If you knew me, you would know that I have no qualms or hesitations about letting anyone know that I am Pagan. I am proud of my faith. It is something that brings me immense joy and a profound sense of belonging within my own spiritual community. With that being said, my journey into the world of interfaith dialogue has not been easy. When someone first hears that I am Pagan, an overwhelming heap of stereotypes come to mind. Am I a savage heathen? Do I worship the Devil? Am I evil? Do I go around cursing everyone? These are just a few of the questions I have faced throughout the past couple of years inching my way into interfaith work, and it has continued to be an uphill battle, despite the best of intentions of those around me. 

To put your suspicions and curiosity to bed, no—I am not a savage heathen. I am just a normal girl in her early twenties trying to navigate college and her entry into the adult world. I personally don’t worship the devil, especially not the Abrahamic Devil. Paganism is not associated with the Abrahamic religions, and therefore most do not believe in the Devil at all. Am I evil? No, at least I don’t think so. I try my best to be a kind, philanthropic member of society. Do I go around cursing everyone? Not in the slightest. I actually don’t believe in curses, since one of the few laws that I follow within my faith is that of the Threefold Law, which maintains that anything you put out into the Universe comes back to you three times three times three. So, why would I curse someone, just to end up cursing myself? 

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I want to reassure anyone who is not a member of an Abrahamic faith and may feel a bit wary of inserting themselves into the interfaith world. There absolutely is a place for you! Will you have to create your own space within the conversation? Maybe, but it is so necessary. Your voice is incredibly important not only to dispel misconceptions but to represent the “underdog.” My advice is to make sure you have some thick skin because misinformed questions are inevitable. Most of the time, the purpose is not to be insulting or rude, but of course the old saying, “the road to hell was paved with good intentions,” certainly has its nugget of truth. Try to focus on educating rather than defending. You are secure in your faith; you know that it is not evil and is in fact a beautiful thing. Don’t let the words of others tarnish that. Show others how beautiful it is to believe! 

I know it is very easy for me to sit here and say to just power through. I wouldn’t be saying it if I had not gone through it myself. When I first learned of and eventually became Pagan, I was in my early teenage years. I lived in a conservative town and went to a conservative school. I hid that part of who I am like a “dirty little secret” for years. When I started college, however, I wanted to be open and proud and free. So, I joined the MultiFaith Council and asserted my place in the group. I was not met with entirely open arms and understanding, but it is to be expected. I had to explain, and explain some more, and explain even more. I hosted events, spoke on panels, worked with faculty, and spent quite a lot of hours simply trying to climb my way to even ground. It is still something I am working on. 

Being accepted into the Boston Interfaith Leadership Initiative gave me a microphone for my voice. No longer did I feel that I had to scream and shout in order to be heard. Yes, there are still misconceptions, stereotypes, confusion—all of that—but they are met with a curious and accepting mindset. When I feel frustrated, which is inevitable, I am able to lean on my faith because it is ironclad. 

Interfaith work is never going to be easy because there will always be confusion, prejudice, and misconceptions. If there weren’t, interfaith work would be redundant. I am proud to be a part of this work.