The Threads That Bind Us

A few weeks ago, I had an idea.

I have been producing a podcast called The Medium, the Witch & the Shaman, which is a panel discussion format in which we gather and talk about spiritual and metaphysical topics. We invite people from out of town to participate via Skype. And I thought: what would happen if we got a panel together of Pagan leaders, authors and elders to discuss things of particular interest to Pagans? With the technology and low expense of Skype, we could reasonably gather anyone from anywhere! And I thought, I have quite a few such people as contacts on my Facebook. Why don't I send them an email about it?

It took me a couple of weeks to work up the nerve, but I thought to myself, Well, all they can say is no, right? And what happens if they say yes? So I sent the email. And the response was overwhelming! I was truly honoured and amazed by the interesting people - people whom I deeply respect and admire - who were willing to be a part of this project!

I didn't want to limit myself to just contacting famous Pagans; though there were quite a few I found on Facebook who are famous. My criteria was that I felt that everyone invited to be a part of the panel has contributed to the Pagan movement or culture in a significant way. Either they have contributed to our literature, our music and culture, our scholarship, connecting us, researching us, teaching our Paths to others, organizing and leading, speaking out for our rights, or pioneering new fields. I also wanted people who have been practicing their chosen Paths for a long time and who have made it a part of their way of life. I have been very fortunate! These amazing people span a variety of Pagan Paths and traditions, and they come from all over the world and all walks of life. They are willing to fight prejudice, instruct the stubborn, and herd cats. They might be known worldwide, or as icons in their own communities, but they are all "Pathfinders;" they have blazed trails for the rest of us, and helped us all to find our own Paths.

I felt it was important to bring these people together because I believe that Pagan networking and communication is essential to the future of Paganism. We have a lot of differences; the truth is, we are really a bunch of disparate faiths with some similar traits and concerns, and bringing us together is no different than bringing together any other multifaith gathering. But it is even more important that we come together, because we are minority faiths in a culture that does not understand us, and the only way that we are going to thrive is to unite as much as we are able. We are challenged by this because we are, by definition, individualists, and our spiritualities are very personal and diverse; and rather than viewing this as a threat, we choose to celebrate our diversity. It doesn't give us a lot of common ground. But we need to find what we can.

We will be gathering next weekend to work out the bugs and maybe introduce ourselves and make a pilot podcast, and I am very excited! Keep up with this blog for more information!

I also invite you to sign up for our website (which, for those who are following us on Facebook, is at http://paganpathfinders.webs.com) to check out the list of our panelistis, or participate in the Forums and join the conversation! And I can't wait to see what will happen!

Blessed be,