When it comes to finding pagan groups or pagan communities in general it can feel like a daunting task for many. Sometimes it can feel as if you can't find a community in your area for many reasons. At times it could be due to demographics or due to the area you are in and can be hard to find such communities. You also have instances that you live in a thriving community and yet it lacks representation of a certain path. These are the most common reasons many will start a group. But what is it that one should consider when making a group and how do you spread the word about it? In this blog, I'm going to use my personal journey to give pointers on the dos and don'ts of creating a community. Along with a list of resources for those who are looking to find information in forming one. This is based on my own life experience and for some, it may not be the answer for all. But it will give a basic understanding of the representation, outreach, and promotion of your group.
The first question one might wonder is where do you start when trying to form a new group in your area. One of the things I highly suggest to anyone is doing research and finding out what is in the area. When I say the area I mean not only in your town but within the state that you live in as well. This allows you to know what exactly is in your state and get some insight into the things going on in your state. Once you do this it will give you a wider scoop into what is out in your state along with ideas for your group. When it comes to forming a group many questions one must ask themselves.
What is the reason for this group?
what do you plan for this group to represent?
What type of group is this ? (online or in person)
If in-person where will your meetups be?
Is this group mainly for connection or is it for education?
Will this group be doing rituals or having gatherings during holidays?
How will you fund the group? This is important depending if you plan to hold events and do not have resources.
Safety is always a concern as many see the spiritual paths that are not mainstream as vial things. We have seen many representations over the years in and outside of the community. Depending on the group you start some may see it as a certain way then you are intending it to be. Thus it's always good to keep safety in mind as anything can happen during an event or gathering.
Rules- Now for some having rules seems restricting, but as you journey into making your group you will find them necessary. It allows you to set clear boundaries of what is allowed within your group and what is not.
Age- This one may not be your first thought but it will be something you need to consider when forming a new group. What is the demographic age range you are trying to bring in or accepting? Some groups are family-friendly while others are not and some are at the discretion of the parents.
Symbol- What is going to be your group's symbol, many groups use a combination of religious symbols or create one for the group. This allows you to use it as your marketing tool and an easy identifier for those to spot your group.
These are the things that I have learned along the way to think about before starting a group that needs to be clearly outlined. I say this as someone who started their group and had asked myself these same questions. Its important to remember this isn't just a meet and greet type of thing that is done on a whim. It may have started like such, but it is important to have an understanding others will be in your group. Everyone is not raised nor shares the same beliefs as you. Even though you may be in the same spiritual path, we are all different in political views to ethics, and morals. Common decency and respect are not always freely given nor should you expect it. As someone who grew up learning to respect of others its natural for me to think of another before myself. But for someone who grew up to be on guard and only show respect when it has been shown and proven will have a different experience. This is fine for me because as each of our paths are unique so are we. There will also be times you will have what I refer to as scouts. These are individuals from another group who will come to events or join your online community just to see what is going on. Some are just a representation of their group and are there to welcome you into the community. While others may be there to spread about their group or cause chaos during your event or online discussion. Unfortunately, this is the nature of the beast when it comes to any community spiritual or not. Once you have asked yourself the questions below then comes the fun part.
How does one name their group? Well this depends on you and what it is you are trying to do with your group. Some will use their county or state in the name of their new found group, this way it seems more inclusive. Some will use generalization words to bring in others, allowing it to be easily found. While some will base it upon the path they walk or some type of symbolism to them that has meaning. When I was making the name for The Devine Witch, I asked myself what it was I wanted to project. Since I knew I would be both online and a person doing the regional thing would not work for me. Since I am a greek eclectic meaning my path is mostly greek but I don't shun knowledge or gods/entities from other paths. I didn't want to make it a group solely based on my path. So I went to my goddess Hekate and asked for inspiration as to what I should call my group. It was a week later and I started getting phrases that were being presented to me and the two I got were divine and witch. It was then I knew my answer as to what I would represent my group as. Because when it comes to the definition of the word divine you find it means providing from a god or a cleric of theologian. Now that I don't claim to be an expert in anything. I do believe in messages from the gods and that divine intervention happens to every witch. We all have those moments that brought us to our path and years down the line it makes sense. We all have messages we receive either by symbolism, visions, or premonitions ext and to me, those are divine messages.
Now we get into why we spell The Devine Witch with an e instead of an i. Well, my dear, it's simple and I did my research. See we all get inspiration and ideas are not always original therefore one must take time to research the name. Because some might be associated with a brand or an organization that came before you. Sometimes it can lead to legal proceedings or you get associated with an ideology that is not your own. So upon research, I found that someone was already using the divine witch. So I did what I thought was right and changed a letter and making it unique in the process. So if you ever wondered how we got out the name, now you know.
So once a group is formed what should you focus on? The next step is getting your group out there. In the day of technology, it is your biggest resource to spread information about you and your group. The use of social media to expand your outreach is one of the greatest allies you will have when it comes to spreading the word. Its easy to give to others when wanting to find more information. Along with allowing those in your community to easily follow anything your group is doing. Websites are nice to have set up for a group but not as necessary in the start of one until later down the road. The reason I say this is like I stated before it's easier to direct to social media that everyone uses daily than to say www. . So take that as a good way to start and get things set up. Once you do this the name of your group will actually display on webpage searches. So when you set up your group use tags for the group including region and path along with key phrases such as pagan group. This will make your group pop up and the more you are active on it the more your pages will go to the top. Now depending on the area, you live some will pay to have their groups to be the first search feature. When you are starting out there is nothing you can do about this.
The next thing I recommend when sharing your group is looking for local groups that have websites and a directory. These groups can list your group on their page and it will give them a resource to direct people to the area. It allows people to see you even if they are on the site of another. Also, there are websites dedicated to showing local groups and covens, one of the most well-known was witchvox. Unfortunately, they are no longer around and have since closed down their site. But there are others you just have to find them and I've listed on in the resource section of this blog.
Once you have set everything up and spread the word about your group do an introduction video and share it. You can do it live or do a prerecorded, this helps answer questions might have and learn better visually than by reading. It also makes it easier to share information with your members and allows them to share it with others who may be interested. Sometimes it's hard to set in front of a camera and explain things or even why we do them. But it adds a personal touch that shows the group is willing to go the extra mile. I've done this personally for a while and you wouldn't believe the outreach and resources you can make by doing such. Plus it allows you to make international connections that you may have not otherwise made. Which opens you up to new dialog and ways to communicate in a spiritual context. We live in the age of knowledge at your fingertips, use it wisely.
Another thing I want you to focus on from one person to another is the mental health aspect for you and your health. Doing such tasks can be overwhelming and disheartening at times when trying to start a group. The bigger it becomes the more work it becomes and no matter how many hands you have on deck. When you create something that you hold dear it will become like a child and its rewarding and stressful. Remember to set aside time for yourself and allow yourself some relaxation. This path can bring you in down a rabbit hole and where you end up with it depends on you. For some, you will be an inspiration while to others you are nothing more than another person with a group. Many will have opinions on you and what you do and how you do it and some will say them outright. Remember it's not about them and their path it's about you and what you are doing. Not a single soul can tell you why you do what you do except for yourself and there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that will never be seen. Don't go into this thinking you will get praise or let your ego feed into this. For if this happens you will fail and eventually wonder where it all went wrong. I've been doing this for around five years now and im not even halfway experienced as some around me. But experience is a thing gained with time and thru experiences. There is no guidebook that will prep you for every situation and sometimes you got to go with your gut. Just remind yourself why you started this journey and look and see if it has impacted your community for the better. If it has and continues to do so then dont give up on your journey. Take time away if need be and remember if you build it people will come and those who are meant to be there will be.
The Devine Witch
Debbie Lewis
Resources
Comments