(2006-02-06) Michelle Mahl
New Pagan group makes it possible for solitary practitioners to come together for social interaction and celebration.
Paganism is alive and well in North-Central Oklahoma. Pagans are just like everyone else in that they have jobs, go to school, pay taxes, and generally do the best they can to live in accord with their fellow human beings as well as with the Earth and it’s inhabitants.
It’s a sad fact that Paganism is either misrepresented by the mainstream or gets a bad rap from misguided “practitioners” who don’t really understand what they are doing.
Unfortunately, ignorance is the culprit in both scenarios. Too many people rely on second-hand information or here-say on which to base their decisions instead of learning for themselves what benign, deeply spiritual religions comprise Paganism.
Paganism is actually a blanket term for many different minority religions such as Hinduism, Druidism, Wicca, Asatru, Shamanism, and many more that share some common bonds such as polytheism (honoring more than one deity), belief in a female deity, or faith in one’s ability to effect change in the world around them by use of sheer willpower (Magick).
It can be hard for Pagans in rural areas to make contact with one another for fear of being persecuted, harassed, or discriminated against. There are groups, however, that invite Pagans to get together and share their religious freedoms with people of like mind such as the family-oriented Enid Pagan Meetup (http://pagan.meetup.com/925/).
Enid Pagan Meetup was organized to help solitary practitioners in North-Central Oklahoma and their families find other Pagans with whom to interact and form solid friendships that will help them grow both personally and spiritually. This group meets once a month in a relaxed social setting and fills a much needed void in the minority religious sector of rural Oklahoma.
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Enid Pagan Meetup
http://pagan.meetup.com/925/