10 Things Pagans Want You to Know
By Patti Wigington
"Recently,
over on the About Pagan/Wiccan Facebook page, I posed the question, “What is
the one thing you wish your non-Pagan friends knew about you?” Over a hundred readers answered and there were
some pretty consistent themes that popped up in the comments. We decided to turn this into a Top Ten List,
because the responses shared a number of common threads."
1. We're Not Devil Worshipers
Hands down, the most common thing our Pagan
readers wanted people to know is that we’re not out worshiping the devil and
eating babies in the moonlight. One
reader pointed out, “We are parents, spouses, soccer moms, hockey dads... just
normal people who happen to worship differently.” Many Pagans identify as polytheists, but it's
pretty rare for any mention of Satan to come into play, since he's
predominantly a Christian construct and not a Pagan one.2. Many of Us Honor Nature
It’s true! Many Pagans in today’s society hold nature in
some degree of reverence. While that
doesn’t mean we’re out in the woods praying to rocks and trees, it does mean we
often view nature as sacred. For someone
who believes the Divine is present in nature, it often follows that the Divine
should be honored and respected. Everything
from animals and plants to trees and rocks are elements of the sacred. As a result of this, you'll often meet many
practicing Pagans who are passionate about the environment.
3. We're Not Out to Convert You
Pagans are not out to convert
you, your child, your mom, or your best friend. And here's why. It's because although most of us don't mind
sharing our beliefs and ideas with you, or answering questions if you have
them, we also believe everyone needs to choose their spiritual path for
themselves. We're not going to knock on
your door and preach about the "word of the Goddess" at you.
4. This Isn't a Phase I'm Going Through
This one came up a few times from
readers. The fact is, many people in the
Pagan community have already checked out other belief systems, and have come to
the conclusion that a Pagan path is the right one for us personally. People come to Paganism at a variety of ages
and for a variety of reasons. Even
younger Pagans are serious about learning. Most of us see it as a commitment. Granted, some will leave later and move on,
but that doesn't mean it's any less valid of a Path right now. Show us the respect to acknowledge that we’re
not just “dabbling” in our spirituality.
5. We Can Still Be Friends, OK?
When Pagans come out
to their non-Pagan friends, particularly their Christian friends, there are
times that it can put a strain on a friendship. But it doesn’t have to be awkward unless you
and your friends choose to make it that way. While some Pagans may have a problem with
Christianity, in that it didn’t work for them, that generally doesn’t mean we
hate people who are Christian. Let’s
still be friends, even though we have different belief systems, okay?6. I'm Not Worried About Going to Hell
Most Pagans don't believe in the
Christian concept of Hell. Not only
that, most of us accept magic as part of our daily life. For someone who is a practicing Pagan or
Wiccan, there's not really a concern about this sort of thing - the fate of our
immortal soul is not rooted in the use of magic. Instead, we take responsibility for our
actions and accept that the universe gives back what we put into it.
7. I'm Not Your Personal Fortune Teller
Lots of Pagans practice some form
of divination - Tarot cards, palmistry, astrology, rune reading and other methods. We tend to use it as a guidance tool, but it’s
a skill set that we often have to work very hard at. Just because one of your Pagan friends does
these things doesn’t mean you should call them up and ask “what’s in my
future?” every week. If your Pagan
friends do divination for a living, book an appointment, or at the very least,
respectfully ask them to do a reading for you at a designated time and place.
8. Forget the Stereotypes
We’re not all a bunch of black-clad teenagers
with too much eye makeup and giant pentacle necklaces. We don’t all dress like Stevie Nicks circa
1978. In fact, we’re just like everyone
else - we’re soccer moms, teachers, physicians, police officers, military
personnel, accountants, and your mechanic. There’s no Pagan Dress
Code Policy, so we probably don’t look anything like you expect us to look.9. The Harm None Concept
Many Pagans follow a concept of “harm none”
or some variation thereof. Not all Pagan
beliefs are universal, so the interpretations of this can differ from one
tradition of Paganism to the next. If
you’re wondering about whether one of your Pagan friends adheres to “harm none”
or some similar mandate, just ask. Which
leads us to...
10. Go Ahead and Ask Me!
Most of us don’t mind talking
about what we believe and practice, as long as you ask respectfully - just like
we’d do if we had a question about your
beliefs and practices. In general, it’s
okay to ask. If your question is
something we can’t answer because it’s an oathbound issue, we’ll tell you that
too - but for the most part, feel free to ask questions. After all, it’s a great way to begin a healthy
and respectful interfaith dialogue.
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