Sunday, May 18, 2014

3 Reasons Why Wiccans Aren't Taken Seriously (And Why This Isn't a Bad Thing)

The intent of this article is not to offend.  It is simply a matter of course that Wiccans--and Pagans in general--are not taken seriously by mainstream culture.  I've touched on this a few times in the past, but I intend to really explore this issue with this post.  With that said, here we go!

1.  No one knows what we actually believe.

In general, people are not educated about Paganism and Wicca.  This is not helped by the fact that many people practice their own brand or tradition of Wicca.  In the past, there might have been more resistance in the form of devil-worshipping accusations (at least, every intro to Wicca book feels the need to discount this claim), but nowadays, most Wiccans are met with confusion and the question, "So, what do you--you know--actually believe?"  And worse, it's hard to come up with an answer that is all-inclusive.  There is no short summary that explains all of us.

Why this isn't bad:

What we have is a great diversity of beliefs, and we still manage to get on pretty well!  There is very little antagonism between different groups of pagans, at least not compared to say, Protestants and Catholics.  And, because of the nature of our religion, we can openly swap (and adopt) different ideas.  This results in a very personalized faith, something that I think is easier to hold close than one that is "one size fits all."

2.  Most Wiccans are young people.

According to a recent survey that I conducted on Wiccan demographics, about 47% of people who responded were under 24 years old.  There are probably a couple of reasons for this: Wicca naturally attracts young people because it is, admittedly, a somewhat fanciful religion.  It also represents pretty much the opposite of Christianity, making it attractive to young people seeking rebellion from their parents' religion.  There are probably less "older" Wiccans because, unfortunately, some of the young people who become Wiccan choose not to stick with it.

Why this isn't bad:

Talk to any established church and they will tell you that young people are the lifeblood of the congregation.  Young people bring vitality and new ideas to any path they choose to walk.  Wicca has changed because of its young adherents, for better or for worse.  However, because of these young people, Wicca continues to grow and--more importantly--continues to be relevant to today's culture, something many churches cannot say truthfully.

3.  Wiccans believe in magick and spells.

I mentioned this before when I said that Wicca is naturally a more fanciful religion.  For many Wiccans, magick and spellwork are important parts of their spiritual practice.  Outsiders may not understand the terms, or believe that we are being silly by incorporating intricate rituals into our practice.  Largely, I think this is a misunderstanding on the part of the outsider, who stereotypes Wiccans as impractical or even delusional because they do not understand the difference between Wiccans and witches they see depicted in mainstream media.

Why this isn't bad:

When you get right down to it, there is very little difference between magick, spells, rituals, and praying.  That is to say, in reality, the difference between an esbat and a Catholic mass is really only the setting.  (That is over-simplifying things a tad, but you get the point.)  And what is a spell besides a prayer with props?  If anyone tries to make you feel silly about casting spells or believing in magick, remind them that this is basically the basis of all religion.  Warning: this won't work on atheists.  They think we're all collectively dumb.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

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