Which Witch?

T.K. McNeil

What comes to mind when you hear, or read, the word “pagan”? Long the subject of fascination, conjecture and fear, pagans are one the most maligned and misunderstood groups of people, becoming a cultural short-hand for otherness if not outright evil. From the Salem Witch Trials to the Cult Scares of the late 1980s and early 1990s, those who have not towed the established theological line have had some very strange, and very dubious, things said about them.

More of a general descriptor than a group identifier, the term pagan generally refers to a belief system that has veneration of the natural world as a central tenant of their theology. Some have a deity or deities such as Wicca, with whom many of the others are mistakenly equated. Others, such as Druids, are straight-up “nature worshipers”. It is also important to point out that, at least in the Western context, nearly all modern pagan practitioners are part of a movement of cultural revivalists, or “neo-pagans”, restarting a traditional belief system that was over taken by one of the more dominant cultural forces at some point in history. As Catholicism did in the ancient Norse and Celtic worlds. This is not to suggest, as many have tried, that paganism is in some way directly opposed to or the enemy of monotheism. This assumption being one of the main reasons for paganism’s shadowy reputation.

There is actually very little overlap between pagan and monotheistic belief systems and those that are parallel are more similar than contentious. The main source of discord tends to originate with the commandment about having other gods. Except that the wording is “thou shall have no gods before me”. Not “thou shall have no gods except me.” There is actually nothing in either paganism or monotheism that directly prevents someone from holding both beliefs. Examples of people who have done this include T.S. Eliot, Blase Pascal and Sir Isaac Newtown, none of them stupid or evil men, all of whom subscribed to belief systems that combined monotheism with elements of veneration for the natural world.

A term which tends to be used in conjunction with paganism, rightly or wrongly, is “occult”. According to various dictionaries, occult is a fairly specific term referring to non-monotheistic belief system which has either as its basis or as a major part of its structure, magic-based rituals or practices. The number of pagan belief systems that have occult factors as part of their tradition is relatively low. Even in terms of magical practices, often referred to of spell-casting, a bit of context is needed. Even the most devout, practicing Wiccan will openly admit that there is no such thing as zapping someone and making them fall in love with you. It does not work that way. What can be done is an “attraction potion.” A compound of natural elements including water and spices, to create a particular smell designed to trigger a pheromone response.

Something much closer to chemistry or herbalism than literal sorcery. It should also be mentioned that despite a common misconception, even held by some Wiccans, not all Wiccans practice Witchcraft. Wicca, the fastest growing of the neo-pagan religions, particularly in the UK, is a specific pagan belief-system with its own traditions, rituals, strictures, tenants and deities. Witchcraft is a magical practice encompassing many different, sometimes over-lapping systems and has been used in various countries and cultures in myriad forms over a matter of centuries.

Something of a touchy subject in the pagan community is the assumption of sexual promiscuity and required ritual nudity. Ritual nudity, known as going skyclad, is not common to all pagan belief systems, tending to be limited to those with an occult element such as Wicca, particularly those who practice the “green” form of witchcraft, who believe that they derive their power directly from nature, particularly the forest. Though even in this situation it is a matter of individual choice and is not done in a sexual context, the purpose being to form a closer connection to the natural level, as well as the natural elements being worked with in the context of the ritual.

Almost any reference to paganism, though particularly those in the negative sense, feature either a pentagram (a drawn image) or a pentacle (a physical object). While the pentagram is a major symbol for many occult pagan belief systems, Wicca in particular, the symbol has become inextricably associated with evil, even though the real history of the pentagram is both long and complicated. Dating back to ancient Greece, the exact meaning varies quite a bit depending on time period and geographic region. In terms of the West it has symbolized every thing from the five limbs (arms, legs, head) to the five senses and the five wounds of Christ. In the context of Western pagan revivalism, the pentagram is used as a religious symbol, similar to the cross and the Star of David. The demonization of the pentagram is no different in essence than the bastardization of the Eastern symbol for good fortune and well-being by extended association with the German National Socialists.

The elephant trumpeting in the corner of the room can no longer be ignored and needs to, finally, be addressed. As is likely clear by now, the assumptions conflating paganism with devil worship are greatly overblown if not outright fraudulent. There is no real analog for Satan in pre-Christian pagan traditions. Not even the Greek Lord of the Underworld Hades, despite constant attempts to conflate him with Satan. There are also several elements of philosophy that distance satanism from other pagan traditions. Many Western occult pagan traditions have the “Rule of Three”. In essence the idea is that anything that is put put into the universe will come back three-fold. So, if one does evil they will live with evil three-fold. Basically, a Satanist is someone who has been raised in the monotheist tradition, believed in it all and decided: “I think I’ll go with the other guy.”