South Jersey Pagan Pride FAQ

Wait, aren't you guys a motorcycle gang?

No. We are not affiliated with the notorious motorcycle gang known as the PAGANS. We are a group of people with similar religious and spiritual beliefs that are centered around love and nature. We could not be more different. Similarly, the baseball team the "Cleveland Indians" are not really affiliated with Native Americans... and they probably don't like the suggestion, either.

But I thought the pentagram was evil?

The pentagram, or pentacle as it is sometimes called, is a five-pointed star within a circle. This is a pre-Christian symbol which embodies all the things many Pagans hold sacred: The elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit, bound by the circle of Life. It is a sacred symbol and is used by many Pagans (though not all) as a symbol of Statement and Identification, a symbol of Protection, and a symbol of Honor. In the way a Christian might wear a cross, or a Jewish person might wear a Star of David, many Pagans will wear a pentacle for similar reasons.

You mean like in the Da Vinci Code?

Well, sort of. The Da Vinci Code book and movie are fiction, but they are based on real historical evidence and philisophical theory. The five pointed star and the five petal flower are symbols of a pre-Christian Goddess worship... whether or not they were supposed to be continued througout the beginnings of Christianity through Mary Magdelene is a controversial but very interesting topic!

So, are you Witches?

Yes, some of us self-identify using the term Witch. Witch is usually a term in our community that is reserved for practitioners of magick. Magick is spells, charms, superstitions, meditations, and prayers done with the intent of making "something" happen through unseen powers. Not all Pagans use magick, and not all Pagans would call themselves Witches. Some Pagans worship Nature or multiple Gods and Goddesses without casting spells. It is a personal decision and situation.

Why use the word Pagan, though? It's scary.

The word Pagan used to mean, "the common people." The general populace. Typical society. Nowadays it seems to mean something derogatory. Some less open-minded Christian groups will use it to generalize all "non-Christians" in a nasty way. The point of Pagan Pride is to reclaim the word, show the world that we are not evil, not green, not warty, or any other Hollywood stereotype. We believe that, particularly in the United States, but all over the world, that Religious Freedom means ANY religion, and that everyone has their right to practice and worship (or abstain completely!) as they see fit. It is our hope that someday, Pagan will be just another typical choice among world religions.

Have another question not covered here? Feel free to contact us! That's why we're here!