The Yew Tree


Who | What | How | Where | When | Why | More

Who are Pagans?

Pagans come from all walks of life. What they have in common is the desire to celebrate Nature, the cycles of the seasons, the natural cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. The realisation of being Pagan comes from within; it wells up from the depths of the psyche as a response to the beauty of the green earth, the stars, and all Nature.

There are many different Pagan paths: Wicca, Druidry, Asatru/Northern Tradition, Shamanism.

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What is Paganism?

Paganism is an earth-based nature religion. Most Pagans celebrate the Wheel of the Year (the eight seasonal festivals), believe that the divine is immanent in Nature, and celebrate the life-force in all its manifestations, including sexuality. The Goddess said "All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals" - we include and celebrate all sexual orientations. We also believe that death and rebirth are part of the natural cycle of growth and decay - all life is part of this process of change. Most Pagans believe that deity is both masculine and feminine; many Pagans are polytheistic, believing in many Gods and Goddesses. Most Pagans believe in reincarnation. Most Pagans practise healing magic, and meet in small groups to celebrate the cycles of the Moon and the seasons. Many Pagans are involved in the Green movement, the women's movement, and other causes. As you may have guessed by now, Paganism has no central dogma, no sacred book, though we have sacred writings and honour sacred writings from many different traditions.

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How do you become a Pagan?

Paganism is a non-proselytising religion - it does not seek converts. The realisation of being Pagan comes from within; it wells up from the depths of the psyche as a response to the beauty of the green earth, the stars, and all Nature. If you decide to follow this instinctual response into the Pagan path, the first step is to commune with Nature, the Moon, and the rhythms of the seasons. Read some Pagan books and/or talk to other Pagans. When you are ready to take the next step, you might want to attend a seasonal celebration, a Pagan pub gathering, or join a group. Some people eventually join a specific Pagan path such as Wicca, Druidry, Asatru/Northern Tradition, Shamanism, etc. Pagan practice includes meditation, music, chanting and song, prayer, spells, dancing, drama, and eating together. Most groups lay emphasis on everyone participating - a core belief is that "each one of us is a priest or priestess unto ourselves".

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Where do you practise Paganism?

Most Pagans meet at home, though some celebrate outdoors if they have a site which is safe. Pagan camps are very popular, both as a way of meeting other Pagans, and as a way of learning more about Paganism. Practice can be personal and informal or a more or less structured group celebration. It is increasingly becoming possible to celebrate at stone circles and other traditional sacred sites, provided that they are not damaged in any way. Most Pagans see it as very important to treat a site with respect, leaving it exactly as you found it (and abiding by the Country Code).

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When do you practise Paganism?

Pagans are Pagans all day and every day, but different days and times of year have different qualities. There are four Tides within the year: Sowing, Growing, Reaping and Resting. Within these four tides are the four Celtic Quarter Days: Imbolc (Candlemas), Beltane (May Day), Lughnasadh (Lammas), and Samhain (Hallowe'en). We also celebrate the Equinoxes and Solstices, and the cycles of the Moon (New, Waxing, Full, and Waning).

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Why be a Pagan?

Each person's answer to this is different. I am a Pagan because I honour both masculine and feminine deities, nature spirits, spirits of place, the landscape, and the ancestors. I celebrate the cycles of birth, death and rebirth, both within my own psyche and in Nature. I believe that we are manifest in the material world to unify spirit and matter, to enrich the diversity of the mind of the universe. I believe that joy and suffering are two facets of the same crystal. We learn from experience, and our life's journey is a pilgrimage to discover the Unknown. I feel myself connected to the Universe; I am a child of earth and of the starry heaven. The Pagan path offers me awareness of and connectedness to all levels and aspects of being: as E M Forster said: "Only connect".

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Paganism

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