A closer look: Pagans of the Path - Written by Bianca Sanders

Part of the mission of this publication is to expand our reach and understanding of our disparate communities so let me introduce you to another facet of our Pagan community, Pagans of the Path: Rise of the Phoenix.  This group can be found on Facebook, though it is far more than a simple group to belong to.  It is a true and vastly thriving community of Pagans, coming together to share knowledge, resources, laugh, learn, love and grow together.  That in itself is truly inspiring, but what makes Pagans of the Path truly unique is the people that belong to this group and have turned it into something of a family.  Members of Pagans of The Path are unified by a mutual sense of love and kindness, a healthy dose of humor, and an unyielding drive for knowledge.  Many of the group members are community educators, and they come from all walks of life.  Lawyers, doctors, teachers, students, cashiers, truck drivers, and so much more.  Here we can each be more than our job or social position, more than society tells us we have to be, and above all more than we ever thought we could be.  This family is widely cast with members spanning the globe.  

Many practitioners struggle with finding and connecting with other practitioners.  The nature of society as it is today breeds a sense of social isolation for Pagans, and many members of our community can face the struggles of being able to truly live authentically to ourselves within our local areas.  Thankfully, we live in the information age, and technology has risen to the challenge and provided us a means to overcome these previous challenges and finally be able to truly enjoy the community that we all have deserved for entirely too long.   Pagans of the Path is one of a large number of groups that have taken to the internet to reach across the distance that may separate each of us and find a way to build something truly beautiful together.  A family of just over 3,000 people, members of Pagan of the Path come together daily with a shared sense of love, acceptance, and a desire to see one another become something more than just a name on a screen.  This highly active group is lead by the one and only Angel Greer.  Angel founded Pagans of the Path nearly 7 years ago with one goal in mind, providing a safe place for Pagans to simply…exist.   Since it’s inception, the group has grown to take on a life of it’s own, no small thanks to the wonderful people that fill the screen daily.   Group discussions are never dull, and range from pagan related topics such as sharing information, asking for help or advice and even sharing resources, to news articles that interest the pagan community and even well placed jokes and funny stories.  Members are encouraged to ask questions, to push the boundaries of our understanding, to question the information given, and to find creative solutions to community problems.  More than just trading information and laughs, the community of Pagans of the Path continually strives to get involved in our own local communities, with many members spearheading community garden projects, pagan gatherings, celebrations of holidays both virtually and in person.  

One thing can be guaranteed with Pagans of the Path, it truly is a safe and inviting place to be.  Members are welcome to be open about struggling with any of life’s challenges from addiction and depression, to loss and grief.  The group is private, and nothing is shared outside of the group, but what truly makes it a safe place is the moderators and admins.  They continually monitor the group for a standard of behavior, in essence, being nice and respectful to everyone in the group, even if you disagree.  Members are asked to behave with manners, and communicate with one another openly and from a place of empathy and understanding.  Bullying, hateful comments, dangerous activity and even disrespect are handled swiftly and fairly.  A community group thriving for this long comes with the bonus of having well established administrative team who are not only well versed in navigating the rises and falls of the internet’s moods, but being able to foster a sense of loyalty with the members.  There is no greater example of how this is done than perhaps the efforts that the group makes to provide for one another.  Commonly near the holiday season each year group members can be seen banding together to provide for Pagan families in need of gifts, holiday dinners, or even just someone to talk to through the holiday blues.  This same sense of community and support is carried through the entire year with many members volunteering to be pen-pals, send gift boxes to one another, and at times even visit each other when possible.  

Pagans of the Path: Rise of the Phoenix is not just a group on Facebook, it is a thriving and growing internet community of Pagans, where all paths are welcome, no question is left unanswered, and each member is valued as a person, not a number.  Many members come to the group in desperation, looking for or perhaps even joining yet another group in the hopes of finding any sense of support and acceptance.  They often stay because of the true sense of finally finding…home.  

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