I see nothing wrong with being eclectic. Tons of people are vodouisants and practice hoodoo, but they do not mix the two. So, like wise, when working with two sets of spirits, I would not dare mix them. I also feel that different spirits are more lenient than others with traditions, but this is if the SPIRIT wants it, not if you want to change it.
The big cause of cultural appropriation is:
The internet's vast array of knowledge and accessibility.
People having a "do it yourself" mentality.
People are not accepting of anything being closed off or a practice where one is called. Being told "no" makes them just want to take what they can get, fill in some blanks wrongly, and pass themselves off as practicing that tradition.
Vodou, hoodoo, granny magic, and witchcraft all have rootwork in them, but they're all distinct practices. Hoodoo and conjure are Christian influenced practices. Take that influence out, you have rootwork. not hoodoo or conjure. Vodou is specific to the Haitian region, so a bath is not going to be the same as the African-American practice hoodoo. They both have the same basis of rootwork, but are independent and should not be mixed or considered the same.
This is not to say a person can not practice witchcraft, hoodoo, and granny magic at the same time, it saying mixing them all together and considering it the same is wrong.
Re: Cultural appropriation By: Lark Moderator / Adept
Post # 12 Jan 31, 2014
I know that within First Nations peoples there is a great deal of resentment towards those who are not First Nations who "borrow" or think they borrow rituals and practices from those cultures. For instance, things like sweat lodges that are used without the slightest understanding or how that particular ritual was used within First Nations culture. People who claim to follow the "Good Red Road" are particularly annoying when they are not from one of the indigenous tribes. And they have good reason to be annoyed.
When the Europeans came to the Americas they stole everything they could from the indigenous peoples here, their land, their culture, even their children were sent off to "white-man's schools." They were forbidden to speak their own languages and to follow their own religions. Only recently have they begun to reclaim their cultural practices including their religion. And what happens? Along come the non-Native folks again and steal bits and pieces of the recovering religion just because they can make money from it. Can you truly blame the First Nations peoples from being angry at this latest violation of their precious cultural practices? And believe me, they really don't like either the New Age nor the Neo-Pagans who do this. Go on a First Nations message board and you'll get an earful about how wrong cultural appropriation is.
I think one would be hard pressed to find true practitioners of any art who would not find something positive in someone who is genuinely curious and respectful of their beliefs. Even to go so far as incorporate that spiritual knowledge into their personal beliefs.
Like I said, I love results and have curiosity.
Where it really starts to go wrong is when it becomes commercialized and incorporated into the cult of capitalism. Buying kachina dolls made in Chinese sweat shops the bizarre mix of cultural twisting garbage when someone "sells" spellwork that just doesn't make sense from a spiritual standpoint, but does from a marketing standpoint...
it cheapens the whole experience of appreciating an eclectic approach to practicing "craft."
