Urban Pagan

Most pagans live in the city. You can think of us as urban tribes, whether we practice as solitares or in groups. The city pagan comes in many shapes and sizes. She may be a warrior in a leather jacket, with tattoos and piercings, or a soccer mom with three kids who shields her home with scattered Fruit Loops. He might be a long-haired tree-hugger, an ancient old shaman or an angry young man, searching for magic and determined to be the magic as well. For us, Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer just aren’t enough.

Most pagan rituals, symbols and deities came from an older, agricultural era. They revolve around fertility, growing things, planting, harvest, livestock and the changing seasons of the year. For a modern pagan, these things are harder to stay in tune with. When we throw down on a tasty cheeseburger, we have no idea when or where the animal was slaughtered or who did it. We can assume it was not done in reverence or respect. With a few hundred cows in line waiting for their turn to give their lives for our sustenance and growth, there just isn’t time for ritual or prayer.

So perhaps we lump our respect into one or two generic rituals designed to thank Gaea for everything she provides for us, including our cheeseburgers.

As every city dweller knows, the city has it’s own intense wild energy, unique to itself, from which we feed or with which we struggle each day. I have lived in several cities and visited several more and never felt such a hateful vibe as I do in Dallas. This city hates me, there’s no question, and the feeling is mutual. We simply tolerate each other until I am granted the freedom to get out. Minneapolis was like a friendly puppy; not harsh or demanding but not particularly mature either. Albuquerque was like a beautiful old grandmother with wrinkled leathery skin and eyes sparkling with warmth and wisdom.

Rural energy is that of growing things, birth and rebirth. It is tame, agricultural. City energy is more like that of a wild, untamed jungle. Just as the gods of the woods and swamps are wilder than the gods of the fields, city gods are wild creatures collected in the whirlpool of urban energy. Take the time to get to know some of the city gods and goddesses around you. Learn creative ways to worship them and invoke their power for your rituals and your daily life.

Wilma - goddess of Wal-Mart and other discount shopping centers. She can even be invoked to provide guidance for a successful garage sailing expedition. If you find exactly what you needed at half the price you expected to pay, give thanks to Wilma. (You can call her what you like; I have chosen to give her my mother’s name.) She’s partial to sweets, so as an offering, leave a piece of candy on the shelf in place of the merchandise as you put it in your shopping cart.

Excursion - god of commuting and traffic. His energy comes from the ever-moving arteries of highways and city streets. He can help with clearing gridlock, navigating to parts unknown and avoiding traffic tickets. When you reach your destination without a single red light, tip your hat to Excursion and leave a few coins on the curb.

Techno - nocturnal god of night clubs and partying. His energy flows when you feel the driving beat of the music on the dance floor. Pick-up lines, dancing and laser light shows are of his domain. He’s more concerned with having fun and getting you laid than with protection and safety, so be sure to shield yourself and invoke the protection of a powerful guardian spirit before going out with Techno.