Search Results

This chapter explores the manifold and conflicting histories of contemporary Paganism and how these varied understandings both reflect and influence Pagans' understandings of their religion, along with the differing ways of approaching and understanding Pagan religion, parenting, childhood, and daily life. Three primary groups of Pagan families are central to this narrative: the families of Silverling Circle in New Hampshire, the families of Dragon Moon/Spiral Winds Coven in Texas, and the First Church of Wicca in Massachusetts. The chapter also presents four perspectives on the issue of Pagan identity in the United States: Paganism as a prehistoric indigenous religion, as an earth-based nature religion, as the heir to the esoteric and Mind Cure movements of the nineteenth century, and as an eclectic integration of beliefs and practices from globally non-Christian traditions.

This chapter provides an overview of contemporary Paganism. It begins by discussing definitions of Paganism and some of its essential characteristics, and proceeds to highlight some of the cultural trends that inspired the Pagan revival. Subsequently, it provides a brief account of some of the main Pagan traditions, followed by a short exposition of Paganism after its exportation to the US and a discussion of some of the most common beliefs and practices among Pagans. The final part of the chapter is devoted to some of the controversies that have affected the Pagan movement, as well as analyses of Pagan views on gender and sexuality.

This chapter discusses Pagan life-cycle rituals and the ambivalence they elicit by considering the formal inclusion of children into contemporary Paganism through adult-led rituals such as Wiccanings and coming-of-age rites. As Pagan adults conduct these rituals, they simultaneously reject the compulsory transmission of religious belief or practice. This means that Pagan children are welcomed into their parents' religion but are neither expected nor particularly encouraged to accept and practice these traditions themselves. Contemporary Paganism prioritizes religious choice, tolerance, and independence over familial or cultural homogeneity, potentially complicating both the growth of the religion and religious dynamics within families and communities. In the process of constructing, and performing these life-stage rituals, Pagan adults express deep ambivalence about childhood, adulthood, religious choice, and the fundamental values of their religious worlds.

This chapter looks at Pagan childhood as an idealized realm that is constructed, maintained, and sometimes exploited by Pagan adults. Pagans' appreciation for childhood as a protected temporal and ideological category that emerges from Romantic and New Age ideals of purity, magic, and innocence reflects adult Pagans' desires. The chapter questions whether these ideals also reflect Pagan children's experiences. The romanticized images of childhood that are built and maintained by Pagan adults often lead to an overvaluation of “childlike” or “innocent” qualities in adults. Pagan understandings of the role and nature of the idealized concept of the “child” influence the spiritual imaginations and religious worlds of both Pagan adults and Pagan children. Contemporary Paganism seems to encourage a childlike immaturity in adults and, in some ways, an overly precocious maturity in children.