Wisconsin Forums

[Crys]

These are some multi-pronged questions. Let me try to approach them in as orderly a fashion as I can...

I got the impression from your original post that it was the black makeup and the trench coats that made you think they were into "witchcraft" and from my side of usual divide, that sounds like more of the same "they're different so they must be evil" that has plagued humanity since we first learned to walk upright. If that's not the case with you, I'm sorry of accusing you of it. It's just how it sounds to me.

First off, the idea of witchcraft is a myth created to control people through fear and the creation of an arbitrary Us vs Them. The modern idea of demonic witchcraft was created by the Catholic Church, but the idea is far far older than Christianity or even, I suspect, Judaism in general. The specifics have changed to fit the times and the political aims, but the core idea is the same: "they can do something you can't do, they're out to get you, and you need to fear them. Let me tell you how to feel safe. And we have to get them before they get us." The two biggest examples I can think of are the witch burnings across Europe for several centuries and the early persecution of Christians by the Roman emporers for their refusal to worship the emporers as gods (the propaganda? almost identical in both cases). Both served the purpose of creating fear (because anyone could be blamed and there was pretty much no hope of being found innocent) and giving a small number of people a great deal of control.

I know there are a very very small number people who think they can do "magic" like you're talking about. Those people are disturbed. If it was real, they'd all have won the lotto six times over and be married to supermodels.

The way _most_ Wiccans and some other Neo-Pagans use the word "magic" sounds alot the same, but it isn't. It's a way to describe inner changes and a connection to the rest of the world and a way to focus yourself on achieving what you want, much the same as monotheists pray or Buddhists meditate. And most Wiccans would be shocked to discover how much of their ritual and focus was originally Christian. Gardner created a religion by pulling elements from several disparate cultures, and Gnosticism (which is an early sect of Christianity) was a primary source. To alot of people saying "I do magic" makes them feel special in a way that "I pray alot" just doesn't. I considered myself Wiccan for awhile, when I was first entering religion after a life of practical nihilism. Trust me, there's no such thing as "magic" like you're describing and if there is, you won't find it with the neopagans, most of whom don't even believe in your God and Satan. My experience also showed me that there's a substantial number of people (just in my experience) who end up Wiccan because they can look rebellious but still hold to their core beliefs (because it has, like I said, a great deal in common with Christianity).

As for the darkness and gore and whatnot, there are a number of factors there. I can't even begin to claim I understand them all or where they came from. One factor I'm certain of is that it's a rallying point for disaffected youth who want to do the opposite of whatever their parents are doing. That was never really a factor for me (because I have really cool parents), but I saw and see a lot of it. Part of it is just a personal style, like wearing black lipstick is. It's just kind of part and parcel of the aesthetic. And there's a lot less gore than it looks like from the outside. Some of the less mature like to "freak the mundanes" as a form of revenge for the way they've been treated for being different, so a lot of the violence and darkness has been played up around "outsiders". I must admit I've done that too.

But it really comes down to this: in my current long-running D&D game, there is FAR less violence than in your average adventure/action movie, sometimes less than your average drama. We're not some kind of exception. There ARE games that are just one long fight, but compared to your average action movie, I've always seen them as pretty boring. Our game is about thinking and about telling compelling stories.

And there _are_ games that are based on "real" reality, but really, if I want reality, all I have to do is go to work or walk out my front door. I could pick up a fantasy novel, but that's something I have to do alone. I'd rather game. That way I get a cool story and spend quality time with my friends. The situations are still applicable to "real life". Having to out-think someone is functionally the same, regardless of whether it's someone trying to scam you on the street (reality) or an evil wizard bent on world domination (game). Most games center on the idea that you're a hero and have to act as such and frankly, the world needs more people who think there's such a thing as "the right thing to do."