Individuals and communities

Paganism celebrates individuality, and personal experience is the main authority. It is possible to be a Pagan by oneself, celebrating rituals in private, and not necessarily letting anyone know. However, most people find strength in belonging to a group of like-minded people, even if it is a virtual rather than physical community. Wiccans typically belong to ‘covens’ and Druids to ‘groves’ and enjoy meeting together for rituals and festivals. Increasingly Pagans are forming ‘a community’ in the sense used in contemporary ‘identity politics’, that can interact with other ‘communities’. Organisations such as the Pagan Federation can represent Pagans in the wider world, and campaign if necessary for Pagan rights.

In a sense, the Pagan belongs to a wider than human community, in that an important aspect of Pagan identity is to feel at home in the world, as a part of the living universe, not separate from animals, plants and other life forms, but as part of an interdependent community of all life.

Reconstructionists can be solitary or be members of formal temples structures such as Fellowship of Isis, or Kemetic Orthodox. Eclectic Pagans tend to be largely solitary practitioners.