Bergen, the co-director of Silver Circle, refers to herself as a Pagan.

She explained that the religion was widely practiced during the hunting and gathering period when people relied more on the seasons.

"All Pagans have a goal of living in harmony with the environment," she said.

Nature is the common element in the divisions of Paganism. Bergen said humans are no different from "our animal friends" and are not considered the "masters" of anything in nature but themselves. "We're part of a whole. We're not lord and master over it," she said.

Bergen said she prays to several gods either at an altar in her apartment or outside. "It doesn't need to be elaborate, it can be me sitting under a tree."

Holidays are also centered around seasons and differ from person to person. One holiday, Imbolc, celebrates the return of light to the world when the days become longer. Followers recognize the holiday by lighting candles. Bergen said it is common to light up the entire house on Feb. 1, the eve of Imbolc. They also celebrate birthdays and Thanksgiving, she said adding, "We're also American."

Bergen said she left the Catholic Church after an argument she had with one of the pastors. She said the pastor said her mother was going to hell because, although she was familiar with the Bible, she still chose to practice Judaism. About a year later, Bergen was introduced to Paganism.

Bergen was away at camp the summer before her sophomore year in high school when one of her friends showed her a book about Paganism.

"I finally found what I had been looking for all my life. It was like I was reading something I knew deep down inside," she said.

A year later, Bergen was harassed for her new beliefs at this same camp. People objected to her wearing her upright pentacle (the word pentacle is used rather than pentagram because of the pentagram's satanic relation). One night while she slept, someone chalked up her door and the sidewalk around her room with upside-down pentacles and the words, "Satan lives here."

Bergen said although she was frightened, she was more angry because, as a Pagan, she does not believe in Satan. She said that she does celebrate a horned god who is misconstrued as an image of the devil.

Although she has never been personally confronted for her beliefs at the University, Silver Circle as an organization has had problems.

"(People) are tearing down fliers faster than we can put them up."

The greatest misconception about Paganism in Bergen's opinion is that it is not a valid religion because they don't have set standards.

"There is no devil that makes us do it. We have no excuse for our behavior, and as responsible human beings, we have to accept responsibility for our behavior."

Bergen said she does not understand why people have such negative responses about her religion. "I think that it is sad that people are so frightened by our religion when it is really not that scary."

Althouse describes Paganism as "an umbrella term used to describe several nature-based religions," adding that these "Earth religions" are usually polytheistic.

Althouse identifies herself as a solitary Wiccan, or what is more commonly known to people outside the religion, she is a witch.

She said she practices her religion on her own, as opposed to belonging to a coven -- a "tight-knit" group of witches.

"I rely upon myself," she said.

Also in the Wiccan religion she explained, human and plant life are highly respected and life is treated as sacred.

Wiccans, who tend to be women, worship a goddess and a god, Althouse said. There are three parts to their goddess; the maiden, the mother and the crone. The maiden represents the virgin, the mother gives life and the crone is considered wise and is associated with death. Althouse explained that a Wiccan may call on one part of the goddess for a certain situation or during a specific time of year.

She said she worships during certain phases of the moon called the eight sabbats, either at the altar in her room or outside.

Although Althouse was raised as a Lutheran, she said she could better relate to the Wiccan religion. She said she was introduced to it a few years ago when she read a book about witchcraft in the Time Life series Mysteries of the Unknown.

"It was in accordance (with the) feelings inside me."

Although she considers herself a good witch, Althouse said there are bad witches in her religion "just like there are good and bad Christians."

Magic is another part of the Wiccan religion that she has taught herself. She has made amulets; one to cure her heart after she was hurt by someone and another to help a friend find a job. One thing she can not do yet is levitate a person because, she said, it takes a lot of energy.

But whatever she uses her magic for, she said she never uses it to harm another person. "There are witches out there who use magic and it's sort of shady," she said, but added that most don't because of the "three-fold law."

The three-fold law states that whatever a person does, whether it is positive or negative, will be returned to that person three times stronger.

Although she has not been personally persecuted for her beliefs, Althouse said people tend to believe Paganists are "evil" people without morals.

"Some people find it hard to believe we have a conscience when we don't have a higher being," she said adding that they take it upon themselves to be responsible.

She added that religion is something people still seem to discriminate against. "In some of the major religions, these people are told they're right. And that's hard to overcome."

Gerry Cannie (senior-aerospace engineering) calls himself a Pagan but follows the Druid tradition.

Druidism is a "nature-focused" religion that originated in Celtic Europe he said, adding that it shares many of the same beliefs as the other Pagan religions, especially Wicca.

"It is a matter of different ways of doing things. Wiccans focus mostly on women and Druidism on men," he said.

One of the things done differently is the ceremonies they take part in. Druids' ceremonies revolve around the sun, Cannie said, whereas Wiccan ceremonies are associated with the moon.

Cannie said he differs with traditional Druids because they believe in two forms of the god and three forms of the goddess.