I am pagan.
While I may have dressed up as Persephone for Halloween last year, my beliefs themselves are no Halloween costume.
A pagan is defined as a person who follows any religion other than the main world religions. I have worked with ancient Norse gods before, but I mainly follow the ancient Greek pantheon. A more accurate descriptor for this belief is “Hellenic polytheism,” or the belief in the ancient Greek gods.
I don’t share this information lightly. I understand how crazy it sounds. A few years ago, I would have thought it was crazy, too. Sometimes, I still do.
The U.S. has no official religion, but 70.6% of American adults identify as Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. The same study showed only 0.3% of American adults identify as pagan.
This can make communicating my beliefs and connecting to others difficult.
I do not attend a church. Clubs and organizations based on my beliefs are few and far between — and often Internet-based.
I have plenty of friends who are Christian. Most of them have no issue with my beliefs. They share their love of their God with me and I share my love of my gods with them. I love and appreciate these friendships and am grateful for the kindness and understanding they lend me, but sometimes I long to share a conversation with someone who has spoken with my gods the way I have.
I see my gods in technicolor. They are as real to me as the wind in my hair and the rain on my face. They whisper with the breeze and nudge me along my path.
In that sense, I never have to worry about being alone.
Recently, pagan pride festivals have begun to pop up across the U.S. People from a variety of faiths that fall under the pagan umbrella attend, sharing their experiences, selling religious items and enjoying time spent with others who share their beliefs.
The closest pagan pride festival I have found to Moscow is held in Seattle. This is an expensive drive to make for a college student whose gas-guzzler of a car costs $100 per trip to the Puget Sound from here.
Understandably, I doubt I will be attending before I graduate.
An important part of my belief system is my practice of witchcraft. Yes, people practice witchcraft, and no, it’s not like the movies. Witchcraft is more about placing your intention in an action and willing it to come true.
One common misconception is that witches and pagans are one and the same. Witches and pagans are kind of like squares and rectangles. Not all witches are pagans, but most pagans practice some form of witchcraft.
My practice of witchcraft allows me to channel my communication with my gods with meditation and spellwork. I guess you could compare it to connecting with God through traditional church practices. The concept of connecting with the divine is similar — the method of connection is the only true difference.
I acknowledge, happily, that witches are a Halloween staple and I relish in the spookiness of the Halloween season. I joke about how stereotypically witchy I can get with my friends. All I ask is that people remember the nugget of truth underneath the wide-brimmed hat — that magic does exist, even though some may not believe in it.
Lex Miller can be reached at [email protected]