By Joseph Bardsley
It undoubtedly goes without saying that now, more than ever, walking through the hallways of a local high school can be a jarring sensory experience. A barrage of competing colors, styles, and personalities – short skirts, blue hair and multiple piercings, to name a few examples - are by no means uncommon. Almost as undoubtedly, anyone with a child in a contemporary secondary school – or, in many cases, a junior high - will attest to how trying such times in their child’s adolescence can be as far as the immersion in new fads and styles is concerned.
Only recently, however, has the surprising and unexpected among teens made the leap from clothing and style to ideologies and personal beliefs. Among young people, a massive and relatively recent rise of interest in alternative religions, schools of thought and belief structures – collectively known as paganism – are leaving confused individuals on the outside scratching their collective heads at what seems to many people as anything from strange to New Age “garbage” to, in extreme cases, an emotionally-damaging plethora of flawed principles with demonic overtones. To those intimately acquainted with such new developments, however, involvement in paganism brings meaning and direction into lives previously devoid of both. Many teens speak of finding fulfillment and understanding among like-minded peers in pagan circles, and for many, it represents their first meaningful social interactions since childhood.
Paganism is traditionally defined as a belief system not falling under the Christian, Muslim, or Jewish banner of faith; additionally, pagans are usually polytheists, meaning they believe in and support more than one supreme being of some sort. In general, paganism is defined as all religions that do not venerate one single, absolute God. Because of this definition, paganism usually encompasses most eastern religions as well as a host of much older faiths, including Freemasonry and Gnosticism. The contemporary meaning of paganism, however, simply refers to those who chose to live their lives on a different path and plane from others.
While Wicca and witchcraft are generally seen as offshoots of sects of paganism in general, they have entirely different sets of roots. Gerald Gardner (1884 – 1964), an English citizen who claimed to be of lineage to witches himself, created Wicca as a formal, yet easily-accessible system of worship in the mid 1950s for himself and a handful of interested followers. Witchcraft as it is known today is a much older practice. Evidence of magical rituals tied to witchcraft has been found in ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, and Greek cultures, and these practices have diversified and flourished in countless different environments over time – usually to the point where they have become homogenized into what is popularly known as contemporary witchcraft today. Wicca in general has often had a large following of young people, and is usually characterized with a strong “new-age’ flavor and concurrent belief systems.
There are currently close to 300,000 serious, practicing followers of Wicca and witchcraft in the United States; 21,000 more adherents can be found in Canada. Wicca, witchcraft and the pagan lifestyle in general are usually characterized with a strong emphasis on nature and self-awareness; additionally, a high moral standard is usually sacrosanct in any practitioner’s personal piecemeal canon. Significant levels of importance are placed on spell-casting and other elements of magical practice; furthermore, great emphasis is placed on the individual and their contribution to the natural world. Because of a general refusal from outsiders to acknowledge the pagan lifestyle as valid on a general level, certain liberties are taken within involved circles to differentiate themselves from their more pedestrian contemporaries. For example, magic as a concept is highly important to pagan practitioners; to ensure that no confusion with common “stage magician” overlaps occur, in Wiccan, pagan, and other polytheist groups, “magic” is referred to as “magick”.
Bridget, 18, considers herself a pagan. Raised and educated in a Roman Catholic household and school system since childhood, she tried to assimilate the Catholic faith however possible for years. In spite of existing attempts at dogmatic instruction from parents, peers and educators, however, she had always been fascinated with the idea of tapping into previously unseen magical realms and having more control over her own ultimate destiny.
“I had always been fascinated with the idea of a deeper realm than what we see in our day-to-day lives. I also had originally wanted to make some attempt at improving my own life through magic and introspection. I did some soul searching on my own, and realized it was what I wanted in life – ultimately, to become more aware of myself and my surroundings.” she said.
Bridget says that she originally got into paganism for all the wrong reasons, and that this is a common problem among teenagers and young people in general. What began as a relatively selfish desire for personal understanding and power over the short term became, over time, a more mature and focused understanding of herself through the world around her.
“I began to realize that being a pagan is all about being aware of yourself, being aware of the world, and understanding the magic which is ever-prevalent in the air around us. I began to see myself as important in the world, and understand that my actions affected others in the long run.” said Bridget.
A fundamental tenet behind paganism, Bridget says, is the lasting awareness that one’s life does not end with the demise of their physical body, and that life should be seen as more than just an journey to complete as quickly and painlessly as possible; instead, it should be used as a way of experiencing as much as possible and using your own energy for good in the lives of others. “When I found paganism, I found myself.” she said.
Many teenagers approach systems like Wicca and paganism in general because of a deep desire to find acceptance with a system of beliefs that they feel personally close to. Chris Sattlegger, 19, found that paganism became meaningful for him thanks to a strong sense of resentment for the Catholic system of worship.
“I know it sounds dramatic and full of angst, but it was out of resent for the Church. I was even an altar boy, but it didn’t act as anything I was looking for, or help me grow as an individual. I decided to look around a bit and pick stuff up that was interesting. I found others who called themselves pagan, and I guess the title took.” said Sattlegger.
In spite of the widely-touted benefits and apparent sense of belonging which goes along with taking up the pagan lifestyle, however, some individuals with heavy ties to more traditional religious organizations see this relatively new phenomenon as something bordering on a threat for relatively unsuspecting and easily-duped young people looking for a cause to throw their lot in with.
“Any belief system can damage a person. Most people currently in neo-pagan groups report that joining the group did help them. It’s only later, after they leave the group, that some of the ex-members say it damaged them.” said Irving Hexham, a religion professor at the University of Calgary.
Extreme neo-pagan groups do exist in continental Europe. More often than not, these groups do identify strongly with extreme right-wing politics.
“I think the whole religious thing on a whole is dangerous.” said Jennifer Bottriell, 20, a Medicine Hat College student who considers herself a former Catholic and current atheist. “Stuff like this can really cloud your perspectives and leave you stuck with a cause that isn’t your own.”
A branch of paganism is also affiliated with Satanism as a concept. While Satanism is mostly aligned with Christianity’s canon, a branch of it does carry over to Wicca – the veneration of one’s self and being in touch with the negative aspects of existence do share the same attributes as contemporary satanic beliefs. However, much of this “extremist” paganism is attributed to lone splinter groups and factions headed by less-than-sane individuals; to cite a particular example, we can examine the case of Rod Farrell, a relatively well-known murderer with satanic leanings. Farrell, in spite of having no ties to the pagan community, abused the pagan system of belief for his own cultish ends, much to the disadvantage of unfortunately naďve potential cult members. Darker elements of paganism often take on the form of financial, spiritual, and emotional exploitation of young and relatively naďve teenagers by older and less scrupulous teachers and authority figures in the craft.
According to Isaac Bonewit’s Cult Danger Evolution Frame (www.neopagan.net), when dealing with any kind of religious organization on a personal level, it is extremely important to verify that a group or organization is functional for the right reasons – exorbitant financial gain and member exploitation not among them – and that the group in question is not actually an unassuming cult.
Wicca especially is not to be associated with Satanism, according to practitioners; this was mentioned as a defined rule by the Council of American Witches in April 1974 in their statement of the principles of Wiccan beliefs. Practitioners of Wicca and other forms of paganism advocate tolerance and understanding in the face of any pre-conceived notions or misguided beliefs. This desire especially is meant to appeal to parents, older friends, and other authority figures. Although they may not be pleasantly surprised to know that a son, daughter or other teenager they know has become involved with Wicca or other previously unknown pagan schools of thought, to say the least, most teens do get involved in the practices for the right reasons.
“Besides the obvious stuff like lending books and explaining things and showing that this isn’t all bad or scary, the most important thing you can do with parents especially is to negotiate about boundaries. Let them know what your plans are, and that what you’re doing will be safe.” said Bridget, who currently operates a pagan site geared towards individuals with similar issues – www.bridgids-haven.com.
Wicca and paganism are seen as attractive to teens on multiple levels. Some are attracted to what seems like a chance to stand out from their peers and embrace something entirely different and “edgy” in a quest for individuality. The apparent beauty of a nature-themed religion, and the concept of a divine feminine power attract others; for some, the simple, albeit misunderstood idea of using magic and spells for apparent personal gain seems like something worth pursuing. At first glance, Wicca often seems like a counter-culture phenomenon, used to shock and differentiate from current societal trends. It has been said by practitioners, however, that the growing movement among young people shows an increasing awareness of one’s spiritual and personal perspectives in the world today. Often, through the study of magic and paganism and related tenets, teenagers are drawn to auxiliary information, such as studies on philosophy and Eastern religions. These can often help interested individuals answer their own personal questions and gain their own forms of enlightenment. Practicing Wicca also often becomes a form of stress release for some teenagers through its promotion of mediation and acute self-awareness, which are both highly beneficial to anyone seeking a greater sense of spiritual and emotional gratification.
Regardless of paganism’s apparent benefits and disadvantages, the new-age metaphysical movement is continually growing and has millions of devoted adherents. Thanks to its unshakable immersion in current teenage culture through a myriad of traditions and practices, it has found a home among today’s young people far removed from its ancient and relatively mystical trappings. Regardless of what form the practice takes on, its cult reputation among youth alone will ensure that alternative forms of worship are open to anyone willing to venture only slightly off of an open societal road.