The Nature of Stories
Stories are sacred. They hold immense power that can change one person, or potentially everyone who reads them--even those who don't. In stories we see reflections of ourselves. It's very hard for any writer to not write a part of themselves, or someone they love, into their stories. But more than that, when we read, we look for people like us. People we can relate to.
I first found Paganism when I was about 15. I immediately turned to books (both fiction and nonfiction) for instruction and examples. Except...in that time, there were very few true Pagans in fiction. Isobel Bird's Circle of Three series was the only thing I found that portrayed real Pagans. Annie, Kate and Cooper were going through their first year as "witchlets". They were witches in training, and dealing with some of the same things I was. I was trying to come out to my mom, and when I did finally, I was met with not-so-good results. I was forced back in the closet. Just like Kate was. I related to her a lot. She showed me that I wasn't alone in what I was going through. She also showed me that if I was just true to myself, that eventually my mom would accept me...or at least tolerate. (That has yet to be seen.)
I devoured that series, always eagerly awaiting the next book's release. I was disappointed when Book 15 was released. I had to say goodbye to Kate and Cooper and Annie, wish them blessed be and go in search of other books with Pagans. Sadly, I didn't find them.
But the thing was, I didn't want them just so I could read them have someone to relate to. After my mom gave me the "not in my house" speech about Paganism, I wanted to find a book that she could read. Or that my grandmother could read. (My mom was never a reader, but my grandmother devours books like I do.) I wanted her to see that being Pagan didn't mean cursing people or sacrificing animals while chanting demonic incantations. Because of her Christian upbringing and faith, she viewed Paganism Devil worship. Me trying to tell her it was different wasn't working. To her, it came across as a teenage girl's delusion--that she had fallen in with the wrong crowd and they were leading her down a very dangerous path.
I thought if maybe she could see otherwise, it would change her mind. At least give her an idea of what Pagans really do. (This isn't to say that some Pagans don't engage in animal sacrifice--they do. And chanting is a very common thing.)
That is the power of Story and literature. To show how "others" live. Often times what we fear is simply the unknown. Give someone knowledge and understanding of a thing and the fear disappears.
Unfortunately, aside from the Circle of Three series, a lot of what I found was stereotypical Pagans, and greatly exaggerated types. Pagans can't make something appear in their hand simply by calling for it like Paige Matthews (from Charmed) can, nor can we whip up a dust storm like Willow Rosenberg. We are just normal people that pray to our deities, go to work, and pay our bills.
And so, I write the stories that I do. I try to portray Pagans as honestly as I can. I show faeries as faeries truly are. If I can help dispel the misunderstandings and fear, then I want to do my best by that.
(crossposted to The Faerie Scribe)
I first found Paganism when I was about 15. I immediately turned to books (both fiction and nonfiction) for instruction and examples. Except...in that time, there were very few true Pagans in fiction. Isobel Bird's Circle of Three series was the only thing I found that portrayed real Pagans. Annie, Kate and Cooper were going through their first year as "witchlets". They were witches in training, and dealing with some of the same things I was. I was trying to come out to my mom, and when I did finally, I was met with not-so-good results. I was forced back in the closet. Just like Kate was. I related to her a lot. She showed me that I wasn't alone in what I was going through. She also showed me that if I was just true to myself, that eventually my mom would accept me...or at least tolerate. (That has yet to be seen.)
I devoured that series, always eagerly awaiting the next book's release. I was disappointed when Book 15 was released. I had to say goodbye to Kate and Cooper and Annie, wish them blessed be and go in search of other books with Pagans. Sadly, I didn't find them.
But the thing was, I didn't want them just so I could read them have someone to relate to. After my mom gave me the "not in my house" speech about Paganism, I wanted to find a book that she could read. Or that my grandmother could read. (My mom was never a reader, but my grandmother devours books like I do.) I wanted her to see that being Pagan didn't mean cursing people or sacrificing animals while chanting demonic incantations. Because of her Christian upbringing and faith, she viewed Paganism Devil worship. Me trying to tell her it was different wasn't working. To her, it came across as a teenage girl's delusion--that she had fallen in with the wrong crowd and they were leading her down a very dangerous path.
I thought if maybe she could see otherwise, it would change her mind. At least give her an idea of what Pagans really do. (This isn't to say that some Pagans don't engage in animal sacrifice--they do. And chanting is a very common thing.)
That is the power of Story and literature. To show how "others" live. Often times what we fear is simply the unknown. Give someone knowledge and understanding of a thing and the fear disappears.
Unfortunately, aside from the Circle of Three series, a lot of what I found was stereotypical Pagans, and greatly exaggerated types. Pagans can't make something appear in their hand simply by calling for it like Paige Matthews (from Charmed) can, nor can we whip up a dust storm like Willow Rosenberg. We are just normal people that pray to our deities, go to work, and pay our bills.
And so, I write the stories that I do. I try to portray Pagans as honestly as I can. I show faeries as faeries truly are. If I can help dispel the misunderstandings and fear, then I want to do my best by that.
(crossposted to The Faerie Scribe)