A Dead Horse Called McWicca

Originally posted on a BTW-oriented mailing list, displayed here with kind permission of the author, Keka.

I think that most people on this list would agree that the "McWiccan" authors do, in fact, serve a purpose, even if there are WIDELY varying opinions of what that purpose might be. (grin) For the record, though, everything (good and "evil") serves *some* kind of purpose, but that's not the point at all. The point against the McWiccan authors (some of them, anyway) is that they are acting dishonorably and that is wrong whether it ultimately serves some good or not.

I personally think that the problems they present boils down to 2 things:

  1. First, these authors are representing themselves as being something that they are not, namely Wic(c)a. Imagine how upset you would be if the name of the most important and sacred thing in your life was being bandied about by people who
    1. Had absolutely no concept of what that name actually stood for,
    2. Didn't care what that name actually stood for and, WORST OF ALL,
    3. Had taken (and continually take) the thing which that name represents and twisted, perverted, stripped down and profaned it, then took the results of that process and publicly pronounced it to be the same as that which you hold most dear. Then imagine that a whole culture sprouted around this perversion and now thousands of fruitcakes are calling themselves by the name which rightfully belongs to that which you hold most dear.

    You'd be pretty upset, too, I imagine. Well, this is why the BTW often feel pretty hostile towards the McWiccans.

  2. McWicca (in the context in which that term is being used, NOT in the context of anything-not-BTW), takes the attitude that religion is a Home Depot do-it-yourself project that anyone can do, and that the process basically entails taking anything and everything that one finds pretty, pleasant, interesting and/or entertaining from other religions and philosophies (without any regard as to whether one has the right to take those things or not) and putting them together into one big mish-mash (name issue addressed above). NEVER MIND that Life is not all about what's pretty or pleasant or entertaining. The result is that:

    1. McWicca doesn't make anyone a better person. How can it? It doesn't challenge a person to be anything more than they are. It doesn't force one to look at the not-so-pleasant side of Life to try to figure out what it means and how it does or doesn't belong in one's life. Instead, it creates an insulating bubble around a person that doesn't let them see what's REAL.

      As you yourself quoted ...

      "Life isn't meant to be easy"

    2. McWicca encourages a quick-fix/short-cut mentality. Have a problem? Cast a spell! Want something/someone? Cast a spell! Bored? Cast a spell! McWicca encourages people to splash around happily in a stagnant little cesspool, rather than work/struggle/suffer to learn and achieve something that may not always be as much *fun*, but is infinitely more valuable.
So when some fruitcake comes along claiming to be a Witch or saying that they're Wiccan (and/or publishes a book about it!), the ones Who Really Are can only laugh, cry, or rage. When they poke fun and laugh at them, be content with that, because it could be a whole lot worse (and justifiably so).

Small caveat by Newt: as was noted at the time on the list in question, the use of 'Mc' as a sarcastic adjective is NOT meant in any way as a cultural slur on particular types of family names. It is meant to convey a comparison between sloppy use of alleged Wicca and fast food (in the context of 'as opposed to healthy food'). Probably you allready knew this.

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