Neo-Paganism Dialogue: What is Neo-Paganism?

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The word pagan comes from the Latin term paganus, meaning a rustic or country dweller. Christianity in the early years spread most effectively in the cities, thus the `country dwellers' were those who continued to worship the local gods and goddesses longer than their urban counterparts. The term pagan began to have negative connotations near the end of the third century when used to mean `nonChristian', with overtones of evil and possibly of Satan worship. [3] Obviously, it has kept its negative baggage to this day. [4] The term neopagan is applied to those who loosely base their spiritual and religious practice on pre-Christian nature religions of the West (Adler: xi). [5]

Numerous traditions and diverse beliefs and practices come under the generic classification of paganism. The secretary of the Pagan Alliance in SA and Coordinator of the Temple of the Dark Moon, explains:

It is almost impossible to formulate a consensus viewpoint on the various aspects of paganism because it is a religious or spiritual path that has little or no dogma . . . Paganism can be viewed as an 'umbrella' term, covering a variety of differing spiritual paths which are basically centered about honouring and respecting the Earth. That is so whether its followers attune themselves to the nature rhythms (energies), whether the sacred days of the Earth (such as the equinoxes and solstices) are celebrated, or whether a lot of the differing traditions incorporate or are based on stories of mythology.

The more popular traditions practised in Australia are Norse Paganism, Celtic Paganism, Dianic Witchcraft, Druidry, Environmental Paganism, Ethnic Paganism, Male Mysteries, Shamanism, Wicca and Witchcraft (Pagan Alliance: 3-5). These traditions vary enormously, from highly ritualised formal encounters with the divinity to an `unconscious mode of acknowledging and communicating with Goddess and God' (Pagan Alliance: 7).

Neopaganism, in short, is a nature religion. It has no central organisation, creeds or beliefs, is largely non-institutional, anarchic, eclectic, and is not mediated. There are no gurus or masters. Neopagans are not involved in mission; they take a `come and see' approach to their faith and ritual. Neopaganism is largely an urban phenomenon, and many of those attracted to it are tertiary educated, 'a curious mixture of humanistic intellectuals and technical intelligentsia' (St John: 115). [6] Almost seventy-five per cent fall into the twenty to twenty-nine age group.7 Some pagans practise alone, some join covens or other organisations.