Photo by Kit Leffler

A small group of witches and pagans sit on the floor around a circular, wooden coffee table inside a cozy apartment in south Lawrence. They gather to ask ancient gods for personal growth and renewal in the year ahead. Decorated with dried greenery and leaves, each member sets candles in front of themselves on the table. In the middle, an antique gold pot called the “cauldron” holds dried herbs, pinecones, flowers and leaves, which are set on fire. Thick, gray smoke rises from the cauldron and emits a potent campfire smell. Other members sit near the table talking and laughing while one woman walks around the group holding a large dagger, inviting the spirits of the North, South, East and West to the ritual. She casts the circle and begins the ceremony.

There are about 20 members of the Wiccan/Pagan Alliance at the University of Kansas. The group started in 2001 as a way for other pagans to make and meet friends. Members try to meet once a week to talk about anything from astrology to tarot. The KU group continues to experience growth throughout the Lawrence area. The rising popularity of paganism here in Lawrence follows national statistics showing an increase in pagan worship.

In 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that pagan religions accounted for about 375,000 adult Americans, up from about 28,000 adults in 1990. Paganism emerged in the United States during the 1960s when intense social change set the mood for paganism, says Tim Miller, professor of religious studies.The 1970s saw an increased interest in feminism and environmentalism. These movements created a larger awareness of paganism because they have similar viewpoints.

Paganism refers generally to a polytheistic religion that worships many gods and predates Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Religious Tolerance Organization defines paganism as a range of spiritual paths that focuses on the Earth and observes the cycles of the seasons. The religion is based on deities, symbols, rituals and other surviving components of ancient religions such as earth-based worship and ancient gods.

Pagans follow the idea of animism, the belief that spirits reside in every living thing. Paganism also has an environmental focus. “I’m really big into believing that everything with DNA is alive. You need to respect it because everything is connected in one form or another,” says Chelsea Johnson, Hutchinson senior and president of the WPA.

Paganism also has a strong feminine component that focuses on the Earth Mother, Miller says. The Earth mother has many responsibilities in paganism, such as the role of creator and sustainer of life. The religion recognizes deities of both genders while Western religions have male leaders such as Jesus and Mohammed, Miller says. Both gods and goddesses are worshiped in pagan rituals. Feminine qualities complement maslculine elements.

Because pagans don’t follow a specific doctrine, the religion becomes harder todefine beyond terms of respect for nature and worship of gods and goddesses. Some people seek teachers and have a sort of apprenticeship to learn more than the basics. Most people who practice paganism, however, are either self-taught or have learned from someone close to them. “I like that I can tailor it to myself,” says Anne Burton, Olathe junior and WPA member.

The lack of a definitive text or doctrine may lead to some fragmentation within paganism, but it also allows followers to adapt the religion to their beliefs and heritage. Some followers recognize Greek gods, while others worship Norse or Egyptian gods. Burton, who is of Irish background, worships Celtic gods.

The word “pagan” is derived from the Latin paganus, which means villager. Medieval Christians used it as a slang term. Later the word changed to mean an outsider who practiced folk religion. Little is known about ancient pagan practices because religious crusaders destroyed many of their texts. We do know that pagans in different areas practiced different rituals and that the religion was diverse, Miller says. Historically, outsiders believed pagans were witches and Satan worshipers who conducted animal sacrifices. The Salem witch trials of1692 oppressed pagans. Because there are no surviving ancient pagan texts, it’s unsure whether ancient pagans worshipped Satan and performed animal sacrifices, but contemporary pagans say they detest both of these practices. In fact, pagans do not recognize the Devil; he is a Judeo-Christian creation.

Pagans celebrate the divine with rituals related to different seasons in nature. There are eight sabbats, which are the major pagan holidays. Each sabbat celebrates a different aspect of nature and the relationship between the worshiper and gods. Each sabbat occurs about every 45 days.

Imbolc is part of the pagan calendar and signifies the first growth of the new year and is meant to get pagans out of their houses and meet up. Ritual dates are determined by the seasons. Imbolc always falls halfway between winter and spring. Over winter people stay inside, so Imbolc represents a time to come outside and wake up, says Buffy McKinley, Lawrence resident and WPA member. “The ritual helps pagans become renewed and refreshed,” she says. “It helps to mentally clear out the bad stuff in your house such as negative thoughts and energy,” she says.

The group is small tonight. There are 12 WPA members in attendance. Most of the

group wears jeans and T-shirts or sweaters, but four members have on medieval-looking clothing. McKinley wears a white peasant top with ruffles, a blue knitted corset and a wine-colored tiered skirt. Burton wears a green cotton dress with embroidered Celtic symbols as a way to honor her gods and ancestors.

Near the midpoint of the 45-minute ritual, each person performs a charm offering protection for his or her home. A charm is similar to what outsiders might call a spell. A pagan asks his god or goddess for a special request such as help losing weight or relieving stress in his life. Sean Manning, Overland Park junior and WPA member, describes a charm as a “prayer with glitz added to it.” It ‘s more specific than a general request although he recognizes that not all charms work. “We know that Harry Potter’s not real, we don’t do stuff like that and we don’t think we can,” he says. “That’s not what it’s about.”

Major religions, especially Christianity, tend to regard paganism as a false religion. “It is a deviant form of worship, says Bill Hurlbutt, senior pastor at Christ Community Church. “We look at the first commandment and it says there should be no other gods. Anything that places itself in front of that is contrary to Christian thought.” Charms and spells are dangerous experiments that could lead people down a non-Christian path he says. Although Hurlbutt doesn’t view paganism as a threat to Christianity, he is aware that an increasing number of Americans are becoming pagan.

Mainstream religions’ evangelical missions are part of the reason some followers have turned towards paganism. Paganism is not an evangelical religion, meaning that it doesn’t actively seek converts. Burton, who was baptized Christian, appreciates that pagans do not actively try to influence other’s beliefs. “I don’t think a supreme being needs an advertisement,” Burton says.

Johnson says she was raised Protestant but her parents stopped going to church when she was young. She remained Christian but didn’t practice or pray. Her boyfriend turned her onto Wicca, a form of paganism. She learned the basics from him and read books to round out her understanding of the religion. She says that her parents are OK with her choice to practice paganism, but she hasn’t told her other relatives because they are more devout Christians and she doesn’t want to offend them.

Burton was also raised in a Christian home but became disenchanted with the religion in her early teens. She says she was looking for meaning and a relationship with the creator, which she felt she didn’t find with Christianity. Manning had a less idealistic reason for converting: to impress a girl in high school that was a practicing pagan. Johnson says that a majority of people who criticize her beliefs do so in order to convert her to Christianity. Johnson wishes that she could practice her religion peacefully without people condemning her to “the fiery pits of hell.”

Manning had one incident with a motorist that he believes was related to his religion. He used to have a bumper sticker on his car with a drawing of a pentagram — a pagan symbol illustrated by a star inside a circle. Another driver followed him around Johnson County for about an hour, Manning says. When Manning finally got out of his car, the other man also got out and began to preach to Manning. The two exchanged angry words, but ended up leaving peacefully in their cars.

Before the ritual is over, the group connects hands and concentrates on pushing their energy through one another’s hands in the circle. It’s like a game of spiritual telephone. Members say they feel the energy cycle through each person about three times. After passing their energy, the group jumps around with smiles on their faces, but one guy sits quietly with a slight smile on his face. He says that he could feel the energy throughout his entire body. It felt good, he says — almost orgasmic. The group finishes the ritual and ends the night eating and drinking while engaged in friendly conversations. They won’t all meet again for another 45 days.

mhendrix@kansan.com