Eclecticism

Twelve years ago, I wrote about my encounter with another pagan who referred to Eclectic Paganism as a "salad bar religion." I then went on a tangent about how religions are formed, all of which stem from some form of eclecticism. If you are truly interested in the ramblings of a young and naive practitioner, I suppose you can go read it for yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you about the cringe.

I recently revisited the writing, and reflected on it some more. A lot of my path has evolved over 12 years, and I definitely have a different mindset and outlook on things now. Initially I was irked, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how true that was. It wasn't reducing my path to the part of the buffet that most people skip; it was acknowledging the beautifully colored assortment that could create a million different combinations! I decided at that point that I'd embrace the salad bar metaphor. Lean into it and even have fun with it. Which I did in creating an infographic for it.

Twelve years later I felt the need to refresh the original infographic, making it a bit more friendly for multiple platforms, and more aesthetically pleasing. The message of it stays the same though.

I feel many people struggle with "eclectic" because it is a fairly vague concept. It could be all encompassing, or not at all, and it is truly open for interpretation, with it's meaning entirely dependent on the individual using it. Eclectic describes drawing from diverse sources, styles, or ideas, creating a rich mix rather than sticking to one system. This vast definition could be used in almost every wake of life - music, decor, literature, and faith. When I went on my tangent of how all religions start out eclectic, I wasn't wrong - despite my naive youth.

"Each religion has broken off from another, for various reasons. Generally, one person did not agree with the teachings of one religion, so they set off and start their own religion, using foundations that they like from previous religions."

This is why you see overlaps in religion; Pagan traditions are often incorporated in Christian rituals (ie Christmas trees, Easter eggs, even the Christian mass). Initially, these traditions were adopted to make Christianity more familiar to promote conversion, and over time they just stuck. Personally, I feel that Christianity failed to remember the roots of its rituals lie in Paganism (something Christianity has literally fought to forget). As an Eclectic Pagan, I strive to remember where the roots of my practice come from. These things resonated with me for a reason, to forget that would be to lose connection with my own faith practices, losing meaning and becoming mundane. When our practice becomes mundane, and we start going through the motions simply out of habit and without intention, our personal growth in our practice becomes stagnant. In many set paths, remembering the roots of the practice can be simple, as it all stems from the same origins. Meanwhile, in eclecticism, there are different origins, which takes a certain level of conscious effort to remember; something not necessary in set paths. 

I know there is also fear of extra room for misunderstandings and false assumptions when talking about eclecticism. I argue that it does not matter how much room there is, if it is going to be misunderstood, it will be. We see this in Christianity all the time with cherry picking bible verses, meanings lost in translations, and omissions made to fit the narrative of the times. I would argue that the beliefs aren't what clears up misunderstandings, the words we use to describe a system of believes isn't what prevents false assumptions and provides clarity. How we put those beliefs into to practice does that. Your beliefs could be the most peaceful concepts known, but if you aren't putting it into practice, if you're acting like a bully, that is what creates the confusion. Explaining your beliefs and where they stem from will give me a general idea of where you're starting, but your actions, your practice, are going to tell me a lot more. 

In my opinion, something you didn't ask for but are getting anyway (my blog, my rules), eclecticism requires checking your assumptions at the door. Because it can so widely vary from one practitioner to another, it doesn't allow you to make assumptions immediately, it asks you to wait and see. It forces you to slow down, be patient. Don't tell - show. 

Which is something nature does every day.