginalizes male spiritual identities, aligning with extremist feminist narratives and idiotic as well as harmful and dangerous gender ideologies.

Exclusion of Marginalized Practitioners

Marginalized pagans, particularly people of color, often make the excuse or false claim of microaggressions in predominantly white pagan spaces as a side step of acknowledging their own victimhood mentality and systemic racism to non-blacks. A 2010 Patheos article described a Black pagan experiencing “hipster racism,” such as assumptions that their practice must align with African traditions, leading them to avoid local networks (Patheos, 2010). While true in some cases, most of it is itself pointing fingers and playing into victimization gibberish.

A legitimate report of a "person of color" which lets just get to the reality and say a black woman, working as a Tarot reader at a pagan shop from 2013 to 2014 was fired after the owners sold books by racist pagan authors like Stephen McNallen and expressed derogatory views about Jews and women (Wild Hunt, 2014).

Cultural Appropriation and Gatekeeping

Cultural appropriation has sparked exclusionary debates. A 2021 X post by @KatBorealis criticized pagans for appropriating Indigenous practices, calling for “community shadow work” (X, 2021). Of course, the anti-white bullshit was also thrown into the mix with claiming White pagans using Native American smudging rituals have been challenged by Indigenous practitioners, creating tensions when a lot of so called "White pagans" also do in fact have native ancestry, instead of citing the reality its the whole damn identity of so called pagans and heathens, and not any one particular "race."

Such proclamations of white people being the primary offenders is racism, especially when claiming white people are the predominate offenders, while also ignoring shared practices found among ancient remains demonstrating a majority of specific practices are not so exclusive to any one particular "race" as a science fact. This is itself an example of gaslighting hiding rather poorly a clear anti-white racism. Gatekeeping by reconstructionist with their own pseudohistory among self claimed heathens also excludes eclectic practitioners. Northern Tradition Pagans face criticism from strict heathens for blending modern elements, labeled “inauthentic,” stifling diversity (Northern Paganism, 2018).

Transition: These examples reveal a gap between the inclusive ideals of pagan and heathen communities and their exclusionary practices. Examining underlying factors provides insight into these behaviors.

Factors Contributing to Intolerance

Ideological Extremism: Folkish heathen groups like the AFA tie spirituality to racial exclusivity, while Black nationalist pagans may frame white practitioners as cultural invaders, as seen in the 2020 Atlanta event. A 2019 ResearchGate paper notes that extremist ideologies attract racists to paganism, offering cultural legitimacy for biases, whether white supremacist or anti-white (ResearchGate, 2019). Anti-heterosexual and anti-male rhetoric in some "Wiccan" spaces similarly reflects ideological rigidity, prioritizing specific identities over inclusivity.

Resistance to Inclusive Evolution: Some communities resist evolving beyond traditional frameworks. The AFA’s heteronormative stance (which in itself isn't a problem) wrapped with racism (which is a problem), Wiccan gender binary rituals (which is not itself a real problem) shifting then to goddess-centric anti-male biases (which is a problem) reflect this, as does the exclusion of heterosexuals in queer-focused events and then complaining when the predominate heterosexual communities don't support them (which demonstrates its own hypocrisy).

A 2015 Wikipedia entry on Heathenry highlights how U.S. groups’ anti-hypermasculinity rhetoric "alienates" those challenging gendered norms (Wikipedia, 2015), which again is imposing themselves on others and playing perpetual victim claims demanding everyone else must submit and bow to their demands "or else."

Lack of Centralized Accountability: The decentralized nature of pagan and heathen communities hinders accountability. Inclusive groups like The Troth advocate openness, but intolerant factions persist. The Canadian Pagan Declaration on Intolerance (2017) rallied 80 organizations against bigotry, yet issues like anti-male and anti-heterosexual biases suggest declarations alone are insufficient (Wild Hunt, 2017).

Transition: These factors highlight the challenges of promoting inclusivity, pointing to the need for reform and dialogue.

Conclusion: It's not redeemable and is a massive bowel movement!

Pagan and heathen communities have grappled with intolerance, from the very start often promoting it, such as the AFA’s white supremacy and Black nationalist exclusion to homophobic, transphobic, heterophobic, anti-male, and anti-heterosexual practices.

Claims of Microaggressions are largely fictional on the other hand and used as an excuse by so called "people of color" and claims of cultural appropriation when the reality is actual cases of cultural similarities, further alienates, divides and marginalized everyone.

Rooted in willful ignorance, ideological extremism, resistance to change, and lack of accountability, these behaviors undermine so called paganism’s, and heathenry's claimed inclusive ethos while betraying another simple fact that they all need to stop trying to force everyone else to bow down and conform to their own demands and narratives, as all of it is ultimately rooted in overwhelming amounts of willful ignorance and cowardice.

Initiatives like Declaration 127 and the Canadian Pagan Declaration don't really show progress, but in reality demonstrates as the old saying goes, why you can't polish a turd, and only end up spreading it around making bigger mess, when its better to simply flush it and be done with it. Many are simply too wishy washy to form and collective sustained action because they are also indoctrinated with a clear childish stance of anti-authority confusing authority with tyrannical totalitarian authoritarianism.

Nearly all of them suffer from the same problem of "I read a book, studied and remembered it" but failed to also do cross references and research just adding to their own over all stupidity, bigotry and collective cowardice, too busy blaming someone else or wanting someone else to "fix it, kiss it and make it feel better." The only real way out of the mess is to dump it and move on and let it finally fall into (actually kicked into) the Oubliette of wasted time, nonsense and useless junk ideologies.

Sources Cited:

• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), “Asatru Folk Assembly,” 2016.

• Vice, “Racists Are Threatening to Take Over Paganism,” 2019.

• Patheos, “Being Black And Pagan,” 2010.

• Patheos, “Black Nationalist Pagan Forum Discussion,” 2018.

• X, Posted by:@PaganTruth, 2020.

• The Troth, “Declaration 127,” 2016.

• Spiral Nature, “Trans Exclusion in Wicca,” 2017.

• Patheos, “Womyn-Born-Womyn Workshops,” 2015.

• Reddit, “Warlock Stigma in Pagan Community,” 2019.

• Patheos, “Queer-Only Wiccan Rituals,” 2019.

• Wild Hunt, “Pagan Shop Employee Fired,” 2014.

• X, Posted by:@KatBorealis, 2021.

• Northern Tradition Paganism, “Radical Tolerance,” 2018.

• ResearchGate, “What Attracts Racists to Paganism?,” 2019.

• Wikipedia, “Heathenry (new religious movement),” 2015.

• Wild Hunt, “Canadian Pagan Declaration on Intolerance,” 2017.