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Paganism: A Beginners Guide to Paganism
£6.60
Interest in Paganism is steadily increasing and, while rooted in ancient tradition, it is a living religious movement. With its reverence for all creation, it reflects our current concern for the planet. This introductory guide explains: • what Paganism is • the different Pagan paths • what Pagans do • how to live as a Pagan Paganism is one of the fastest growing spiritual movements in the West today. Pagans are those who worship the ancient pre-Christian Gods of our ancestors and of our lands. Originally, the word ‘Pagan’ was applied to those who worshipped the Gods of the pagus, which in Latin means ‘locality’. Pagan was also used in another sense by Christians – to mean ‘country dweller’. ‘Heathen’, of German origin, is also used by those who worship the Northern European Gods. Heathen means the someone of the heath who worships the Gods of the land. ‘Paganism’ is not a word that our ancestors would have used and it is seen by some as derogatory. Outside Europe, Pagans often reject it as an example of Western colonialism denigrating their traditional beliefs. In West Africa, the followers of indigenous spirituality refer to their beliefs as African Traditional Religion. In the West, the terms Native Spirituality, Celtic Spirituality, European Traditional Religion, the Elder Faith and the Old Religion are also used to describe the Pagan religions. Pagans have a variety of beliefs, but at their core are three which many would share: 1) The Divine has made itself manifest through many Deities in different places and at different times. No one Deity can express the totality of the Divine. This can be called polytheism – the Gods are many. 2) The Divine is present in Nature and in each one of us. This can be called pantheism – the Divine is everywhere. 3) Goddess and God: The Divine is represented as both female (Goddess) and male (God) while understanding that It is beyond the limitations of gender. 4) A fourth principle that some Pagans would share is called the Pagan Ethic: ‘If it harms none, do what you will.’
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Additional information
| Publisher | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (13 July 2015) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 124 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1515057321 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1515057321 |
| Dimensions | 15.19 x 0.69 x 22.91 cm |
by Anna
I found this to be informative, but a little too generic. Insufficient detail left me finding that nothing really jumped out at me like I thought it would, or should. Perhaps that is more my fault than the book! Numerous editing errors abound (A distinct lack of page numbers for one!) but this aside, it does provide some small amount of background into the various religions within paganism and some insight onto some of the particular paths that may interest someone looking to follow a particular traditional path.
by Jane
Informative but needed more Illustrations.
by Joanne
very cleverly written and an enjoyable read. It answered a few questions I had but left some unanswered. I will be researching further as it has excited my curiosity further.
by Paige Baldwin
It arrived on time! I haven’t read most of it yet but judging by the contents page, it will be great for me to start off with. I was recommended this book by a friend who is also pagan. Only downside for me is the cheap-looking cover and a few mistakes in the book. Other than that, it’s great!
by Ty Siriol
When I became interested in paganism I felt completely overwhelmed by what I was reading on the Internet, I couldn’t really make head nor tail of anything so I thought it best if I bought a book. This is definitely a good choice for beginners. It was straightforward and gives the important facts of beliefs/goddess/gods/celebrations etc, I felt a lot more at ease about the religion and havnt looked back. 5 stars 🙂
by James Batty
A great book for those who are new to or on the path of discovering Paganism. The common principles and differences between various forms of Paganism are discussed, symbolism and deities, as well as the main Pagan festivals. I feel this book has greatly helped me to connect the pieces that I have already discovered and given me more to ponder.
by Paige Baldwin
Very nice book full of great quotes worth saving. Paganism is such a peaceful religion. They believe that if a person is pagan – they will find their way. They’d rather a person do their own research instead of going from door to door or preaching to everyone they meet. Also paganism is very open to all different religions and do not put any religion down. It’s great.
Very informative about the types of paganism and different gods which I wasn’t too interested in to be honest as I find these myths and god stories a bit silly. I think I will be reading more about godless paganism. This book has great basics.
by Lina
May be a lovely book, I just didn’t find it easy to read