Table of Contents
Acknowledgements xiv
Preface The Rt. Revd. David Urquhart, Lord Bishop of Birmingham 1
Introduction 3
Chapter 1 What is Belief and What do Pagans Believe? 13
Introduction 13
What is belief? 13
Belief and experience 15
What do Pagans believe? 18
The impact of nature on Pagan deities 22
What do Pagans believe about evil? 23
A valid diversity 25
Chapter 2 Why Are People Drawn to Paganism? 27
Paganism as an experiential spirituality 27
Christian and Pagan approaches to spiritual experiences 29
Being called to Paganism by the gods 33
The painful experiences of Christianity 36
Chapter 3 Wicca and Witchcraft 37
Introduction 37
Wicca and Witchcraft 39
Part 1 Wicca 40
A brief outline of the history of Wicca 40
The Goddess and the God 44
Wiccan Initiation 49
Wiccan Ethics 52
Part 2 Traditional Witchcraft 54
Traditional Witchcraft 54
Cursing 56
The man in black - the devil 66
Part 3 Elements common to Wicca and Witchcraft 73
Spells, magick and prayer 73
A life between two worlds - using the examples of Hedgewitchery and mediumship 76
Not so dark 79
Chapter 4 Druidry 81
Introduction 81
The history of Druidry 85
Druid Symbolism 88
Nemeton - the sacredness of 'place' 92
Bards, Ovates and Druids - the different orders within Druidry 96
Druidry as priesthood 119
The future for Druids 124
An inspiring model? 124
Chapter 5 Animism and Panpsychism 127
Introduction 127
Definitions and discussions 129
Seen and unseen 132
Panpsychism and Animism - understanding what we mean by consciousness and 'mind' 141
A theology of encounter 151
Understanding the difficulties 151
The panentheistic connection 162
Living ethically 165
Chapter 6 Shamanism 170
Introduction 170
What is a Shaman? 172
How does a person become a Shaman? 174
Shamanic dualism 176
Shamanic healing of the soul 179
Traditional Shamanism 181
Core Shamanism 187
Celtic Shamanism 193
Who are the guides and why do they help? 195
Jesus as a Shaman 198
Shamanic imagery in Judeo-Christianity 202
Just a beginning… 210
Chapter 7 Heathenism 215
Another new world 215
Modern Heathenism 220
Heathen cosmology 221
Heathen deities 223
Heathenism, freewill and determinism 228
The different traditions 232
Heathen distinctiveness 233
Chapter 8 Becoming What We Were Created to Be and the Role of Forest Church 235
Listening to the lessons of nature 235
Forest Church: Christian or Pagan? 238
Like water and oil? 241
Inclusive love as a sign of divine presence 242
The names of God 244
Interfaith? 246
Postscript: Silent burning 248
