About a year and a half ago I wrote the article The Question of a Unified Paganism. This wasn’t from the perspectives of beliefs but from a social- political perspective. Being a part of, and recognized as part of, the Inter-faith coalitions and communities that meet and advise government entities on issues surrounding religion/ humanities. Although some have argued we do in smaller circles and regional areas, I have not seen it in the large scale Inter-Faith Coalitions.
Freedom of Religion?
We have been dealing with a lot here in the US over the past month (not even a month). Flurries of executive orders, court battles, threats against allies, threats against our own people, and a whole host of actual actions that have already taken place. In the past week there have been three executive orders that has brought me back to the article listed above: Establishment of a Faith Office, Anti-christian bias and the Appointments of said “Faith Office”.
Those appointed to that “office” have been very outspoken about Paganism and Witchcraft being the opposition to their religion. Calling for the “defeat and breaking” of them. Those appointees are part of the christian nationalist movement and pushing for a “christian country.” They use the word “Faith” yet what they are really taking about is their faith. We have seen this time and time again, this play on words, making it seem like it is all religions and faiths, but the rhetoric and actions are only focused on the freedom of christian faith. Feel free to argue this point, but the proof comes in the actions they actual take, not the pretty words they may speak.
The US was never a christian country. Freedom to believe whatever we want, the freedom of religion, is in the very first part of our constitution. It wasn’t until around the 1950’s did “In God We Trust” and other such terms and sentiments started to appear and be placed onto money, federal buildings, and so forth – 174 years after the founding of this country.
Not Me…
We are currently standing in moment that will impact everything that comes next. I know there are Pagan and Witches on the right who think “I supported and helped, they are not meaning me. They aren’t going to come after me.” To them I would say, listen to the others in your camp that have already experienced this in the last couple of weeks with the deportations, funding freezes, and layoffs – listen to those impacted in the farming and construction industries. You got them there, but they do not need you in order to stay there. Look at history – Germany being a good example though there are others too. They didn’t think it would come to them either, yet it did.
We need to get past all of our differences. I am not saying we don’t hold our own beliefs or become one cohesive religion – that would never work and not what any of us want – but if you are a Pagan or Witch, in any form or name, this will affect you. When they say “Faith” we can argue that the word faith applies to us too, but we have been seeing where this has been going so far. We have been watching the rise of christian nationalism and now the implementation of project 2025 which is fully committed to a christian nation.
We can keep watching until it is too late to do anything, or we can start working together to protect and stand up for our beliefs and our communities.
In the Shadows and Light
Some of us will work in the shadows – in the background, and some will work in the light – publicly. We need both as I have stated in the articles: Witches Unite: The Battle Against a Corrupt System, Facing Fear and Finding Resiliency: Wisdom of Ancestors and Your Existence Is The Resistance.
We need people who are going to work in secret and behind the scenes. There is a stealth factor that is needed, not just for resistance but also to care for the community on the whole. The people of movements like the underground railroad were able to do the work because the opposition did not see them.
We need people who have the ability, skills, and platforms to be public. To speak out and speak for the community as a whole – not just their particular community, but for all Pagans and Witches as it pertains to the political and legal playing fields. Again, I am not saying we need to be the same in belief and practice, but we also have a bond in the sense of a larger community under one umbrella.
We can all find a place within that that uses our individual skills and abilities. We can all put aside our internal arguments and differences, seeing them as strengthens instead of weaknesses, because we will need all kinds.
We can put aside our past. This one I know may be harder for some, especially for those on the “other side” (and this goes both ways – right and left). At the end of the day we all share two things: a way of living spiritually and the very possible threat looming. In war, people flip sides – and those people can give us valuable understanding and information of the other side. People are flawed, they make mistakes, they believe the wrong people, and some have never been taught another way. You don’t have to condone or forgive their past actions – just see them as a wounded soul looking to heal (as you are in some way or another too). Some of my Death Emissary students have struggled with this concept at first, when we talk about the dead, but in the end they get it.
Also remember that not all christians believe and act like the christian nationalists and others who would like to see us snuffed out. We have allies there too. We need to embrace them and allow them to help if they want to. Again, I know this is hard for some, because they have struggled with damage from the church, but that organization is not all christians either.
We need allies in all areas.
Unity
We need unity right now. It will take all of us, standing together and for one another. Working together, coordinating together, and supporting each other.
Not all Witches have a “religion” but they are connected to the energy and nature (in various forms). Not all Pagans work with Deities, they may be animistic. But by christian definition we are all Pagans, because we are other-than-abrahamic-tradition. So we can use that to our advantage instead of theirs.
The choice is ours. We can unite behind one cause, one idea, to ensure we keep the freedom to be who we are and live spiritually the way we want. Or we can stay divided, not have a large voice in the discussion – and the protections that come with it, and take the chance that “surely they will recognize us.”
None of this is easy. We already have people with large platforms though, in certain industries such as politics and law, as well as, leaders who already serve in this way in smaller communities. We can do this, and we need to. We may think we are “safe” right now, but what happens when they continue to implement the plan that has been clearly laid out?
You may be in another country where this kind of action seems absurd, but many of you are already fighting against the same rise of this far-right, so how long before they start pushing the same. This is currently a US problem, but unfortunately our problems leak out to the rest of the world more often than not. Those big Inter-Faith tables and groups I spoke of are Global ones, serving all of humanity.
We can do this though, if we do it together. We just need to start having the conversation and move into action.
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