Are Masks Part of A Secret Pagan Initiation?

TruthStream Media (so ironically named) made a video on initiation rites. They allege we're all secretly being initiated into a new society by a presumedly pagan cabal. But...are we?

Special thanks as always to GaelicNox for their amazing channel art!

Original article and video:

Sources:
Toelken, Barre (1996). The Dynamics of Folklore. Utah State University Press.
Dundes, Alan (2016). "Folkloristics in the Twenty-First Century" in Haring, Lee. ed. "Grand Theory in Folkloristics". Indiana University Press.

[silasfox]

As someone who makes masks and costumes on the regular, this was surprisingly informative. Also might be a part of several cabals now. Kinky ones. With lots of spikes and fur. Neat.

Why can't things be what they are anymore? You gotta wonder who first thinks up these correlations. It getting to the point where anything someone ascribes to religion that doesn't fit with the more common layman understandings ends up being called 'pagan' and left at that. Don't like masks? Pagan cults. Don't like long hair on men or tattoos? Pagan membership signs. Eventually, something as inane as drinking your coffee standing up left handed will be a secret cult sign. Somehow.

Good stuff here as always, though. Sometimes shining a light on something and calling it out for what it is helps counter the weirdness out there.

[punkrockllama]

So much that they're warning against are things Christian rituals are supposed to do. So they're afraid someone else is trying to do what they're doing?

[Sableagle]

5:00 Black-and-white extreme close-ups and shifting focus, right out of the 1960s cheesy horror movie scene.

Edit: never mind. You said it.

[Ruadhan]

Ye gods, pagan ritual as "psychodrama" —giving me flashbacks to sparring with John Halstead when he still worked for Patheos Pagan. 😵

[WorshipperoftheOldGods]

As a Dionysian, I know a lot about masks and use them myself. Not going to lie: medical masks do not at all give me the same feeling as a ritual mask or even face paint. The context is totally different. When I use a ritual mask I'm taking on a role. When I wear a medical mask it's because I don't want to die from COVID and don't want to spread it to others. So the idea that medical masks are somehow part of a worldwide initiation is already way off

[MysticMuttering]

According to Robert Anton Wilson, Timothy Leary observed a scrum of 23-25 little alliances groping for power in every social situation, from Harvard faculty to California prisoners. The idea of one grand, fungible conspiracy responsible for everything is inane. But the video referenced here is non-specific enough about the conspirators and their plans that a wide range of people with different & contradictory theories can enjoy the video & feel in-the-know while violently disagreeing in the comments

[Eibarwoman]

Masks? No... masks are something I think is linked to kinky stuff.

[joenathan]

I could see some rituals and practices using mask, but I think it's more neo pagan than pagan

[herkles]

Just listening to their clips is annoying, not just because of the stupidity involved but because of the style they are going for in the video and audio. Still good job on debunking their nonsense.

[johnrodriguez]

Didn't get the memo we be doing world domination with surgical masks.😂 Amazing video keep up the good work 👍🏼

[jellybean]

The biggest conspiracy is the spreading of conspiracies.

[KoBo]

Awh I was hoping for more like the masks from Majora's mask, or maybe something vaguely "tribal", like "tribal tattoos".

[LiEnby]

So what deity are the medical masks meant to represent?

Also can an initation really be an initiation if the person doing it doesn't even know or intend any of what's happening? That doesn't make much sense to me ..

[LisaForTruth]

Hi, Ali! I sure hope I didn't offend Jen; that was not my intention. Anyhoo, I was wondering if you'd like to come on my channel some time to discuss your religion? My problem is not with the religious, but with those who want to force their religion down other people's throats.

[atheistechoes]

This is so disrespectful of ancient cultures i cant even.

[atheistechoes]

My twin had Covid. But ahe got vaccinated before it got worse.

[atheistechoes]

Funny how they care doing the exact same thing thwy warn against

[camerasandvids]

Have you seen computing forever video called Secular Sharia

[stillaliveinusa]

Hello. You invited me to a debate. I accepted. Are ou going to reply? And by the way, of the hundreds of thousands of comments on you lil' ole me?

[allentremper]

There are many gods, but only one Most High God is Righteous.
The Most High God created our Spirits. We came from Him, and He created all of the"gods".
Once you have experienced The Most High God, the deception of the little g gods becomes very clear.
No deals with Death nor Hell shall be honored, no god but El Elion and His Son Messiah Yeshua have any ability over Life.
Repent, repent, we all have been deceived, including most Christians.
We are trying to mix the demonic with the good. This is not the highest endeavor, our highest endeavor is to serve our fellow man, for "What you do unto the least of My Brethren you do unto Me"