Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

Just to clarify, the tradition that Starhawk helped to create is called Reclaiming and it is not considered a Wiccan tradition, but rather a Witchcraft tradition and it is most definitely not a Dianic group. In fact, Reclaiming is highly involved with the transgender conversation and movement within the larger Pagan community. Feminist yes, but you can be a feminist and still work magic with people of all genders. Feminist doesn't mean Dianic.

I agree that those within it or somewhat knowledgeable of it do not identify it as Wicca yet it is often referenced or cited as Wicca. Somewhat the same way that Dianic Witchcraft is often referred to as Dianic Wicca. Not sure about the LGBT community considering the turmoil that Z Budapest and that general group caused with transgender women not being allowed or desired at a fairly recent gathering and not being real women. Yet as a group the Reclaimest movement is not all that large compared to the general umbrella of paganism. Reality wise i'm not sure if it's actually that large or simply appears that way considering so many recommend The Spiral Dance as a core book to read thus it influences many Wiccan practices as well as general witchcraft practices. To me personally it's no more vast than the Satanic Witches group that was founded by Anton LeVay's daughter and still exists.

[Phoenix LeFae]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

I identify as a Reclaiming Witch. I've been a part of the Reclaiming Tradition for nearly 20 years and I teach classes in the Tradition. In the San Francisco Bay Area we have a large community. There is also a large community of Reclaiming witches in Minneapolis, Portland Or, Eastern PA, Vermont, Australia, Texas, Spain, Germany, and the UK, and more... There are probably more of us than you think.

[monsno_leedra]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

I identify as a Reclaiming Witch. I've been a part of the Reclaiming Tradition for nearly 20 years and I teach classes in the Tradition. In the San Francisco Bay Area we have a large community. There is also a large community of Reclaiming witches in Minneapolis, Portland Or, Eastern PA, Vermont, Australia, Texas, Spain, Germany, and the UK, and more... There are probably more of us than you think.

Oh I admit it quite possible it's far larger than I am aware of. It's just for me I do not see that many who identify with it or when they do many times it's a double identity such as Reclaiming / Fairy or joined with some form of Wicca whether it be Alexanderian, Valentinian, occasionally BTW or Gardenerian or such.

[Pomona]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

Actually, just the day before yesterday I read a quote that fits into this topic perfectly. I read it in a book called Portrait of a Priestess: Women and Ritual in Ancient Greece, by Joan Breton Connelly. The quote was from Strabo, who apparently said "For all agree in regarding women as the chief founders of religion and it is the women who provoke the men to the more attentive worship of the gods, to festivals, and to supplications, and it is a rare thing for a man who lives by himself to be found addicted to these things." According to the author this quote was probably meant as more of an insult towards women than praise, but it does describe my experience of the women around me, who have to be said are much more religious than the men. Of course none of them are Pagan, but if women are more religious than men, I think it would be true across almost all religions and not just Paganism.

I think one of the things that make religion appealing to women, maybe moreso than to men, is the community aspect of it. Think of all the ways that "coming together" features in women's lives, whether religion is involved or not.* My Catholic aunt, her sisters and friends have their own community that helps them with raising their children, in general and in the religion. Feminists come together to support and encourage each other while living in a patriarchal society. Women's knitting groups, fiction writing groups, yoga classes, cooking classes, family get-togethers, etc. I can't remember the last time that I heard my grandfather say that we should all get together sometime, but every time I turn around I have an aunt saying it, or my grandmother. If women are participating in higher numbers in many different religions, I think that's a big reason why.

That being said, I'm not completely sure if the reason for a higher number of Pagan females to males is because females are inherently more religious (if it's just that women are more religious, it stands to reason that they could be more religious in any religion and not choose one that may draw severe disapproval from their families and friends), or if it's because less Christian men than women feel alienated by their birth religion. Christianity is a very male centered religion, even when women are allowed to play an active part in the church. The mythology itself is male oriented. Men may not feel the need to look elsewhere when looking for historical or supernatural role models and they have a larger selection of role models to choose from than women do. That was always a big deal to me. Growing up I felt like any man reading the bible would have, I don't know, one thousand different men to choose from as a signifier of the kind of man he wanted to be and I would have maybe eight women to choose from. The fact that Paganism gives me the ability to choose from many different kinds of women, many different ideas of what a women should or could be and the possibility of a community of other women who know exactly how I feel, makes the religion a valid choice for me. If it didn't offer those things I wouldn't be interested in it. I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way and if I'm not it could also point to why certain kinds of magical practices or forms of Paganism don't appeal to women. Speaking for myself, take out a caring community and female role models of divine or human persuasion and I've stopped listening.

*I think it goes without saying that I'm only talking about my own observations, mostly within my family and community and that they can't be applied to every situation or person.

[Bluethorne]

[Dez]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

I grew up in an extremely patriarchal setting. I first started to feel a longing for some form of female divine as a young teen...as the discrepancy between men and women in my faith became more obvious, and the pressure to see my access to the divine to be only through obedience and childbirth increased.

Oddly enough, I've noticed an unusual number of former LDS who become some form of heathen. It might be the aggressive work ethic and type of values taught in most pioneer stock families, or it could be ancestry. There's a lot of Scandinavian blood. Chicken or the egg. Honestly, though, if it were a matter of blood, I'd expect to see more Celtic reconstructionists interested in Welsh, in particular. The Mormon church is one of two areas in America you find a lot of welsh blood....the other being miners in the blue mountain area, if I remember right.

[Bluethorne]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

I had a friend once who was Mormon.. her name was Natalie; she lived in Utah and I met her online.. after speaking to her for a short while she began to discuss the Book of Mormon with me; she even took the time to purchase a copy, go through it page by page and highlight passage after passage, by the time the book got to me it was almost completely re-written.. she took almost a month reworking it for me; so I could understand it in the ways I know. I don't feel wrong for having her attempt to convert me; in fact I learned a lot from her.. and about their faith and the sister faiths to Mormonism.. there are very thin lines of difference when you shred away the words;.. I found their devotion to 'doing good' to be a fresh idea, having grown up in my parents basement with only my own mind to occupy me.

I think we can learn a lot from our lost friends in the world; its just hard to show them the way sometimes. Never would I try.. how can we even try, without becoming as they are? Sorry for being off topic Dez.

[demon]

Re: Is it true that there are more Pagan women than men?

Do not conflate 'paganism' with 'neopaganism' and European-based paganism. Last time I checked, 49% of the world was pagan, including atheists, non-theist agnostics, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs (some,) Taoists, and people in indigenous religions all over the world. When you consider all that is non-Abrahamic, whether it is 'country-dwelling' or not, I am sure the number of females & males is 50% each or something very close that reflects or is explainable by aspects of the relevant societies.