Pagan Studies - Reviews
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.