The Portrayal of Paganism in the Media
by Terri
May 20th, 2008 @ 05:48 AM
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...
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.
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.
http://www.informativepost.com/2008/05/20/The-Portrayal-of-Paganism-in-the-Media-772.htm |
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