The Social Narrative of Paganism

What is a social narrative? It is a story. The myth that people place themselves into. The cultures that are successful historically didn’t just have the most pointy sticks or people to wield them. They were the cultures that had a compelling story, that other people could find themselves a part of. Every culture will have its legends.

Story is powerful. In Lord of the Rings, Tolkien evokes the ancient Pagan Mythos of Northern European people. Elves and dwarfs are characters in the Viking Legends that were told hundreds of years ago and are still popular today.

Symbols, emotion and legend hold the keys to the chambers of the heart.

As Pagans, we must examine how we achieve things with the use of symbol and story. We must examine how we place ourselves inside of the context of this story, and how we can create a positive change in the world.

Who are the leaders that will usher in the dawn of a new day? Who are the Gods and Goddesses who will rise up against current systems and insist on a world reverent of nature? It is easy to chop down a tree when we see it as a mere thing, like a paper clip or toilet paper. It is very difficult when we realize that it is a spiritual entity, a hub for hundreds of life forms.

In forming the movements that transform the future, we must find ways to establish relationships and feelings with our goals. In the Green Movement, we cannot merely hope for the curbing of Carbon Emissions (although that would be a great goal). We must hope for something more. We must aspire to fix the relationship with our Mother Earth and Father Sky. We have chopped off our mother’s limbs. We have clogged our father’s lungs with filth. We must humble ourselves before the Earth and realize that we are connected to it – like a vein in the body.

In the Ancient Egyptian tale of the great Gods Isis and Osiris, they were born into a kingdom ruled by very corrupt people. Eventually they overthrow the corrupt rulers and rule with the true authority of a righteous God and Goddess. We are living in corrupt times today and must look to the heroic examples of the ancient Gods and Goddesses.