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Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation in Modern Wicca
Modern Wicca and Paganism draw on many different cultures for their rituals, deities, and more. But how do you know if you are appreciating the culture by honoring the deities and performing rituals or appropriating it?
To begin, we have to distinguish between the two terms appreciate and appropriate. Appreciation happens when a person wants to understand and learn about another culture. Learning and understanding broaden one’s perspective as they seek to connect with and comprehend the other culture. Exploring another culture or taking a deep dive into it involves seeking new knowledge, listening to others, and honoring its beliefs and traditions. Striving to learn about a culture and its people, not for personal gain or a social media post, is appreciation.
In our modern world, we have the unique opportunity to learn about cultures by simply clicking a button or tapping a screen. At no other time in history have people had such vast amounts of knowledge at their fingertips. Finding out about ancient cultures or viewing images of current cultures is a fantastic part of being alive today. However, while we have the ability to learn and incorporate this new knowledge, there is a distinction between appreciating and appropriating.
Appropriation occurs when a person takes an aspect of a culture that is not their own and uses it for their own personal gain or interest. It isn’t about learning, exploring, and being a part of another culture. Instead, appropriation is about taking, adopting, or picking pieces of a culture to hold on to or exploit for your own personal gain or empowerment. It wasn’t until 2017 that the Oxford English Dictionary defined appropriation as “[t]he unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the practices, customs, or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society.”
For Some, The Difference Resides in Permission.
Ultimately, the difference between appreciation and appropriation comes down to the individual and their motives. ‘An it harm none’ isn’t just about physical or emotional harm; it is about not doing harm through cultural exchanges as well. Because if we take part in another culture without understanding its true form and then share it with others, we are essentially harming those individuals in the culture, regardless of whether or not the people come from an ancient or modern culture.
The technical definition of appropriation leaves Wicca in a grey area as practitioners are often not the dominant religion. However, those pagans who practice in developed countries are part of a dominant world-based society. And in some cases, Wiccan practices are appropriated by other members of a society. This leaves us in a bit of a quandary.
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How do We Honor a Culture Without Appropriating it?
First, it is important to begin by examining your own culture. Taking time to reflect on what is important in your own culture and evaluating your own feelings towards these elements enables you to understand someone else’s perspective when using their culture. Basically, if someone took a part of your culture and foundation of your own identity and used it without fully understanding it, how would you feel?
Creating rituals and celebrations around cultures that we don’t fully understand can move from appreciation to appropriation. Before jumping into a culture (or pantheon), spend time researching and learning about the group. Read their religious texts, familiarize yourself with the deities and not just the major players, understand the symbolism used, and most importantly, research the historical happenings during that time. Try to place yourself in the shoes of a Greek during the 5th century BCE to understand the worship of the gods rather than our modern-day society.
As pagans, we are on both sides of this appropriation coin. Our culture is often appropriated by the dominant group for monetary gain (think Halloween) without fully understanding the practice, which is why everyone doesn’t call it Samhain. In this case, we must be more understanding of our own practices with regards to other cultures.
It is important to be conscious and intentional with your practice. Ask yourself:
- Do I understand the significance of this event/ritual/practice?
- Am I honoring the culture or imitating it?
- Am I perpetuating any stereotypes about this culture?
- Am I doing this event/ritual/practice to experience another culture or for a social media post opportunity?
Intention is at the heart of pagan practices; therefore, it is imperative that you fully and consciously understand the reasons behind your practice. Having a basic knowledge of the culture is great, but if you are taking on the worship of another culture’s goddesses and gods, it is best to move beyond a superficial understanding. Step back and think about what draws you to this culture, how you practice your Craft and take the time to ask yourself the hard questions regarding your intentions. Remember that appropriation often comes from a lack of knowledge, so arm yourself with the knowledge you need to properly appreciate a culture.
This leads us to not borrowing what we don’t understand. If you don’t know why a culture does something or what a specific symbol represents, don’t use it until you figure out what it means to the people who do. Honor the cultures you have a deep understanding of and have taken time to study. If you would struggle to discuss this culture in a conversation with other people, then wait, study, and learn more before taking on their cultural practices. In this way, you can avoid falling into the appropriation trap.
But just as we strive to understand other cultures, be open to teach and share about your own pagan culture. The best part of a cultural exchange is opening someone else’s eyes to your own culture. So the next time someone asks you about your pentacle, be ready! You are helping to provide them with insight just as you gain an understanding of their unique perspective. Through a shared relationship, we can begin to move from cultural appropriation to appreciation to honor the varied cultural practices of humans across time.
Honoring Another Culture
As pagan practitioners, we can often find ourselves working with various ancient and modern pantheons during rituals and celebrations. But how do we honor the goddesses and gods, as well as the ways of another culture, without appropriating them?
First and foremost, you must do your research on the culture. Don’t just jump in and start using the symbols or celebrating the holidays without really knowing what you are doing. The internet is full of information on all kinds of cultures and practices. Start there and see what rabbit hole you fall down. You may be interested in learning more about their ritual clothing, sacred symbols, or myths of their deities. As you begin to learn more about a culture, you can formulate more precise questions about their practices. Delve into the history of the land. Who were the rulers? How did they treat their people? What was ordinary life like for those people? What were the predominant occupations?
As a religious or spiritual practice, if you are using another culture’s deities, be sure to read their sacred texts. Familiarize yourself with their myths and the importance they play in constructing one’s worldview. If it is possible, ask someone in the culture questions and listen to their responses. Learn how their rituals and practices are woven into the fabric of their society as you listen to their stories in order to understand aspects of their culture.
If you are working with an ancient culture, read their historical and religious texts and research the people as well as the deities. You can also visit a museum to learn more by seeing the ancient artifacts and learning more about what the culture held as sacred. If you are working with a current culture, visit the country, eat the food, and talk to the local people. If this isn’t possible, try finding an event or celebration in your area where you could participate and learn more.
Learning as much as you can about a culture’s history and practices is important when understanding and using cultural symbols. As practitioners, many of us cringe when we see people using the pentacle as a fashion statement plastered on t-shirts or band motifs. Our first inclination is to wonder, do they really know what that stands for? It’s the same for people from other cultures! Keep in mind that it isn’t just learning what the symbol means, but how and when it is appropriate to use. Always ask yourself what makes the symbol important to the people in that particular culture.
But keep in mind most of us are not historians. However, that doesn’t stop us from doing our best when researching and understanding a culture. We can’t know _everything_ and it’s okay that we don’t. What’s important is that we work to appreciate the culture by learning rather than appropriating it by taking bits and pieces we find popular or fashionable.
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