parenthetical

The more I listen to podcasts and hear people talk about their Paganism and their practices... the more I read Pagan blogs and other thoughtful Pagan writing... the more I get a chance to actually talk to real live Pagans... the more I realize --

We're, like, an actual religion, people!

That is so cool.

When I started out, my gods and goddesses it's almost eight years ago now, Paganism seemed to be a really poor collection of books in the New Age section and some truly hideous websites. If there were good, serious Pagans out there (which I know there were, really), I couldn't find them or get in touch with them and if I could, I was too young for them to bother with me. Maybe I grew up, maybe Paganism grew up, maybe we both kind of grew up together. But this group of people and ideas changes so fast and I do think there are more resources out there for a beginning Pagan than there were when I started. Blogs and podcasts especially give voice to individuals, which is something I was starved for for years, living in the American midwest and incapable of making contacts on my own. And it's hearing those individual voices, rather than the often dry, patronizing tones of Wicca 101 books or websites, that really makes this thing real. I love it, I really do.