Witchvox Article

Author: Shea Thomas [a WitchVox Sponsor]
Posted: February 6th. 2005
Times Viewed: 5,504

A famous Greek mathematician, inventor, and ancestor to our modern Pagan movement once said about the lever: �Give me a place to stand, and I will move the earth.� One has to wonder what irony Archimedes would find in the fact that his spiritual descendents are still looking for a place to stand two millennia later.

To me, the question as to whether or not Pagans should create community space seems an easy one. If we take a hard and pragmatic look at the things that are slowing us down, holding us back, and limiting us from doing more�the persistent lack of dedicated community space is always one of the top-tier answers.

Indeed, �room to do stuff� represents such a basic need it seems one of the very first things we should address as a community. Surely we can agree that its absence makes everything else more difficult. Without places to meet, gather, plan, and work, almost all human activities tend to slow down or become impossible.

Because of this, community structures, quite literally, lay the foundation for the future of Paganism. And, as Archimedes might say, without first creating these critically important �places to stand, � it is difficult to see how we shall ever move the earth, no matter the length of our lever.

Outlined below are just 50 initial reasons to do so. Some are silly. Some are serious. May all spark our imaginations.

50 Reasons For Community Space:

1. Because neighbors are grumbling about all those cars parked outside every Esbat.

2. Because the size of our group should not be limited by the size of our living room.

3. Because we�re tired of paying Post Office Box fees just to protect our home address.

4. Because we�re tired of hauling our group�s ritual gear around in the trunk of our car.

5. Because our group needs an office to qualify for the Combined Federal Campaign.

6. Because we need a place to put the books for the Pagan research and lending library.

7. Because we need a place to socialize outside festivals and scheduled meetings.

8. Because it�s not fair to ask stores to use valuable floor space for occasional meetings.

9. Because our society often equates �real� religions with those that have �real� buildings.

10. Because we need a place to drop off goods for food drives and charity collections.

11. Because we want to offer space to others, rather than beg for it ourselves.

12. Because we should be easy to find when the press is looking to do an interview.

13. Because we should be easy to find when a new Pagan comes to town.

14. Because we need a place that has built-in physical security systems and procedures.

15. Because we want to volunteer our space as a polling station during the next election.

16. Because we want to volunteer our space as a shelter during emergencies.

17. Because we can�t have a noticeable presence without a noticeable presence (like a building).

18. Because we can create space by working together faster than we can create space individually.

19. Because solitaires like to get together and socialize every once in awhile too.

20. Because we need a place to drop off our kids as we finish our Yule shopping.

21. Because our charity fundraisers are more effective if we don�t have to spend a lot for space.

22. Because members of our group won�t attend if they are also allergic to our familiar.

23. Because �cyber community� is not quite the same as �real world community.�

24. Because our group should not fall apart when our HPS gets that new job in Tulsa.

25. Because our houses are hard to find, and nowhere near a bus line or subway station.

26. Because (sometimes) it rains during Pagan Pride Day.

27. Because our backyards are not always zoned for bonfires and drum circles.

28. Because we need a place to put the playground and exercise room equipment.

29. Because we need a place to put the credit union, seminary, shelter, and day-care.

30. Because it would be easier to promote our events if everyone knew the location.

31. Because we need to have a place where we can display the work of Pagan artists.

32. Because we need a place to put the computers and printers for the computer lab.

33. Because it doesn�t make sense for six groups to buy six different copy machines.

34. Because it is hard to comfortably seat a 100 people around our dining room table.

35. Because the upstairs portion of our homes are not handicapped accessible.

36. Because our homeowners association may not approve the front yard signage.

37. Because we cannot always afford a dedicated phone, receptionist, and sextant.

38. Because the pool table, video games, and vending machines won�t fit in our hallway.

39. Because we need a place to invite the Chief of Police over for an open house dinner.

40. Because we need to bring real resources to the table with interfaith projects.

41. Because that Fourth of July parade float we�re building won�t fit in our garage.

42. Because all politics are local, and nothing is more local than a physical address.

43. Because a bigger screen would be nice for when we rent The Wicker Man.

44. Because we need a place to put the community vegetable and herb garden.

45. Because we need a place to park our cars before boarding the bus for Burning Man.

46. Because the roadies can�t quite fit the band�s speakers through the back door.

47. Because one community space can be used to fundraise for more community space.

48. Because the concept of �Modern Pagan Architecture� is really, really interesting.

49. Because a religion of sacred places should not be entirely disconnected from place.

50. Because our community needs safe, permanent, and dedicated places to call its own.

Footnotes:
For more about how you can help create Pagan community space see: http://www.paganspace.org

ABOUT...

Shea Thomas

Location: Boone, North Carolina

Website: http://www.openhearth.org

Author's Profile: To learn more about Shea Thomas - Click HERE

Bio: Shea Thomas is the Board of Governors� Chair of The Open Hearth Foundation, Inc. (OHF) � a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) Pagan community center initiative serving the Washington, DC region.

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