Spirited (2 page)

Paganism in the Modern World

Paganism
: the word is widely misunderstood in Western culture today. Once heard, it conjures images of animal sacrifice, orgiastic rites, infanticide, fire, and other hellish imagery. Yet can these perpetual themes be trusted as true representations of the Pagan traditions?

NeoPaganism, meaning “new Paganism,” is an umbrella term defining many faiths, traditions, sects, and religions in the world today. Though not all traditions categorised as Pagan will feel kindly towards the term, the word has evolved and arisen from the historical implications attached
to it during the rise of Christianity in Europe and has become a term of personalised spiritual endearment for hundreds upon thousands of modern-day seekers.

For Pagans today, the word is a symbol of freedom, individuality, ancestral reverence, and ancient lore. It no longer implies a rustic or country-dwelling farmer, nor does it hint at Godless heathens. Paganism is a growing, vibrant, and living group of traditions. It often falls short of the acceptance extended to other world religions; however, much has happened recently in the way of educating the public on our practices and beliefs.

Historians and scholars often scrutinise the NeoPagan faiths (especially modern Wicca and Witchcraft) as loose traditions with no link to the past and no relevance to the present. Countless articles and essays written on the subject highlight the opinions that Witchcraft as it is today is a sham, a poor attempt at revival, though a common underlying theme for these arguments is the definition of Witchcraft given by modern Witches themselves and its implied synonymity with Wicca. Despite the cultural importance of things such as linearity and authenticity in Western society, NeoPaganism is a revolutionary spiritual philosophy that seeks to create, adapt, and develop by the law of change—
“Panta rhei, ouden menei”
3
—
Everything flows, nothing is static
.

Wicca is by no means synonymous with the practice of Witchcraft as it is and as it was; it is a Pagan religious tradition. The longer people persist with this idea, the more scrutiny Wicca and Witchcraft will be subjected to. Wicca in its traditional form is a religion built on what is known of Celtic-Pagan lore, Egyptian and Qabalistic systems, Eastern spiritual ethics, and the ceremonial and hermetic rituals of the late nineteenth- and twentieth-century occult fraternities. Witchcraft belongs to no particular culture or religion, neither in a historical nor modern perspective. Witchcraft is essentially the practice of sorcery and magick.
4
Often this can fall into religious and cultural contexts, but at its base level it is working with the natural energies of life and of the self to achieve certain goals and desires whilst maintaining a strong relationship with the cosmos.

Many Wiccans of various traditions have made the unfortunate mistake of claiming that the form of Wicca practiced today is an exact revival (or “survival”) of pre-Christian British Paganism. Though aspects of Wicca reflect the philosophies and concepts experienced in Celtic spirituality, Wicca is not a complete revival of the ancient British traditions, as it draws on a number of cultural and spiritual wellsprings simultaneously, as discussed above.

Witchcraft is a universal concept that surpasses all cultural boundaries and limitations. It is the shamanic journey experienced by the Inuit medicine man. It is the spiritual healing of the Balinese
balian
.
5
It is the craft and life path of the modern Pagan Witch. Witchcraft is not a static, unchanging, rigid tradition; it is forever growing, evolving, and moulding to suit the practitioners of today. Witchcraft is as valid as it ever was, and obviously it has made a lasting impression.

Paganism is a rapidly growing spirituality in the Western world. The United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Australia have all experienced a swelling growth of Pagan adherents among their populations. More and more people are reclaiming their right of individuality and seeking a spiritual identity that will allow for the nurturing and fostering of the Self as a progressive being of power. The environmental damage inflicted upon this earth has stirred many people's minds and has encouraged more eco-friendly attitudes. The sometimes rigid, hierarchical, and controlling aspects of the orthodox faiths (i.e., Christianity and Islam) have led many seekers to the ancient traditions of both the East and the West. The discrimination against indigenous peoples and women has exposed the flaws and injustices of our societies and has caused many people to reconsider their attitudes towards conservative policies.

In such a time of change, unrest, and revolution, many of us have returned to Nature in order to experience the wisdom, beauty, and honesty that is so raw and explicit in the natural world. Pagans honour and value the seasonal shifts, the lunar phases, and the transformations from seed to tree as pure acts of Life. These processes and rhythms have remained unchanged since the dawn of existence. Our reverence for these cycles and for the earth that supports them is ancient in and of itself. Every moment we breathe, we are breathing the air of the ancients. As we look towards the full moon in all her glory, we feel the same awe as people did millennia ago. As our bodies change and grow from child to adult, we experience the same fears, anxieties, and hopes as those who have gone before us. And as we understand that time is not the linear construct we have been pressured to live by, our spirits marvel as the earth continues her movements, passages, and cycles in intricate grace.

Paganism in the world today is not built on the relevance and consistence of belief but rather on the depth and humanity of our growth and life on earth. Though our civilisations have changed, our communications have improved, and our day-to-day survival is easier, we are still human and still spiritual beings with the need to express ourselves emotionally and creatively.

Paganism is not a spirituality founded on the preaching of commandments. It is the spiritual living and understanding of the natural, essential, and raw energies within this world. As Pagans today, we have a responsibility towards the earth, our mother and teacher. We have a charge to defend justice and equality. We are inspired to bring the ancient lore into a modern world.

Modern Pagans have come to understand that though our experiences on this earth vary incredibly from those of the ancients, our vision and inner energy remains a common blueprint coursing along an unhindered cycle. As globalisation, political greed, war, and famine slowly destroy the earth, who has so willingly provided for us, our positive relationship with the natural world has never been more urgent. As we push our trolleys along the orderly rows of mass-produced, genetically engineered foods and products, we are subjected almost unwillingly to the undeniable and harsh truths of today's industry.

The way of our ancestors—the hunters and gatherers, the nomads and herders—are now faint memories held within dog-eared textbooks. As our societies have changed and we have become more and more accustomed to the luxuries so plain in our lives, it may seem more than a little impossible to resurrect the archaic tribal traditions of the past. But this is not necessarily the aim of the modern Pagan.

Each of us is born into this world with the gift of free will and the seed of Magick sewn into the very fabric of our being. The potential and ability to effect change, to stimulate growth, and to create art is innate within each of us. These gifts are the cornerstones of Magick—the threads of a divine tapestry. As Pagans, our ultimate goal is to strive for balance and wholeness. To achieve these things, we cannot simply believe that all in existence is inherently “good” and “right”—we must also honour the dark in life.

As Pagans, we reject the dualistic view of the world; therefore, the belief in absolute sources of power for “good” and “evil” are alien to us. The black-and-white philosophy is far too simplistic for the intricacies and complexities of life. To give specific colour to something that is by nature a rainbow is to diminish the opportunity to experience all that life has to show us.

To Pagans, life is eternal. It is an ongoing cycle tied to the passages of birth and death. We are urged to speculate and to question the mysteries of this universe so that in turn we may learn, grow, and evolve. Life is a journey—an active path of choice and challenge. To live passively and to hand over the reins of power to Fate is to turn your back on all that the future has to offer you.

Life is a two-part system. It is an empty vessel with the strength and construct to deliver you across the wide and never-ending ocean. Without you to steer, to direct, and to intend the course of the vessel, life will be an inevitably unchanging, repetitive, and meaningless existence. As Pagans, we need to acknowledge and harness the inner power we all have. We need to assure ourselves of our ability to change, to make life, and to destroy what no longer serves us. We are beings that are fuelled by primal emotion and passion. Our lives are blank canvasses, and our intent is the brush. Seize your potential, give it life, and bring it into the world. For a Pagan in the twenty-first century, there is much to know and much to do …

Youth and Paganism

We do not inherit the earth from our parents,
We borrow it from our children.

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The word
Paganism
has already been discussed above, but what of its relation to youth? Is there a place for the young in the Paganism of today?

Paganism has never been more accessible to the young people of the modern world. Amidst passing trends and superficial phases, there is something real stirring in the youth of today. More and more of us are beginning to realise that
we
are the future—that our opinions will help shape the world of tomorrow. It is our legacy that we are born with the free will to do so.

Look around you now. What do you see? Are you in your room, your living room, by your computer, or maybe even outside? Now try to get out of your own head. Strip yourself of your preconceived notions. From an outsider's view, can you tell what is important to you simply by noting where you are or what surrounds you? How do you know what is important to you? Now return your attention back to this book. What are you reading? A book on the Paganism of the youth, right? A book written by a youth not unlike yourself who just so happens to live a life that respects the individual and the wider concepts of Nature and the Universe. Now can you guess—by reading what is written before you—what makes me tick? It is this similarity between you and me that I believe can make a difference. It is my sense of spirituality and my coincidental age that just so happened to bring us together. It is this very connection between us now that is both sacred and beautiful.

I am a Pagan youth. I do not deny that soon I shall enter the ranks of adulthood, at least numerically, and be expected to take full charge of my own destiny. However, I started a tad ahead of my time. Writing this book is, in fact, a piece of the destiny that awaits me in the future—a step further to what lies ahead. I believe that you too have the power and potential to discover your own destiny and to consciously walk your path. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” What he meant by that is that we cannot simply stand aside in the face of adversity. We do not have to submit to the harsh realities of this day. If you see something wrong with the world, do not complain about it: change it! You might argue that no one will listen to you because you are young, and that is just one of the many injustices that we have the chance to object to. Change must start within. In order to truly affect the world around us, we must first begin with ourselves. Understanding that we are the catalysts for change itself is one of the most essential lessons.

“Pagan” is not a label that we wear but a name we give to our very essence. Calling oneself Pagan does not narrow your experiences, it breaks down the outworn barriers that keep your emotions pent up inside. It helps to confront the inner anxieties and fears we all have and releases frustration and anger. Paganism is a spirituality based on respect, action, and energy.

The active principle of the Pagan traditions is one of the key attributes that separates us from most organised religions. Pagans are encouraged to experience, to learn, to evolve, and to speculate within our own belief system in order to stimulate a personal rapport with the divine. Our faith is not built on clergy and priests who deliver sermons and preach the word of a transcendent God; Paganism is connected to the raw, essential, and intuitive faculties of humanity. It is not blind or submissive faith; our faith is instinctual and evolving. Pagan faith does not lie in false hope or submission to a higher power but in community and in Nature. Paganism is forever changing and adapting to suit the practitioners of today.