Very few things frustrate me more than opening up an introduction to Paganism book only to read about how Pagans worship the Goddess and the God, revere the four Classical Elements, conduct full moon rites in magic circles, etc, etc…Why do these statements bother me so much? Well, it is because they are simply lies. Pagans do not do these things.
Now before I go any further with this rant, let me take a step back and make some things perfectly clear. No, Pagans do not do any of the aforementioned things. That being said, some Pagans do. What I am getting at here is the distinction of Paganism in general versus a particular Pagan religion/spirituality. So no; Pagans do not worship in magic circles, but Wiccans, who belong to a specific Pagan tradition, do worship in magic circles. This division is akin to saying that Christians, as a generality, do not practice the sacrament of Confession, but Roman Catholicism, which is a form of Christianity, does practice Confession.
But I digress…
Wicca, appearing in the 1950’s, really gave the “jumpstart” to the modern Pagan movement. As such, Wicca provided many people who were seeking an alternative religious path a means of practicing a cohesive Pagan faith. This trend continues today, with many people initially coming to Paganism through the path of Wicca. In this sense, Wicca serves as a great beacon of strength for the modern Pagan communities. However, it also tends to befuddle the definition of Paganism.
Since many people have come to Paganism through Wicca, many of the modern forms of Paganism heavily rely on Wiccan material, whether they realize it or not—this is especially true of Pagan traditions in the U.S. While this is all fine and dandy, a real problem comes into play when these Wiccan-based traditions begin to believe that all other Pagan paths are essentially like them—something that is just plainly not true.
So what are these untruths of which I speak? Good question. In a compact answer, anything that claims “Pagans believe…” or “Pagans do…” is essentially false. Paganism is such a broad range of traditions that it can never be definitively said to believe or practice something cohesively.
In less compact terms, the falsehood propagated by modern Pagan communities and, especially, modern Pagan authors are quite extensive. However there are a few more “standard” ones that tend to pop up. Here are some off the top of my head:
1) Pagans believe in the Goddess and the God – FALSE!
Pagans hold a variety of opinions on Divinity. True, there are some that are rigorously duotheistic, meaning that they see Divinity as being composed of polar opposites. The most common manifestation of this theism is the belief in “the” Goddess and “the” God. Often times this ideology includes the principle that “All gods are one god, and all goddesses are one goddess.”[1]
Duotheism is appears in many of the “classical” Wiccan traditions, and even today it is a popular belief amongst both Wiccan and non-Wiccans. However, it is not the only theistic belief that exists amongst Pagans. A particular theism that has been gaining a considerable amount of ground during the evolution of modern Paganism is polytheism. Polytheism is the belief in many (poly-) gods. Many people group polytheism into two categories: soft polytheism and hard polytheism. Soft polytheism holds that the gods are individual personalities—as separately autonomous as you and me. However, in soft polytheism there is still an idea of an underlying, all-inclusive principle, such as a pervasive Divine Consciousness. Thus while all of the gods may be individuals, they—and all things—are ultimately connected under one Supreme Spirit. In a sense, soft polytheism is somewhat of a hybrid between a rigid polytheism and a concept of pantheism.
Hard polytheism also accepts the gods as individual personalities, but unlike soft polytheism, it does not accept a “Divine undercurrent,” which permeates existence.
In both polytheisms, it is generally understood that the gods, like humans, have their individual likes, dislikes, needs, wants, and agendas. They do not necessarily share the same moralistic ideals nor the same knowledge and understanding. In many polytheistic traditions, the gods are thought to be “imperfect.” They do not always know what is “best” nor do they always do what is “right.” Yet, because they are older and wiser than humans, they are generally understood to make mistakes a lot more infrequently than mortals.
Briefly alluded to above, pantheism is also a popular belief amongst Pagans. Pantheism is the idea that all things are imbued with a Divine essence and that, generally, Divinity and Creation are one-and-the-same. Different traditions of Paganism will often adopt varying degrees of pantheistic belief, so as to complement their beliefs about individual divinities.
Going along with pantheism is the doctrine of animism, which holds that all things have individual souls. As with pantheism, animism may also be adopted into Pagan theologies so as to create a fuller picture and understanding of Divinity.
2) Pagans celebrate eight seasonal festivals, called Sabbats, which combine to form the Wheel of the Year – FALSE!
The sequence of seasonal festivals known as the Wheel of the Year, or more simply the Year Wheel, came into being—as far as modern scholarship can tell—with Gerald Gardner. As such it functioned as the Wiccan sacred calendar, and is a rather eclectic conglomeration of culturally distinct and distant festivals—and, indeed, some festivals that were never historically practiced!
Since its introduction by Wicca, the Wheel of the Year has also been adopted by many Neo-Druid groups (most notably the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, the founder of which, Ross Nicholas, was a friend of Gardner). This seasonal cycle thus appears in a variety of modern Pagan religions/spiritualities. However to say that it is universal is a great underestimation.
There are a great number of Pagan paths that do not recognize the Wheel of the Year, particularly those traditions who are more reconstructionist in nature. For example, Gaelic Polytheists generally only give religious credence to the festivals of Samhain, Imbolg, Bealtaine, and Lughnasadh—the four Gaelic agricultural festivals. Likewise, a Kemetic Reconstructionist—i.e. a Pagan attempting to reconstruct the ancient religion(s) of Egypt—would find it very strange to participate in a festival as foreign as the Germanic Yule. Indeed, there are some Pagan religions/spiritualities that do not celebrate any of the festivals in the Wheel of the Year, but that does not make them any less Pagan.
3) Pagans worship their gods in magic circles – FALSE!
The magic circle is essentially a ceremonial magic practice that, after a variety of incarnations, was incorporated into the general practices of Wicca. Again, many Pagan traditions today utilize the magic circle—and hey, it is a pretty meaningful and spectacular set-up! Of those that do not use a magic circle, many still perform rites in a circular formation; however, this is not an essential.
For example, many Celtic Reconstructionist rites may, in fact, be performed in the context of a feast. In this situation, people may be seated around elongated tables in a mess-hall type setting.
4) Pagans perform magic – FALSE!
Many magical systems can be combined with nearly any religion or other spirituality. While many “orthodox” religions condemn magical practices, a majority of Pagan traditions accept that magic is not only possible but also acceptable, reclaiming it as part of their religio-cultural past. This allows for a greater density of magical practitioners in Paganism. (Wicca is very notable for this, as many see it as providing both a religion and a magical system.)
Yet not all Pagans practice magic, and—sure to be shocking to some—not all Pagans are for the use of magic, believing it to undermine the gods. In addition, there are many Pagan paths, such as Ásatrú, that believe magical practice to be confined to a select few rather than as a practice for the masses. In these types of systems, magic often functions as a cultural and/or religious specialty, much as smithcrafting would be.
5) Pagans work with the four Classical Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water – FALSE!
Like the magic circle, the Classical Elements came into Wicca through ceremonial magic. Wicca, in turn, lent these elements into modern Paganism. A number of Pagans find that the Classical Elements are a meaningful way to divide and categorize the energies of the Universe, and so they keep this ideology. Still, there are many Pagan religions/spiritualities that do not recognize the Classical Elements, such as Slavianism—the modern revival of Slavic Paganism—and Nova Roma—meaning “New Rome,” this is the attempt to reconstruct ancient Roman culture and, in accordance, religion.
The above are just a few examples of general Wiccan theology that often gets conflated as universal Pagan doctrine. The simple fact of the matter is that none of these—and more!—are general Pagan practices and beliefs.
But this causes an important question to arise: If none of the above is Pagan, then what exactly is Paganism? In truth that cannot be answered, because there is nothing about the term Paganism which can be simplified to exactness. That is why there are so many definitions of the term. Despite this, I will attempt my best to endeavor to give a rough definition of Paganism.
My definition:
Paganism is a collection of religions and spiritual systems that have been reconstructed, re-interpreted, and/or inspired by pre-Abrahamic religions and cultures.
Paganism is non-essentialist and non-normative.
Now what does this mean? Let’s break it down.
Firstly, Paganism is a collection. It is an umbrella term, encompassing a myriad of beliefs, practices, traditions, and communities—some of which have a lot in common and others of which are quite distinct.
Secondly, Paganism may be reconstructed. This means that some forms of Paganism take the literal and actual practices and religious structures of pre-Abrahamic peoples and endeavor to resurrect them as they appeared in the past.
Paganism may be re-interpreted. This is the process of taking pre-Abrahamic practices and translating them so that they can be compatible with the modern world. It is the difference between constructing a 300-foot wicker-man and throwing a small offering of food into a fire to honor one’s gods.
Paganism may also be inspired. Inspiration, in this context, applies to taking how ancient cultures viewed the world and the Divine and putting it into a present context. For example, a person liking the way that a certain culture was able to approach their gods without the necessity of a priesthood decides to incorporate this philosophy into his own practice. (This sort of inspiration often serves to fuel the eclecticism of modern Paganism.)
Thirdly, Paganism is pre-Abrahamic, meaning that it draws on the structures of cultures which have been displaced and/or distorted by the later presence of Judaism, Christianity, and/or Islam. (Under this definition, then something like Hinduism would not be considered Pagan as it is still a thriving cultural religion in its own right.)
Fourthly, Paganism is non-essentialist—i.e. there is no “Paganism believes…” or “Paganism does…” As we have seen, it is too broad a category to define in this way.
Fifthly, Paganism is non-normative. There is no “Pagans should…” There are no central moral or ethical constructs the reign over all Paganism. (Even the Wiccan Rede is just that—Wiccan not Pagan!)
Finally, as a side note, Pagan is a self-donned title. It is something that can only be applied by the individual; people must agree to be called Pagan. It is not a title to force on someone.
These are just a few of my thoughts on the subject, but I hope that they have been enjoyable and, at least, intriguing. My biggest point is this: When we define Paganism in strict terms (such as those given at the beginning of this article) we ostracize members of the Pagan community. So someone does not celebrate the Wheel of the Year, does not accept the Wiccan Rede, does not believe in the Goddess and the God. Does that make said person any less Pagan if she wishes to use the title? Absolutely not. Our definitions of Paganism, however they may vary, should make this openness to diversification an apparent element of Paganism. Perhaps this is the one thing that can be put forth essentially: Paganism is diverse.
A "Family Tree" of Paganism created by me (click to enlarge)
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[1] As stated in The Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune -- Fortune, Dion; Knight, Gareth (30 June 2003). The Sea
Priestess. Weiser. p. 169
The world is full of people who seek concrete definitions of labels -- sometimes to unify but more often to create an "us" and a "them." It's the start of the process I call "othering" (I'm sure there's an actual term for it, but I like my term, othering.) I think you and I have talked about it. It's a concept I use to explain to people how almost all religions preach love, respect and tolerance but end up becoming vehicles of cruelty, tyranny and dogma.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't something I've found as often in modern paganism (though you know far more about it than I do!) as in more established religions -- which is one of the things I like about pagans, in general. Mostly I think it's because paganism is too young in many ways to have built the internal power structures that make this happen. It's funny because due to the long break it's "young" even though the beliefs tend to have very ancient roots. There's something special in that juxtaposition. However, I HAVE met individuals who self-identify as pagan with the start of it, that sense of superiority in believing my way is right and every other way is wrong, usually dealing with codified dogma. And I think you're right, it comes from trying to set ever stricter rules of definition on paganism. This intolerance in what I, like you, see as a broad spectrum of beliefs tends to confuse me about as much as Christians who preach hate or condemnation yet claim to be a follower of the teachings of Christ.
It's as impossible to codify a religion (though many have tried) between individual interpretations/beliefs as it is for me to say something is blue and have every person understand exactly what hue and luminosity I mean. Sure I NARROWED the spectrum of possibilities, but there are still an infinite number within the limits I set. Paganism, even more than most established religions, is an umbrella term for many diverse subsets of beliefs. And you're right to say it's wrong to try to say all those varied systems contain the values of one subset -- even if it's the most well-known or established subset.
Good for you to choose a soapbox speaking against exclusionary definitions! Then again, would I expect anything less from you? :P
P.S. Even though I don't always respond, I always enjoy your posts -- I like that they are thoughtful and often present me with perspectives or information I hadn't yet explored! Which, for an extensive autodidact, is always a delight when someone can give me that! And I really appreciate that you took your anger at an author and channeled it constructively in explaining rather than just getting angry and calling the person an idiot. Testament of character.
Dani,
ReplyDeleteI am nearly certain that at one point or another in our relationship, we have talked about the process of “othering,” and I also like this term as it is a clear cut way to get at the heart of what is truly going on.
On the large-scale, I do not see modern Paganism using othering ideology, and I think this has to do with the fact that, as you so rightly put it, “paganism is too young in many ways to have built the internal power structures that make this happen.” In addition to this, I think that the large degree in variance between Pagan religions also retards the growth of otherness.
On the community level, I think that there are usually a number of othering trends that tend to get adopted, some subconsciously and others quite purposefully. The subconscious elements come into play when Pagan groups try to identify and explain themselves to people who are outside the spectrum. People thus set up a myriad of definitions as to the nature of Paganism. Often this results in them forming the definition to their own, personal belief system—causing an unintentional but still very real othering. This becomes apparent when they meet someone who is Pagan that does not nicely fit into their definition of what it means to be Pagan. They tend to accept that the Pagan “oddity” is Pagan, but that he or she is “out-of-the-norm.” Thus they keep their rather rigid definition, a move that creates a sense of ostracization amongst those Pagan “oddities.”
Consciously, I have seen people adopt altered definitions of Paganism so as to purposefully exclude a group with which they do not agree. For example, there are a number of Pagan groups who practice what may be termed “the black arts.” A number of Pagans who have come into contact with such groups will alter their views on Paganism so that it, by their definition, cannot include anyone who practices a “left-hand path.” This is really quite a sad situation, and it neglects the truth of “just because you do it, doesn’t mean that I have to do it.”
“It's as impossible to codify a religion (though many have tried) between individual interpretations/beliefs as it is for me to say something is blue and have every person understand exactly what hue and luminosity I mean.” That is exactly the point here :-)
I am glad that you enjoy my posts. The point of them is to get people to think. Not to think what I think, but to think for themselves and in doing so, to challenge their old conventions. I know that I do this while writing these posts, and as always, it is nice to have company. :-)
I appreciate that you're dispelling Wicca as Paganism, but some of this is not true. I follow Pre-Christian Celtic Paganism, and my Father is a Pre-Christian Master Druid. I think it would be more accurate to say that most Pagans only perform small feats of magic at any point, and Druids/Priests perform the magic. What do you think Merlin did? As for magic circles, what do you think the stone circles of the British Isles and Ireland are? While it is true that we worship the Gods at all times, no matter where we are, it is true that rituals are normally done in them. My father uses the recognition and presence of the elements as a symbol of the Earth and it's components. So, much of this is not necessarily true.
ReplyDeleteUm I have rituals involving all four of the elements I can show you if you want I consider it to be pagan.
ReplyDeleteOh you know bowing in prostration to the earth air water and fire. I thank trees and the bull spirit.
ReplyDelete