[MR] pentacles and pentagrams

[Alex Kenlon]

I've read some posts here about how some people are concerned about the fact
that some mundanes might get the wrong impression about us because they see
the Pentacle and the Pentagram on banners and shields and personal devices
of some sort or another.

A valid point, but one that is a bit moot.

Yes it is a concern that some churches might not rent space to us if they
see these symbols. That is indeed a risk. But the cat is out of the bag and
has been for years now.

Sure not on shields and devices, and whatnot, but on the bumpers of the cars
of the people who go to these events. I can't even beging to count all the
"Get a taste of Religion, Lick a Witch" bumper stickers I've seen over my 17
years in the SCA. I know of one merchant who has a van covered from stem to
stern with what I'm guessing to be a sampling of his entire line of
stickers. I'm telling you, you could lose an hour reading that van. It has
stickers that are pro Wicca and Paganism and some that are stabs and slants
against Christianity.

Not to mention the fact that the Darwin Fish tends to offend more religious
fundamentalists than the pentacle does. I've had pentacles on my car and no
one raised an eyebrow. I've had to replace my Darwin Fish so many times I
started buying them in bulk because some person or persons were ripping them
off the car.

So while the points and concerns about the symbols and how they would be
perceived are valid, I think they are a little late. One church elder
walking to his office past the parking lot who is paying the slightest bit
of attention would clearly see that there is a significant pagan presence in
the event in question.

Not to mention another good point was raised. We are growing in numbers so
quickly that it is getting increasingly harder to register a device without
conflicting. I've tried numerous times to pass a Phoenix in some form or
another only to have it fail time and time again. We need decisions like
this to allow the current and more importantly the next several generations
of SCAdians to have a device.

As a friend and Herald in East Kingdom once told me (after my 6th conflict
rejection) "At the rate we're going, you won't be able to get a device that
means anything to you. You'll have to pick and choose out of the scraps that
are left and hope for something that you at least live with."

Turlogh Mac an Druiadh