We Are All Pagans Now

The Spectator ^ | December 18, 2004 | Mary Wakefield

[quidnunc]

Paganism is one of our fastest-growing religions. A druid explains why witchcraft appeals to 21st-century Britain

The sky was already murky at 4 p.m. when I locked my bike outside Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street. Inside, it was even murkier: wood-panelled corridors stretched off into the gloom, men in grey suits were wedged together, smoking Bensons and drinking bitter. No one looked even slightly like an Arch Priest of the Council of British Druid Orders. At 4:10 I found a separate little bar near the back of the pub. As I walked in, a big man with round shoulders and grey hair stared at me and I saw the corner of a magazine poking out from inside his coat. As I watched, the whole cover slowly emerged: a yellowy-purple watercolour of a fairy, and the title: The Witchtower. ‘Steve?’ I said. He nodded.

We bought bitter, found somewhere to sit, and began what turned out to be a three-hour crash course in modern paganism, one of the fastest-growing religions in Britain.

-snip-

So, can a modern pagan just pick any god to worship? I asked. Egyptian? Roman? African? Are there any rules? Steve put his hands self-consciously under the table, ‘No rules,’ he said. ‘Being a pagan is about being free from institutional rules. And the gods? Once you start seeking they choose you, really. Everyone has their own path, but we all celebrate the same festivals: the summer and winter solstices, spring and autumn equinoxes and four other festivals: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasad.’

Pagans, I discovered during our second pint, are also united by their sense of the injustices done them by Christians. The last 2,000 years of history is a heart-wrenching tale of innocent occult revivals squashed by ignorant Christians …

-snip-

[dljordan]

I would refer you to the Inquisition and the Salem Witch trials. Sounds like sacrifice to me.

[adam_az]

"Once during moments of spiritual weakness, the gods Ducati and Corvette tried to choose me, and they demanded sacrifices of thousands of dollars. My wife quickly put me back on the straight and narrow path."

This time of year I'm called by Remington, Lord of the 12 Gauge, to sacrifice dove, quail, waterfowl, and rabbits to Him.

[orionblamblam]

> I specifically said neo-Nazi. Check out some of their websites. Some of them are pretty northern European pagan.

The neo-Nazi pagans are to Asatru (faith in the Norse gods) what the Klan is to Christians.

[rem22-250]

"The funny thing about this whole Celtic/Druid phenomenon is there is more than a hint of this in neo-Nazi circles. It just goes to show that Naziism and leftism are the same."

It also shows that some twisted people will twist any belief into something they wish. I believed like you until several years ago that the Druids were all evil. I've a daughter who is into Druidism. She is not a Neo-nazi or a Liberal by any means. She even volunteered for Bush reelection work. She has pointed out some interesting things on how much of the modern religions follow Druid belief and practices. Not that I will ever convert, but it is interesting.

[dljordan]

Dec 25th was the birthday of Mithras. The Catholics used it to convert the pagans. There is no evidence that the Christ was born on that day.

[orionblamblam]

Don't forget your goat leggings!

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Been pagan/buddhist/hindu/agnostic during all my searchings for the path to walk.

As we say, been there, done that...

I came to Jesus as I was,
weary and worn and sad,
found in him my resting place
and he has made me glad.

Why worship the earth mother when God is creator of the universe?

Why worship the sun when God is the master of the Sun?

Why worship the stars when he predates time itself?

Why worship projections of yourself when you too will die?

God is the living fire that tranforms us into his own children,

God is the bread of life,
who comes to us to feed us with his own self,

God was willing to empty himeself, experience life as a human, and then give that life back, arms outstretched in a loving embrace,
becoming the interface between heaven and earth,
to draw all who would listen to himself
to a life richer and fuller
than any pagan walk.

Why go there?

Sad to say, England's experience is what happens to a church where the clergy doesn't really believe.


The romantic stories neo-pagans tell themselves make as much sense as the Gospel tales when stripped of their historicity, so choose your particular myth.

But God is not myth, Jesus is not myth, and the empty tomb is not a fairy tale. A particular moment in time, God touched us. And I can stand upon that rock in full security that life isn't meaningless.

[adam_az]

"Don't forget your goat leggings!"

Preferably cooked over hot coals.

[Dead Corpse]

I am now as before a Catholic and will always remain so

[Adolph Hitler, to Gen. Gerhard Engel, 1941]

[Disambiguator]

Stonehenge, where the demons dwell

Where the banshees live and they do live well

Stonehenge

Where a man is a man and the children dance to

the pipes of pan

Stonehenge

Tis a magic place where the moon doth rise

With a dragon's face

Stonehenge

Where the virgins lie

And the prayer of devils fill the midnight sky

And you my love, won't you take my hand

We'll go back in time to that mystic land

Where the dew drops cry and the cats meow

I will take you there

I will show you how

Tufnel & St. Hubbins c. 1984

[Pyro7480]

I'm a Catholic, and even though Catholics are perceived as "not knowing Scripture," I'm going to quote some Scripture.

[A]ll the gods of the Gentiles are devils - Psalm 95 (96): 5

[Dead Corpse]

I'M a "Northern European" Heathan and I resent your attempt at slander.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "The actual druids engaged in human sacrifice, including sticking people inside wicker figures of animals and burning them alive. The desiccated ancient bodies periodically found in peat bogs are probably druid sacrifices."

Not that there is anything wrong with that. //sarcasm off//

It is getting scary out there. I recommend Christians migrate here and help us battle the ACLU.

[Pyro7480]

Ok, Hitler was obviously lying there. You're trying to point out (unsuccessfully) that not all pagans are evil. I understand that most pagans these days don't do the things that their forebearers did, but as the Books of Psalms says, "all the gods of the Gentiles are devils."

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: Actual "Catholics" engaged in similar practices much more recently.

You misspelled Muslims. Clearly you are not to be taken seriously.

[Dead Corpse]

If you wish to think my beliefs "evil", that is your perrogative. I feel the same way about you bearing false witness.

[stuartcr]

God made pagans, and gave them their beliefs, just like He did with everyone else and their beliefs.

[Sharkfish]

LOL!!

[Pyro7480]

Bearing false witness? About what?

[Dead Corpse]

In your post 34 you attempt to tie neo-pagans to neo-Nazi's. This is patently false. Some of the fruitier blends of uber-pacifist granola-munching Earth worshippers may fall under a "communist" heading, but they are in no wise Nazi's.

Norse paganism, Heathanism, or Asatru, has as much to do with Neo-Nazi's as a tennis shoe has to do with global warming trends. Ie; nothing.