28) Hey, I heard that [insert name of famous rock singer or fantasy-novel writer here] was a witch/pagan. Is that true?
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This article is from the Paganism FAQ, by susanhk@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Susan Harwood Kaczmarczik) with numerous contributions by others.
28) Hey, I heard that [insert name of famous rock singer or fantasy-novel writer here] was a witch/pagan. Is that true?
Well, the quick and dirty answer is: we don't know; why not ask
them?
Seriously, this question is asked most frequently about those
artists/writers who use occult or magical imagery in their work
(Stevie Nicks and Mercedes Lackey being the most commonly-asked-about
people). Just because someone uses that imagery in their work -- even
if it's in a positive, pro-paganism way -- does not mean that they are
pagan themselves. The vast wealth of material provided by myth,
folklore and occult knowledge is a tempting and lucrative well of
inspiration for creative artists. But its use does not automatically
link the user to the Craft or paganism. And that's okay. They don't
have to be pagans to write about pagans, or about pagan ideas. They
are creating art. That is their job. If the art reflects your life,
well and good. Just don't expect it to also be a mirror image of the
artist.
In short, unless the person in question has unequivocally stated
that s/he is a pagan (e.g., Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, a Celtic high
priestess and author of the _Keltiad_ series), you can't assume that
s/he is a pagan. (Even then, they could change their minds, like Gael
Baudino did, or give different answers at different times, like Marion
Zimmer Bradley keeps doing.) Does it really make that book or song or
painting less meaningful to you if you don't know the religion of its
creator?
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