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, Loreena McKennitt and Mercedes Lackey being the most commonly-asked-about people, with Cybill Shepherd having suddenly gained great frequency after the 1996 Golden Globes). 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 s
