If people believed in everything they saw in movies, then they would believe in the existence of flying cars and talking monkeys.

But these don’t exist — the same goes for the common misperceptions of paganism in the media, its practitioners say.

“We live in a day and age where we have the media representation of paganism that is Hollywood-ized. All witches are beautiful; all magic works. I think the most disturbing [representation] is the idea that this is going on behind our backs,” says Victor Raymond, vice president of the ISU Pagan Community and graduate student in sociology.

Students and others who practice paganism are commonly misunderstood, because of the entertainment industry’s interpretation of their religion, Raymond says.

Nikki Bado-Fralick, assistant professor of religious studies and folklorist, says magic is really about appreciating nature and improving oneself.

She says the entertainment industry tends to portray certain pagan practices, including witchcraft or Wicca, with a thriller aspect.

The magic presented is commonly in the form of what Bado-Fralick calls “kitchen witchy spell books.”

“America wants a quick fix, so there is a big market for that kind of crap. A lot of pagans and witches are kind of amused by that,” she says.

“You are going to find your low-level, immature people in all religions; movies just suck that stuff right up. But nobody talks about the hard work it takes to better yourself. That’s what magic is really about.”

Bado-Fralick says more serious magic is similar to what Christians might know of as prayer or visualization and involves a strong focus and a positive attitude.

Kristin Gerhard, faculty adviser for the ISU Pagan Community, says she uses this type of magic to try to be in harmony with the world.

“To me, magic is … the idea that my will can change my world. It’s the use of positive natural energy to change my reality or the reality of my world,” she says.

This is not the same as the manipulative or coercive magic that is illustrated in movies.

“‘101 Love Spells’ is the epitome of what this is not about,” Gerhard says.

“It is about becoming more fully connected with the natural world and letting that control your desires or direct that to influence what you desire.”

She attempts to establish and maintain this connection through practices such as meditation and daily rituals based on the phases of the moon.

The focus on the earth and the cycles of nature is one of the few themes common to the majority of contemporary pagans.

There is much diversity among individuals and groups that consider themselves to be pagan, Bado-Fralick says. The practices and beliefs vary depending on the person or the group they may belong to, but some generalities emerge.

Pagan rituals and holidays are generally tied to an agricultural or lunar calendar. Women and men generally have equal roles, and pagan beliefs tend to be about balance between male and female aspects, Bado-Fralick says.

“To me it means being grounded in where you are and when you are. It means honoring the earth and deities, giving yourself room to interact with them and see what you learn,” Gerhard says.

Pagans tend to believe in both gods and goddesses as part of nature. The different sets of gods and goddesses do not include Satan, Bado-Fralick says.

There is a common misconception that paganism is or involves devil worship, which she says is completely wrong. Satan is a Christian figure and plays no part in pagan rituals.

Raymond laughs at the Satan-worshipping misconception.

“We are worshipping a god and goddess, and to say that the god and goddess are the same as [the Christian] devil is simply not true, from a pagan perspective.”

The reality of the religion, however, exists here in Ames and is exhibited by area pagans, Raymond and Bado-Fralick say.

“[Pagans] are just as normal and just as weird as anybody,” Bado-Fralick says.