“As Above, So Below” (tw: religion)
I don’t normally use trigger warnings, but in this case I saw need to. Today, I saw a sponsored post about a new movie called “As Above, So Below.” Normally, I don’t get too offended by horror movies as I have loved the genre since I was first able to read ghost stories in elementary school (this isn’t including the gore horror genre which seems to have taken over the genre completely in the movie world.) I also, in general, don’t bother being too offended by the way pagans and witches are portrayed in the genre because there is no use doing so. We live in a world where witches and witchcraft are “evil.” I’m used to that by now.
Many of my followers may not be aware, but I am Wiccan. I don’t practice the craft, but I do believe in Wiccan teachings in a spiritual and religious way. Now, here is where this movie comes into play- Hollywood has portrayed witches and pagans as evil so many times it outweighs the number of times they have portrayed good witches or pagans by a ridiculous amount.
I first heard the term “as above, so below” through the teachings of Wicca, but I am aware that many Christians also use this term and believe it has powerful and important meaning. The fact that these people have taken a term that has been used and accepted by so many religions bothers me greatly. The way I learned about as above so below was that everything within our minds, in other words what we believe and think, can be reflected in our actions and vice versa. It is a way of keeping oneself in check and remembering that everything we do has an impact on the people and things around us. Originally, I learned the entire phrase as “As above, so below. As within, so without.” Many people believe these words mean a myriad of many different but equally likely and important things.
To use such a prominent phrase, and one which many wiccans follow as one of our rites, to promote a movie which is gore and violence filled is ultimately to promote the exact opposite of what the term means to begin with. Indeed, to title a film with this term is to completely disregard all those who have used the term for improvement in their own lives. It is to take away from the original morality behind the phrase. It is to mock the opening and closing ceremonies of Wiccan, Christian, and other Pagan traditions. This is why I had to write today, because though many may not know it, many people’s religions are being harmed in a way by the existence of this “title” stolen from those who follow religions which regularly use this term. I’m tired of Hollywood mocking my religion at every turn and promoting the view that wiccans and other pagans are bad people or evil because of the things we believe in and the ceremonies we perform.
We do not kill animals to perform rituals. Wiccans in particular believe that all life is sacred. To take the life of any creature is seen as a mar upon oneself and on the world. We don’t just live animals, but we believe in the importance of the existence of all animals- even dung beetles. Though I am sure there are some people who call themselves Wiccan somewhere who do “curse” people, this is something most Wiccans would not do. There is this thing called the rule of threefold that is of utmost importance to Wiccans which says that whatever you may cast into others will come back threefold. Anyway, I won’t get into it much more, but I, as a person who has been Wiccan most of my life, had to at least set the record straight a little and speak out against the use of our beliefs as a title for some gorey movie. Thanks for reading. :)
It was the sponsored post for this movie that got me all angry again about Tumblr forcing me to view animated horror gifs in violation of their own community guidelines.
Grr.
Okay. Back to cute webseries and cloudscapes.
Reposted from http://ift.tt/1AT0fzq.
Tags: sponsored posts, tumblr community guidelines, and the dicks who violate them.
