Call for Writers – Cultural Appropriation in the Neopagan Community

Megalithica Books, an imprint of Immanion Press (Stafford, U.K.), is seeking submissions for a new anthology on the topic of cultural appropriation within the Neopagan community.

For decades, pagans have drawn on cultures from around the world and throughout history as part of our spiritual and magical practices. We worship deities of cultures both thriving and long gone, we incorporate tools and regalia into our rituals drawn from other religions, and rarely is the impact of our borrowing (sometimes interpreted as theft) questioned or discussed. Cultural appropriation is the elephant in the room--and it's time to start talking about it.

Here are just a few ideas for topics:

--What impact has the proliferation of books and seminars on shamanism, as well as shamanic practitioners within the Neopagan (as well as New Age) community had on Native American cultures? What assumptions do people make when a person not of an indigenous culture claims to be a shaman or talks about hir totem animal, and how does that affect these cultures?

--Cultural appropriation is often associated with Native American cultures, but what about the impact on other cultures and religions? A few examples are: Voodoo and other Afro-Caribbean religions; European reconstructionist religions (Celtic, Norse, etc.) ; Eastern religions, philosophies and practices (Shinto, Taoism, Tantra, etc.) ; Australian indigenous cultures.

--Chaos magic is becoming more popular among some pagans. How does paradigmal piracy in Chaos magic relate to cultural appropriation? What about eclectic and syncretic practice in paganism?

--Is occult Qabalah (as opposed to Jewish Qabalah) cultural appropriation?

--How does Unverified/Unsubstantiated Personal Gnosis (UPG) relate to cultural appropriation? How do we balance respect for other cultures with being called by the Gods?

--Can we justify cultural appropriation through claims of preservation of cultural and spiritual practices that might otherwise be lost?

--How is membership in a culture defined? Can we draw on cultures we were not necessarily raised with? Is active involvement with a culture necessary for properly utilizing aspects of that culture?

--Some people claim to have been members of Native American cultures or other cultures in a past life, and use that to justify their use of aspects of those cultures in their practices in this life. Is this cultural appropriation?

--How are members of various cultures portrayed in the writing and other creative efforts of pagans? For example, several authors of pagan-flavored fiction have "token Native American" characters who invariably have some connection to a shamanic tradition, even though the author hirself may have never had any long-term contact with any Native American culture. The same goes for the "genuine Native American teachers" in certain nonfiction shamanic texts found more towards the New Age end of the spectrum, whose very existence is questioned by the cultures they supposedly come out of. How does the proliferation of such writings in the pagan community relate to the problem of cultural appropriation, whether the culture is from Native American origins, Asian countries, or other cultures commonly appropriated from?

--Can cultural appropriation be a healthy development? Does it contribute to the evolution of cultures, both those taken from and those who take? Is cultural appropriation simply the assimilation of some cultural concepts into others, as has happened for millenia, or is there a reason for the increased political and social awareness of what's going on? Are neopagans taking part in a process that has always been in place, or is there something that sets us apart?

--What are the ethics behind blending aspects of one culture with those of another? Is it appropriate only if we are honest and forthright about where our influences come from, or are we automatically diluting the cultures from which we draw?

--Where does freedom of expression and religion come into play? How can we balance cultural appropriation with the avoidance of censorship?

--Are Neopagans victims of cultural appropriation by way of the media's portrayals of us? Are we a culture, or at least a subculture, or set of subcultures?

--How can we address cultural appropriation, both as a community and as individual practitioners? What are some important points to keep in mind? What if there aren't easy answers?

These are just some suggestions, not hard-and-fast requirements. All perspectives will be considered; this includes perspectives from members of cultures that are often appropriated from who may or may not be pagans themselves. We will publish multiple essays from different people on similar topics, provided they are sufficiently unique to avoid redundancy.

Rough drafts are due October 15, 2007. We're anticipating a projected word count of 1,500 – 4,000 words per essay, though if you believe yours may be out of this range, don't assume we won't accept it. You may contact us with proposals prior to the due date if you are unsure of whether your idea will be acceptable. Please submit all essays, proposals and questions to whishthound (at) gmail.com

Essays will be required to have citations for all unoriginal material, quoted or paraphrased, and a full bibliography; we prefer APA format. We expect a wide range of voices and readers; don't be afraid of being too academic. On the other hand, don't be intimidated if you think your work isn't academic enough; just make sure you show your work and give credit for any thoughts that aren't uniquely yours, whether directly quoted or not.

Compensation will be $25.00 plus a free copy of the anthology when it is published. All essayists will be provided with a contract upon acceptance of their essays.

The anthology will be edited by Lupa. She is the author of several pagan/occult nonfiction books, and is an associate nonfiction editor for Immanion Press/Megalithica Books. Her interest in cultural appropriation stems from over a decade of practicing animal magic and particularly the crossover and related issues that neopagan totemism has with the totemic systems of indigenous cultures. She may be found online at http://www.thegreenwolf.com and her email address is whishthound (at) gmail.com

Immanion Press is a small independent press based in the United Kingdom. Founded by author Storm Constantine in 2003, it expanded into occult nonfiction in 2004 with the publication of Taylor Ellwood's Pop Culture Magick. Today, Immanion's nonfiction line, under the Megalithica Books imprint, has a growing reputation for edgy, experimental texts on primarily intermediate and advanced pagan and occult topics. Immanion Press is the publisher of Magick on the Edge: An Anthology of Experimental Magick (2007) and Manifesting Prosperity: A Wealth Magic Anthology (2008). Find out more at
http://www.immanion-press.com.

Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone you think may be interested!