As a product of the counterculture, I tend to
mistrust and avoid institutions. I
suspect this is a common attitude among “first generation”[1]
NeoPagans in the U.S. We found existing
institutions, be they religious, educational, or governmental, to be oppressive,
unfulfilling, and irrelevant to the conditions of the world in which we found
ourselves.
Let’s face it: established religions such as
Christianity in its many forms, were created and gained ascendency in other
times and places. There was no threat of
nuclear annihilation, no looming environmental degradation, no water shortage,
no organ transplants, no vaccinations against such diseases as smallpox and
polio. Those religions addressed the
concerns of the peoples in other times and places. Further, few of these religious institutions
adapted to changing circumstances.
Nowadays some are trying to be more relevant, often by adopting
practices, such as involving lay people in their rituals and dancing during
worship.
In the years since Paganism has become visible,
particularly in academia and interfaith, we have gained credibility in the
wider world, and although we remain a religious minority,[2]
we have not done much in the way of establishing lasting institutions.
There was a time when I was still too close to that
against which I was rebelling and too chafed by the institutions I was escaping
that I resisted any talk of Pagan institutions.
Sam Webster
has convinced me that by creating institutions, we will have a lasting legacy
that will survive our individual lives.
The institution to which I’ve devoted the most time
and energy for the last 12 years or so is Cherry
Hill Seminary, for many reasons, not the least of which is that I find
intellectual discernment to be in short supply, drowned out by the noises of UPG
(unverified/unverifiable personal gnosis) woowoo.[3]
Smaller institutions like CoG do maintain disaster relief funds, never very
big.
Most Pagans do as I do, and contribute to existing
institutions that were created to address certain crises, like the Red Cross or
Doctors Without Borders. And to other nonprofits related to
environmentalism, the pursuit of peace, seeking cures for specific diseases. I’m comfortable that those institutions are
established, organized, funded, and run more efficiently than any smaller Pagan
organization could be to achieve their stated goals.
Having said all that, I come to the subject that is
the immediate incentive for this post.
I have been meeting with the Wiccan circle at San Quentin State
Prison. This service has led to my encountering
Federal law mandates that all inmates in any prison
in the country be afforded religious worship and counsel of their choice. This is what allows this circle to meet. The Wiccan circle at San Quentin meets in
what is called the minority faith chapel, which is shared with Spanish-language
evangelical Christians, practitioners of Ifa,[4]
and others. Our “chapel” is a fairly
dismal place that we try our best to decorate when we meet.
So here’s my problem: financial and other support for the few Wiccan inmates. It’s obvious that mainstream religions,
particularly some Christian sects, have a much easier time doing their
thing. They appear to me to be given
priority over minority religions as to meeting space, resources, and time.
Christians have the Gideons
distributing Bibles. Depending upon
their particular Christian sect, inmates are provided with missals, rosaries,
images, and all manner of study and meditative literature. Jewish inmates have Torahs and Muslims the
Koran. Abrahamic inmates have access to
a plethora of Abrahamic literature. And
although we Pagans have no “book,” per se, we do have plenty of books and other
writings.
Prison libraries, like those in our communities,
experience the frequent disappearance of Pagan or Craft-related titles. The Jewish chaplain at San Quentin, who
supervises our particular minority faith, and thereby me, has offered to keep
books in her office and lend them to individual inmates. This is not ideal, but it’s better than
nothing.
Individual Pagans have helped me set up this
ministry by donating books they’ve written.
For instance, Christopher
Penczak sent me two of his books, which I will use to the extent I can.[5]
The previous incarnation of this circle were
devoted specifically to Isis and Ra.
Wishing to provide these men with meaningful materials, I bought the
newly published tenth anniversary edition of Isis Magic, by M. Isadora Forest. If this book proves helpful, I will see if I
can get a copy donated to the small Pagan library in the Jewish chaplain’s
office.
I am also considering providing them with two of Ivo Dominguez, Jr.’s books, Spirit Speak and Casting Sacred Space, in addition to exploring other books and
sources.
Currently I bring in photocopies of a page or two
each time – a meditation, a drawing or chart, an image and/or prayer, a
song. This isn’t the most efficient way
to provide them with literature, one reason being that I myself have limited
resources and copying costs can add up.
I’m aware of at least two recent publications
created to address the training of Pagan inmates, but I’m unsatisfied with them
and do not wish to use them. One is more
formal and “high episcopagan” for my taste and the other lacks a cohesive
approach. Therefore, I’m seeking sources
harmonious with my approach and talents.
Bear in mind that inmates cannot have such things as candles and incense
in their cells, nor can they have any images of the divine that are
unclothed. They are, for instance,
allowed to have a deck of Tarot cards, but most Tarot decks show at least a
breast or two and therefore don’t meet prison restrictions. I understand that Raven Grimassi has designed
a deck specifically for inmate use and will check this out further.
* * * * *
Circling back to the notion of Pagan
institutions: Now that I’ve lived considerably
more than half my life – I’m glad to be around and am hoping to reach 100 – I’m
thinking about legacies. What are we
Pagans leaving our children and grandchildren in terms of our religions? We already know that our Mother Earth is
changing in a direction that’s not conducive to life as we know it. Not meaning to be a doomsayer, just stating
the obvious. Climate change, however, is
a topic for a different discussion. In
the meantime, assuming we adapt – and I really believe that Pagan values,
perspectives, and minds have much to offer in the search for solutions – what
kind of institutions, if any, are we leaving our descendants?
[1]
By “first generation” I mean
those boomers and pre-boomers
who grasped whatever threads of Pagan practice and thought they could find,
wove them into a fabric of their making, and grew to become contemporary
American Paganism. Many were disillusioned or unsatisfied by the religions in
which they were reared, or came from secular or mixed-religion families. Some
of these threads were tied to older traditions, such as Gardnerian Wicca, in
Britain; however, in the main, we self-determined out of many sources
(mythology and folklore, ethnic and familiar customs, environmentalism,
feminism, and the zeitgeist in general.
[2]
It’s fine with me if we remain a
minority religion. We do not seek
converts as many of the mainstream religions do. I don’t hold growing our numbers as a
goal. Paganism is not for everyone, but
for those of us like myself to whom it matters, we are entitled to equal
treatment and a voice in our communities and governments.
[3]
I am in no way putting down UPG;
I consider it akin to mysticism/the mystical experience. However, since it is so personal,
idiosyncratic, unpredictable, and cannot be recreated, UPG does not allow the
kind of rational analysis that other religious phenomena permit.
[4]
Strictly speaking, a divinatory
system found in Yoruba and other African diaspora religions.
[5]
Inmates are not allowed candles,
for instance, and many of the exercises in Christopher’s books employ
candles. I, and we (inmates and myself)
have to adapt as much as we can.
