What Neopagans Believe
or
Neopagan Polytheology 101
(Version 5.6.5)
Copyright © 1974, 2005 c.e., Isaac Bonewits
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Introductory Warnings
I have rewritten this essay many times over
the last thirty-plus years, both as What (Do) Neopagans
Believe(?) and as What (Do) Neopagan Druids Believe(?)
the latter title because I wanted my tradition of Druidism
to be rooted in those opinions held by most other Neopagans.
While fully aware that there are some in the Neopagan community
who resist vigorously any attempt to codify Neopagan beliefs,
and that some Neopagans and many Mesopagans may
disagree strongly with one or more of the following statements,
I think it is an accurate synthesis of the majority view in the
Neopagan movement. I am also making clear in this version what
ideas Neopagans generally dont believe, an increasingly important element in our
interfaith dialogues with non-Pagans.
Clarifying our doctrines (the
things we do and dont believe) without descending into
dogma (the things we are ordered to believe or disbelieve
by someone in a position of power over us) is a vital step in
the growth of any new religious movement. True, Im something
of an (anti-?)authority figure within the Neopagan
community, yet I have no ability to force anyone to believe
or disbelieve anything. Neither do those antagonists
who seek to disrupt our community from within by loudly demanding
that we draw no lines that might ever exclude anyone, for any
reason, ever. The Neopagan community has the right and the duty
to define itself and such definitions are made by the majority
of our members and leaders and have been over the last
thirty years. Those who insist on waiting to define who and what
we are until some mythical 100% consensus can be achieved are
being deliberately ingenuous they know full well that
the more people who are involved in an attempt to achieve consensus
about any topic, let alone a religious one, the less the
chances are of ever succeeding.
Not everyone in the Neopagan community will
use the term belief in reference to these concepts
and many of these concepts have a wide variety of accepted interpretations
within Neopaganism. Even so, its reasonably easy to list
those ideas with which a majority of Neopagans usually agree
or disagree, and thus sketch the outlines of our doctrines, just
as the members of their faiths could for the Evangelical Christians,
Mahayana Buddhists, Sikhs, or Taoists. Do such declarations create
reality or reflect it? Yes.
By the way, if youre completely unfamiliar
with the terms Paleopaganism, Mesopaganism,
and Neopaganism, you can read Defining
Paganism: Paleo-, Meso- and Neo- for a quick overview.
Definitions of other terms used in this essay will be found in
my Pagan Glossary. My own interpretations
of, and extensions to, the basic Neopagan beliefs listed in this
essay will be found in my other writings on this
website as well as in future books.
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Thou Art God/dess
Neopagans believe that divinity is both
immanent (internal) and transcendent (external), with immanence being far more important for people
to pay attention to right now. This principle of immanence is
frequently phrased as, Thou art God or Thou
art Goddess. (The former phrase was taken originally from
Robert Heinleins classic novel, Stranger
in a Strange Land, and the Neopagan organization
it inspired, the Church of All
Worlds.) Deities can manifest at any point in space or time
which They might choose, whether externally (through apparent
visitations) or internally (through the processes
known as inspiration, conversation, channeling,
and possession). This belief often develops among
Neopagans into pantheism(the physical world is divine),
panentheism(the Gods are everywhere), animism (everything
is alive), or monism (everything that exists is one
being) all of which are concepts accepted by some Neopagans.
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Original Sanctity
Neopagans believe that children are born
holy, since they have no barriers
of consciousness between them and their indwelling deities. So
the concept of original sin the idea that
all children are born innately evil and have to be cleansed by
a magical ceremony before they can become good is alien
to us. Babies arrive in a morally and ethically neutral state,
although the reincarnationists among us would claim that tendencies
towards certain types of behavior may be carried from previous
lifetimes. Because of this reverence for children, Neopagans do not approve of any form
of child abuse. Some members of our
community may perpetuate the abuse they received growing up in
a dysfunctional mainstream culture, but unlike in many other
faith communities, such mistreatment is not religiously justified
nor excused.
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Goddesses and Gods
Neopagans believe that divinity is as likely
to manifest in a female form as it is in a male form, and that the word Goddess makes just as
much sense as God. Women and men are spiritually
equal, and masculine and feminine
attitudes, values, and roles are of equal importance, regardless
of the physical gender of those exercising them. Many Neopagans
believe that feminine energies and values are more needed to
balance masculine excesses of current cultures. Hence, the common
emphasis on Goddesses in our myths and rites, and the presence
of Goddesses-only worshipers as a significant minority
of the Neopagan community.
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Polytheism and Pluralism
Neopagans believe in a multiplicity of
gods and goddesses, as well as lesser
beings, many of Whom are worthy of respect, love and worship.
We have a wide variety of non-exclusive concepts as to the nature
of these entities. While some of us believe in a Supreme
Being, we dont anthropomorphise Him/Her/It/Them
i.e., a Supreme Being is not perceived as even remotely humanoid
a concept like the Tao or the Force is perhaps
closer to an adequate concept. Even when such a Being is part
of the picture, Neopaganism as a whole is polytheistic and focuses
its attention on the deities associated with our planet.
Within that overall polytheism, much of Neopaganism
is duotheistic (with female deities seen as aspects
of a single Goddess, and male deities as aspects of a single
God). A significant minority of Neopagans worship only female
deities. Along with polytheism comes a logical tendency towards
pluralism, leading thoughtful Neopagans to reject dualistic
or binary logic systems that paint the universe in
terms of black vs. white, in favor of multivalued or fuzzy
logic systems that accept the astonishing complexity and ambiguity
of life, the universe, and everything.
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No Gods of Evil
Neopagans do not believe in, respect, or
worship any divine or semidivine figure of ultimate Evil, leaving such concepts to the dualistic monotheists.
The Devil is a character in Christian and Islamic
mythology, a blasphemous parody of ancient Paleopagan deities,
and an entity we have not the least bit of interest in. Those
who insist that our beloved deities are really demons in
disguise, are simply exhibiting their ignorance, their
dualism, and their bigotry, as their predecessors have been doing
for centuries. Thus our community says to both the conservative
Christian community and its shadow side, the modern Satanist
movement, One
cannot be a Satanist and a Neopagan at the same time, though it is, perhaps, possible to be a Satanist
and a Mesopagan simultaneously.
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Nature Worship
Most Neopagans believe it is necessary
to respect and love Nature as divine in Her own right, and to
accept ourselves as part of Nature and not Her rulers. Many of us accept what
has come to be known as the Gaia hypothesis. As first
articulated by Neopagan polytheologian Oberon (then Tim)
Zell (and later in secular terms by scientist James Lovelock),
it states that the biosphere of our planet is a living Being
who is due all the love and support that we, Her children, can
give Her. Ecological awareness is a sacred duty and human desires
and convenience are not more important than the needs
of every other species on our planet. Please note that this last
statement is not the extremist position that we and other environmentally
concerned movements are often accused of having.
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Cautious Technophilia
Most Neopagans believe in accepting the
positive aspects of Western science and technology most of us love our computers! but also in
maintaining an attitude of wariness towards the supposed ethical
neutrality of that science and technology. We consider it important
that scientists and engineers (like everyone else) pay as much
attention to their methods as they do to their goals. Just because
its possible to do something doesnt mean we
should do it. We have in the Neopagan community significant
minorities of both anti-technology neo-Luddites and back-to-the-landers,
as well as pro-technology science fiction fans and space exploration
supporters.
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Positive Ethics
Neopagans believe that ethics and morality
should be based upon joy, love, self-esteem, mutual respect,
the avoidance of actual harm to ourselves and others human
or nonhuman and the increase of public benefit. Most Neopagans believe in some variant or another
of the principles of karma, and many Neopagans will
affirm that the results of their actions will always return to
them, sooner or later. This belief that what goes around,
comes around, whether thought of as karmic retribution
or as an ecological principle, has a major influence on the ethical
choices made by most Neopagans. Thus we try to balance individual
needs for personal autonomy and growth with the necessity of
paying attention to the impact of our actions on the lives and
welfare of others, including other living beings and the environment
as a whole (Gaia). This does not deter us from fighting for justice,
freedom, and the rights of those who cannot fight for themselves,
but it does require us to practice rigorous self-honesty before,
during and after we are engaged in such fighting. These beliefs
have led many Neopagans to become vegetarians, animal rights
activists, pacifists and/or environmental activists.
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The Good Life
Neopagans believe that human beings were
meant to lead lives filled with joy, love, pleasure, beauty and
humor. Most Neopagans are fond of
food, drink, music, sex, and bad puns, and consider all of these
(except possibly the puns) to be of spiritual value, at least
when practiced among consenting adults and not taken to destructive
excess. Neopagans may be carnivores, vegetarians, or omnivores,
depending upon their individual religious beliefs, but we all
approve of good cooking! Some Neopagans abstain from alcoholic
beverages, especially if they are members of a Pagans
In Recovery group, but most neither abstain themselves nor
disapprove of others drinking. Neopagans are enthusiastic about
many different forms of music and dance, especially tribal and
ecstatic forms.
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Assertively Pro-Sexual Attitudes
Many Neopagans consider sexual ecstacy
as both a divine blessing and a major source of spiritual growth
and enlightenment, though we vary
widely in how, with whom, and under what circumstances we seek
such ecstacy. Thus many Neopagans are actively involved in Tantric practices and disciplines,
whether traditional, reconstructed, or recently synthesized.
By and large, the Neopagan community is sympathetic towards
many sexual minorities and alternative relationship styles
which have been persecuted by monotheistic religions for sexist
or erotophobic reasons. A Neopagan may be heterosexual, homosexual,
bisexual, transgendered or undecided; may have wildly unusual
sexual practices (including celibacy!) or be plain vanilla
in their tastes. A Neopagan may be in a monogamous relationship,
in one or more polyamorous
ones, or have no romantic relationships at all. A Neopagan may
live in an Industrial Age nuclear family or a traditional or
untraditional extended one. As long as all parties involved are
happy and healthy, Neopagans will generally approve (or at least
not actively disapprove).
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Magic and Mystery
Neopagans believe that with proper training,
art, discipline and intent, human minds and hearts are fully
capable of performing most of the magic and miracles they are
ever likely to need. Magical and/or
miraculous acts are done through the use of what most of us perceive
as natural (some say divinely granted) psychic talents,
or occasional divine intervention. Most Neopagans seem to accept
the laws of magic, outlined in my
book Real Magic, as accurate
descriptions of the way magical phenomena usually behave, though
they might not say that they believe in these laws
any more than a physicist believes in the laws of
thermodynamics.
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Ceremonial Art and Science
Most Neopagans believe that there is an
art and/or a science to creating, preparing and performing magical
and religious rituals. Our ceremonies
are continually evolving as we search for the most intellectually
satisfying, artistically beautiful, spiritually powerful, and
magically effective rites possible. The use of human or animal sacrifice, though a common
accusation, is not part of Neopagan worship, though some meat-eaters may say a blessing over their
animals before preparing them for cooking. Animal sacrifice is
often a part of some Mesopagan religions such as Santeria, Macumba,
Voudoun, etc.
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Connecting to the Cosmos
Neopagans believe in the importance of
celebrating the solar, lunar and other cycles of our lives. We consciously observe the solstices, equinoxes and
the points in between, as well as the phases of the moon. Such
rites of intensification are human universals, as
are the various ceremonies known as rites of passage
celebrations of birth, puberty, personal dedication to
a given deity or group, marriage, ordination, death, etc. Together
these various sorts of observations help us to find ourselves
in space and time.
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Born Again Paganism
Most Neopagans believe in some sort of
afterlife, usually involving rest and recovery in an Otherworld
before reincarnating. There is a common
belief that we grow spiritually through each lifetime and will
continue reincarnating until we have learned all we need to.
This aspect of Neopagan polytheology has not been developed very
far, perhaps because of Neopaganisms emphasis on the joys
and duties of ones present life. We have no concept of eternal punishment or damnation, and do not accept the
right of other faith communities to impose their
opinions about this (or any other) topic upon us.
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Hope and Action
Most Neopagans believe that people have
the ability to solve their current problems, both personal and
public, and to create a better world,
even though we might not all think of ourselves as utopians.
This vision, tempered with common sense, leads us to a strong
commitment to personal and global growth, evolution and balance.
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Mystic Vision
Neopagans believe that people can progress
far towards achieving personal growth, evolution and balance
through the carefully planned alteration of our normal (culturally defined
and limited) states of consciousness. Neopagans use both
ancient and modern methods of concentration, meditation, reprogramming
and ecstasy, including both shamanic and other trance-inducing
techniques practiced by Paleopagan and Mesopagan peoples around
the world. While some Neopagans may use caffeine, tobacco, sugar,
alcohol, or other powerful mind-altering substances in their
secular and/or religious lives, Neopagans do not approve of drug abuse or addiction.
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Community Responsibility
Most Neopagans believe that human interdependence
implies community service. Some of
us are active in political, social, ecological and charitable
organizations, while others prefer to work for the public good
primarily through spiritual means (and many do both). This is
yet another reason why Satanists,
with their glorification of selfishness as the supreme value,
are not Neopagans.
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Spiritual Authenticity
Neopagans believe that if we are to achieve
any of our goals, we must practice what we preach. Neopaganism, like any other religion, should be a
way of life, not merely a weekly or monthly social function.
So we must always strive to make our lives consistent with our
proclaimed beliefs, difficult as that may be under our particular
historical, cultural and economic conditions. Yet an insistance
on such effort does not imply an expectation of impeccability
Neopagans know that mortals make mistakes, sometimes grievous
ones. The emphasis is, or should be, on reaffirming our commitment
to our ideals, not on punishing ourselves or others for past
behavior (though we still have to clean up our messes and avoid
making new ones).
Spiritual authenticity should not be confused
with historical authenticity. Neopagans often make up and teach
absurd tales about how their traditions began or continued underground,
just as members of other religions have done in the infancies
of their faiths. Neopagans,
however, are not required to believe such nonsense and the community seems to be growing out of this
phase much more quickly than mainstream faith communities have
managed. As a result, an increasing number of tale-tellers have
lost their followings as their students grew beyond their teachers.
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Internal Religious Freedom
Most Neopagans believe that healthy religions
should have a minimum amount of rigidity and a maximum amount
of flexibility. Neopaganism is an
assortment of organic religions, which are growing, changing,
and producing offshoots, and (though we do have our orthodox
types) most of us accept these as natural (if sometimes painful)
processes. Neopagans almost all believe that monolithic religious
organizations and would-be messiahs are a hinderance to spiritual
growth. As a general rule, Neopagan groups score very low
on my Cult Danger Evaluation Frame.
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External Religious Freedom
Most Neopagans believe that its difficult
for ordinary humans to commit offenses
against the Gods and Goddesses, short of major
crimes such as ecocide or genocide. Our deities are perfectly
capable of defending Their own honor without any need for us
mortals to punish people (inside or outside of our community)
for blasphemy or heresy. We have no divine
mandates to force our beliefs down other peoples throats.
Therefore, Neopagans believe in freedom of worship and belief
for all religious groups and individuals who are willing to grant
us our freedoms in return. Neopagans approve of the separation
of church and state and, in the United States, disapprove
of the efforts of the Religious
Reich to impose their theocratic dictatorship upon all Americans.
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Interfaith Cooperation and
Self-Defense
Most Neopagans believe in cooperation and
ecumenical activities with those members of other faiths who
share all or most of these beliefs.
It is clear that we have much in common with members of the liberal
religious community, such as Unitarian Universalists, Reform
Jews, Liberal Catholics, and others. Indeed, the Covenant
of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (or CUUPS) has become one
of the largest and most active subgroups of the UU Church. However,
most Neopagans also believe in resisting efforts by members
of dysfunctional religions who seek to take advantage of our
idealism. This is true whether they wish to exploit newer
members of our community, to take members away from our community
through deceptive means, or to parisitically ride upon our political
and public educational coattails by falsely claiming to be just
like us.
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Comments and suggestions for improving this
essay are eagerly awaited, especially from members of non-Druidic
and non-Wiccan Neopagan denominations. I may not be able to respond
directly to every bit of feedback received, and will ignore that
from antagonists or other flamers,
but will take into consideration all thoughtful commentary when
revising this material the next time. Please note too, that this
is a highly truncated version of an entire book on Neopagan
polytheology, and does not claim to speak for Mesopagan
or Paleopagan traditions past or present.
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Copyright © 1974, 2005 c.e., Isaac Bonewits. This
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