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The Portrayal of Paganism in the Media

The Portrayal of Paganism in the Media


Hi. I'm a Pagan. Yes, you heard me right. What image jumps into your head right now? Is it a person dressed all in black, with large pentacles, dragons and ankhs hanging around their necks? Did you picture me as a hippie who can't seem to escape the Swinging 60s?

Guess what? I'm a normal person. I wear jeans and t-shirts, I have a 9-5 job, and I'm studying to achieve my high school diploma at a mature-age level. I'm a 20 year old woman in Melbourne, Australia, and I have been knowingly Pagan for 9 years (although I believe I have been my entire life).

The media has done a fantastic job at portraying Pagans (including Wiccans and Witches) as these ugly women with long fingernails, warts and green skin, tall pointy hats and all dressed in black. Look at the popular film, 'The Craft' - it's portrayal of young witches, all in black, with supernatural powers. What about 'The Wicker Man'? Makes us all out to be lovers of sacrifice, huh?

In all actuality, we're normal people, and my personal mission (as I've come to discover) is to break down this stereotype of modern Pagans. So let's start with the basics...
  1. We do not worship Satan or the Devil - Satan/Devil is a Christian concept, and since Pagans are not Christian, we do not fathom this idea.
  2. We do not eat babies - we worship and honour all life; we'd much prefer to munch on a carrot stick.
  3. We do have our own religions - Paganism is an umbrella term that covers many religions, most of which (if not all) are polytheistic, meaning we believe in many Gods and Goddesses, and we all have our own strong beliefs and moral values.
  4. Many Pagans use spellcraft as a means of procuring results - similar to prayer, we put energies out to the universe to ask for assistance in every day activities. Sometimes those energies are stronger than others, depending on our circumstances. Almost all Pagans use ritual, which could be equated as similar to Sunday Mass.
So no, we're not 'Sabrina', we're not the witch from Hansel and Gretel, and we ask all of you to please keep an open mind when you're faced with questionable content in the news and other media regarding Pagans - we get a lot of flack, and the majority of it is undeserved. Let's strive for a more accepting, open-minded and all-embracing community.
this article has been brought to you by wise-ones.org
By: Terri
Published: 05/20/08


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19 Posted Comments:

Paganism in the Media

@ 12:07 pm 05/20/08 by Margaret
I personally hate this type of article, which is all too common - until pagans stop reinforcing a mainly non existant sterotype themselves, no one will take seriously, its just a waste of an opportunity to say something more positive and meaningful!
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Useless.

@ 12:37 pm 05/20/08 by Jack
I see no useful point to this article... it's just a repeat of the same articles posted over and over again online. "I swear! I'm not like THOSE people!" Why the incessant protest that we aren't all hippies and goths? Why does that even matter? Can't we just leave the hippies and goths alone for once? That's a moot point, it has nothing to do with our acceptance and if people actually believe we all look like that... so what!? If you don't, obviously nobody is going to think you do when they see you, so why diss other people to make you look more socially acceptable? Give me a break, and get over yourself.

And since when is a warty-nosed, pointy-hatted old woman a Wiccan stereotype? Last I checked that "stereotype" pre-dates Wicca and represented something else entirely until Wiccans decided everything labeled "Witch" was a diss on them. Guess what! It's not! Sometimes a "Witch" is just meant to mean somebody with supernatural powers, not us! In your nine years as a Pagan/Witch have you ever had somebody think you were a green-faced, warty-nosed old woman? Because I've been a Witch for 11 years and not once has anybody made that mistake... because, you know, perhaps non-Witches aren't as dumb as you think!
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I wonder...

@ 1:05 pm 05/20/08 by B. Fields
Which of you, Jack and Margaret, has lost a job because you're pagan and a co-worker told your boss that you were going to sacrifice a child in the office? It happens, folks. I'm not public about my beliefs without a very good reason, and that's part of the problem: we don't make ourselves known.

Kudos to Terri for making the issue public, and possibly showing a few misguided souls that the vast majority of us are not a danger, to ourselves or anyone else.
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And we wonder...

@ 1:24 pm 05/20/08 by Ezri S
The real problem is this disgusting in-fighting from pagans/witches. Look at this. A well written article, that is all good and positivie, and the first 2 comments are from fellow pagans, trying to tear the poor girl into ribbons.
I too, have gotten sour looks and dour faces - turned away from job interviews, and lost quite a few friends. Perhaps the first two posters never had any negative stereotypes pushed onto them, but they should consider themselves lucky and blessed - instead of writing snarky, mean spirited comments on someone's article.
Another kudos to Terri!
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Irrelevant

@ 2:43 pm 05/20/08 by Jack
B. Fields: I don't think you understand either my point or my frustration, because your example is utterly irrelevant and somehow you seem to think I don't believe Pagans are persecuted. Pray tell, where on earth did I say that? I apologize for sounding ruder than I meant to in my prior post, but my opinion still stands: I do not like this article, because it implies that the reason we are discriminated against is because of the stereotype that we are all hippies or wear a ton of jewelry. All things like this serve to do is blame people who happen to be alternative for whatever reason for our persecution. But most of the reason people discriminate against Pagans is not because people think we look or dress normal, but because we have a faith system that contradicts with theirs. There are some awfully "normal" appearing people who have been fired from their jobs for reasons irrelevant to those jobs, and no employer in their right mind did so because they thought said person would suddenly turn into a wart-nosed old woman or a hippie. It was done because, plain and simple, their faith systems contradicted... and we aren't going to stop that by declaring we aren't something everybody already knows aren't prerequisites for being Pagan, and by trying so hard to debunk that stereotype all we do is marginalize members of our own community by making a strong statement that people who do act or dress alternative are somehow harming our cause.

What Terri and other authors who write similarly are doing, in essence, is make a strong statement that she isn't a weirdo. Great, so Terri is "normal." Good for her. What does that have to do with the right not to be discriminated against? Does this mean it's OK to discriminate if somebody does act different? How many more times am I going to have to listen to a bunch of Pagans whine about goths and hippies as if they're the cause of all our problems? When can we start actually blaming people who discriminate instead of our own people?
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Pagans in the Media

@ 2:46 pm 05/20/08 by T.L. Sims
After having been beaten to the point of a severe concussion for my beliefs, I still live openly. Many, of course, won't accept but there are many others who do. I understand the same points being made time and time again because of the way pagans are portrayed in the media and until we all live openly, stop arguing with each other about certain paths, what is right or wrong in paganism, we will not be seen any differently.
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Pagans in the Media

@ 4:35 pm 05/20/08 by Cheryl
Terri's article may seem lightweight, or even useless to some that read it. It really all depends on where you are. The west coast of the U.S. and Canada are very open and accepting of anyone's beliefs, however, the same can not be said of large portions on the mid-section of either country.

Vast spaces of Australia and New Zealand tend to be a bit behind, so I am willing to bet that this article (while a rehash of stuff we in more open areas have read over and over) is probably news to a large percentage of the population of those countries or at the very least, a large percentage of the area that this article would reach.

To dismiss her article as useless and trash her is ridiculous ... she is writing based on her own experiences and perceptions in her own country/area which may ACTUALLY include these stereotypes.

Give her a break. It was short and concise, and not badly written. We read these things regularly on WitchVox, etc., but then the articles on that site and those like it are submitted from around the world.

Save the condemnation and support the writers.
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Over Generalized

@ 5:28 pm 05/20/08 by Garrett Irish
I think articles like this have a point,but only if they are informative.That wasn't.What did we learn about respecting differences,what did we really learn about overall "paganism" that you couldn't find out from a poorly written Wicca self help book?

I think we need to prove to the outside world that we are an intelligent set of people able to commit our religions to serious theological discussion.Too often I find Wiccans or Druids who know only what they saw online, or ones writing books about how Wicca has been a religion for thousands of years and the evil men brought it down. No self respecting academic can overlook those sort of major error. Most of the public knows well enough to bunk that as well.

Though I suppose the antipathy towards organization might have something to do with that, as well as the infighting.
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peace and acceptance for all

@ 7:58 pm 05/20/08 by susan hughes
i applaude you terri,it is time that we as pagans/witches/wiccans(whichever you choose to call yourself)stand up for our beliefs.we are part of this world too.but i do have a little complaint.hippies and goths,are under the same umbrella of paganism and should not be singled out and used as a scapegoat.they may look different,by choice,but most have the same beliefs as other pagans.we need to look at the bigger picture of acceptance for all,not just pagans.for this world to gain peace,we as human beings,need to be able to accept each other.whatever your race,culture,religion,lifestyle and even the way we choose to express ourselves.for too long our world has been controlled by ignorance and violence.it is time we stood up and demanded peace for all
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good =)

@ 12:44 am 05/21/08 by L.s
The article is good.

And yeah, Australia and New Zealand are perhaps further behind in public-knowledge about Paganism. I'm in Auckland, New Zealand which is not the capital, but is the most populated city here and I've been searching for a nearby occult supplier but the only result I've come across is an online-order one! On top, the word 'Pagan' itself is still unfamiliar to a lot of people I meet.

The shear fact is that movies, novels, stories etc WILL CONTINUOUSLY spawn 'stereotyped' images of witches. Apart from a few select items, the rest will portray some shrewed and heavily distorted image of a 'witch' which will, in turn, fuel the vivid imaginations of our employers, friends and families when they learn that we are 'witches'.

The volume of this type of article doesn't bother me at all. For areas where the vast majority of people are yet to hear the terms "Wicca" or "Paganism", they will now be able to run a google search with good chances of finding an article like this to let them know what's going on.

Which reminds me, I think it's a better idea to say "I'm Pagan" or "I'm Wiccan", instead of "I'm a witch" on the basis that out of the words {Pagan, Wiccan, Witch}, one of these are obviously going to more likely give the seeker misguided information...

Blessed Be,
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meeting point

@ 3:47 am 05/21/08 by ET
I can't concur with Cheryl that the U.S. West Coast embraces Paganism so freely. I lived in a small coastal town in Oregon for many years where I was assailed by neighbors for being "unchurched," and gasped at should I dare to proclaim that something was "godawful;" which was a blasphemy to my neighbors, apparently, though to me a very mild comment.

Stereotypes become what they are for a reason - because they are broadly embraced in the general populace. Everything from "Charmed" to "The Wizard of Oz" informs the general populace as to their definition of what makes for a "witch" or "witchcraft."

If we're smart, as Wiccans and Pagans, we will look at the viewpoints embraced by the lowest common denominator as to what we're all about, rather than consigning those stereotypes to the sidelines. We need to take that viewpoint head-on, challenging it honestly, instead of shrugging it off.

That's not reinforcement. It's the conviction that makes for a level playing field.
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Agree/Disagree

@ 10:05 am 05/21/08 by Miss P
I agree that the article mentions stereotypes that are a little out of date, but I don't agree the writer should be chastised for writing what she did. Despite what is said here, I know of people who still believe anyone who is not a Christian is wrong, strange, weird and/or evil. I've had my car keyed, I've lost jobs and I've known people I've known for years to behave differently around me once they find out I'm not of one of the Judeo-Christian faiths. That's proof to me, even in a modern, normally well educated community.

I know of several people who profess to be Pagan who use it as a catchword to shock and an excuse to behave badly; ie that there are not concequences in this world for them because "they don't follow that path". This young lady does not appear to me to be one of those, thankfully. She appears to be someone who wants people to know that it's normal, that we're not so bad and that what many people still think about our faith (ie "Satan worship") is not reality. All in all, it's not a bad thing.
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positive pagan role models

@ 1:46 pm 05/21/08 by Margaret
To summarise the feedback, most support the need for this article and my original comments have been variously accused of being snarky, mean spirited, of tearing the young girl to pieces and of participating in "disgusting infighting". None of which was my intention.

I guess it all boils down to how prevalent the stated stereotypes really are, whether it is true that the vast majority of people (in Australia or elsewhere) have yet to know the terms "Wicca and paganism" and if you have something against Goth or hippy images as representing modern paganism.

I am Australian and have run a gift and magickal supply business for 13 years specifically targeting witches and Goths (and the odd hippy) - and can honestly say these are not issues that are important to me on a daily basis. Of course I have met those who have been vilified (most notably Olivia Watts, who took her local Mayor to court on this issue a few years ago) but such cases are rare.

If Terri is serious about her stated mission I'd personally like to see less cliches and more focus on positive pagan role models.

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Reiteration

@ 5:39 pm 05/21/08 by Sharon Parkinson
Believe it or not, although articles like this are in plenty out there, mankind, like children, need repetition before they actually LISTEN!!! This article, or the many like it, will be, and needs to be, repeated over and over again, all over the world... and still many will be blind and deaf to what it is saying, but then again, many will eventually see and the penny will drop....
It is not a waste of time...
It is a necessity!!!
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Pagans

@ 11:28 pm 05/21/08 by Karen
Hi. I enjoyed your article. I read the 13 Laws of Wicca once, and it gave me a better understanding of these 'alternative' religions. If people like Jack practiced being Paganism, he might not feel so inclined to leave negative comments, which aren't helpful to anyone in reality.
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FYI

@ 1:26 pm 05/22/08 by EmeraldYomi
As an Australian, I just wanted to chime in and say that we arn't all that 'behind'. I have absolutely no doubt that should you go to any capital city in this country you will have no trouble finding people who know and/or practice paganism in it's varying forms. Go to a remote country area and it would probably be a different story. I would think, from what I've seen commented so far, that isn't very different than in the US.
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Positive paganism

@ 9:45 pm 05/22/08 by Dario
Having been bought up in the tradition of stregheria (Italic paganism) and having followed this path all my life, I have to say that never have I experienced hostility or prejudice regarding my beliefs and practices.

Originally from rural Umbria, and now living in a small town in South Africa (neither exactly centres of progressive or alternative thought!) , I have found that people have been more curious about paganism than anything else. Surely we should see ourselves as positive role models and educate and inform, rather than bewail our circumstances or deride others for their ignorance of our practices?

I have no doubt that Terri's article frames her own particular context. For myself, I avoid concepts such as "normal" or "hippies" or "goths". I think each being is entitled to his or her own individuality, and that there is common ground to be found with anyone with whom we associate. This finding of common ground is central to my own practices, and central to the tenet of "first do no harm".

Too often prejudice is either something we create and manufacture in our own minds, or something born out of ignorance. Dwelling on stereotypes or injustices can never create anything positive, and simply entrenches cliches.

Blessed be.
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Well written article...

@ 9:47 pm 05/22/08 by Blaine
I think the article was well written. As a former military Pagan that actually had Celtic Wicca on his dog tags and was openly Pagan I received both good and bad attitudes as to my chosen way of life. Once during a health and welfare inspection I had my athame taken away and put into the arms room. But after going to the Chaplains office and getting my hands on a copy of the then DA Pamphlet 165-13 A Chaplains Handbook for Select Religions...And photo copying the Wiccan section...and highlighting the Athame part, my CO went with me and I got my Athame back. I also had a Sergeant give me grief because I wore a pentacle along with my dog tags. But then I had another tell that Sergeant that I was allowed to wear it.The one good thing that happened...was while driving my hummer...my last Platoon Seargeant didnt have a problem with me being Wiccan ...he said while in Iraq he had a Wiccan driver and never once got into trouble because of a ritual his driver did to the hummer.
So you will find both positive and negative attitudes wherever you go. If the Pagans/Heathens could all get along and get organized....then we as a whole would go alot further in the general publics eyes.
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For those who don't believe in this stereotype

@ 3:30 pm 06/12/08 by Dana
I've seen discrimination acted out based on negatively reinforced media attention. No we aren't the people that the media has formed an image of, but somehow we have become lumped together with this fable of child devouring ugly haters of society that wish nothing more than to generate problems around us. In my coven alone I've had two families divided because some person wished to stick their ethics into those peoples lives and have the child services remove children until the state deemed it safe. There were whole court battles and needless amounts of money spent on making the proper people realize that it wasn't a principle of religious ethics and that these children were in more harm because of the shelters they were placed in. Five of my covenmates in two covens have been fired from jobs because the manager or regional boss heard of the association to the craft and decided that its better to falsify testimony than to practice tolerance. Only one of those people actually proved thier case and won, however the hospital organization refuses now to pay. The other four have families. due to the decision of the manager/ owners to fire these people, they struggle day to day to provide the simplest things for their families. You can't tell me it was because they chose not to be christian that caused this, it was because someone who was overtly oppressing these people with their religious views that caused this. Another of my friends regularly gets his house vandalized and one of his pets murdered because of the town he lives in. They call him names and one nearly hit me with his car merely because I was seen walking with him. The police in that town refused to take any action against this activity, sighting "mischievous teenagers looking for a good time, if we see anything we warn them". This is what the whole of America has come to, one day a pagan will be murdered in front of witnesses and the only result that come of it will be a back page article of a Depressesd goth who took her own life. This article only touches on the mistreatment that I witness, and I wish that the people who trivialize this problem would consider that how they feel about it only perpetuates the problem.
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