How to be an Ethical Eclectic

First, let's define these some words:

Ethical:
1. pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of 
morality; pertaining to right and wrong in conduct.
2. being in accordance with the rules or standards for right 
conduct or practice, especially the standards of a profession:

Eceltic: 
1  selecting or choosing from various sources.
2. made up of what is selected from different sources.
3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.

Appropriation: 

1.  the act of taking something for one's own use, typically without the owner's permission 



Appropriation has become a big issue in the Pagan community. At Paganicon 2015, an annual Pagan Conference that is held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, there were numerous lectures and panels that dealt with this sensitive topic. The issue is mostly in regards to "newer" practices, such as Conjure, Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Native American practices. I use the term "new" to describe these practices because in comparison to the Ancient religions of Egypt, Greece, Roman, The Middle East, etc., these practices are in fact "new" and still have a living blood line. 


While there is no doubt that the use of Native American Headdress by Victoria Secret models on the runway is a HUGE matter of appropriation, (since these headresses are sacred and meant to be worn only by male warriors), things can get a a bit tricky when it comes to borrowing ideas such as medicine bags, smudging, pipe ceremonies, dance, song, drumming, etc. 

The same thing goes when those in the West adopt symbols and practices from the East. Taoist symbols of Yin and Yang, images of the Buddha, prayer flags from Tibet: Do you really understand what those symbols mean to the culture that created them? And what purpose do they serve in your spirituality?  These questions must be asked and answered. 


So, when it comes to borrowing aspects of another spiritual practice to meld into your own, ask your self these questions:

1) Have I researched this image/symbol/teaching? 
2) Do I understand why it was created by said culture?
3) What purpose did it serve to those of said culture?
4) What will I gain from adapting it to my practice?
5) How will adapting it to my practice change the original function of said image/symbol/teaching?
6) Knowing all this, should I adapt changes to said image/symbol/teaching to better suit my needs?

Another question that is often asked is: Are these images/symbols/teachings strictly meant for those born of a certain bloodline? And if so, if you are not of said bloodline, you should not use them. 

I however don't agree with this last point. 

As a person who believes in reincarnation, I feel that we are not, and should not be limited by race, colour, nationality or heritage, when choosing which spiritual path feels right to you.  I am not of Greek descent, in this life time anyways, however that will not stop me from honouring the Gods of Hellas that are so close to my heart. 

Out of respect for those original Hellenic practitioners before me, the ones whom created and formed these deities and their myths to explain the world around them, I believe it is important to keep my practice as Greek as possible. I do add magical practices of Ceremonial Magic, because the information of the type of magic performed by the Ancient Greeks is lacking. Also, Ceremonial Magic has taken a lot from Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Hebrew sources anyhow, so in reality, I am practicing Ancient Greek magic. The language I use is Greek, albeit butchered. My chants, energy workings, and evocations all work within a Greek context. 

I have also enjoyed learning about American Conjure. The thoughts and ideas shared by this practice in regards to Spirit, Soul, and Ancestor worship is impressive. While it is tough to find examples of daily Greek magic, it's nearly impossible to find any information on Greek Death Magic. As great as the Eleusinian Mysteries sound, the initiates did an excellent job at keeping their oath bound secrets. Therefore, I have adopted aspects of American Conjure, their ideas and thoughts of approaching the Death Current and Ancestor Worship, and have tried unlocking the gates to the Greek Underworld. However, even though I use Conjure practices, I use Greek deities. Instead of calling on Papa Ghede to open the Gates for me, I would call on Kharon, the ferryman of the dead. This is how I stay true to the Hellenic path. 


To sum up this post, I cringe when I hear the term Eclectic being used to describe someone's practice. It seems to be common practice today to "Take what works, and leave what doesn't."  In a sense, there is nothing wrong with that attitude, but at some point you can no longer call yourself a Christian if you don't believe in Christ. You cannot call yourself a Hellenist if you only honour one or two gods and don't pay respects to all at some point. Every path has their core principles and they should be respected. Of course, everyone needs time to figure out just what suits them. 

So while you sort through the mountains of information out there, and figure out what works for you, don't forget to ask yourself those six questions. Don't forget to be an Ethical Eclectic. 


Edit: Added diagram to consider:

Chart by Sterba Stevee  https://www.facebook.com/stevencsterba?fref=ts