If you see a group of people chanting while they stand in a circle around a bonfire tonight, don't be afraid. They're just celebrating the summer solstice, one of the major holidays of paganism.

The solstice begins at 8:48 tonight, and ends at sundown Wednesday. It is the time of the year when the sun reaches its zenith in the Northern Hemisphere and we have our longest day, 15 hours and 37 minutes of daylight.

Paganism[ ] is a broad Kay Tani rehearses term the "Solstice for River" at the ancient Stone Arch Bridge. beliefs that include the worship of the natural forces in the universe and a celebration of the goddess, as well as gods. Many American Indian faith practices are based on the same beliefs. Many people follow the practices of witchcraft, or Wicca. Many others simply do whatever they feel moved to do to get connected with the cycles of the Earth and their ancestors.

Standing around a fire is a way of honoring the increase of daylight. Drumming and dancing are also a way to honor the light.

Even though many of the dates on the Christian church calendar were based on pagan celebrations, paganism was banished centuries ago, its followers persecuted and shunned. Even today, most followers prefer to worship in their own homes or with a few close friends, out of the glare of public exposure.

Nevertheless, paganism also is enjoying something of a renaissance in the Twin Cities. It reportedly attracts many young women because of its emphasis on the feminine deity and also because of the recent spate of television shows and movies that depict young, attractive witches with remarkable powers.

Also, some pagan groups are becoming more public in an effort to tell about their beliefs and dispel some of the prejudices. Last January the Northern Dawn Council of the Covenant of the Goddess set up three billboards at major intersections in Minneapolis and St. Paul to advertise its beliefs.

More pagans now?

Gary Lingen, president of the Covenant of the Goddess council, said the billboards resulted in an "extreme pride in our community. We were all proud of it."

Lingen has been in the Twin Cities 18 years, he said, and has seen a lot of growth in the pagan community. "Five or six years ago I would have guessed there were probably 2,000 to 5,000 in the Twin Cities, but now I would guess 8,000 to 10,000."

Lingen uses the word "guess" because paganism is private and can be practiced alone, and therefore virtually impossible to count its followers.

Even some Christians will be borrowing pagan practices to celebrate the summer light. Minnehaha United Church of Christ will hold a summer solstice celebration Wednesday .

The Rev. Nancy Anderson, pastor at Minnehaha, said: "We do both summer and winter solstice celebrations. It's an opportunity for us to come together in nature and celebrate God's creation." And borrowing from paganism "is kind of the history of Christianity, although we haven't wanted to admit it," she said.

Most Minnesotans still cling to the idea that pagan practices are satanic and dangerous, although that may be subsiding a bit. A 1996 Star Tribune/WCCO-TV Minnesota Poll showed that 76 percent of respondents said they don't believe in witchcraft. In 1987, 85 percent said they didn't believe in witchcraft.

The Twin Cities supports at least two bookstores that specialize in pagan titles and other businesses that sell items for pagan rituals, such as incense and healing herbs. Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., a national publisher of pagan titles, is based in St. Paul.

"A lot of pagans don't admit it to themselves," said Loui Pieper, managing owner of Evenstar, a metaphysical bookstore in St. Paul that offers classes on paganism. "They'll say things like 'I like to worship nature.' Well, that's the first clue. There are so many branches it's a very odd kind of thing to define," she said.

Roger Williamson, owner of Magus Books in Dinkytown, said: "Every year we see an increase in business and there's certainly a big demand for pagan and Wiccan books. I think people are more aware of the options now."

A two-edged sword

Jami Shoemaker, publicist for Llewellyn Publishing, said, "I think young women see the movies where there are a lot of attractive women, who are self-empowered and independent. Young women are looking for role models and finding some there."

However, Pieper and Lingen say they believe that attraction can be a two-edged sword. "Some of those movies are convincing them they can do stupid things," Pieper said. "Two girls came in the store the other day saying they heard about people who saw other people flying. I told them they should ask what drugs the people were on."

Lingen said the new interest by young people "is both interesting and exciting and scary at the same time. It puts the responsibility on us to present the faith in a way that is non-threatening to the culture." For example, responsible Pagans would never "involve a teenager without parental approval," he said.

Said Shoemaker: "Some young women come to it first because they're interested in the glamour, but then they find the real path and are attracted. They often say it's personal, practical, filled with models for them -- the goddess. They are intelligent female models that can be intelligent, feisty and sensual."

At Magus Books, Williamson said, "The way we look at it, all belief systems are valid. It's really a matter of finding something that resonates for yourself."

Copyright 2000 Star Tribune.
Republished here with the permission of the Star Tribune.
No further republication or redistribution is permitted
without the written permission of the Star Tribune.