Paganism is an umbrella term for a range of traditions, often rooted in ancient European sources. They are related to the landscape and climate of their origin and have been reconstructed or […]

The main source of authority in Paganism is experience, personal and shared. The ultimate authority is yourself and your own experience of life, rather than a deity that demands obedience, a definitive […]

If Paganism is seen as the ancient human response to the sacredness of nature then it is as old as humanity and no founder can be identified. However, contemporary Paganism, or at […]

There is no holy book that sets out how to live, and there are many different ways of living a Pagan life, which is seen as the choice of the individual. Nevertheless, […]

Ritual or ceremony is an important part of Pagan practice, and varies depending on the particular tradition of Paganism followed. Some forms of Paganism have rituals that are only shared with those […]

It seems to be a common human desire to use ritual to mark important stages in life, and life-cycle rites tend to be found in most religions. Pagan rituals may include those […]

One thing that unites many contemporary Pagans (excepting reconstructionist traditions) is celebrating the Wheel of the Year, eight festivals that mark the changing seasons. Although some of the individual festivals are ancient […]

As stated above, Paganism is not a revealed religion ‘of the book’ and there are no sacred scriptures as such. Perhaps the natural world could be said to be the sacred text. […]

Pagans make great use of stories and myths, particularly from sources such as the Welsh Mabinogion, or classical Rome and Greece, but also from the heritage of the whole world. A myth in […]

With both ritual and myth being so important in Paganism, symbolic artefacts, actions and persons also feature largely. A symbol in a religious context is something that stands for or points to […]

Creativity is very important to Pagans, as a general approach to life as well as ritual and story. Many Pagans are poets, artists and musicians and use these skills in Pagan ceremonies. […]

Contemporary Pagans, unlike ancient pagans, tend not to have temples or dedicated places of worship, but conduct rituals wherever seems appropriate. This could be in a favourite woodland or (for individuals) your […]

The concept of pilgrimage as such is not really developed in Paganism, though Pagans may well visit places associated with Pagan practice such as Stonehenge, Avebury, or Glastonbury, especially at festival times. […]

Identifying as Pagan is an important step for many Pagans. It is not long since this would be a brave thing to do, and some Pagans may still be concerned about the […]

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 […]

As Paganism in the form described here is a relatively new religion, most adult Pagans were not born into Pagan families, but ‘found’ Paganism at some stage in their lives. However, as […]

As stated earlier, ‘Paganism’ is an umbrella term covering many different groups as well as non-aligned individuals. Major traditions include Wicca, Druidry, Heathens, Shamans and Goddess devotees. Wicca refers primarily to the initiatory […]

Pagan relations with other religions and beliefs are complicated in that there is a general positive attitude to plurality and diversity but some tensions with both Abrahamic faiths and Scientific Humanism in […]

Pagans prioritise the experiential dimension of religion, and individual experience as a source of authority. Belief in the sacredness of nature often springs from numinous or mystical experiences which have happened to […]

‘Ultimate questions’ tend to be asked from within a Christian versus ‘Western’ atheist framework – is there a God, is there an afterlife, where did the universe come from, why is there […]

Pagan views of science are quite complicated, in that scientists (or rather ‘sciencists’, those who see scientific empirical evidence as the only truth) are criticised by many Pagans for having a limited […]

Pagan ethics tend to the libertarian. There are no commandments revealed by a deity or list of precepts recommended by an enlightened teacher. Decisions are very much up to the individual and […]

As Paganism is largely rooted in the idea of the sacredness of nature, environmental issues are a crucial part of much Pagan ethics. Pagans may be involved in forms of direct action […]

Pagans generally support human rights as understood in such documents as the United Nations Declaration, but limited by our responsibilities towards other people, other-than-human beings, and the planet as the whole. Commitment […]

As well as environmental concerns and human and animal rights, issues important to Pagans include war and peace, gender equality and sexuality. Many Pagans campaign against war and nuclear weapons, and were […]

The Pagan Federation www.paganfed.org The British Druid Order http://www.druidry.co.uk/ The Druid Network https://druidnetwork.org/ The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids http://www.druidry.org/ PaganAid https://www.paganaid.org/ Children of Artemis http://witchcraft.org/ Pagan and Heathen symposium http://pagansymposium.org/ […]

Billington, P., 2011. The path of Druidry : walking the ancient green way. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn. Carr-Gomm, P., 1993. The Druid Way Shaftesbury: Element. — (ed.), 1996. The Druid Renaissance. London: HarperCollins. […]