Merry Meet! MIRTHFULWITCHERY tries to promote intelligent discussion between mature pagans worldwide, focusing on individual practice, family traditions, personal experience and harmonious co-existence with the natural world. Our focus is on sharing knowledge, insight and information, without the haughtiness, infighting and "high-brow" attitude found on some other lists. Teachers who are still seekers, and others looking for their own way are welcome here. There are no prerequisites but thought, kindness, curiosity and perhaps generous portions of irreverence, impertinence and goofiness. We take our paganism seriously, but are not afraid to laugh at ourselves. Dance mirthfully, smiling often on the oft too lonely path! Merry Part!

This list comes about as a result of participating in a lot of pagan-related mailing lists, and thinking we could do it better.  It seems that a lot of pagans, once they reach a "high" level, seem to forget one of the major things that made them pagan to begin with -- namely, a curious and questioning nature that never settles for "because I said so" as a resolving antiphon.  Now, naturally, I am not disparaging any who have spent long years in study and practice and who have achieved the rank of "High Priest" or "Priestess" or "Master" or what have you - we know how much work is involved in such activities.  However, it seems that far too often we belittle those who do not do it our way (which seems very anti-Pagan and a bit FUNDIE) and rely too heavily on "so-called" experts to define our rituals, tools and even the words we speak.

A pagan path is about establishing a personal relationship with the world around you, with the power of the earth, fire, air and water.  That means using your own words, your own gestures, your own altar measurements.  The way that is right for you is the way that feels right to you.  Ultimately, only you can judge how "advanced" you may be on your own path.  That doesn't mean that you can't dip into the well of knowledge and documentation that is out there and drink deeply.  But it does mean that eventually you've got to dig your own well, find your own source.

With that in mind, the MIRTHFULWITCHERY list is here so that we can all share thoughts on the journey, suggest thought-provoking alternatives, join together in joyous celebrations, and to paraphrase Allen Ginsberg, "to keep lit the lanterns in the skull."

Sound cool to you?