Pagans have been in the "broom closet" for centuries. To this day, many are still afraid to publicly admit their spirituality. Why? When asked some fear reprisal from ex-spouses, or landlords, or employers. Individually, Pagans have many valid fears about being exposed. When Gerald Gardner published his works, it was with the belief that his was the last coven remaining in the world.

For the last fifty odd years, Wiccans and Pagans have established local groups around the world.  Some of these groups remain in the shadows of society because of the fear that open disclosure will cause hardship for its members. Individual members are at risk of possible hardship if exposed singly, but as part of a larger group, the individual can openly express their spiritual beliefs with less worry of being singled out. After all, there is safety in numbers.

The Wiccan and Pagan community, from the local level all the way up to the global level, is a living entity. It has taken on a life of its own far beyond anything Gerald Gardner or anyone else could have imagined, yet we often cower in the shadows, afraid that if we come out, the Burning Times might return. It is time now for the separate communities and organisations to grow together, into a larger, more robust community. This is not to say that the local communities should not remain as vibrant groups, or that any larger organisation should hold sway over them, but that as a larger community we would carry more weight.

As with all such growth, there are bound to be growing pains. I can see where some will see this as an attempt to put one or more persons in a position of authority over the various communities. I can also see where some might try to do just that. Wiccans and Pagans take pride in the fact that they belong to an unstructured spirituality. There is no way either the Wiccan or Pagan population at large would allow itself to be coerced into giving an individual or group, power over the rest. There will never be a "Grand High Witch of England” – nor should there be!. However, the benefit of structure would be that Wiccans and Pagans would be able to show a unified face to the world. Or at least show the world that we are everywhere, and there are more of us than anyone thought.

Imagine what would happen if every Wiccan, Pagan, and sympathetic person in Stratford upon Avon showed up in one place at the same time. They would pretty much take over the place they were at. Now imagine if every Wiccan, Pagan and sympathetic person in the Country, were to show up at the same place at the same time. They would be quite something, wouldn’t it? Pagans carry little political clout because we, for the most part, are afraid to come out of the broom closet. As individuals we are vulnerable. As a single country wide group Wiccans and Pagans would be a force to be reckoned with! Would all Pagans vote the same way? Doubtful at best, but just the idea that we might, could be enough to make some sit up and take notice.

So the question remains. Just what are we really afraid of? Are we not secure enough in our own beliefs to stand as a community and show the strength of our convictions? Do we not believe that our path, whatever it might be, is valid? Are we afraid that no one else will stand with us? Perhaps that is the reason. It's always easier to go with the crowd, than to be the odd one out. But then, by our very natures we are the odd ones out. If we weren't, we wouldn't have left the security of the faiths we were given, to follow the path of our hearts. It takes a certain amount of courage to buck the system. Why then does that courage fail us when it comes time to stand and be counted? Perhaps that which we seek to find without, must first be found within.

Those of us who are publicly out of the broom closet have a responsibility to protect those who are not yet able to show who they truly are. That is the duty of a community. I personally have no problem publicly stating what I believe, and educating those who will listen, about Wicca and the Pagan path. I do this in the hope that someday there will be enough people who have listened, that those of us still hidden will be able to come out into the sunlight without fear.

 Those with the power will not make changes until they are left with no other option. We don't need to be disruptive or violent to create change. We simply have to stand as one and refuse to give up our power. We are much stronger than even we realize. As long as we hide in the shadows or split into separate organisations, we willingly give up our power to those who will take it. It is not until we organize, even if it's just enough to say, "Here we are, our numbers total this, and we vote as our hearts dictate."  As long as we, as a group, hide in the shadows, we freely give up our power to others. By refusing to stand up and claim our right to choose our spiritual path, we allow others to hold power over us.

Only our fear holds us back. Those who would hold power over us, use this fear to keep us in our places. These people keep us in fear because we allow them to.  Those who keep us in fear use the shadows just as much as we do. For in the shadows, it's easy for the truth to get lost, and lies to come forward. Once these people are pinned by the light of truth, the lies they excrete as a matter of course return to the shadows from where they were born. If everyone understood who we are, and what we do, there would be no need to hide. Anyone trying to spout tripe about Pagans being Satan worshipers would be seen for the frauds they are. It is only when we are out in the open that we can spread our wings, only out in the sunlight that we can be nurtured, only when we stand up as a group that the individual need fear no longer.

Words have power. Thoughts have form. As long as we believe that the Burning Times might return, they may. It's not until we stand united and say, "Never Again!" not as a mantra, but as a rallying cry, that we will finally be free of that fear. This sounds like a revolution, and a revolution it is. Not a war of violence, but a revolution of thought and idea. We work magic for Goddess' sake! Why are we afraid? Work the magic! Do you really think that if we all stand as one, there is any one or any thing that can stand against us? Lest this be taken out of context, I don't intend the overthrow of any government, religion or organisation, but creating an environment where our brothers and sisters can come out into the light without fear, should be easy enough.

If we all as Witches, Wiccans, Pagans, whatever we choose to call ourselves, if we all work together, toward the same goal of freedom from religious intolerance, it cannot fail to be. Protect your homes, protect your families, protect yourselves, cast your best protection charms and then as one, walk into the sunlight. The woman whose ex has suddenly become Fundamentalist, and uses her spirituality as a lever to gain custody of their kids, can do so only because in the shadows no one can see that she dances in her garden, and heals the small scrapes of the neighbours kids, and casts protection spells to keep her neighbourhood safe. Once people know that this is what Pagans do, she can then say, "Yes, I am a Pagan." without fear. The light of the sun nurtures her, and exposes the lies of her ex for the lies they truly are. Once exposed to the sunlight, the lies wither to dust.

Our magic is strong. As we will, so mote it be! Our will determines our magic. As long as we remain in the shadows, and allow others to use the words Witch and Pagan as synonyms for devil worshipper, our magic remains simple parlour tricks. If we cannot use our will and our magic to bring sunlight into the shadows, then perhaps our magic isn't as strong as we think.

Our magic is strong! Until now, we have chosen not to bathe the shadow in sunlight for fear that we would expose individuals. Our magic is strong, and we have new magic. We have the magic of the Internet. We are no longer the simple community of a small town. Now, wherever we are, no matter how small the town, or how few we number in our local community, we are part of the global Pagan community. The Internet allows us to communicate with individuals and communities across the world. We become known, and can become part of those far-flung communities simply by becoming friends with those we communicate with. That is high magic!

 If our magic is strong, we can protect ourselves, and our loved ones. Witches have been coming together as covens for centuries because groups have stronger magic than individuals. We all know in our hearts that there are more of us than anyone realizes. Yes, Christians as a whole probably outnumber Pagans in this country, but it's only those few in the vocal minority who we must stand against. On the whole, most Christians don't care if you're Wiccan, Pagan, Hindu, or a chair. They're simply too involved in their own lives to worry about the salvation of others in more than an abstract fashion.

 Structure is essential, every coven or group has a priest and or priestess, if only for the length of the ritual. Structure is not the end, but the means. Communities already have structure, whether they admit it or not. Each has its unwritten laws. You do not "out" another. You do as the priest and priestess say during the ritual, whether you agree with it or not. If you cannot follow the priest or priestess, you go to the Gatekeeper, and ask to be let out. These are all elements of structure, and keep petty bickering to a minimum.

The same sort of structure must be maintained for a larger community. With more people comes more chaos, extraneous energies flying about simply because of the numbers involved, so structure must be formalized, even if by just writing it down. Structure is kept to a minimum by following the convention of the Wiccan Rede.

v      The community shall be a gathering place for Pagans and like-minded or sympathetic persons in the area.

v      The community shall be a rallying point for Pagans to be collectively counted, not as individuals but as part of the larger group.

v      The community shall give voice to those who feel they have no voice, both spiritually and politically.

v      It is not the goal of the community to become a political entity, but rather to educate both Pagans and the general populace of our potential as a political force when united as a single voice.

v      The community is not interested in creating an atmosphere conducive to power struggles or political games, nor is it an attempt to add structure to the Pagan Religious dynamic.

v      The community IS interested in creating an environment where Pagans can feel free to be themselves uninhibited, to come out of the shadows and into the light. Not the spotlight of individual recognition, unless they so choose, but the sunlight of warmth and nurturing growth.

v      The community speaks with a single voice, knowing that each individual is unique and will have opinions that while differing in detail agree in general principal.

v      The community encourages the individual to speak out, let their opinions be heard for the good of the community.

v      Above all, the community follows the Rede; "'an it harm none, do what thou wilt."

Again, these are ideas. They are to be taken as guidelines. For example, "The community speaks with a single voice, " simply means that the community only speaks AS the community where whatever the community is speaking of can be agreed to, in general principal. This isn't likely to happen too often, since if you ask ten Witches a question, you'll get 12 answers.

Another example, "The community shall give voice to those who feel they have no voice, both spiritually and politically." Doesn't mean that the community should be a political movement, but there may be issues that Pagans in general would take an interest in. It would be a way of getting the word out.

Above all else, if a certain situation doesn't seem to fall under any other guideline, we fall back to the Wiccan Rede, "'an it harm none, do what thou wilt."

We are quickly approaching the point where we as Wiccans and Pagans must make a choice. If we are to come out into the light, we must do so as a unified group. If we are to appear as a unified group, we must use a little more structure than we currently have. I don't think these ideas for structure are too outrageous, nor is the idea of presenting one's self as a Wiccan or Pagan without fear, too lofty. These are issues that we all as Wiccans and Pagans must take a serious look at.