What does it mean to be Pagan?

What does it mean to be pagan?

This is a text format of a two part series on my TikTok account. Link below if you’d rather hear than read.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdGs1VhF/?k=1

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Good day to everyone! Today's series is going to cover some ideas, thoughts and opinions I have had on our pagan community over the past few years, now keep in mind this is my opinion based on observations, interactions, and experiences within.

So, what does being pagan entail? Well many would say it means you venerate gods that came before the abrahamic faiths took hold worldwide. Others would say you claim to be a witch and practice magic. What is the truth? I think it's a bit more complicated and something oftentimes overlooked or not even thought about nowadays in the modern world.

So nowadays we have modern technology, lights, grocery stores, power, and water on tap. Most of us have shelter, or always have had, it's obtainable to go out and buy pretty much anything. It would seem on the surface many forget that back before the takeover, the peoples of various regions and countries who honored and had many gods of a wide range of categories, did not have the things we do today. People had to work hard, fight, struggle against weather, find ways to trade, to survive, to grow food. They relied heavily on favorable weather conditions for survival. They were in sync with the earth, at least their region.

So things like fertility, rain, a good harvest, were all utterly important and a part of daily life. The worldview was entirely different. They don't seem to be so important now on the small scale of an individual's life do they? With Walmart and all.

Being pagan was a lifestyle, worldview and true belief. People did not just hop on the internet and say one day “Hey i'm going to become this kind of pagan because its cool and goes against mainstream”. No, they were born into it, and thus, their core and foundational beliefs were there. This isn't to say people never moved over to another faith or way of life, spirituality and religion are a complex topic. Now in today's age it's very rare if it happens at all that someone is raised in a truly old world belief system, and I believe that because of this there are so many pagans who want to be, but don't truly try to change their perspective or worldview, or even lifestyle. Being pagan is not simply saying you worship god A and B.

It is understanding the world around, the natural world. Working with it, appreciating it, for we are a part of midgard, animism if you have not heard, is worth looking into, it may help change your mindset. While this is not an easy feat, simply changing your beliefs and mindset, like actually changing them as it takes time, I do believe we have a mass amount of people who aren't finding the magic, the connection, the way of life of being pagan. They simply want to be a part of a group, find their tribe. Now that's okay to want your tribe, we all do, we all want somewhere to belong with like minded people.

This leads to the next issue, with the world of the internet you have so many who will simply hop on google, read something, and run with it, spread it as fact or argue someone with it. Sure knowledge is good to have. But what use is it if you don't actually do anything to get that connection, that lifestyle? I'm mainly talking about those who use the term “Im pagan” just to be a part of a group, or try to use it, heathenry is a good example, to push their agendas, use it to attempt to validate their own personal beliefs and opinions. Example would be “the havamal says speak out against all evil, so im gonna start shit with everyone because odin tells me so”. It's the selective choice on what is read and used to follow or push that's an issue anymore. When was the last time you worked with the earth? Walked in the woods, meditated, wildcrafted and foraged? I think it's truly impossible to get a legitimate connection to an older belief if you live a 100% modern lifestyle. This is not to say you can not have modern things, and still believe in old ways, however it's pretty hard to consider that tommy who lives on his phone on tiktok always clapping back at people and trying to “heathen up” and tell others what it means because he read a book or uses google….. Is a little doubtful that he's truly committed or believes in anything other than finding something to support his agenda when it fits.

Being a pagan in a modern time really is difficult, you have to do some self reflection, find the things in the world that have that magic, it's everywhere. It is even harder today since as stated before many are not born into this lifestyle, we are raised in other ways, therefore emptying your mind is a difficult task, and that's the only way you can really learn something new. While the internet allows us to connect with so many others who are like minded, or trying to walk a similar path, allowing us sometimes to find our tribe, even though it's more often short lived, is a great thing, but it also comes with the cost of the arguing over how it was, that your being pagan wrong because this god was named this and not this. One thing that can not be disputed by anyone, no matter how smart they are or well educated in a topic, is the connection you may experience in the world, the fact that the rain brings us life, without it we would not have food. The sun provides life, that little feeling you get when the wind breezes by.

We need to take the time to truly try to help eachother out by finding our natural connection, getting back in touch with midgard, not telling people to buy and earn Mjolnirs and then you are heathen. There is so much more to it than growing a beard, wearing amulets and saying skal. Don't let other people's google knowledge or book knowledge tell you how to do it, you find your connection, your spirituality, and you'll find the right way. While there are facts that we do have written down, and we do owe them the respect of acknowledgement and not altering them, this is a path that's found deeply within yourself, there is no handbook on it, there is no one way to do it. To retouch this is an opinion piece, may fate be kind to you.