Attracting millions of people worldwide, one of the compelling aspects of Paganism is the lack of what some call "the taint of organized religion". To many, this means that most non-Pagan faiths are practiced with an extended hierarchy or central authority figure. By contrast, most Pagans' practices are personal and are centered on individual spiritual development. But is this position overly simplistic and what are the repercussions of avoiding so-called "organization"?

        Stagnation is an enemy that rises from within, being rooted in apathy, complacency and a lack of new ideas. It strikes religions, social groups, businesses and just about every other man-made social structure. But how do you combat this process? Organization is one of the most powerful tools that can be used to combat this gradual slide. It creates readily visible and definable responsibilities and fosters stronger links between individual parts of the whole. The danger is that this very tool can also create structures so binding that they threaten to squeeze the life out of the individual practices and expressions of everyone within the resulting structure. The question then becomes, how do you avoid being calcified and bogged down by organization's own mechanisms while, at the same time, building structures that can be used to benefit the larger community?

        The truth is, to combat entropy one must risk the cogs and wheels of the machineries that are being used.

        Possessed of a loosely organized, grassroots practice, Pagan religions tend to be aspected towards on personal power and responsibility. This may be seen as the one of the most fundamentally identifying features that separates them from other contemporary religions. By many, this self-reliance is seen as Neo-Paganism's greatest strength. Many find the cottage nature of Pagan practice to be replenishing ... helping them maintain a closer link to the Earth, their community and themselves. It is a personal relationship with the Divine that seems diametrically opposed to large-scale, established structure.

        However, this "structure" versus "personal power" viewpoint isn't universal and therein lies hope for resolving this conflict.

        No matter who you are or where you travel within this extended community, you will always find differing opinions. Coven versus solitary, family tradition versus book learning and natural ability versus acquired skill: these are fundamental points of contention that differ not only from region to region but from Pagan to Pagan. This being the case, there is hope that since these other opposing views can coexist that -likewise- there should be a way to find a middle ground in the organization debate.

        In between the extremes is where, like most times, the answer may be found.

        How do we reconcile the differences between those who want to forge communities (necessitating at least some degree of "organization") with those who feel that the process of community is born of individual influences (for whom the concept of larger, religious structures is anathema)? It only seems that the distance between these positions is impossible to bridge ... the middle ground, however, may be reached.

        Any discussion of this topic must begin with the admission that many Pagans are opposed to the very concept of "organized religion". Whether this comes from previous experiences with other religions or just from an inherent trait of that individual's personality, it is something that needs to be recognized. Acknowledging this facet of the Pagan outlook is key to reaching across this organizational divide.

        In contemporary Paganism one of the most difficult barriers to overcome is the distance between practitioners. Pagans tend to build small communities without many tools by which outsiders may join them or learn more. It's like a self-imposed exile ... keeping things secret, isolated and secure. This is not a condemnation of the oath-bound or secretive traditions; far from it! There is a difference between keeping lessons and knowledge privileged until a person has demonstrated a degree of maturity, experience and understanding to use it wisely and being isolationistic.

        To paraphrase, "No One Is An Island". This applies to religions, too.

        Being able to reach out and touch someone is a very human thing. For companionship, learning or just validation, it is something at the core of all but the most sociopathic of individuals. Our first lessons are always taught to us by example ... our first teachers, our parents. For many of us, however, that element of hands-on experience is too easily excluded when it comes to finding out more about Paganism and it's various groups. With all of it's diversity and availability (thanks to the new technologies of our age), it's still like pulling teeth, trying to find common ground upon which we can reach out to help others while -at the same time- building our communities.

        Then consider the ramifications of disaster and recovery. In many religions, big and small, when disaster strikes one member of the community, that group pulls together to aide their brethren. While this certainly is no stranger to Paganism, the ties are often weaker and require much more work to get them working. There is an indoctrination that appears to be missing: a sense of community responsibility and obligation to assist others that is often taught at a young age to members of a spiritual community.

        Due to the distance between practitioners and the sometimes isolationistic perspectives in some circles of Paganism, this fundamental structure often falters and fails before it can take root and do any good.

        If Paganism is to persist into the next century, it needs to be aware of these obstacles. Pagans must build more structures in which those drawn to non-hierarchically organized communities may communicate and exchange ideas while, at the same time, taking advantage of actual structure.

        "Wait a moment," some might say, "isn't that one of the foundations of hierarchy and central authority?" Of course it is. Is it organization? Yep, that too. But is is evil or wrong? No.

        If you disassemble the phrase "Organized Religion" you have really just two words: "Organized" and "Religion". Taken separately, there is nothing wrong with either. Even combined, the most direct interpretation of that phrase is nothing to be worried about. It seems that many Pagans, coming as they do from a variety of mainstream, organized faiths, are either rebelling against the structures that stifled their spiritual expressions in the past or are bringing along preconceptions of what "organization" means in the context of religion. Either way, it remains an irrational assumption to blame "organization" for all of structured theology's problems.

        It is true that organization should never be imposed upon a group from the outside: that crushes individual spirit and freedom while, at the same time, ignoring the unique needs of the people. But this does not need to be true of all community building efforts! Community building should never be confused with an oppressive regime ... creating something from within may take a huge effort and overcome the inertia wrought by decades of isolation and secrecy, but it can be done. The benefits can be tremendous!

        But, even so, where does that leave us?

        When you think about it, it's all fine and good to talk about how a Coven structure is a living and breathing religious institution as opposed to more traditional, large religious groups. However, there is the danger of idealizing one concept at the expense of another. Such a position tends to overlook and trivialize the human need to connect with others and expand a circle of relationships.

        Paganism is in danger of fading, through its insular leanings, due to a lack of well-organized mechanisms for communication, recreation and education. People, all people, need to be able to know their neighbors. Many need a structure to their lives in order to reinforce those small practices that help form the foundation of not just their own, but their neighbors' beliefs! It's not that the everyday religious practices found in Pagan circles aren't important enough to stand on their own ... it's that, for better or for worse, skills unused, fade. The smallest and seemingly most insignificant of these are often the first casualties of being taken for granted. As time goes on, these unused practices grow dusty and forgotten ... the spider's web of related institutions falling into disrepair. This happens in everyone's life ... Christian, Pagan, Atheist or otherwise.

        To combat this entropic decay, energy must be put into the system. Physics teaches us that. Unchecked, all things fall apart and disappear. Still, its human nature to try and build things that last beyond ourselves. Essentially, in religious or secular endeavors, practice makes perfect. In a social situation, that practice must -by definition- take place in contact with other people.

        This is not to say that community building is not happening. Sometimes the most simple of events can be a powerful experience, reinforcing the power of spiritual support. A few years ago, at the Heartland Pagan festival, temperature was rising and ice was needed in great quantities. The shipment arrived yet it was vastly more than any group of volunteers could get from point A to point B in any feasible frame of time. Meanwhile, as happens at many such Pagan gatherings, people had broken into individual groups along close-knit lines of similarity.

        But then the call went out. People were asked to put down what they were doing and help the larger group of assembled Pagans. A long line formed very quickly and -after a few minutes of getting used to it- Pagan stranger stood next to Pagan stranger, passing bag after bag of ice to meet the need. For one member there at the time, it was a more meaningful bonding experience with other Pagans than any ritual or festival attended thus far in her life. She described the experience as "task oriented bonding".

        When the ice was all gone and in its final place, there was a long-lasting sense of accomplishment and communal identification. There was no single leader to look to but -instead- a wide sea of faces, brought together by a real need at an immediate time. While these events happen all the time, they must not be the only significant source of such community building.

        Stepping out and getting involved with another Pagan faith, even one that is not your own, can build bridges that last centuries. Assisting in those things that aide us all, like the annual cleaning up of parks, rivers and public areas, can do this as well. Helping plan public rituals or organizing discussion groups, book clubs or just about anything that can create a bond will help perform this task to combat isolation and disintegration. It just needs to be done!

        Certainly there are other forces behind social entropy: disillusion, dissatisfaction and apathy all are equal culprits. But how much are these, too, only supported and enflamed by isolation and a lack of structure? Any belief can falter ... but when the environment for that belief is an ever-increasing vacuum the chances for complete failure are much, much greater.

        Pagans need to meet at common places and extend their companionship to more than their usual circle of associates and friends.

        Structure and organization can, indeed, threaten many Pagans. In differing faiths, throughout history, abuse of power has come hand-in-hand with hierarchy, influence and large-scale popular dynamics. Those who distrust organization do so with good reason. Paganism, thus far, has avoided such large-scale abuse due to its non-centralized nature. But being wary of the problem caused by structure does not mean avoiding the tool entirely.

        It is long past time to shed Pagan fears of organization. Pagans must embrace structure while preserving individual merit, ideas and identity. They must keep the potential pitfalls in mind and be vigilant in making sure previous problems don't resurface. Outreach must be made and larger structures formed to allow for both new people to enter the community as well as to invigorate and restore those who are already members.

        We do not need to become one, big polyglot of a religion; individual identities can be preserved. However, we need to cast our gaze farther: to reach out to other groups and help them, help ourselves. Building communities should rise from the efforts of everyone involved, forming a true lattice of interconnected supports.

        At all times, these new, growing structures will need to be flexible yet strong. Like the branches of a garden hedge, interconnected and strong, they will have to yield to new growth from within while staying separate enough to not crowd out the roots, below. It will be, no doubt, a big change; one that may take some time... But it will be a positive thing!

        After all, change is life.

Thanks to the Pagan Pride staff for their help in preparing this essay. Special thanks go to Kira Hagen for her compelling story of ice-bearing Pagans at Heartland: that really made this essay sing!

©2003 Sylvan SilverNight
August 23rd, 2003