(Original author unknown.)

"Gates of Dawn" (original artist unknown, please contact us if you know!)

PAGANUS, EXANIMO
A rebuke, and an invitation

I am a Pagan.
It comes from the Latin, ‘PAGANUS’.
It means simply, “country dweller”,
One who lives close to the Earth,
In harmony with nature, and her cycles of seasons and weather.

I am NOT a be-deviled worshipper of Satan,
Which to me is a demonized construct of the early Christian Church fathers,
An entity who is younger by eons than the Divine Spirit
Who quickens the life of my body
And animates the Universe itself.

I am NOT a godless person, devoid of spirituality, ethics, or moral feeling.
I am NOT a worshipper of “created things”.
I am NOT a “weirdo” who labels myself “religious”,
While having no real depth to my so-called spirituality–
Despite the contrary and zealous assertions of those
Who would force feed me their interpretations of Biblical doctrine
Like bitter castor oil “for my own good.”

No, in fact I connect with the Sacred, with the Divine
Immanent in all things, and I do not worship their material presence alone.
When the Sacred within me communes with the Divine within you,
That Truth and ancient Dance leaves little room for evil, hatred, and intolerance.
Though I daily encounter many who seem more than willing
To assail me with their own loathing, fear, and rejection
Of what they do not understand,
All in the name of One who preached only
Acceptance, compassion, tolerance, and understanding.

For me the Divine can be Goddess,
The Maiden Huntress of forest, field, and hill
The Eternal Mother, whose natural bounty and blessings surround us,
The Ancient Crone who imparts wisdom of ages and healing lore.

For me the Divine can be God,
The Lord of the Dance, the Animals, the Hunt
The Sacred King, whose cyclic end
Renews and rebirths the Land and its people
The Ancient Sage, the Wise Old Man
Who beckons us to greater spiritual understanding.
I am a Pagan.
I honor the earth and the Divine within it.
I decry those practices
Which lead to and perpetuate its devastation and exploitation.

I listen to the ancient music,
Whose strains are yet audible in my modern songs.
It calls me to dance,
With the drumbeat, the pulse of the Earth itself.
My ancestors live again through me.
I follow the Old Ways, and those lost Mysteries surface again,
With new significance for modernity.

I care little if you choose to do as I do.
But talk to me if you will,
If you would understand me and what I represent.
For know this well:
The Old Ways are indeed returning,
And many of us are hearing the call
To follow these ancient Paths once again,
For the answers they provide to questions which burn in our souls.
Some of us have kept these traditions alive in our own families
With varying degrees of secrecy and success.
Others learn from the remnants found in old stories and poems,
And incorporate those remnants into entirely new practices.

Our numbers grow, though we do not proselytize.
Whatever you choose to do, we will not simply go away,
Whether you wish it so or not.
But talk to me if you will.
Let us share our stories with each other
And see what happens next.