Chandria

[Bix]

Has anybody joined that place? It looks interesting. Just thought I'd get some opinions on it.

[halfwaynowhere]

its strange, almost cult-like....

[teh_fae]

Someone I know is apart of that, and they wanted me to join. But I'm not going to get involved. As the person before me said, "its strange, almost cult-like...." I have to agree with that, the website just gave me a not so good feeling and I just had a feeling that I shouldn't join.

She was telling me about what they teach and stuff and beauty had something to do with it. It almost seemed like brainwashing from what my friend told me. They do rituals and teach you stuff about being beautiful and being an individual...But yet they want everyone who joins to think that. It just seemed too cult like to me.

I'm not saying it's a horrible place, but I advise anyone to really think about it before they decide to join. It just rubs me the wrong way...

[halfwaynowhere]

i signed up just to check it out, i'll probably never go back there, but its really odd... they make you do all sorts of pledges, like, they'll give you a line, and you have to re-type it in. i think it would be okay for free time to explore your personal spirituality, but they try to make it this way of life, with rituals every night, and this point system, you try to move up by completing these particular challenge things that go along with the moon phases. its just reallystrange, the way they word it.

[Mithrea]

I don't see what's wrong with wanting people to think of themselves as smart and beautiful. I went through the stuff but couldn't figure out if I was too old to join. At one point they said it was for teenagers, but I put my age in and it still let me go through everything. I can't see that there is any real connecting with any other members before you join, and that's why I didn't (among other reasons). I'm not joing up with something I know nothing about, and that's what it seems like it's asking you to do. Mostly I was just enthralled with their graphics :)

[StarSpiral]

Less culty more directed margeting. Looking at their privacy policy it mentions a connection to Seventeen Magazine. There is also stuff about prizes and getting points for filling out surveys and getting your friends to join. And I never trust a self-improvement site which asks me what stores I like to shop at (including the choices of Hot Topic, and Claires) when I register. They also own everything you post on their site and it looks like they are working on materials to publish a book.

Very sketchy in my opinion. While they state they aren't promoting a religion their emphasis on moon cycles, rituals and Divine feminine energies looks like they are cashing in on the popularity of Wicca (and the insecurity of young women).

All that said those graphics made me want to join.

[oneinamillion]

I just wanted to say that, yes, the entrance to Chandria seems like it could be deemed a cult, but once you get past the hoops (and they ARE hoops to jump through to weed out people who would go in and cause trouble, you know how trolls can be), I think that you'd find it's actually more of a relaxed atmosphere for women to come together and have a support group. There are girls and women of all ages (over 13) and religions, and there are no rules enforced on you, other than to maintain a positive atmosphere. I think if you gave it a chance, you'd like it, if it's up your alley to work on goals each month and find ways to achieve them, and make friends in the process.

And yes, I am on Chandria, I'm a 23 year old female. I'm not trying to sway anyone to join, just asking that you give it a chance, and let yourself look past the entrance and see that the girls in Chandria are real people, and we're fun! lol

Anyway, I can't change your minds, but I can tell you from personal experience that Chrandria isn't a cult. The only rule is to believe in yourself.

So yeah, have a nice day :)

[oneinamillion]

Oh yeah, and the only marketing is the stuff that Chandria sells to keep the website working, like pillows, calendars, shirts, etc. There is no spam or anything like that from any company.

And the books in progress are the ones that are already online, that tells us about Chandria and the ideas behind it. They do not own our posts, anymore than this website owns yours.

[oneinamillion]

and one more thing, the rituals are not required. The moon phases are used as a basis to divide the month up, kind of like a daily planner sort of thing. I suggest you read the FAQs too, they are helpful. But yeah, we don't HAVE to do any rituals, and we don't HAVE to progress if we don't want to (degree progression, where you have a higher title if you pass a quiz that shows your knowledge of the ideas of Chandria, and why you feel ready to learn more, that kind of thing). Like I said before, there are no rules other than to believe in yourself. It's like a big support group in a way!

Ok well I really think I'm done this time, lol.

[MysticMama]

I'm also Chandrian (and I'm a 38 yr old mama) - found the Google link here in fact so my click helped support MW for that matter. The intro is designed to help people think about why they are there and what they want to accomplish or learn. It's not the kind of site you just jump into and start posting about the weather. The girls and women there are on a spiritual path from many different faiths, and we all offer support and encouragement to one another as we travel that path, learn and grow.

It is far from a cult... It's actually quite refreshing to find a place of intention, inspiration and compassion where girls and women seek to become women of beauty, power and truth. While there are suggestions for ritual and specific themes for inner work focus - nothing is required other than a desire to improve oneself. I would like to encourage those reading to seriously consider bandying about the term "cult"...it surprises me that pagans in particular aren't more sensitive to the use of that word since it's been thrown up at us for ages. Cults demand. Religions require. Chandria suggests.

As the previous poster mentioned, there is NO marketing at Chandria other than the Cafe Press products that support the site.

Hope this helps - I've very much enjoyed my time there, and hope the site flourishes long into the future. :heartthro If you are interested you can check out the FAQs there: http://www.chandria.com/faqs.html#religion (http://www.chandria.com/faqs.html#religion)

Come visit! www.chandria.com (www.chandria.com) I'm Empathic~Heart on the site, would love to welcome you as a Chandrian Sister! :wave:

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

well i checked it out after seeing this thread. I also did join to check it out. I don't think it's a cult or anything like that. I don't see much difference from any other Oath bound, or secret tradition. So far I havne't had any unpleasant experiences, and nothing i've read there has raised any red flags in my mind. While i don't think their organization is completely right for me, Path wise, i do think it does provide an excellent tool to connect with the moon and the goddess if you use it as such.

[Tesra]

_travolta_ I am also a member of Chandria!
It is not a cult.
It is undemoninational.
There is an age requirement. I believe no younger than 13. That's it.
It is for working on "yourself". Nothing is forced for you to do!
There is no fee.
Yes, there are ways to support the site, but are not manditory.
It is not targeting teenagers.
It is for females only.

If you are seeking beauty, power, and truth as a female (who isn't these days) then why not see for yourself?

No one will mold you! Be yourself!! It's all about you. And the choices and decisions you make in your life. Within this beautiful place that was created, you may just find yourself! I did. I have learned from many like me and those who are nothing like me! Different walks of life, different ideas, different beliefs, and still have found the support, new friends, and peace that I have searched for. Sharing with others I have found to be very helpful. I also love helping others! I have also met my best friend there!!! But I did just what I wanted to, and worked on "me"!

Please feel free to visit. We hope you stay! But if not, blessings on your life's journey! :*)

Sincerely & Respectfully,
Tesra
(0)
:RuNew:

[Gypsy~spawnOfPrussia]

Well, I am a Chandria drop out.
I have been able to dive into this site about as deep as anyone can, meaning I was actually on the so called Council.
They have been muting peoples opinion and telling them what to think and say, so much so that I felt I must have either had joined the Army or ended up in the Hitler Jugend.
Thats why I called it quits.
It could be a great thing if it were not for a few power hungry people at the top that think they need to opress people, that have depressions or other problems. You are not allowed to talk about anything negative or you will either be cut down and/or targeted by people of higher rank like the Council Members (aka look out for posts of founder, guard, guide, Stellarguide and the names LadyOfTheLake, Moonlassoer, Moonrush, EmpatheticHeart, OmniaVincit, firehawk, Aurum aso).
Posts that are not to the Siteowners or HighCouncils liking actually get deleted and it does not take much.

[Celene]

Has anybody joined that place? It looks interesting. Just thought I'd get some opinions on it.

I looked through the provided link in one of the post and this is what irks me about that place:
"All questions, statements, responses to queries and other submissions you send become the property of CHANDRIA, LLC Communications, Inc. CHANDRIA, LLC owns the content and copyright of anything you send us and can edit, rewrite, use and reuse the content, including your name, likeness, photograph and biographical information you provide, in any way and any media whether now known or invented in the future, with or without attribution, including publication on the CHANDRIA site, in communications, and advertising."

If my English hasn't failed me that means anything you say/post there isn't your own anymore, text or graphics. You could even be falsely quoted.

[Tesra]

Well, I too used to be on the council at Chandria. Of course, then it was different. But now, I have to admitt, things have really changed. There is alot of what Spawn of Prussia, and Celene said now. True. Sad, but true. There used to not be others in such judgemental positions and such.
There had been talk at one point of actual books being made too. I think that what Celene posted is right, since there is 13 yr. old girls at this site too.
I have had alot of girls and ladies tell me that with all the moon related things that this site is geared toward pagan but in a fluff bunny way. That they claim to be one thing, and are another.
I can't speak for others, but since my last post, and so much going on, I left as well. I love it here at MW and this is all I need. I have my own brain and no one targets me or critisizes me here!! And I don't think that anything here will be published! lol.

Happy Holidays Ya'll! :achug:

[Gypsy~spawnOfPrussia]

Well, I too used to be on the council at Chandria. Of course, then it was different. But now, I have to admitt, things have really changed. There is alot of what Spawn of Prussia, and Celene said now. True. Sad, but true. There used to not be others in such judgemental positions and such.
There had been talk at one point of actual books being made too. I think that what Celene posted is right, since there is 13 yr. old girls at this site too.
I have had alot of girls and ladies tell me that with all the moon related things that this site is geared toward pagan but in a fluff bunny way. That they claim to be one thing, and are another.
I can't speak for others, but since my last post, and so much going on, I left as well. I love it here at MW and this is all I need. I have my own brain and no one targets me or critisizes me here!! And I don't think that anything here will be published! lol.

Happy Holidays Ya'll! :achug:

Ah I am with you on that one, I like the relaxed athmosphere here. I like it better because its both male and females. Because you can actually get the input of a male here on a situation without having worry about it. They claimed that tehy don't allow men in Chandria because they wanted women to feel free to express themselves. Well, we can do that here and get the opinion of our male counterparts withoput judgement.
So much better here at MW!
I feel like I :graduate: from closemindedness to open communication.

[ValD]

Having had a quick look at the site, all I can say is that they evidently don't want blind women to join. It's one of the most inaccessible sites I've seen in a long time.

[dotty]

Having had a quick look at the site, all I can say is that they evidently don't want blind women to join. It's one of the most inaccessible sites I've seen in a long time.

i agree. i tried to join awhile ago just to see what it was about. i gave up after five minutes.

[Galaxia]

Ω

[morningstar2651]

This is a commercial venture capitalizing off of new agers.

Chandria's goal is to make money.

YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT:

(a) YOUR USE OF CHANDRIA IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. CHANDRIA IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. CHANDRIA EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

(b) CHANDRIA MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT (i) CHANDRIA WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (ii) CHANDRIA WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, (iii) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF CHANDRIA WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, (iv) THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH CHANDRIA WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, AND (v) ANY ERRORS IN THE SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED.

(c) ANY MATERIAL DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF CHANDRIA IS DONE AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OF ANY SUCH MATERIAL.

(d) NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM CHANDRIA OR THROUGH OR FROM CHANDRIA SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT CHANDRIA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF CHANDRIA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR THE INABILITY TO USE CHANDRIA; (ii) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED OR MESSAGES RECEIVED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH OR FROM CHANDRIA; (iii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iv) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON CHANDRIA; OR (v) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO CHANDRIA.

[juliaki]

I do have some experience being around mystery traditions. This site, however, is downright creepy. Although I don't *quite* think it has crossed that nebulous boundry into cult, it's too close for comfort. I'd label it as "sheep factory" level and advise avoidance. Just running it through the ABCDEF, I'd score it unhealthy in the following categories:

Internal Control
External Control (mid-range...although it seems to encourage you not to associate with 'non-members', I don't think they'd actually enforce it by force)
Dogma
Recruiting
Front Groups (since there's no information readily available about who is paying for all this or its history, aside from "someone created it one day")
Censorship (based on what individuals have suggested here)

[morningstar2651]

Wealth: Amount of money and/or property desired or obtained by group; emphasis on members’ donations; economic lifestyle of leader(s) compared to ordinary members.

This is a for-profit venture. It's a limited liability company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_liability_company), which is also part of the internal control.

Grimness: Amount of disapproval concerning jokes about the group, its doctrines or its leader(s).

This goes right along with censorship.

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

This is a commercial venture capitalizing off of new agers.

Chandria's goal is to make money.

Actually, speaking as a member...it is completely free. You can pay for chandria themed products if you want, but there's nothing forcing you to give them any money. No fee's, due's or any other payment of any kind required for anything on the site.

[Gypsy~spawnOfPrussia]

Actually, speaking as a member...it is completely free. You can pay for chandria themed products if you want, but there's nothing forcing you to give them any money. No fee's, due's or any other payment of any kind required for anything on the site.

No, instead you feel obligated to donate, as if you were sitting in a sunday church service and the basket goes around. Everybody is looking at who is putting in how much or if any at all.
They have "Lovedonations" yet they are posting for everybody to see who is donating (they have a list of the members that donated) and depending on the size of the donation you actually get to be a silverfairygoldglitter* contributer.
Why do that, if its supposed to be so wonderful and free and a so called Lovedonation?
_inabox_
*This is not what they really called it, but they had some sort of fancy name for it along those lines. As I said I am no longer a member and can not access the site anymore to check for the fancyfied word they used.

[Gypsy~spawnOfPrussia]

Ok, I just asked a still member of Chandria to get me that info regarding the donations and here it is copied and pasted straight off Chandria's site:

Donations - List of Love

Are you happy to be part of CHANDRIA? Do you enjoy participating in our online community and benefiting from the content we provide? At Chandria, we believe in supporting what we Love. Please, won't you show your appreciation and do your part to help keep the sanctuary up and running? Join the List of Love. Give to Chandria today.

Platinum Level Patrons
Coming Soon!

Gold Level Givers
Coming Soon!

Silver Level Supporters
1person donated name was given on site but edited here



Bronze Level Backers
19 persons donated name was given on site but edited here



NOTE: Have you contributed to CHANDRIA but your name does not appear in this list? Please write to us at donations@chandria.com and let us know. We sincerely apologize for the oversight and will rectify the situation immediately upon notification.


All contributors will be included in our List of Love, unless they request to remain anonymous. If you do not have a bank, credit card, or Pay Pal account, you can still contribute to CHANDRIA by calling our donations line at 1-900-988-1313. Your donation charged to the phone bill of the number from which you dial.


NOTE: If you are under 18, you must get your parents permission to call. Only ground lines, not cell phones can be used.

[juliaki]

Eeep. That's scary.

For a site that supposedly is trying to strengthen people's inner being, to equate love to money sets up a very dangerous precedent. Now if they asked for donations to keep the site running, that's one thing.... I've been known to donate money to web sites that I believe in supporting. But asking money to show that you love something...that's a bit freaky.

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

No, instead you feel obligated to donate, as if you were sitting in a sunday church service and the basket goes around. Everybody is looking at who is putting in how much or if any at all.
They have "Lovedonations" yet they are posting for everybody to see who is donating (they have a list of the members that donated) and depending on the size of the donation you actually get to be a silverfairygoldglitter* contributer.
Why do that, if its supposed to be so wonderful and free and a so called Lovedonation?
_inabox_
*This is not what they really called it, but they had some sort of fancy name for it along those lines. As I said I am no longer a member and can not access the site anymore to check for the fancyfied word they used.

really? *blinkblink* I don't recall feeling that way....

::I:: haven't felt in any way, obligated to donate in any way shape or form for any thing on that site. *shrug*