I was greatly disturbed yesterday when I quickly peeked at Facebook before I headed off to work. I have Shauna Aura Knight on my friends list and she recently posted a comment that bothers me greatly. Shauna is upset that the Frosts are invited guests to the Michigan Pagan Pride Day, and she has decided to campaign to remove the Frosts from this event. Here is the post she made:
There are a many issues here that just upset me greatly. Shauna lives in Illinois and is from Wisconsin. Why is she getting involved with what is going on in Michigan. If a group in Michigan want to have the Frosts as guests, they should be allowed without some out of state person complaining. Shauna is just as bad in my eyes as the American Family Association. This is one of a few groups that sent Campaign money to Iowa after Iowa legalized Gay marriage. They made it their mission to oust the judges that voted in favor of Gay marriage. Shauna is wanting to campaign to oust the frosts.
One of my Favorite aspects of Paganism is the freedom that we all have in following the path that we want. You can place 200 pagans in the same room and not find two that share the same exact beliefs. There is really no wrong way to be a pagan. But Shauna is basically telling these people in Michigan that they are wrong in wanting to have the Frosts to be at their event. A couple of pagans must have wanted to meet the frosts and they are being told be Shauna that this is wrong.
Shauna is saying that her problems aren't with the Frosts, but with the pagans that support them. That it is 'water under the bridge". If it is actually water under the bridge, why is she getting so upset about this? But she did mention that the Frosts were "wrong" with what they wrote TWICE. Everyone including Shauna can have an opinion, but there is a difference in having an opinion and trying to enforce it one others. Shauna has become an Evangelical Pagan, she has decided that her moral standards are above others. Because everybody that doesn't agree with her must change their way of handling of the Frosts. Shauna wants you to SHUN the Frosts. There is no way of spinning this to not look like shunning. Shauna is very descriptive to the level of interaction she wants the Frosts to get... NONE!!!
When did Shunning become a part of Paganism? Up until this year I have never heard of any pagans be told that they are to be shunned. With Shauna's demand that the Frosts receive no hospitality, this makes it the second time for me to see Shunning used in Paganism. The first was a few months ago when a lady that I was in a disagreement with said that she would block me from attending a any pagan event within 300 miles. And what makes this situation even worse is that both these people are members of a pagan leadership group on Facebook. And that should make you see some red flags. It is also how organized religion works, Paganism is going to face some growing pains very soon. Name a religion that is famous for shunning people?............ I bet over half of you said Christianity. Didn't many of us Pagans leave Christianity because of things like this?
Shauna is upset with the Frost's writings , calling them unethical. Which is something that I find hypocritical. Shauna is asking for the Frosts to be shunned by the pagan community. In her eyes they shouldn't be a part of any events and nobody should attend their classes. This is how pagans earn money in the pagan community. Thus Shauna is openly blocking the Frosts from employment in the Pagan community. Shauna is Blackballing the Frosts, and that is an illegal action. And the legal definition for Blackballing in Iowa (my State) is: Preventing or trying to prevent, either verbally or in writing, a discharged employee from obtaining other employment.
Why is Shauna so upset? Because the Frosts wrote a book " The witch's bible" later named "The good witches bible". Chapter four has some writings that can be taken in a unethical manner. It is talking about sex in the coven, and that new members should be prepared to be sexual within the coven. In the original edition no age was stated and thus a few people like A J Drew took it as targeting children. Shauna states in her post that the Frosts have done nothing about this problem. When in fact they have done all they can do to fix the situation. They have revised the book, calling the revised version 'The Good Witches Bible" In which they have added a disclaimer stating "No formal initiation into a group that practices the great rite should be done before the candidate attains the age of eighteen." 18 is the legal age of adulthood, thus no kids would be brought in to this act. The reason why this issue won't die is because there are still copies of the original book still out there and that is what people are looking for. The Frosts can't go out and find every single copy and destroy them. And the revised edition was printed over 25 years ago.
Evangelical Shauna has decided that the many many pagans that have moved past this one book are wrong as well. Shauna is upset that these pagans have swept this issue under the carpet. Remember that wonderful aspect about Paganism, how we can each find our own unique path. Shauna thinks you are wrong for not punishing the Frosts as much as she thinks they deserve. Should it be up to the individual to decide who they wish to be friends with and learn from? Shauna has decided that she is the moral standard and that you apparently need to follow her desires when it comes to the Frosts. I have ideals and ethics as well, but I can't and won't campaign to have them imposed on others. I am not perfect, and my ethics are ideal for my culture and location. Paganism is a world wide blanket term for various earth based religions, covering many cultures and nations. Who am I to say that my ethics can be put on the world, I would be an ASS is I tried that. But Shauna is doing it by telling others that the Frosts should be shunned and receive nothing from the Pagan community.
I did my research on the Frosts. I double checked sources looking for anything that was questionable about them. If they were molesting children, I wanted to see the proof of it. And that is the thing, The Frosts have never be charged with molesting children. There are people like A J Drew that have accused them of it, but they are innocent of child molestation. I seen people on Shauna's post call them child molesters, and Shauna never corrected them on the name calling. The Frosts are being punished for a crime they did not commit. They are only guilty of poorly writing and explaining their ideas about sex in the coven. I read the Wild Hunt that said the same thing I am saying, The Frosts have never been found guilty or charged with child molestation, but some people assume that they have.
Then I have been asking myself a very important question. Why is Shauna doing this? The Book in question has been out of print for over 25 years. The Frosts have added the disclaimer, thus editing and removing the parts in question. It is my opinion that Shauna has gotten a little too big for her britches and is still working on building her name. I call her an Evangelical because she is trying to impose her ideals on others, showing little regard to the individuality that pagans love. Most evangelicals need something to preach against. Christianity has satan and sins, Shauna as it seems has picked the Frosts. The Frosts are 84 and 83 years old, it is a canned hunt. Just like the crude trophy hunters that spend money hunting an old or injured tiger, Shauna is 38 years old with a large online fan base of young people that have probably never read any book by the Frosts. In my opinion , Shauna is just as bad as A J Drew when he decided to burn the Frosts in Effigy.
I am going to post my blog on Shauna's facebook page. I am blunt and to the point, some of these questions need to be answered. Shauna, when did shunning become an acceptable practice in Paganism? Who gave you the authority to decide which people need to be shunned? Shouldn't the Pagans of Michigan be the ones to decide who will be the special guests at their Pagan event? After all, it is Michigan Pagan event and not Shauna Pagan event. Are you going to create a list of all pagans that are not allowed to be special guests at Pagan events? So that next year Michigan doesn't have to ask you before they pick that years special guests. Shauna is out doing a witch hunt on two people that done a lot for the pagan community. It was their church that was the first federally recognized pagan Church. They have written many books, and have helped teach many pagans. I remember there being discussions about respecting older pagans for all the knowledge they have is important to share, I guess you missed those discussions.
Those two pagans wrote the very first pagan book I ever read, I do respect the older pagans that have so much to teach us. They are not guilty of any crimes against children. So if you are looking for a fight, you now have one with me.