True or False?
In some areas being a pagan is considered at best a joke and at worst a heretic. There were days when the shaman was a respected elder within society. They were above reproach and their counsel was sought on important matters both spiritual and practical. Paganism is a blanket term for several faiths which were shunned as being cultist in nature over the ages. These include wiccan, satanism, crystal healers, shamans and virtually every ancient religion that does not follow one exclusive deity. Keeping this in mind it is impossible to write down in one sentence what it means to be a follower of this path in life. I have met people in this crazy planet who are insulted when the members of other faiths tell them that as a pagan they do not have a religion. It is meant to be an insult, that the pagans only have the status of a cult, this is not so. Paganism is not a religion, of that they were correct. It has no one all encompassing text from the gods. It has no one set of stories that makes it justifiable. Most of its culture is passed orally and it has existed since people could think independently. We can trace shamans and pagan ideals back as far as thirty thousand years into the past of this planet. Many other religions are no more than a blip on the spiritual radar.
There are no set rules for being a pagan, if anything one of the main centres of paganism rests on that very fact. Independence, the ability to survive alone, think for yourself, enjoy your own company and understand yourself well enough to be true to your beliefs are key to being a human being and a pagan. In saying this I do not want to enforce the stereotype of the loner witches who hide in dungeons cackling around cauldrons. There are more of those out and about on halloween than ever existed in real life I am sure. All the pagans I have ever known have known how to party, it is practically a part of their culture. There are many different types of therapy, seers and foci that are explored within the different groups that come under the umbrella term pagan. From the most socially acceptable forms like aromatherapy, massage techniques, tarot readings, horoscopes and crystal healing to the lesser known rites and rituals for the health and well being of the planet and all those who live on her. Many of the skills taught by the shamans, tricksters and bards of the pagan society are now being taught entirely disconnected from their spiritual roots in cold clinical rooms designed to teach the masses in as short a time as possible so they could spew it forth parrot fashion at a given time.
The horror movie image created probably by the same fear that caused the witch hunting in previous times is very far from the reality of the average pagan I have come across. They are not brewing concoctions to curse their enemies or control the world. They are talking to their brothers about how to improve the lot of themselves and the planet. They are treating sickness in the ways that have been taught for millennia by nature herself. They are going to work, paying their taxes, partying on the weekend, bringing up families and dying just like the rest of the world. They just want to see people treated with the respect they deserve for being an animal and the animals the respect they deserve for being one of Gaia's creatures. It is simple enough in my mind, wherever you live you take care of it. If you take something from the land you put something back to replace it. If you want people to treat you with kindness then you must approach them with open hands and a willing heart. Survival is about being fit and streetwise about nature and yourself, it has nothing to do with money. Money exists and has power over us only because we have given it that power. Without the belief in money being important (to some a deity all of itself) then it is worth nothing more than a pebble on a beach. There are no absolute truths in paganism, you can seek guidance from others who are following the paths towards understanding that you are but they can only guide. It all comes down to getting to know yourself and your environment so well that you can make changes if they become negative for one another.
Gaia guide you and luna always be at your back.
Louise.