Many people, of all faiths, enjoy having the support of knowing others that share their faith. Pagans are no exception. However, for those who do not live in a large community where Pagan groups are present or if there is a situation where one cannot be open with his/her beliefs, then the Internet is the only way to connect with others. Luckily, there are quite a few friendly, informative, and active websites that can connect Pagans.
Pagan Networking Sites
Witchvox.com, also known as Witch's Voice, is a vast website. They have archives of informative articles on every path and subject, regular posts of Pagan news stories, and lists of metaphysical book shops and gatherings sorted by geographical area.
Witchvox is very international, and has listings for many countries. But, most important to the Pagan seeking connections with others, they allow anyone who creates an account to post a profile.
Much like Myspace or Facebook, photos can added to the profile, along with a description of interests and beliefs. Profiles are listed geographically, so it's possible to find others nearby, or search by path/tradition to find long distance friends. Groups, such as covens and discussion groups, are also listed geographically. It's also helpful to discover there is a Pagan group meeting nearby that isn't otherwise advertised.
Pagan Myspace Style Networks
Coven Space, at coven-space.com, is the first of the large, Myspace styled Pagan networking sites. It's very active, and had 4,511 members as of August 2009. It's not as geographically-oriented, but it's helpful for making online connections with a simple profile.
Pagan Space, at paganspace.net, is substantially larger than Coven Space, with over 22,000 members and nearly 1500 groups. The site design is a little cluttered for users not used to the Myspace style social networks, but perfectly legible and organized. It's very active, and has groups for every path and tradition.
My Wicca Space, at http://mywiccaspace.com, is the third MySpace-style social networking site for Wiccans and Pagans. Although it has the term Wicca in it's name, the site is open to all Pagan paths. The first two sites are free, and My Wicca Space is free for 30 days, after which there is a monthly charge starting at 59 cents.
Pagan Forums
Pagan forums are geared towards thoughtful group discussion instead of one on one conversations. The biggest and most active of message boards for Pagans is The Cauldron. Posting requires a free account, and there are a few specific rules, but otherwise they are very welcoming and open to all belief systems, Pagan or otherwise. Questions are encouraged, and the members are more than happy to debate the finer points of history or magical practice in a very informed and respectful way.
Pagan Forum is another great, active message board. They are a little smaller in member numbers than The Cauldron, but just as active and respectful. They specific areas for targeted discussions, such as Divination, Spellworking, Non-Pagan Religions, and Pagan Holidays. They are very welcome to those of other faiths, and beginners learning about Paganism. Other popular pagan forums include Mind-N-Magick.com Forum and MysticWicks.com.
Pagan E-Groups
Another method for finding liked minded people is to search a e-group website. Yahoo Groups and Google Groups are two of the most popular free e-group websites. Usenet groups were once the most popular form of communication online, and Google Groups aggregates many Pagan Usenet groups for easier reading and posting. A simple search for the keyword "Pagan" returns over 600 groups on Google and over 12,000 on Yahoo. Many of these have thousands of members and hundreds of posts a day.
These e-groups can be easier to keep up with than other message boards or forums because the discussions are usually delivered to an email address. This eliminates the need to check another website each day, and allows a read to easily save discussions they find particularly informative or interesting. These groups normally require sign-up to read or post.
Online Connections Can Form Lasting Relationships
Online friends and discussions can be a great way to learn and grow spiritually. Off-line Pagan groups can be hard to find or focused on only one path or tradition. Some sites list off-line groups that are otherwise not advertised. Forums, networking sites, and e-groups are a great place to learn and explore the many aspects of Paganism.
Jessica Kolifrath - Jessica is a creative free-lancer, energy worker, and writer based in Atlanta, GA. She's studied Psychology and Sociology collegiately, ...
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