Hermes Astrology
Paganism for
Beginners
In recent decades, a remarkable spiritual movement has grown
quietly across the Western world. Drawing inspiration from the
pre-Christian religions of Europe, from nature mysticism, and from
a deep desire to reconnect with the sacred earth, millions of
people have embraced a path with ancient roots but contemporary
expression. This path is Paganism.
The term itself carries a complex history. For centuries, "pagan"
was a label applied by outsiders, a pejorative term used by
Christians to designate those who followed the old ways . Derived
from the Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller" or "rustic," it
reflected the observation that Christianity had spread more quickly
through cities, leaving rural populations clinging to their ancestral
traditions . Only in the twentieth century did the term begin to be
reclaimed as a positive self-designation by those seeking to revive
and reimagine these ancient spiritual paths .
Today, Paganism encompasses a diverse family of religious
movements united by certain family resemblances: reverence for
nature, recognition of multiple divine forms, and an emphasis on
direct personal experience over dogma and doctrine . It is
simultaneously one of humanity's oldest spiritual orientations and
one of its newest religious movements.
This introduction aims to provide a comprehensive and accessible
guide to Paganism for the beginner. We will explore its historical
roots, its core beliefs and practices, its major traditions, and its
place in the contemporary spiritual landscape.
1. What Is Paganism? Definitions and Challenges
1.1 The Difficulty of Definition
Defining Paganism is surprisingly challenging. As the Religion
Media Centre notes, "Summarising Paganism is highly challenging
as there is enormous variety across this disparate group of
religious movements. Many Pagans consider themselves to not
even be religious, others combine their Paganism with other faiths,
and there is no consensus around particular beliefs, sacred texts
or practices" . Some scholars prefer to speak of "Paganisms"
rather than a single unified tradition.
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The Pagan Federation, a major umbrella organization, offers a
working definition: a Pagan is "a follower of a polytheistic or
pantheistic nature-worshipping religion" . This definition captures
three elements widely shared across Pagan traditions: reverence
for nature, recognition of multiple divine forms, and a religious or
spiritual orientation. Yet even this broad definition has exceptions.
1.2 Paganism as a Reclaimed Identity
It is crucial to understand that "pagan" was not originally a
self-designation. As the Encyclopedia Britannica explains,
"Throughout most of the history of Christianity, few if any of those
labeled pagan have adopted this label for themselves" . Christians
in the Roman Empire used the term to create a clear binary
division between themselves and those they believed were
worshiping false gods.
This began to change during the Renaissance, when humanists
developed a new appreciation for classical Greek and Roman
culture, and continued through the Romantic movement of the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which celebrated
pre-Christian mythologies and folklore . By the twentieth century,
"Paganism" (often capitalized) had been reclaimed as a positive
self-description by those building new religious movements
inspired by these ancient traditions.
1.3 The Threefold Classification
Some scholars and practitioners distinguish three categories of
Paganism :
Historical Polytheism refers to the actual pre-Christian religions
of Europe, the Mediterranean, and elsewhere—Celtic polytheism,
Norse paganism, Greek and Roman religion, and similar traditions.
These are the ancient religions that Christianity supplanted.
Folk or Indigenous Religions refers to the traditional religions of
various ethnic groups around the world that have maintained
continuity with their pre-colonial past, such as Chinese folk
religion, African traditional religions, and Native American
spiritualities.
Neopaganism or Modern Paganism refers to contemporary
religious movements that draw inspiration from these older
traditions but are new creations of the twentieth and twenty-first
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centuries. This category includes Wicca, Druidry, Heathenry, and
many eclectic paths.
This introduction focuses primarily on the third category, Modern
Paganism, while acknowledging its deep roots in the first two.
2. Historical Roots: From Ancient Religions to Modern Revival
2.1 The Pagan World of Antiquity
Before the rise of Christianity, the religious landscape of Europe
and the Mediterranean was overwhelmingly polytheistic. From the
Greek worship of Zeus and Athena to the Roman veneration of
Jupiter and Venus, from the Celtic reverence for spirits of place to
the Norse devotion to Odin and Thor, countless gods and
goddesses were honored through rituals, sacrifices, and festivals .
These religions were typically integrated into every aspect of
life—civic, domestic, agricultural, and personal.
The pagan world was characterized by religious diversity and
tolerance. Different cities had their patron deities, different regions
their local spirits, and different households their ancestral
guardians. There was no concept of orthodoxy—of correct belief
enforced by authority. What mattered was correct practice, the
proper performance of rituals that maintained right relationship with
the divine .
2.2 Christianization and Suppression
The rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire fundamentally
transformed this landscape. As the new religion gained imperial
favor and eventually became the state religion, pagan temples
were closed, sacrifices prohibited, and traditional practices
suppressed . The process was gradual and uneven, but by the
early Middle Ages, Christianity had become the dominant religion
throughout most of Europe.
This did not mean the complete eradication of pagan traditions.
Many practices survived, transformed and absorbed into Christian
folk culture—the timing of festivals, the veneration of saints who
took on attributes of earlier deities, the use of charms and herbal
magic. What survived as organized religion, however, was almost
exclusively Christian.
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2.3 Renaissance and Romantic Revivals
Interest in the pagan past never entirely disappeared. The
Renaissance humanists of fourteenth-century Italy were in awe of
classical Greek and Roman civilization and incorporated pagan
deities into their art and literature . Eighteenth and
nineteenth-century Romanticism brought renewed appreciation for
Northern European mythologies—Celtic, Norse, and Germanic.
Poets and artists drew inspiration from these ancient sources, and
scholars began collecting and publishing the surviving myths and
folklore.
By the end of the nineteenth century, some writers were even
adopting the term "pagan" to describe themselves and their work,
or were being labeled "neo-pagans" by their critics . The ground
was being prepared for the emergence of organized Pagan
religions.
2.4 The Emergence of Modern Paganism
The first half of the twentieth century saw the gradual formation of
new religious movements inspired by these ancient traditions. In
England, Gerald Gardner claimed to have discovered a surviving
coven of witches and began publicizing their teachings in the
1950s, founding what became Gardnerian Wicca . Around the
same time, Ross Nichols and others were developing modern
Druidry, drawing on eighteenth-century revivals and ancient Celtic
sources .
These movements spread slowly at first, then rapidly from the
1960s onward, carried by the countercultural currents of the era.
By the twenty-first century, Paganism had become one of the
fastest-growing religious movements in Western countries, with
hundreds of thousands of adherents .
3. Core Beliefs and Principles
Paganism is not dogmatic. There is no central authority, no single
sacred text, no required creed. As the Pagan Federation
emphasizes, "Pagans pursue their own vision of the Divine as a
direct and personal experience" . Nevertheless, certain themes
and principles are widely shared.
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3.1 Reverence for Nature
The most fundamental characteristic of Paganism is reverence for
the natural world. Pagans see nature not as fallen or profane but
as sacred—the primary revelation of the divine. As the Pagan
Federation explains, "The spirit of place is recognised in Pagan
religion, whether as a personified natural feature such as a
mountain, lake or spring, or as a fully articulated guardian divinity" .
This reverence manifests in many ways: celebration of seasonal
festivals that mark the turning of the Wheel of the Year; concern for
ecology and environmental protection; use of natural materials in
ritual; and a sense of kinship with plants, animals, and the earth
itself .
For many Pagans, nature is not merely a symbol of the divine but
is itself divine. This perspective, sometimes called pantheism, sees
God or Goddess in all things. Others maintain a distinction
between nature and the divine while still honoring nature as
sacred.
3.2 Polytheism and Diversity of Divinity
Paganism is characteristically polytheistic, honoring many gods
and goddesses. This polytheism takes various forms :
Hard polytheists believe in the real and separate existence of
multiple deities. The gods and goddesses are distinct individuals
with their own personalities, histories, and spheres of influence.
Worshippers can enter into reciprocal relationships with them,
much as with human persons.
Soft polytheists use the language of gods and goddesses but
understand them symbolically—as personifications of natural
forces, as archetypes of the human psyche, or as culturally
specific expressions of a deeper, unitary divine reality.
Duotheists, common in Wiccan traditions, believe in a God and a
Goddess, of whom all other deities are aspects or manifestations.
These two principles represent the masculine and feminine faces
of divinity, whose harmonious interaction sustains the universe.
Henotheists worship one particular deity as supreme while
acknowledging the existence of others. This was common in
antiquity and remains present in modern Paganism.
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Some Pagans are also animists, seeing spirit or consciousness in
all things—animals, plants, stones, places—without necessarily
personifying them as gods.
3.3 The Goddess and the Feminine Divine
A distinctive feature of modern Paganism is its emphasis on the
feminine face of divinity. As the Pagan Federation states, "Pagan
religions all recognise the feminine face of divinity. A religion
without goddesses can hardly be classified as Pagan" .
This emphasis has deep roots. Ancient religions were rich in
goddesses—Athena, Aphrodite, Demeter, Isis, Brigid, Freyja, and
countless others. Modern Paganism has recovered and honored
these figures, and in many traditions the Goddess is central.
For some Pagans, especially those influenced by feminist
spirituality, the Goddess represents a necessary balance to
millennia of exclusively masculine imagery of the divine. She
appears in threefold form as Maiden, Mother, and Crone, reflecting
the cycles of women's lives and the cycles of nature. Some
traditions, such as Dianic Wicca, focus on the Goddess to the
exclusion of the God .
3.4 Personal Experience and Religious Authority
Paganism values direct personal experience over external
authority. There is no equivalent of the Bible or the Quran, no Pope
or Dalai Lama. What matters is what you yourself have
encountered, felt, and known .
This emphasis on experience makes Paganism inherently
pluralistic. Different individuals may have different experiences of
the divine, may be drawn to different deities, may practice in
different ways. This diversity is not seen as a problem to be
overcome but as a reflection of the richness of reality.
It also makes Paganism compatible with a wide range of
worldviews. Some Pagans are religious in a traditional sense,
believing in gods and an afterlife. Others are atheists who
understand the gods as psychological archetypes and magic as
focused intention. Some are animists, some pantheists, some
polytheists. All find a home within the broad Pagan tent.
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3.5 Magic and Divination
Most Pagans accept magic as a natural part of life—the deliberate
production of results in this world through non-ordinary means .
This is not seen as supernatural in the sense of violating natural
law but as working with subtle energies and correspondences that
science has not yet fully mapped.
Divination is also widely practiced: reading signs in nature, casting
runes or stones, consulting tarot cards, seeking visions through
trance. These practices are understood as ways of communicating
with the divine world, seeking guidance, and aligning oneself with
larger patterns .
Magic and divination are typically governed by ethical
considerations. Most Pagans hold that magic should not be used
to harm others or to manipulate them against their will. The Wiccan
Rede, "An it harm none, do what ye will," expresses this principle,
though it is not universal across all Pagan traditions.
3.6 Ancestors and Household Spirits
Many Pagan traditions include veneration of ancestors and
household spirits. As the Pagan Federation explains, "The many
divinities of Pagan religion often include ancestral deities... Local
and national heroes and heroines may be deified... and in all
Pagan societies the deities of the household are venerated" .
A household shrine may honor revered ancestors, local spirits of
place, and the spirit of the hearth itself. Regular offerings of food
and drink maintain relationship with these beings, creating
continuity between past and future, between the human
community and the more-than-human world.
4. The Wheel of the Year: Pagan Festivals
Most Pagans celebrate a cycle of eight seasonal festivals, often
called the Wheel of the Year . These festivals mark the turning of
the seasons and honor the cycles of birth, growth, death, and
rebirth in nature. While the names and specific observances vary
among traditions, the basic structure is widely shared.
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4.1 The Solar Festivals
Four festivals are tied to the solstices and equinoxes:
Yule, the winter solstice around December 21, celebrates the
rebirth of the sun. The longest night gives way to returning light.
Evergreen boughs, Yule logs, and candles honor the promise of
spring sleeping beneath winter's snow.
Ostara, the spring equinox around March 21, celebrates balance
and new beginning. Day and night are equal; spring has fully
arrived. Eggs and hares, symbols of fertility, are traditional.
Litha, the summer solstice around June 21, celebrates the sun at
its peak. The God is at the height of his power; the Goddess is full
and fertile. Bonfires, flowers, and celebration mark the longest day.
Mabon, the autumn equinox around September 21, is the second
harvest festival. Day and night are again equal; the earth prepares
for winter. Thanksgiving and reflection on abundance are central.
4.2 The Cross-Quarter Festivals
Four additional festivals fall between the solstices and equinoxes,
traditionally associated with Celtic and agricultural traditions:
Imbolc, around February 1, marks the first stirrings of spring. The
Goddess is honored in her maiden aspect; the first signs of new
life are celebrated. Lights and fires welcome the returning warmth.
Beltane, around May 1, is a festival of fertility, fire, and passion.
The God and Goddess in their prime unite; the earth is alive with
creative energy. Maypoles, bonfires, and flowers celebrate the
fullness of life.
Lughnasadh (or Lammas), around August 1, marks the beginning
of the harvest. The first fruits of the earth are gathered; gratitude is
offered for the bounty to come. Bread from the first grain, games,
and feasting honor the harvest.
Samhain, around October 31, marks the end of the harvest and
the beginning of winter. The veil between the worlds is thin;
ancestors and loved ones who have passed are honored. This is
the Pagan New Year in many traditions, a time of reflection and
connection with the dead.
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These eight festivals provide a rhythm for the Pagan year,
connecting practitioners to the cycles of nature and to generations
of ancestors who marked the same turning points.
5. Major Traditions within Modern Paganism
Modern Paganism encompasses a wide diversity of traditions,
each with its own history, focus, and practices.
5.1 Wicca
Wicca is the most widely known Pagan tradition and the one most
often represented in popular culture . It was founded in England in
the 1950s by Gerald Gardner, a retired British civil servant who
claimed to have discovered a surviving coven of witches .
Wicca is an initiatory religion in its traditional forms, with
membership conferred through formal initiation by an existing
member. Wiccans typically work in covens, honor a God and
Goddess, celebrate the eight Sabbats, and practice magic. Many
Wiccans identify as witches, though not all witches are Wiccans .
Traditional Wicca includes Gardnerian Wicca, tracing lineage back
to Gardner himself, and Alexandrian Wicca, founded by Alex
Sanders in the 1960s. However, most Wiccans today are solitary
practitioners who have developed their own practice through books
and personal exploration.
5.2 Druidry
Druidry draws inspiration from the ancient Celtic priestly class, the
Druids, described in classical sources. Modern Druidry emerged
from eighteenth-century Celtic revivals and was further developed
in the twentieth century by figures like Ross Nichols .
Druidry emphasizes connection to nature, scholarship, and
creative skills such as poetry, music, and storytelling. Many Druids
cultivate "awen," a Welsh word meaning poetic inspiration or
flowing spirit. The largest Druid orders, such as the Order of Bards,
Ovates and Druids, offer structured training programs through
three grades: Bard, Ovate, and Druid .
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Druidry can be practiced as a religion, a spirituality, a philosophy,
or a way of life. Not all who identify as Druids consider themselves
Pagan.
5.3 Heathenry
Heathenry is a branch of Paganism focused on the Norse and
Germanic pantheon and culture. Heathens honor gods such as
Odin, Thor, Freyja, and Frigg, drawing on the surviving literature of
medieval Iceland and Scandinavia .
Heathens typically organize in small family or local groups called
hearths or kindreds. Central practices include the blot (an offering,
usually of mead) and symbel (a ritual of toasting the gods). Unlike
many other Pagans, Heathens do not typically cast circles or call
quarters.
Heathen ethics often draw on the Nine Noble Virtues and the
wisdom of the Havamal, a collection of Old Norse poems offering
practical advice for living. Some Heathen groups have faced
accusations of racism due to claims that only those of Germanic or
Norse heritage can follow the path, but most groups have publicly
and clearly distanced themselves from such views .
5.4 Goddess Spirituality
Goddess Spirituality emerged in the 1970s, influenced by
second-wave feminism and the desire to reclaim the feminine
divine. Practitioners honor the Goddess, either as a single Great
Goddess or through the many goddesses of various traditions .
Goddess Spirituality is not a single tradition but an orientation that
can be combined with others. Many practitioners are also Wiccan
or witches, while others identify only as Goddess worshippers.
Some Christians and Jews also incorporate Goddess imagery into
their practice, seeking to balance millennia of patriarchal religious
expression.
The study of the Goddess is sometimes called "thealogy," a term
coined to distinguish it from theology's focus on a male God.
5.5 Eclectic and Solitary Paganism
About half of British Pagans are solitary practitioners, not affiliated
with any particular tradition . They may have vibrant online
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communities and attend festivals, but their daily practice is
individual and self-directed.
Eclectic Paganism draws on multiple sources—different cultural
traditions, various deities, personal inspiration. Eclectics might
celebrate the Wheel of the Year, honor gods from several
pantheons, practice magic learned from diverse traditions, and
create their own rituals. This flexibility is one of Paganism's great
strengths, allowing individuals to craft a path that speaks directly to
their own experience.
6. Ethics and Values in Paganism
Paganism has no single ethical code binding on all practitioners.
Different traditions emphasize different values. Yet certain
principles are widely shared.
6.1 The Wiccan Rede
The most famous Pagan ethical statement is the Wiccan Rede:
"An it harm none, do what ye will." This principle affirms personal
freedom bounded by responsibility. It does not provide simple
answers to complex ethical questions—what constitutes harm?
harm to whom? what about self-harm?—but it frames the
questions that each practitioner must answer for themselves.
6.2 The Threefold Law
Many Wiccans and other Pagans accept the Threefold Law:
whatever energy you send out, whether positive or negative,
returns to you threefold. This is not understood as a cosmic
punishment but as a natural law, like gravity. It encourages
mindfulness about one's actions and their consequences.
6.3 Personal Responsibility
Because Paganism has no central authority, each practitioner
bears personal responsibility for their own ethical choices. This can
be challenging but also empowering. There is no one to blame, no
one to absolve you. You must live with the consequences of your
actions and learn from your mistakes.
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6.4 Ecological Ethics
Reverence for nature naturally leads to concern for the
environment. Many Pagans are active in ecological causes, seeing
the protection of the earth as a religious duty. Climate change,
habitat destruction, species extinction—these are not just political
issues but spiritual crises.
6.5 Open-Mindedness and Tolerance
Pagans tend to be open-minded and tolerant of diversity,
recognizing that there are many paths to the divine. This tolerance
extends to other religions, other Pagan traditions, and other ways
of living. Pluralism is not merely accepted but celebrated as a
reflection of the richness of existence.
7. For the Beginner: Approaching Paganism
7.1 Read and Study
For those beginning their exploration of Paganism, reading widely
is the essential first step. Books by different authors will present
different perspectives. Some recommended starting points include:
●​ The Path of Paganism by John Beckett – Practical advice for
living an authentic Pagan life in mainstream Western culture.
●​ Pagan Curious by Debra DeAngelo – A beginner's guide to
nature, magic, and spirituality that teaches foundational skills
like grounding, centering, and meditation .
●​ The Little Book of Paganism – An upcoming guide covering
pagan spiritual identity, history, deities, the Wheel of the
Year, and incorporating paganism into personal practice .
7.2 Understand the Diversity
Recognize that Paganism is not a single religion but a family of
related traditions. What is true for Wiccans may not be true for
Druids or Heathens. What is true for traditional Gardnerians may
not be true for eclectics. Approach each tradition on its own terms.
7.3 Start with Practice
Paganism is a path of practice, not merely belief. Begin
incorporating Pagan practices into your life: mark the full moon
with a moment of quiet gratitude; celebrate the solstices and
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equinoxes in simple ways; spend time in nature, paying attention;
keep a journal of your experiences and insights.
7.4 Find Community
While solitary practice is valid and common, community can enrich
your path. Look for local Pagan gatherings, festivals, workshops,
or online forums. The Pagan Federation offers resources and
connections for those in England and Wales . In Scotland, the
Pagan Federation Scotland serves a similar role.
7.5 Trust Your Experience
In Paganism, your own direct experience is the ultimate authority. If
a practice resonates with you, explore it. If a deity calls to you,
respond. If a teaching doesn't make sense in your experience, set
it aside. The path is yours to discover.
7.6 Be Patient
Spiritual growth takes time. You will not master everything in a
month or a year. Be patient with yourself, trust the process, and
keep practicing. The path unfolds gradually to those who walk it.
8. Paganism and the Spectrum of Consciousness
As we have explored throughout this series, Paganism connects
with many of the themes we have examined.
From Hermeticism, it draws on the principle of correspondence,
the understanding of magic, and the emphasis on direct spiritual
experience.
From Wicca and witchcraft, it shares the practice of magic, the
celebration of seasonal festivals, and the veneration of the
Goddess and God.
From green witchcraft, it shares reverence for nature, working
with plants and herbs, and honoring the cycles of the earth.
From shamanism, it shares practices of journeying, working with
spirits, and connecting with ancestors.
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From hoodoo rootwork, it shares the use of natural materials in
spiritual practice, though the cultural contexts are distinct and
should be respected.
From psychic witchcraft, it shares the emphasis on developing
intuition and perception, learning to sense subtle energies.
Paganism is distinct in its breadth. It is not a single technique or
tradition but a family of paths united by certain family
resemblances. It offers a way of being religious that emphasizes
experience over dogma, diversity over uniformity, and connection
over separation.
Conclusion: The Old Way Made New
Paganism, in its modern forms, is both very old and very new. It
draws on ancient sources—the myths, the festivals, the deities of
pre-Christian Europe—but it reinterprets them for contemporary
seekers. It honors the wisdom of the past while affirming the
freedom of the present.
For those who walk this path, Paganism offers a way of being
religious that is deeply satisfying: connected to the earth, open to
mystery, rich in symbol and ritual, respectful of diversity, and
grounded in personal experience. It offers goddesses as well as
gods, immanent divinity as well as transcendent, celebration as
well as contemplation.
As the Pagan Federation writes, "With its respect for plurality, the
refusal to judge other ways of life as wrong simply because they
are different from one's own, with its veneration of a natural (and
supernatural) world from which Westerners in the age of
technology have become increasingly isolated, and with its respect
for women and the feminine principle as embodied in the many
goddesses of the various pantheons, Paganism has much to offer
people of European background today" .
The same could be said for people of any background who feel the
call of the old ways, the pull of the earth, the mystery of the divine
in many forms. Paganism welcomes all who come with open
hearts and open minds, seeking direct experience of the sacred in
the world around them.
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