Paganism at a glance

Paganism describes a group of contemporary religions based on a reverence for nature. These faiths draw on the traditional religions of indigenous peoples throughout the world

Paganism encompasses a diverse community. Wiccans, Druids, Shamans, Sacred Ecologists, Odinists and eathens all ma!e up parts of the Pagan community. Some groups concentrate on specific traditions or practices such as ecology, witchcraft, "eltic traditions or certain gods. #ost Pagans share an ecological vision that comes from the Pagan belief in the organic vitality and spirituality of the natural world. Due to persecution and misrepresentation it is necessary to define what Pagans are not as well as what they are. Pagans are not se$ual deviants, do not worship the devil, are not evil, do not practice %blac! magic% and their practices do not involve harming people or animals. The Pagan &ederation of 'reat (ritain have no precise figures but estimate that the number of Pagans in the (ritish )sles is between *+,+++ and ,++,+++ -,++,..

What do Pagans believe in?

Pagans respect nature as divine / 0lthough Paganism covers a wide spectrum of ideas, these elements sum up the beliefs of the ma1ority.

Nature
The recognition of the divine in nature is at the heart of Pagan belief. Pagans are deeply aware of the natural world and see the power of the divine in the ongoing cycle of life and death. #ost Pagans are eco2friendly, see!ing to live in a way that minimises harm to the natural environment.

Concepts of the divine

Pagans worship the divine in many different forms, through feminine as well as masculine imagery and also as without gender. The most important and widely recognised of these are the 'od and 'oddess -or pantheons of 'od and 'oddesses. whose annual cycle of procreation, giving birth and dying defines the Pagan year. Paganism strongly emphasises e3uality of the se$es. Women play a prominent role in the modern Pagan movement, and 'oddess worship features in most Pagan ceremonies.

Pagan theology
Paganism is not based on doctrine or liturgy. #any pagans believe %if it harms none, do what you will%. &ollowing this code, Pagan theology is based primarily on e$perience, with the aim of Pagan ritual being to ma!e contact with the divine in the world that surrounds them.

Introduction
Britain's spiritual history

Pagan wedding at 0vebury, attended by Emma 4estall Orr, "hief Druid of the (ritish Druid Order This section e$plores the spirituality of (ritain, from pre2"hristian Paganism to the present day and its flourishing alternative spiritualities. ow has the idea of 'od has changed in the face of political upheaval, intellectual and scientific discovery, immigration and more intangible shifts in human sentiment5 On the following pages you will find audio and scripts from different series, organised into different historical periods. "hoose a period to begin your e$ploration or browse the sections in order.

The presenters

The story of (ritain%s religious heritage is told through two series of audio programmes. William Dalrymple presents The Long Search, charting some of the !ey historical moments which have shaped the religious and spiritual outloo! of (ritain. The series covers events from the e$ecution of "harles ) to the 0nglo2Sa$on invasion, the abolition of slavery to the rise of 67th2century woman mystics.

"hristopher Eccleston presents Sacred Nation, written by poet #ichael Symmons 4oberts. Sacred 8ation tells the story of religious belief in the (ritish )sles. &rom long barrows to stone circles, from Druids to 4omans, and through holy wars, reformations and revivals, (ritain has always been a pluralistic society.

Pre-Christian times
Pre-Christian times Ancestor orship and nature
0ncient faith was influenced by the natural world and the threat posed by the elements. The inhabitants of (ritain originally worshipped their ancestors, burying them in long barrows and performing rituals to influence the weather and the harvest. (ut when (ritain%s climate changed radically around 9,+++ (", the ancestor cult came to an end and (ritons loo!ed to nature itself to influence their fortune.

Prehistoric Wesse!

Wiliam Dalrymple in Wiltshire William Dalrymple loo!s at the religious systems which came and went in (ritain in the centuries leading up to the "hristian era. Why and how do these traditions still matter to us5 0nd what do we ma!e of them today5 &athoming how our earliest ancestors understood the world is something we can only guess at very tentatively using the clues of archaeology. )n Wiltshire, a uni3ue collection

of ceremonial monuments and burial mounds span several periods of pre2history. The earliest of them tell us that !inship and the support of a clan%s ancestors seems to have lain at the centre of the conception of spirituality in prehistoric Wesse$.

"oman Britain and the arrival of Christianity

With the coming of the 4omans and their gods, (ritain became more multi2faith. The 4omans are instinctively tolerant of other religions, but a problem occurs when a new religion comes along telling people there%s only one god. "hristianity is on a collision course with the mighty 4oman empire. The 0nglo2Sa$on gods gave us our days of the wee!. We visit Sutton oo, burial ground of the 0nglo2Sa$on !ings of East 0nglia. (y the :th century )slamic influences had travelled as far as (ritain, 1ust 6*+ years after the death of the Prophet and before the coming of the ;i!ings in the <th century. ;i!ing Paganism also gradually gave way to "hristianity.

Celts and Anglo-Saxons

Celts and Anglo-#a!ons Celtic Christianity
The rise of what has come to be !nown as %"eltic "hristianity% has been one of the religious phenomena of recent times= go into any of the shops on oly )sland and you will find whole stac!s of merchandise, all covered with little "eltic crosses and the old uncial script. owever, the e$tent to which there was any very distinct type of "hristianity in the "eltic areas of (ritain has become a matter of heated debate. William Dalrymple finds out about the "hristianity brought by the early )rish mon!s, and what resemblance it bears to the modern practice of %"eltic "hristians% 2 and to as! the intriguing 3uestion of whether St. 0idan would recognise the strange goings2on on modern oly )sland.

Anglo-#a!on influences

;i!ing burial mas! -0rne >oehler. / William Dalrymple loo!s at how early English "hristianity and its understanding of the Divine was forged through its relationship with the Pagan beliefs of the 0nglo2Sa$ons. )t%s something we learn about from archaeology, epic poems li!e (eowulf, the

ecclesiastical history of the ;enerable (ede, and the superby interlaced relief2sculpture produced by the 0nglo2Sa$ons 2 uni3ue in Europe, and their great contribution to "hristian art. The 0nglo2Sa$on tribes from 8orth West Europe arrived in (ritain throughout the fifth century, e$pelling the "eltic farmers who had lived on the land since time immemorial and renaming the landscape, towns and rivers in their own tongue. The 0nglo2Sa$ons were sea2faring peoples with a great composite pantheon of gods. Some of those gods remain with us in the place names of the countryside 2 Thurstable and Thundridge in >ent are echoes of the thunder god Thor? Wandsy!e 2 or Wodensdy!e 2 in Wesse$.

Norman Britain
Norman Britain

4ievaul$ 0bbey, 8orth @or!shire

Benedictine revival
When the 8ormans arrived in England, there were no monasteries at all north of The Wash 2 not one single one was left or had been restored in the 0nglo2Sa$on revival in the 6+th century. 0nd very 3uic!ly, once the 8ormans had got the 8orth more or less 3uiet, there was a big (enedictine revival. (enedictines in Durham, (enedictines in @or!, (enedictines in Whitby. 0 number of groups of mon!s left their old established rather comfortable, rich (enedictine monasteries, in the 66th century, and decided to lead a much more austere life, much further away from centres of population. #uch the most successful was the "istercian enterprise, which began with an Englishman and a &renchman in (urgundy. )t might have failed but for the most e$traordinary man of the 6,th century 2 St (ernard.

Pagans in the cathedral

"hristopher Eccleston continues his 1ourney through the spiritual history of (ritain and finds a landscape full of 8orman castles and cathedrals. e reveals the Pagan images woven into the fabric of the "hristian church.

Mediaeval Britain
$ediaeval Britain

Aulian of 8orwich

Woman mystics
Aulian of 8orwich is perhaps the best2!nown of the mediaeval English mystics= her most famous saying 2 Ball shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be wellB 2 was ta!en up by T.S Eliot in The &our Cuartets, and hence has passed into popular speech. (ut Aulian was not a loner= she was part of an often2forgotten (ritish phenomenon of mediaval mystics. )n all cultures, mystics have been remar!able for their freedom of e$pression? in 67th "entury England, mysticism gave voice to a section of mediaeval society that was effectively silenced by the "hurch 2 women. William Dalrymple finds out how it became the vehicle of self2e$pression for mediaeval English women, what use they made of it, and how their legacy still inspires people in their search for the divine today.

The Reformation
The "eformation

"atherine of 0ragon /

%estruction of the sacred

4eaching the 67th century, we begin the bumpy ride through the 4eformation. )t threatened the whole structure of the church both theologically and artistically. We%ve sanitised the 4eformation. We%ve made it sound as though it was a marital tiff between enry the ;))) and >atherine of 0ragon... 0nd so he changes the church, and then we go % o, ho, ho 2 isn%t that funny5 @%!now the "hurch of England is founded on adultery,% which is to some degree true.

What we forget is that what it unleashed over the ne$t 9+ years was the most... astonishing destruction of the sacred in its visible form you%ve ever seen. Martin Palmer, historian

The "eformation and British identity

Perhaps more than at any other moment in the country%s religious history since "hristianity arrived in these islands, the 4eformation mar!ed an irrevocable brea! with the past. )n many ways, the modern age started here. &or although still far from the largely secular world of today, a process of detachment 2 even disenchantment 2 with traditional religion was set in train, whose results form the world in which we still live. William Dalrymple e$plores the effect the 4eformation had on popular conceptions of the Divine, on our place in the world and in ma!ing us the people we are. e as!s whether the 4eformation is still central to our national identity, or whether its effects are now being finally unravelled.

Civil War and Restoration

Civil War and "estoration "egicide and turmoil
The e$ecution of "harles ) was one of the most traumatic episodes in English history, an act that was seen as religious by those who supported the 4egicide as well as those who opposed it. William Dalrymple visits the scene of the e$ecution at Dondon%s (an3ueting ouse. The director of English eritage, Simon Thurley, e$plains how the concept of the divine right of !ings, e$pressed in the building%s painted ceiling, is shattered by "harles% death. Social and spiritual anarchy follows 2 the abolition of the "hurch of England ma!es way for a proliferation of biEarre religious sects and dissenting churches who see in the chaos the signs of the end of the world or the possibility of building the >ingdom of 'od on earth.

Puritans and pluralism

We have arrived at the "ivil War and a puritanical state under a "alvanist dictator 2 but despite the prevalent "hristian fundamentalism it was the beginning of a new phase of pluralism. ...what the Puritans did was to introduce pluralism into every single part of (ritain, because they said you don%t have to go to 1ust the one parish church to worship F there must be a choice ... ) thin! that it%s that tradition... which is 3uintessentially (ritish. Which is why when Audaism returned in the 6Gth century and when )slam first started coming here in the 6:th century, and when induism and (uddhism first arrived here in the 6<th century F nobody batted an eyelid.

Martin Palmer One person in ten is !illed in the "ivil War, which leaves deep scars and provides a fertile soil for new religious groups springing up in the chaos of the mid26H++s.

Puritans and pluralism

We have arrived at the "ivil War and a puritanical state under a "alvanist dictator 2 but despite the prevalent "hristian fundamentalism it was the beginning of a new phase of pluralism. ...what the Puritans did was to introduce pluralism into every single part of (ritain, because they said you don%t have to go to 1ust the one parish church to worship F there must be a choice ... ) thin! that it%s that tradition... which is 3uintessentially (ritish. Which is why when Audaism returned in the 6Gth century and when )slam first started coming here in the 6:th century, and when induism and (uddhism first arrived here in the 6<th century F nobody batted an eyelid. Martin Palmer One person in ten is !illed in the "ivil War, which leaves deep scars and provides a fertile soil for new religious groups springing up in the chaos of the mid26H++s.

"estoration spirituality
The 4estoration period brings with it a flourishing of the 8ew Science. These are the early years of 4oyal Society, of 4obert oo!e%s microscopic drawings and )saac 8ewton%s famous wor!, the Principia. )n this episode William Dalrymple gets to grips with one of the earliest pieces of e$perimental e3uipment 2 4obert (oyle%s air pump 2 and learns about the theological controversy it caused. While we tend to thin! of 8ewton and (oyle as the founders of modern science, they were also deeply religious men who saw their search for the natural laws of science as a spiritual 3uest. )n pursuing their discoveries they were also as!ing some of the most profound 3uestions of their age 2 about the e$istence of spirits and fairies, the meaning of the philosopher%s stone, and about how 'od intervenes in the world.

Revolutions and m!ire

"evolutions and &mpire

(la!e%s %woman clothed with the sun% /

$essianic visions
Throughout history and particularly at times of political and social upheaval, people have loo!ed to a deliverer 2 or #essiah 2 to right the world%s wrongs and inaugurate an era of peace and 1ustice. The violence and bloodshed of the &rench 4evolution was interpreted by many observers on this side of the "hannel as a sign that the new messianic age was at hand. )n this programme William Dalrymple encounters two very different eighteenth century visionaries 2 the artist and poet William (la!e and the Devonshire prophetess Aoanna Southcott. (oth drew on the apocalyptic image of the woman clothed with the sun and on the millennial longings of their age to articulate their vision for a new Aerusalem in England. &or William (la!e, the #essiah is collective humanity, who 2 given the commitment and mental fight 2 can build Aerusalem in England%s green and pleasant land. &or Aoanna, the #essiah is the long2awaited Shiloh to whom she will give birth, notwithstanding the fact that she is si$ty four years old and a virgin.

&mancipation
&or many evangelical missionaries in the nineteenth century 'od was (ritish, and the Empire provided a divine opportunity for them to convert its colonial sub1ects to "hristianity. )n this programme, William Dalrymple loo!s at how the evangelical campaign to win freedom for slaves led in turn to a campaign that seems rather more suspect to modern eyes 2 the mission to free the so2called Bheathen nativesB from the superstitious chains of their native religions. The belief in this 'od2given mission is reflected in many of the most famous hymns of the era, sung to William by 8oel Tredennic!, organist at 0ll Soul%s church, Dangham place 2 From Greenland's icy mountains, Thy kingdom come, oh God and God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year.

'mmigration
(y the beginning of the 6<th century, the impact of the two revolutions 2 one in &rance, one in industry 2 had turned (ritain into a more modern, educated, technologically advanced, urban society where the old social, political and religious certainties were 3uestioned.

0fter "atholic emancipation in 6:,< and the influ$ of )rish "atholics into (ritain after the &amine of the 6:7+s, the nature of English "atholicism changes from a Patrician cli3ue to a proletarian mass movement 2 so how does the "hurch adapt5 0 similar trend arises in the Aewish community when the comfortable lives of the 0nglicised %(rotherhood% of (ritish Aews are thrown into disarray by an influ$ of poor, dispossessed Aews fleeing the pogroms of Eastern Europe. The e$pansion of Empire brings #uslim, indu and Si!h influences from )ndia, @emen and the &ar East to (ritish shores. The ,+th century sees two World Wars, the dismantling of Empire and decolonisation 2 all of which impact on the religious landscape of (ritain, ushering in an era of secularisation and a brea!down of traditional religious authority. (ut this era also brings larger communities of #uslims, Si!hs, indus and (lac! "hristians from far2flung parts of the Empire to help with the post2war reconstruction of (ritain. Today, our Sacred 8ation incorporates a huge number of belief systems carrying on side by side in apparent harmony and is more li!e 4oman (ritain than at any other time in history.

"ictorians to modern Britain

(ictorians to modern Britain

u$ley caricatured in ;anity &air /

&volution and spiritualism

'enerations of Sunday school children have sung #rs 0le$ander%s famous hymn, B0ll things bright and beautiful.B &or all its cheerful innocence, it was written at a time of deep an$iety, when the edifice of "hristianity was under threat from evolutionary theory and biblical scholarship. One of the central 3uestions for the ;ictorian period concerned the nature of human!ind? are we material or spiritual beings5 To the ;ictorians, who aspired to be angels, the idea that they had apes for ancestors was horrifyingly crude. Their response to the challenge of evolutionary theory was to turn to the mystical sIance to BproveB the e$istence of a soul that survives beyond the grave. )n this programme William Dalrymple visits O$ford%s natural history museum, scene of the notorious Bmon!eyB debate between (ishop Samuel Wilberforce and Scientist Thomas u$ley. 0nd in Dondon%s Science #useum, historian 4ichard 8oa!es shows him the instruments developed by the ;ictorians to detect spirits.

#uperstition) spirituality and eclecticism

The fol!lorist Edward Dovatt crammed his house full of the amulets and charms he collected from Dondoners in the early part of the twentieth century. 8ow housed in Southwar!%s "uming museum, they reflect the diversity of fol! beliefs and rituals which gave meaning to the lives of local traders. The same people who wore charms to protect themselves against the evil eye would also marry in church and attend watchnight services without seeing any contradiction in these practices. Today, in spite of the supposedly secular age in which we live, people continue to select those beliefs and practices which nourish them spiritually. The standard story told of the twentieth century has been one of a gradual decline of religious faith and practice. "ertainly there has been a dramatic drop in churchgoing. (ut all the surveys show that the ma1ority of people still believe in 'od, and (ritain has evolved into a multi2cultural and multi2faith society. #elvyn (ragg and guests discuss witchcraft in 4eformation Europe. )n 67:H a boo! was published in Datin, it was called #aleus #allificarum and it very soon outsold every publication in Europe bar the (ible. )t was written by einrich >ramer, a Dominican Priest and a witchfinder. B#agicians, who are commonly called witchesB he wrote, Bare thus termed on account of the magnitude of their evil deeds. These are they who by the permission of 'od disturb the elements, who drive to distraction the minds of men, such as have lost their trust in 'od, and by the terrible power of their evil spells, without any actual draught or poison, !ill human beings.B BThou shalt not suffer a witch to liveB says E$odus, and in the period of the 4eformation and after, over a hundred thousand men and women in Europe met their deaths after being convicted of witchcraft. Why did practices that had been tolerated for centuries suddenly become such a threat5 What brought the prosecutions of witchcraft to an end, and was there anything ever in Europe that could be truly termed as a witch5 With 0lison 4owlands, Senior Decturer in European istory at the Jniversity of Esse$? Dyndal 4oper, &ellow and Tutor in istory at (alliol "ollege, Jniversity of O$ford? #alcolm 'as!ill, &ellow and Director of Studies in istory at "hurchill "ollege, "ambridge.

Renaissance and revival

*istory of modern Paganism
"ontemporary Paganism is the restoration of indigenous religion, especially that of ancient Europe. Paganism has grown in popularity greatly during the last hundred years. The growth coincides with a decline in "hristianity in Europe, and the increase in !nowledge of past and distant cultures.

"enaissance) "eformation and "ationalism

Statue of 8eptune, )taly / People in Europe became more aware of the art and philosophy of the ancient world during the 4enaissance period around 6*++ -the word %4enaissance% means %rebirth%.. Documents rescued after the fall of "onstantinople in 67*9 introduced people to ideas from before the #iddle ages. 0nd although Europe remained "hristian the Pagan gods and goddesses of 0ncient 'reece 1ostled with the patron saints of "hristianity on public monument, and classical philosophy began to change the way people thought about ethics and morality. )n (ritain the 4eformation of the 6H++s transformed England from a "atholic country to a Protestant one. The religious conflict that went along with this change led to the persecution of those who didn%t fit the desired religious profile. 4eligious hysteria -disguised as spiritual cleansing. led to some individuals being described as %witches%. (ut these people were not part of any religious movement, merely victims of local feuds and 3uarrels. 0 few of them were practitioners of herbal medicine but most were ordinary, conventional citiEens. 0fter the enormous political and intellectual upheavals of the 6H++s died away, it became possible to e$plore ways of thought outside "hristianity without fear of instant damnation, and the study of 'ree! and 4oman classics became part of every schoolboy%s education. The name %Europe% -herself a character in 'ree! myth. replaced %"hristendom% in the mid2 6:th century. )nfluenced by the e$pansion of trade and colonies an awareness and interest in other cultures and spiritualities grew. This new age of reason during the 6Gth and 6:th "enturies became !nown as the Enlightenment.

The revival of traditional cultures and ancient traditions

The first Pagan tradition to be restored was that of the Druids in (ritain. )n the mid2 6H++s stone circles and other monuments built four and a half thousand years previously began to interest scholars. Some thought that the original Druids -pre2historic tribal people of Europe. had built them. )n 6G6G one of these scholars, the )rish theologian Aohn Toland, became the first "hosen "hief of the 0ncient Druid Order, which became !nown as the (ritish "ircle of the Jniversal (ond. (y the 6<th "entury a new outloo! was evident as people searched for the fundamental principles of religion by loo!ing at the faiths of different places and times.

#me elena (lavats!y founded the Theosophical Society in 6:G*. )ts teachings were based on induism, Tibetan (uddhism, 8eo2Platonic thought, and ancient Egyptian religion. Pagan philosophies, which venerated 8ature and were polytheistic, began to be seen as sophisticated contributions to contemporary spirituality.

4unic letter / 0cross Europe people were rediscovering their indigenous cultures. )n northern Europe there was a growing interest in Sa$on and 8orse traditions. )n England, William #orris translated the )celandic sagas and "ecil Sharp collected village dances and songs. )n 'ermany Schlegel and Schelling in particular were attracted to the nature religion which they saw behind traditional fol! customs, and at the beginning of the ,+th century 'uido von DisEt pioneered the study of the runes. )n north2east Europe, particularly Dithuania, nationalist movements spread and indigenous languages were reclaimed, traditional tales recorded and the old festivals celebrated. &ol! music was part of this reassertion of local identity, preserving traditions which otherwise would have been forgotten.

Witchcraft# Ne$ Age and modern

The Witchcraft movement

Witches raise hailstorms -6*th century woodcut. / 0n interest in witchcraft developed in the 6<th century. (y 6:,: one historian proposed that the supposed witches of the 6Hth26Gth centuries were in fact underground practitioners of Pagan religion. 0nd in 6:<< an 0merican 1ournalist, "harles 'odfrey Deland, claimed he had discovered modern day witches in )taly.

)t was not until 6<*6 that the first practitioners of modern day witchcraft became !nown. )t was at this time that the Jnited >ingdom followed the rest of Europe in repealing the last of its anti2witchcraft laws. 8o laws were thought necessary in this rationalistic age. (ut amaEingly, a retired tea planter and amateur archaeologist, 'erald (rousseau 'ardner, appeared in print claiming he spo!e for one of several covens of English witches who practised a Pagan religion dating from the Stone 0ge. 'ardner claimed that his witches were practitioners of a fertility religion called Wicca.

The hippy trail and beyond

The 6<H+s and 6<G+s were times of radical social change. induism and Taoism helped shape contemporary Paganism as the hippy trail led people to become interested in Eastern religions and philosophies. Other traditions were also revived and incorporated into Pagan practices.

8orth 0mericans rediscovered 8ative 0merican traditions and the 0fro20merican traditions of Santeria, "andomble and ;odoun. European traditions reconstructed local holy sites and resurrected traditional ceremonies. Paganism found an ally in the ecological and feminist movements of the 6<H+s. Pagan philosophies appealed to many eco2activists, who also saw 8ature as sacred and recognised the 'reat 'oddess as #other 8ature. The image of the witch was ta!en up by feminists as a role2model of the independent powerful woman, and the single 'reat 'oddess as the archetype of women%s inner strength and dignity. Witchcraft continued to develop and from the 6<H+s onwards, witches from outside 'ardner%s tradition appeared. Some were practitioners of traditional practical healing and magic, with no particular Pagan religious structure. Others followed a different version of Pagan magical religion. )n the 6<<+s many (ritish traditional witches began to use the name hedge witches. -0 hedge witch is a solitary practitioner who isn%t aligned to a coven and who practices herbal healing and spells.. These were e$perts in traditional practical craft.

#odern Pagans at a gathering /

Paganism today
8owadays there are many Pagan organisations worldwide, most catering for specific traditions such as Druidry or 0satru, but a few, such as the Pagan &ederation -f. 6<G6, J>. or the Pan2Pacific Pagan 0lliance -f. 6<<6, 0ustralia., representing the entire tradition. Pagan hospital visitors and prison ministers are a recognised part of modern life, and public Pagan ceremonies such as Druid rituals and Pagan marriages -handfastings. or funerals ta!e place as a matter of routine.

Pagan orship
0s Paganism is a very diverse religion with many distinct though related traditions, the forms of Pagan worship vary widely. )t may be collective or solitary. )t may consist of informal prayer or meditation, or of formal, structured rituals through which the participants affirm their deep spiritual connection with nature, honour their 'ods and 'oddesses, and celebrate the seasonal festivals of the turning year and the rites of passage of human life.

Pagan ritual, with Emma 4estall Orr, "hief Druid, The (ritish Druid Order 0s Pagans have no public buildings specifically set aside for worship, and most believe that religious ceremonies are best conducted out of doors, rituals often ta!e place in woods or caves, on hilltops, or along the seashore. To Pagans the finest places of worship are those not built by human hands 2 as well as at stone circles, in par!s, and private homes and gardens. Women and men almost always worship together and Paganism generally emphasises e3uality of the se$es. )n certain paths, however, women may ta!e the leading role as representative of the pre2eminence of the female principle.

"eremonies usually begin with the mar!ing out of a ritual circle, a symbol of sacred space which has neither beginning nor end, and within which all stand as e3uals. 0t the 3uarter2points, the four directions and the corresponding elements of Earth, 0ir, &ire and Water will be ac!nowledged and bid welcome. There may follow, according to the purpose of the rite, any or all of meditation, chanting, music, prayer, dance, the pouring of libations, recitations of poetry andKor the performance of sacred drama, and the sharing of food and drin!. Dastly the circle will be formally unmade, the directions, elements, and all the forms of divinity that have been called upon than!ed, as the rite ends.

4itual wine / Pagans do not believe that they are set above, or apart from, the rest of nature. They understand divinity to be immanent, woven through every aspect of the living earth. Thus, Pagan worship is mainly concerned with connection to, and the honouring of, immanent divinity. The rituals are a!in to a symbolic language of communication between the human and the divine= one which spea!s not to the intellect alone but also to the body, the emotions, and the depths of the unconscious mind, allowing Pagans to e$perience the sacred as whole people within the act of worship. The approach is primarily mythopoeic, recognising that spiritual truths are better understood by means of allusion and symbol rather than through doctrine.

Subdivisions=
Pagan !aths
Pagan paths

Paganism has absorbed influences from around the world and some Pagans choose to specialise in one of these traditions, or paths as they are often !nown. Some groups ta!e influences from a particular part of the world. The eathen path follows ancient Scandinavian, 'ermanic and 0nglo2Sa$on belief systems. Other traditions are defined by elements of their practice. &or instance, Wiccans use magical techni3ues in worship, Druids emphasise arts and philosophy, and Shamans employ spirit21ourneying for healing. )n recent years teenage Witches have attracted a great deal of attention. This group of youths has shunned the common trend towards secularism and become a Pagan group in their own right. These descriptions are very fle$ible and a Pagan is free to change how they describe themselves. 0 Pagan may also combine a number of these different elements, in fact this is very common. #agic, philosophy, art and healing may all be practised by the same person.

The Goddess movement

'lastonbury is a small town in South West England with a big spiritual tradition. Some people believe that this is where "hristianity in England began, and it%s still a place of "hristian pilgrimage? but it%s become a centre for alternative spiritualities, too.

The 'oddess Temple /

'lastonbury now has a goddess temple, a sacred space set aside for the e$ploration and celebration of the Divine &eminine. The Temple, in the loft of an old house, is painted all in purple and decorated with large wic!erwor! images of various goddesses. The Temple, which opened at )mbolc -, &ebruary. ,++,, is believed to be the first of its !ind to have opened in Europe in fifteen hundred years. 'lastonbury is an appropriate place for a 'oddess Temple, since followers of the movement believe it is connected to many 'oddesses. 0mong them=

the Dady of 0valon -#orgen la &ey., the 8ine #orgens, (rigit or (ridie of the Sacred &lame, #odron 2 'reat #other of the lineage of 0vallach, Our Dady #ary of 'lastonbury, the "rone of 0valon, the Tor 'oddess, Dady of the ollow ills, Dady of the Da!e, Dady of the oly Springs and Wells.

To clarify= Our Dady #ary of 'lastonbury refers to #ary, the mother of Aesus. This can cause confusion since although #ary is regarded as a goddess by some pagans, "hristians do not consider #ary a goddess or part of the 'odhead.

Water and orship

On the day of the (("%s visit the Temple was set up to worship Domnu, an ancient )rish goddess of the deep ocean, celebrated as the mother of water.

0ltar to Domnu with statue of 'liten / )n celebration of Domnu the main altar was decorated in blue and tur3uoise 2 the colours of water, or of s!y reflected in water. On the altar was a statue of a goddess !nown as 'liten, with dolphins on her dress. 0fter a solemn act of calling Domnu and other goddesses into the temple, there was a time for the seventy women -and a few men. ta!ing part to reach out to the goddess in an act of personal prayer.

They did this by writing their wishes on a piece of paper which was made into an origami boat, and set afloat on a large bowl of water. The worshippers blew their boats to the other side of the bowl with a straw, as an act of faith in the goddess and the universe that wishes for the good of all would be granted.

+ne or many
(ritain%s ancient pagan traditions contain many hundreds of goddesses. They are closely bound up with the cycle of nature, with different goddesses being celebrated at different times of year. (ut at heart, all of the goddesses are one, says >athy Aones, a researcher into (ritain%s ancient goddess traditions and a priestess of 0valon, as the mystical, invisible side of 'lastonbury is !nown. ) thin! there is one goddess, and she has ten thousand thousand faces. Kathy ones >athy says that many of today%s goddess images come from five thousand years ago, before patriarchy changed the face of religion. 0nd >athy thin!s the many faces of the goddess are a profound advantage for the worshipper in that= ...we can each of us be attracted to the face that we li!e the loo! of and that we resonate with. Kathy ones

The ,oddess and the &nvironment

There is a close connection between the 'oddess and nature. The 'oddess is said to be present in all creation, in trees and flowers, streams and la!es, the sun and the earth.

0n altar set up to celebrate the Summer E3uino$ / Starhaw!, who calls herself a witch and is one of 0merica%s best2!nown practitioners of goddess spirituality, e$plains the 'oddess in nature li!e this=

&or me the 'oddess is identified with the Earth, not 1ust in the sense of the ground, but the Earth as the planet Earth, as the whole living being that we%re part of, which itself is part of a whole living Jniverse. So in a sense the 'oddess is another way of saying the great creative forces of life in the Jniverse, the great cycles of birth and growth and death and regeneration. 0nd today there%s a whole scientific theory 2 the 'aia theory 2 that says the Earth is a living organism. B(ut scientists are always very careful to say but that doesn%t imply there%s any consciousness. ) say well that%s the advantage of being a witch, you don%t have to worry about being respectable and you can 1ust say %yes the Earth is alive and everything on earth has a consciousness, and everything is interconnected and everything is constantly in communication.% )t%s learning to open our ears to that communication and learning to attune ourselves to that connectedness that brings us into a right and a balanced relationship with all of life... Starhawk This worldview leads many followers of the 'oddess to celebrate her as the giver of nature%s bounty. )t also e$plains why 'oddess worship and environmental campaigning so often go together.

The Crone
'oddess worshippers honour the whole cycle of nature, and with it the whole life cycle of women. (rian "harles, a priest of 0valon, says that in so doing they re1ect the strong element in Western culture which casts aside the old woman. Old women are devalued in the modern world because they are of no use to men, since they are no longer potential lovers or mothers. (ut followers of the 'oddess not only honour the woman as maiden, lover, and mother, but also as the old woman, or crone.

"eal or constructed
Do goddesses have an ob1ective, independent e$istence5 Or is goddess spirituality more about finding one%s place in nature and at the same time empowering women, giving them a more positive self2image5 Patricia #onaghan, one of the founders of the 0merican goddess movement, thin!s it%s a case of %both and% rather than %either or%=

)%ve always had a sense that there is spirituality in nature, that nature is more than simply a supermar!et for us to shop in. 0nd that it has its own power and reality that is different and compellingly different... ) thin! that you can be using 'oddess mythology as a way of strengthening oneself but also being reverent toward the comple$ities that surround us in the natural world. Patricia Monaghan (ut how much is modern 'oddess spirituality about authentic images of the ancient goddesses 2 and how much do today%s worshippers ma!e up as they go along5 Patricia #onaghan thin!s that the relationship between humanity and the divine has always been something fluid=

Decorations on the altar / ) thin! there%s always been in human!ind a creative relation to the divine... ) don%t thin! there%s ever been the one true version of god... So ) thin! that although people say well, this is 1ust a re2creation, ) thin! it has always been a re2creation. We live in the moment and we create toward the divine, and ) don%t thin! there was one point at which goddess religion was right and now we%ve got it wrong, but rather that we%re reinventing the connection to the feminine divine, and sometimes it loo!s silly, and ) suspect that sometimes in the past it loo!ed silly. Patricia Monaghan

A personal vie
So what does the 'oddess mean to her followers5 Sally, a priestess of 0valon, e$plains how the 'oddess changed her life. )%m *7 and ) consciously came to the 'oddess in this lifetime when ) was *+, so really 3uite late. 0nd until then ) was brought up as a "hristian, born and bred in nunneries, schooled in convents all my life, wanted to marry Aesus when ) was 6G, and then met (uddhism. #y husband died in 3uite a big sort of tragedy when ) was young, and ) went into healing and homeopathy and (uddhism and travelled all along that road, but always with a very male concept of god you see...

0nd really this new path for me 7 years ago has been a complete revelation in my life... "omplete healing, complete reversal of a lot of psychological concepts of the empowerment of the female divine within me, you !now... the recalling of a very ancient set of beliefs that used to e$ist inhabit this land a long time ago. So it%s li!e a rebirth inside and out really. Sally, !"alon priestess

'nformation
The 'oddess Temple is located at ,27 igh Street, 'lastonbury, Somerset, (0H <DJ. The temple is now open up to si$ days a wee!, 66=++am2*=++pm for private prayer and meditation.

Introduction
*eathenry
eathenry is a term used to describe the religious practices of two main groups of people, one historical and one modern. The original eathens were the pre2"hristian 8orth European peoples who lived a thousand and more years ago in the lands around what is now called the 8orth Sea. These included the peoples of 0nglo2Sa$on England, Scandinavia, 'ermany and &risia -&riesland..

Scandinavian landscape / #odern eathen groups around the world are reviving these old practices and call their religion by various names including 0satru, The 8orthern Tradition, Odinism, &orn Sed, 'ermanic Pagan 4econstructionism or, simply, eathenry. )n )celand, which did not convert to "hristianity until the 66th "entury, eathenry has once again become an official -nationally recognised. religion. eathens wor! to build healthy relationships with gods and goddesses, ancestors, spirits of the land, and others in their communities, both through holy rites and through their day to day actions.

#ources

There are literary sources that tell us how eathenry was practised before the advent of "hristianity. The main such sources include medieval )celandic Eddas and Sagas, 0nglo2 Sa$on poetry, the wor!s of the :th century English mon! Saint (ede, and the 'ermania by the 4oman historian Tacitus. 0lthough most of these were written in "hristian times, they record the religious beliefs and practices of a culture that e$isted before "hristianity came to 8orthern Europe. 0rchaeological evidence continues to be discovered which supports this picture of eathen religion obtained from such classical and medieval literature. 0longside these historical sources, modern eathens e$perience their own, personal, understanding of their religion as lived today, and their own relationship with their gods.

,ods and other beings

eathenry, li!e all ancient European pagan religions, is polytheistic and recognises a large number of gods and other spiritual entities. 0lthough the eathen gods are best !nown from 8orse #ythology -and often called by 0nglicised versions of their Old 8orse names. they were honoured by many peoples outside of Scandinavia. &or e$ample, the god !nown to early 'ermanic tribes as WodhanaE became Odhinn in Old 8orse, Woden in 0nglo2Sa$on and Old Sa$on, and Wuotan in Old igh 'erman. Some of the most well !nown eathen gods are enshrined in our English days of the wee!. Tuesday is named after Tiw -Tyr., Wednesday after Woden -Odin., Thursday after Thunor -Thor. and &riday after the goddess &rige -&rigg.. )n addition to the better !nown %ma1or gods%, the names of several doEen local or tribal gods are !nown through medieval literature, runic inscriptions, and votive stones. #ost eathens choose to actively honour a subset of gods with whom they have developed personal relationships, although offerings are also often made %to all the gods and goddesses%. eathens relate to their gods as comple$ personalities who each have many different attributes and talents. &or e$ample, whereas Thor is popularly !nown outside eathen circles as the mighty hammer2wielding 'od of Thunder, in Eddic poetry he is called by names such as Deep Thin!er, #an%s Well2Wisher, and "onsecrator Thor, revealing a gentler side to his nature. )n addition to gods, eathens recognise and relate to a wide variety of spiritual beings or %wights%. These include the 8orns 2 who are three female entities who weave the web of wyrd 2 and the Disir 2 who are female ancestral spirits attached to a tribe, family, or individual. eathens also wor! with %hidden fol!% such as elves, brownies, dwarves and etins -giants and other not so pleasant fol!.. They interact with the housewights who live in their homes and the landwights who occupy features of the landscape such as streams, mountains, forests or fields. aving a relationship with landwights is an important feature of eathen religion and outdoor eathen rituals will not proceed until the permission of landwights is sought and obtained. 0nother characteristic of eathen religion is the respect given to ancestors in general. These may be a person%s literal forebears, or may be people now dead who have inspired them in some way.

The Norse gods in history

"arolyne Darrington, Tutor in #edieval English at St Aohn%s "ollege, O$ford? eather O%Donoghue, ;igfusson 4ausing, 4eader in 0ncient )celandic Diterature in the Department of English at O$ford Jniversity and Aohn ines, Professor of 0rchaeology at "ardiff Jniversity discuss the role of theology and the gods in the ;i!ings% daily lives.

#tructure
There are no central authorities in eathenry and no single organisation to which all eathens belong, though there are national and international organisations created to facilitate networ!ing between eathens. There is no widely recognised priesthood, although sometimes individuals may be recognised as godhis and gydh#as -priests and priestesses. within their own communities. #any eathens belong to small groups made up of eathen friends and family members. These groups are sometimes called %hearths% or %!indreds% and meet for religious rituals in members% homes or in outdoor spaces. Some hearths and !indreds have recognised leaders. Others are entirely egalitarian.

Rites# festivals and !ractices

"ites and celebrations
The main rites celebrated in eathenry are called $lot -pronounced %bloat%. and sym$el -pronounced %sumble%.. eathen groups and individuals hold feasts and celebrations based around blot and symbel at rites of passage -such as weddings or baby2namings., seasonal holidays, oath2ta!ings, rites in honour of a particular god or gods, and rites of need -in which gods are as!ed for help.. 0 blot was originally the ritual sacrifice of an animal to one or more gods, elves or ancestors. 0 feast followed afterwards at which the meat was shared amongst the participants. (lots were held to honour the gods or to gain their favour for specific purposes such as peace, victory, or good sailing weather. 0 modern blot centres around the offering of food or drin! -often mead. to the gods and tends to be followed by a feast. )t may be a simple rite or a more elaborate one depending on the purpose of the blot and the number of participants. )n an indoor blot where food is offered, it is common to lay a place for the god, ancestor or elf at the table. )n an outdoor blot offerings are often thrown onto a fire. Symbel is a ritual drin!ing ceremony in which one or more drin!ing horns or other vessels are filled with mead -or another appropriate drin!. and used for toasting or boasting. )t is common for modern eathens to pass the horn-s. around all those participating after li3uid is blessed. The first round of toasts may be to the gods, the second round to wights or ancestors, and the third round may be to whatever else the assembled eathens wish to toast. There may be many more rounds, or the symbel may stop after a designated number. 0 separate libation -drin! offering. may be given to the gods, landwights or housewights, or some of the contents of the horn may be poured out as an offering to them.

0s well as ma1or offerings to the gods or elves, eathens li!e to leave gifts for their domestic hidden fol!= the wights who live in their garden and house. &or this purpose, many eathens !eep a special bowl to leave offerings in the house of ca!es and ale, or may leave food or drin! on or near a small garden altar.

-estivals
Different eathen communities and individuals celebrate different cycles of seasonal holidays based on their cultural affiliations, local traditions, and relationships with particular gods. There is no fi$ed calendar of eathen festival dates. The three eathen festivals most commonly celebrated in the J> are Winter 8ights 2 usually celebrated in October or 8ovember, @ule 2 a twelve day festival that begins around the time of the winter solstice, and a festival for the 0nglo2Sa$on goddess Eostre in the spring.

$agic and seership

4une stones / #agic and seership were practised by some individuals within ancient eathen cultures, and this is also the case with today%s eathen community. Some 8orthern European magical practices being revived by eathens include the carving of runes onto talismans and the chanting of charms called galdor. Some eathens are also rediscovering 8orthern European shamanistic practices !nown as seidh -pronounced %sayth%.. )n a ritual called %oracular seidh% a seer or seeress answers 3uestions or gives advice to participants. #any modern eathens also practice runic divination. 0lthough magic was part of ancient eathen culture, it did not play a part in the religious rituals of blot and symbel. Therefore, it is not seen as an intrinsic part of the religion. 0lthough all eathens share a belief in the ability of the gods to enact change in the world, they do not all believe in the ability of magicians to do so.

thics# %eliefs and other !aths

Wyrd and ethics

One of the central concepts in eathenry is wyrd, the force that connects everything in the universe throughout space and time. eathens believe that all of their actions can have far reaching conse3uences through the web of wyrd. They understand that who they are, where they are, and what they are doing today is dependent on actions they and others have ta!en in the past, and that every choice they ma!e in the present builds upon choices they have previously made. With an understanding of wyrd comes a great responsibility. )f we !now that every action we ta!e -or fail to ta!e. will have implications for our own future choices and for the future choices of others, we have an ethical obligation to thin! carefully about the possible conse3uences of everything we do. Thus one of the principal ethics of eathenry is that of ta!ing responsibility for one%s own actions. 0nother eathen value is fridh -pronounced frith., the maintenance of peace and friendship within a social group. Obligations towards friends, !in and community are ta!en seriously by eathens. Di!e many peoples living far apart in a harsh climate, pre2 "hristian eathens put great stress on hospitality, and this is still valued by modern eathens. 0 related concept is the giving of gifts, though both gift2giving and hospitality are bounded by reciprocity, a principle that eathens consider important. Plain spea!ing, honesty and forthrightness are also important to eathens. This may be seen as part of a value system based upon personal honour, which eschews deceit and dishonesty towards members of the social group. Thus eathens place great value on the giving of their word, and any form of oath2ta!ing is ta!en e$tremely seriously. This often means that eathens will not sign their name to something unless they can assent to it in both letter and spirit.

After death
eathenry is focused on right living in the here and now and does not place as great an emphasis on the afterlife as do some other religions. Whereas ;alhalla 2 Odhin%s hall 2 is popularly seen as the 8orse e3uivalent of heaven, this is a misconception. 0ccording to the mythology as recorded in the Eddas, ;alhalla is only for warriors who die in battle. #oreover, half of these battle2slain warriors go to &rey1a%s hall and half to Odhin%s hall. Those who drown at sea go to the goddess 4an%s hall. People who die of natural causes go to the hall of the goddess el. #ost of today%s eathens see el as a neutral place where they will be reunited with their ancestors. Sources do not enable a complete reconstruction of the pre2"hristian Scandinavian and 0nglo2Sa$on views of the soul. One concept, however, which is still retained in fol! stories, is that of the %etch or %ylgia. The fetch was held to be a part of the person which might be contacted during life, but which would not be physically seen until 1ust before death. The sight of one%s fetch was, indeed, a signal of the ending of one%s life. There are a few passages in the sources which are interpreted by some as indicating an ancient eathen belief in reincarnation, but they are far from compelling. Some modern eathens believe in the continuation of part of a person through reincarnation, while others do not.

*eathenry and other contemporary Pagan spiritualities

eathenry is a living religion based on literary and archaeological sources for the religious practices of a particular pre2"hristian culture and e$tended by the relationships of modern eathens with their gods. )t differs from Wicca and other modern day non2 reconstructionistL Pagan paths in a number of ways. Perhaps the primary difference is that eathens are %hard polytheists%= they honour a large number of individual gods, goddesses and other spiritual beings whom they see as e$isting independently from humans. 0nd in common with many indigenous religions world2wide, they also honour their ancestors. eathens differ from Wiccans and many of the other modern day non2reconstructionist Pagans in many other ways. They re1ect the concept that all goddesses are aspects of %The 'oddess% and that all gods are aspects of her consort. They also re1ect the Aungian concept of 'ods and 'oddesses as archetypes in the unconscious mind. eathen festivals do not follow the %Eight &old Wheel of the @ear% based on solstices and e3uino$es. Their rituals do not involve %casting circles% or %calling 3uarters%. #agic is not an essential or central part of eathenry, and the ma1ority of eathens do not consider themselves %witches%. There are no %degrees of initiation% within eathen religion and no %high priests% or %high priestesses%. Despite these theological differences, many eathens are involved in the wider pagan community for social and political reasons.

Wicca

'erald (rosseau 'ardner / Wicca is a Pagan Witchcraft tradition. Today, the name Wicca is fre3uently applied to the entire system of beliefs and practices that ma!e up the spectrum of contemporary Pagan Witchcraft. owever, although &icca and &itchcra%t are often used interchangeably, it is important to note that there are also Pagan Witchcraft traditions that are not Wiccan. &icca was used originally to distinguish the initiatory tradition of Witchcraft practised as a religion, but 0merican popular television series have adopted the word to include what would once have been called natural magic or white witchcraft. When people in (ritain describe themselves as Wiccan though, they generally mean that they are practising a form of religious Witchcraft. #edia images often show Wiccans as teenage women, but in fact it is practised by males and females of all ages.

+rigins of Wicca

4eligious Witchcraft is not merely a system of magic, but is a Pagan mystery religion worshipping 'oddess and 'od and venerating the Divine in nature. )ts origins lie in pre2 "hristian religious traditions, fol!lore, fol! witchcraft and ritual magic, but most Witches draw their inspiration from the %(oo! of Shadows%, a boo! of rituals and spells compiled by of one of Wicca%s ma1or figures 'erald (rosseau 'ardner -6::726<H7.. 'erald 'ardner claimed to have been initiated in 6<9< into a coven of Witches who met in the 8ew &orest in ampshire and his two most well !nown boo!s &itchcra%t Today -6<*7. and The Meaning o% &itchcra%t -6<*<. produced a huge surge of interest, inspiring a movement that has spread around the world.

,ods
Wicca honours the Divine in the forms of the Triple 'oddess, whose aspects of ;irgin, #other, and Wise Woman or "rone are associated with the wa$ing, full and waning phases of the #oon, and as the orned 'od. The principal names by which the 'od is !nown are "ernunnos or erne, both of which mean % orned One%. The emphasis placed on 'oddess and 'od differs between groups, traditions and localities, but most Wiccans believe that for wholeness the image of the Divine must be both female and male.

#tructure
There are no central authorities in Wicca. Some Witches are solo Witches. Others belong to covens F groups of li!e2minded people who meet together to worship the 'ods and to do magic. Some covens are part of initiatory traditions in which more e$perienced people act as teachers to newcomers. Others are formed by groups of friends who want to meet and learn together. The classic number of people in a coven is thirteen, but many covens are smaller. Some are mi$ed se$ groups? others cater for Witches who prefer single se$ covens.

"ites and celebrations

Wiccan priestess and priest / The ma1or festivals of Wicca are !nown as sa$$ats. These are held eight times throughout the year and mar! changes in the seasons. The festivals are Winter Solstice or @ule on December ,+K,6, the shortest day, Summer Solstice or #idsummer on Aune ,6K,,, the longest day, and the Spring and 0utumn E3uino$es -#arch ,+K,6 and September ,+K,6. when the hours of dar!ness and light are e3ual. The other four festivals are )mbolc, &ebruary 6K,? (eltane or #ay Eve on 0pril 9+K#ay 6? Dughnasadh also !nown by its 0nglo2Sa$on name of Dammas or Doaf #ass, 0ugust 6K,, and

Samhain, also !nown as 0ll allow%s Eve, October 96K8ovember 6. Witches also honour their deities at monthly rites !nown as es$ats, which are held on the full #oon, when the mind is thought to be more magically powerful. Sabbats begin at sunset and end at sunset the ne$t day and most rites are held at night, lit evocatively by candles if indoors or by the moon, bonfires and lanterns if outside. &or indoor rituals, some Witches have rooms set aside as temples in their houses, which they use for rites. Others use their ordinary living space. 4ites ta!e place in a consecrated space, the circle, and even if there is a temple, the circle space is created anew for each rite. The space is first swept with a broomstic! or besom to purify it and then blessed with the four elements F air, fire, water and earth. The circle is then symbolically sealed by drawing a circle around it in the air with a wooden wand or a blac!2handled !nife !nown as an athame. The four directions F east, south, west and north F are then honoured. Within the sacred space, the 'oddess and 'od are invo!ed and magic performed. 4ituals usually end with blessing a chalice of wine and ca!es that are shared among the participants.

$agic and ethics

0 pentagram used for a spell casting / Di!e many Pagan religions, Wicca practices magic. Witches believe that the human mind has the power to effect change in ways that are not yet understood by science. )n their rituals, as well as honouring their deities, Witches also perform spells for healing and to help people with general life problems. #agic is practised according to an ethical code that teaches that magic may only be performed to help people when it does not harm others. Witches believe that the energies that we create influence what happens to us= negative magic rebounds on the perpetuator but magnified. This process is often !nown as %Threefold Daw%. Other important ethical teachings are that people should strive to live in harmony with others and with themselves, and with the planet as a whole. Environmental issues are important to Wiccans.

After death
Wicca teaches reincarnation. 0fter death, the spirit is reborn and will meet again those with whom it had close personal ties in previous lives. The aim of reincarnation is not to escape life on Earth, but to en1oy e$periencing it again and again until everything that can be learned has been absorbed. When the spirit ceases to reincarnate, it remains in a blissful realm !nown as %The Dand of @outh% or the %Summerland%.

Wicca and other contemporary Pagan spiritualities

Wiccan ideas and rites have been ta!en up by the 'oddess spirituality movement. They appeal to both women and men who have re1ected male2dominated religions and who prefer to venerate the Divine in female form as 'oddess. There are many similarities between Wicca and Druidry. (oth emphasiEe the importance of developing close lin!s with 8ature and their rites fre3uently ta!e place out of doors. (oth also stress the importance of guardianship of the Earth and environmentalism. Some distinctions are that Druidry is more purely "eltic than Wicca, there is less emphasis on magic in Druidry, and Druidry more actively encourages the development of music and poetry as paths to spiritual growth. http=KKwww.bbc.co.u!KreligionKreligionsKpaganismK