ASK a young person to define their religious persuasion these days and it is unlikely that you will get a straight answer.
Combining the belief systems of many different religions to answer the deeper questions thrown up by modern life, fewer and fewer are stating that they are simply Christian, Jewish or Muslim. Instead, they are turning to other less well known faiths,
quite alien to previous generations, to find solutions to their problems and fulfilment in their day-to-day existence.
Most prominent among these newly adopted religions is Paganism, which its followers claim is the fastest growing faith among young people in the UK. Indeed, Scotland is now home to more than 10,000 Pagans, with growth in numbers rising by 100 per cent every year. So great are the numbers of those practising Paganism, that it is potentially set to gain status as a recognised religion.
But just what is Paganism all about and why is it proving so attractive to the young? According to the dictionary, a Pagan is a "heathen" and a "person of no religion". Yet that is not how Pagans describe themselves. Instead, they say Paganism is a broad kirk of a faith which encompasses witches, druids and healers, but all have the one common belief based around a connection with nature.
In fact, worshipping the Earth is one of the fundamental tenets of Paganism - which is normally celebrated on Calton Hill when the Beltane Festival is held and sprites and goddesses celebrate the arrival of summer.
According to Sharon Smith, a 23-year-old post-graduate student who is studying medical research at Edinburgh University, the reasons she has turned to Paganism are straightforward. As a child she says Christianity never "sat right" with her, but since becoming a Pagan at 18 she has found a religion that is much more suitable.
"Paganism is an umbrella term for an Earth-based spirituality," she explains. "I do believe in some higher power but not in the way Christians do. I believe it is found within everyone and every living thing, rather than just in one God. There are many different forms of Paganism and people practise it in different ways. It’s a very personal thing.
"Some people like to meet up and practise together in open air places such as parks and fields to be closer to nature, but I like to be alone. I consider myself to be a witch and I do work with magic, but it’s not the stereotypical image that you so often see in the media. It’s nothing like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
"The spells that I do are like prayers in many ways. I am praying to my interpretation of a god or goddess. My view of spells is that through positive thought and energy you can change things for the better. For example, if I was going for a job interview I would ask my inner self to help me have more confidence."
Smith is keen to point out she has never practised any kind of black magic and, while she knows plenty of young Pagans in an around Edinburgh, she has never seen or heard of any of them taking part in such things.
"People need to realise that Paganism is not evil or a threat in any way. They need to understand us more. We don’t curse people or cast nasty spells. In fact no true Pagan would ever do that as we believe that what goes around comes around."
Another young Edinburgh Pagan, 19-year-old Fern Sloan-Murphy, is also keen to stress Paganism is not about harming anyone or anything.
"We have an old phrase that says: ‘an it harm none, do as thou wilt’. This basically means that as long as you don’t harm others or yourself you can do what you want," she explains.
Having been brought up as a Pagan by her mother and stepfather, Sloan-Murphy has been taught to have great respect for the Earth and animals and says all the other young Pagans she knows feel the same way. "It’s as basic as not dropping litter. We just have a love of our planet and want to worship it. There are those who call us names and are prejudiced about our religion, but that is the case with every religion. People are often just afraid of what they don’t know."
Working in Fool, her mother’s new age shop in Morningside, Sloan-Murphy has access to materials such as herbs and crystals she uses for spells. "I do practise magic and use herbs such as frankincense to make raw incense as it is great for removing negative energy. I take part in Pagan festivals too, such as the summer solstice. At these times we worship different aspects of the Earth and the different gods and goddesses that relate to them.
"My boyfriend isn’t a Pagan and not all my friends are but they accept that I am and are fine with it. It shouldn’t matter what religion you are. At the end of the day we are all people first."
At the moment, there are very few official groups for young Pagans to join - though interest is high - but that might change come September as one of Edinburgh University’s freshers is planning to set up a Pagan Society to join the others offered by the university’s union.Victoria Steeples will be arriving from Hull to study chemistry and hopes to set her plan in motion straight away. "At the moment I am dealing with the Pagan Federation but I’ll be able to do more ground work once I get there," she explains.
"I think there will be a lot of interest and I’m actually very surprised there isn’t a Pagan Society already. I plan to put up information on notice boards all over the campus and it will be a very fun, informal thing. Hopefully, it will help people who want to try out Paganism and find direction in a safe, friendly, environment."
Growing numbers have also encouraged the Scottish Pagan Federation to lobby the Scottish Executive in order to receive official status for the religion. "Paganism is without doubt the fastest growing religion in the UK among all the generations," says Federation spokesman John Macintyre.
"It’s not that we seek converts, as we believe that to be immoral, it’s just that many people are attracted to what we stand for. Neither does the Pagan Federation accept members under the age of 18 as deciding on a spiritual path should be a mature, adult decision once people have enough life experience to make an informed choice." Macintyre believes that Paganism has a broad appeal because of three basic factors. "Firstly, we recognise the importance of the Earth and take a respectful attitude towards it. People are interested in the ecological implications of their lives."
He adds: "Secondly, we believe in sexual equality, which is especially appealing to women. Our divine force is just as much female as it is male and we worship both gods and goddesses. Thirdly, we are tolerant of other people and other religions. They are merely different to us, we do not want to prove them wrong in any way. Diversity makes for a healthy society."
Macintyre also believes the dictionary definition of Paganism needs to change. "It is completely inaccurate. Paganism is a religion characterised by a reverence for nature." He says Paganism is a fully fledged faith and should be recognised as such. Indeed, the Scottish Interfaith Council, which is an umbrella organisation made up of 29 different religions, is holding a meeting in October in Glasgow to decide whether or not to allow the Pagans to become full members.
But while the majority of Scots will be familiar with both the names and practises of most of Interfaith’s current members, Paganism is still a mystery to many. Admitting the many different elements found within Paganism may be confusing to people coming across it for the first time, Macintyre tries to explain.
"There are a number of different traditions within Paganism such as witchcraft and Druidism. However, many Pagans are just Pagans and not all witches are Pagans. I know it can seem quite complicated but we believe that all of these traditions can overlap and blend under the one name of Paganism."
Macintyre is also keen to dispel the myth that Paganism has anything to do with devil worship. "We would consider that idea to be some form of perverse Christianity and nothing to do with Paganism. We believe if someone decides to do evil, it is a human decision and nothing to do with a supernatural force. I have been a Pagan for over 20 years and have met thousands of other Pagans all over the UK and I can assure you that I have never come across any form of black magic."
It seems in an era when traditional religions are losing their congregations, and with environmental concerns on the rise, Paganism is filling a hole in many young people’s lives. Perhaps the path to spiritual enlightenment, then, is one where you can stop and smell the roses along the way.
