I’m a Better Sort of Pagan

By Anonymous (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48451) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I recently had lunch with an old friend, who has long since quit the pagan scene in the UK. I find that sad, because she was once quite influential, though in the background. She has never been one for conferences and presentations and having her name in lights. But she does know a lot about a number of those who enjoy that. Or at least enjoy their local version of it. And it has amused her, over the years, to watch people who change their stories over the years.

When they first arrived on the pagan scene, they would complain about not finding it easy to get into a genuine Wiccan coven (BTW to friends in the US). Or they would enquire why they couldn’t find genuine Trad Witches, going back generations. Or perhaps that they couldn’t get into a ceremonial magic circle. These same people would, within a few years, suddenly be claiming to be High Priestess, a magister, an expert in CM or the scion of a family of hereditary witches dating back centuries. At least one of these reinvented people is now one of the biggest names in their chosen path, and regarded as an outstanding expert, as well as having their claim believed by all.

On the whole, the safest thing to claim seems to be to belong to an hereditary line that is oath-bound to reveal nothing. Or, better still, if the other members of the clan or coven have passed over, leaving only you. Best not to give any details of your rituals or magic, either, in case you give away something that isn’t at all ancient. Steer clear of Wiccan third degree at any costs, because Wiccans – surprise, surprise – check these things out. And they get checked out worldwide. You might be surprised how few initiated Wiccans there are – at least by comparison with the numbers of pagans who claim to be wiccan, meaning they do things in circles and call quarters and try to cast spells from books bought in shops.

Ceremonial magicians of the old school – OGD or OTO or other types of lodges – also tend to know each other. They collect degrees and rituals and types of magic. Most of those things are a giveaway so, if you want to claim to be a CM, best to steer clear of other CMs. Or anyone who has taken an interest in alchemy and ceremonial magic. otherwise you may find yourself involved in heavy discussions about obscure bits of the Key of Solomon. And modern Trad Witches with no claims to being hereditaries are exactly the same – likely to be discussing troll magic from Iceland, or comparing practices in tapping the bone. All very dicey unless you master the knowledge… in which case, why not simply become the thing you’re pretending to be?

So, what is all the point of this posturing and lies? The point appears to be that some folks lack satisfaction or contentment in what they are. Being an ordinary pagan isn’t enough. Nor is it enough to learn to become something you’re really interested in. So it becomes a quick and easy way to gain approbation. But this also means that the pagan world is full of frauds. so, how might the inexperienced pagan tell the difference between the real thing and a fraud? Ask around. But that means finding experienced and trustworthy people to ask. And there’s the problem… if you can figure out who to trust in the first place, you don’t need to ask.

Well, in one sense, it doesn’t matter. Because what is important is what you, personally, believe and feel. However, if you get let down once or twice (it’s happened to us all!), you may decide you want to tell the difference. What then?

OK, try these basics:

• find someone you trust and then try to meet people s/he trusts. that way, you can build up a number of people and test things by asking them for their opinions about stuff you’ve been told, or people you’ve encountered
• go online and google someone’s name. See what’s pulled up. No, this isn’t infallible by any means, but it’s a beginning.
• when you google ANYTHING pagan, discard the stuff that repeats each other, and try to find the pages that say something different. This is because most pagans have a tendency to cut and paste from other sites when they set up their own website. Things that look and sound shiny and fun and romantic and what people would like to believe, are the things that are likely to be cut and pasted the most. Things that are true are likely to be found in unappealing, scattered fragments that are harder to find.
• avoid ANYTHING that tries to tie a god or goddess in with a sign of the zodiac, crystal, colour or some other arbitrary and invented bit of New Age rubbish.
• many things aren’t online. That means you may need to buy actual books. Avoid sites that promise to deliver good books for free – they’ve been pirated. Pagans aren’t rich. Not even pagan authors. J K Rowlings are very, very rare.  If you don’t have much money, go to a library. The best pagan books are available everywhere – they’re called mythology, folklore, or natural history.
• If you’re more interested in spells, you can find rubbish all over the internet – and the ones in books in shops won’t be much more effective. The best education you can find is to find real witches and talk with them. Frequently, they don’t write much on FB or have websites. You might meet them in a good, old-fashioned, forum. But you’ll need to be ready to read between the lines, because the ones to trust are the ones who don’t say much. Many believe that talking about the magic will disable it.

I guess it all comes back to that old adage “empty vessels make most noise”. In the pagan world, as in so many other places, it’s best to avoid silly names, grandiose claims and flashy promises. Instead, go looking into those dusty corners that have fallen out of fashion. Talk to the unassuming middle-aged person in the corner, who dresses in normal clothes and has a name like Sam or Jane. That’s likely to be the most powerful person in the room… and the most trustworthy.