Seasonal Banners on TWPT courtesy of Mickie Mueller
Link's Lesson Book
|
|
Link's Lesson Book |
|
Link E-mail Link here:
|
The Internet as a Magical Tool Ever
consider the internet as a magical tool?
Often the most magical of tools are not the ones we keep on our altar,
but the ones that surround us every day, in places we never thought to
look. The internet is one of the fastest
growing "entities" in today's culture. Is it magical? Try it and decide for yourself. What is the Internet? If
you're new to this, here's a simple explanation of the internet: via computers and telephone lines, just about
anyone has the ability to store pictures and text for others to access. How does it all work? (Who knows.
I say it's magic!) The
internet is no more complicated than a big ol' magazine rack. It's merely a way to find information on
thousands of special interests, from bicycling, to beer, to Buddhism. But not only can we read this information --
we can publish our own! For the first
time in history, anyone can put their thoughts and ideas into the public
domain. This creates many exchanges that
otherwise would not occur, taking freedom of the press further than you could
ever imagine! You don't even need to own
a computer, since internet access is available from many libraries, schools and
shopping malls. Some trendy restaurants
have even jumped on the bandwagon, offering internet service right at the
dinner table! (Would you like fries with
that?) The
internet is linked together in what we call the World-Wide Web (www for
short). What a wonderful analogy to the
way all things link together in nature.
Each "place" on the web (known as a website) has a unique
address, similar to the way a phone number is unique. And just like making a phone call, you can
reach places both domestic or international via the internet. You can get to a website by typing in its
unique address. Don't know the
address? The internet has a variety of
"search engines" that act like online directory assistance when you
enter a topic or key word. For example,
if you search under the word "Pagan" you will find hundreds of Pagan
websites! (You will also find things
like Pagano's Deli or other non-related sites that just happen to have similar
words. Asking for things on the web is
like any other form of magic.
Thoughtfully choose the words you use, and be careful what you ask
for...) A
wide variety of Pagan groups and personalities have created their own
websites. Want to find out more about a
specific Tradition, pantheon or holiday?
Want to learn more about a specific author? Looking for a hard-to-find book or ritual
item? Maybe you'd like to find other
Pagans nearby, or around the globe? Go
online. Touch the web, and let it touch you. You may be surprised with what you find. Don't take this tool for granted. Communication is especially valuable in towns
where there are no openly Pagan activities.
The internet helps expand our community, similar to the good done by
Pagan books, newsletters and other forms of communication. The Nature of the Internet Following
a nature-based religion provides lessons by seeing beauty in the world around
us. We can learn much by looking at how
seeds sprout or how rivers flow. It is
equally important to remember that "human nature" is a part of
nature, not something separate. And
thus, so are the things we create. It is
our nature to create things, like the way a forest makes trees and the way
trees make leaves. This includes art,
music, science -- and even things like the internet. When you think about the internet --
thousands of data networks all linked together -- see it as an analogy to the
way all things interconnect with one another.
You may find it similar to other aspects of nature that branch out and
flow. (As online, so offline?) Is the Internet Magical? After
the break-up of the Bell System in 1984, the federal government decided that
new telecommunications technologies (like the internet) were valuable
investments in society's future. The
government helped fledgling data communications providers companies grow by
keeping them exempt from certain phone costs, known as access charges. Today, this is how internet companies can
afford to provide you with "unlimited usage." The point is, something new was conceived,
nurtured and helped to grow. As
it grew, each person who used the internet helped shape it, whether by reading
or writing or creating colorful artwork.
Some say a basic definition of magic is the focusing of energy to cause
change. The energies of government
planning, personal creativity, and diverse interests oy millions of users all
became focused in concert to make the internet happen. Is this any different than magic? When
people can share new ideas, they find many new ways to grow. They find new friends, teachers and students;
they share new types of union. They
cause change. And if that's not magic,
what is?
Link |
