As stated in the PATHS mission statement, we describe "Pagan" as a practitioner of earth-based spirituality — that is, spirituality that acknowledges the divinity embodied within the earth and our environment, as well as the divine nature of humanity and relationship with each other and the Universe. Just as not all Christians are Lutheran or Catholic, so not all Pagans are Witches or Wiccan. Druids and the Norse tradition of Asatru (who tend to prefer the term "heathen") are considered to be Pagan belief systems, but their adherents are neither Witches nor Wiccans. Since the terms Witch and Wiccan are often interchanged, many simply call themselves "Pagans" or "Neo-pagans" when talking with others who may not be familiar with the complexity of the different belief systems.

When you ask if someone is a "good" Witch or a "bad" Witch, it is the same as asking someone if they are a "good" Presbyterian or a "bad" Presbyterian. Wiccans adhere to the Rede, "An it harm none, do as ye will." Witches, Druids and other Pagan belief systems and religions have their own ethical standards. There are good and bad people in every society and in every religion. When a person breaks the laws of society or the tenets of their religion, they are called to account for their actions. To judge a person as either "good" or "bad" based upon nothing more than their religious preference alone is bigotry.

Satan is a part of the Christian and Muslim religions. Since Pagans are neither Christian nor Muslim, Satan is not part of our deity structure at all.

We believe that each and every human being is completely responsible for his or her own actions. To us, evil is a choice, albeit a bad one, that a human might make, not an embodied entity to blame our actions upon. If an individual chooses to do evil, most Pagans believe they will be punished via the laws of karma or as a result of "cause and effect." In other words, "What goes around usually comes around."

The pentagram, or five pointed star, is not Satanic. Pythagoras used it as a symbol of health and his followers wore them in order to recognize one another, and in Medieval times, some Christian knights used the pentagram as their symbol. To modern Wiccans the pentagram means many things; The five points correspond to the elements Air, Earth, Fire and Water with the top point corresponding to "Spirit". The pentagram in a circle may also represent a human with their legs and arms outstretched, surrounded by universal wisdom or the "Goddess" - humankind at one with the environment. Many Witches and other Pagan practitioners do not wear the pentacle at all, but have other symbols of special meaning to them.

A symbol is simply an image or mark in itself. It is the mind and the beliefs of the beholder which attribute to it a particular meaning.

No! The nature of sacrifice is to give up something of one's own in order to gain something more important. Most religions uphold the sanctity of life; Paganism is not an exception! In fact, most Pagans believe that animals are part of the same natural cycle of life just as humans are.

(from PATHS ByLaws, Article III: Rituals - refering to public rituals)
"PATHS sponsored rituals shall take place on campus, and shall be formatted as to comply with all University rules and regulations."

Yes. Well... that is something each Pagan decides on their own.

Spells are somewhat like prayers and are used to create needed change in one's own life or the life of a loved one. But while prayers are a petition to an external Deity to create or empower the change, most Pagans believe that Deity is present in everything, including ourselves. Spells, then, are the channeling of our own divine selves, our own energies, to create the change.

Spells such as those which use love magick to gain the attention of a specific individual, or curses, are considered "manipulative." Most Pagans consider anything manipulative - that goes against the free will of another - wrong. Many Pagan paths have similar codes of conduct based upon the tenets of their tradition or belief and almost all believe that the responsibility for their actions will lie with them.

To answer this, we'll quote Susan Harper-Bisso, one of the founding members of PATHS....
"Magick is the focusing of human intent to create changes in the physical world. Magick is based on the belief that human thought, intention, and action can effect change in our concrete reality. This flows out of the idea that everything is interconnected, and thus by affecting one piece of the whole, by extension you cause change in other parts of the whole. I like to think of it is a spiderweb — when you pluck one strand, the whole web vibrates.

Magick is not the ability to manifest money out of the air, or to light a candle by blowing on it. It is seldom that instantaneous. Rather, when we work magick, we must be very observant in order to see the changes. While sometimes magick effects a drastic change, more often than not it is subtle, and it is through attention and intention that we see our will manifest.

If I were to move something, say a rock, with magick, it would look something like this: I would see the rock, walk over to it, pick it up with my hands, and deposit it in its new location.

This is the essence of magick:
1) I saw the need — I identified the rock I wanted to move.

2) I summoned the energy to make the change — I summoned the energy in my body which allows the nerves to tell me to move.

3) I directed the energy — I walked toward the rock and used my body's energy to pick it up.

4) The direction of energy achieved the goal — the rock is moved, isn't it?

That is how magick works — I did not levitate the rock, blink and see it moved, or any of the other methods Hollywood tells you that magicians use. Although I connected with the divine before walking over to the rock and moving it, at its heart magick is about action — it is through our own identification of needs, raising of energy, direction of energy, and focus of that energy that we acheive our goals."

Please remember that every individual has come to their own understanding of what "magick" is, and how it functions in the world around us. Sometimes a Pagan will use the spelling to differentiate: "magic" is the sort of thing Hollywood creates, and little kids are fascinated by; whereas "magick" is the fundamental philosophy and use of inherent divine will-power that is common among Pagans and Neo-pagans.

We don't. We feel that the attempted conversion of others is a form of religious bigotry. i.e. If one tries to convert another to his/her religion, s/he assumes that the other person's beliefs are not as valid as his/her own. We feel that all paths are equally valid as long as they do not infringe upon the basic civil rights or free will of another. Some Pagan beliefs may seem strange to those who have not heard much about them before. On the other hand, Pagans usually find other (including non-Pagan) religious systems interesting and often encourage their own children to learn about these other religions. According to our beliefs, it is up to the individual to choose his or her own path. We do not try to manipulate others into our way of thinking, we only try to educate others about our religion so that they may better understand us. We do, however try to help guide those who have already expressed an interest in the Pagan belief systems or religions.

(from PATHS Mission Statement)
PATHS fosters awareness, growth, and tolerance through educational and religious functions, such as interaction with the diverse traditions of earth-based religions, lectures, workshops, and a variety of religious ceremonies. PATHS recognizes the beauty and validity of all modes of religious expression.

Pretty much what everybody does. We come from all walks of life. We raise families, go to work, throw steaks (or vegetables) on the "barbie" and hang out with our friends. We practice our religions and belief systems, celebrate our holidays with festivals and continue to study and explore our past while contemplating our futures.

Many Pagan groups meet at least once a month to worship together. Pagans tend to hold ceremonies or "circles" out of doors as we feel that being with nature brings us closer to the divinity who creates it. PATHS, as a student organization, meets once a week for a variety of group functions; we try to formally "worship" once a month - but we also remember that all acts of living are truly forms of worship in and of themselves.

Through PATHS, members have the opportunity to experience and interact with the diverse traditions of earth-based religions, attend lectures and workshops, promote awareness and understanding on the SMU campus, and take part in a variety of religious ceremonies.

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