Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is any of a heterogeneous group of new religious movements, particularly those influenced by ancient, primarily pre-Christian and sometimes pre-Judaic religions. Often these are Indo-European in origin. However, there is a growing component inspired by other religions indigenous to Europe, such as Finno-Ugric. Neopagans are also looking to other parts of the world for models for pagan-type religions. As the name implies, these religions are Pagan in nature, though their exact relationship to older forms of Paganism is the source of much contention.
In the United States, Wicca is the largest Neopagan belief, being an extremely diverse and inclusive religion. Many Wiccans include a reverence for nature, an active ecology, veneration of a Goddess and/or Horned God, usage of ancient mythologies, a belief in magick and sometimes the belief in reincarnation. Neopaganism is decidedly a modern phenomenon with its roots in early 19th century Romanticism. Polytheistic or animistic traditions that survived into modern times relatively untouched by Christianity and Islam, like Shinto or Confucianism are usually not considered pagan or neopagan. In some instances, notably in Icelandic Asatru, the revivalist movements incorporate surviving strains of pre-Christianization folklore.
History
During Christianization, Christianity absorbed some pagan elements, but it was not until the High Middle Ages that scholarly interest in the cultures and religions of Classical Antiquity began to thrive. Thomas Aquinas attempted to fuse concepts of Graeco-Roman philosophy and cosmology with Christianity. With the Renaissance, Graeco-Roman mythology became populhar in Europe, but it was still wrapped in a Christian interpretation. Neopaganism proper begins only with 18th century Romanticism, and the surge of interest in Germanic paganism with the Viking revival in the British Isles and Scandinavia. Neo-Druidism was established in the United Kingdom by Iolo Morganwg from 1792, and is considered by some to be the first Neopagan revival.
These trends of pagan revival reached Germany in the late 19th century. The Vlkisch movement, was to become one of the main roots of 20th century Neopaganism. The late 19th century also saw a renewal of interest in various forms of Western occultism, particularly in England. During this period several occult societies were formed . Several prominent writers and artists were involved in these organizations, including William Butler Yeats, Maud Gonne, Arthur Edward Waite, and Aleister Crowley. These groups attempted to absorb the "exotic" pre-Christian beliefs of the Druids and Egyptians into their belief system, although not necessarily for purely religious purposes. Along with these early occult organizations, there were other social phenomena such as the interest in mediumship, and an interest in magic and other supernatural beliefs which were at an all time high in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Some evidence suggests that returning colonials and missionaries brought ideas from native traditions home to the United Kingdom. In particular the anthropologist Sir James George Frazer's The Golden Bough (1900) was influential.
The 1960s and 1970s saw a resurgence in Neo-druidism as well as the rise of Germanic Neopaganism and satr in the USA and in Iceland.
Historical sources
Many Neopagans and Neopagan traditions attempt to incorporate historical religions and mythologies into their beliefs and practices, often emphasizing the antiquity of their sources. Thus, Wicca in particular is sometimes referred to by its proponents as the "Old Religion", a term popularized by Margaret Murray in the 1920s, while Germanic Neopaganism is referred to as "the Old Way". Such emphasis on the antiquity of religious tradition is not exclusive to Neopaganism, and is found in many other religions. Antiquity suggests authenticity and authority to many believers, be they Christian, Jewish, or any faith.
However, while Neopagans draw from old religious traditions, they also adapt them. The mythologies of the ancient civilizations are not generally considered to be literally factual by Neopagans, in the sense that the Bible and other Abrahamic texts are commonly understood. Many Neopagans are resistant to the concept of scripture.
The mythological sources of Neopaganism are varied, including Celtic, Norse, Greek, Roman, Sumerian, Egyptian and others. Some groups focus solely on one tradition, while others draw from several. Some Neopagans also draw inspiration from modern traditions, including Christianity, Buddhism and others. Since many Neopagan beliefs do not require exclusivity, some Neopagans practice other faiths in parallel.
Ecological and mystical currents
Neopaganism generally emphasizes the sanctity of Earth and Nature. Some Neopagans are influenced by Animist traditions of the indigenous Native Americans and Africans. Neopagans often feel a duty to protect the Earth through activism, and support causes such as rainforest protection, Organic farming, permaculture, animal rights, etc.
Concepts of the divine
Most Neopagan traditions are polytheistic, but the interpretation of the concept of deity varies widely, including monist, pantheist, dualist, deist, animist, psychological and mystical variations and interpretations.
Hutton states that the historical Pagans did not see "All Goddesses as one Goddess; all Gods as one God", but some modern Neopagans believe that there is but a single divinity or life force of the universe, which is immanent in the world. The various manifestations and archetypes of this divinity are not viewed as wholly separate, but as different aspects of the divine which are ineffable.
In Wicca, (especially Dianic Wicca) the concept of an Earth or Mother Goddess similar to the Greek Gaia is emphasized. Male counterparts are also evoked, such as the Green Man and the Horned God (who is loosely based on the Celtic Cernunnos.) These duo-theistic philosophies tend to emphasise the God and Goddess' (or Lord and Lady's) genders as being analogous of a concept similar to that of the oriental yin and yang; ie, two complementary opposites. However, while many Oriental philosophies explicitly contrast weakness with femininity and strength with masculinity, this discrepancy is not present in Neopaganism and Wicca (for the most part). A common concept in Neopaganism is that "a religion without a Goddess is half way to atheism", can partially explain the commonly prevailing attitude which sometimes manifests as the veneration of women (although the concept of binary gender roles are rejected by other Neopagans.)
Traditions
A sect within Neopaganism is sometimes referred to as a "tradition," although this term is more properly used to define a sect within a particular Neopagan religion, such as Dianic, Alexandrian or Gardnerian Wicca, or the different subsets of cultural religions, such as Hellenismos or Religio Romana, Odinic Rite or satr, Senistrognata or Pganachd. There are many traditions within the larger world of Neopaganism, most of which are identified according to the pantheon they worship, or named after the founder of the tradition.
The main distinction between the branches is between reconstructionism, the attempt to base a modern approach to paganism on a particular historical culture, and syncretic or eclectic approaches that may adopt various historical influences, but synthesize them into a personalized religion.
Shamanism
Numerous Shamanism groups flourish in North America that claim to be based on Native American spirituality. Similar groups can be found in other countries such as England, Norway and Germany. The English word shaman comes from the Evenk language, but is often mixed with Native American religious concepts. Many such groups sell lessons or "ceremonies" that are not traditional teachings, and that present an inaccurate view of Native American cultures. For this reason, they have generated ill will from many Native American elders. This ill will sometimes bleeds over into negative attitudes about NeoPaganism as a whole.
Wicca
Wicca is a Neopagan religion found in many different countries, though most commonly in English-speaking areas. Wicca was first publicised in 1954 by a Gerald Gardner. He claimed that the religion was a modern survival of an old witch cult, originating in the pre-Christian Paganism of Europe and existing in secret for centuries. Various Wiccan traditions have since evolved, or been adapted from, the form established by Gardner, which came to be called Gardnerian Wicca. These other traditions of Wicca each have specific beliefs, rituals, and practices. There is also a growing movement of Eclectic or Solitary Wiccans who adhere to the religion but do not believe a traditional initiation is necessary.
The main branches of British Traditional Wicca are Gardnerian Wicca, adhering strictly to principles as laid down by Gardner, and Alexandrian Wicca. However, there have been many branches created, summaried as Eclectic Wicca, e.g. Faery Wicca, Kemetic Wicca, Shakti Wicca, Judeo-Paganism or "jewitchery" etc. Dianic Wicca, or "Feminist Wicca", emphasizes the divine feminine, often creating women-only or lesbian-only groups.
