Paganism History to Present

History

I am not a history professor although I have studied for many years. The events and doings that went on over twenty thousand years ago present a great challenge in knowing what went on and did not back then. We have to use educated guesses about the long ago past based on the artifacts and writings left behind. So the information here is my view on things and how they happened.

The word Pagan is know to be a term used by the Christian Church at one time for any one not of the Christian faith. But now days it has come down to describe a number of faiths mainly from the areas of Europe. Some of the faiths described as pagans include Wicca, Witchcraft, Druidism, and Norman. Each is has so similarities between them.

Centuries ago before the Christian Church and before the birth of of the man named Jesus, Europe was made up of many lands. Those lands consisted of the Lands Gaul, the Germanic land, the northern lands of Norwegians, the British Isles, Rome, and Greece.

Rome grew and became the first united country in Europe. They then conquered there neighbor Greece. From there they moved up until they took part of lower Gaul. Every where that Rome went it gathered new men to fight in there armies as well as slaves. But they also left Romans warriors there to see that as a new part of Rome they took on the normal Roman way of life. Which included their money, Religion, and Taxes. With there great numbers they swept through Europe, Germany, and most of the British Isles.

They made a point to kill or make slaves of any people who where leaders of the local people and any of the local religious orders. Which helped the Roman's indoctrinate the people. So those of the local religions that had escaped or hidden what they where could only practice there ways in hiding and pass on what they knew through there family keeping it a secrete at all times.

Then as time went on an each country developed with there own rulers Judaism spread through part of Europe. From there an group split off to start the first Christians. Before the 3rd Century A.D. Christianity was considered a militant sub group by those in power of the Roman Empire. But in the 3rd Century it was integrated into the Greco- Roman society. In the year 312 A.D. Christianity became the official Religion of the Roman Empire as declared by Constantine I.

Once the church grew in power it saw any one who was not a Christian a heretic and they tortured and killed them. Which included the Holy Crusades where knights road out to expand the Christian Empire and to capture the city of Jerusalem. On the way of course they murdered, raped, and plundered the whole way there. All in the name of God though. Once Christianity had spread through Europe and every one had fallen under the Churches sight, people had to do as the Church said. Also every one was expected to go to church or be seen as a heretic and excommunicated or worse.

But there where still some who believed and fallowed the old ways. A problem which the Church had trouble in rooting out. So they had to change a few things as well as add some holidays to co-inside with the pagan ones. Including All Saints day which comes right after Halloween (Samhain). Still one of the most widely celebrated pagan holidays in the United States.

Then in around 1215 the Church moves to drive witches out of Europe. People who still practiced the old pagan ways where the ones clamed to be witches as well as other non-Christians and women who did not know there place. Since Women where inferior to men as the Church believed the Devil was more likely to be susceptible to the will of Satan. The Devil being transformed from the Pagan God of the Sun, a half man half stag to give even more reason to kill the pagans they could find.

As the church hunted women and so called witches several manuals giving advice on how to find as well as Judge witches. Non perhaps as famous as the Malleus Malficarum. Which was published in 1486 by two German Inquisitors Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger. Witchcraft suspects where often tortured into confessing there crimes. Such methods included the the rack, thumb screws, leg screws, head clamps, the "witches chair" ( seated in the chair fire would be started below to heat the chair. Like sitting on a frying pan.), the "bootes" (a device that crushed ones legs so bad you would never walk again), knives, hot pokers, sleep depravation, chocking, and dunking in water or rivers.

There where also trials to tell if one was a witch. Some of which included "swimming the witch". Where they tied the witch's wrists to her ankles and tossed them into the water. If you sunk well you where innocent, and most likely dead! But if you floated you where declared a witch. In cases of possession the possessed person was brought before the witch. If they had a fit then the person was a witch. Or they would weigh the witch agents the Bible. If one was a witch with a heart full of sin you would weight more then the Bible. If you where a pure person, God would make you lighter then the Bible and you would be free.

If one was convicted of being a witch they would be executed. This normal meant either hanging, beheading, or burning at the stake. All executions where public to insure fear of being on the wrong side of the Church as well of that of the devil and witches.

This remains today one of the main reason in people feat of the occult and magick. In 1782 the last officially sanctioned witch execution was carried out. But people still continued to be proclaimed a witch and slain In 1895 a man beat and burned his wife to death in the presence of her family and friends claming she was a witch. In 1915 an accused witch was stoned to death in Texas. This was the last known public slaying of a witch.

Paganism Today

Modern day Paganism has been greatly influenced by people struggling to make the religion more recognized and excepted through out the world. These people include Charles Leland, Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente, Alex Sanders, Raymond Buckland, Starhawk (Miriam Simons), Scott Cunningham, Lady Sheba (Jessie Wicker Bell), as well as many others.

Today every year the numbers of pagans grows. The major cities of the US as well as other countries in Europe as well as Australia have celebrations on all of the major Sabbats. We still at many turns are discriminated agents. But with the legal battles to fully separate the Christian Church for our government help insure our equality. We have pagans in all walks of live here in the US as well as in other countries. But what we really need it to come together as one. I know there are many paths as well as difference between wiccans and witches. But if we wish to be an influence in the world today we need to stand together. Only this will help us grow in numbers as well as understanding. People fear what they do not understand. If every one knew how peaceful natured we are most would not fear us and have no problem living in the same cities with us and our children playing together. We could live beside others with no problem and work together to better man kind if we where only excepted.

The problem is not the people them selves it is the ones higher up who seem to want nothing more then power. They have those who are supposed to be leaders telling them who to vote for, demanding money from them, demanding that they attend Church, telling them how to raise there children, how to live, how to be with there mate, and any thing else they wish to try and force on the followers. Including some groups that will excommunicate members and there family for not follow the Church's rules. If members then get caught or seen talking to an excommunicated member they will be excommunicated as well even if they are parents or a long time friend.

Then all that the ones in power break the rules that they set down. They say being Gay is a sin. Yet you hear about some of the leaders admitting to it. You have so-called Priest and Pastors doing unspeakable things to children. And no this does not happen in just the Christian Church, Other groups and religions do things to children. These things get over looked cause who ever did it was though of as Holeyer then thou.

The fact they people say the sex scandal in the Catholic Church went on for years unknown is a bunch of Bull Shyt! Cause I was born in 1981 and by the time I went to middle school it was a very well known joke about waking up next to a Catholic Priest in the morning. So if kids knew it went on why didn't the parents? Where they so indoctrinated that they could not believe the leaders of there religion would so some thing so bad? Or did they think the children told naughty lies and punished them? "Oh Tommy/Becky how dare you say some thing like that of Father/Pastor John Doe. (spank) Now get up to your room your grounded. And if I ever hear you say some thing like that I will wash your mouth out with soap!"

Now I am not saying it happens all the time and that ever Father/Pastor does such things to children, but when it happened something should have been done. Plus on top of all of that one of my biggest problems it not with main stream Christianity. Most Churches and member as good honest people. If you are a good person and Christianity is what you feel you belong, great. I am more then happy for you. All I ask is to be left alone to believe and do as I wish.

It is the major radical Christians that get me. They strive to tell people different from them that they are wrong. Then they walk around acting like they are better then you. I have had my co-workers do it, my wife's Pastor do it, and I am sure many other Pagans out there have experienced the same thing. "Your a Devil worshiper!" "Your going to Hell!" "Its ok to steal, have sex with out marriage, and do any number of other things cause Jesus will forgive all my sins if I ask him." (now any one thinking I am making that all up, one of my ex-coworkers stole from every one at work, and slept around, but it was ok.)

The biggest lesson we need to learn on both sides is how to live in peace. I do not expect that to happen though. Cause they will always be people who will want to force there will onto others. There will always be people who think they are always right and better then any one else, even if they are or not. Perhaps one day we will learn to stand up as Christian, Pagan, Jew, Muslim, Native American and all the other religions out there and cast down the trouble makers so that we can live for the better of mankind.

"Remember History is written by the Conquerors!"

Perceptions of Pagans: What Are People Afraid Of?
by Ares Hearthfire
(Article used with authors permission)

Emailares@sacredchalice.com

It is amazing to me that 30-plus years after the late Dr. Leo Martello won his right to hold a ritual in Central Park we still have to come back to discussing how we are perceived. The public at large is not afraid of our religion. No, most of them tend to let us be and mind their own business. I say that with certainty since that is human nature. However, there are still those that fear...or do they?

It seems that every few weeks there are more stories mentioning Witches, Wiccans or Pagans in general. While most of the articles are now positive and informative, there are still those that report that so and so of blah blah blah church held a meeting that people are going to the devil. In listening to them talk we find that they really do not fear us. They fear the loss of their own voice.

One reason why many see the Christian extremists in this country demanding that laws be made to support the Judeo-Christian belief system is that they can feel the changes coming. Just like us, they open the same papers and do the same Internet searches and find so many articles and sites discussing Pagans. We are all humans after all; it is not like we have different sources of news and information!

They, like us, can plainly see that there has been a rise in articles and hence, a rise in the amount of Pagans there must be. While many complain that these people see the devil in all things not Christian, I feel that is very much another reason that they perceive us differently. They do not care about reading what Pagans believe. What we believe does not matter. It is not our beliefs that bother these extremists. It is the fact that we exist and breathe. There really is no logic in this.

The goal of these groups and people is not to slander our paths. That actually is just a means to an end. They simply want to make sure that people keep following their ideas. They have been brought up in regions where there has been nothing more than pure homogeneity. Almost everyone in their communities was the same in terms of race and religion. In reality, they simply fear change. For some reason they are just resisting the tides of change that are happening in the communities. It is the change that they truly fear, not us.

In general, most people are very accepting of our beliefs. There have been Pagans serving with and even as heads of interfaith organizations for over ten years. The organizations that they have sat with and chaired accepted their membership. From this it can be implied that clergy of many other religions have absolutely no problem with the Pagan path. Indeed, many are intrigued and want to learn more about it themselves. This type of inclusion would have been impossible to dream of several decades ago. This shows a great deal of progress. After all, if you can gain acceptance of some shepherds you also gain the acceptance of their flocks.

During Samhain season, it seems that almost every newspaper in America interviews a Witch. Most of these reports are positive. While some still include words like "warlock" and may describe some practices as "hokey," we cannot let that blind us as to what is truly being said. Since many of the journalists do not read books on Witches or Wicca they would not know what "warlock" means to us. Since they do not tell us every word they are using, we cannot correct them ahead of time.

Behind the semantics, they still report normal people doing things a little differently. They may seem hokey to those that do not practice our faiths, but they do see that we are not harming anything and have fun doing what we do. That is the point! The general public is not stupid. They do not care what we do, as long as they see we are open to people watching and reporting they will begin to trust us.

In some parts of the country being a Wiccan is not even a big deal. Here in New York the Covenant of the Goddess used to have a local council, however the "Gotham" council was disbanded. Simply put, the community here is accepting of us already so the need is not there. Pagan shops operate without opposition, festivals happen in major parks with no protestors showing up at all. While this may not be the case in some areas, things do take time!

Remember, a long time ago it was the cities that converted to a new faith and the country dwellers were slow to follow. Now times are changing, history is repeating. The cities are becoming more accepting of their Pagan residents and the rural folk are coming around, but slower. We can see plainly through the media and the interviews in these more rural locations that the general consensus is favoring acceptance. The majority will only grow larger over time.

All we need is to do what we are currently doing and a lot more of it. We need to take ourselves seriously. We should indicate our religion when the census is taken. We should take part in political campaigns and send letters to the elected officials. Whenever we see an article that is not positive, we should send letters to the paper...even if it is not a local one! More than everything else we should make Pagan Pride Day every day of the year. Always be proud of who you are as a person and as a Pagan. For every voice that is willing to speak there is always a larger audience of people that are willing to hear.

In conclusion, the people that fear us do not fear us for what we believe or how we practice. This information is readily available to anyone that wants to read it. The general populace is becoming more and more accepting of our beliefs. Interfaith groups are accepting Pagans as members and leaders. We as Pagans always talk about the past; we remember the burning times and the witch-hunts. We should also remember that those in the country come around slower to new ideas, but after a time they will begin to accept them.

Ares Hearthfire