Pagan Studies - Reviews

Talking About the Elephant

Talking About the Elephant

TALKING ABOUT THE ELEPHANT: AN ANTHOLOGY OF NEOPAGAN PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

Edited by Lupa,

Megalithica Books, 2008

When that pale-skinned 4th-Degree Celto-Cherokee Rasta-Peyote Shamanic Witch invokes Erzulie to power chakra crystals for her tantric yoga class, she's indulging in a common but obnoxious practice: cultural appropriation. You may not have heard the term, but you've seen it in action. Most of the New Age movement — hell, most of civilization — is built upon it. Although a certain degree is inevitable when cultures meld, it can get out of hand… and often does.

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