Common Problems with Pagan Identity

There is always the occasional pious pratt who tries to take heathenism for something either ultra-nationalistic or the quaint path of village idiot-savants. I think the popular misconception is in the title "heathen" itself. Officially, the proper title is "Pre-Christian Indigenous Tradition" because in continental Europe it is more about the respect and appreciation of one's cultural heritage and identity. This is actually the same for other tribal cultures across the world, something not only "New Age globalism" cannot seem to grasp, but particularly those of a strict dogmatic upbringing incline to regard anything outside of the ideal with contempt. This is actually the most potential bias one needs to overcome to truly realize a pagan path.

While such ordered practices as Wicca, Druidry, the OTO and Odinism may appease that need for dogma- without some form of heritage to connect to, it serves little more than pretense, though not necessarily the fault of the practice itself. I know a few serious initiates of these walks that do have their familial connections. Rather, I’m refering to those who merely assume the title to allege that they are hereditary witches of x+generations of secretly handed down knowledge. The moot point here is the attempt to compensate the lack of ancestral memory, which legendarily makes an integral part of the visionary process. This is something Ray Bowers (Clan of Tubal Cain) tried to point out with his concept of "Tapping the Bone" and hereditary witchcraft. Indeed, in true shamanic tradition, one is usually born not only with the ability but the ancestral experience from which it descends. Being born with it, though, doesn't necessarily mean it's been awakened. Some realize it in puberty, whereas others need that inevitable NDE/PTSD.

This also brings to mind the “It is written” dust collectors who will spend an entire lifetime searching whole university archives for the holy grail of ancient texts, or perusing every esoteric website known to humanity to become a virtual Fucanelli. The problem with this though, is not only the language barriers (that can be very subject to interpretation) but the lack of “on location” experience one can only gain from actual travel or having lived in the places where these writings originated.

Conversely, we also get the "chosen ones" of borderline paranoid schizophrenia/narcissistic personality disorders who, for all their identity crisis, would rather go into complete denial than venture any healthy scrutiny of what the voices are really trying to tell them. This you will find in any belief system, and is usually the want of escape from droll reality into the fantastic (or at least so they think).

While many will refer to paganism as a nature based belief, you will find, more often than not, it's biggest pretenders to be suburbanites, who despite their vast collections of new age store-bought herbs and tinctures, live largely on fast food and rarely ever had to endure the true hardships of self-sufficiency and resource management in the wilds, let alone agrarian life.

Yet, despite all this, some are quite happy to travel their own path of self-discovery, without the need of labels, interpretations of mysterious codes or dogma for that matter. Just a healthy sense of adventure, challenge and fascination for whatever life dishes out to them. Indeed, there is more wisdom in the realization of “know yourself” than you’ll ever find on the world wide web. Sometimes, you just have to get back to basics to realize the bigger picture.