Neo-Paganism – Ritual in Neo-Paganism

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Neopagans strive to live in harmony with nature and tend to view human progress and separation from nature as the prime source of alienation. Ritual is a tool to end that alienation, though its practice varies enormously. Neopaganism is ‘a religion of ritual rather than theology’ (Adler: 170). `You do ritual because you need to, basically, and because it cuts through and operates on everything besides the “head” level’ (Adler: 161). The following best reflects what pagan ritual is about:

You don’t need any … tools. You need no special clothes … You might make up a chant, a string of names of gods and goddesses who were loved and familiar to you from childhood myths … easily repeatable like a mantra. And perhaps, as you say those familiar names and feel the earth and air, the moon appears a bit closer, and perhaps the wind rustling the leaves suddenly seems in rhythm with your own breathing or perhaps the woods seem strangely noisy. Or unspeakably still. And perhaps the clear line that separates you from bird and tree and small lizards seems to melt. Whatever else, your relationship to the world of living nature changes. The Witch is the changer of definitions and relationships. (Adler: 44)

Paganism is about experience, not teaching. It is about changing self, others and therefore reality through magickal[16] acts. St John was witness to a rite at Confest where, after casting the circle and drawing down the goddess, over one hundred women danced in a circle, chanting, `We all come from the Goddess, and to her we shall return. Like a drop of rain, falling to the ocean.’ On another night, the actions were similar, but a different chant was used: `The Earth is our Mother, we will take care of her. The Earth is our Mother, she will take care of us’ (St John: ch 7, 15).

Neo-Paganism – History of Neo-Paganism

Neo-Paganism – The practice of magic

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