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On Being "Poor"
Among the many misconceptions about Pagans, even among Pagans themselves, is that Pagans are "poor" - meaning in the financial sense. In some ways, this misconception goes back to the origins of the word Pagan itself - "country dweller". All those centuries ago, while high civilization existed in Rome and the larger cities, those who lived beyond the walls and enjoyed a simpler life were seen as backward and poor.
Today, it appears to many to be the same.
While Pagans work in many cross-sections of society - colleges, factories, management, media, service oriented businesses - they do not, as a rule, "flaunt" their wealth. They prefer to live simply, privately. They share what they have with causes they care about, family and friends. They aren't like some of the televangelists, who claim to be "simple" preachers, yet drive limousines, and have extensive business empires.
So it is another way in which Pagans are looked down upon.
Isn't it really, though, that Pagans prefer to do what makes them happy, working mainly to get the bills paid and have a little extra at the end of the month to enjoy a night out with friends, rather than horse around with a hefty stock portfolio and cringe each time the Dow Jones Average drops a few hundred points?
For the most part, yes. Living in this way comes down to knowing how to manage the money one has, and not listening to the "investment advisors" who promise get-rich-quick schemes, be they mutual funds, fancy bank accounts or venture capital speculations.
What is money, after all? A creation of human beings to make it simpler to barter for goods and services. Instead of trading a bushel of wheat for a new bike, we now offer paper printed with specific faces and numbers for what we need.
In a lot of cases - like for those who have direct deposit and debit cards - actual money never even crosses the palm, which proves the point that it really is a ritual of sorts, with little tangible meaning.
Some of the writers who advocated communal living in centuries past saw this as truth. If the needs of all could be met by the effort of all, what need was there for money or wealth? Somewhere in the human psyche, though, the concept of money is very real, and very driving.
Except for those - like many Pagans - who are content with the more meaningful aspects of life.
That doesn't mean, though, one doesn't need a monthly budget to ensure the rent or mortgage gets paid, food and gasoline bought, and the utilities covered. Keeping clothes on the backs of oneself and one's family is also important, but do they really need to bear designer labels?
Listing out the monthly expenses side-by-side with the monthly income is a very real indicator of one's financial status. If the expenses exceed the income, it may well be time for a serious change. Either expenses must be cut back, or other employment options pursued. If there is a surplus at the end of the month, part of the excess can go toward an "emergency fund" (always a good idea), and the rest used to attend a Pagan gathering, or support an environmental group, or other equally important cause.
Thus it is, while Pagans may be "poor" when it comes to the amount of money in their possession, they don't have to have poor money management skills. Once the bills are stamped and in the mail, it leaves the person free to pursue what it, by far, more important in life - life itself!
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