Introduction to Paganism By Rt. Rev. First Priest Martin Zeo Kratz
The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Sixth Edition, 1976:
Pa ‘gan n. & a. Heathen; unenlightened or irreligious (person), hence ~DOM, ~ISM (2), ns., ~ISH a., ~IZE (3) v. t. & I [ME , f. L paganus civilian (pagus country district; see ~AN); sense heathen in Christian L (Tertullian Augustine)]
The word pagan comes from the Latin word Paganus, which literally means ‘country dweller’, he who lived in the low lands or country. The term was first used to distinguish between the upper-class rich person (city folk) and the ordinary person (country folk), who still worshipped the old Gods of pagus.
Pagus means Locality.
Paganism is a nature based spiritual path or belief system. The Belief system dates back to the old Gods of Europe, Africa, Egypt and Asia, North and South America as well as the cosmologies of the ancient tribes. The revival of the ancient nature religions seeks to create order from chaos through understanding nature. This is most commonly referred to as Neo-Paganism.
Pagans try to attune themselves to the tides of nature and the affects of the inner self. The harmonization with nature is achieved through reverence of the Solar and Lunar phases, which are acknowledged at the turning of each season. In ‘normal’ English, we attune ourselves with the eight seasonal changes, known most commonly to all Pagans as the Sabbats. The Sabbats marks the changes of season, of Divinity and of life. Through understanding the Sabbats you will understand the changes that all life, inevitably, go through with the turning of the year (or wheel of the year, as we call it). The Sabbats also tell us the story of the Divine couple. It acts as a biography for the Divine couple from which all life sets forth. The Most noted story of the Devine couple would of course be the ‘Descent of the Goddess’ that takes place at the start of the second harvest or Mabon, reaches its peak at the third Harvest, Samhain, and last all of the winter months.
The Sabbats are divided into two different groups. The Greater Sabbats and the Lesser Sabbats. Each group consists of four Sabbats.
The four Greater Sabbats, which are Lunar (Goddess) orientated, are:
Lammas – 2 February
Samhain – 30 April
Imbolc – 2 August
Beltaine – 1 November
The four Lesser Sabbats, which are Solar (God) orientated, are:
Mabon – 20 March
Yule – 21 June
Ostara – 21 September
Litha – 21 December
*Note: the dates of the lesser Sabbats may change by a day due to the differences in the actual astronomical events and our calendar.
When this is understood, then it is easy to comprehend the fact that all Pagans are Priestesses and Priests of nature. Nature itself is our Spiritual leader and our holy book. We have very little emphasis on dogma and liturgy. Now it can be understood why our worship mostly takes place in open natural spaces.
It is believed that all life has and will evolve. As Pagans we do not spend a lot of time on the concept of evolution. It is of some importance to know where we come from, but it is of far more importance to know where we are going. It should however be understood that the following of Paganism has evolved and will most probably continue to evolve in the future. We have evolved and adapted more sophisticated needs. A clear example of this would be a vegetarian. Some vegetarians, if asked why they do not eat meat, will say that it is against their religion. To them it is a different way of understanding the “An ye harm none” law. But if you look at their fore fathers, it can be guaranteed that they come from meat eaters. The ancients needed to hunt to be able to have food. Today we have evolved and learned that nature provides for us in many different ways and that we do not need to hunt animals to have food. Besides of course for the fact that we have convenient stores.
The practice of Paganism can be a highly solitary experience, where you are the only human being that has an influence on the relationship that you build with the Divinity, through your own form of personal worship. You could also join a small informal group and stay solitary, to learn more from others or whatever the reason may be. Of course you also have the option of joining an organized Coven, Shrine, Temple or Church, where you are a part of a bigger body of people that worship the Gods in a group format. This would also give you the option of a larger more organized study method where you can achieve different degrees or even clergy. Each of these has its advantages and disadvantages. The individual should stick with the type of practice that fits her/his needs.
*Note: some Shrines, Temples and Churches allow the individual to remain a solitary practitioner after joining. Thus joining would only be for study purposes.
A really big factor of Paganism is that, no matter what, we DO NOT evangelize, for such things cheapen the mysteries of the craft. Thus we do not force anybody to believe as we do, not even our own children. We understand and respect the fact that each individual has her/his own spiritual path that they have to follow and that we should not interfere with that path. All paths will lead to Deity. Our children are raised with the knowledge of the Pagan mysteries but should also be taught about the other religions that this world has to offer and then when the child is old enough to make an educated decision on what path to follow, the parents should support the child no matter what. Of course we would like for our children to follow on our footsteps, but it should be understood that, the path or ‘way’ that works for one person does not necessarily work for the next person.
This goes hand in hand with our practice of religious tolerance. As a pagan you should understand (as mentioned above) that each person has her/his own path or way to follow and that it should be respected and tolerated by us as pagans, we only ask for the same respect and tolerance from practitioners of other religions.
As Pagans we are open to the idea of solitary religious experiences and encounters of a free mindset. We do not judge or make fun of each other’s experiences; no matter how ‘daft’ or ‘unreal’ they may seem to be. The experiences and encounters that I have had in my life, are no less real than those of someone else. This does however not mean that everything we do is esoteric in nature. Not every minute of everyday necessarily has a ‘greater’ meaning. We are all different and our lives are different and that is a huge factor to remember when encountering another Pagan person. Remember that we live in a mundane world and even though we are a part of Deity we are still only human. The key is then to achieve balance between physical and Spiritual.
There is however one underlying factor that binds us all together, The Rule of Three. When you take all the religions in the world and place them next to each other, that will be the one thing that all of them have in common. The Hindi call it ‘Karma’. The Christians say that ‘You shall reap what you sow’. In Paganism we call it ‘The Rule of Three’.
“Ever mind the Rule of Three,
Three times what thou givest returns to thee.
This lesson, well thou must learn,
Thee only gets, what thou dost earn”
This does not necessarily mean that whatever you do will come back to you three times. For example: If you steal an apple, it does not mean that on three different occasions an apple will be stolen from you. But something with three times of the effect of what you have done or sent out will happen to you. The three should also not be seen as a literal, three times good and three rimes bad, but rather as an emphasis on the fact that, what will happen to you will be greater than that what you had done or sent out. Karma, as we also call it, should never be seen as a punishment or reward for something that you have done or sent out. It should be seen as a life lesson. Karma, except nature itself, is the best teacher of all. The most important lesson that Karma teaches us is the lesson of action and reaction, cause and effect. Some Christians calls it, promise and fulfillment and therefore see it as something from their God.
Modern Wicca or Neo-Wicca as it is called, elaborates the point of Karma in the Wiccan Rede where it says: “An ye harm none, do as ye will”. This very strict code allows Wiccans to do whatever they wish and at the same time it admonishes them to do harm unto anything including themselves.
In her book “To Stir a Magick Cauldron” SilverRavenWolf says:
“That my friend is the basis of the craft: Each individual is free to make choices for him or herself that will improve his or her environment, family, career and spirituality. People of the craft also have the power to remove things from their lives that impede their growth or cause danger to their well being. In essence, all Witches have control over their own lives and are responsible for their actions.”
Thus we do not confess sins to an intermediate, but rather take responsibility for our own actions. This can only be, if we practice self-control and when that is accomplished it is clear why we do not have any commandments.
And for all the above-mentioned reasons, we do not believe in the concept of original sin or the Christian Devil. Nowhere in any Pagan circle will you hear someone say that the Devil made them do something. You and only you are responsible for your actions. The devil is a Christian concept. He is the enemy of the Christian God and has nothing to do with Paganism.
Ultimately we believe that humans have more good in them than bad and if we can focus only on the good, we would be taking the first few steps of rebuilding Atlantis. Although we believe in the ultimate good in humanity, we are not blind nor denying the bad that some humans posses. Personally this bad is what I call the ‘Devils’ of this world.
While as a Pagan we believe in the power of reincarnation, we do not let it control our current lives. We do not elaborate on huge explanations or systems of operation for it. As mentioned before, where we are heading is far more important than where we come from. The only real focus is merely that we all have a common ground or souls resting place that we call ‘Summerlands’ (This is a Celtic word that means ‘resting place’). But because Paganism is such an individual belief you could of course name the souls resting place anything you like, as long as you know what you are talking about. Personally I call it Avalon.
Pagans have learned that all things in life are made up of energy. The entire Universe, everything that you can and can not see is all just energy. Even the most solid stone is made up of millions and billions of atoms that constantly orbit each other. This is part of the ancient maxim of “As above so below”. We live in a solar system that has many planets orbiting around the Sun, but everything in that solar system is in turn a universe because of the cells orbiting each other. Macrocosm and Microcosm. The planets that orbit around the Sun is the Macrocosm and every planet is a Microcosm.
In the esoteric way of life we have learned how to ‘manipulate’ these energy cells so that they ‘work’ for us. By altering our state of consciousness we thus begin to perform magick.
Scientists have shown that when you enter a trance state you no longer make use of your beta brain waves. There is a shift in consciousness and you then use your theta and delta brain waves, which are associated with sleep. The best way to describe this state of mind is the way that you feel when you have just woken up. You are awake and yet still asleep. The scientific name for this state of mind is called the hypnogogic state. It is also in this state of mind that you will ultimately have your best ideas. Sir Thomas Eddison invented the light bulb in this state.
When dealing with magick one should remember the ‘Rule of Three’ and if you are part of a Wiccan movement, ‘The Wiccan Rede’.
Also remember that true magick is neither black nor white. It is both because nature is both, both loving and cruel all at the same time. The only good or bad lies within the heart of the practitioner. It is also important to be careful what you ask for when performing magick, because you will get what you ask for. Be specific.
Pagans are great workers of ritual. It should be noted that ritual is not an escape from this world for us. We use ritual to celebrate our world and our lives and to harmonize with the Lunar and Solar phases. We ornate our rituals and our lives by the use of the four directions/elements.
East – Air
North – Fire
West – Water
South – Earth
And then there is the firth element, which is within us all, Spirit or Ether.
The elements carry characteristics that we use and need in our daily lives. Sometimes you hear someone saying that they are more of an earth person than a water person, for example. This only means, that person can relate to the characteristics of earth, better than the characteristics of water.
Within the realm of magick, the four directions are still accepted as categories of our world, while the fifth element cannot be perceived by normal physical senses, it is placed in the center of the circle and is represented by the practitioner.
These five elements represent the five points of our pentacle that most Pagans wear as a symbol that represents that – matter and spirit, are not separate entities, but are interlaced and on equal footing.
In his book “The Meaning of Witchcraft” Dr. Gerald Gardner says:
“The foundation of magical beliefs, of which witchcraft is a form, is that unseen Powers exist and that by performing the right sort of ritual these Powers can be contacted and either forced or persuaded to assist one in some way. People believed this in the Stone Age, and they believe it, consciously or not, today. It is now well-known that most superstition is in fact broken-down ritual.”
Ancient Paganism was regarded as a dead tradition since it was so violently suppressed by the then Christian (Roman Catholic) Church in the 4th century. Paganism has since been underground, but surfaced in the early 1950’s. This was the start of the Neo-Pagan movement. Many people now celebrate the old Sabbats, give praise to the Earth and worship the Goddess and the God. But there is so much more to Paganism than “nature worship”.
Together with the worship of the old Gods, ancient Paganism taught the perennial spiritual philosophy of the spiritual Oneness. Although the world compromises many different things, actually all is one. The ultimate Oneness is beyond the power of our intellect, but we can experience it.
To understand the ultimate Oneness, one must first look at the different forms of Pagan understanding and belief of Divinity.
“It is because the one transcends all descriptions that you can form no conception of it, yet it is always present to those with strength to touch it” — Plotinus -
Some Pagans are Pantheistic. This means that they follow a multitude of Goddesses and Gods (i.e. the different pantheons of the different cultures such as Greece), while others follow their understanding of Divinity through one Great Spirit. And some Pagans seek religious understanding through experiencing the Divine as a couple. (i.e. Mother Goddess and Father God, would be the general terms). Most of us Pagans believe to understand the Divine as a couple. Now, the Divine couple is two different sides to the Ultimate Oneness. Essentially there is only one Divine being, to all religions. That is why all Goddesses are one Goddess and all Gods are one God and Both are One. As Pagans we divide the One into two different parts, Masculine and Feminine, Male and Female, God and Goddess. This is to create a better understanding of the Ultimate Oneness. The Christians also do this with their God the Father, Jesus the son and the Holy Spirit. So too as a Pagans do we have separate entities that form the ultimate Oneness. It is just easier to understand it in this way. The Human mind can only comprehend something to which it can relate in some or other way and therefore we also have Patron Goddesses and Gods. In showing us one of their many faces, the Gods introduce themselves to us in a way that we will understand. Therefore you will always have something in common with your Patron Gods.
As humans we rely on our physical senses to survive in this existence and as a way of comparing concepts of an unseen spiritual nature, in other words we really find it difficult to lock into an idea or concept that we cannot see, touch, taste, feel or hear. Even the visions of the highly evolved humans are experienced, for instance a Christian will go to Church and come back and tell you how they felt the Holy Spirit move, or a Buddhist will tell you how at one he/ she feels after meditation or a yoga practitioner will tell you how centred or grounded they feel after a yoga session, we all equate experience with reality, we need to experience divinity in some way in order to feel “connected” if you will. It is the only way in which we can begin to understand and assimilate spiritual experiences. Let alone share them with others. So, to assist humans who seldom or never activated their visualization processes, the ancient spiritual leaders devised concrete visual symbols to aid in the worship of the Divine. The first symbols were paintings on the walls of sacred caves and little clay Mammoth ivory figures such as the Venus of Willendorf, which dates back to about 25 000 BCE. The initiate of ancient beliefs warned their followers that an image was not a reality; they spoke of images as visual symbols of subjective ideas. The images of these “Goddesses” were not intended as items to be worshipped, but as a visual aid of the various aspects of the Deity that was truly being worshipped. For instance on my altar I have a visual aid of Shiva, I DO NOT pray to this image, I do not offer worship to this symbol of the God that I love and worship, it only acts as a trigger to my subconscious, it assists me to personalize my Deity.
“There are two sides to this tale. On the one hand the many unite to become the Oneness and on the other hand the Oneness divides to become many. Things constantly shift between being united by love and divided by strife” — Empedocles –
Pagans revere both masculine and feminine equally although the Neo-Pagan movement of today often just lends itself towards the Goddess side of the religion. The reason for doing so would be in an attempt to ‘correct’ previous imbalances of the dominating male God. Although this can and has taken us to the other extreme, it gives a base for the feminist movement. Because women were so badly ‘branded’ by the one male God and His so called righteous male followers, they now fall to the other extreme of only Goddess worship and once again the balance is lost.
We therefore see the Divine duality in an eastern concept of Yin and Yang. The Divine dance of Polarity and not duality.
In Greece, above an ancient temple at Delphi, are words inscribed “Know thy self”. To many, this is probably the essence of Paganism. Ancient philosophers encouraged you to transcend your mortal identity and find your true self. When you have accomplished that, you will discover that your eternal and immortal essence is the one soul of the universe – the Mind of God.
Many people believe that pagan philosophers were dry intellectuals, that is however far from the truth. Ancient philosophers could be compared to modern day Hindu Gurus. Pythagoras for one will always be remembered as a brilliant mathematician, but he was also a very charismatic sage, who dressed in long white flowing robes and wore a coronet on his head. He was believed to have performed countless of miracles, which includes raising someone from the dead. He apparently knew all of his past lives as well as the past lives of his followers. He could hear the essential harmony of the cosmos and called it the music of the spheres. He was the first man to call himself a philosopher and a lover of wisdom, together with the likes of Empedocles, Socrates, Plato, Leonardo DaVince, Walt Disney and many others.
The great minds of the ancients were inspired by the mystical expression of the Pagan Spirit. In these ancient times the Pagan religions were also referred to as the Mysteries. The ancients held the mysteries to the very foundation of their culture. Zosimos (a Greek historian) wrote, that without the mysteries, life for the Greeks would be unlivable, for the sacred mysteries held the human race together.
These sacred teachings of the mysteries were divided into two different groups; the Mystae and the Epoptae.
The Scholars of the Mystae were the ordinary country or common folk, who practiced simple forms of magick and the mysteries. These scholars were also not initiated by a Priestess or Priest of the mysteries, because traveling to the city for the sole purpose of initiation was just not heard of. Thus self-initiations and family Covens were born. To these scholars the myths of the Divine were merely stories to entertain or to tell children at bedtime.
The scholars of the Epoptae were the initiated followers of the mysteries who understood that the myths, which were told as stories, contained profound spirituals teachings. These teachings were understood as great allegories. They were the ‘more’ educated scholars who came from the city and who would be the future High Priestesses and High Priests.
Therefore the meanings of the words: Mystae and Epoptae.
Mystae, which is the root word for mystery and mysticism means ‘eyes closed’.
Epoptae, the scholars of the ‘Inner Mysteries’, means ‘to have seen’.
After the Roman Invasion, the ’simple people’ of the country who practiced earth magick lived in peace alongside the ’sophisticated’ city people who had their pantheistic beliefs. They lived side by side in perfect harmony and both were considered as Pagans. Until the Roman Emperor Constantine on the year 325AD in collaboration with the church restructured the bible for political gain. He saw a way in which he could control the world and thus the Christian Bible, as we know it was created to control people and steer them away from the mysteries.
Today a great amount of terms will be found under the ‘Pagan Tree’, which affects on the individuals understanding and experience of the Divine from within and without. Terms such as Wicca, Shamanism, Druidism, Asatru, Voodoo ect.
Gardner said that the meaning of it all lies in the deepest levels of the human mind, in the collective unconscious and in the earliest developments of human society.
In conclusion: Paganism (to me) is not just a religion or belief system alone, but a way of life.
Being a Wiccan, Scott Cuningham called it ‘Living Wicca’.
References:
1. To Stir a Magick Cauldron – A Witches Guide to Casting and Conjuring
SilverRavenWolf
2. Dancing Under a African Moon – Paganism and Wicca in South Africa
Donna Darkwolf Vos
3. Spiritual Traditions – Essential Teachings to Transform Your Life
Timothy Freke
4. The Pagan Family – Handing the Old Ways Down
Ceiswir Serith
5. Namaste Volume 2 November/December 1999 – Paganism
Donna Darkwolf Vos
6. Through Time Into Healing – How Past Live Regression Therapy can Heal Mind Body and Soul
Dr. Brian Weiss
7. The Jesus Mysteries – Was the Original Jesus a Pagan God
Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy
8. The Meaning of Witchcraft
Dr. Gerald Gardner
9. 1st Degree Course – An Introduction to Paganism and Wicca
Martin Zeo Kratz
Copyright © 2008 First Priest Martin Kratz. All Rights Reserved
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