Welcome Fellow Pagans!

Welcome to the inaugural post of Wyrd Wiles!

I've been carefully considering beginning this blog for months, and I think the time has come for me to actively participate in, and contribute to, the community which has given me so much.

As a second generation Pagan I've practiced for most of my life, but for much of that time I was never involved with the greater community. It wasn't until I entered into the study of Anthropology, a few years ago, that I really began to study how Pagan circles <Pun totally intended> have changed and adapted over the years. I began to see how our community has both influenced the world, and been influenced by it.

In a recent piece written by Teo Bishop, we were introduced to the idea of “The Pagan Bubble”. A piece on the somewhat insular nature of the modern Pagan movement which spawned a lot of follow up. Like this piece by John Beckett . The idea raises the question of risk vs gain. The bubble restricts our efforts to communicate with those outside, but it also protects us. As Beckett said in his response, it allows us to have a safe space to communicate our ideas without fear or need for translation. However, modern Paganism is becoming more and more involved in affairs outside of that bubble, and the “Mainstream” is becoming increasingly aware of our presence. As this continues, we will be forced to confront those outside our own circles.

So what do we do when confronted outside of our bubble? That's why I'm starting this blog. What we need is a community that is cohesive enough, networked enough, that we can communicate and take action outside of our own social arenas. We are getting there. The beginnings are in place, the seeds are planted, now we need to encourage them to bloom and grow. In the recent case linked above, concerning Fox and Friends, we and our allies were able to rally quickly enough, and make enough noise, that our concerns were heard! Organizations like The Lady Liberty League are making these things more possible every day.

My goal here is to present news and perspectives on the Pagan Community and it's interactions with other religious and secular communities. Lets build a social foundation,from which those who represent our community can stand and speak to those outside our bubble. Lets shape the tools that will allow for dialog and understanding. The goal of this blog isn't to talk to Pagans about being Pagan, it's to talk about the world beyond our borders and how it affects us.