Pagans are people Too
Wednesday May 2, 2007
...but some apparently missed the memo. An illinois teen is demanding an apology from school officials who sent her home from school yesterday, because she refused to remove the pentacle she had inscribed on her cheek. The student is 16 year old Sky Holeman, a Druid, and she wore the emblem to school in honor of the Beltane holiday.
Comments
Interesting. I’ve seen kids wear xian t-shirts that border on offensive. One of the assistant principals at the high school where I teach is a minister who wears a huge gold cross everyday in plain sight. Let a kid wear a pentacle and their fodder for administrative judgement.
I’ve seen a few kids wear a pentacle at school. I’ve told them that if they have any trouble from administration over the symbol that they’re welcome to come to me for help.
I have to agree with Scolai on this one…if the girl had drawn a cross on her face there wouldn’t have been any flap about it at all. Like her dad said, “They don’t send kids home on Ash Wednesday.”
Same old double-standard again…if the school officials (who are seldom pagans) don’t believe in it, it’s “inappropriate” or “distracting.”
It’s a public school dammit! The public consists of others besides Christians! Banning religious symbols in public schools other than Jesus (God) related . . . people lets get real! Christians it’s not all about you even though you might think so! Get over it!
Seriously…I think that is absoutly crazy that people would be so stupid to just ban one religious symbol when they let christians, jews, muslims, etc. all show their religion with pride…it is absolutly mindblowing how stupid some people are where they can’t accept even seeing a symbol of religion and show respect. I am a high school student and i have written 3 books already and one of them is about wiccan issues…i am lucky to go to such a school that everyone accepts your own beliefs…there is honestly no descrimination at my school and the only time some people hesitate is when they are outside of school because people are still being killed…as sad as it truley is…this needs to be stopped…most people have put racism out of the way, so why not put some religious tolerence in their daily diet! I mean there is no need for this…thanks…just wanted to say that!!! (I hope that girls parents really stood up for her)
The girl is from Indiana, not Illinois. Cedar Lake, Indiana.
I know this because i am originally from that area and still consider myself to be a part of NIPA, Northwest Indiana Pagan Association.
When did Pagans start drawing on their faces to celebrate Beltane? I must have missed that e-mail.
Don’t the admins have more important things to worry about? (Like reading, writing, PE, safe environments, etc?) I feel that encouraging people to SHARE their different beliefs is important for children. I believe in diversity, not division. What a wonderfully complex world we live in - but communication is key to sharing it with each other. By the way, I am a Christian.
I am also a member of OBOD and am proud of my spirituality but I must admit this is thumbing your nose at authority just to get a rise which I think is childish and distracting but I think the parents should have maybe advised her here.
Jamie …
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According to the article in the link below, the reason the student decided to wear the pentacle on her face (in lieu of, say, a neclace or other charm) is because teachers and students had previously taken such items. The principal, of course, denies knowing of any such behavior.
http://www.post-trib.com/news/368973,pentagram.article
Yes read the whole thing, charms etc are a separate issue and agree with the comments in the article, cant confiscate 1 without all the others, goes without saying but face painting in a place of learning? I dont know if that is appropriate, as I said I am an ovate and have been for years but have never heard of this outside ritual.
Jamie UK
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I’m a high school teacher. Face painting happens all the time during the school day - cheerleaders do it on game days, students before important games, goths with little “blood” tears on their cheeks, guys with eye liner, among other examples.
None of these result in removing a student from school. I believe it is the symbol more than the location or manner of displaying of the symbol that brought on the schools reaction.
Sounds like a child acting up at school and being sent home for it to me.
She drew on her face to commemorate Bealtine… theres hardly an historical precendent for that. Shes a Druid but she drew a pentagram… …why? Its not a celtic symbol or a symbol of Druidry.
Its a symbol that everyone knows has the power to upset people.
If you accept those things as fact it cant be anything but a kid acting up.
Yes maybe, I must say that being from England face painting is not a thing we see in school at all whatever the circumstances so I guess this seems more strange to me than you. However I do think that pride and ego hinders spiritual growth.I realise she is young (not wanting to patronise her) but it sound as if maybe she could have done with a bit more guidance
jamie
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it is documented that the ancient Druids cut Pentacles in to the soles of there shoes to bless the ground they walked on
Jamie
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Eh Im from Ireland and thats BS Jamie. If youre going to make wild statements like that you need cite.
What would a 5 cornered star have to do with the cultural intelligencia of a society with a tripartite world view? 3 and multiples of three were important. 5 meant nothing to them and would never have been used. There are NO artifacts or petroglyphs from any celtic countries that even resemble pentagrams.
I am all for freedom of religion and anything else, but school is like an office you work at, you ought to be willing to adhere to the dress codes…and schools do have the right to have a dress code. Kids are given total license to do whatever they want now and it seems they want the law to back them up. Being able to live in a group situation and follow rules (or accept consequences) is healthy and good for people to experience.
Like the dirty smudge on the forehead of the faithful on Ash Wednesday, the pentacle on the face is a bit over the top, albeit more attractive and less a look alike for a bug splat, IMHO. Although I’d never send anyone home for adorning themselves in such a way I’d have to wonder what’s going through their mind when they begin to mark up their faces.
She is a member of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids, the symbol of the Ovate grade is a pentacle within three rings. My source is Roman. The pentacle Is a symbol found throughout nature, the apple being very symbolic has a penagram at its core as well as the importance of rowan, this obviously would not have gone unnoticed. They were also well aware of pythagerus
Once again Jamie Citations needed. What classical text are you referring to, wouldnt it be as easy to say Caesars Gaulish wars or Strabo as to say your source is roman?
OBOD are a group INSPIRED by historical accounts of druidry to create a modern path, their pentacle isnt anything to do with Celts or historical Druidry. Yet youre trying to cite historical precedent for this kids actions…
theres a saying S**t or get off the pot.
Have hunted my sources, and apologies, a correction is needed. I quote ” It is said that the Druids had Pentagrams on the soles of there sandals, so leaving a trail of blessings wherever they passed.” Colin Murray The Celtic Tree Oracle, and the Revd. William Borlase, writing in the mid eighteeth century in his master work Observations Upon the Antiquities of Cornwall, observed that “The Druids always walked upon Pentagrams.” Although Revd Borlase gives us no further clues. I guess that is what I get for always being busy and not checking first. Another clue is the pentagram as a symbol also figures in the Arthurian Tradition, found in a 14th century Anon poem Sir Gawain and the Green Night translated by Brian Stone. In this Gawain is given his shield with a golden pentagram drawn upon it in preparation with his encounter with the Green Knight.
As you quite rightly point out, modern Druidry is not stuck in the distant past like some relic but is an evolving path adapting to an ever changing world but which looks to the past with respect for our ancestors. your initial question was “shes a Druid but she drew a pentagram…. why? I hope this along with the rest of what I have written in comment 18 goes some way to answer that question
Where did it say that the child is a Druid? Her father is a member of OBOD, but that does not automatically make his daughter a Druid. I have a close friend who is a Druid and a Wiccan High Priest. The pentacle is still a very important symbol in this person’s life.
Point of the matter being this: a young woman expressed herself at school in an unconventional though completely non-distracting way and she was unfairly reprimanded for it. School administration explanations for their action against the student does not have legal merit, and by rights they would do well to expect the lawsuit that by rights should be pressed.
Those are some suspect citations man.
Colin Murrays book is Tarot using Ogham its not an academic text (1). He even cites Barry Fell who famously dates Ogham in AMERICA to a time before a celt existed never mind an Irish language. He cant even get published hes so disgraced.
Rev. Dr. William Borlases book was called Antiquites historical and monumental of the country of Cornwall. The book isnt valued for historicall accuracy or its folk practices but its record of the now dead language. Since you didnt cite a chapter with your misnamed book I couldnt check your citation even if I found a copy in Dublins libraries…
On gawain and… In the manuscript tradition as opposed to the poem, Gawain is usually represented with an eagle as his heraldry. To further that a possible etymology for his name is the Old Welsh Gwalchgwyn. Gwalch - Hawk gwynn - Bright\white firmly associating him with Bird Iconography.
That the poem deviates from the older manuscripts implies one of two things to me. 1. The passage is a christianisation of the charactor. Which is backed up by the symbol noteably named a pentangle rather then penacle or pentagram being referred to as *a symbol of truth decended from solomons time*.
2. The symbol is purely inserted to show continuity between Sir Gawain and Pearl the other poem thought to be from the same Anon author(2)
I am a Gaelic Traditionalist I am BY FAR an amatuer in the study of Welsh culture and their native form of Paganism and I am open to contradiction.
My point in the discussion is that the symbol is not an expression of the childs personal faith but instead was a way of rebelling. We do not know how the child reacted to correction but that she drew it on her face which IMO the most blatant place to show a symbol controversial in paganism aswell as pop culture says to me that she was looking for trouble and found it.
1)http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Tree-Oracle-System-Divination/dp/0312020325
2)http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1137&context=cmrs/comitatus
Ok well I wrote a proper reply but it was eaten somwhere when I posted it.
Simply put your references are weak. Colin Murrays book isnt an academic text or even relevant to the discussion its a sytem of tarot using Ogham. WHich cites barry fell who believes Ogham existed in America before the celts existed in Europe let alone the irish culture.
Your next citation is bad again. you got the name of the book wrong and again its irrelivant to the topic. Antiquities, historical and monumental, of the County of Cornwall is a book on chorography and is primarily valued for its section on the dead cornish language. In fact the only thing that detracts from the text are some “fanciful conjectures concerning the druidical worship,”(1)
On the poem Ill leave you to wikipedia.(2)
*It is the first time the word ‘pentangle’ is recorded to have been used in English, and is the only time it is associated with Gawain’s shield. Usually, Gawain is said to have an eagle symbol on his shield.[27] The poem describes the pentangle as sign descended from Solomon’s time, a symbol of truth (or faithfulness), and an “endless knot.”*
*Others point out the description of the pentangle in line 625 as “a sign by Solomon”. Solomon, the third king of Israel in 10th century B.C.E., is not here referred to as regarding his wisdom, but regarding his magic ring seal, having the mark of the pentagram, which he received from the archangel Michael. The ring seal bestowed upon Solomon gave him power over demons*
1)http://west-penwith.org.uk/cornbook.htm#Borlase
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight#The_pentangle
Ok well I wrote a proper reply but it was eaten somwhere when I posted it.
Simply put your references are weak. Colin Murrays book isnt an academic text or even relevant to the discussion its a sytem of tarot using Ogham. WHich cites barry fell who believes Ogham existed in America before the celts existed in Europe let alone the irish culture.
Your next citation is bad again. you got the name of the book wrong and again its irrelivant to the topic. Antiquities, historical and monumental, of the County of Cornwall is a book on chorography and is primarily valued for its section on the dead cornish language. In fact the only thing that detracts from the text are some “fanciful conjectures concerning the druidical worship,”(1)
The Pentangle in Gawain and the green knight deviates from the manuscripts accounts of Gawains heraldry which is usually an Eagle. A possible antecedant for Gawain in Old Welsh is GwalchGwyn Gwalch Hawk - Gwyn - white\bright firmly associating him with the Bird Iconography of the manuscript traditions lacking in the later poem.
The Wiki even makes an arguable point that the pentangle is a christian symbol(2), it references an essay that theorises the pentangle is allegorical and is there to link the poem Pearl to Gawain and the green knight..
My point in this discussion is that the child drawing on her face was an act of rebellion not religious devotion. we dont know if she told her teachers to F-off or how she behaved at all. IMO a child went looking for trouble and found it. NOT a religious issue
1)http://west-penwith.org.uk/cornbook.htm#Borlase
2)2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight#The_pentangle
The Pentangle in Gawain and the green knight deviates from the manuscripts accounts of Gawains heraldry which is usually an Eagle. A possible antecedant for Gawain in Old Welsh is GwalchGwyn Gwalch Hawk - Gwyn - white\bright firmly associating him with the Bird Iconography of the manuscript traditions lacking in the later poem.
The Wiki even makes an arguable point that the pentangle is a christian symbol(2), it references an essay that theorises the pentangle is allegorical and is there to link the poem Pearl to Gawain and the green knight..
1)http://west-penwith.org.uk/cornbook.htm#Borlase
2)2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Gawain_and_the_Green_Knight#The_pentangle
The point Im arguing here is the kid was just rebelling and its not a religious issue. They symbol has no meaning in Beltane and no historical accuracy in druidry. IMO the child probably drew it on her face to upset her teachers if thats the case she could have told them to F off too.
1)http://west-penwith.org.uk/cornbook.htm#Borlase
To Scolai, when I read the linked article and it said that Sky and her mother are of the same religion as her father I just assumed that that was the case. To Seamus are you actually saying that to the Druids the pentagram would have meant absolutely nothing even though symbolism meant so much to them even though this is a very important symbol in the natural world, I am not talking of the modern meanings purely the many ways it is found in the natural world. I realise that you have a real problem with the notion and like the scientific and archeological world of today you seem to want a carbon datable tablet with a pentagram and the words Taliesin was here inscribed underneath but I do think that you are kidding yourself. Shame because its a magical symbol in that context. anyway if you read my initial comment no.8 i agreed with you. that seems so long ago
Why the face? I usually draw pentacles on my hands for Bealtaine, Samhain, Lughnasadh, and Imbolc, they are symbols of protection…I think she was just trying to draw attention to her self. There are some people that have a really big problem with that, and so the hands work so much better. I am not a Druid, but Celtic Reconstructionist are almost the same thing
Jamie, if it was important it would be in the mytho religious texts but its not. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence but there are no universal truths. The Gaelic Culture had a tripartite world view its evidenced in the mythoreligious texts in the triads and their recurring oaths to land sea and sky. Its shown in petroglyphs that immidiately spring to mind when you say the word Celt like the triskeles.
Your world view (english) is different to mine(irish) we are a different people but we are only a couple of hundred miles apart with transport today thats nothing!
Imagine how different people were when it took months of work to cross the channel let alone cross europe. It might make sense to YOU in your personal gnosis it might be the common concensus among youre group, but that doesnt make it or anything else an eternal universal truth
Fair comment Seamus
I draw them on my stomach under my clothes on festivals, they dont have to be blatant, and we dont push our religion on others, thats one of the reasons i like it so much! (happy sunday!)
I wear a triquetra charm on my necklace. It has a pentacle inside of it. I have been questioned ablout it and explain that it does NOT represent evil - but some people believe that it does.
If you are not ready to educate (not defend yourself) someone when they ask about a symbol, maybe you shouldn’t display it openly.