What is Paganism?
Paganism is an umbrella term encompassing a diverse array of spiritual and religious traditions that typically emphasize reverence for nature, polytheistic or animistic worldviews, and pre-Christian European religious practices. Contemporary Paganism includes both reconstructionist movements seeking to revive ancient traditions and eclectic practices blending elements from multiple sources. Core characteristics shared across most Pagan paths include seasonal observances tied to agricultural and astronomical cycles, ritual practices honoring multiple deities or nature spirits, and an understanding of the sacred as immanent within the natural world rather than transcendent above it.
Origins & Lineage
The term “Pagan” derives from the Latin paganus, meaning “country dweller” or “rustic,” originally used by urban Christians in the 4th century CE to describe those who continued practicing pre-Christian religions. These ancient traditions include the polytheistic faiths of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Celtic lands, Norse territories, and Slavic regions, most of which were gradually supplanted by Christianity between the 3rd and 11th centuries CE.
Modern Paganism, often called Neo-Paganism, emerged primarily in the 20th century as a revival and reimagining of these pre-Christian traditions. Key figures include Gerald Gardner, who founded Wicca in the 1950s based on British folk magic and ceremonial traditions; Ross Nichols, who revived Druidry through the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids; and scholars like Margaret Murray, whose controversial “witch-cult hypothesis” influenced early Pagan revival despite academic criticism. The publication of Margot Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon (1979) and Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance (1979) provided foundational texts for American Paganism, while the British Pagan Federation, established in 1971, offered organizational structure.
How It’s Practiced
Pagan practice varies dramatically across traditions but typically includes seasonal celebrations marking the solar year’s turning points. Many Pagans observe eight seasonal festivals: the solstices and equinoxes plus four cross-quarter days (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas), collectively called the Wheel of the Year. Ritual structures often involve casting sacred circles, invoking deities or directional guardians, making offerings, and performing symbolic acts aligned with the season or intention.
Wiccan practitioners typically work within covens or as solitary practitioners, performing rituals during full moons (esbats) and seasonal celebrations (sabbats), often honoring a Goddess and God as complementary divine forces. Druids emphasize connection to Celtic deities, ancestral wisdom, and bardic arts including poetry and music. Heathenry (also called Ásatrú) reconstructs Norse and Germanic traditions, honoring gods like Odin, Thor, and Freyja through blót (sacrificial offerings) and sumbel (ritual toasting). Hellenic and Kemetic reconstructionists revive Greek and Egyptian practices respectively, often through historically-informed ritual and deity devotion.
Common practices across traditions include meditation and trance work, herbalism and plant spirit connection, divination through tarot or runes, energy work and spellcraft, and creating altars honoring deities, ancestors, or seasonal themes.
Paganism Today
Contemporary seekers encounter Paganism through diverse channels. Public rituals celebrating seasonal festivals occur in many cities, often organized by local Pagan communities. Online platforms host teaching circles, covens, and study groups connecting practitioners globally. Pagan Pride events, first held in 1998, now occur in dozens of cities annually, offering education and community visibility.
Retreats and festivals provide immersive experiences: Pagan Spirit Gathering, Pantheacon (which ran 1994-2020), and regional gatherings offer workshops, rituals, and community building. Teachers offer classes in specific traditions—Reclaiming Tradition’s witchcamp intensives, Druid training through OBOD’s correspondence course, or Heathen study groups focusing on Old Norse literature and lore.
Books remain crucial entry points: Scott Cunningham’s Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner for Wiccan seekers, John Michael Greer’s The Druidry Handbook for Druid paths, and Diana Paxson’s Essential Ásatrú for Heathenry. Academic works like Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon provide historical context for modern Pagan development.
Common Misconceptions
Paganism is often confused with Satanism, but Pagan traditions do not recognize or worship the Christian concept of Satan. Most Pagan paths emphasize ethical living, often expressed through the Wiccan Rede (“An it harm none, do what ye will”) or reciprocal relationships with land and spirits.
Paganism is not a single unified religion but a diverse religious category. A Wiccan’s practice differs significantly from a Hellenic reconstructionist’s, just as Buddhist practices differ from Hindu ones. There is no Pagan equivalent to the Bible or Pope; authority structures, when they exist, are typically decentralized and tradition-specific.
Historical claims about unbroken Pagan survival since ancient times are generally unsupported by evidence. Most contemporary Pagan traditions represent modern reconstructions or innovations inspired by historical sources rather than direct transmissions from pre-Christian practitioners. This doesn’t diminish their spiritual validity but acknowledges historical realities.
Paganism does not require belief in literal deities; some practitioners approach gods and goddesses as psychological archetypes, natural forces, or poetic metaphors rather than independent beings.
How to Begin
Those exploring Paganism might begin by observing the seasonal cycles and spending contemplative time in natural settings, noticing solstices, equinoxes, and the rhythms of local flora and fauna. Reading foundational texts helps clarify which specific tradition resonates: Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler offers an overview of American Pagan diversity, while tradition-specific books like Cunningham’s Wicca guide or Philip Carr-Gomm’s Druid Mysteries provide focused paths.
Attending public Pagan Pride events or open seasonal rituals allows direct experience without commitment. Many communities welcome newcomers to Samhain or Beltane celebrations. Online forums and local metaphysical shops often connect seekers with study groups or teachers.
Beginners might create a simple altar honoring the season, establish a practice of observing moon phases, or begin working with divination tools like tarot. Journaling about these experiences builds personal understanding of what Paganism means individually, beyond definitions.