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What is Paganism?
In simplest terms Paganism is a religion of place, or a native religion.
All Pagan religions are characterized by a connection and reverence for nature,
and are usually polytheistic.
Modern Paganism as practiced in the West is particular to the native peoples
of the West, including those from Egyptian, Norse, Native American and Celtic
origins. Modern Paganism or 'neo-Paganism' has the following characteristics:
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Paganism is a religion of nature, in other words Pagans revere Nature and
its Balance. Pagans see the divine as immanent, within the whole of life
and the universe; within every tree, plant, animal and object, man and woman
and within the dark side of life as much as in the light. Pagans live their
lives attuned to the cycles of Nature, the seasons, life and death.
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Paganism developed alongside mankind for thousands of years; as cultures
have changed so has Paganism, yet it is grounded in deep rooted genetic memories
that go back to Neolithic times and before. Thus Paganism is not just a nature
religion, but a natural religion.
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The divine is viewed as ultimately One, but within this we see a duality;
Female as well as Male and therefore there is a Goddess as well as a God.
These deities are immanent (within us as well as without us), symbolizing
all aspects of nature or human nature, what Karl Jung called archetypes.
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The Goddess represents all that is female and the God represents all that
is male. The Goddess is seen as the creatrix and sustainer of life, the mother
of us all, which makes all the creatures on the planet our kith and kin.
The God is often seen as her consort, the protector of nature and animals,
the bringer of light and warmth. She is often symbolized by the moon or the
earth, he is symbolized by the sun.
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There are groups of named Gods and Goddesses called pantheons; for example
Isis and Osiris from Egypt, Thor, Odin and Freya from Norse beliefs; Brigid,
Herne and Cerridwen from the British Celts; and Zeus & Hera from the
Greeks.
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Paganism in the West takes a number of forms including; Wicca, Druidism,
and Shamanism, utilizing Egyptian, Celtic and Native American beliefs,
worshipping one or a small number of Gods and Goddesses, while recognizing
the validity of other people's deities.
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To Pagans the four elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) have special
significance. The importance of these basic building blocks of life is hard
to define because they have so many correspondences, for example they are
often associated with the four directions, North, East, South and West. Each
element is a kind of spiritual substance from which all things are made,
and at the same time are Guardians of the gateways between the physical world
and the spiritual world.
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The Pagan view of life and the world is circular - the endless cycle of the
seasons, of birth death and rebirth.
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Many Pagans believe in reincarnation in some form. Most of American society
views Karma as a kind of treadmill, trapping people in endless reincarnations
and payment of debts, but never free. Pagans see reincarnation as, at best,
a chance to improve or to continue unfinished work, and at worst just a simple
re-cycling of souls.
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Pagans do not seek recruits or proselytize, but allow the individual to find
the path that "fits." They welcome and embrace diversity. Pagans have no
concept of sin but they do have their own values and ethics. Many believe
that whatever they do for good or ill will come back to them 3-fold.
The re-emergence of Paganism
The revival of Western Paganism is mainly due to the emergence of Wicca,
the modern name for the "Craft of the Wise", or Witchcraft. Wicca is based,
in part, on ancient, northern European Pagan beliefs in a fertility Goddess
and the horned God. Most Wiccans do not believe that their religion is a
direct, continuous descendent of this earlier religion. They see it as a
modern reconstruction with some of its sources dating back many centuries.
The old religion was virtually wiped out during what we call the "Burning
Times" through a combination of propaganda, torture and genocide. Some people,
generally the village wise-woman or wise-man, held on to the old religion.
In the face of such oppression they went 'underground' and Witches dedicated
to preserving the religion formed themselves into secret groups called covens.
The purge was so successful that the old religion was virtually extinct by
the 1900s but in 1899 a book was published by Charles Leland called 'The
Gospel of Aradia' focusing on his research of the witches in Northern Italy.
In 1921 an English historian, Margaret Murray published a book, 'The Witch
Cult in Western Europe' in which she maintained that Witchcraft had been
a flourishing religion. A British ex-colonial administrator named Gerald
Gardner revived Witchcraft and gave it the term Wicca. In 1951 the laws against
Witchcraft in Britain were repealed and he published a milestone book entitled
'Witchcraft Today'. Gardner claimed that after he wrote his book, he received
many letters from members of isolated covens who had believed that their
groups had been in continuous existence for generations or centuries.
Wicca
Wicca is one of the largest of the minority religions in the United States.
There are no reliable figures of the number of Wiccans in this country, but
the current, best estimate is on the order of 750,000. That makes Wicca about
the 5th largest organized religion in the United States.
However, it is virtually unknown by the general public. This is because almost
all Wiccans hide their religious beliefs and practices. Those who allow their
faith to be known publicly are heavily persecuted in North America; on a
per-capita basis, they are believed to be victimized more often than members
of any other religious group. Many assaults, arson, economic attacks are
reported yearly. There have been shootings, harassment by police and other
groups, numerous jobs lost, one public mass stoning and one lynching in recent
years! Reports circulate frequently of misinformed child protection officers
who seize children from the homes of Wiccans due to the fear that they would
be killed or abused in some Satanic ritual.
The perpetrators of this harassment are well intentioned, but are terribly
misinformed. They believe the misinformation that has been spread about Witches
continuously since the Middle Ages through rumors and Hollywood hype. It
is only in a few cities that Wiccans feel secure enough to come out of the
“broom” closet. Most tend to avoid persecution by keeping their
religious faith secret.
In Topeka
The Wiccan/Pagan community in Topeka is diverse with much in common to the
rest of the community. People from all walks of life actively participate,
in varying degrees; including lawyers, physicians, state employees, housewives,
teachers and homeless, young and old. Many are part of groups, but many more
practice as solitary with no outside contact. There are groups with which
I am personally familiar in the area practice such Traditions as: Dianic,
Shamantic, Faerie, Druidic, Thelemic, Women’s groups, and many more
who are Eclectic.
I happen to be in a unique situation since I am co-owner of a Pagan-oriented
retail business. A large portion of the community walks through the door
of my shop, but I am still surprised to hear some one say, "I never knew
you were here," when we have been in the same location for over three years.
There are many who are open but that number is over-shadowed by the number
of people who remain in the 'broom closet' for fear of retaliation at their
jobs and homes. Our community, by virtue of the way we practice, is
self-contained and fairly hidden.
But with a more accepting atmosphere from the Topeka community at large,
this is changing. In recent years two groups have been established and have
stepped into the forefront of Pagan activity in Topeka. The Foundation for
Sophia’s Garden is a not-for-profit organization that was formed as
an educational organization to serve members of the "alternative" spiritual
communities in Topeka and the surrounding area. Sophia’s Garden has
been active in becoming an umbrella organization providing information, classes
and support for these communities. MoonShadow Coven is a small, unincorporated
organization that is dedicated to the education and growth of its members.
Both organizations have been involved in bringing Paganism to the community
as a whole, through sharing beliefs and various traditions in an attempt
to promote understanding. We have participated in numerous open rituals and
services, Earth Day ‘clean-up’ of Gage Park, and the AIDS Candlelight
Memorial (where we made a great impact with the butterfly fund-raiser for
the Topeka AIDS Project).
Summary
Since the 1950s, Wicca has grown in popularity and has encouraged the revival
of the original Pagan roots and the re-emergence of other Pagan branches.
While Wicca is relatively new, Paganism is as old as mankind and its traditions
are still being rediscovered. The time for secrecy is behind us and, I believe
that through mutual cooperation and understanding, we can find our niche.
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