When most of us think of going off to college, our thoughts turn to the classes we'll take, the long hours of study, the opportunity to meet new friends, and in some cases, a dorm room far from our home and the family and friends we love. What many of us don't expect is to arrive on campus to find a thriving pagan community ready to help us feel welcome and make the transition from Coven to college a little bit easier. But on the campuses of colleges and universities around the United States, that's exactly what's happening.
"We are all very supportive of each other," says Miyu, the President of Washington State University's Association of Pagan Students. "We have several members who are 'veterans' to paganism and are also very supportive of newcomers. Every meeting is an open meeting during the semester and all are welcome with open arms."
Miyu is one of a growing number of pagans who are embracing their beliefs on campus. From UCLA to MIT, pagan student unions are growing and thriving. Most average twenty participants, meaning that they are larger than many Covens. Classes and workshops are taught on many campuses, generally embracing topics ranging from spiritual beliefs (Wicca and Asatru) to different occult techniques such as divination and chanting.
The focus of Pagan Student Union meetings can vary greatly from one campus to the next. "Our meetings are open to everyone and we usually discuss a topic related to paganism each meeting," says Orrin, representing Pantheon, a Pagan Student Union at Auburn University. "We do not do energy raising of any type in these circles. If anyone wants to do actual energy work, we direct them to any of the local groups in the area." Other groups have a slightly different focus. "We hold regular seasonal gatherings," shared Michael Clanton of the University of Arkansas. "We feel this helps people understand paganism more fully. We either try to make the ritual as generic as possible, so no one is excluded, or we will focus on one path so the members can see what a ritual from that religion is like." But most share an approach similar to the Arizona Student Pagans at the University of Arizona. "Most of our meetings are discussion style gatherings," a representative told us. "But we also hold Sabbat meetings and social events."
Like many pagan organizations around the country, most Pagan Student Unions gather with the intent of making friends and contacts. When asked how accepting their group was of new students and inexperienced pagans, Juno of Purdue University's Pagan Academic Network realized that they had an unusual problem. "[Newcomers] either sat in a corner ignored, or they were bombarded
with, 'Hi! I'm so-and-so! Glad you could join us!' So we are trying to moderate this sort of thing." Of the Pagan Student Unions that responded to our interview, there was unanimous agreement that newcomers were very welcome. "We are always there for each other," shared Fire Fly of Penn State University. "When crises arise -- and when do they not -- one can always find solace with us."
According to Michael Clanton, the Pagan Student Union at the University of Arkansas is very supportive of its members, regardless of their level of familiarity with paganism. "Many people come to our group with little or no experience, and we are more than happy to go at a slower rate for those people to learn. Also, we try to cover as wide a variety of topics as possible so those members who don't have a path can learn more about their choices." Friendships are encouraged at all pagan student groups, but the University of Arkansas was especially accommodating. "After meetings we go to a local coffee house and eat, drink and get to know each other," Mr. Clanton continued "These are very informal meetings where we talk freely and get to be ourselves. We started doing this a few years ago and it has done wonders in getting the members closer to one another."
But even higher education is not without a certain amount of prejudice and misunderstanding regarding pagan beliefs. Representatives from a number of Pagan Student Unions reported that flyers announcing gatherings that had been posted on campus had been torn down. Pagan Student Unions on campuses as widely separated as Washington State and Purdue University have met resistance, usually in the form of Christian students, but in each case, have overcome it. According to Michael Clanton, this resistance can occasionally be almost surreal. "Once when I told a couple of very nice evangelistic students of my path they asked if they could pray for me. I agreed assuming that, if they prayed for me at all, it would be at church or at home. In fact, they got down on their knees and started praying for me, out loud, in the hallway."
But just as in hometowns across America, not everyone on campus is comfortable being open with their beliefs. "There are some [members] who don't want to be too public because they don't want their parents to find out," Juno said. "Or they don't want potential future employers to know, but that is their choice, not a general rule for the area."
Orrin shared that Auburn University's group, with the campus located in Alabama, has a special understanding of the problem. "Because we are in the middle of the Bible Belt, most members of Pantheon stay in the [broom closet]. Our e-mail list is private to Pantheon officers only, and only the officers names are allowed to be released to the public/press. They are the spokespeople for the group. We give all of our members the freedom to privacy."
Sarah, the spokesperson for the Pagan Student Alliance at The University of Texas at Austin shares that there are places where pagans face little resistance. "Austin is a very liberal place; broom closets are rare here. Occasionally members of certain other religious organizations will ask us questions, but by now we have developed standard answers. Pagans at the University of Texas are, in general, quite open about it, and PSA especially." Unlike many locations where the local Barnes and Noble is the closest source for books and networking is available only within the group or on-line, Austin has a wealth of resources available to the college pagan. "Due to the large pagan community here, there is a lot of networking available. There are local Covens, two pagan associations and lots of random groups that offer activities like drum circles, classes, or open celebrations," in addition to a large number of stores carrying herbs, books, and occult supplies.
But as Pagan Student Unions across the United States continue to offer informational and educational opportunities to the student body and public alike, the University of Texas is becoming less of an oasis and more representative of the way pagans are being accepted. "When APS first came about, the responses were quite... um... negative," shared Miyu of Washington State University, nestled in rural Eastern Washington. "For many months, we felt the need to keep mostly to ourselves and didn't do very many public events. We wanted to wait until we had more support from our community before many people knew about us. Now, however, we've done more public informational booths in one semester than ever before. We, as individuals, do not feel as comfortable expressing our beliefs but everything changes when we're together as a group putting on an event -- we have each other's support."