An Interview with
Arenduil

Pagan Witch and editor of Paganus Journaal

Q. Tell us a little about yourself Arenduil.

I’m 46 years of age – closer to 47. For the astrologers amongst us, I was born 24 June 1957 at 18:10 under the Empangeni sky of Zululand. Today I live in a wonderful village called Nieu-Bethesda, which is nestled between the Snow Mountains in the heart of the Great Karoo in the Eastern Cape, approximately midway between Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg. I’m self-employed, freelancing and engaging in whatever catches my pagan-fancy (at least most of the time), and take on contract work whenever it presents itself.

Q. What kind of Pagan would you describe yourself as?

I’m a Witch, following no specific tradition, although whenever I’m pressed to try and pinpoint my path, I am inclined to side with what I refer to as Natural Paganism or Witchcraft ‘a la Marion Green’ (No, I’ve never met the lady, but through the years the fruits from her pen have nourished and sustained me to a large extent). I’ve found that a good dose of eclecticism goes a long way …and I don’t like to be stereotyped! I’d hate to think that one day (soon) we’d start reading about Conservative Wiccans, Liberal Wiccans, Progressive Wiccans, Ultra-Orthodox Wiccans, Reformed Wiccans, Liberal Wiccans, etc.

Q. How were you introduced to Paganism in S.A.?

I was never introduced! I mean, not physically by another Pagan / Witch or Wiccan. I hail from a rather Orthodox Calvinistic background, the N.G. Kerk. My mother played quite a big roll in the formation of my Pagan-Witchy mind. She was born and bred in the Great Karoo (39 km from where I live today!). My two older brothers and I were reared on a solid dose of country- and herbal-lore. We used to hang onto her lips while she spun tale after tale (which were presented as pagan-gospel) many a night. I will never forget the year (I was twelve) I had a gigantic wart at the tip of the right-hand middle finger. She knew I was desperate and one evening when the moon was full, she walked me outside to the orchard and encouraged me to do it (to blow the wart three times to the moon). That very same week the wart that pestered and plagued me for more than a year was gone! And at the age of fourteen, Mother did a teacup reading for me. Gods, was I excited! I guess it would never have happened if it weren’t for me scratching around her treasures one Saturday afternoon, and happening upon this amazing little red book full of weird and wonderful stuff – which I still have in my possession ? to this day! I guess what I’m trying to say is that Mom had a very big finger in the pie when it came to preparing Arenduil’s mind for the deeper mysteries of all Earth Children. Is my mother a Witch? Can’t say, if she was or still is, she never slipped word of it. Am I from a hereditary line, which goes back to yonder side of time? I’ll be the last one to make such a claim – I’m just grateful to have a mother who allowed us to explore the way of the Other People within the confines of our Calvinist regiment.

Q. What inspired you to continue walking the path you are on?

Believe me, I really tried very hard to be a good Christian at one point in time. I will never forget during my army days how I sat crying in front of the chaplain dominee Van Rensburg. My problem was I was required to love God with all my heart and all my soul and with my very being, but I did NOT love God. It wasn’t a matter of me not WANTING to love. I realized that I was serving God out of FEAR! I was scared of the consequences. I couldn’t live up to his rules and regulations and believed that I was acquiring a one-way ticket to Fire-Farm. I told the dominee so… and dominee couldn’t help (he did try). Then I tried the JW’s, which proved to be one mighty big disaster and should remain a story for another cold and wintry day, but I’m digressing.

I often read that little red book of Mothers with great interest and in-between my strivings to be a good Christian-lad, I dreamed of Gods and Goddesses and elves and nymphs in our garden, out in the sonneblom and mealielands, in the mountains and beside the gentle brook which flowed into the Great Mogol at Oupas farm. Literature was very hard to come by. But gradually I was allowed to acquiring a piece here, a mag there, and a book through mail-order. I knew there were Others like me out there. I had real faith in my fellow Earth Sibs. I knew they were out there and that someday, when the brother was ready, the sibling would appear.

Q. Tell us about ‘Paganus Journaal’, the first ever Afrikaans Pagan Magazine not only in South Africa but in the world. That’s quite an achievement. Where does your inspiration come from?

I have always been on the look-out for an Earth-based, Pagan / witchy magazine in Afrikaans. Look, when I was younger, it was not an easy task for me to pick up an English piece of printed matter. I always failed the subject at school, but was somehow being shown mercy whenever the final exams came around.

I knew then and still do today that there are many out there who are Pagan at heart but just don’t know it. I want to share this wonderfully liberating path with whomever wants to share it with me. I don’t proselytizing of course. I realized that if I have to wait for someone to kick off with a project such as Paganus Joernaal, I’d have to wait for a very long time. So, why not do it myself? And I did. I approached Spiral from FireFly and she encouraged and supported me with my networking efforts. I’m dumbfounded at the response I have received so far. It’s rather scary, because I’m even starting to receive snail-mail from the real ‘pagani’ of South Africa. People having heard of it in the countryside. Ah, the power of networking!

PJ is independent of any coven or organization. One of the goals is to be an independent forum for solitaries out there, as well as for the general public who would like to know more about neo-Pagan culture and the not so neo-culture. One of the main aims is to glorify our Earth and bring to the fore the richness and blessings thereof. As editor I’m striving to present the best of contemporary (and not so contemporary) Pagan / Gentile / Heathen esoteric wisdom and to provide a forum for those who follow a nature-based spiritual path who want to share their ideas regarding this fascinating and fulfilling spirituality. I believe all spiritual paths are valid and will support anyone as long as no one is harmed in the process. There is so much info available out there, but also many of my fellow Afrikaans speaking countrywo/men who will never have the privilege of enjoying the literary treasures that have been added for the ‘witchy’ inclined folks. I network with well-known authors and hardly ever meet with resistance when I ask whether I may translate some of their work into Afrikaans. I explain my mission and lo and behold, I’ve only been given the cold shoulder once (heh heh – but then again, he was going through a heartbreaking divorce at that point in time and I should have known better!) One of the highlights of this kind of networking is when Timothy Freke of Was Jesus a Pagan God and Jesus and the Goddess fame granted me the rights to translate some of his work. There is SO much misunderstanding and misinformation about the Pagan path that I feel that PJ can serve as an educator of sorts as well as a source of enlightenment.

Q. Are there many Afrikaans-speaking Pagans in SA?

It’s difficult for me to really assess the number of Afrikaans-speaking SA Pagans. Look, I’m still quite surprised at the response I’m receiving on a weekly basis from prospective subscribers. As I’ve said, I started to network through FireFly, which has boosted my subs-list tremendously. The vast majority subscribed after reading the Paganus Joernaal advertisement in FireFly. Others have jumped in because a friend told a friend, who told another friend. But to give you a percentage or number, I just cannot gage at all. There are English-speaking Pagans who also subscribe, but they are in the minority. Ask me this question again just after the Summer 2004 edition, because that will be when Paganus Joernaal has traveled one full revolution of the Wheel. What I do find encouraging is that I’m starting to receive mail from the outskirts, within Afrikanerdom. There’s a lot of Calvinists out there who yearn for something more satisfying and fulfilling.

Q. Are you open about being a Pagan in your local community? How does the community respond to you?

Yes, there has never been any question about it. I am totally and openly out of the “woods” as well as the broom-closet. It’s my birthright! But I do respect the viewpoints of my fellow Pagan-sibs who are still stuck in a dark corner. I think anyone who goes around aggressively flaunting their Pagan-hood, is doing themselves a disservice. It all depends on my “audience”. Sometimes I’ll openly say who and what I am, and at other times I’ll be circumspect, very circumspect, because I’ve learnt from personal past experience as well as through the examples of other Pagans. The vast majority of the community down here in the Valley know that I am a Heiden or Heathen. Most of my friends and acquaintances (villagers as well as surrounding farmers) are from the Dutch Reformed Church (N.G. Kerk) or the Anglican Church. I’m not the kind of guy who goes around rubbing people up the wrong way (well, I guess every once in a blue moon there may be an exception, but in general I’m a likeable guy and people get along well with me. About two years ago the “Skriba” of the local NG Kerk (wonderful lady) invited me to become a member of the Church. I told her in Afrikaans, “Dankie vir die uitnodiging, maar ek is ‘n Heiden”. “Oh no! YOU cannot be a Heiden” she replied, “we are definitely going to do something about that”. One of my farmer friends who happened to be an ouderling at that time told her to leave me alone. Now that really made me think. The word has spread since that day and to this day I haven’t experienced any ostracization at all. Moral of the story? Just be yourself, a decent human being, and within the broad community you’ll never lack any friends. They won’t even give a damn about your personal worldview or belief system once they discover who you really are. Let them first get to know the person, and only after they know YOU, let the Pagan Witch jump out. One last point on this subject. The following Saturday afternoon at our local Tennis & Bowling Club I was engaged in conversation with the Scribe of the Church and she asked me if I would mind explaining my perception and belief about GOD. My! That’s a dangerous thing to do with Arenduil. I swallowed hook, line and sinker and explained my personal belief in God/dess. She listened attentively and afterwards thanked me. She told me that she had never thought about GOD that way, but that it made total sense to her. We remain great friends.

Q. Are you actively engaged in service to your community?

My local, mundane community? Yes. I’m engaged in a few activities that are of a philanthropical nature. I’ve spearheaded an initiative where the little ones of the local community are regularly weighed and measured, which also resulted in careful monitoring of their diet, due to some parents valuing the consumption of wine and malt higher than the welfare of their children.

On the other hand, I’m happy to say that our little Village is one of the few where you won’t see plastic bags or litter lying around. Sure, you’ll find the odd 5 litre empty wine can under the hang-bridge on a Sunday morning, but even that has diminished over time. People respond to reason. People tend to think that I’m a Christian, but I usually make haste to rectify the matter by informing them in no uncertain terms that I am a Heiden. Nevertheless I have acquired the nickname of Pastoor or Pastor from the local villagers… “Ja-nee, jy kan nie altyd wen nie, né?” They use it as a term of affection and for some odd reason many of them really believe that I’m a Minister of Religion.

Q. Tell us more about your involvement with the Pagan Freedom Day initiative.

What can I say? Not much in this respect. Due to me living this side of the country, I do not have that much of an opportunity to socialize with like-minded souls, except on the Internet, and then only when the Net and the weather are cooperating with me (heh). I have assisted with the translation of the current press-pack and in the process made new friends whom I am looking forward to meeting during the Freedom Day Festivities in Gauteng. I believe in this initiative.

Q. Is there anything you would like to say to the Pagan Community?

Thank you for this last word, Damon. There’s so much to say and so little space to do it in! I can just reiterate what I said recently to the readership of FireFly. It would be wonderful to see the battle axes of the past buried (yes I know, its not easy but we must try and try again) between Pagans of all persuasions so that we can work and play together to maintain one common goal, a Cohesive Community, who will at all times rally together to care for and preserve our one and only Mother Earth. That’s it I guess. Strike a balance between Magickal work and caring for Earth.

From my point of view Mother Earth comes first, the rest is also important, but not that important. Of course, I am absolutely excited, thrilled, and delighted about the latest initiative amongst Pagans who are working together to celebrate freedom of religious expression and association on 27 April 2004. We must grab hold of the initiative. If wisely handled we can all get together under one umbrella to manifest “Vryheid en Eenheid in Verskeidenheid”. This logo which all of us on board have adopted, really inspires me. Am I hearing some comments re. why we, as a community, have not got ourselves in gear long ago? Well, in my not so humble opinion, I feel that this is the most appropriate time and opportunity to rally together.

The Gods and Goddesses are smiling upon us NOW. Let’s make use of this opportunity. Who knows? We may not have such an opportunity for a very-very long time to come. If I may paraphrase an old Pagan cliché: Get to know one another and we will start to understand the Gods and the Universe so much better.

PAGANUS JOERNAAL
Contact Arenduil