Something I noticed a while ago is that this site rarely ever greets new members with Merry Meet. Yet almost virtually every other pagan website welcomes people with merry meet. Is this because we have less wiccans/Wiccans on this site or because people see it as a wiccan greeting or even as a kind of fluffy new age greeting?

Why Merry Meet anyway, what stories have you heard as to why this came about? It appears in many wiccan rhymes as Merry Meet and Merry Part and Merry Meet again. Do you ever use it as a greeting, I know I used to when I thought I was wiccan some years ago (shush keep that information quiet, I've grown up now ). Do you see it as purely wiccan or as being accepted into all paths as a general greeting? I realise many books seem to claim it as being universally accepted but for me it's not, and is not a greeting I would give in writing or verbally. So what do you think? Do you use that greeting and why? What are your feelings about this greeting?



(Sorry bit of a disjointed post from me again )

I do use the greeting, not so much online (or here). Mainly because UKP is so diverse unless someone actually greets that way themselve you are unclear whether you can or might be upsetting someone.
We are very broad minded here

i see it as purely wiccan greeting!
no more, no less!

I would use it to a known Witch in person, but people are joining UKP not a coven. And I have found heavy users of it online tend to be extremely fluffy, so much so the ecovens they are in tend to have 'Merry Meet' right but um seem to not know anything else...............

I don't use it, I don't use Blessed Be or So Mote It Be either. It's a bit silly really, adopting an old mode of speech because 'witches used to say it' Well, yeah but only because that's how everyone talked then. The modern day equivilent of Merry Meet is Hi, so that's what I say. I'm a pagan now, not then and I don't need silly words or silly props to make it so.

Whilst I am fond of archaic speech and like to revive odd snippets, Merry Meet and its bosom ( or should that be besom ) buddy Blessings Be I can do without. Yes I do associate it with wicca, yes that is a negative association. I try not to judge anyone that uses that as a greeting but it does instantly grate on me. I think we have evolved beyond the stage where many pagans feel they should be wiccan if they are to be pagan. Wicca has some common sense stuff in there spiritually speaking and there are individual wiccans I respect, but on the whole I associate the greetings with the fluffy Charmed generation type. If it was just done with knowing humour it would be fine, but these kind of phrases tend to be used as some kind of superior " Hey look I'm the witch gang " badge for those that take themselves too bloody seriously. Yes, that was a sweeping generalisation you just saw before you - aren't they fun

Actually, thinking about it, it is really purely ceremonial. Was rereading the Wiccan Rede, given that was composed in the 1950's, they do seem to have a hankering for all things olde worlde.

Who knows perhaps someone will come up with a real Chaucer era version of one, just for the fluffies.

LCC you were talking about a besom, so yeah a sweeping generalisation seems appropriate

Oooo Ive got one .... " Buggere ye offe, thou cross gartered fluffkin ! "

Ohh a greeting ...... I'll get me coat

Oh dunno think 'buggere ye offe' is a very good greeting

yeah, I mean gee LCC it's "buggere ye orfe"
You missed the R sweets

Don't use it either, I see it as very "fluffy" - a bit "ooh, we're so special and different we even talk different to everyone else" kind of thing - a bit Charmed. Exactly like LCC says. Interestingly, the phrase is covered in Ron Hutton's "Triumph of the Moon" - he says that it has its origins in Masonic ritual which of course Gerald Gardner drew heavily from when creating modern Wicca. I guess he used it to add a bit of mystique to the rituals he was creating. It seems a bit poncy to be honest to use it in modern parlance. Same with So Mote It Be and all the "thee" and "thy" etc. Why not greet the Quarters (if you're calling them) with a "hi" like Esk says? If the intent behind that word is courtesy and welcome, then what's wrong with that?

Merry Meet!
...I just think it's nice...

Don't think I've used MM more than once (if at all) and have used BB only when someone BB's me.

To be honest I aint Wiccan and even though I do have Wiccan influences in my path, strange and obscure greetings aren't one of them.

If I was attending a group where everyone MM'd then I would MM out of politeness (otherwise I tend to use Hail or Greetings - always have) when I BB it tends to be Bright Blessings rather than Blessed Be (yes I know that is probably even fluffier) but in my own turn of phrase I would normally say - bye, farewell or if really flowery - ttfn

To be honest, I feel it comes as part of the Wiccan package, and as I don't pretend to be anything other than me, I don't see the point.

However I now hereby suggest an official Valley greeting and parting couplet for the use of us residents.

On meeting and greeting: Fare thee well in the Valley

On parting: Fare thee well in thy wand'rings.

Of course if you are addressing a Mod you should bow and genuflect even if on line (we will know if you don't.....)

Gave me an image of some poor git walking through the doors of the Scarborough hotel moot saying 'Merry Meet' and being hit with a glare from 30+ sworded pagans

Cosmic Fool

Oh Cos, wots rong wif 'buggere ye offe or orfe' then

Only ever used it in my first chatroom, didnt realise it's a wiccan thing tho (silly ole dragon) but then I m not a wiccan , these days mostly use just hi

Esk put it quite well, it just sounds silly.....and fluffy.....and I also associate it with Wiccan. A simple Hi how are you, or see you later and I hope this happens sounds a lot better and is more simple. At least non-wiccans will know what you are saying. I can imagine having a lot of non-wiccans ask what a 'mote' is for so mote it be

Well OK as long as you genuflect...

used to be RC, but one knee has gone a bit orf!!

do you mean "orfe", Sherringham?

I use it in ritual, group ritual that is, not solitary. I'm just not comfortable with the words! I've studied Chaucer in my time, and love Shakespeare, Marlowe, Webster, so it's not the archaic sense of phrasing that bugs me. Maybe I'm just not a particularly Merry sort of person.

There's a thought - think Robin Hood and his band "Merry Meet"ed each other?

Well the sodding thing aches from time to time, its an injury from a very heavy dog crashing into it and making it bend the other way, there was a lot of Anglo Saxon uttered at the time.

I'm soo Not replying!!! LOL

mp

I don't use it because it really does seem quite cheesy and just isn't needed. We don't talk like that any more, society and Paganism has moved on, so unless it's written in to a ritual (for those who do rituals) I see no need for it.

As with all things, up to the individual, though - not for me, and if you ever do meet me and use it, do expect me to flinch!

I'm more for "Love and light" myself (hides)

I would not say "Merry Meet", I think its too fluffy(says she who talks to her woofy -dogs on an hourly basis).
No disrespect for those of you who do.

what's wrong with talking to your dogs from time to time

I do personally see it as a Wiccan greeting, I rarely use it in all honesty.

Even if this was a Wiccan site, I probably would not use it on its own.
I am not a big fan of traditional or standard phrases

I think there is a place for archaic, or highly formal language within some ritual settings, but for everyday interaction I think it sounds a little odd. In fact on those occasions when people have BB'd me and I have felt compelled to BB them back, I have cringed inside. It is really a ceremonial form of speech within Wicca and sounds as odd in normal speech as:

Lo I spake unto her, and did find that we were to have bolognese for tea.

or

Yes I have a manchild, begat in the year of our Lord, keeper of the faith, One thousand nine hundred and and ninety seven....it being the forty fifth year of the reign of our blessed Queen Elizabeth.

mike

I see it as a wiccan rather than a fluffy saying, although to many pagans the two terms are becoming dangerously synomonous, so I don't use it as I'm not a wiccan.

Your son is about 400 then????

i dont use merry meet but i do think its nice just nice, like happy to meet u , i do however use blessed be and think its nice and personal, just like someone might say may the lord and lady watch over u / bless u, type of thing i dont think its fluffy but then again i dont see any of the pagan pathways as dark or mysterious , to get this fluffy outcome thing i reackon it should mean the same to everyone but personal to the indiviual , ummm gone off track a bit sorry xx

The only time I ever use "merry meet" is when taking part in group rituals. Usually I'm much more of a "hails" kinda gal, and have been known to greet friends with a mighty roar of "hails" (followed by their name, and the words you big old bastard how the hell are you).

I always used to get confused when people on the old site started threads with "MM". I thought they were just going mmmm, rather than saying Merry Meet. (rolls eyes)

Never use Merry Meet because I feel a right twat saying it. Love Washail but only use it with people I know well. Use Blessed Be! as an exclamation all the time and when leaving people - I like to leave with a blessing and haven't found a better one.

Must use it too much, actually because the Arch Muggle AM came out with it himself the other day!