Community

Week #5 - the letter "C"

When I first began my journey on the Paganism road, I didn't realize how lonely I would feel.  Mind you, this was before the internet was widely available and I was still in high school in a small Nebraska town with a population of roughly 4000.  I knew NO ONE who was Pagan.  Heck, I didn't really even know anyone who wasn't Christian.  I was alone.

I knew there had to be others out there.  After all, there were books written by other Pagans.  In many of those books there were resources listed in the back.  Addresses and phone numbers for groups and covens and magazines and sanctuaries were readily.  But nothing for a 15 year old with no money or means of travel. 

So I did would I could, read what I could find.  Anything "occult-like" was fascinating to me.  I wanted a connection to someone.  I had a few friends who were into things like trying to read palms, guessing if a playing card was red or black, or anything with even the slightest occult connection.  For the time being, that worked.

In college, I met another Pagan.  We talked and shared.  I had access to money and real book stores. I slowly began to accumulate more knowledge and practical experiences.  I was starting to really come into my own spiritually but I still longed for a community larger than two people.

But why?

Perhaps my Catholic up-bringing had led me to link community and religion/spirituality.  I had grown up playing with some of the same kids for years in the church nursery and day care.  We took CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) or Catechism classes weekly and attended Sunday School together.  Our parents were friends.  Our church was a large family that came together for weddings, funerals, and weekly worship.  We supported each other, helped each other, learned together, and grew together.  We had community and I loved it.

It is the best rationale I can summon.

Moving on...

In my last year of college (1996-97) I was lucky to meet some new students who were also Pagan or Pagan curious.  Before long, we had a bit of a coven.  We studied together, practiced together, became close friends, and really relied on each other.  Myself and another gal were the leaders because we had the most experience and access to the most resources.  Although it was small, I had a community.

But then I graduated and ended up moving back to my hometown of 4000-ish people.  But, there was the internet!  Oh, Blessed Be, the world wide web.  It was my sanity and saving grace.  Information was at my fingertips.  For 5 years, my community was just me and the info on the web.  So I studied and practiced as a solitaire.

Most of my close friends knew I was Pagan and were cool with it.  There were occasional questions and curiosity but I still wanted a community. 

No, at that point, I needed a community. 

This community would be one of like-minded individuals who were Pagan.  The people who wanted to grow and explore our spirituality.  Someone to talk to and ask questions of.  Perhaps practice together or even start a working coven together.  Maybe friendships would develop and bonds formed.  I needed to be able to have an outlet where I could be 100% me, showing off all aspects of my personality and soul. 

So what's a witch to do?  Create a community!

On September 27, 2002 I formed an online community utilizing Yahoo! Groups.  My vision for the group - Wiccans in Nebraska (or WINEB for short) - was "to network with others in Nebraska. My dream for this group is to create a place where those both in and out of the broom closet can come together, form friendships, share knowledge, ask questions, and feel as if they belong." 

Over a five year period, the group grew large enough that we had routine chats and online classes.  Some members stepped up as teachers and mentors.  Bonds were formed and some still remain true and strong today.  Although the group is still open, we haven't been overly active since 2007.  The group ran it's course and I vow to never close it because everyone needs a home and somewhere to feel that they are part of a community.

I still craved more.  I wanted a physical community where we would meet in person to socialize, learn, and practice together.  A WINEB member told me about a group she was in called the Rural Nebraska Witches' Group (RNWG).  The group, organized and ran through the wonderful meetup.com site, was based out of the town where I currently lived and had been going strong for about eight months.  I figured, why not, and attended the group's 2007  Beltane event with my husband and kids in tow.

To say I was nervous would be putting it lightly.  I was terrified.  My last real experience with other Pagans had not ended well (more on that at another time), so being around so many Pagans that I didn't know was a real leap of faith for me.  It was also a huge trust issue since this would be the first time my husband and kids were around a group of Pagans and the first time they would witness a large, group ritual.  I had to mentally prepare myself to be on the defensive and be ready to protect me and mine if it came to it. 

But it was wonderful.  The ritual - where the rainy and dreary day suddenly became rain-free and a beam of light shone through the clouds - was the stuff of movies.  The people were amazingly friendly.  I found that I "knew" some of the people from online and WINEB.  Could this be my community?

About six weeks later, I led the group in a Midsummer ritual and by September, there was a change in leadership and I became co-organizer of the group.  Me and one of my best friends have been leading RNWG ever since by hosting social events, learning circles, and group rituals.

Stay tuned for my next entry in the Pagan Blog Project where I will continue to discuss community.