I have rewritten this essay many times over the last twenty-three years or so, both
as *What Neopagans Believe* and as *What 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, for the first time, making clear in this version what ideas
Neopagans generally don't believe, an increasingly important element in our interfaith
dialogues with non-Pagans.
Clarifying our doctrines (the things we do and don't 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,
I'm something of an *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. The Neopagan community has the right and
the duty to define itself and such definitions are made by the majority of our membership
and leadership -- and have been over the last thirty years.
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, it's 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 you're completely unfamiliar with the terms *Paleopaganism,* *Mesopaganism,*
and *Neopaganism,* you can read *Defining
Paganism: Paleo-, Meso- and Neo-* for a quick overview. 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.
Thou Art God/dess Neopagans believe that divinity is both immanent (internal) and transcendent
(external), with immanence being far more important for us to pay attention to right
now. This principle of immanence is frequently phrased as, *Thou art God* or *Thou
art Goddess.* 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.
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.
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.
Polytheism 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 nonexclusive concepts as to the nature of these entities. While some of us believe
in a *Supreme Being,* Neopaganism as a whole is polytheistic. Much Neopaganism is
*duotheistic* (with female deities seen as aspects of a single Goddess, and male
deities of a single God). A significant minority of Neopagans worship only female
deities and do not worship or acknowledge male ones.
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 slanderous 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 (and have
been for centuries) simply exhibiting their ignorance, their dualism, and their bigotry.
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.*
Nature Worship
Most Neopagans believe it is necessary to respect and love Natureas 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, 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.
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 it's possible
to do something doesn't mean we should do it. We have in the Neopagan community significant
minorities of anti-technology neo-Luddites and back-to-the-landers, as well as pro-technology
science fiction fans and space exploration supporters.
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* 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.
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 not taken to excess. Many Neopagans consider sexual
ecstacy, especially, as a major source of (adult) spiritual growth and enlightenment,
though we vary widely in how, with whom, and under what circumstances we seek such
ecstacy.
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.
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.
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.
Born Again Paganism
Most Neopagans believe in some sort of afterlife, usually involving rest and recovery
in the 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 Neopaganism's emphasis on the joys and duties of one's 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 on the topic.
Hope and Action
Although we might not all think of ourselves as *utopians,* most Neopagans believe
that people have the ability to solve their current problems, both personal and public,
and to create a better world. This vision, tempered with common sense, leads us to
a strong commitment to personal and global growth, evolution and balance.
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.
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 insist on doing both).
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.
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.
External Religious Freedom
Most Neopagans believe that it's 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 to punish people (inside or outside of our community) for *blasphemy* or *heresy.*
The Deities give us no divine mandates to force our beliefs down other people's throats.
Therefore, Neopagans tend to believe in freedom for all religious groups and individuals
who are willing to grant us our freedoms in return.
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. We also believe in resisting
efforts by members of
dysfunctional religions who seek to either persecute us and suppress our human rights,
or to infiltrate us and corrupt our ideals.
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 rev sing 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.
Copyright 1974, 1997 c.e., Isaac Bonewits. This text file may be freely distributed
on the Net, provided that no editing is done, the version number is retained and
this notice is included. If you would like to be on the author's personal mailing/phone
list for upcoming publications, lectures, song albums, and appearances, send your
snailmail and/or your email address to him at PO Box 1021, Nyack, NY, USA 10960-1021
or via email to ibonewits@qed.net.
*http://www.qed.net/bonewits/NeopagansBelieve.HTML*
Isaac Bonewits' homepage URL is *http://www.qed.net/bonewits/*
