The religion generically known as Paganism or Neo-Paganism covers a diverse range of beliefs and practices. It’s virtually impossible to make a statement about faith or practice that every Pagan would agree with, and for that reason DVPN makes no attempt to formally define Paganism.

However, although this will not apply to every group, the following is generally true of Pagans:

- Their practice is either influenced by or directly based on ancient religions.

- Their beliefs and practices involve some type of reverence for the Earth.

- They hold all life in high regard, and oppose the ritual sacrifice of living creatures such as animals or birds as well as the harming of other human beings.

- They are not monotheistic. Some groups or individuals may worship a single god or goddess exclusively, but they acknowledge and respect the existence of other god/desses.

- Rather than a single set of holy scriptures, Pagans draw their inspiration from a wide variety of myths, historical writings, and modern philosophies. Many traditions put a strong emphasis on learning from personal, practical experience.

- They believe that magic is real and that it works, whether or not they practice it themselves.

- Celebrations are most often in the form of either group or private ritual that involves communion with and/or offerings to the god/desses.

- Rituals are performed in small groups, usually less than twenty members, or by individuals practicing alone (solitaries). Groups that grow larger than twenty tend to split and operate independently.

- Rituals may be performed either indoors or outdoors. There is no specific requirement as far as the type of space where a ritual might be held. There will often be an altar in the center which holds the tools and symbols needed for the rite.

According to the 2001 American Religious Identification survey, there are 134,000 people in the United States who identify themselves as Wiccan (see below for a description of Wicca and how it relates to Paganism in general). Helen Berger, co-author of Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Wiccans and Neo-Pagans in the United States, puts the number at closer to 250,000.

There are a number of different movements that can fall under the heading of Paganism. Please note that some of these groups do not typically identify themselves as Pagan, but they’re included here because they have the same general range of beliefs and practices.

Wicca. Wicca, which was developed by an Englishman named Gerald Gardner in the 1940s, was the beginning of modern Paganism. It’s also the form of Paganism that the vast majority of Pagans practice today. Most Wiccans (but not all) call themselves witches and identify what they do as witchcraft. Their worship can be strongly eclectic, working with gods and goddesses from a variety of ancient pantheons, or they may choose to focus on a single culture and/or pantheon.

Within Wicca there is a huge variety of practices, but following are some of the more prominent traditions:

British Traditional: These are the groups that follow the original teachings of Gerald Gardner or a Gardnerian initiate, Alexander Sanders. All the ritual groups (known as covens) that follow these traditions trace their lineage back to one of these two men. These covens are initiatory, meaning that members must be ritually brought into the group by an initiate of the tradition, and oathbound, meaning that its teachings and rituals are kept secret from all non-initiates.

Dianic: This tradition grew out of the feminist movement of the 1970s, and still retains a strong feminist flavor. Covens are composed exclusively of women who worship a single goddess. Although this tradition takes its name from the Greek goddess Diana, the goddess in this case is usually seen as a single, overarching Goddess who encompasses all other goddesses.

Feri: Founded by the late Victor Anderson and his wife Cora, Feri Wicca places a strong emphasis on poetic creativity and folk magic. Anderson claimed to have been initiated by a pre-Gardnerian group of witches in Oregon in the 1920s, and he passed his ideas about magic and the occult on to a variety of students, who have created several initiatory traditions around them. Beliefs vary, but they share core concepts about divinity and the nature of the soul.

Reclaiming: The best-known member of this tradition is Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance and many other books on Wicca, who was first initiated into the Feri tradition. One of the defining features of Reclaiming is political activism; Starhawk is regularly involved in political and environmental protests around the world. Covens are nonhierarchical and make decisions through consensus.

Druidism. There are two distinct types of Druidism:

British Druidism traces its roots back to the 1600s and the works of several historians, notably William Stukeley, who based their practice on what they believed to be the religion of the ancient Druids. Their rituals were inspired by the British lodge tradition (a la the Masons), and later by the Golden Dawn (see below). Throughout its history, British Druidism has had strong Christian influences. Although some of the British Druid orders have also been influenced by the Neo-Pagan movement, they retain their Christian roots. They regard their practices as philosophy, not religion, and therefore see no conflict in simultaneously being a Druid and a Christian.

American Druidism grew out of the modern Neo-Pagan movement in the 1960s, and its beliefs and ritual structure were grounded in Wicca. It has gradually grown away from Wicca in an attempt to incorporate more historical Celtic practices, and there is a fair amount of cross-influence between American and British Druid orders. In contrast to British Druidism, American Druids see their practice as a religion and there is little, if any, crossover into Christian worship.

Reconstructionism. Reconstructionists base their practice strictly on what is known about the historical practices of a particular culture. They emphasize scholarship and the use of written records and archaeological evidence to try to “reconstruct” religions from past cultures and create a practice that is as close to the original as possible. There are Reconstructionists for many cultures, but some of the largest are Asatru (Nordic Reconstructionism or Heathenism), Celtic Reconstructionism, Greek (Helenismos) and Roman (Religio Romana) Reconstructionism, Egyptian (Kemetic) Reconstructionism, and Baltic/Slavic Reconstructionism.

Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). One of the “Sources” of Unitarian Universalism (UU) is Earth-centered traditions, which for many UUs means Paganism. Some UUs may identify themselves as Pagan, while others prefer different modes of expression, so the number of Pagans in a UU church will vary from congregation to congregation. The CUUPS organization works within the UU church to promote interfaith dialogue, support Pagan-identified UU religious professionals, and incorporate myth, poetry, and creative ritual into UU worship and celebration.

Ceremonial Magick. Although ceremonial magicians generally don’t regard themselves as Pagan, the ritual structure of groups like the Golden Dawn had a profound influence on both Wicca and Druidism in the 20th century. Ceremonial magick (practitioners often spell it with a “k” to differentiate what they do from stage magic) is an eclectic mix of elements from cultures all over the world. Practitioners may study the Jewish Kabbalah, Buddhist meditation, ancient Egyptian beliefs, or virtually any other spiritual discipline, ancient or modern. The goal is not worship, but to elevate the individual’s consciousness to become one with God.

Ceremonial magicians may practice individually or in groups, and they may or may not belong to a larger organization or follow any published structure in their rituals. However, two of the better-known ceremonial magic groups are:

The Golden Dawn. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded in 1888. Following schisms in the early 20th century, the group had nearly vanished when a trio of its initiates -- Aliester Crowley, Dion Fortune, and Israel Regardie -- published much of its teachings and rituals. Today, most practitioners are solitary and self-initiated.

Thelema. This tradition dates from 1904 when, while vacationing in Egypt, Aleister Crowley believed he was contacted by an ancient Egyptian divinity. Over the course of the next few days, he transcribed the words the entity said, which became The Book of the Law. The group based on these teachings, the Ordo Templi Orientis, uses this book as the foundation for its practice. The core of Thelema is the most famous verse of The Book of the Law: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” For Thelemites, “will” is generally considered to be a person’s inner divine will, as opposed to everyday wishes and desires.

Indigenous Traditions. This term is usually used to refer to living traditions such as Native American, Aboriginal (in Australia), or First Nations (in Canada) spirituality. Pagans often interact with these groups, particularly in the United States, and try to learn from them, occasionally becoming students of the elders of these traditions. However, the practices themselves are seen as traditions belonging to their own culture, and therefore as something distinct from modern Paganism.

African Traditional and Diaspora Traditions. In the same way, the traditions of tribal Africans -- or of diaspora religions such as Vodoun, Santeria, or Candomble -- are seen as distinct from the Pagan movement. However, Pagans will often interact with these communities, sometimes becoming students of their teachers. They may also take elements of Vodoun, Santeria, or Candomble and incorporate them into their own ritual practice.

In addition to the traditions listed above, Pagans may practice one of the following. Sometimes Pagans will incorporate these into an existing tradition (for example, a Wiccan will practice shamanism), or they may simply practice the path with no specific religious affiliation (for example, self-identifying as a Shaman).

Shamanism. The term shamanism is applied to a broad collection of techniques garnered from cultures all over the world. Shamans enter an altered state of mind in order to connect to realities beyond the ordinary world and bring back knowledge, power, or healing for themselves or others. This usually involves contact with spirits, either of the natural world (animals, plants) or human ancestors. Most Shamans use a drum to induce their altered state of mind, although some use hallucinogens.

Witchcraft. Distinct from the practice of Wicca, sometimes Pagans perform spells in order to accomplish specific goals. The most common way to do this is sympathetic magic, using an object that symbolizes their goal and directing energy into it. (A classic example of this is the use of a doll to represent the person you would like the spell to affect.) Others will use elaborate rituals. Experienced practitioners often say that the structure of such spells isn’t as important as the intent and focus behind it. Wiccans teach the Law of Three in relation to magic: any energy sent out, be it positive or negative, will return to the sender three times over.

Eclecticism. This is what it sounds like: the practice of borrowing from a variety of different spiritual traditions to form a single practice. While some Wiccans are highly eclectic, some Pagans take it a step farther, rejecting the ceremonies of any one religion to create a mix of several -- usually including personal experiences or inspiration -- in a spiritual path unique to them. In addition to Paganism, eclectics may draw from Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, indigenous religions, or modern philosophy.

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